Author(s): CORRIS Peter

Sport & Fitness

Nothing unites or divides people as much as the tribal loyalty of AFL supporters. Combining passion for the game with a talent for words, 17 writers explore the full range of supporters' emotions, from the fervour of a convert to the weariness of the long-term sufferer, the guilt of the turncoat to the joy of the flag-winner. These writers know what it's like to barrack and can always find a good story - and the game itself offers scenarios that are sometimes stranger than fiction. Jean Bedford's return to football might have been prompted by a life-size papier-mache model of Plugger; Sean Gorman remembers only too well when a field umpire unexpectedly took a neat chest mark; and Tony Wilson tried in vain to prolong his playing career with the Hawks by tutoring Shane Crawford in maths. From the Dockers to the Doggies, every club gets a guernsey - but beyond the team allegiances, this is a book for those who love footy. You'll find more than a little of yourself in the true appreciation these writers have for our national game.