28: A memoir of football, addiction, art, masculinity and love by Brandon Jack

$29.99 AUD

Category: Biography & Memoir

A brutally honest memoir that completely rethinks what it means to be a man.   'Like Andre Agassi's Open, this is a transformative book; it is going to change our way of seeing' Malcolm Knox'Brandon Jack is a force for good' Michelle Andrews and Zara McDonald, hosts of the Shameless podcastContinually told he was born with footballing blood, Brandon Jack has spent his life uncertain of the relationship he holds with the games he's played.Now a writer and musician, he sits in his apartment and reflects upon the years spent pursuing what felt like an inevitability - the footballing life.This is a unique and darkly poetic fly-on-the-wall account of a world that is usually shown in bright lights. Filled with relentlessly driven diary entries, vivid details of life at the fringe, and memories of binge-drinking into oblivion as an escape during his playing days at the Sydney Swans, 28 is a portrayal of the sporting psyche in a way that has never been done before.But the true beauty of this book lies in the space outside football. Laid bare on these pages is a searingly honest deep dive into sport, addiction, art, sexuality, masculinity, love, family and identity.'Searingly honest, unflinching' Peter FitzSimons'Brandon Jack has talent and daring in abundance' Christos Tsiolkas ...Show more

The Master: The Brilliant Career of Roger Federer by Christopher Clarey

$26.99 AUD

$32.99 (18% off)

Category: Sport

A major biography of the greatest men's tennis player of the modern era. There have been other biographies of Roger Federer, but never one with this kind of access to the man himself, his support team, and the most prominent figures in the game, including such rivals as Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Andy Roddick. In The Master, New York Times correspondent Christopher Clarey sits down with Federer and those closest to him to tell the story of the greatest player in men's tennis. Roger Federer has often made it look astonishingly easy through the decades: carving backhands, gliding to forehands, leaping for overheads and, in his most gravity-defying act, remaining high on a pedestal in a world of sports rightfully flooded with cynicism. But his path from temperamental, bleach-blond teenager with dubious style sense to one of the greatest, most self-possessed and elegant of competitors has been a long-running act of will, not destiny. He not only had a great gift. He had grit. Christopher Clarey, one of the top international sportswriters working today, has covered Federer since the beginning of his professional career. He was in Paris on the Suzanne Lenglen Court for Federer's first Grand Slam match and has interviewed him exclusively more than any other journalist since his rise to prominence. Here, Clarey focuses on the pivotal people, places, and moments in Federer's long and rich career: reporting from South Africa, South America, the Middle East, four Grand Slam tournaments, and Federer's native Switzerland. It has been a journey like no other player's, rife with victories and a few crushing defeats, one that has redefined enduring excellence and made Federer a sentimental favorite worldwide. The Master tells the story of Federer's life and career on both an intimate and grand scale, in a way no one else could possibly do. ...Show more

The Story Continues: Dustin Martin by Dustin Martin

$49.99 AUD

Category: Sport

Dustin Martin: The Story Continues is the all new, up-to-date and illustrated companion to Dustin (Dusty) Martin’s phenomenal football career. In this fully authorised edition, you will be able to experience Dusty’s rise to the very top of AFL football and his position in the pantheon of great Australi an players. Find out all about Dusty’s childhood, his career at the Richmond Football Club, and behind the scenes stories from those he spends his time with. From the President to the trainers, this book will reveal the high esteem in which he is held at the club and in the wider world of AFL football.   Dustin Martin: The Story Continues is the must have, must give and must read footy book of the year! Richmond fans as well as fans across the code will discover the true Dustin Martin revealed through words and stunning pictures. An all new stunning book for Dusty's multitude of fans! ...Show more

The Fairytale: A Real and Imagined History of Australian Sport by H.G. Nelson

$34.99 AUD

Category: Sport

A sporting nation is only limited by its imagination. Every time this story is told it changes; something is always added, embellished or dropped from the run-on side. For more than thirty years, H.G. Nelson has been finding the poetry in the punt and humour during half-time. Now, he turns his keen eye for facts and folly to the illustrious history of our great sporting nation. In his trademark fast and furious style, H.G. dives deep into the moments that have truly made us who we are. He reminds us of our leaders' great sporting triumphs, from Harold Holt's swimming to John Howard's bowling; rewrites the record on legends such as 'Aussie Joe' Bugner and Jack Brabham; and explains why Australia's reality TV is the best in the world. The Fairytale is H.G. Nelson's magnum opus - an all-encompassing, no-holds-barred history of Australia at play, told through the stories of our sporting highs, lows and middles. ...Show more

The Midlife Cyclist - The Road Map for the 40+ Rider Who Wants to Train Hard, Ride Fast and Stay Healthy by Phil Cavell

$29.99 AUD

Category: Sport

'I am blown away by the level of detail Phil Cavell brings to his work.'Elinor Barker MBE, multiple world champion and Olympic gold medallist'Phil is eminently qualified to write the Midlife Cyclist. Well, he is certainly old enough.'Fabian Cancellara, Tour de France rider and two-time Olympic champion' An amazing accomplishment... a simple-to-understand précis of your midlife as a cyclist - you won't want to put it down.'Phil Liggett, TV cycling commentator'I'm determined to grow old gracefully in lycra, and Phil Cavell has been helping me to do it successfully for years.'Gary KempRenowned cycling biomechanics pioneer, Phil Cavell, explores the growing trend of middle-aged and older cyclists seeking to achieve high-level performance. Using contributions from leading coaches, ex-professionals and pro-team doctors, he produces the ultimate manifesto for mature riders who want to stay healthy, avoid injury - and maximise their achievement levels.Time's arrow traditionally plots an incremental path into declining strength and speed for all of us. But we are different to every other generation of cyclists in human history. An ever-growing number of us are determined to scale the highest peaks of elite physical fitness into middle-age and beyond. Can the emerging medical and scientific research help us achieve the holy triumvirate of speed and health with age?The Midlife Cyclist offers a gold standard road-map for the mature cyclist who aims to train, perform and even race at the highest possible level. ...Show more

The Running Book: A Journey Through Memory, Landscape and History by John Connell

$26.99 AUD

$32.99 (18% off)

Category: Sport

It is summer, the hay and silage have not yet been made on John Connell's farm, so he has time to indulge his other great passion: running. John sets off on a marathon run of 42.2 kilometres through his native Longford, the scene of his award-winning book The Cow Book. As he runs across woodlands, field s and tiny roads, he tells the story of his life and contemplates Ireland's history, old and new. He also remembers other great runs he has done, from Australia to Canada, and tells the stories of some of his running heroes, such as Haile Gebrselassie. Part memoir, part essay, The Running Book explores what it is to be alive and what movement can do for a person. It is deeply intimate and wide-ranging, local and global: Connell is as likely to write about colonialism and the effect of British imperialism in Ireland and its former colonies as he is about life on his family farm in Ballinalee, County Longford. Told in 42 chapters, each another kilometre in the 42.2k race, the whole book is 42,000 words long and it captures what it is to undertake a marathon moment by moment, in body and mind. Above all, The Running Book is a book about the nature of happiness and how for one man it came through the feet. ...Show more

Australia's Game: The Complete History of the Australian Game of Football by Matthew Nicholson, Bob Stewart, Greg de Moore, Rob Hess

$60.00 AUD

Category: Sport

Australia's Game is the definitive history of Australian football, tracing the evolution of the game from its earliest, rudimentary forms - in the period preceding the first recorded game, in 1858 - to the totally professional game of the modern era. The authors, all passionate about the history of Aus tralian football, have provided readers with the fine detail of every important evolutionary point in the game's development, in every state and territory. Australia's Game also explores historical AFL issues including a deeper discussion on Australian women in the AFL as both supporters and players, as well as new evidence on the theory that the game was developed as an offshoot of an Aboriginal game. The book traces the pathway to the national game, including forensic detail on how the Victorian Football League, on its knees in the eighties, with several clubs on the verge of bankruptcy, made the bold step to creating the monolithic national League. ...Show more

Sonny Bill Williams: You Can't Stop the Sun from Shining by Sonny Bill Williams, Alan Duff

$49.99 AUD

Category: Sport

Sonny Bill Williams (SBW) is a once in a hundred-year athlete with immense sporting talent in Rugby League, Rugby Union and Boxing. Sonny Bill has built an incredible career and sporting reputation across the globe. His athleticism has taken him from inner-city Auckland, where he grew up, to the highes t sporting moments in Twickenham, Eden Park and Sydney's Olympic Stadium. But there is so much more to Sonny Bill Williams' life and journey than his on-field and in-the-ring triumphs. Sonny Bill's love of family, his faith, his skill and performance throughout his unparalleled sporting career, his ability to unite a team under pressure, his grace in owning his mistakes, the challenges of leaving home as a young man and dealing with a negative culture and the temptations that followed, and his courage in speaking out for the vulnerable and calling out injustice are all aspects of an inspiring life story. Sonny Bill Williams was the first Muslim to play for the All Blacks. Driven by a fierce moral compass, Sonny Bill Williams thoughtfully and authentically uses his standing and platform as both a UNICEF Ambassador and an elite sportsperson to speak out on political issues that confront the world today and to benefit those struggling in life. He is a dedicated family man, devoted to his faith, committed to his teammates, respectful of his fans and aware that the path he has taken can inspire and empower others. Working with Alan Duff, award-winning author of Once Were Warriors, this will be the must-read autobiography of the year. ...Show more

Silk: Football, Family, Respect by Shaun Burgoyne

$39.99 AUD

Category: Sport

Shaun Burgoyne - inspirational footballer, leader of his people, devoted family man - is one of the most respected players in AFL history, on and off the field. The man they call 'Silk' was the ultimate team player - versatile, highly skilled and hard at the contest, with an enviable reputation for bei ng able to stand up in big moments. Burgoyne is a proud Indigenous man, with a football pedigree that is a story in itself. Starting with his father's time at the Koonibba Roosters, the oldest surviving Indigenous footy club in Australia, the Burgoyne name is directly linked to Gavin Wanganeen, Eddie Betts, Graham Johncock and many other AFL stars. In his 400-plus games, Burgoyne had only two coaches. He reveals the tough love dished out by Port Adelaide coach Mark 'Choco' Williams, and the left-field techniques of legendary Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson. He shares how he changed from star midfielder to role player, a move that enabled him to overcome injuries and become one of the best impact players the game has seen. Burgoyne's story isn't just about winning four premierships and becoming the Indigenous games record holder. He experienced the ugliness of racist taunts, from growing up in Port Lincoln to bearing witness to the fallout of Adam Goodes' public stance on racism. The way Burgoyne sees it, we can't change history but we must learn from it, and work towards reconciliation, to a position of mutual respect and understanding. This modest champion shares what he has learnt to show others what is possible when you seize opportunities, are willing to put in the work and surround yourself with the right people - family, friends, teammates, mentors - who will inspire, support and guide you every step of the way. Born in Darwin, Shaun made his AFL debut for Port Adelaide in 2002 after being selected as pick no 12 in the 2000 National Draft. With indigenous ancestry connecting to the Kokatha (originating from the Eyre Peninsula and Ceduna), Shaun quickly established himself as an elite athlete of composure, skill and speed, winning his 1st AFL Premiership with the Power in 2004. Selected as Vice Captain of Port Adelaide and winning selection in the 2006 All Australian side, Shaun made the dramatic and complicated move to Victoria and to heavyweight Club Hawthorn at the end of 2009. Since 2010 Shaun has been a top 5 player for the Hawks and one of the best in the competition. Playing a variety of important positions around the ground and delivering under pressure, season after season, the Hawks narrowly lost to Sydney in the 2012 Grand Final however in 2013 Shaun was instrumental in Hawthorn's Premiership win over Fremantle. In 2014 Shaun kicked key 2nd half goals as Hawthorn went back to back and smashed Sydney in the Grand Final - making Shaun the most capped Finals player in the AFL and a 3-time Premiership player. In 2015, Shaun was appointed Captain of the Indigenous All Stars. ...Show more

Roughy by Jarryd Roughead

$34.99 AUD

Category: Sport

Roughy is a story of perspective from a Hawthorn legend - much more than a footballer's tale. A country boy who grew up watching his old man play local footy in Leongatha, Jarryd Roughead's talent and dedication turned him into an AFL star. Lining up alongside some of the greatest to ever play the game , he was a key player in a Hawthorn team that will live on as one of the best of any era. In 2015, when a melanoma was found on his bottom lip, it seemed like only a small setback. The spot was removed and, soon after, Jarryd was back on the ground, helping the Hawks secure their famous three-peat - his fourth premiership. He was newly married, planning a family, and life seemed carefree. Then, during a routine check-up in 2016, a scan showed the melanoma had moved into his lungs. He had cancer. Jarryd was one of the first to receive an immunotherapy treatment that is now saving lives around the world - and ultimately saved his. But the side effects were brutal. Endless days and nights of agony, including nerve damage to his feet that threatened any possible return to footy. What saw Jarryd through was the same resilience, drive and positivity that had turned him into an elite footballer in the first place. Not only did he return to play AFL, he was named captain of Hawthorn. A one-club man, Roughy retired as a legend and an inspiration. ...Show more

50 Great Moments in Australian Cricket by Dan Liebke

$32.99 AUD

Category: Sport

They're the moments that make up Australian sporting folklore, the iconic events that stand out in Australia's collective sporting memory long after the match details have become a blur. Remember Shane Warne's ball of the century? Or Steve Waugh's century off the last ball? Where were you when John Dys on took his outfield catch? Or when Ellyse Perry celebrated an Ashes double century - twice? How about Adam Gilchrist walking in a World Cup semi-final? Or Dennis Lillee kicking Javed Miandad? Steve Harmison's wide? Peter Siddle's birthday hat trick? Underarm? The great cricketing moments are not only unforgettable they also provide an insight into the timeless allure of Australia s national sport. In 50 Great Moments in Australian Cricket, sports journalist and comedy writer Dan Liebke guides us through the events that thrilled, delighted, amused and occasionally shocked fans, and how those moments reveal the secret to the game s ongoing appeal. ABOUT THE AUTHOR:Dan Liebke is a comedy writer and former Nathan Hauritz impersonator. He was a regular contributor for MAD Magazine in Australia for two decades before coming to his senses and turning his comic focus to cricket. In addition to a social media presence on Twitter (@liebcricket), Dan has also contributed articles making fun of cricket and cricketers to the ABC Cricket Guide magazine as well as websites such as Cricket365, The Roar, The Guardian, FirstPost and Greenfield Post. He also co-hosts both the Can't Bowl, Can't Throw and Ridiculous Ashes cricket podcasts. His book, The Instant Cricket Library, a comic anthology of fake excerpts from imaginary, unpublished and other hard-to-find cricket books was published in 2018 by the Slattery Media Group. His books The 50 Greatest Matches in Australian Cricket and The 50 Greatest Australian Cricketers were published by Affirm Press. 50 Great Moments in Australian Cricket is his fourth book. Dan is a genuine all-rounder, equally inept with both bat and ball, and he steadfastly believes that cricket is the funniest, and hence best, sport that humanity has ever invented. ...Show more

Dream Horse: The Incredible True Story of Dream Alliance – the Allotment Horse who Became a Champion by Janet Vokes

$19.99 AUD

Category: Sport

Janet Vokes was working behind the bar in her local working men's club in the small Welsh mining community of Cefn Fforest when she fixed upon the idea of breeding a racehorse. She'd always loved animals, having dabbled in showing whippets and racing pigeons, and her husband Brian used to be a rag and b one man with a horse of his own. Why shouldn't a working-class horse take on the high flyers in the rarified world of racing? She bought a mare for £350, paired her up with a pedigree stallion and helped to create a syndicate of twenty-three friends from the village - each paying £10 a week - to raise the resulting foal, Dream Alliance. He may have grown up on an allotment but Dream Alliance had star quality, beating all the odds to become a winner at a number of world-class racetracks. Then a terrible injury to his leg threatened not just his career but his life. Refusing to have him put down, the syndicate paid for experimental surgery and Dream Alliance went on to not only make a full recovery but win the Welsh Grand National. ...Show more