Almanac Book Review – Helen Garner: The Season

I stood browsing the shelves of a Ballarat bookstore, wondering what I could read next. When I came across The Season, a 2024 book written by Helen Garner. Flipping over to read the blurb. It is about her grandson, and the team he plays for. The book chronicles one season of the U16s Colts. In a bid to build an even stronger relationship with her grandson Amby, Garner decides to become an observer as to quote the author: ‘before she dies and Amby becomes a man’.

 

The book is based on her grandson’s 2023 season. She attends most training sessions and makes it to every game.

 

Helen Garner is both an avid Bulldogs supporter, and follower of her grandson’s team. The book is an exploration of Australian Football, and the culture that has built-up around it. The essence of the book is a story about a grandmother and her grandson, as well as all the people she comes into contact with. Like the youthful 20-year-old, who has been thrust into the job of head coach. The various motivations and attitudes of Amby’s teammates are also explored through all the highs and lows of their season.

 

It is also an exploration of gender roles, and expectations.  The book discusses the trials and tribulations of youth. The inner battles that take place, that have to be overcome by Amby and his teammates. As they battle the opposition, each other and the fight within themselves to always improve, Garner also analyses her own role in the book. What expectations are placed on her shoulders, based on her age and gender? She aims to remain objective, as an outside observer. Perfectly capturing the tense passages of all-male teen sport, as well as more tender moments. Throughout the pages Garner nevertheless gets swept up in the fervor of footy. Simply written and easy to follow, this was a good read.

 

The book begins when Garner decides to start attending the training sessions and games of her grandson’s team. She gets to know Amby’s coach, the aforementioned 20-year-old. She is first ignored by the players, but this she does not mind. As the book progresses, she becomes more involved, she gets to know the players and some of their parents. Eventually she ends up slicing oranges for the players at half time. Garner becomes very involved, and indeed concerned about her grandson as well as his teammates as they play through the season.

 

The book is accessible and in uncomplicated language. Rather than chapter headings, it chronologically lists months. Garner makes it clear that she is an outsider to the sport. So far as to not really understanding the ins and outs. She does a great job of capturing the feeling of being in and around a football club.

 

It reads like a series of diary entries. Sometimes her thoughts, or random observations, intrude on the ‘plot’. Jumping from a thought, unrelated to the chapter to, in the next paragraph, several days later, a different topic. At times, the paragraphs do not logically flow. Although, I will say, the book does not spend much time doing this. It does not get distracted, going off on random tangents. So, it mostly sticks to the time flow.

 

I’d say it is an accessible book to most. Although I’d recommend it regardless, it certainly helps if you already like Australian Football. Some online reviews I read were critical of this. Mostly from people familiar with Garner’s work, but not the AFL or footy in general. This was the first work I’ve read from Garner, so I am not familiar with her other output.

 

In short The Season is an interesting read, wherein Helen Garner discusses footy, gender and everything else around it. It also perfectly captures the high and lows of her grandson’s team.

 

 

 

You can read more from RagingBull (Callum Quirk) HERE.

 

 

 

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Our writers are independent contributors. The opinions expressed in their articles are their own. They are not the views, nor do they reflect the views, of Malarkey Publications.

 

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