Readers of the Almanac website might remember that back in 2016 I started writing a series of stories where I matched interesting exponents of each of the positions on the Aussie Rules playing field with categories of everyday things. So, for example, the full forwards are fish, the half forward flankers are cakes, the centre half forwards are cars, the half back flankers are horses, the tall back pockets are songs, the rucks are trees, the rovers are drinks and the interchanges are board games.
When the sixteen stories were completed earlier this year, I decided to collect them together into a book, which has been gorgeously laid out by a graphic designer mate, and if I say so myself its 170 colour pages look fabulous in book form, and the index has some 760 players.
At the start of the book, I acknowledge the role of John Harms and The Footy Almanac in giving the original stories life, as well as readers’ suggestions of players for each theme. The early stories weren’t illustrated but now they have plenty of images, for example Peter Hudson being compared to a leafy sea dragon.
I have updated the players to 2024 and also found some new stories such as boxer Lionel Rose as a ruck rover. Some funny stories have emerged. West Adelaide’s centreman Jack Broadstock, ‘footballer by day, gangster by night’ cheekily ‘flipping the bird’ to Jack Dyer segues into Harley Reid, while the Gowans twins from Central District are always good value. While it covers players across the AFL, the book is something of a love-letter to SANFL football, South Australian history and culture, and the State Library of South Australia, from where many of the illustrations are sourced.
The book is available for $35 at Dillons Bookshop on Norwood Parade in Adelaide or from the Friends of the State Library of SA on the corner of North Terrace and Kintore Avenue. If you need a copy posted it will cost $45, so let me know at [email protected]
Read Carolyn’s Almanac pieces HERE.
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Well played Carolyn, it sounds a hoot.
Congratulations Carolyn.
Congrats Carolyn I will call in to -Dillons thank you