Heartfelt Moments In Australian Rules Football

These thirty seven contributions of original essays about the most heartfelt moments in VFL/AFL cut across all divides. Essays include contributions by and about football players, supporters and administrators who are vastly different in religion, class, income, ethnicity, gender, race and sexual preference. The contributors range from Christians such as Cardinal George Pell, Geraldine Doogue, and John Birt to atheists like Ross Fitzgerald, Dick Whitaker and Barry Dickins. Even in politics AFL/VFL unites with contributions from Labor’s shadow treasurer Chris Bowen; Liberal Minister for Resources, Energy and Northern Australia, Josh Frydenberg; Liberal Foreign Minister Julie Bishop; ex Liberal federal minister Amanda Vanstone and ex Victorian premier, Jeff Kennett. Also a number of contributors uncover how, over the decades, our great game has developed, often for the good, but sometimes not, in terms of its treatment of indigenous players and its dealings with women. Being a lifelong supporter of a club, any club involves a lot of downs and ups. At the very least, to be a true supporter means never giving up or relinquishing one’s team. Indeed it means even more than that. Ultimately it is the downs that enable supporters to show their true colours and the depth of their personal attachment and commitment to each club. Thus, as Roger Kahn wrote, in his case about the Brooklyn Dodgers: “You may glory in a team triumphant, but you fall in love with a team in defeat.