More than a Game

Australian Rules football is more than a game it is a way of life for players, club officials, league administrators and, above all, for its millions of loyal fans around the country. Footy fever and footy talk are an essential part of Australian life. Since its beginnings in Melbourne in the 1850s, as an amateur sport played among the gum trees, it has developed into a dazzling, fast-moving, high-scoring spectacle and a sophisticated national enterprise. This intriguing account of Australian footy explores- - the behind-the-scenes struggles for control of the game - the friction sparked by the rise of professionalism - the battles between clubs, players and administrators for a share of the takings - the unique role and influence of female spectators in the history of the game - the spread of the code to foreign territory including New South Wales and New Zealand - the campaigns by Melbourne s fiercely loyal football tribes to defend their clubs against mergers, relocations and the introduction of a national competition. Introduced by top Age sportswriter and columnist Martin Flanagan, this book tells the true story of Australian Rules football.