Gary Ablett: An Autobiography by Gary Ablett

$44.99 AUD

$49.99 (10% off)

Category: Sport

Gary Ablett: An Autobiography celebrates AFL legend Gary Ablett's stellar career. Reliving key moments and events in his life, this memoir not only explores Gary's great success at the very top of the AFL, but also his journey to get there. Drafted in 2001, Gary's incredible career has spanned two grea t clubs, two Grand Finals and two Brownlow medals among many other accolades. In his book, Gary takes readers through the trials and triumphs of his life: his close bonds with his family; his famous father Gary Ablett Senior's influence on his life; joining Geelong Football Club along with his brother Nathan; becoming a star player and the pressure that brings from the media; taking on new challenges when he left his home town to join the newly minted Suns football team on the Gold Coast; becoming a captain and leading the Suns; dealing with injury and the pressure that you come under then; the joy of returning home to Geelong Football Club even though it was accompanied by a tragic family event; settling back in Victoria with his wife Jordan and baby Levi and a future that will no doubt always have football somewhere in it.  Illustrated with many never-before-seen photographs from private collections, and including contributions from Joel Selwood, Mark Thompson, Gary's mum, Sue, and Gary Ablett Snr, this book is packed with images and stories that will bring the book to life and remind the reader of the many great moments in Gary's career. From childhood to his zenith as a player, Gary's story will be a book to read and re-read about a player without equal. ...Show more

Belief (HB) by Marlion Pickett; Dave Warner

$39.99 AUD

Category: Sport

From prison to premiership glory; this is Marlion Pickett’s extraordinary story. It’s the third quarter in the biggest game of the season. A young man lines up for goal.  The 100,000 strong crowd leaps to its feet and roars as Marlion Pickett sends the ball soaring through the goalposts for his first e ver major, celebrated by every teammate, a tradition upheld even on Grand Final day. It was the 2019 AFL Grand Final, and Richmond’s Marlion Pickett was making history as the first player in over 50 years to debut on that ‘one day in September’. Marlion helped the Tigers thrash the Greater Western Sydney Giants in their debut grand final appearance and was judged third best on ground, only six days after steering Richmond’s VFL team with his best on ground performance to their nail biting Grand Final victory. Marlion Pickett’s extraordinary story of redemption is a true fairy tale. The tale of a man who came back from the brink to triumph on Australian sport’s biggest stage, a long-held dream come true. What’s even more remarkable about Marlion’s journey is how this young, troubled Aboriginal kid from Western Australia ever got his chance in the first place. A story all too sadly familiar – about drugs, crime, violence and time spent in jail – but also about a life picked up piece by piece through his own belief in himself and those around him who believed in him too. Belief also takes us inside the South Fremantle and Richmond Football clubs – clubs that have made stars and cult heroes out of other Indigenous players; clubs willing to overlook a talented kid’s troubled past to give him a chance. We meet the fellow players and support network who stood by Marlion’s side as he fought back against injury and the doubters and proudly ran onto the field at the MCG. Marlion’s resilience and strength is inspirational. His is an unforgettable Australian story of triumph over adversity.   ...Show more

AFL 2020: A Season Like No Other by Ashley Browne

$32.99 AUD

Category: Sport

2020: A Season Like No Other explores how the AFL navigated a season that changed day-by-day for fans, for the clubs, and for the players and coaches. The 2020 AFL Season was like no other in the game's 162-year history. As coronavirus struck down Australia during round one, in March 2020, the AFL was f orced to take unprecedented steps to keep its season alive. The season was postponed at the end of round one, a round without crowds, and resumed on 11 June, a hiatus of 84 days. During that period speculation was rife as to whether the season could proceed, and where. 'Hubs' became the key word, and the fixture was rebuilt to allow for 17 matches -- with clubs playing each other once. By July, as COVID-19 ravaged the country and economy, teams were quarantined, under strict protocols, in NSW and QLD. By the end of July, the WA teams and SA teams were back in their home states, playing before reduced crowds, but all VIC teams had relocated to NSW, QLD, and WA. In one 14-day period, Collingwood was fixtured to play four games. This is the story of how the AFL, the clubs, the players, the coaches, the administration, and the fans coped with history in the making.   ...Show more

The Hard Way The Story of Richmond's 13th Premiership by Konrad Marshall

$24.99 AUD

Category: Sport

The Hard Way recounts Richmond football club's journey to the 2020 ALF Grand Final. In this thrilling account, Konrad Marshall reconstructs an unprecedented season of footy and the team that came to shine through it all.  The 2020 AFL season was a season like no other, and the challenges faced by the p remier team, due to the restrictions imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic, were substantial. Richmond, the reigning premier, started the season slowly, were then relocated to a Gold Coast hub for 111 days, faced internal issues throughout, and came into the Grand Final against Geelong the hard way, after losing the qualifying final to Brisbane. Including a foreward from Richmond president, Peggy O'Neal, The Hard Way tells this amazing story and reveals Richmond's game plan - a playing system that is based as much on chaos as clockwork - in intricate detail. Konrad not only covers the club's journey to their final's campaign but also the adjustments made to move to Queensland, life in the hub, their relationship with their fans and the public, and of course, the Dustin Martin effect.    If they weren't convinced already, this book will show all footy fans just how Richmond truly embodies the old sports saying: A champion team will always beat a team of champions. ...Show more

Mark Skaife by Mark Skaife

$40.00 AUD

$45.00 (11% off)

Category: Sport

When it comes to the masters of motorsport, Mark Skaife is without peer. The stats ordain him the most brilliant touring car racer in Australian motorsport history: his six Bathurst victories and five touring car championships place him in the rarefied company of Peter Brock. For more than three decade s across the Holden Racing Team's golden era, Skaife was the chosen one. Imposing, sometimes polarising and always revered, his legend is immeasurable and he remains a pillar of Australian motorsport today as a media ambassador and presenter. This unique and intimate illustrated autobiography recounts the thrills, heartbreaks and epic feats of an unparalleled racing career, on the track and behind the scenes. Featuring photos and memorabilia from his personal collection, a narrative as entertaining as a Bathurst bend, and fascinating insights from those who know him best, Mark Skaife is the definitive account of the man behind the helmet. ...Show more

Roughy by Jarryd Roughead

$40.00 AUD

$45.00 (11% off)

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 ga me, 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

The Storm Within: The Autobiography of a Legend by Cameron SMITH, with Andrew WEBSTER

$49.99 AUD

Category: Sport

***CAPTAIN OF THE 2020 TELSTRA NRL PREMIERSHIP WINNERS THE MELBOURNE STORM*** Cameron Smith AM is the most decorated rugby league player of all time. The recipient of numerous Dally M and Golden Boot awards, he has starred in the toughest league competition on the planet every season since he made his N RL debut in 2002. Captaining the Melbourne Storm to multiple premierships, Smith played in a staggering seventeen finals campaigns. An integral member of the record-breaking Queensland teams of 2006-2017, he won eleven State of Origin series. As skipper of the Australian national team for over a decade, he led the Kangaroos to two World Cups. Smith is credited with revolutionising the number nine position. He holds the State of Origin records for most appearances and most wins, as well as the NRL records for most games, goals, points scored, wins and appearances as captain. This book maps his unique journey in the game: an extraordinary look into the biggest matches and biggest moments, Smith describes his career with great colour and candour, outlining what it takes to climb to the highest level in sport. Talent aside, it is Smith's intelligence and poise that set him apart, coupled with consistency, durability and longevity that are unlikely to ever be matched. Notoriously private throughout his career, The Storm Within sets the record straight. Finally, the life behind the legend - the man behind the mystery - tells his story. Features a foreword by legendary Melbourne Storm coach Craig Bellamy. ...Show more

The Comeback Summer: When Smith and Stokes got the Magic Back by Geoff Lemon

$29.99 AUD

Category: Sport

The captain of the Australian team: a batsman on the way to being the greatest of all time. The star of the English team: an all-rounder breaking record after record. Both disgraced in enormous scandals of very different kinds. Both attempting a path to personal and professional redemption, through Worl d Cups and county games. All culminating in a meeting of cricket's biggest rivalry: the 2019 Ashes. It was always going to be a summer to remember. The follow-up to Geoff Lemon's multi-award-winning Steve Smith's Men is an equally insightful, thrilling and sharply observed take on the cricketing world, with a cast of finely drawn characters, vivid backdrops and a series of incredible events, both on and off the field. ...Show more

Crimmo: The Peter Crimmins Story by Eddy Dan; Geoff Slattery (Editor)

$34.95 AUD

Category: Sport

Peter Crimmins was small in stature, but his presence loomed large at Hawthorn during his 176 games (1966-75). A tenacious rover and popular captain who helped establish the Hawks as a powerhouse in the Victorian (now Australian) Football League, the cheeky, blond-headed Crimmins was widely acclaimed as the most courageous player in the game. 'Crimmo' was a standout in Hawthorn's victorious 1971 Grand Final victory over St Kilda; his dominant on-ball partnership with the legendary Leigh Matthews during that period was as dynamic as any the game had seen. But it was Crimmins' off-field courage which endeared him to fans of all clubs. Appointed captain for 1974 he would play all but one game in the premiership season but missed Hawthorn's finals campaign after he had a cancerous testicle removed. He returned to lead the team in 1975, before cancer again forced him to step away from the game. Undetered he made a valiant quest to be selected for the 1975 Grand Final. Hawthorn's decision to overlook their skipper for that match remains the most controversial selection call in football history. Crimmins's health deteriorated during 1976, yet he fought gamely to the end. After the Hawks secured the 1976 Premiership, Clive Mackinnon's award-winning photograph of the gravely ill Crimmins surrounded by his jubilant teammates is one of the most emotive ever captured. Days later, Crimmins was dead. He was just 28. Having left behind wife Gwen (then 31), and sons Ben (4) and Sam (2), the outpouring of grief that followed was unprecedented for a footballer to that time. It was no surprise that Crimmins has been immortalised at Hawthorn, with the club champion winning the Peter Crimmins Medal. In Crimmo: The Peter Crimmins Story, acclaimed footy writer Dan Eddy describes Peter Crimmins' remarkable impact on The Hawthorn Football Club, his teammates and Australian football. ...Show more

Stoked!: Winners and Grinners from Our Sporting Life by H. G. Nelson

$19.99 AUD

Category: Sport

There’s nothing Australians love better than a sporting hero, except perhaps giving that hero a gentle ribbing for having the temerity to outstrip the rest of us. From the Jumping Doc and his ‘Peltzer flinch’ to late nineteenth century fashion on the field (knitted jumper, anyone?), the great H.G. ‘batt ered sav’ Nelson heads trackside once more to scrutinise the efforts of some of Australia’s finest athletes. In this broad-reaching commentary, readers will join him to speculate about the complex rules of roller derby, reminisce fondly about the good old days on the Hill at the SCG and delight in a rare snap of that most famous of underground sports, shotgun tennis. Alongside H.G.’s incisive commentary are images of some of Australia’s finest sporting achievements from the National Library’s vast Pictures Collection and obscure truths about Australia’s national pastimes. Did you know that completing a 2,000 metre rowing race is the physiological equivalent of playing two basketball games back-to-back? That many ballet positions are derived from those of fencing? That, in 1952, one cheeky wrestler slid down the gilt banister of the main staircase in Buckingham Palace while visiting the Queen? A mix of facts and humourous observations, this book will educate readers a little and amuse them a lot. ...Show more

Perspective by Ellyse Perry

$39.99 AUD

Category: Sport

A POINT OF VIEW , A STATE OF MIND - PERSPECTIVE IS EVERYTHING. A book of shared insights from one of Australia's most exceptional athletes. Ellyse Perry is among the all-time cricket greats, and the only player, female or male, to represent Australia in both cricket and football World Cups, making her international debut in both sports at the age of 16. Perspective is about sitting back from the world you're involved in and evaluating what it means to you. What are the important things that you know make experiences special? What are the things that motivate you? What are the things that give you joy? The things that challenge you but, ultimately, make you a better person? Most importantly, who are the people whose unwavering help and support you couldn't go without? From the lessons of a high-performance athlete's career to appreciating the small things in life, this inspiring illustrated book features stories and reflections from Ellyse's childhood and career on the themes of dreaming, belief, work, resilience, appreciation, opportunity, balance and perseverance - and their importance in everything we do. This empowering book is a unique view from one of Australia's most admired sports stars about what it is to be an elite athlete. ...Show more

50 Greatest Australian Cricketers by Dan Liebke

$32.99 AUD

Category: Sport

 Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them by virtue of their skills with ball and bat. This book is about the latter. Australia’s favourite sport has a proud history of turning nobodies into somebodies and ordinary men and women into heroes of international r enown. From the black-and-white belligerence of Ian Chappell to the colourful celebrity of Shane Warne, the diplomacy of Adam Gilchrist to the ruthlessness of Meg Lanning, the pantheon of Australia’s greatest cricketers is as mottled as the crowds that cheer them on. But who is the greatest of them all? In The 50 Greatest Australian Cricketers, sports journalist and comedy writer Dan Liebke charts the careers, characteristics and enduring legacies of the finest Australian cricket players of the past 50 years.  ...Show more