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.


With Contributions from
ROSS FITZGERALD
PHILLIPA POWER, barrister who once was Sydney Swans number 1 ticket holder
BRIAN DIXON, former Melbourne footballer 1954-1968
KEN SPILLMAN, WA ambassador for The Footpath Library
DICK WHITAKER, meteorologist, author, television and radio presenter
BARRY DICKINS, award wining writer
PETER LYONS, former sports Editor for the Canberra Times
JAMES GILCHRIST, author of Tortured Tales of a Collingwood Tragic
FRANK DIMATTINA, former Richmond Champion
PHIL TAGELL, author of the book Footy Tragic
MATT ZURBO, writer on Australian Rules
JEFF KENNETT, former Victorian Premier and former Hawthorn President
BILL HAY, artist and former under 19s Sandringham player
SUSAN ALBERTI, Vice-President Footscray Football Club
CHRIS BOWEN, Shadow Treasurer of Australia
CARDINAL GEORGE PELL, Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church
LES EVERETT, Author of Fremantle Dockers: An Illustrated History
PAUL SANTAMARIA, Melbourne barrister and son of BA Santamaria
JOHN BIRT, played for Essendon 1957 to 1967
PEGGY O'NEAL, president of the Richmond Football Club.
ROBERT PASCOE, Professor of History at Victoria University, Melbourne
RICHARD ALLSOP, Senior Fellow at the Institute of Public Affairs
AMANDA VANSTONE, Former Senator for South Australia 1984-2007
CHRIS KENNY, Associate Editor of The Australian
GABRIELLE TRAINOR, inaugural director of the GWS Giants.
SALLY MURPHY, children's book author
MICHAEL GORDON, political editor of The Age
JULIE BISHOP, Australia's Minister for Foreign Affairs
CHRIS GRIFFITH, is The Australian newspaper's Senior Technology Journalist.
GERALDINE DOOGUE, ABC TV Presenter
GERARD HENDERSON, Writer and Author
JOHN ELLIOTT, former Carlton President
JOSH FRYDENBERG, Member for Kooyong
ANTHONY CAPPELLO, Founder of Connor Court Publishing
ANDREW IRELAND, CEO/Managing Director of the Sydney Swans
MICHAEL O'LOUGHLIN, played 303 matches with the Sydney Swans
WEATHERMAN DICK, nom de plume of a well-known Australian meteorologist