Bachar Houli by Bachar Houli

$34.99 AUD

Category: Sport

Bachar Houli is as accomplished an AFL footballer as they come. He's been part of two Richmond Premiership sides, he was an All-Australian in 2019, and with over 200 games to his name he remains a key part of a champion team. Picked at number 42 in the 2006 National Draft by Essendon, Houli played 26 ga mes for the Bombers before moving in 2011 to Tigerland, where rookie coach Damien Hardwick was assembling the team that six years later would achieve the seemingly impossible and claim Richmond's 11th Premiership. Another flag followed two years later, with Houli close to best on ground in both deciders. Yet it's as the AFL's most prominent Muslim player that Houli is best known - and his strong Muslim values are at the heart of the man he is. Writing for the first time, Houli explores the experiences and beliefs that sparked his trailblazing success as a Muslim footballer, and that established him as a leading voice within the AFL community for inclusion, understanding and tolerance. Co-authored with acclaimed broadcaster and writer Waleed Aly, Bachar Houli- Faith, Football and Family tells the unique story of one of football's most fascinating men. ...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

It Happened in a Holden 2nd Edition by Paddy O'Reilly (Editor)

$29.99 AUD

Category: Sport

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

Lines to the Horizon: Australian Surf Writing by Jock Serong

$32.99 AUD

Category: Sport

Tim Winton says, 'Surfing is not just a subculture, it is culture, and here's proof', while Jock Serong says that the collection demonstrates our horizons are unlimited. From Gold Coast surf culture to the relationships of humans to the sea and from surf travel in Mexico to Taj Burrow's final campaign in Fiji, this collection features six authors writing about surfing, and the ocean, in six very different ways. Their stories are reverential, energetic and mystical, and between them cover thousands of kilometres of coastline, at home and abroad. ...Show more

Mark Skaife by Mark Skaife

$45.00 AUD

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

SALE - Life and Death: A cycling memoir by Bridie O'Donnell

$34.95 AUD

Category: Sport

Life and Death: a cycling memoir, is the story of that triumph. It is also the tale of the backbreaking hard work it took to get there-the audacity of O'Donnell's late arrival in a brutally tough sport, the physical grind of training and the mind games of team selection, the rejections, the disappointme nts, the sorrows and the personal upheavals it took for Bridie O'Donnell to finally take her bow as a world-beater. Life and Death will inspire both women and men who've given up on their sporting ambitions. It also gives a warts-and-all account of the real lives of professional cyclists. Pedalling through the picturesque alpine regions of Italy, barked at by sadistic and uncaring team managers, and persevering when most would have thrown in the towel, O'Donnell provides an unflinching portrait of the life of an Australian woman in the professional peloton. A trailblazing athlete and doctor, Bridie O'Donnell is now the head of Victoria's newly-established Office for Women in Sport, and a regular guest on the Network Ten television show The Project-a public profile that makes her a leading Australian voice on women's sport and health issues. Upon its release, O'Donnell will be promoting Life and Death in a range of mainstream media outlets. ...Show more

The 50 Greatest Matches in Australian Cricket by Dan Liebke

$32.99 AUD

Category: Sport

What makes a cricket match truly great? Is it broken records or heroic defences? Tight victories or humiliating defeats? A classic sledge that sticks in the mind? Or is it those incredible stories and monumental moments that make some contests live on forever? Matthew Hayden scoring 380 against Zimbabw e might qualify for the record books, but not for this book: these are the Tests, ODIs and T20 matches that transcend the numbers and will be talked about long after the participants have hung up their pads. Relive the breathtaking ties, impossible chases, and even the devastating losses that created cricket legends as we count down to the greatest match with sports journalist and cricket tragic Dan Liebke. An essential collection of cricketing tales for any fan of our national sport. ...Show more

Gary Ablett: An Autobiography by Gary Ablett

$49.99 AUD

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

Cyril (Rioli): Celebrating a Hawthorn Champion by Geoff Slattery (Editor)

$15.00 AUD

Category: Sport

On 4 July, 2018, a sporting era seemed to pass as Hawthorn champion Cyril Rioli announced his retirement from AFL football, two weeks shy of his 29th birthday. Once the shock had subsided, the football world paused and applauded a one-of-a-kind player whose brilliance transcended club allegiances and ol d rivalries. Paying tribute to his star pupil, Hawks coach Alastair Clarkson summed it up best: His ability to influence a contest with a minimal amount of disposals is like no player I have ever seen and thats why the whole footy world loves watching him play. A pure footballer whose speed and skill delighted even hardened cynics, Cyril was one of the most decorated stars of League football, winning four Premierships and three All-Australian guernseys in 189 games as a key contributor to Hawthorns golden run under Clarkson. In 2015 Cyril followed in the footsteps of his uncles Maurice Rioli and Michael Long, claiming the Norm Smith Medal with a scintillating display as the Hawks secured that remarkable hat-trick of Premierships. On Grand Final day, no player struck fear into opposition hearts as did Cyril Rioli. From Cyrils first thrilling days as a fresh-faced rookie in Hawthorns 2008 Premiership season, AFL Media photographer Michael Willson has been right on the spot, documenting the unpredictable genius of a football superstar in the compelling images in CYRIL: Celebrating a Hawthorn Champion. Emerging from Willsons stunning photographs is a unique and intimate portrait of a football starnot just showcasing the spectacular marks, freakish goals and thrilling tackles, but taking fans inside Hawthorns inner sanctum and letting us see the private Cyril. A must for Hawthorn fans and lovers of the Australian game, CYRIL is a beautiful keepsake in honour of an irreplaceable player. On 4 July, 2018, a sporting era seemed to pass as Hawthorn champion Cyril Rioli announced his retirement from AFL football, two weeks shy of his 29th birthday. Once the shock had subsided, the football world paused and applauded a one-of-a-kind player whose brilliance transcended club allegiances and old rivalries. ...Show more

No Apologies by Sharni Layton

$29.99 AUD

Category: Sport

Before Sharni Layton became an All-Australian AFLW star, she was a gun netballer. By 2017, she had been named ANZ Championship Player of the Year, was captain of the Diamonds and had won Commonwealth Games Gold along with two World Cups for Australia. On the outside it looked as if she was living the dr eam. On the inside, it was different. Her confidence was shot and a career's worth of suppressed anxiety finally boiled over, leading to full-blown burnout.No Apologies is a candid, inspiring and hilarious account of how one woman bounced back from rock bottom - and gave herself permission to fly. ...Show more

Crossing the Line: How Australian Cricket Lost Its Way by Gideon Haigh

$24.95 AUD

Category: Sport

I'm not proud of what's happened. Yknow, it's not within the spirit of the game. Steve Smith was not to know it at Cape Town on 24 March 2018, but he was addressing his last press conference as captain of the Australian cricket team. By the next day morning he would be swept from office by a tsunami of public indignation involving even the prime minister. In a unique admission, Smith confessed to condoning a policy of sandpapering the cricket ball in a Test against South Africa. He, the instigator David Warner and their agent Cameron Bancroft returned home to disgrace and to lengthy bans. The crisis plunged Australian cricket into a bout of unprecedented soul searching, with Cricket Australia yielding to demands for reviews of the cricket team and of itself to restore confidence in their culture. In Crossing the Line, Gideon Haigh conducts his own cultural review -- less official and far cheaper but genuinely independent. Studying the cricket team across a decade of radical change, he finds an accident waiting to happen, and a system struggling to cope with self-created challenges, on the field and in the boardroom. And he wonders: is there even any longer a spirit of the game to be within? Crossing the Line is the first instalment in Slattery Media Groups Sports Shorts collection, a new series of sports essays published as small-format books. Sports Shorts has been created as a home for ambitious, lively and engaging writing and journalism on sport -- work of a scale and scope not suited to the confines of day-to-day journalism. Every instalment will illuminate or entertain, all the while fitting into your back pocket on the way to the game. ...Show more