‘Very pleased to announce that I have a story in a new book, Australia’s Game.

The book is an updated version of the 1988 book The Greatest Game, edited by Ross Fitzgerald and Ken Spillman. Twenty-five years on the selfsame editors have retained many of the original pieces (by Manning Clark, David Williamson, Ramona Koval, Andrea Stretton, Bruce Dawe, Martin Flanagan, Philip Hodgins and others), as well as bringing on fresh players – such as myself, songsmith Paul Kelly and my Footy Almanac colleagues Paul Daffey and John Harms. There are 50 stories and writers in all.

Here are just a few sentences from my story, originally titled Ball but published as The Sherrin:

A new football is hope, but an old football is history.

A new football is the future, an old football is the past.

A new football is a new lover, an old football is a long-time partner.

A new football is a another chance, an old football might be your last dance.

 

Australia’s Game, Stories, Essays, Verse & Drama, edited by Ross Fitzgerald and Ken Spillman. Published by Slattery Media Group. $34.95