Major League Clubs
Reading the Game List, 2005.
This section includes club histories and other club related works for major league clubs as listed in Reading the Game, 2005. Major league clubs are defined as the the highest level of competition in each state or territory. It also includes the Victorian Football Association (VFA) competition, originally the premier league in Victoria, until surpassed by the Victorian Football League.
Abernethy, Bruce & Wakefield Press, From Port to a Power, Wakefield Press: Kent Town, SA, 1997.
Abernethy is a former Port Adelaide player and his book presents an insider's view of the club's campaign to join the AFL. The club's earlier history is explored briefly but intelligently. LF.
Agars, Merv & West Adelaide Football Club, Bloods Sweat and Tears: West Adelaide Football Club, 1877-1987, West Adelaide Football Club: Adelaide, 1987.
Alan Murphy and Associates, Red and Black, Back to Back Victorian Football League Premiers, 1985, Alan Murphy and Associates: Melbourne, 1985.
Aldous, Grant, Behind the Bombers: What Makes the Dons Great, Essendon Football Club: Essendon, Vic, 1995.
Aldous, Grant, Murphy, Alan, & Essendon Football Club, Essendon, Victorian Football League Premiers 1984, A. Murphy: Melbourne, 1985.
Alexander, Alison & Clarence District Football Club, You're in Roo Country!: The History of the Clarence District Football Club, 1884-1996, Clarence District Football Club: Rosny Park, Tas., 1996.
Allen, Beverley J., We Are Hawthorn, Playright Publishing: Caringbah, NSW, 2001.
Beautifully presented and solidly written, this is an excellent successor to Harry Gordon's The Hard Way. With this volume, Hawthorn can now claim to be the club that has been best served by its historians. LF.
Atkinson, Brian & Poat, Peter, West Perth Football Club, 1885-1985, Printed by Action Press: Morley, WA, 1985.
A Tribute to 100 Years of Port Adelaide Football. TH.
Australian Football League, Dockers Superstars: Fremantle Football Club, Celebrity Books: Malaga, WA, 2000.
Barich, Adrian, Taylor, Robert, & Lamb, Dwayne, Eaglemania: The West Coast Invasion, Panorama Books: Perth [WA], 1993.
Barnes, Les, Cunningham, Laurie, & Brunswick Community History Group, A Fair and Honest Game: A Tribute to the Brunswick Football Club, Revised Ed., Brunswick Community History Group: Brunswick, Vic, 2004.
Barnes, Les, Cunningham, Laurie, & Brunswick Community History Group, A Fair and Honest Game: The History of the Brunswick Football Club 1865-1989, Brunswick Community History Group: [Brunswick, Vic.], 1990.
The authors of this volume followed the Fiddian formula and the text is brief but insightful. However, on the whole this is poorly presented and insubstantial history. No index. An improved revised edition was produced in 2004. LF.
Beasley, M. C. & Allan, Garry, The Power of Many: The inside Story of Port Power's First Year, Random House Australia: Milsons Point, NSW, 1998.
Bingham, Mike, Williams, W. T., Lewis, Brian, & Sandy Bay Past Players Officials and Supporters Association, The Spirit Never Dies: Sandy Bay Football Club: 1945-1997, Sandy Bay Past Players, Officials and Supporters Association: Sandy Bay, Tas., 2005.
Branagan, Mark & Lefebvre, Mike, Bloodstained Angels: The Rise and Fall of the Foreign Legion 1932-1938, Mark Branagan: Middle Park, Vic., 1995.
This is an excellent, well-researched account of South Melbourne's 'Foreign Legion' era of the 1930s. LF.
Brittingham, Bill, Essendon Football Club, Premiership Year 1946: Featuring Articles Written by Howard Hughes for the Essendon Gazette, The Club: Essendon, Vic., 1990.
Cannatelli, Tony & Victorian Football Association, VFA the Port Melbourne Way, T. Cannatelli: [West Meadows, Vic.], 1989.
Cantlon, R. A. M., Port Adelaide, the Record Makers, 1988.
Carlton Football Club, Carlton: 1864-1989 125 Years, [The Club: Carlton, Vic.], 1989.
Carlton Football Club & Carlton Cricket Club, Carlton 1864-1989: 125 Years, s.n.: Carlton, Vic., 1990.
Carlyon, Gordon, Gordon Carlyon's Scrapbook. No. 2, The Author: Yarra Glen, Vic., 2002.
Carlyon, Gordon, Levy, Wayne, & Collingwood Football Club Library and Archive Committee, Collingwood Football Club Jottings, Collingwood Football Club Library & Archive Committee: Abbotsford, Vic., 1996.
Carroll, Lynda, The Grand Old Flag: The History of the Melbourne Football Club, Hardie Grant Books: South Yarra, Vic., 1999.
Carroll has produced a scholarly and readable history of football's oldest club. This is a comprehensive account of the club since its foundation in 1858 through to 1998. On-field and off-field events are described and examined in chronological format but organised into eras. This volume is presented in folio format, is amply illustrated with high quality pictures, and contains an index and bibliography. TH.
Casey, Kevin, The Tigers' Tale: The Origins and History of the Claremont Football Club, Claremont Football Club: Claremont, WA, 1995.
Christian, Geoff & West Coast Eagles Football Club, Soaring: The Official History of the West Coast Eagles Football Club's First 10 Years, West Coast Eagles: [Perth], 1997.
A comprehensive record of the club's first 10 years. The introduction provides an overview of the club's history, including the status of football in Western Australia in the 1980s, prior to the formation of the club. Most of the book is a year-by-year record of the club from 1987-1996, with good coverage of on-field action, successes and failures and off-field administrative and financial issues. It has extensive statistics and records and is amply illustrated, including portraits of all players to have represented the club up to 1996. TH.
Christo, Steve & Conyngham, Peter, The Year of the Swan: A Celebration in Pictures, UNSW Press: Sydney, 1996.
Clarence District Football Club (Tasmania), Clarence - T.F.L. Premiers, 1970: The Year of the Roo: [Hobart], 1970.
Club, Collingwood Football, Collingwood Football Club: 1971 Player's Album, Collingwood Football Club: Melbourne, 1971.
This booklet contains a very short club history, team photographs, statistics, past and present players list and a section in which three Collingwood champions from the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, compare football over three decades. A cartoon of the archetypal Collingwood supporter with an accompanying light-hearted article describing the typical Collingwood fan's traits and behaviour is also included. TH.
Club, Collingwood Football, The Magpies Photo Album 1966, The Club: Collingwood, Vic., 1966.
This volume contains a very short history of the club, profiles and portraits of players and club officials, an aerial photograph of Victoria Park and list of past and present players. It also contains a report of an end of season footy trip to Japan. A copy is held at the State Library of Victoria. TH.
Cock, C.S., The Fitzroy Football Club, it’s History, Progress and Performances from it’s Formation in 1883 to 1890, Troedel: Melbourne, 1891.
This is the first known club history to be published. At nineteen pages it is a brief but fascinating record of early football history. It includes portraits of some prominent Fitzroy players. A copy is held at the State Library of Victoria. TH.
Collingwood Football Club, Collingwood: What Makes the Club Tick, Valentine Graphics for the Club: [Abbotsford, Vic.], 1983.
Collingwood Football Club, Official Programme: Tour of Tasmania, July 22nd to August 1st 1939, [Collingwood Football Club]: [Vic.], 1939.
Cornwall, Peter & Burtenshaw, David, Best of Both Worlds: The Story of the West Torrens, Woodville and Eagles Football Clubs, D. Burtenshaw: Adelaide, SA, 2010.
Cornwall, Peter & Wood, John, Pride of the Bay: The Story of Glenelg Football Club, 1920-2003, 2nd Ed., Graphic Print Group: Richmond, SA, 2003.
This attractive and comprehensive history of the SANFL club emphasises on-field events with a chronological arrangement. Very little space is given to the history of the club's administration, finances or club politics. The first chapter provides an overview of football in the Glenelg area from 1879 to 1919, prior to the club's entry to the senior ranks in South Australia, and the remainder of the book contains statistics and a roll call of all Glenelg players between 1921 and 2002, including profiles of greatest players and a bibliography. The first edition was published in 1999.
Costelloe, David & Glenorchy Football, Club, Magpie Memories: A History of the New Town -Glenorchy Football Club, 1948-1990, The Club: Glenorchy, Tas., 1991.
Curtis, Ambrose & Geelong Football Club, Geelong Football Club Souvenir History Book 1951, The Club: Geelong, Vic., 1951.
Davie, Geoff & Geelong Football Club, Cats on the Prowl, HarperCollins: Pymble, NSW, 1994.
De Garis, Brian, ‘From Amateur to Professional and Back Again The Swan Districts Football Club, 1934-1997’, in Ed Jaggard and Jan Ryan (eds.), Perspectives on Sport and Society, Centre for Western Australian History, Department of History, University of Western Australia, Perth, 1997, pp. 64-80.
Dowling, Gerard, The North Story: The History of the North Melbourne Football Club, 2nd Ed., Playwright Publishing: Caringbah, NSW, 1996.
First published in 1973, this year-by-year account traces the history and origins of the club from 1869 through to the 1996 AFL premiership season. The text concentrates mainly on descriptions of the on-field action. Events such as the administrative revitalisation of the club in the 1970s are covered, but not in great detail. Dowling has included biographical portraits of all great figures in the club's history, with a good statistics and records section. The volume is also amply illustrated with high quality pictures. TH.
Drewe, Robert, Collingwood's Behind Kicked, Bulletin: [Melbourne], 1975.
An article on the changing support base of Collingwood Football Club, based on an interview with Ross Topham, author of a journal article on the club. TH.
East, Alan, Eagles for the Flag, Australian Sports Publications: North Perth, WA, 1992.
East, Alan & East, Ryan, The Mighty Royals, 2000: A Celebration of Two Premierships, Alan East in conjunction with the East Perth Football Club: [East Perth, WA], 2001.
East, Allan & Perth Football Club, From Redlegs to Demons: A History of the Perth Football Club from 1899, Perth Football Club: Perth, WA, 2005.
East, Alan, Wood, Greg, Stocks, Gary, & West Coast Eagles, The Eagles Family Photo Album: More Than 250 Photographs from 13 Years of West Coast Eagles History, Specialist Sports Management: Perth, 1999.
East Perth Football Club, East Perth Football Club, 1906-2005, East Perth Football Club: Leederville, WA, 2005.
East Perth Football Club, Royals Mail, East Perth Football Club: [Perth, WA].
Feldman, Jules, Holmesby, Russell, & St. Kilda Football Club, The Point of It All: The Story of the St Kilda Football Club, Playright for and on behalf of the St Kilda Football Club: Sydney, 1992.
The Saints’ history is told well in this solidly written and handsomely presented book. The photos are excellent and historians will find a pleasing level of analysis, with an index to help them. LF.
Fiddian, Marc, Devils at Play: A History of the Oakleigh Football Club, Pakenham Gazette for M. Fiddian: Pakenham [Vic.], 1982.
Marc Fiddian has written six histories of VFA clubs, each according to a simple formula, with a descriptive account of the club’s foundation and its on-field highs and lows, followed by short chapters that profile club stalwarts and then a section of statistics and club honours. Although informed by Fiddian’s long experience as VFA football writer for the Age and editor of the VFA’s match program, The Recorder, the usefulness of these books to historians is limited by a lack of analysis and in most cases the absence of indices and detailed bibliographies. LF.
Fiddian, Marc, East Side Story: A History of Camberwell Football Club, Patrons of the Camberwell Football Club: Camberwell, Vic., 1980.
This volume is much shorter and more clearly produced than Fiddian's usual standard. No index. LF.
Fiddian, Marc, Of Lions and Liniment: A History of the Coburg Football Club, Fiddian: Canterbury, Vic., 1979.
Contains fewer photos than most of Fiddian's other club histories. No index. TH.
Fiddian, Marc, The Swan Lake Spectacular: How South Melbourne Won the 1933 VFL Premiership, Galaxy Print and Design: Hastings, Vic., 2004.
Fiddian, Marc, Year of the Underdog: How Hawthorn Won the 1961 VFL Flag, Southeastprint: Pakenham, Vic., 2001.
Fiddian, Marc & Collingwood Football Club, A Memorable Season: How Collingwood Won the 1958 VFL Flag, South East Newspapers: Pakenham, Vic., 1998.
Fiddian, Marc & Prahran Football Club, The Blue Boys: A History of the Prahran Football Club, Prahran Football Club: Armadale [Vic.], 1986.
This is probably the best of Fiddian’s VFA club histories, with excellent photos and an index. LF.
Fiddian, Marc & Preston Football Club, The Bullants: A History of Preston Football Club, Preston Football Club: Preston, Vic., 1983.
Fiddian, Marc & Williamstown Football Club (Williamstown, Vic.), Seagulls over Williamstown, Williamstown Football Club: Williamstown, Vic., 2003.
Fitzgerald, Ross, The Footy Club: Inside the Brisbane Bears, University of Queensland Press: St. Lucia, Qld., 1996.
Fitzgerald’s inside account examines the Bears’ coming of age in season 1995, when they made their first finals appearance in the AFL competition. Fitzgerald is a noted historian, novelist and political commentator, who brings these skills into his account of the Bears’ dramatic 1995 season. The on-field action is described, but so too is the short history of the club, its politics and the financial and marketing issues for an AFL club in state dominated by Rugby League and Rugby Union. This volume also contains several black and whites plates and for trivia buffs, a full team list for 1995 at the end of the book includes 'nicknames' for all players. TH.
Flanagan, Martin, Southern Sky, Western Oval, McPhee Gribble: Ringwood, Vic., 1994.
Written by a respected journalist, Flanagan’s inside account of Footscray's 1993 season provides a vivid and fascinating portrait of a club, its personalities and its community during a turbulent period. The arrangement is mainly chronological, with some thematic and biographical chapters. Flanagan moves easily from historical and cultural perspectives, through to a detailed analysis of coaches, players and match tactics. Two or three pages of background on another club or non-Footscray player are often provided to add depth to the analysis. TH.
Flanagan, Martin, ‘A Year with a League Club’, in Bob Stewart and Robert Pascoe (eds.), Oval Logic, Faculties of Arts and Human Development, Victoria University of Technology, Melbourne, 1994, pp. 26-32.
Fremantle Football Club, Turning It Around: A Pictorial Celebration of the Club's Most Successful Season, Fremantle Football Club: Fremantle [WA], 2003.
Freud, Sally & Cutler, Mark, Flying North for the Winter: The Story of the Sydney Swans, Random House: Milsons Point, NSW, 1999.
This work offers a very brief history of the club before it moved to Sydney, followed by a more detailed account of the club history up to 1998. The book's usefulness to historians is enhanced by the inclusion of long statements by players, coaches and officials.
From Redlegs to Demons: A History of the Perth Football Club from 1899, Perth Football Club: Lathlain Park, WA, 2005.
Frost, Lionel, The Old Dark Navy Blues: A History of the Carlton Football Club, Allen & Unwin: St. Leonards, NSW, 1998.
This analysis places the story of the club in the context of the evolution of the game and wider economic and social trends and includes an index, endnotes and a bibliography. A second edition would benefit with additional information on fans and women. LF.
Geelong Football Club, Four Glorious Years in the History of the Geelong Cricket and Football Club: 1950 - 1951 - 1952 - 1953, Geelong Football Club: Geelong, Vic., 1954.
Geelong Football Club, Those Mighty Cats: A Look at the Geelong Football Club, Prudential Printing & Publicity: Melbourne, 1967.
Geelong Football Club, Those Mighty Cats, 1968: Official Publication of the Geelong Football Club, Prudential Printing & Publicity: Melbourne, 1968.
This volume mainly comprises player and coach profiles and provides a preview of the 1968 season, a short review of 1967 season, two pages of facts and figures and several black and white portrait pictures. TH.
Glenelg Football Club (Glenelg, SA), Glenelg Football Club: Celebrating 75 Years, The Club: Glenelg, SA, 1995.
Glossop, Matthew, East Perth 1906-1976, Matthew Glossop: Perth, 1976.
Gordon, Harry, The Hard Way: The Story of Hawthorn Football Club, Lester-Townsend: Paddington, NSW, 1990.
With high quality analysis and evaluation of the careers of key individuals, Gordon's book provides an effective answer to the question of why Richmond's secretary, Graeme Richmond, was once moved to comment 'it grieves me to admit it, but we'd all like to be like Hawthorn'. Index. LF.
Gordon, Kerrie, Dalton, Alan, & Footscray Football Club, Too Tough to Die: Footscray's Fightback 1989, Footscray Football Club: Footscray, Vic., 1990.
This story details the successful supporter and community campaign to prevent the merger of Footscray Football Club with the Fitzroy Football Club. It contains a brief background to the events of October 1989, but mainly records the rallies and fundraising efforts to save the financially-strapped Bulldogs. The narrative contains many stirring extracts from speeches, reproductions of letters of support from club fans and poignant stories of the struggles, hopes, anger, despair and ultimately satisfaction and relief of club stalwarts. Numerous photographs enhance the story. TH.
Hansen, Brian, The Blue Boys: The History of the Carlton Football Club from 1864, Brian Hansen Nominees: [Melbourne], 2002.
Hansen brings a certain ‘insider’ status to this book. During his long career as a journalist he came to know several Carlton players personally and was given information that enabled him to break the story of the club’s plans to recruit Ron Barassi in 1964. Despite the book’s length of over 700 pages, historians will find little of use. There is no index or bibliography and quotations are generally unsourced, which will make it difficult for historians to check their authenticity. Photos are also unsourced and in some cases captioned incorrectly. LF.
Hansen, Brian, The Bomber Missions: Essendon Football Club's 1996 AFL Season, Brian Hansen Nominees: Melbourne, Vic., 1996.
This was followed by Volume 2, published in 1997 and titled The Bomber Missions, Volume 2, AFL Season 1997: The Continuing Story of the Essendon Football Club. TH.
Hansen, Brian, The Bomber Missions. Volume 2: AFL Season 1997, the Continuing Story of the Essendon Football Club, Brian Hansen Nominees: Mount Waverley, Vic., 1997.
Hansen, Brian, The Magpie Years '93: The Continuing History of the Collingwood Football Club, B.E. Hansen: Cheltenham, Vic., 1993.
This annual yearbook was also published from 1994 to 1997. TH.
Hansen, Brian, The Magpies: Collingwood Football Club, 100 Years, 1892-1992, B.E. Hansen in conjunction with Senis Carla Nom P/L: Cheltenham, Vic., 1992.
A detailed, year-by-year account of the club's fortunes on and off the field. The opening chapter describes the development of Collingwood as a suburb and a municipality from the 1850s to the 1880s. There are separate pieces on topics and personalities such as gambling, the Collingwood liquor licence, John Wren, Jock McHale and Gordon Coventry. Each yearly entry concludes with statistics, major player achievements and debutante players for that year. The volume includes Collingwood team of the century selections by Jack Dyer and Lou Richards. A records and statistics section includes every senior player’s career span and total number of games. No endnotes, bibliography or index. TH.
Hansen, Brian, The Tiger Files: The Day by Day Adventures of the Mighty Tigers of '95, Brian Hansen: Melbourne, Vic., 1995.
A yearbook-type publication also published in 1996 and 1997. TH.
Hansen, Brian, The Tiger Files. Volume 3, AFL Season 1997: The Continuing Story of the Richmond Football Club, Brian Hansen Nominees: Mount Waverley, Vic., 1997.
Hansen, Brian & Richmond Former Players and Officials Association, Tigerland: The History of the Richmond Football Club from 1885, Richmond Former Players and Officials Association: Burwood, Vic., 1989.
Published and presumably commissioned, by the Richmond Former Players and Officials Association, Tigerland reports the main events affecting the club on a year-by-year basis. It has some useful profiles and interesting photographs, but no index or bibliography. LF.
Harrison, Frank, Lee, Jack, & South Fremantle Football Club, The South Fremantle Story 1900-1975, South Fremantle Football Club: [Fremantle, 1976.
Hayes, Lynton R., A History of the South Fremantle Football Club, 1961.
Heinrichs, Dolph, The Jubilee Book of the East Fremantle Football Club, Paterson's: Perth, 1948.
Hewat, Tim, The Blues: A History of Carlton Football Club, Carlton Football Club: North Carlton, Vic., 1982.
Hill, R. R. & Hobart Football Club Old Players Officials & Supporters Association (Tas.), Hobart Football Club: A Chronological History of Senior Coaches, 1945-2004, Hobart Football Club Old Players, Officials & Supporters Association Inc.: North Hobart [Tas.], 2005.
Hindle, Kevin, Hamilton, Amy, & West Torrens Football Club, The Eagle-Eye Yearbook, 1980, West Torrens Football Club: Thebarton, SA, 1980.
Hobart Football Club (Tas.) & Hobart Football Club Old Players and Officials Association (Tas.), Hobart Football Club 60th Anniversary, Hobart Football Club Old Players & Officials Association: [Hobart, Tas.], 2004.
Hobbs, Greg, Delbridge, Noel, & Footscray Football Club, The Bulldog Book: Sons of the 'Scray (1883-1983), Footscray Football Club: West Footscray, Vic., 1983.
Hobbs, Greg & Melbourne Football Club, 125 Yrs of the Melbourne Demons: The Story of the Melbourne Football Club from 1858 to 1983, Melbourne Football Club: Jolimont, Vic., 1984.
Hobbs, Greg & Richmond Football Club, Richmond: Home of the Tigers, Richmond Football Club: Richmond, Vic., 1981.
Hore-Lacy, Dyson, Fitzroy, Lion Publications: Fitzroy, Vic., 2000.
Written by the last president of the club before its amalgamation with the Brisbane Bears, this history details the final chapter of Fitzroy’s years in the AFL and highlights the ongoing ‘David v. Goliath’ battles with senior League administrators, financiers and the Melbourne football press. IW.
Hubbard, Albert, The Zebra Story: A History of the Sandringham Football Club 1929-1985, Sandringham Football Club: Sandringham, Vic., 1986.
Hutchinson, Col, Cats' Tales: The Geelong Football Club, 1897-1983, Geelong Advertiser: Geelong [Vic.], 1984.
Hutchinson, Garrie, The Mighty Blues: Team of the Century, Lothian Books: South Melbourne, Vic., 2001.
Hutchinson provides descriptions and anecdotes relating to each of Carlton's Grand Final victories, interspersed with 'pop' profiles of members of the club's Hall of Fame. LF.
Hutchinson, Garrie, Lang, Rick, & Ross, John, Roar of the Lions: Fitzroy Remembered, 1883-1996, Lothian Books: Port Melbourne, 1997.
This 'coffee-table' book is short in length and lacking any insight into why this once-great club ended up going out of business. Some good illustrations are included, but Fitzroy fans and football historians, will be disappointed with this book. LF.
Jaques, T. D., Inside the Nest: Behind the Scenes at the Adelaide Football Club: Norwood, SA ; Peacock Publications, 2000.
Karabogias, Michael, Ross, Jack, Ross, Bob, Utting, Wally, Peters, Ray, & Wren, John, A Paper Football in the Back Pocket: The Collingwood Football Club and Collingwood During the Great Depression, Michael Karabogias: Victoria, 1982.
An essay based on interviews with four men who grew up and played for Collingwood during the Depression years. Copies of the audio-tapes are held in the Collingwood local history collection. The main concern is the strong relationship between the club and the Collingwood community. Most players were recruited within the municipality and were regarded as local heroes. Players were paid a maximum of three pounds per match, a significant amount during the 1930s. Attendance figures for every Collingwood match, 1928-1936, are detailed in the appendix.
Keenan, Terry, A History of the Port Melbourne Football Club, [3] vols, Walla Walla Press; Eucalyptus Press: Petersham, NSW, Albert Park, Vic., 2004.
Keenan, Terry, Kicking into the Wind: A History of the Formative Years of the Port Melbourne Football Club 1874-1917, [ a History of the Port Melbourne Football Club, Walla Walla Press: Petersham, NSW, 2004.
This volume details the establishment of one of Victoria’s most successful football clubs, located in the heart of a rough, working-class, waterfront suburb. Keenan commences with a description of the Port Melbourne region today, then back-tracks to its early years as a centre-point for dock workers, transients and an eclectic local population. A chronology of the Borough’s on-field history is then presented, interspersed with details of champion players and key administrators during the formative years. The final chapter attributes the club’s violent reputation to prejudicial targeting by umpires and the media, with a fascinating analysis of early VFA tribunal records. IW.
Keenan, Terry, A Taste of Port: Personal Profiles, Snapshots and Statistical Records Drawn from the History of the Port Melbourne Football Club, Eucalyptus Press: Albert Park, Vic., 1999.
As the title and subtitle suggest, this is a collection of anecdotes and statistics, rather than an analytical history. But the book is informative and a welcome addition to the sparse literature on VFA clubs. LF.
Keenan, Terry & Port Melbourne Historical & Preservation Society, Keeping out the Riff-Raff: Port Melbourne's Exclusion from the Victorian Football League in 1896, Port Melbourne Historical and Preservation Society: Port Melbourne, Vic., 2004.
Kendell, T. P., Footer, Bill, & Footer, Cec, The Broadview Football Club Story: A Brief Account of Solid Achievement from 1928 to 1961, T.P. Kendell: Broadview, SA, 1961.
Lack, John F. & Aus-Sport Enterprises., A History of the Footscray Football Club: Unleashed, Aus-Sport Enterprises: Melbourne, 1996.
Written by a team made up of academic and amateur historians and with the full co-operation of the Footscray Football Club, Unleashed is a fine blend of analysis, player profiles, statistics and rare illustrative material. Indexed and footnoted. LF.
Lane, Christopher & Norwood Football Club, Norwood Oval's 100th Birthday, Norwood Football Club: Norwood, SA, 2001.
Laurence, L., History of South Melbourne Football Club, South Melbourne Football Club: Melbourne, 1963.
This small compilation of historical items about the club emerges from archived material supplied by C. Cantwell. TH.
Lee, Jack & East Fremantle Football Club, Old Easts - 1948-1975, East Freemantle Football Club: [Fremantle], 1976.
Lee, Jack & Heinrichs, Dolph, East Fremantle Football Club: Celebrating 100 Years of Tradition: A Trilogy of History, Bill Benbow & Associates: Palmyra, WA, 1998.
Three separate books are brought together in one volume, in which the authors trace the history of the club on a year-by-year basis. Anecdotes and profiles of individuals appear in boxes and sections throughout the text. The book concludes with a list of honours and officials, but has no index, endnotes, or bibliography. LF.
Levy, Wayne & Carlyon, Gordon, The 1958 Grand Final: Collingwood v Melbourne, Collingwood Football Club Library & Archive Committee: Abbotsford, Vic., 1998.
Levy, Wayne, Carlyon, Gordon, & Collingwood Football Club Library and Archive Committee, Gordon Carlyon's Collingwood Football Club Scrapbook, New Ed., Collingwood Football Club Library & Archive Committee: Abbotsford, Vic., 1997.
This collection of articles printed over 40 years in the club newsletter contains articles about players, coaches, officials, incidents, teams, matches and club history. Illustrated. A previous edition is titled Collingwood Football Club Jottings (1994) and a similar publication, Gordon Carlyon’s Scrapbook, No. 2, was published in 1997. TH.
Levy, Wayne & Collingwood Football Club Library and Archive Committee, Collingwood Football Club: Poems, Songs, Recitations & Writings, Collingwood Football Club Library & Archive Committee: Abbotsford, Vic., 1999.
Levy, Wayne & Collingwood Football Club Library and Archive Committee, Collingwood Football Club: VFL/AFL Family Connections, Collingwood Football Club Library & Archive Committee: Abbotsford, Vic., 1999.
Lynch, Liam & McConchie, Peter, Essendon, Empire Management: Carlton North, Vic., 1998.
Lysikatos, John, Cornwall, Peter, & Sturt Football Club, A Century of Sturt, Sturt Football Club: Unley, SA, 2002.
Lysikatos, John, Cornwall, Peter, & Sturt Football Club, True Blue: The History of the Sturt Football Club, Sturt Football Club: [Unley, SA], 1995.
This book uses a chronological format, sometimes with one chapter devoted to a single year, but is well-written and has excellent photos. The book has a thorough statistical section, an index and a bibliography. LF.
Lysikatos, John & Sturt Football Club, Sturt: The Unley Story, Sturt Football Club: Unley, SA, 1998.
Lysikatos, John & Sturt Football Club, Sturt Football Club Premiership Anniversary, 1926, 1966, 1976, Sturt Football Club: [Unley, SA], 1996.
Malaxos, Steve & Wilson, Ray, Inside the Eagles: The Untold Story, Malwil Books: Perth, WA, 1991.
An insider’s view of the Perth-based club was written by the club’s first captain. TH.
Maplestone, Michael, Flying High: The History of the Essendon Football Club, Essendon Football Club: Essendon, Vic., 1983.
Maplestone, Michael & Essendon Football Club, Flying Higher: History of the Essendon Football Club 1872-1994, Essendon Football Club: Melbourne, Vic., 1994.
Maplestone, Michael & Essendon Football Club, Flying Higher: History of the Essendon Football Club 1872-1996, New Ed., Essendon Football Club: Melbourne, Vic., 1996.
Maplestone deserves credit for his pioneering historical work on the club and the quality of his writing, despite adopting a year-by-year format. Around one-third of the book is made up of statistical material. An earlier edition covering 1872-1994 was published in 1994. LF.
Maplestone, Michael & Essendon Football Club, Those Magnificent Men, 1897-1987, Essendon Football Club: Essendon [Vic.], 1988.
Martyn, Colin & Wilmot, R. W. E., Centenary Souvenir of the Carlton Football Club: From 1864-1933, Carlton Football Club: Melbourne, 1934.
Matthews, Simon, Champions of Essendon: Ranking the 60 Greatest Bombers of All Time, Hardie Grant Books: South Yarra, Vic, 2002.
The 60 greatest Essendon players, as chosen by an internal selection panel, are profiled in this well-written, beautifully presented book. There is no index or bibliography. LF.
McFarlane, Glenn & Roberts, Michael, Collingwood at Victoria Park, Lothian: Port Melbourne, 1999.
This beautiful book is a superb chronicle of Collingwood’s association with its home ground at Victoria Park. Rare photos and an intelligent, well-informed text, help to evoke a now bygone era in the history of the game. LF.
McFarlane, Glenn & Roberts, Michael, Collingwood at Victoria Park, Lothian Books: South Melbourne, Vic., 2005.
McFarlane, Glenn, Roberts, Michael, & Collingwood Football Club, The Machine: The inside Story of Football's Greatest Team, Collingwood Football Club: Abbotsford, Vic., 2005.
The Collingwood teams of 1927-1930 that won four successive VFL premierships achieved a record yet to be matched in VFL/AFL history. This book from well-known Collingwood historians McFarlane and Roberts tells the story behind this era and looks at the dramas, scandals and tragedy that surrounded this impressive winning streak. TH.
McFarlane, Glenn, Stremski, Richard, & Collingwood Football Club, The Premiership's a Cakewalk, Collingwood Football Club: Abbotsford, Vic., 1999.
McLean, A. R. And Port Adelaide Football Club (SANFL), 100 Years with the Magpies: The Story of the Port Adelaide Football Club, 1870-1970, The Club: Port Adelaide, S.A., 1971.
Written by a former player and long-serving secretary, this book traces the origins of the Port Adelaide Football Club, its on-field performances and is organised into eras rather than on a year-by-year basis. What makes the book particularly valuable are the many profiles of key figures in the club’s history, informed by McLean’s personal observations and a complete year-by-year list of games played and goals kicked by individual players. The book has no index or bibliography, but has a fine collection of photos. LF.
Membrey, Brian & Northern Bullants Football Club, Where We Come from 1903-2002: (with Prelude 1873 to 1902), 2 vols, Northern Bullants Football Club: Preston, Vic., 2002.
Middleton, Stephen, Butcher, Tony, & Adelaide Football Club, Crows Back to Back, Adelaide Sports Promotion for the Adelaide Football Club: Adelaide, 1998.
Middleton, Stephen, Gill, Trevor, & Adelaide Football Club, Crows the First Flag, Adelaide Sports Promotion for the Adelaide Football Club: Adelaide, 1997.
Milne, Steven & Victorian Football Association, Zebra Magic: 1992: A Premiership Season, [Sandringham Football Club]: Sandringham, Vic., 1993.
This souvenir booklet describes Sandringham’s 1992 season round-by-round and includes player profiles. LF.
Nicholls, Barry, ‘The Decline of the Sturt Football Club’, in Whimpress, Bernard (ed.), The Imaginary Grandstand: Identity and Narrative in Australian Sport, Australian Society for Sports History (SA), Kent Town, S.A., 2002, pp. 103-08.
Nicholls, Barry, Triple Blue: Jack Oatey, John Wynne and the Whole Damned Thing, Pioneer Books: Oaklands Park, SA, 2002.
Niehus, Chris, Die Hard: A Year on the Road with the Power, Seaview Press: Henley Beach, SA, 2004.
North Adelaide Football Club, 1948 Rebuilding Souvenir, North Adelaide Football Club: [Adelaide], 1948.
North Adelaide Football Club, North Adelaide Football Club Guernseys, North Adelaide Football Club: Prospect, SA, 2004.
North Adelaide Football Club History Committee, North Adelaide Football Club Presents the Fabulous Forwards Exhibition, North Adelaide Football Club, History Committee: Prospect, SA, 2005.
North Adelaide Football Club History Committee, North Adelaide's Greatest: Team of the Century 1901-2000, North Adelaide Football Club, History Committee: Prospect SA, 2001.
Norwood Football Club, Eighty Years of Football, 1878-1961: Norwood Football Club, The Club: Norwood, SA, 1961.
Norwood Football Club, Norwood Football Club Presents the Magarey Medal Dinner in Honour of Norwood Captain Garry McIntosh, ... Friday November 18th 1994, The Club: Norwood, SA, 1994.
Norwood Football Club, Seventy Years of Football, 1878-1951: Norwood Football Club, The Club: Norwood, SA, 1951.
100 Years in Black and White: A History of the Collingwood Football Club, Australian Gallery of Sport and Olympic Museum: Melbourne, 1992.
Opolion, Mark, A Decade of Pride: A History of the Brisbane Lions, Pennon Publishing: [Essendon, Vic.], 2006.
Piesse, Ken, Red, White + Black: Marching with the Saints, Hardie Grant Books: Prahran, Vic., 2004.
Pointon, Bruce Morrell, Mcinnes, James, Richardson, Colin J., & North Adelaide Football Club. History Committee, Never Say Die: The Story of North Adelaide Football Club's 1960 Premiership Year, North Adelaide Football Club History Committee: [Prospect, SA], 2005.
Pointon, Bruce Morrell & North Adelaide Football Club. History Committee, North's Record-Making Year: The Story of North Adelaide Football Club's 1952 Premiership Year, North Adelaide Football Club History Committee: [Prospect, SA], 2002.
Port Adelaide Football Club (SANFL), Port Adelaide Football Club Souvenir Jubilee Year Book, SA Fraternal Services for the Port Adelaide Football Club: [Adelaide], 1951.
Port Adelaide Football Club (SANFL), Souvenir of the Port Adelaide Football Club, 1910, Donald Taylor Collotype Company Limited: North Adelaide [SA], 1910.
Porter, Ashley, Crows' Tales, HarperCollins: Sydney, 1993.
Porter, Ashley & Adelaide Football Club, Something to Crow About: A Celebration of the First 100 Games, HarperCollins: Pymble, NSW, 1995.
Porter, Ashley, Brindle, Terry, & Adelaide Football Club, Crows' Glory: A Historical Look at Adelaide's First AFL Premiership, ACP Publishing: Oakleigh, Vic., 1997.
Porter, Ashley, Wakefield Press, & Adelaide Football Club, The Pride of South Australia: A Crows' Decade, Wakefield Press: Kent Town, SA, 2001.
This well produced book with excellent photographs is a solid account of Adelaide’s first ten years in the AFL. Porter includes some useful insights from coaches, administrators and players. LF.
Price, Matt, Way to Go: Sadness, Euphoria and the Fremantle Dockers, Fremantle Arts Centre Press: Fremantle, WA, 2003.
Price, a sports journalist turned political commentator and avid Fremantle supporter, 'chronicles this bleak period for posterity' during the early years of the Fremantle Dockers AFL Club. The format is similar to books by Matthew Hardy about St Kilda and Barry Dickens about Fitzroy, for its self-depreciating, yet celebratory tone. Much of the story is told through chapters on Fremantle's coaches and one on quixotic player Clive Waterhouse. Mick Malthouse's role in West Australian football is explored, the Derby clashes described, the disastrous season of 2001 lamented and the culture and environment of Fremantle as a setting for football speculated upon. Not an ordinary fan's perspective as Price is a media player and brings little of himself to the story, but it is interesting to compare this volume against several Victorian works for its distinct West Australian perspective. TH.
Ridley, Ian Jeffrey & Ridley, John, Urge to Merge: The Power, the People, the President and the Money, Crown Content: Melbourne, 2002.
Ridley, who was club president of Melbourne at the time of the proposed merger with Hawthorn, tells his side of the controversy. Surprisingly, not much insight is offered into how Melbourne got into financial difficulties, even though Ridley's long playing, coaching and administrative career makes him ideally qualified to comment on the matter. Nevertheless, the book is a useful account of club politics during the merger proposal. LF.
Roberts, Michael & Essendon Football Club, Essendon Football Club Hall of Fame, Sporting Links Publications and Media Services Pty Ltd: Elwood, Vic., 1996.
This well-presented booklet contains informative profiles of the players and administrators elected into Essendon’s Hall of Fame. LF.
Roberts, Michael & McFarlane, Glenn, The Official Collingwood Illustrated Encyclopedia, Lothian Books: Docklands, Vic., 2004.
A glossy pictorial format provides an overview of most aspects of the club's history, including summaries of on-field performances for each decade, biographical portraits of the great players, descriptions of each premiership win, major events and controversies, ‘Magpie Icons’ including Victoria park, the jumper and club song and a chapter on families who have represented the club. Also includes statistics, records and a list of all senior players from 1897-2003. Contains no index but does have an extended contents page and bibliography. TH.
Ross, John & Hutchinson, Garrie, The Clubs: The Complete History of Every Club in the VFL/AFL, Viking: Ringwood, Vic., 1998.
This relatively superficial and anecdotal 'coffee-table' book is well-presented but contains little to inform anyone who seeks to learn about the history of the AFL's clubs. LF.
Senyard, June, ‘1944 and All That’, in Cutten History Committee (eds.), Fitzroy. Melbourne’s First Suburb, Melbourne University Press, Carlton, Vic., 1991, pp. 214-32.
Slattery, Geoff, At Last! Collingwood, Premiers 1990, Context: East Melbourne, 1990.
Spillman, Ken & Subiaco Football Club (WA), Diehards: The Story of the Subiaco Football Club, 2 vols, Subiaco Football Club: Subiaco, WA, 1998.
An excellent history placing the development of the club in the context of the development of its suburb and community. The chapters are arranged chronologically, in eras and the presentation is superb, with the photos reproduced throughout particularly evocative. All quotations are identified in endnotes and there is a detailed index. The book concludes with appendices detailing club honours and office bearers. LF.
St. Kilda Football Club, The Saints History Year Book 1967: Official Publication of the St. Kilda Football Club, The Club: Melbourne, 1967.
Stephens, Russell H. T. & Murray, James, The Road to Kardinia: The Story of the Geelong Football Club, Playright Publishing: Caringbah, NSW, 1996.
A solid and well-presented account of Geelong's history, combining thoughtful text with rare illustrations. Index. LF.
Stremski, Richard, Kill for Collingwood, Allen & Unwin: Sydney, 1986.
This landmark history of the club and its cultural significance is presented in a scholarly yet readable fashion. Provides accounts of the club's origins, development and relationship with the community and documents major on-field successes and failures, with thoughtful analysis and description of the club's administrative history, club politics and the character of Collingwood making the club both loved and loathed throughout its history. The volume includes a roll call of all senior players representing the club between 1897 and 1984, a list of club champions, Brownlow medal winners and Champions of the Colony. Contains an index, references, as well as several black and white and colour pictures. TH.
Stremski, Richard, The Myth of the Melbourne - Collingwood Rivalry, William Heinemann Australia: Richmond, Vic., 1988.
Genuine rivalry between Collingwood and Melbourne football clubs, argues Stremski, has only really existed during the period 1955-1965. Earlier animosities between these clubs were largely journalistic fabrications, based on the assumed translation of class antagonisms to the playing field.
Sturt Football Club, Sturt Football Club Souvenir Jubilee Year Book, 1951, Sturt Football Club: Unley, SA, 1951.
Sturt Football Club, Sturts 1966: Minor Premiers' Souvenir, Sturt Football Club: Unley, SA, 1966.
Sutherland, Mike, Nicholson, Rod, Murrihy, Stewart, & Fitzroy Football Club, The First One Hundred Seasons: Fitzroy Football Club, 1883-1983, Fitzroy Football Club: Melbourne, 1983.
An informative account of the club's history and a second edition matching this standard would be most welcome. LF.
Swan Brewery Company, The Swan, 50 Years On, Swan Brewery Company: Perth, WA, 1985.
Swan Districts Football Club, Swan Districts, 1934-74, Swan Districts Football Club: Bassendean, WA, 1975.
Swan Reach Football Club. Centenary Committee, Swan Reach Football Club, Centenary 1892-1992, Swan Reach Football Club Centenary Committee: [Bairnsdale, Vic.], 1992.
Taylor, 100 Years of Football: The Story of the Melbourne Football Club 1858-1958, [sn.]: [sl]., 1958.
Taylor, E. C. H., 100 Years of Football: The Story of the Melbourne Football Club 1858-1958, Melbourne Football Club: Melbourne, 1957.
Melbourne’s centenary history is largely descriptive, using the year-by-year format, but remains a useful pioneering work. LF.
Taylor, Kevin, The Sydney Swans: The Complete History, 1874-1986, Allen & Unwin: Sydney, 1987.
This brief account of the club's history deals mainly with the Sydney era from 1982 to 1986. This work is badly dated, as it predicts a bright future for the club under the Bob Pritchard/Powerplay regime. LF.
Taylor, Kevin & Sydney Swans (Football Team), The Red & the White: Our Heritage: A Brief History of the Sydney Swans, The Club: [Sydney], 1999.
Taylor, Percy, Collingwood Football Club 1892-1948: Story of "the Magpies", National Press: Melbourne, 1949.
This is one of the first histories of a VFL club. The early sections trace the club's origins, the evolution of the club's home ground, the relationship with the Collingwood Council and the fight with the Collingwood Cricket Club for control of Victoria Park. Other sections include recollections by the club's first secretary, E. L. Wilson, who describes the club’s origins and very brief recollections of trainer Wal Lee's fifty year affiliation with the club. Profiles of club champions and identities, such as John Wren, who wrote the forward to the volume, are included. Most of the book, pp. 49-223, is a year-by-year, almost match by match summary of the club's on-field fortunes from 1892 to 1948. Other contents include World War I and II honour rolls and a list of club champions, life members and all players, with years of service from 1892 to 1948. Sources for the book include club records, interviews and reports from the Argus and Australasian newspapers. A copy held at the State Library of Victoria contains autographs by some Collingwood players, including Bob Rose, Murray Weideman, Phonse Kyne and Des Healey. TH.
Topham, Ross, The Stricken Magpie: The C.F.C. And the 'Collingwood Spirit', Penguin Books: Melbourne, 1975.
An essay which invokes demographic factors to account for the increasing disaffection of the Collingwood community towards the Collingwood Football Club. Not only has the city's population declined, but the ethnic composition has changed radically in the post-WWII years, reducing the field of local football supporters. Recruitment patterns have also changed, with team members now being drawn from a much broader base. During 1974, for example, the senior team did not have a single player from a `traditional' Collingwood background.
Victorian Football League, The Blues Premiership Souvenir 1971, Carlton Football Club: Melbourne.
West Perth Football Club., Mel Whinnen: 1960 to 1977, West Perth Football Club: West Perth, WA, 1977.
White, Louis, The Sydney Swans Official 1996 Year Book, Allen & Kemsley: Mosman [NSW], 1996.
Wilson, Tony & Hatcher, Don, Adelaide Crows... [Series Includes all 16 AFL Clubs], AFL Footy Fan's Handbook, Omnibus Books: Malvern, SA, 2005.
Editions published for all 16 AFL clubs.
Wood, John, Bound for Glory: The Story of the Port Adelaide Football Club, 1939-1990, John Wood: Glenelg, SA, 1991.
Wood uses a chronological arrangement, with several photos, to tell this part of the Port Adelaide story and the result is a detailed, but descriptive book. The account is enriched by newspaper quotes and the sources of these are identified in endnotes. There is a name and subject index at the end of each chapter. LF.
Wood, John, The Centenary History of the North Adelaide Football Club, North Adelaide Football Club: [Prospect, SA], 1993.
Wood, John, Simply the Best: The Story of the Port Adelaide Football Club. Part 1, 1870-1901, John Wood: Queenstown, SA, 1995.
Organised into eras, rather than on a year-by-year basis, Wood’s history of the club’s first three decades is descriptive but rich in detail. The illustrations are reproduced cheaply, but are well chosen. The book has an index, but no bibliography. Sadly, Wood was unable to complete the projected final volume of his Port Adelaide trilogy before his death, covering the period from 1901 to 1939. LF.
Wood, John & Port Adelaide Football Club (SANFL), P.A.F.C. Football Budget: The Official Publication of the P.A.F.C. 1954-1959 Reunion Dinner, Wednesday, September 9, 1992, Port Adelaide Football Club: [Port Adelaide], 1992.
This section includes club histories and other club related works for major league clubs as listed in Reading the Game, 2005. Major league clubs are defined as the the highest level of competition in each state or territory. It also includes the Victorian Football Association (VFA) competition, originally the premier league in Victoria, until surpassed by the Victorian Football League.
Abernethy, Bruce & Wakefield Press, From Port to a Power, Wakefield Press: Kent Town, SA, 1997.
Abernethy is a former Port Adelaide player and his book presents an insider's view of the club's campaign to join the AFL. The club's earlier history is explored briefly but intelligently. LF.
Agars, Merv & West Adelaide Football Club, Bloods Sweat and Tears: West Adelaide Football Club, 1877-1987, West Adelaide Football Club: Adelaide, 1987.
Alan Murphy and Associates, Red and Black, Back to Back Victorian Football League Premiers, 1985, Alan Murphy and Associates: Melbourne, 1985.
Aldous, Grant, Behind the Bombers: What Makes the Dons Great, Essendon Football Club: Essendon, Vic, 1995.
Aldous, Grant, Murphy, Alan, & Essendon Football Club, Essendon, Victorian Football League Premiers 1984, A. Murphy: Melbourne, 1985.
Alexander, Alison & Clarence District Football Club, You're in Roo Country!: The History of the Clarence District Football Club, 1884-1996, Clarence District Football Club: Rosny Park, Tas., 1996.
Allen, Beverley J., We Are Hawthorn, Playright Publishing: Caringbah, NSW, 2001.
Beautifully presented and solidly written, this is an excellent successor to Harry Gordon's The Hard Way. With this volume, Hawthorn can now claim to be the club that has been best served by its historians. LF.
Atkinson, Brian & Poat, Peter, West Perth Football Club, 1885-1985, Printed by Action Press: Morley, WA, 1985.
A Tribute to 100 Years of Port Adelaide Football. TH.
Australian Football League, Dockers Superstars: Fremantle Football Club, Celebrity Books: Malaga, WA, 2000.
Barich, Adrian, Taylor, Robert, & Lamb, Dwayne, Eaglemania: The West Coast Invasion, Panorama Books: Perth [WA], 1993.
Barnes, Les, Cunningham, Laurie, & Brunswick Community History Group, A Fair and Honest Game: A Tribute to the Brunswick Football Club, Revised Ed., Brunswick Community History Group: Brunswick, Vic, 2004.
Barnes, Les, Cunningham, Laurie, & Brunswick Community History Group, A Fair and Honest Game: The History of the Brunswick Football Club 1865-1989, Brunswick Community History Group: [Brunswick, Vic.], 1990.
The authors of this volume followed the Fiddian formula and the text is brief but insightful. However, on the whole this is poorly presented and insubstantial history. No index. An improved revised edition was produced in 2004. LF.
Beasley, M. C. & Allan, Garry, The Power of Many: The inside Story of Port Power's First Year, Random House Australia: Milsons Point, NSW, 1998.
Bingham, Mike, Williams, W. T., Lewis, Brian, & Sandy Bay Past Players Officials and Supporters Association, The Spirit Never Dies: Sandy Bay Football Club: 1945-1997, Sandy Bay Past Players, Officials and Supporters Association: Sandy Bay, Tas., 2005.
Branagan, Mark & Lefebvre, Mike, Bloodstained Angels: The Rise and Fall of the Foreign Legion 1932-1938, Mark Branagan: Middle Park, Vic., 1995.
This is an excellent, well-researched account of South Melbourne's 'Foreign Legion' era of the 1930s. LF.
Brittingham, Bill, Essendon Football Club, Premiership Year 1946: Featuring Articles Written by Howard Hughes for the Essendon Gazette, The Club: Essendon, Vic., 1990.
Cannatelli, Tony & Victorian Football Association, VFA the Port Melbourne Way, T. Cannatelli: [West Meadows, Vic.], 1989.
Cantlon, R. A. M., Port Adelaide, the Record Makers, 1988.
Carlton Football Club, Carlton: 1864-1989 125 Years, [The Club: Carlton, Vic.], 1989.
Carlton Football Club & Carlton Cricket Club, Carlton 1864-1989: 125 Years, s.n.: Carlton, Vic., 1990.
Carlyon, Gordon, Gordon Carlyon's Scrapbook. No. 2, The Author: Yarra Glen, Vic., 2002.
Carlyon, Gordon, Levy, Wayne, & Collingwood Football Club Library and Archive Committee, Collingwood Football Club Jottings, Collingwood Football Club Library & Archive Committee: Abbotsford, Vic., 1996.
Carroll, Lynda, The Grand Old Flag: The History of the Melbourne Football Club, Hardie Grant Books: South Yarra, Vic., 1999.
Carroll has produced a scholarly and readable history of football's oldest club. This is a comprehensive account of the club since its foundation in 1858 through to 1998. On-field and off-field events are described and examined in chronological format but organised into eras. This volume is presented in folio format, is amply illustrated with high quality pictures, and contains an index and bibliography. TH.
Casey, Kevin, The Tigers' Tale: The Origins and History of the Claremont Football Club, Claremont Football Club: Claremont, WA, 1995.
Christian, Geoff & West Coast Eagles Football Club, Soaring: The Official History of the West Coast Eagles Football Club's First 10 Years, West Coast Eagles: [Perth], 1997.
A comprehensive record of the club's first 10 years. The introduction provides an overview of the club's history, including the status of football in Western Australia in the 1980s, prior to the formation of the club. Most of the book is a year-by-year record of the club from 1987-1996, with good coverage of on-field action, successes and failures and off-field administrative and financial issues. It has extensive statistics and records and is amply illustrated, including portraits of all players to have represented the club up to 1996. TH.
Christo, Steve & Conyngham, Peter, The Year of the Swan: A Celebration in Pictures, UNSW Press: Sydney, 1996.
Clarence District Football Club (Tasmania), Clarence - T.F.L. Premiers, 1970: The Year of the Roo: [Hobart], 1970.
Club, Collingwood Football, Collingwood Football Club: 1971 Player's Album, Collingwood Football Club: Melbourne, 1971.
This booklet contains a very short club history, team photographs, statistics, past and present players list and a section in which three Collingwood champions from the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, compare football over three decades. A cartoon of the archetypal Collingwood supporter with an accompanying light-hearted article describing the typical Collingwood fan's traits and behaviour is also included. TH.
Club, Collingwood Football, The Magpies Photo Album 1966, The Club: Collingwood, Vic., 1966.
This volume contains a very short history of the club, profiles and portraits of players and club officials, an aerial photograph of Victoria Park and list of past and present players. It also contains a report of an end of season footy trip to Japan. A copy is held at the State Library of Victoria. TH.
Cock, C.S., The Fitzroy Football Club, it’s History, Progress and Performances from it’s Formation in 1883 to 1890, Troedel: Melbourne, 1891.
This is the first known club history to be published. At nineteen pages it is a brief but fascinating record of early football history. It includes portraits of some prominent Fitzroy players. A copy is held at the State Library of Victoria. TH.
Collingwood Football Club, Collingwood: What Makes the Club Tick, Valentine Graphics for the Club: [Abbotsford, Vic.], 1983.
Collingwood Football Club, Official Programme: Tour of Tasmania, July 22nd to August 1st 1939, [Collingwood Football Club]: [Vic.], 1939.
Cornwall, Peter & Burtenshaw, David, Best of Both Worlds: The Story of the West Torrens, Woodville and Eagles Football Clubs, D. Burtenshaw: Adelaide, SA, 2010.
Cornwall, Peter & Wood, John, Pride of the Bay: The Story of Glenelg Football Club, 1920-2003, 2nd Ed., Graphic Print Group: Richmond, SA, 2003.
This attractive and comprehensive history of the SANFL club emphasises on-field events with a chronological arrangement. Very little space is given to the history of the club's administration, finances or club politics. The first chapter provides an overview of football in the Glenelg area from 1879 to 1919, prior to the club's entry to the senior ranks in South Australia, and the remainder of the book contains statistics and a roll call of all Glenelg players between 1921 and 2002, including profiles of greatest players and a bibliography. The first edition was published in 1999.
Costelloe, David & Glenorchy Football, Club, Magpie Memories: A History of the New Town -Glenorchy Football Club, 1948-1990, The Club: Glenorchy, Tas., 1991.
Curtis, Ambrose & Geelong Football Club, Geelong Football Club Souvenir History Book 1951, The Club: Geelong, Vic., 1951.
Davie, Geoff & Geelong Football Club, Cats on the Prowl, HarperCollins: Pymble, NSW, 1994.
De Garis, Brian, ‘From Amateur to Professional and Back Again The Swan Districts Football Club, 1934-1997’, in Ed Jaggard and Jan Ryan (eds.), Perspectives on Sport and Society, Centre for Western Australian History, Department of History, University of Western Australia, Perth, 1997, pp. 64-80.
Dowling, Gerard, The North Story: The History of the North Melbourne Football Club, 2nd Ed., Playwright Publishing: Caringbah, NSW, 1996.
First published in 1973, this year-by-year account traces the history and origins of the club from 1869 through to the 1996 AFL premiership season. The text concentrates mainly on descriptions of the on-field action. Events such as the administrative revitalisation of the club in the 1970s are covered, but not in great detail. Dowling has included biographical portraits of all great figures in the club's history, with a good statistics and records section. The volume is also amply illustrated with high quality pictures. TH.
Drewe, Robert, Collingwood's Behind Kicked, Bulletin: [Melbourne], 1975.
An article on the changing support base of Collingwood Football Club, based on an interview with Ross Topham, author of a journal article on the club. TH.
East, Alan, Eagles for the Flag, Australian Sports Publications: North Perth, WA, 1992.
East, Alan & East, Ryan, The Mighty Royals, 2000: A Celebration of Two Premierships, Alan East in conjunction with the East Perth Football Club: [East Perth, WA], 2001.
East, Allan & Perth Football Club, From Redlegs to Demons: A History of the Perth Football Club from 1899, Perth Football Club: Perth, WA, 2005.
East, Alan, Wood, Greg, Stocks, Gary, & West Coast Eagles, The Eagles Family Photo Album: More Than 250 Photographs from 13 Years of West Coast Eagles History, Specialist Sports Management: Perth, 1999.
East Perth Football Club, East Perth Football Club, 1906-2005, East Perth Football Club: Leederville, WA, 2005.
East Perth Football Club, Royals Mail, East Perth Football Club: [Perth, WA].
Feldman, Jules, Holmesby, Russell, & St. Kilda Football Club, The Point of It All: The Story of the St Kilda Football Club, Playright for and on behalf of the St Kilda Football Club: Sydney, 1992.
The Saints’ history is told well in this solidly written and handsomely presented book. The photos are excellent and historians will find a pleasing level of analysis, with an index to help them. LF.
Fiddian, Marc, Devils at Play: A History of the Oakleigh Football Club, Pakenham Gazette for M. Fiddian: Pakenham [Vic.], 1982.
Marc Fiddian has written six histories of VFA clubs, each according to a simple formula, with a descriptive account of the club’s foundation and its on-field highs and lows, followed by short chapters that profile club stalwarts and then a section of statistics and club honours. Although informed by Fiddian’s long experience as VFA football writer for the Age and editor of the VFA’s match program, The Recorder, the usefulness of these books to historians is limited by a lack of analysis and in most cases the absence of indices and detailed bibliographies. LF.
Fiddian, Marc, East Side Story: A History of Camberwell Football Club, Patrons of the Camberwell Football Club: Camberwell, Vic., 1980.
This volume is much shorter and more clearly produced than Fiddian's usual standard. No index. LF.
Fiddian, Marc, Of Lions and Liniment: A History of the Coburg Football Club, Fiddian: Canterbury, Vic., 1979.
Contains fewer photos than most of Fiddian's other club histories. No index. TH.
Fiddian, Marc, The Swan Lake Spectacular: How South Melbourne Won the 1933 VFL Premiership, Galaxy Print and Design: Hastings, Vic., 2004.
Fiddian, Marc, Year of the Underdog: How Hawthorn Won the 1961 VFL Flag, Southeastprint: Pakenham, Vic., 2001.
Fiddian, Marc & Collingwood Football Club, A Memorable Season: How Collingwood Won the 1958 VFL Flag, South East Newspapers: Pakenham, Vic., 1998.
Fiddian, Marc & Prahran Football Club, The Blue Boys: A History of the Prahran Football Club, Prahran Football Club: Armadale [Vic.], 1986.
This is probably the best of Fiddian’s VFA club histories, with excellent photos and an index. LF.
Fiddian, Marc & Preston Football Club, The Bullants: A History of Preston Football Club, Preston Football Club: Preston, Vic., 1983.
Fiddian, Marc & Williamstown Football Club (Williamstown, Vic.), Seagulls over Williamstown, Williamstown Football Club: Williamstown, Vic., 2003.
Fitzgerald, Ross, The Footy Club: Inside the Brisbane Bears, University of Queensland Press: St. Lucia, Qld., 1996.
Fitzgerald’s inside account examines the Bears’ coming of age in season 1995, when they made their first finals appearance in the AFL competition. Fitzgerald is a noted historian, novelist and political commentator, who brings these skills into his account of the Bears’ dramatic 1995 season. The on-field action is described, but so too is the short history of the club, its politics and the financial and marketing issues for an AFL club in state dominated by Rugby League and Rugby Union. This volume also contains several black and whites plates and for trivia buffs, a full team list for 1995 at the end of the book includes 'nicknames' for all players. TH.
Flanagan, Martin, Southern Sky, Western Oval, McPhee Gribble: Ringwood, Vic., 1994.
Written by a respected journalist, Flanagan’s inside account of Footscray's 1993 season provides a vivid and fascinating portrait of a club, its personalities and its community during a turbulent period. The arrangement is mainly chronological, with some thematic and biographical chapters. Flanagan moves easily from historical and cultural perspectives, through to a detailed analysis of coaches, players and match tactics. Two or three pages of background on another club or non-Footscray player are often provided to add depth to the analysis. TH.
Flanagan, Martin, ‘A Year with a League Club’, in Bob Stewart and Robert Pascoe (eds.), Oval Logic, Faculties of Arts and Human Development, Victoria University of Technology, Melbourne, 1994, pp. 26-32.
Fremantle Football Club, Turning It Around: A Pictorial Celebration of the Club's Most Successful Season, Fremantle Football Club: Fremantle [WA], 2003.
Freud, Sally & Cutler, Mark, Flying North for the Winter: The Story of the Sydney Swans, Random House: Milsons Point, NSW, 1999.
This work offers a very brief history of the club before it moved to Sydney, followed by a more detailed account of the club history up to 1998. The book's usefulness to historians is enhanced by the inclusion of long statements by players, coaches and officials.
From Redlegs to Demons: A History of the Perth Football Club from 1899, Perth Football Club: Lathlain Park, WA, 2005.
Frost, Lionel, The Old Dark Navy Blues: A History of the Carlton Football Club, Allen & Unwin: St. Leonards, NSW, 1998.
This analysis places the story of the club in the context of the evolution of the game and wider economic and social trends and includes an index, endnotes and a bibliography. A second edition would benefit with additional information on fans and women. LF.
Geelong Football Club, Four Glorious Years in the History of the Geelong Cricket and Football Club: 1950 - 1951 - 1952 - 1953, Geelong Football Club: Geelong, Vic., 1954.
Geelong Football Club, Those Mighty Cats: A Look at the Geelong Football Club, Prudential Printing & Publicity: Melbourne, 1967.
Geelong Football Club, Those Mighty Cats, 1968: Official Publication of the Geelong Football Club, Prudential Printing & Publicity: Melbourne, 1968.
This volume mainly comprises player and coach profiles and provides a preview of the 1968 season, a short review of 1967 season, two pages of facts and figures and several black and white portrait pictures. TH.
Glenelg Football Club (Glenelg, SA), Glenelg Football Club: Celebrating 75 Years, The Club: Glenelg, SA, 1995.
Glossop, Matthew, East Perth 1906-1976, Matthew Glossop: Perth, 1976.
Gordon, Harry, The Hard Way: The Story of Hawthorn Football Club, Lester-Townsend: Paddington, NSW, 1990.
With high quality analysis and evaluation of the careers of key individuals, Gordon's book provides an effective answer to the question of why Richmond's secretary, Graeme Richmond, was once moved to comment 'it grieves me to admit it, but we'd all like to be like Hawthorn'. Index. LF.
Gordon, Kerrie, Dalton, Alan, & Footscray Football Club, Too Tough to Die: Footscray's Fightback 1989, Footscray Football Club: Footscray, Vic., 1990.
This story details the successful supporter and community campaign to prevent the merger of Footscray Football Club with the Fitzroy Football Club. It contains a brief background to the events of October 1989, but mainly records the rallies and fundraising efforts to save the financially-strapped Bulldogs. The narrative contains many stirring extracts from speeches, reproductions of letters of support from club fans and poignant stories of the struggles, hopes, anger, despair and ultimately satisfaction and relief of club stalwarts. Numerous photographs enhance the story. TH.
Hansen, Brian, The Blue Boys: The History of the Carlton Football Club from 1864, Brian Hansen Nominees: [Melbourne], 2002.
Hansen brings a certain ‘insider’ status to this book. During his long career as a journalist he came to know several Carlton players personally and was given information that enabled him to break the story of the club’s plans to recruit Ron Barassi in 1964. Despite the book’s length of over 700 pages, historians will find little of use. There is no index or bibliography and quotations are generally unsourced, which will make it difficult for historians to check their authenticity. Photos are also unsourced and in some cases captioned incorrectly. LF.
Hansen, Brian, The Bomber Missions: Essendon Football Club's 1996 AFL Season, Brian Hansen Nominees: Melbourne, Vic., 1996.
This was followed by Volume 2, published in 1997 and titled The Bomber Missions, Volume 2, AFL Season 1997: The Continuing Story of the Essendon Football Club. TH.
Hansen, Brian, The Bomber Missions. Volume 2: AFL Season 1997, the Continuing Story of the Essendon Football Club, Brian Hansen Nominees: Mount Waverley, Vic., 1997.
Hansen, Brian, The Magpie Years '93: The Continuing History of the Collingwood Football Club, B.E. Hansen: Cheltenham, Vic., 1993.
This annual yearbook was also published from 1994 to 1997. TH.
Hansen, Brian, The Magpies: Collingwood Football Club, 100 Years, 1892-1992, B.E. Hansen in conjunction with Senis Carla Nom P/L: Cheltenham, Vic., 1992.
A detailed, year-by-year account of the club's fortunes on and off the field. The opening chapter describes the development of Collingwood as a suburb and a municipality from the 1850s to the 1880s. There are separate pieces on topics and personalities such as gambling, the Collingwood liquor licence, John Wren, Jock McHale and Gordon Coventry. Each yearly entry concludes with statistics, major player achievements and debutante players for that year. The volume includes Collingwood team of the century selections by Jack Dyer and Lou Richards. A records and statistics section includes every senior player’s career span and total number of games. No endnotes, bibliography or index. TH.
Hansen, Brian, The Tiger Files: The Day by Day Adventures of the Mighty Tigers of '95, Brian Hansen: Melbourne, Vic., 1995.
A yearbook-type publication also published in 1996 and 1997. TH.
Hansen, Brian, The Tiger Files. Volume 3, AFL Season 1997: The Continuing Story of the Richmond Football Club, Brian Hansen Nominees: Mount Waverley, Vic., 1997.
Hansen, Brian & Richmond Former Players and Officials Association, Tigerland: The History of the Richmond Football Club from 1885, Richmond Former Players and Officials Association: Burwood, Vic., 1989.
Published and presumably commissioned, by the Richmond Former Players and Officials Association, Tigerland reports the main events affecting the club on a year-by-year basis. It has some useful profiles and interesting photographs, but no index or bibliography. LF.
Harrison, Frank, Lee, Jack, & South Fremantle Football Club, The South Fremantle Story 1900-1975, South Fremantle Football Club: [Fremantle, 1976.
Hayes, Lynton R., A History of the South Fremantle Football Club, 1961.
Heinrichs, Dolph, The Jubilee Book of the East Fremantle Football Club, Paterson's: Perth, 1948.
Hewat, Tim, The Blues: A History of Carlton Football Club, Carlton Football Club: North Carlton, Vic., 1982.
Hill, R. R. & Hobart Football Club Old Players Officials & Supporters Association (Tas.), Hobart Football Club: A Chronological History of Senior Coaches, 1945-2004, Hobart Football Club Old Players, Officials & Supporters Association Inc.: North Hobart [Tas.], 2005.
Hindle, Kevin, Hamilton, Amy, & West Torrens Football Club, The Eagle-Eye Yearbook, 1980, West Torrens Football Club: Thebarton, SA, 1980.
Hobart Football Club (Tas.) & Hobart Football Club Old Players and Officials Association (Tas.), Hobart Football Club 60th Anniversary, Hobart Football Club Old Players & Officials Association: [Hobart, Tas.], 2004.
Hobbs, Greg, Delbridge, Noel, & Footscray Football Club, The Bulldog Book: Sons of the 'Scray (1883-1983), Footscray Football Club: West Footscray, Vic., 1983.
Hobbs, Greg & Melbourne Football Club, 125 Yrs of the Melbourne Demons: The Story of the Melbourne Football Club from 1858 to 1983, Melbourne Football Club: Jolimont, Vic., 1984.
Hobbs, Greg & Richmond Football Club, Richmond: Home of the Tigers, Richmond Football Club: Richmond, Vic., 1981.
Hore-Lacy, Dyson, Fitzroy, Lion Publications: Fitzroy, Vic., 2000.
Written by the last president of the club before its amalgamation with the Brisbane Bears, this history details the final chapter of Fitzroy’s years in the AFL and highlights the ongoing ‘David v. Goliath’ battles with senior League administrators, financiers and the Melbourne football press. IW.
Hubbard, Albert, The Zebra Story: A History of the Sandringham Football Club 1929-1985, Sandringham Football Club: Sandringham, Vic., 1986.
Hutchinson, Col, Cats' Tales: The Geelong Football Club, 1897-1983, Geelong Advertiser: Geelong [Vic.], 1984.
Hutchinson, Garrie, The Mighty Blues: Team of the Century, Lothian Books: South Melbourne, Vic., 2001.
Hutchinson provides descriptions and anecdotes relating to each of Carlton's Grand Final victories, interspersed with 'pop' profiles of members of the club's Hall of Fame. LF.
Hutchinson, Garrie, Lang, Rick, & Ross, John, Roar of the Lions: Fitzroy Remembered, 1883-1996, Lothian Books: Port Melbourne, 1997.
This 'coffee-table' book is short in length and lacking any insight into why this once-great club ended up going out of business. Some good illustrations are included, but Fitzroy fans and football historians, will be disappointed with this book. LF.
Jaques, T. D., Inside the Nest: Behind the Scenes at the Adelaide Football Club: Norwood, SA ; Peacock Publications, 2000.
Karabogias, Michael, Ross, Jack, Ross, Bob, Utting, Wally, Peters, Ray, & Wren, John, A Paper Football in the Back Pocket: The Collingwood Football Club and Collingwood During the Great Depression, Michael Karabogias: Victoria, 1982.
An essay based on interviews with four men who grew up and played for Collingwood during the Depression years. Copies of the audio-tapes are held in the Collingwood local history collection. The main concern is the strong relationship between the club and the Collingwood community. Most players were recruited within the municipality and were regarded as local heroes. Players were paid a maximum of three pounds per match, a significant amount during the 1930s. Attendance figures for every Collingwood match, 1928-1936, are detailed in the appendix.
Keenan, Terry, A History of the Port Melbourne Football Club, [3] vols, Walla Walla Press; Eucalyptus Press: Petersham, NSW, Albert Park, Vic., 2004.
Keenan, Terry, Kicking into the Wind: A History of the Formative Years of the Port Melbourne Football Club 1874-1917, [ a History of the Port Melbourne Football Club, Walla Walla Press: Petersham, NSW, 2004.
This volume details the establishment of one of Victoria’s most successful football clubs, located in the heart of a rough, working-class, waterfront suburb. Keenan commences with a description of the Port Melbourne region today, then back-tracks to its early years as a centre-point for dock workers, transients and an eclectic local population. A chronology of the Borough’s on-field history is then presented, interspersed with details of champion players and key administrators during the formative years. The final chapter attributes the club’s violent reputation to prejudicial targeting by umpires and the media, with a fascinating analysis of early VFA tribunal records. IW.
Keenan, Terry, A Taste of Port: Personal Profiles, Snapshots and Statistical Records Drawn from the History of the Port Melbourne Football Club, Eucalyptus Press: Albert Park, Vic., 1999.
As the title and subtitle suggest, this is a collection of anecdotes and statistics, rather than an analytical history. But the book is informative and a welcome addition to the sparse literature on VFA clubs. LF.
Keenan, Terry & Port Melbourne Historical & Preservation Society, Keeping out the Riff-Raff: Port Melbourne's Exclusion from the Victorian Football League in 1896, Port Melbourne Historical and Preservation Society: Port Melbourne, Vic., 2004.
Kendell, T. P., Footer, Bill, & Footer, Cec, The Broadview Football Club Story: A Brief Account of Solid Achievement from 1928 to 1961, T.P. Kendell: Broadview, SA, 1961.
Lack, John F. & Aus-Sport Enterprises., A History of the Footscray Football Club: Unleashed, Aus-Sport Enterprises: Melbourne, 1996.
Written by a team made up of academic and amateur historians and with the full co-operation of the Footscray Football Club, Unleashed is a fine blend of analysis, player profiles, statistics and rare illustrative material. Indexed and footnoted. LF.
Lane, Christopher & Norwood Football Club, Norwood Oval's 100th Birthday, Norwood Football Club: Norwood, SA, 2001.
Laurence, L., History of South Melbourne Football Club, South Melbourne Football Club: Melbourne, 1963.
This small compilation of historical items about the club emerges from archived material supplied by C. Cantwell. TH.
Lee, Jack & East Fremantle Football Club, Old Easts - 1948-1975, East Freemantle Football Club: [Fremantle], 1976.
Lee, Jack & Heinrichs, Dolph, East Fremantle Football Club: Celebrating 100 Years of Tradition: A Trilogy of History, Bill Benbow & Associates: Palmyra, WA, 1998.
Three separate books are brought together in one volume, in which the authors trace the history of the club on a year-by-year basis. Anecdotes and profiles of individuals appear in boxes and sections throughout the text. The book concludes with a list of honours and officials, but has no index, endnotes, or bibliography. LF.
Levy, Wayne & Carlyon, Gordon, The 1958 Grand Final: Collingwood v Melbourne, Collingwood Football Club Library & Archive Committee: Abbotsford, Vic., 1998.
Levy, Wayne, Carlyon, Gordon, & Collingwood Football Club Library and Archive Committee, Gordon Carlyon's Collingwood Football Club Scrapbook, New Ed., Collingwood Football Club Library & Archive Committee: Abbotsford, Vic., 1997.
This collection of articles printed over 40 years in the club newsletter contains articles about players, coaches, officials, incidents, teams, matches and club history. Illustrated. A previous edition is titled Collingwood Football Club Jottings (1994) and a similar publication, Gordon Carlyon’s Scrapbook, No. 2, was published in 1997. TH.
Levy, Wayne & Collingwood Football Club Library and Archive Committee, Collingwood Football Club: Poems, Songs, Recitations & Writings, Collingwood Football Club Library & Archive Committee: Abbotsford, Vic., 1999.
Levy, Wayne & Collingwood Football Club Library and Archive Committee, Collingwood Football Club: VFL/AFL Family Connections, Collingwood Football Club Library & Archive Committee: Abbotsford, Vic., 1999.
Lynch, Liam & McConchie, Peter, Essendon, Empire Management: Carlton North, Vic., 1998.
Lysikatos, John, Cornwall, Peter, & Sturt Football Club, A Century of Sturt, Sturt Football Club: Unley, SA, 2002.
Lysikatos, John, Cornwall, Peter, & Sturt Football Club, True Blue: The History of the Sturt Football Club, Sturt Football Club: [Unley, SA], 1995.
This book uses a chronological format, sometimes with one chapter devoted to a single year, but is well-written and has excellent photos. The book has a thorough statistical section, an index and a bibliography. LF.
Lysikatos, John & Sturt Football Club, Sturt: The Unley Story, Sturt Football Club: Unley, SA, 1998.
Lysikatos, John & Sturt Football Club, Sturt Football Club Premiership Anniversary, 1926, 1966, 1976, Sturt Football Club: [Unley, SA], 1996.
Malaxos, Steve & Wilson, Ray, Inside the Eagles: The Untold Story, Malwil Books: Perth, WA, 1991.
An insider’s view of the Perth-based club was written by the club’s first captain. TH.
Maplestone, Michael, Flying High: The History of the Essendon Football Club, Essendon Football Club: Essendon, Vic., 1983.
Maplestone, Michael & Essendon Football Club, Flying Higher: History of the Essendon Football Club 1872-1994, Essendon Football Club: Melbourne, Vic., 1994.
Maplestone, Michael & Essendon Football Club, Flying Higher: History of the Essendon Football Club 1872-1996, New Ed., Essendon Football Club: Melbourne, Vic., 1996.
Maplestone deserves credit for his pioneering historical work on the club and the quality of his writing, despite adopting a year-by-year format. Around one-third of the book is made up of statistical material. An earlier edition covering 1872-1994 was published in 1994. LF.
Maplestone, Michael & Essendon Football Club, Those Magnificent Men, 1897-1987, Essendon Football Club: Essendon [Vic.], 1988.
Martyn, Colin & Wilmot, R. W. E., Centenary Souvenir of the Carlton Football Club: From 1864-1933, Carlton Football Club: Melbourne, 1934.
Matthews, Simon, Champions of Essendon: Ranking the 60 Greatest Bombers of All Time, Hardie Grant Books: South Yarra, Vic, 2002.
The 60 greatest Essendon players, as chosen by an internal selection panel, are profiled in this well-written, beautifully presented book. There is no index or bibliography. LF.
McFarlane, Glenn & Roberts, Michael, Collingwood at Victoria Park, Lothian: Port Melbourne, 1999.
This beautiful book is a superb chronicle of Collingwood’s association with its home ground at Victoria Park. Rare photos and an intelligent, well-informed text, help to evoke a now bygone era in the history of the game. LF.
McFarlane, Glenn & Roberts, Michael, Collingwood at Victoria Park, Lothian Books: South Melbourne, Vic., 2005.
McFarlane, Glenn, Roberts, Michael, & Collingwood Football Club, The Machine: The inside Story of Football's Greatest Team, Collingwood Football Club: Abbotsford, Vic., 2005.
The Collingwood teams of 1927-1930 that won four successive VFL premierships achieved a record yet to be matched in VFL/AFL history. This book from well-known Collingwood historians McFarlane and Roberts tells the story behind this era and looks at the dramas, scandals and tragedy that surrounded this impressive winning streak. TH.
McFarlane, Glenn, Stremski, Richard, & Collingwood Football Club, The Premiership's a Cakewalk, Collingwood Football Club: Abbotsford, Vic., 1999.
McLean, A. R. And Port Adelaide Football Club (SANFL), 100 Years with the Magpies: The Story of the Port Adelaide Football Club, 1870-1970, The Club: Port Adelaide, S.A., 1971.
Written by a former player and long-serving secretary, this book traces the origins of the Port Adelaide Football Club, its on-field performances and is organised into eras rather than on a year-by-year basis. What makes the book particularly valuable are the many profiles of key figures in the club’s history, informed by McLean’s personal observations and a complete year-by-year list of games played and goals kicked by individual players. The book has no index or bibliography, but has a fine collection of photos. LF.
Membrey, Brian & Northern Bullants Football Club, Where We Come from 1903-2002: (with Prelude 1873 to 1902), 2 vols, Northern Bullants Football Club: Preston, Vic., 2002.
Middleton, Stephen, Butcher, Tony, & Adelaide Football Club, Crows Back to Back, Adelaide Sports Promotion for the Adelaide Football Club: Adelaide, 1998.
Middleton, Stephen, Gill, Trevor, & Adelaide Football Club, Crows the First Flag, Adelaide Sports Promotion for the Adelaide Football Club: Adelaide, 1997.
Milne, Steven & Victorian Football Association, Zebra Magic: 1992: A Premiership Season, [Sandringham Football Club]: Sandringham, Vic., 1993.
This souvenir booklet describes Sandringham’s 1992 season round-by-round and includes player profiles. LF.
Nicholls, Barry, ‘The Decline of the Sturt Football Club’, in Whimpress, Bernard (ed.), The Imaginary Grandstand: Identity and Narrative in Australian Sport, Australian Society for Sports History (SA), Kent Town, S.A., 2002, pp. 103-08.
Nicholls, Barry, Triple Blue: Jack Oatey, John Wynne and the Whole Damned Thing, Pioneer Books: Oaklands Park, SA, 2002.
Niehus, Chris, Die Hard: A Year on the Road with the Power, Seaview Press: Henley Beach, SA, 2004.
North Adelaide Football Club, 1948 Rebuilding Souvenir, North Adelaide Football Club: [Adelaide], 1948.
North Adelaide Football Club, North Adelaide Football Club Guernseys, North Adelaide Football Club: Prospect, SA, 2004.
North Adelaide Football Club History Committee, North Adelaide Football Club Presents the Fabulous Forwards Exhibition, North Adelaide Football Club, History Committee: Prospect, SA, 2005.
North Adelaide Football Club History Committee, North Adelaide's Greatest: Team of the Century 1901-2000, North Adelaide Football Club, History Committee: Prospect SA, 2001.
Norwood Football Club, Eighty Years of Football, 1878-1961: Norwood Football Club, The Club: Norwood, SA, 1961.
Norwood Football Club, Norwood Football Club Presents the Magarey Medal Dinner in Honour of Norwood Captain Garry McIntosh, ... Friday November 18th 1994, The Club: Norwood, SA, 1994.
Norwood Football Club, Seventy Years of Football, 1878-1951: Norwood Football Club, The Club: Norwood, SA, 1951.
100 Years in Black and White: A History of the Collingwood Football Club, Australian Gallery of Sport and Olympic Museum: Melbourne, 1992.
Opolion, Mark, A Decade of Pride: A History of the Brisbane Lions, Pennon Publishing: [Essendon, Vic.], 2006.
Piesse, Ken, Red, White + Black: Marching with the Saints, Hardie Grant Books: Prahran, Vic., 2004.
Pointon, Bruce Morrell, Mcinnes, James, Richardson, Colin J., & North Adelaide Football Club. History Committee, Never Say Die: The Story of North Adelaide Football Club's 1960 Premiership Year, North Adelaide Football Club History Committee: [Prospect, SA], 2005.
Pointon, Bruce Morrell & North Adelaide Football Club. History Committee, North's Record-Making Year: The Story of North Adelaide Football Club's 1952 Premiership Year, North Adelaide Football Club History Committee: [Prospect, SA], 2002.
Port Adelaide Football Club (SANFL), Port Adelaide Football Club Souvenir Jubilee Year Book, SA Fraternal Services for the Port Adelaide Football Club: [Adelaide], 1951.
Port Adelaide Football Club (SANFL), Souvenir of the Port Adelaide Football Club, 1910, Donald Taylor Collotype Company Limited: North Adelaide [SA], 1910.
Porter, Ashley, Crows' Tales, HarperCollins: Sydney, 1993.
Porter, Ashley & Adelaide Football Club, Something to Crow About: A Celebration of the First 100 Games, HarperCollins: Pymble, NSW, 1995.
Porter, Ashley, Brindle, Terry, & Adelaide Football Club, Crows' Glory: A Historical Look at Adelaide's First AFL Premiership, ACP Publishing: Oakleigh, Vic., 1997.
Porter, Ashley, Wakefield Press, & Adelaide Football Club, The Pride of South Australia: A Crows' Decade, Wakefield Press: Kent Town, SA, 2001.
This well produced book with excellent photographs is a solid account of Adelaide’s first ten years in the AFL. Porter includes some useful insights from coaches, administrators and players. LF.
Price, Matt, Way to Go: Sadness, Euphoria and the Fremantle Dockers, Fremantle Arts Centre Press: Fremantle, WA, 2003.
Price, a sports journalist turned political commentator and avid Fremantle supporter, 'chronicles this bleak period for posterity' during the early years of the Fremantle Dockers AFL Club. The format is similar to books by Matthew Hardy about St Kilda and Barry Dickens about Fitzroy, for its self-depreciating, yet celebratory tone. Much of the story is told through chapters on Fremantle's coaches and one on quixotic player Clive Waterhouse. Mick Malthouse's role in West Australian football is explored, the Derby clashes described, the disastrous season of 2001 lamented and the culture and environment of Fremantle as a setting for football speculated upon. Not an ordinary fan's perspective as Price is a media player and brings little of himself to the story, but it is interesting to compare this volume against several Victorian works for its distinct West Australian perspective. TH.
Ridley, Ian Jeffrey & Ridley, John, Urge to Merge: The Power, the People, the President and the Money, Crown Content: Melbourne, 2002.
Ridley, who was club president of Melbourne at the time of the proposed merger with Hawthorn, tells his side of the controversy. Surprisingly, not much insight is offered into how Melbourne got into financial difficulties, even though Ridley's long playing, coaching and administrative career makes him ideally qualified to comment on the matter. Nevertheless, the book is a useful account of club politics during the merger proposal. LF.
Roberts, Michael & Essendon Football Club, Essendon Football Club Hall of Fame, Sporting Links Publications and Media Services Pty Ltd: Elwood, Vic., 1996.
This well-presented booklet contains informative profiles of the players and administrators elected into Essendon’s Hall of Fame. LF.
Roberts, Michael & McFarlane, Glenn, The Official Collingwood Illustrated Encyclopedia, Lothian Books: Docklands, Vic., 2004.
A glossy pictorial format provides an overview of most aspects of the club's history, including summaries of on-field performances for each decade, biographical portraits of the great players, descriptions of each premiership win, major events and controversies, ‘Magpie Icons’ including Victoria park, the jumper and club song and a chapter on families who have represented the club. Also includes statistics, records and a list of all senior players from 1897-2003. Contains no index but does have an extended contents page and bibliography. TH.
Ross, John & Hutchinson, Garrie, The Clubs: The Complete History of Every Club in the VFL/AFL, Viking: Ringwood, Vic., 1998.
This relatively superficial and anecdotal 'coffee-table' book is well-presented but contains little to inform anyone who seeks to learn about the history of the AFL's clubs. LF.
Senyard, June, ‘1944 and All That’, in Cutten History Committee (eds.), Fitzroy. Melbourne’s First Suburb, Melbourne University Press, Carlton, Vic., 1991, pp. 214-32.
Slattery, Geoff, At Last! Collingwood, Premiers 1990, Context: East Melbourne, 1990.
Spillman, Ken & Subiaco Football Club (WA), Diehards: The Story of the Subiaco Football Club, 2 vols, Subiaco Football Club: Subiaco, WA, 1998.
An excellent history placing the development of the club in the context of the development of its suburb and community. The chapters are arranged chronologically, in eras and the presentation is superb, with the photos reproduced throughout particularly evocative. All quotations are identified in endnotes and there is a detailed index. The book concludes with appendices detailing club honours and office bearers. LF.
St. Kilda Football Club, The Saints History Year Book 1967: Official Publication of the St. Kilda Football Club, The Club: Melbourne, 1967.
Stephens, Russell H. T. & Murray, James, The Road to Kardinia: The Story of the Geelong Football Club, Playright Publishing: Caringbah, NSW, 1996.
A solid and well-presented account of Geelong's history, combining thoughtful text with rare illustrations. Index. LF.
Stremski, Richard, Kill for Collingwood, Allen & Unwin: Sydney, 1986.
This landmark history of the club and its cultural significance is presented in a scholarly yet readable fashion. Provides accounts of the club's origins, development and relationship with the community and documents major on-field successes and failures, with thoughtful analysis and description of the club's administrative history, club politics and the character of Collingwood making the club both loved and loathed throughout its history. The volume includes a roll call of all senior players representing the club between 1897 and 1984, a list of club champions, Brownlow medal winners and Champions of the Colony. Contains an index, references, as well as several black and white and colour pictures. TH.
Stremski, Richard, The Myth of the Melbourne - Collingwood Rivalry, William Heinemann Australia: Richmond, Vic., 1988.
Genuine rivalry between Collingwood and Melbourne football clubs, argues Stremski, has only really existed during the period 1955-1965. Earlier animosities between these clubs were largely journalistic fabrications, based on the assumed translation of class antagonisms to the playing field.
Sturt Football Club, Sturt Football Club Souvenir Jubilee Year Book, 1951, Sturt Football Club: Unley, SA, 1951.
Sturt Football Club, Sturts 1966: Minor Premiers' Souvenir, Sturt Football Club: Unley, SA, 1966.
Sutherland, Mike, Nicholson, Rod, Murrihy, Stewart, & Fitzroy Football Club, The First One Hundred Seasons: Fitzroy Football Club, 1883-1983, Fitzroy Football Club: Melbourne, 1983.
An informative account of the club's history and a second edition matching this standard would be most welcome. LF.
Swan Brewery Company, The Swan, 50 Years On, Swan Brewery Company: Perth, WA, 1985.
Swan Districts Football Club, Swan Districts, 1934-74, Swan Districts Football Club: Bassendean, WA, 1975.
Swan Reach Football Club. Centenary Committee, Swan Reach Football Club, Centenary 1892-1992, Swan Reach Football Club Centenary Committee: [Bairnsdale, Vic.], 1992.
Taylor, 100 Years of Football: The Story of the Melbourne Football Club 1858-1958, [sn.]: [sl]., 1958.
Taylor, E. C. H., 100 Years of Football: The Story of the Melbourne Football Club 1858-1958, Melbourne Football Club: Melbourne, 1957.
Melbourne’s centenary history is largely descriptive, using the year-by-year format, but remains a useful pioneering work. LF.
Taylor, Kevin, The Sydney Swans: The Complete History, 1874-1986, Allen & Unwin: Sydney, 1987.
This brief account of the club's history deals mainly with the Sydney era from 1982 to 1986. This work is badly dated, as it predicts a bright future for the club under the Bob Pritchard/Powerplay regime. LF.
Taylor, Kevin & Sydney Swans (Football Team), The Red & the White: Our Heritage: A Brief History of the Sydney Swans, The Club: [Sydney], 1999.
Taylor, Percy, Collingwood Football Club 1892-1948: Story of "the Magpies", National Press: Melbourne, 1949.
This is one of the first histories of a VFL club. The early sections trace the club's origins, the evolution of the club's home ground, the relationship with the Collingwood Council and the fight with the Collingwood Cricket Club for control of Victoria Park. Other sections include recollections by the club's first secretary, E. L. Wilson, who describes the club’s origins and very brief recollections of trainer Wal Lee's fifty year affiliation with the club. Profiles of club champions and identities, such as John Wren, who wrote the forward to the volume, are included. Most of the book, pp. 49-223, is a year-by-year, almost match by match summary of the club's on-field fortunes from 1892 to 1948. Other contents include World War I and II honour rolls and a list of club champions, life members and all players, with years of service from 1892 to 1948. Sources for the book include club records, interviews and reports from the Argus and Australasian newspapers. A copy held at the State Library of Victoria contains autographs by some Collingwood players, including Bob Rose, Murray Weideman, Phonse Kyne and Des Healey. TH.
Topham, Ross, The Stricken Magpie: The C.F.C. And the 'Collingwood Spirit', Penguin Books: Melbourne, 1975.
An essay which invokes demographic factors to account for the increasing disaffection of the Collingwood community towards the Collingwood Football Club. Not only has the city's population declined, but the ethnic composition has changed radically in the post-WWII years, reducing the field of local football supporters. Recruitment patterns have also changed, with team members now being drawn from a much broader base. During 1974, for example, the senior team did not have a single player from a `traditional' Collingwood background.
Victorian Football League, The Blues Premiership Souvenir 1971, Carlton Football Club: Melbourne.
West Perth Football Club., Mel Whinnen: 1960 to 1977, West Perth Football Club: West Perth, WA, 1977.
White, Louis, The Sydney Swans Official 1996 Year Book, Allen & Kemsley: Mosman [NSW], 1996.
Wilson, Tony & Hatcher, Don, Adelaide Crows... [Series Includes all 16 AFL Clubs], AFL Footy Fan's Handbook, Omnibus Books: Malvern, SA, 2005.
Editions published for all 16 AFL clubs.
Wood, John, Bound for Glory: The Story of the Port Adelaide Football Club, 1939-1990, John Wood: Glenelg, SA, 1991.
Wood uses a chronological arrangement, with several photos, to tell this part of the Port Adelaide story and the result is a detailed, but descriptive book. The account is enriched by newspaper quotes and the sources of these are identified in endnotes. There is a name and subject index at the end of each chapter. LF.
Wood, John, The Centenary History of the North Adelaide Football Club, North Adelaide Football Club: [Prospect, SA], 1993.
Wood, John, Simply the Best: The Story of the Port Adelaide Football Club. Part 1, 1870-1901, John Wood: Queenstown, SA, 1995.
Organised into eras, rather than on a year-by-year basis, Wood’s history of the club’s first three decades is descriptive but rich in detail. The illustrations are reproduced cheaply, but are well chosen. The book has an index, but no bibliography. Sadly, Wood was unable to complete the projected final volume of his Port Adelaide trilogy before his death, covering the period from 1901 to 1939. LF.
Wood, John & Port Adelaide Football Club (SANFL), P.A.F.C. Football Budget: The Official Publication of the P.A.F.C. 1954-1959 Reunion Dinner, Wednesday, September 9, 1992, Port Adelaide Football Club: [Port Adelaide], 1992.