While most of footy's most memorable moments happen on-field, the game's greatest tales are told off it - and often on paper.
Here we list 20 of the best Aussie Rules books for any type of footy fan.
28: Brandon Jackย
If you are looking for your average AFL player's autobiography, you've come to the wrong place. Rather than blunt recounts of games, goals and minor setbacks, the former Swan tells his story on the fringes, whether in the locker room or in the wider world. Like Barry Hall at his biggest and baddest, no punches are pulled.
Australia's Game: Matthew Nicholson,ย Bob Stewart,ย Greg de Moore and Rob Hess
It is almost inarguable that Australian Rules Football is the most unique sport on the face of the earth. This mighty tome - all 700 pages of it - shows how the sausage was made in the most palatable way possible. Worth purchasing for the glossary of terms alone.
A Wink From the Universe: Martin Flanagan
Dogs fans will remember 2016 forever, but if they ever want to go down memory road or simply bask in the glow of their golden September, Australia's greatest sportswriter has them covered, with Flanagan adding many more layers to the self-described fairytale.
The Boy's Club: Michael Warner
Why are those at AFL House the way that they are? Well, Warner has you covered, warts and all. Explosive, scandalous, political, Warner dissects the many deals, both above and below board, that made the league the financial behemoth it is today.
The Coach: John Powers
Ever heard the cliche 'within the four walls of the club'? Yeah, us too, it doesn't mean much, does it? Still, in 1977, Powers walked into Arden Street armed with a notepad and exited with a tale with the perfect ending - spoiler, they came back after the draw. If you ever want to understand what makes a legendary leader tick, this year-long recount of Ron Barassi's ninth, and final, flag is your El Dorado.
Fabulous Fred: Paul Amy
Whether kicking bags or buying them from gangsters, VFA legend Fred Cook squeezed plenty into his 74 years of life. While quintessential fall from grace, Amy does an expert job of re-stepping the many darkened avenues that led Cook from his pedestal at North Port Oval to a prison cell, three times over. Perfect for those that dig a Borough Burger and 'Animal Kingdom' alike.
Footballistics: James Coventry (and a team of footy's sharpest thinkers)
Good, bad, ugly or borderline invisible, Aussie Rules footy has never been short of data to collect. Still, making sense of the raw numbers has the ability to leave the layperson with egg on their face. Coventry and a full fleet of statistically literate analysts use the numbers to ask the big questions, including whether umpires favour blondes. Perhaps a little dense for the casual fan, but for those with inquisitive minds, your questions are likely to be answered here.
Football LTD: Gary Linell
From broke to booming, Linnell tells the story of the VFL's shift out of suburbia to become a truly national competition by the mid-90s. Taking readers into boardrooms, back rooms and into the shadows, the Walkley winner lifts the lid to show a league in flux, one that now has more cash in the bank than a small sovereign state.
From the Outer: Garrie Hutchison
Big hair, big egos and big games in the suburbs, the 1980s are still remembered fondly by footy fans who were there. Whether at home or asked to traipse out to Waverley, the game was Victorian; the tribal lines were well and truly visible. Walking between them and looking at the bigger picture was Hutchinson in his much-loved columns for The Age. While almost 40 years on from first being published, you could be forgiven for calling this a dated pick, but with so many prescient - and witty - entries, Hutchison's work more than holds up.
The Greatest Game: Ross Fitzgerald and Ken Spillman
Some of Australia's sharpest minds writing about its greatest game? What's not to like? The perfect book to pick up and read at will before returning to it, time and time again. An absolute staple of any serious fan's collection.
The Last Quarter: Martin Flanagan
Yeah, we'll admit it, we've cheated here; this is actually three books in one. However, when you can get your hands on a chunk of Flanagan's back catalogue for the price of a hot meal, it's a great day. Across the course of this 550-page omnibus, Flanagan's prose will transport you back to arguably the greatest grand final of all time, into the early years of this millennium and through the doors of Whitten Oval long before Bevo and Bont ruled the roost.
Local Rites: Paul Daffey
Big, small, on the main road or off the beaten track, every suburb and town below the 'Barrassi Line' has a footy team. And for those away from the big smoke, these clubs often act as the heartbeat and are home to all sorts of characters. Throughout the winter of 2001, Daffey journeyed between these community beacons, telling stories of people, of place and of our indigenous game.
Loose Men Everywhere: John Harms
Believe it or not, being a Geelong fan used to be quite a torturous task. And though the likes of 'Bomber', 'Boris', 'Chappy' and the 'Little Master' broke through to bring the cup back to the Pivot City, between 1964 and 2006 there were enough barren seasons and near misses to make even the hardest man at the old Ford Plant well up. In short, this is a book about footy, but if you are a Cats fan of a certain age, you will see yourself in Harms. Think Nick Hornby's 'Fever Pitch' in blue and white hoops.
Night Games: Anna Krien
On the field, we know exactly what our favourite players are capable of. Off it, the line becomes blurred, with many crossing it, either ignorantly or wantonly. On the surface, Krien's award-winning book details the rape trial of an Australian Rules footballer, but at its heart, Krien uses her pages to punch up, calling out the game's grim side, one so often swept under the rug. As important as it is impactful.
You'll Only Go In For Your Mates: Barry Dickins
Irreverent and, at times, painful, Dickins takes readers into the psyche of every Fitzroy fan during the club's final years of existence. The noted playwright riffs about freezing on the terraces at Princes Parks, takes in loss after loss and still manages to spin silk in his own inimitable way. One for those days when you think your favourite side just can't get any worse, because believe Barry, they can.
Red Fox: Ben Collinsย
Fiery. Dictator. Surrogate father. Legend. There have been many nouns and verbs used to describe Norm Smith, the man with 10 premierships to his name and a medal named in his honour handed out when it matters most. Cutting through any myth to understand the legend, Collins' efforts paint the picture of a man less mortal than most.
Roar: Samantha Laneย
From lockouts to inspiring a new generation, the AFLW's inaugural season was groundbreaking. But with the campaign over quicker than you could say 'f**k the conference system', something of permanence was required. Enter Sam Lane. Speaking with players and coaches alike, to tell the tales behind the game, Lane humanises these new heroes, showing exactly what is asked of these part-time players
Rose Boys: Peter Rose
Life, love and loss, Rose beyond the boundary and into the family home; showing a champion from a new angle and humanising the immortal in the process. Still, it is Peter's ability to paint a picture of his brother Robert that lives at this memoir's centre. Heartbreaking, but devoted, the courage and prose on show here are from the very highest shelf.
Saturday Afternoon Fever: Matthew Hardy
While expertly holding a mirror up to suburban life, it is Hardy's hero-worshipping of St Kilda legend Trevor Barker that gives this book its heart, and an almost endless stream of laughs. It takes a strong-willed person to continually dedicate their winters to the Saints; it takes a comedian to want to write it all down. Like Hornby again, if the Englishman sucked down Sunnyboys while listening to Skyhooks.
Time and Space: James Coventry
In a 360-degree game played with 36 players, an oval ball and no offside rule, clear tactics are required to make everything hum. From humble beginnings to the kooky ploys of professional coaches in the present day, Coventry moves the magnets to show exactly how our unique game has changed over the past century and change.
