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Saturday Afternoon Fever
A footy fan's memoir of a life on the outer looking in.
Late 1970s, suburban Melbourne. Another time, another world. COP SHOP is the hottest show on television and Malcolm Fraser has set up house in The Lodge. Skyhooks are corrupting young minds and Simon Townsend still has Woodrow by his side. Against this backdrop of political upheaval and social unrest, a young boy discovers Australian Rules Football and the man who will shape his destiny - St Kilda star Trevor Barker. Soon, his flirtation with the sport becomes an obsession and weekend trips to the outer assume an almost religious significance. But a new decade brings with it new hormones, and soon our hero is trading in his football cards for condoms. Nothing, however, is quite as easy as it seems. Taking up where FEVER PITCH left off, SATURDAY AFTERNOON FEVER is the poignant and funny memoir of one socially confused football fan's painful journey into adulthood and the ups and downs of his beloved club's bumpy ride into the 1980s and beyond.
Late 1970s, suburban Melbourne. Another time, another world. COP SHOP is the hottest show on television and Malcolm Fraser has set up house in The Lodge. Skyhooks are corrupting young minds and Simon Townsend still has Woodrow by his side. Against this backdrop of political upheaval and social unrest, a young boy discovers Australian Rules Football and the man who will shape his destiny - St Kilda star Trevor Barker. Soon, his flirtation with the sport becomes an obsession and weekend trips to the outer assume an almost religious significance. But a new decade brings with it new hormones, and soon our hero is trading in his football cards for condoms. Nothing, however, is quite as easy as it seems. Taking up where FEVER PITCH left off, SATURDAY AFTERNOON FEVER is the poignant and funny memoir of one socially confused football fan's painful journey into adulthood and the ups and downs of his beloved club's bumpy ride into the 1980s and beyond.
- GenresAutobiographyBiography
272 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
July 13, 2019
In keeping with the Aussie style of this writing, this book is an absolute "bottler". Hits the right notes of nostalgia about growing up in suburban Melbourne in the 1970s and 80s while exploring the illogical fanaticism that goes along with supporting a sub-optimal VFL team in St. Kilda. This book will appeal to anyone whose ever kicked a footy in the backyard, or school (or in the U/14s B-side) and dreamed of making the big time, only to realise it was never ever a realistic option to begin with. Filled with humorous and well-written anecdotes from Hardy's adolescence, this book is a truly enjoyable read.
February 19, 2014
Definitely not an area of my expertise, but well worth the read to help to figure out my fiancé's sport obsession. The supporters & the passion for there team, are really something to marvel at.
April 20, 2023
This could have been my childhood recollections.
I grew up a few kilometres from the author a couple of years later than the author.
All of it hit's very familiar notes and there were indeed some very funny anecdotes.
I guess the lower than stellar rating is due to the way the anecdotes are crowbarred together in what only a madman would call chapters. Some chapters have 1 paragraph that relate to the title of the chapter and then about 6 anecdotes that don't relate at all to each other let alone the chapter title.
As such it can be at hard to read at times due to trying to figure out if you've fallen asleep mid page and woke up halfway through a new chapter. I actually didn't think that I would finish the book because the syntax was so incongruous.
It was a great way to remember some of my growing up, I just wish that the editor had have been able to make it a little more coherent.
I grew up a few kilometres from the author a couple of years later than the author.
All of it hit's very familiar notes and there were indeed some very funny anecdotes.
I guess the lower than stellar rating is due to the way the anecdotes are crowbarred together in what only a madman would call chapters. Some chapters have 1 paragraph that relate to the title of the chapter and then about 6 anecdotes that don't relate at all to each other let alone the chapter title.
As such it can be at hard to read at times due to trying to figure out if you've fallen asleep mid page and woke up halfway through a new chapter. I actually didn't think that I would finish the book because the syntax was so incongruous.
It was a great way to remember some of my growing up, I just wish that the editor had have been able to make it a little more coherent.
March 16, 2020
Classic recollection of growing up in suburban melbourne. Not just for the footy obsessed
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews