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A Thoroughly Unhelpful History of Australian Sport
Can you not like sport and be Australian?
When it comes to sport, Australians are mad. Completely, irrationally insane. It’s the closest thing we have to a culture. From Don Bradman’s singular focus to Steven Bradbury’s heroic not falling over, sport has shaped our sense of self.
But how did we get here? Part history, part social commentary and a lot of nonsense, Titus O’Reily, Australia’s least insightful sports writer, explains.
Covering Australian Rules, League, Union, soccer, cricket, the Olympics and much more, Titus tackles the big topics, like:
· How not to cheat the salary cap
· The importance of kicking people in the shins
· The many shortcomings of the English
Titus takes you through the characters, the pub meetings, the endless acronyms, the corruption and the alarming number of footballers caught urinating in public.
Sport is important – gloriously stupid, but important. To understand Australia you must understand its sporting history. With this guide you sort of, kind of, will.
When it comes to sport, Australians are mad. Completely, irrationally insane. It’s the closest thing we have to a culture. From Don Bradman’s singular focus to Steven Bradbury’s heroic not falling over, sport has shaped our sense of self.
But how did we get here? Part history, part social commentary and a lot of nonsense, Titus O’Reily, Australia’s least insightful sports writer, explains.
Covering Australian Rules, League, Union, soccer, cricket, the Olympics and much more, Titus tackles the big topics, like:
· How not to cheat the salary cap
· The importance of kicking people in the shins
· The many shortcomings of the English
Titus takes you through the characters, the pub meetings, the endless acronyms, the corruption and the alarming number of footballers caught urinating in public.
Sport is important – gloriously stupid, but important. To understand Australia you must understand its sporting history. With this guide you sort of, kind of, will.
340 pages, Paperback
Published October 30, 2017
23 people are currently reading
74 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
May 24, 2020
A good fun read about the history of Australian sport. O'Reily explains the footy codes, cricket, soccer and whatever else people play with the typical sardonic wit of an Australian larrikan. It is rife with tongue-in-cheek stabs at the Brits, the kiwis and the Americans (as a result it is recommended Americans don't read it, we know a slight joke at your expense leads to plans to obliterate whoever wrote it, we beat you in a boat race once, it happened lets move on, put the gun down) and of course a few tongue-in-cheek stabs at our sports heros who had screwed. It is not a comprehensive list of sportsmen doing stupid things but it does mention Shane Warne's diuretic saga (his mum gave him drugs apparently), Ben Cousins, Margaret Court's stupid homophobic rants and Rugby League people doing what they do.
February 21, 2019
In a nation where sport runs through its core fabric to within its very soul and known purpose of being, Titus is the sports journalist to which other journalists can only aspire to be.
The authors ability to effectively and eloquently tap into each and very multifaceted essence of Australian sport allows him to deliver what without doubt is the definitive work on the Why, How and Who of not only Australian sport, but Australia. No other work comes within a country mile of even approaching the same realm of being where Titus reigns.
The author provides historical assessments and insights only he can into the Big 5 as well as to many of the sleeping giants of Australian sport. His level of knowledge is unbounded, case in point the Australian Rules patchwork quilt of regional intrigue and conflict that is Tasmania, is devilvered with a depth of brevity yet detail that should itself be a study case for journalism students verywhere.
More gems in here than a de beers diamond mine. Laugh out loud funny.
The authors ability to effectively and eloquently tap into each and very multifaceted essence of Australian sport allows him to deliver what without doubt is the definitive work on the Why, How and Who of not only Australian sport, but Australia. No other work comes within a country mile of even approaching the same realm of being where Titus reigns.
The author provides historical assessments and insights only he can into the Big 5 as well as to many of the sleeping giants of Australian sport. His level of knowledge is unbounded, case in point the Australian Rules patchwork quilt of regional intrigue and conflict that is Tasmania, is devilvered with a depth of brevity yet detail that should itself be a study case for journalism students verywhere.
More gems in here than a de beers diamond mine. Laugh out loud funny.
September 5, 2024
Loved this! I was familiar with Titus through Twitter and didn’t actually realise he was an author!
My fiancé picked this up for me at an op shop whilst on holidays as she thought it would be up my alley - and up my alley it was. An in depth history of many different sports in Australia delivered in an informative and witty way. I actually tend to retain the information a whole lot better! Great read.
My fiancé picked this up for me at an op shop whilst on holidays as she thought it would be up my alley - and up my alley it was. An in depth history of many different sports in Australia delivered in an informative and witty way. I actually tend to retain the information a whole lot better! Great read.
January 7, 2018
Funny and informative in the same vein as Bill Bryson's books. Not as many amusing anecdotes, or the anecdotes are not detailed enough, but the sheer amount of history Titus has to go through is staggering.
I appreciated that Titus did his best to start Australia's history with the Aboriginal people, and included women, lgbtq and disabled history too.
I appreciated that Titus did his best to start Australia's history with the Aboriginal people, and included women, lgbtq and disabled history too.
October 16, 2021
Very enjoyable book, even with the barbs about the English. Funny and informative, for example I didn't realise that Australia didn't get a Gold Model in Montreal which led to the formation of the Academies. Also learnt a lot about how League developed in Australia and the chequered history of Soccer in the country.
January 18, 2018
This was a wonderfully entertaining book - imagine a history of sport in this country written in the sort of style that Andrew Street writes political books. You don't even have to like sport (and indeed, reading this book doesn't always make it easy to) to enjoy this book.
July 11, 2018
Mildly humourous in parts. The thing about Australian sports fans is we're segmented. I, for example, have zero interest in rugby league, rugby union, tennis or soccer. So once I'd read the Australian Football and cricket bits it was yawn time.
December 26, 2018
Thoroughly enjoyable, even for this non-sports-fan. Titus O'Reily has a really specific (maybe acerbic) dry sense of humour that really appeals to me. The excerpt from A Sporting Chance is even more biting. I can't wait to read it.
October 27, 2017
A thoroughly enjoyable read from start to finish. Plenty of historical details mixed in with a chuckle, at least, on every page. I loved it and highly recommend it.
November 27, 2017
Hilarious and informative. A great read.
January 22, 2018
A coherent history of Australian sport with gags thrown in. What's not to like?
January 16, 2022
Really interesting and insightful look at some of Australia’s favourite sporting codes.
July 5, 2022
This was fun. Short and quick I actually polished it in 2-3 days but got distracted for a month in between. Titus has a recognisable sarcasm and wit but it can get a touch repetitive
January 10, 2023
Loved this book. Absolutely genius how it’s written - he’s a very, very clever and funny man.
October 8, 2025
Titus will be glad to know that the curse of Norm Smith was lifted in 2021 only to be replaced by the curse of Simon Goodwin. Great Funny book though.
May 20, 2018
Haiku Review:
Turns out we’re quite good
At finding sports to play when
There are lawns to mow.
Turns out we’re quite good
At finding sports to play when
There are lawns to mow.
May 26, 2020
love the wit of the book and the writing style. great look at the history of Australian Sport
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews