28

by Brandon Jack

A brutally honest memoir that completely rethinks what it means to be a man.

'Like Andre Agassi's Open, this is a transformative book; it is going to change our way of seeing' Malcolm Knox

'Brandon Jack is a force for good' Michelle Andrews and Zara McDonald, hosts of the Shameless podcast


Continually told he was born with footballing blood, Brandon Jack has spent his life uncertain of the relationship he holds with the games he's played.

Now a writer and musician, he sits in his apartment and reflects upon the years spent pursuing what felt like an inevitability - the footballing life.

This is a unique and darkly poetic fly-on-the-wall account of a world that is usually shown in bright lights. Filled with relentlessly driven diary entries, vivid details of life at the fringe, and memories of binge-drinking into oblivion as an escapeduring his playing days at the Sydney Swans, 28 is a portrayal of the sporting psyche in a way that has never been done before.

But the true beauty of this book lies in the space outside football. Laid bare on these pages is a searingly honest deep dive into sport, addiction, art, sexuality, masculinity, love, family and identity.

'Searingly honest, unflinching' Peter FitzSimons

'Brandon Jack has talent and daring in abundance' Christos Tsiolkas

Genres: Memoir, Biography, Nonfiction, Sports, Australia, Football

312 pages, Paperback

Published August 1, 2021

Reviews

[Janelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t normally read sport biographies or books about sport, it’s not really my thing but I do follow the Swans and I was curious about this book. 28, the title refers to the number of senior games Brandon Jack played for the Swans, most of his time on the player list he spent in the reserves, on the maybe list, always about to make the great leap to the big time. And that’s where the book is interesting, he’s not one of the greats unlike his father, a rugby league great who played for Australia or his older brother Kieran who also played for and captained the Swans. There’s a lot of honesty here, with regards to the pressure within his family to play football, the lifestyle of professional footballers (training, playing, drinking etc) and trying to find himself as a person and coming to terms with his own lack of success and whether he really wanted to play football in the first place. An interesting read.

[Dale Harcombe · Rating 4 out of 5]

As an avid AFL/Sydney Swans supporter and one who has read a lot of insightful pieces by Brandon Jack, I was interested to read this book. It is an inside look inside the life of a footballer who suffered the pressures of a renowned Rugby League father and hi brother renowned AFL footballer and Sydney Swans club captain Kieren Jack. Two legends of different codes to live up to. And just where did that leave Brandon? Brandon, who at one stage was credited with more raw talent than his older brother. Yet he never achieved the accolades Kieren did. After 28 senior games and any number in reserves, even captaining the NEAFL side to two grand finals, Brandon was to part company with the sport. This is his account of that journey.
In a way Brandon’s story is that of the majority of players who try to make an AFL career and yet never quite get there. It’s Brandon trying to sort out where he belongs and what life holds for him, especially now after footy. Hardly surprising that sInce it concerns the blokie culture inside a football club there is a liberal sprinkling of the f word and the c word. There is also a clear picture of a young man trying to find his way and often making unwise choices. An eye opener in many ways.
Having read some of Brandon's other pieces, I perhaps had different expectations regarding this book. Despite it not being what I hoped it is eminently readable, although at times there are gaps where it appears the author doesn’t appear to want to elaborate on certain aspects of life and relationships. Raw, honest and exposing some of the myths about sport and masculinity, this is a compelling and thought provoking book read and I have no hesitation in recommending it and not just to footy fans. Thanks to Allen and Unwin for my copy to read and review. Greatly appreciated. It will be interesting to see what Brandon writes next.

[Sean Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not so much a memoir but a work in progress by somebody trying to still figure themselves out - and this is what makes this ‘footy book’ so much more than all the others out there. Those are books looking back on glorious memories and the highs of superstar careers - but 28 is one of those that gets neglected, those who still reach the hallowed halls of the AFL but whose dreams never reach their potential. It’s an important book showing the flip side of the dream.

That being said, there were some threads and questions that were dropped I would have liked to have been explored a little more - but like I said before: work in progress.

[Jayden Masciulli · Rating 3 out of 5]

An insightful, engaging look at a side of AFL we don't get to see. Hoping this can pave the way for more honest talks about footy culture and the effect it's having on young men.

[Cecile · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was was actually really beautiful. At surface level it’s a memoir about Brandon Jack’s 28 games of professional AFL, but more than that, it grapples with and challenges what it means to be a young man living in Australia. He explores his experience with masculinity, anxiety, problems with addiction, problems with identity and connection, in a way that feels honest, aware, and productive. He shows the consequences of cutting men off from themselves and their emotions so early, and how the goodoldAussie narrative of “being a man” is (surprise surprise) pretty fucked up. But Jack also shows that men can play football, write poetry, love the arts, read Judith Butler, and learn to love incredibly deeply. And there’s a lot of hope in that, I think.

[Tayla McDonnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

@brandonjackk’s 28 is up there with one of my all-time favourite memoirs. Not only does he have quite a remarkable story to tell, but he’s also a truly gifted writer, meaning we are lucky enough to get a deeply thoughtful take on it. I loved his unfamiliar approach to a traditional sporting memoir, in which he trades the glossy, high-profile aspects for the uglier parts of football (AFL) that continue to take a physical and mental toll on him even now 4 years after his last pro game. His courage to re-write his initial manuscript to give us a story that felt more authentic to him is inspiring. He opens up about the role masculinity, footy culture and the pressure to live up to expectations played in his relationship with the game, his sense of self and his family. I also really enjoyed his perspective on being a teammate to Adam Goodes during the 2013 incident, and the respect and admiration he so clearly held for him as a player and a friend. Brandon pushes the boundaries of a traditional memoir to offer pieces of himself in an effort to create change. I wish we saw more stories like this on our shelves.     
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Thank you @brandonjackk and @allenandunwin for our gifted copies of ‘28’.

This review was originally posted on Instagram via @twogirlsonebookshelf.

[Jack Caspersonn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could not put this book down. An outstanding insight into the life as a professional sportsperson. It is real and portrays all the struggles of life while trying to make it. Would recommend.

[Alex Finch · Rating 5 out of 5]

The relatability this book held is unparalleled to anything I’ve ever read, here is my self-centred review.

Much like Jack, I put a prolonged investment into footy (albeit with much less desire, talent and success), formed some self-destructive behaviours, and found that the creative outlet of music and writing provided a sense of purpose that had and has been missing throughout my adult years.

I feel as though my experiences in life throughout my early and mid-20s mirror Jack’s - in some sort of ALDI knock-off way - and that’s pretty comforting.

[Hannah Telfer · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a raw and honest memoir of a football career that was not the typical success story. We get an insight into the perspective of someone who walked the halls of an AFL club but didn’t rise to stardom as other ‘footy books’ do. The book also takes a deep dive into masculinity and explores this throughout.
The last few chapters brought it from a four to five-star rating. The analysis of the art vs football was poetic at the least. Would recommend to all readers, as it’s not just for footy fans. Jack’s writing flows brilliantly and am look forward to more.

[Eva · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored this, probably one of my all time fav memoirs. Not to be cliche but Brandon did not back down from this - it is a brutally raw account of footy and addiction and life. As a footy player and fan I loved this but also as a reader it was so well written and I was immersed right from the start.

[Ethan Lees · Rating 4 out of 5]

This reminded me too much of the toxic elements of football culture in Australia. Particularly expectations about masculinity. Shout out to Cecil for the recommendation.

[Jess Trevaskis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Never thought that I would be interested in reading the memoir of an AFL football player but, after randomly stumbling upon Jack’s instagram page a few months ago, I was intrigued by his creativity and writing style.
I am so glad that I was curious enough to read this one, because it’s definitely going to be a favourite read of 2022. After the first two pages I knew that this book was going to be special - his writing is immediately impactful and uniquely insightful.
Despite this being the memoir of a professional AFL player, I finished this book hardly feeling like I’d read about sport at all. Instead, what stood out to me was the story of a man trying to find himself in his early 20s. Jack is raw and honest in telling this story; including all of the suffering, hope, despair, joy and unfulfillment that this journey entails.
Jack grapples with committing to a career that has always been expected of him - exploring how he battled with conforming to these expectations and the behaviours of those around him, while trying to find and understand his authentic self. Jack’s experience with this is particular heightened, given his high profile career, yet it’s something that will deeply resonate with every reader.
Jack’s life story is very interesting, but you won’t fall in love with this book for the insight into famous footballers personal lives. No, you will fall in love with the eloquent and talented writing, the commentary on love, family, addiction, mental health, creativity, human nature and toxic masculinity. You will fall in love as you recognise the similarities between Jack’s adolescence and your own, as he navigates coming to terms with ‘failure’ and figuring out what ‘failure’ is actually defined by.
I found the comments on mental health particularly moving, especially the honesty in which Jack details his destructive behaviours - escapism through binge drinking and vandalism - throughout the hardest periods of his life.
The inclusion of his diary entries and poetry made me feel like I could develop an accurate and complete understanding of who Jack was in those moments of his life and they made me feel less alone, or in some ways understood.
I finished this book in admiration of Jack’s character - particularly his active reflection and self awareness. But mostly, I was in awe of his writing and will be committed to reading everything he writes in the future - fiction or non-fiction.

It took me some time to write this review since I felt responsibility to write one that would accurately depict how special this book is. I have included two quotes that I underlined while reading, mostly because I hope these quotes spark intrigue from readers who have disregarded this book previously as simply the memoir of a footy star.

‘I became a nihilist convinced that artistry was my salvation; that emotional pain - as opposed to physical pain - was my calling. I thought everything was fake, and that the role of the artist was to see this, and live burned by the truth. I became an antagonist to happiness and saw anyone who was happy as ignorant to the truth that I now knew - that life was filled with meaningless pain.’

‘The night before I’d taken today’s happiness and used it up, only I couldn’t even remember the happiness that I had stolen.’

[Toni Kely-Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love my sport (both playing and watching) but I can't say I'm an AFL fan and know the rules of the game very well, probably because I live in Queensland and we don't have the fanaticism for the game like Victorians. But I didn't read this for insights into AFL, I read it because usually memoirs are written (or ghost-written) by the hero's, the one's who "make it", have the accolades that go with winning grand final's and recognition of greatness through the Brownlow or Clive Churchill medal(depending on the footy code), etc.

But what about those who don't quite make it? Who are great players, but don't make the heights of success of those 5% per-centers- those that are in the "squad" one week but regulated to "reserves" the next? Who don't have a post-sports career, commentating or coaching, etc.

Brandon was a gifted NRL and AFL player (his father was an NRL champion and his brother an AFL Sydney Swans captain so football was in his blood and it was his family's identity), but despite working very hard he didn't have the success he thought he would. In fact, he only played 28 games at the senior level (hence the name of the book) when he dreamed of playing 200 over a stellar career.

So like I said I didn't read this for the football itself, but rather insight into the commitment and sacrifice and ultra-competitiveness of the professional sporting world and what Brandon's identity was and would be if he didn't play football? The fact that no matter how talented or how hard you work you may not reach the heights you dream of and have to join the world where most of us live in a "normal" world without the big money, the high and lows of winning and losing, hero worship, fans and groupies. Just pretty boring lives!

I'm glad Brandon has found an outlet through creativity and music. I think its important for all of us (no matter how much sport and even STEM is shoved down our throats!)

[Jillwilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I heard a podcast conversation between comedian Wil Anderson and retired footballer and broadcaster Luke Darcy the other day. Wil and Luke worked together on the radio for a while and they know each other well. Wil said something along the lines of “Something that I notice about you is that you are really good at giving and receiving very direct and honest feedback”. Luke said that it was part and parcel of being an elite footballer – that you had to be up for some very frank and honest conversations about yourself.

It stayed with me. And the concept returned when I was reading this book – it feels like it is a very honest and frank conversation about what it is to not be able to sustain a role as an elite footballer. It’s an interesting read – a kind of behind-the-scenes that you rarely get into the football world.
I’m quoting here from an article but haven’t been able to verify the figure: “According to research conducted by a trio of academics just after the turn of the millennium, the average career span of an AFL footballer stands at just 30 games.” I was a bit shocked to read this. When you watch footy, it seems like the majority of players have much more of an extended like. Brandon Jack played 28 games at the top level of the AFL with the Sydney Swans. He played alongside his brother who had a career spanning 256 games. And he is the son of a successful rugby league player.

He didn’t start out to write a book about football. He had a contract with a publisher and completed two manuscripts that barely touched the subject. In an interview I heard him say that his writing perhaps referred to football on one or two pages. “In my mind, I was a failed past footballer, and that was my way of running away from it,” he says. Eventually, the more visceral story forced its way out. An editor, noting his reticence, wrote in the margin of an earlier manuscript: “How does Brandon Jack feel about football now?” “That question hit me between the eyes,” he says. He decided to figure it out.” (https://headtopics.com/au/raw-and-vis...) What helped him was that he found his footy diaries – and the strange prose in those diaries took him back to what he was experiencing and feeling at the time. Not that they are particularly lyrical – here’s an example of the footy diary genre:
“CHASE TACKLE SPREAD
CHASE TACKLE SPREAD
YOU ARE ALWAYS ABLE TO GET THERE
JUST GO
RUN WITH BALL
BACK SELF TO KICK GOALS”

Told in the first person, the actual narrative of this memoir is much more interesting than the diaries – but you can see something of the personal exhortation and pressure, the way in which slogans are an interior pep talk – those kinds of things.
“It’s highly perceptive about many things – binge drinking, youthful uncertainty, artistic desire, the strange dynamics of masculinity – but if I was to praise it in one sentence, intending no insult to its author, it would be this: it’s a great book about being a loser.” (https://www.themonthly.com.au/blog/ad...)

Here is a quote from the book: “One night I drunk-drove and then narrowly escaped the death-grip lunge of an older man who wanted to tear me limb from limb after I’d thrown tomatoes at his house in the early hours of the morning. Another night ended with a woman who was in the year below me at school and her father carrying me across the front yard and into my house after they had driven past and seen me passed out in the gutter outside Showground McDonald’s […] One morning I awoke from a night of drinking and saw that $16,000 had been deposited into my bank account from the Swans. I had clothing companies sending me free clothes, people messaging me online saying I was their favourite player, and when friends from school bumped into me they would ask in wonderment, ‘What’s it like, being a professional athlete?’ I was nineteen years old, and the world moved around me.”

The book begins with Jack in the hours after winning a grand final with Sydney Premier Division team the Eastern Bulldogs, in 2019, cracking the premiership cup under the heel of his football boot, out of spite towards a game he’d come to detest. His teammates don’t physically intervene to stop him. Instead, sensing his distress, their shock turns to dismay. Eventually, one cuts through. “Mate,” he says, looking down at the buckled urn, “who hurt you?”

There is a lot of hurt in the book. Some of it is physical. Most is emotional. Jack comes from a footballing family – his father’s photos dominate the family residence and there is innate pressure to play rugby league at a junior level. I related to this feeling of having to live up to family expectations – Jack struggles to tell his parents that he doesn’t want to play football – I couldn’t – for the life of me, tell my parents that I didn’t want to go to Girl Guides. I don’t know why – I don’t even know if they cared about it that much. But I related to this section of the book – and it must have been exacerbated by friends and community who would expect the sons in that family to be good at and to love sport. There is a falling out with his parents – they are now estranged – but this comes much later in the narrative.

The most hurt of course is related to the roller-coaster of being a player on the fringes – and not knowing whether he was going to play with the Swans or not on any given weekend. Jack writes: “And up until a year ago, that’s where I was—I blamed the club; I blamed ‘Horse’ [coach John Longmire]; I thought they never cared about me. But a big part of writing this was working though all of that, and realising that running a professional football team is a pretty difficult job. I mean, you have to make 44 people believe they’re entitled to a spot on a 22-person team.” Imagine the challenge in those numbers – working with 44 people to stay positive when they can only field a team of 22. Very tough. And your inclusion or exclusion is such a public affair - every week!

I think this reviewer really sums up this book. “When public profiles harden and fame becomes that unremovable mask, the sort of sweetness that would treat a killer-clown movie with such awed reverence disappears. So many memoirs arrive before fame is earned (or justified), or they scan as little more than score-settling from someone with too many grudges to count. 28 is rarer – it feels like a book catching life in mid flight; almost there, not quite, in the process of working it out.” (https://www.themonthly.com.au/blog/ad...) Catching life in mid flight – almost there but not quite! I really enjoyed the honesty and directness of this book.

[Alex Bellamy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mixed feelings as following parts of this was tough but reading someone else's conflicted relationship with playing sport was powerful

[Maddy Guerin · Rating 5 out of 5]

So honest and raw, loved Brandon’s writing style! He did not hold back in delivering an insight that is unheard in the sporting realm. Highly recommend

[Torrey]

I think I would've really enjoyed this book if I knew anything about AFL :)

Key takeaways: "Football" can refer to any number of sports played in Australia; "football" is far more complicated than I realized; I will never force a child to be a professional sportsperson against their will, which is probably not something I need to concern myself with if they have half my genetics.

[Shane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fascinating insight inside the mind of a professional footballer, trying to turn it into a career. As a casual Swans fan (watch every game, but rarely attend live), I remember Brandon Jack, but didn't know why he didn't make it further.

This gives us an insight into Brandon's upbringing, the oppressive nature of expectations (whether real, perceived or self imposed), his time at the club, his obsessive determination and his love/hate relationship with footy. At one point he says:

"I didn't enjoy the game and I was so aware of the pain it had caused to the people around me and myself."

Having finished the book, I am not sure how much of this pain is from football itself (whether AFL or rugby league) and how much was just from his own demons. The damage he reveals to his family relationships at the end of the book is never really explained in terms that I can understand. I feel sorry for Brandon's family, not him, which I think is unusual when he is the author.

Beyond his own personal story, it gives us insight into the Swans organisation. I was familiar with many of the events and circumstances he described. It was good to see some sections that confirmed my understanding of how the Swans worked and the Bloods culture:

"There was a culture at the Swans around hard work that I'm confident was unmatched in the competition. When guys from other lists joined our club, they'd always remark on how tough our pre season sessions were, and we'd take pride in that."

"The emphasis placed on this kind of effort reinforced to me that, at the Swans, it was the little things that were really valued. On TV I might've seen Malceski's goal, but in the Learning Centre I saw Mattner's tackle. We didn't care about media highlights packages; we saw that our edge over everyone else was the little things, the ugly or invisible parts of the game that no-one else notices."

There were sections discussing fellow players like McVeigh and Goodsey that also confirmed what I thought about these awesome players and individuals.

But there were big sections that reinforced why I am glad that I and my kids have never been part of a football culture. While the discipline and team camaraderie would be great, the way it is depicted here, the pressure, aggression, abusive language and harmful attitudes towards sex and alcohol far outweigh the positives in my mind. It epitomises toxic masculinity.

Overall, this was a fascinating read about a flawed character. Gifted in ways he isn't sure he wants and gifted with words. The length of this review says something about how much this book has been in my thoughts, and I would be interested in what else he has to say.

[Bryan Mannix · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yep ... 5 stars I think. An insight and perspective not shared that often.

[Marles Henry · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Competitiveness does not care for the how, it just wants to win. Creativity, on the other hand, is all about the how. It cares for the process. It seeks to entertain and evoke. It has no absolute at which to aim except for it to manifest itself”.

This is a very raw and honest book. Brandon Jack lays it all out there and is very honest in not having much of an idea of which way to turn next in his life. He’s still working through his thoughts and emotions, and this is very different to many memoirs and autobiographies. Brandon’s “happy ever after” is that he is on a journey, and has a lot to learn, and he’s okay in that space. Making notes after the manuscript was submitted says a lot in knowing his story, and how he continued to unpack it had not, and would not end.

The fractured relationship with football and with his family was evident. I actually love AFL. It’s a great game. The love of AFL stemmed from my father, which is the only positive connection I could say I could make with him. So it was a wonderful opportunity to be gifted a copy Brandon Jack’s memoir, “28” by Allen & Unwin (yes, even though he played for the Swans). This is not a memoir that you would think it may be. Don’t cast it aside because of its connection to a football career. Read it because of the connection to football, addiction, family, being a young male in sport, being an artist, and the need to find identity. It was so clear that Brandon loved to play football. The art of football was in his blood, possibly more so that being a player famous for playing football. And yes there is an aesthetic facade to football: it creates “celebrities”, it beings nations and people together, the athleticism in AFL is just astounding (have you really looked at the fitness required?), the spectacle of being in an AFL crowd, and participating in the energy. And it is also about the beauty of the game, and Brandon reminisces about that beauty, of being able to go back and play football with his brother as one of his true achievements.

The book also highlights the drive to play, and the next game, and what happens when there is no next game. What fills that drive? Does anything have to fill it? Is it okay that it is something entirely different, or nothing at all? The honesty in Brandon Jack displaying his own expectations and plans not going the way they did was more inspiring than a lot of things I’ve read of late.

[Nick Wasiliev · Rating 4 out of 5]

*mild spoilers below*
*This book was provided to me by Allen & Unwin for a review for the Booktopian Blog.*

A compelling debut memoir, 28 is a book that lives up to it's subtitle with a great examination of mental health, sport, masculinity, identity and where that all fits into the wider world.

Brandon Jack is a musician, journalist and former player with the Sydney Swans, and this volume examines his relationship with sport in all it's forms. This may be categorised as a sporting memoir, but I feel that characterisation does this book a disservice.

Brandon Jack has had a fascinating journey compared to many sports stars we usually see, and this comes through in this fascinating examination of his life and his relationship with sport. While sport does feature heavily, it is primarily a story of growth, of understanding, and of confronting hard and uncomfortable truths about your life, and is a fantastic statement of intent about where Brandon wants to go after his athletic career.

One thing that does really separate this book especially is it's ending, as Brandon admits himself he is still very much finding his way in the world. The ending feels more like Brandon is beginning to discover who he really is (and the fact that sport still has a place in his life), which is very different from most memoirs which arrive at some point of finality or final learning. While some may find themselves put off by that, I personally find it a great examination that people don't just stop developing from the moment the words are written on the page. This I will leave for the reader to discover themselves.

This is a highly recommended, even if you don’t follow footy. Especially in a time where an examination of masculinity and the way men are brought up is more examined than ever, this memoir provides a deep and disturbing examination of the consequences of that, and it makes me look forward to whatever creative projects Brandon is involved with next.

BUY (Booktopia):https://booktopia.kh4ffx.net/x92qzO
BUY (Angus & Robertson): https://angusrobertson.4tqiav.net/DVbMRq

[Anastasya Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first athlete memoir, and I’m not disappointed or too lost in jargon. BJ has studied what makes a good memoir and it shows. I love that he shared his process as well.

I never thought about the majority who didn’t make it to the top percentile of athletes. In that sense, sports and arts are the same. Most won’t make a living out of it, many struggle in the pursuit, and in some arts/sports, you get aged out.

Some passages had me screenshotting and photo taking to remember later. It was relatable - trying to be more than you are, feeling high after a good review or compliment, facing loss after loss.

I wish I knew a bit more about his relations with his parents and brothers because it’s a narrative hole. I know it’s the driving force behind his pursuit of athletic excellence, and possibly contributed to his exit from sports, but we’re not sure why he’s distant from his parents and brothers. I respect his desire to keep it private.

I’m glad he brought up Adam Goodes. Very glad. Would have been terrible if he neglected it.

There was next to no introspection about the intense sexism, except that one mention of his mother being a full human and not just the woman who gets him to games. But he stops there and goes no further. Doesn’t really reflect on masculinity or sexism as much as it points at it. Girls and women exist as props for the most part.

[Stephen Whiteside · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book quite disturbing. Jack suggests at one point that it is a foil to all the books about the careers of successful footballers - he only played 28 games of AFL football - but to me the book is primarily about family dysfunction and breakdown. The football is secondary. Towards the end of the book, Jack tells us he has not spoken to his parents for seven years. He describes a violent incident - instigated by himself - between him and his father. It is distressing to read. I worry that publishing this only serves to further cement the family breakdown. Hopefully Jack and his parents will resume communication at some point, but this book will not make that process any easier, and will very likely make it a lot harder. The book is also about 50 pages too long. It was heavy going through the middle, with a lot of diary-style text about training. I found the flashbacks confusing at times, but I often find flashbacks confusing. Much of the book is well written, however. A chapter towards the end comparing the artist with the athlete - the similarities and the differences - was particularly well considered and presented. Ultimately, though, I found the book very unsettling.

[Rhonda · Rating 3 out of 5]

'28' is an autobiography by ex Swans footballer Brandon Jack. It's a fascinating read for serious football people and people who aren't really into it but who like biographies or want a warts and all picture of our national game 🙂 written in a raw and honest voice. it's a mix of footy facts and insights from the locker room and brutal training sessions and a coming of age expose by a disillusioned young man who nethertheless never loses his love for the game he has to leave. It's littered with footy speak - I had to read it with a glossary to football terms I found called 'Mongrel punts and hardball gets' that I bought out of curiousity a few years ago, and my phone to access google nearby as there were sentences I found a total mystery but that was a pleasure in itself. It's also full of references to football names even I know, including reference to Adam Goodes who he admired greatly, and non football influences like Dicko of Australian Idol fame who he met as he started to develop his musical interests.

[Newton · Rating 4 out of 5]

We always hear about the superstars who won a premiership or played few hundred games or scored few hundred goals. This book is about a player who was not successful despite his effort and family background . It tells about a player who struggles to cope with the Footy world, with his family, and with everything.

He was not happy with his parents. I couldn't figure out why he was so angry with his parents. At the end of the book he has thanked a lot of people including the coaches of Sydney Swans but no mention for parents.

It is a good read. The stories or events are not in a right order. Sometimes it takes us to an old event which made me confused few times. At some part I felt like the book is incomplete.

A raw, honest writings from a young person takes us to the brutal reality of the world.

[Alexandra Almond · Rating 4 out of 5]

An extraordinary read, and not your usual memoir. 28 refers to the number of games he played at AFL level. It's an achievement to have made it to the AFL at all, but to get there and only play 28 games is not a "success" by any external measure or in Brandon Jack's own mind. How does he deal with that? Read on. However it's less a considered reflection on what happened, and more an exploration of the events to try and understand. It feels brutally honest, as if he's put his brain on speakerphone with no filters, and yet there are gaps that make you wonder what he's left out. Maybe that's intentional.

I couldn't put it down. Thoroughly recommend.

[Michael Brasier · Rating 3 out of 5]

to be honest more like 2.5 stars for me. I did end up thinking that this was a very confused young man who is still struggling to find is way in the world. It was a strange mix of writing styles for me..part training diary with then some parts about art that felt like they were from a textbook. It raised more questions than it answered. I was unsure as to why he is estranged from his parents and one of his brothers. I did find his own account of the pressure of expectation due to his family name to be very compelling as well as tragic. I hope that the writing gave him some small amount of peace

[Lorenzo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had high hopes for this book after reading all of Brandon's articles in the SMH and loving his take on current issues. It helped that I'm an ardent AFL fan as well!
I enjoyed it but I think I got annoyed at how context was rarely given or situations explained. He'd refer to ppl by their nicknames but wouldn't introduce them by their full name. I also found that at some stages I was reading it and wondered if it was in the right order. I loved the bit on Goodesy even though it just made me angry about the treatment he received. Especially given I was at the Collingwood match in 2013.
Despite this I read it in 2 days and I think he will only get better!

[Chloe W · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an avid Sydney Swans supporter, and as someone who works in the football industry, I was excited to read this book.

Brandon takes us on a rollercoaster journey throughout his football career which I think most, if not all up-and-coming footballers experience while trying to burst their way through the industry. A struggle between balancing perfectionism, finding who they are as a player and individual, and their love and devotion to the sport they have sacrificed hours and years of their life for.

5/5 stars - well written and very insightful from the other side of the fence, from an athlete who was not as successful and can admit their undoings.

[Nicholas Blackwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have never considered myself a football fan. I never really understood the fanatic nature of fans like my family were.

Brandon Jack has managed to delve into what it means to truly live within the spectrum of the human experience and whilst I did not understand a lot of the AFL jargon, I was enamoured with the truth of who he is and the experiences that he has had.

Many times I was identifying and connecting with line or passages that forced me to reflect on my own path and choices that I have made.

28 is a success, in my opinion, in many ways. Well done.