You can hear it most winter weekends sitting among the barrackers in the upper decks of the G. Or at a suburban ground standing behind the goals sucking on a can watching the magoos have a run. It’s the coodabeens, yelling out instructions. It’s the old broads registering their disgust.
You can hear it in the banter between the has-beens and wannabe commentators. It’s there in the coaches box, shouted down blistering telephones lines to weary runners. It’s unique, just like the game. It’s the language of unadulterated love. It’s the language of Aussie Rules.
This book is an A-Z of everything you wanted to know about footy language — from aerial ping pong and ankle tappers, to yellow submarines and zone defence.
ISBN 9781921167287
Format 234mm x 153mm
RRP $19.99
288pp
Hardback with jacket
Adult non-fiction
“Here at last is a ‘bible’ for understanding AFL ‘foot’’ language… Written by former Carlton star Glenn ‘the Bolt’ Manton and footy scribe Paula Hunt, it’s the sort of book you start browsing through then can’t put down…”
Take 5
“Mongrel Punts and Hard Ball Gets should be kept next to the Bible in hotel rooms across Australia.”
Anthony Koutoufides
“Finally someone has given us football’s thesaurus. The terminology is a little like the authors themselves — honest, enjoyable and a little left of centre.”
Dermott Brereton
“Forget statistics, real footy fans know how to speak the language of the game.”
Mathew Lloyd
“From chewy-on-ya-boot to ding-dong-battle they’re all there. As you would expect from an A-Z of football vernacular.”
Aaron Hamill
“At last a book that lets you into the secret language shared by every self-respecting footy lover. Don’t ever go to a game again without it!”
Beverley O’Conner
“I’d give it four elephant stamps.”
Sam Newman
“A great epistle! Started to skim the manuscript for interest and a couple of hours disappeared. For all football fanatics — history, humour and a hallow for our favourite game.”
David Parkin
“I need multiple copies of this — one for my reference, and another half-dozen for my anti-football friends who think I’ve been making all these words up!”
Samantha Lane