City's Flood of Interest As Cazaly Hits Heights
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52 SUNDAY EXAMINER Sunday November 19, 2017 examiner.com.au SPORT BOOK REVIEWS City’s flood of interest as Cazaly hits heights CAZALY _ THE LEGEND BY ROBERT ALLEN (SLATTERY MEDIA GROUP, $39.95) Players of his BY ROB SHAW calibre were rare IN EARLY 1928, Ron Ty- and his arrival son made a trip that would change Launceston football. excited great Pocket The secretary of Northern‘ ‘ interest Tasmanian Football Asso- Robert Allen on Roy Cazaly ciation’s City Football Club, history Tyson traveled to Melbourne “with an open cheque” to the NTFA premiership and find the best man to coach then North Hobart to be- out of the under-performing side. come the first NTFA club in Tyson opted for Roy Ca- 20 years to claim a state flag. Ashes zaly, between them they “The City club may have settled on £12 a week and been paying for Cazaly’s ser- POCKET HISTORY soon afterwards Roy, Aggie vices, but the whole of North- OF THE ASHES and their five children ar- ern Tasmania was reaping BY BARRY NICHOLLS rived in Launceston aboard the benefits,” Allen adds. (NEW HOLLAND the steamship Nairana A talented cricketing PUBLISHERS, $25) and moved into a house in all-rounder, Cazaly also IT MAY be a pocket history in Stone Street. helped South Launceston to need of big pockets, but this Cazaly had made his name its first NTCA premiership is a comprehensive Ashes across 17 VFL seasons with St but the honeymoon period anthology in pocket form. Kilda and South Melbourne ended abruptly in his second It summarises each series and his future would take season with City. with an analysis, score- in Hawthorn, North Hobart, Losing more than half of boards, stats, newspaper New Town and a certain the team’s playing group to headline and even a “Face- Mike Brady song. either retirement or depar- book moment” and “Twitter But his three eventful sea- ture combined with the infa- fact” for matches pre-dating sons operating out of York mous 1929 floods swamping social media by a century. Park were destined to leave a York Park saw the reigning But it is full of handy facts huge footprint on the North premiers win just one match that fans may want to re- of the state. for the season. member, or indeed forget, Author Robert Allen spent However, aided by fear- such as when Stuart Broad a decade researching this bi- less star recruit Laurie Nash was compiling his figures of ography and colourfully de- and his goal-kicking brother 8-15 in the 2015 Fourth Test tails his Tasmanian impact. Robert, sons of Collingwood in Trent Bridge, Australia’s “Cazaly was not the captain Bob, City bounced top scorer was the ever-re- first Victorian to coach in back with Northern and liable “Extras” with a handy Launceston but players of state premierships to cap the innings of 14. his calibre were rare and his club’s 50th anniversary year. Alternatively, the origins of arrival excited great interest,” “Cazaly was once again Bodyline date back to 1930, Allen writes. the toast of Northern Tasma- a couple of years before the A relentless self-improver nia but his thoughts were re- infamous series Down Un- whose methods were way turning to Victorian football,” der, when England captain ahead of their time, Cazaly Allen concludes. Douglas Jardine watched swiftly ingratiated himself Containing extensive play- footage of Don Bradman to the region by inspiring a ing and coaching stats, this is looking uncomfortable Northern team to defeat its a definitive biography of one against short-pitched bowl- Southern counterparts. of the 12 inaugural legends of ing and pronounced: “I’ve Meanwhile City defeated the Australian Football Hall IN THE FRAME: Author Robert Allen sifts through files on Roy Cazaly with Launceston's got it. He’s yellow.” North Launceston to claim of Fame. Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery reference officer Ross Smith in 2007. – ROB SHAW Colourful history not all black and white IN BLACK AND WHITE Such is the purpose of this tions in this country,” the BY GLENN book which pledges to trace book says. MCFARLANE AND the evolution of “the most “Winmar’s act shone a MICHAEL ROBERTS loved and loathed football light on racism in sport and (NERO BOOKS, $30) club in Australia” by focus- helped to bring about over- MIDWAY through a misera- ing on one key event for due change on both sides of ble 1998 AFL campaign that each season. the fence.” would yield just seven wins, It is even happy to turn the The following season Eddie McGuire witnessed a seasonal spotlight on its own marked a defining change Collingwood fan storm out performance, such as the of eras, the sad farewell of with a four-lettered farewell 1993 chapter “Nicky makes the much loved Peter Daicos for his beloved club. a stand” which recalls the coinciding with the arrival of The radio commentator infamous gesture of St Kilda’s Nathan Buckley (who “shone sympathised but opted to Nicky Winmar in response to from the moment he put on stay and tackle the problem. racial taunts from the Victo- a black-and-white jump- McGuire assumed the ria Park home crowd. er”) both marked by Mick presidency on his 34th birth- “It became a seminal mo- McGuane’s magical sev- BIG ED: Eddie McGuire has been the public face of Collingwood since taking over the day and remains there to ment not just for Australian en-bounce goal of a lifetime. presidency on his 34th birthday. Picture: The Age. this day. football, but for race rela- – ROB SHAW.