The Season

(Paperback)

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I pull up at the kerb. I love this park they train in. I must have walked the figure-of-eight around its ovals hundreds of times, at dawn, winter and summer, to throw the ball for Dozer, our red heeler, but hes buried now, in the backyard, under the crepe myrtle near the chook pen.

The boy jumps out with his footy and trots away, bouncing it. Boy Look at him. Hes five foot eleven. The last of my three grandkids. This year hes in the Under 16s.

Its footy season in Melbourne, and Helen Garner is following her grandsons suburban team. She turns up not only at every game (give or take), but at every training session, shivering on the sidelines in the dark, fascinated by the spectacle.

Shes a passionate Western Bulldogs supporter (with a rather shaky grasp of the rules) and a great admirer of the players and the epic theatre of the game. But this is something more than that. It is a chance to connect with her youngest grandchild, to be close to him in his last moments as a child and in his headlong rush into manhood. To witness his triumphs and defeats, to fear for his safety in battle, to gasp and to cheer for the team as it fights its way towards the finals.

Garners sharp eye, wit and warm humour bring the team and the season to life, as she documents this pivotal moment, both as part of the story and as silent witness. Its a reflection on masculinity, on the nobility, grace and grit of team spirit and the games power to enthral.

Reviews

One of Australia's foremost authors, admired by writers as different as Raymond Carver and Elizabeth Jolley. * Independent *
Not long ago I read Helen Garner for the first time and was so stunned that I wanted to run around the block; how strange, how wonderful, that a book can still make me feel that way. * Rumaan Alam *
'There are very few writers that I admire more than Helen Garner. * David Nicholls *
A voice of great honesty and energy. * Anne Enright *

Author Bio

Helen Garner writes novels, stories, screenplays and works of non-fiction. In 2006 she received the inaugural Melbourne Prize for Literature, and in 2016 she won the prestigious WindhamCampbell Prize for non-fiction. In 2019 she was honoured with the Australia Council Award for Lifetime Achievement in Literature. And in 2023 she was awarded the ASA Medal for her outstanding contribution to Australian literature. Her works include Monkey Grip, The Childrens Bach, The First Stone, The Spare Room, This House of Grief and three volumes of her diaries. She lives in Melbourne.