Ken PiesseRecensioni

This is a massive collection of cricket stories most of which are probably new for the reader. A majority comes from Australian cricket, especially from the grade cricket. Nice book to randomly picked a page and read.

To be honest, I had never given former VFA club Caulfield much thought; in 23 seasons it won one premiership and folded back in the 1980s. Yet, enough people cared about the Bears to produce The Bears Uncensored, a glossy production weighing in at 250 pages.

The Bears Uncensored covers not only the football played by Caulfield but much off ground shenanigans as well, including at the Cave, which apparently was THE place to be on Sunday nights during the football season (but never had an alcohol licence).

There are some interesting anecdotes here but my lack of VFA knowledge meant many references sailed way above my head.½

Prolific sports book author Ken Piesse has assembled a collection of anecdotes featuring some of the biggest names in VFL and AFL football. From Ron Barassi, Ted Whitten to Paul Roos, Dermot Brereton and Buddy Franklin. Piesses's favourite interviews, memories and moments are mixed with an array of bloopers, gaffes and pranks. Cartoons are by Paul Harvey. This book was first released in 2015. It was released again without apparent revision in 2016. It was revised and extended by an additional 16 pages in a 2020 edition.

Anecdotes and stories from 39 of football’s biggest stars and personalities. It is mostly VFL and AFL stars represented, John Watts and Mal Brown are the main non Victorian contributors. Includes stories from football commentators Drew Morphett and Sandy Roberts. There are 233 stories in all and former Melbourne Sun cartoonist, Jeff Hook, provides cartoons.

Piesse has authored , co-authored or edited at least 17 football books and been a sports journalist for many years. This selection of stories is culled from his prolific output. The book is arranged in an A-Z format comprising 267 stories, anecdotes, yarns, reminiscences, lists, trivia and statistics. The majority of the content is VFL and AFL focused but there are some stories from rural Victoria and from other states. There are stories from as early as the 1890s but most content is from the 1960s and onwards. The A-Z arrangement is a bit idiosyncratic but fortunately a name index allows enables easy access to any stories readers may vaguely recall about particular players or coaches. This collection is better than many others in this genre because many of the stories have been sourced from interviews and are not merely regurgitations of footy folklore.

A short tome (indeed, it's taking me longer to write this review than to read the book) celebrating the 1969/70 Sheffield Shield win by Victoria, with emphasis on the derring-do of Alan "Froggy" Thomson, the fast bowler with one of the most unusual bowling actions cricket has seen.

Bob's Boys covers Victoria's victorious 1969/70 season match by match with recollections by each of the Victorian players involved in the campaign, save for the late John "Barrel" Scholes (Graeme Watson, who died after publication, fortunately had his views recorded for posterity).

There's nothing too explosive here but one may find it a useful way to waste an hour.

An anthology of published stories, anecdotes and photographs from some of Australia's best sports writers, historians and photographers.

A revised edition of the 1994 biography, written in 1996, the final year of Ablett’s AFL career. The Piesse biographies are mostly about Ablett’s spectacular playing career. For a more in-depth examination of his character, social background and off-field controversies see Playing God: The Rise and Fall of Gary Ablett, 2003, by Garry Linnell.

Some of the biggest stars of the AFL are profiled in this collection which mostly takes a Q and A format.

A brick of a book that lists all Australian first-class, domestic one dayer and T20 cricketers, their stats, and if they were an international or otherwise noteworthy, a brief bio.

In a pre-Internet world, the "Encyclopedia of Australian Cricket Players" would be an essential reference for cricket lovers, but these days its raison d'être is no longer there.½

Ken Piesse is a longtime Australian rules football reporter and here collates a range of stories dating back to the pre-Victorian Football League days. For whatever reasons, cricket seems to have better writing than football and there is nothing in "Great Australian football stories" to change my mind.

The best stories date to the early days of football, highlighting the stars who have been overshadowed by more recent players. Overall, while I can't imagine anyone not already au fait with Australian rules football would be interested in "Great Australian football stories", those with an interest may find parts of this a worthwhile read.½

This work takes a look at football in the 1990s from the perspective of three star Collingwood players, Nathan Buckley, Saverio Rocca and Paul Williams.

The first of several biographies on Ablett was written towards the end of his career. This is an unauthorised work and there is little evidence of involvement by Ablett. This is not surprising, as the book records that most who know him describe him as shy, humble, inward and private. This book is mainly a chronicle of Ablett's spectacular career as described by others. Some space is devoted to the importance of Ablett's Christian faith in his life and career. Includes full career statistics up to Round 8, 1994, black and white images and an index.

A look at the Caulfield Football Club which played in the Victorian VFA competition from 1965 until 1987, and later in the Melbourne based Southern Football League from 1993 onwards.