1989: The Great Grand Final — reprint, copies now available
Tis the season for a flat out ad for one of my books. I don't do this often.
‘1989: The Great Grand Final’ is back in stock again. When he read my manuscript, commissioning editor Geoff Slattery said to me, ‘well Tony, if that was about a Super Bowl, you’d sell half a million copies’.
It isn’t about a Super Bowl and we’ve sold about 5k (so far!).
BUT people do like it, and many of them aren’t Hawthorn supporters. I’ll post some comments from readers and reviewers, and then an excerpt from the book.
Buy a signed copy of 1989 for either yourself or a friend or relative and I’ll personalise it for the recipient and say that you ‘PAID THE PRICE’ (plus postage)
20% off for Good one, Wilson paid subscribers. Code at end of this email, after the excerpted chapter.
Emails:
“I read your book when it came out and re read it last night in one sitting Great read and thanks for your efforts in writing the book’ Paul Harman (Geelong supporter)
“I’ve just been reading your excellent book about the 89 GF and wanted to say how much I enjoyed it. Pacy, skilful prose - worthy of its subject.” Bill Grimshaw
“I read 1989 the afternoon I purchased it. Habit forming!! It’s just superb Tony!!”(Handsome Steve Miller, Geelong supporter)
Goodreads:
Online reviews
‘As an outside-insider, he takes us closer to the scent of liniment, and has access to sources other scribes may have been denied, and draws on this to craft a coherent whole. I have a vested interest in the match, but for mine the book stands on its own as a ripping yarn even neutral supporters will warm to.’
Paul Spinks, The Footy Almanac review, Geelong supporter
‘It's hard to find fault with 1989, but if I was to do so, it would be the exclusion of the photo of Gary Ablett colliding with Robert DiPierdomenico, described by Wilson in Chapter 33 as having "murderous beauty". 'Dipper' also provides his assessment of it, with "a novelist's eye and the DiPierdomenico tongue". Wilson and Dipper's evocative words had me searching the book's colour photo insert sections for the image in question but, alas, it is not included.’
Andrew Gigacz, AustralianFootball.com review, Western Bulldogs supporter
‘Of course Wilson speaks to Brereton, “Dipper”, Yeates and other obvious candidates. But one of the great strengths of the book is the breadth of interviews with players who in previous tellings of those famous stories, have often barely rated a mention.’
Rohan Connolly, Footyology review, legendary journo and Bombers fan
[Rohan is a paid up subscriber to Good one, Wilson! Thanks RoCo. People should support his footy writing and podcast by signing up to Footyology. ]
BigFooty
‘I've absorbed every thing ever written on this game, but I'm a third of the way into Willo's book and I've learnt a ton of stuff I didn't know about. It's a brilliant read, I'm trying to drip feed and not read it all at once, but it's bloody hard. Can't recommend it enough.’ Stemline, BigFooty
20% off for Good one, Wilson paid subscribers. Code at end of this email, after the excerpted chapter.
Podcasts
I talk about the book on Hawk Talk Podcast with Nick and Tizz, one of my favoruite footy podcasts.
I also made my own Speakola podcast using the player interview audio for the book, focusing on the ‘Pay the Price’ speech.
This is chapter 51, set at the beginning of the final quarter.
51. Fine piece of machinery
Gary Ayres is on the bench, his thigh muscle torn. But he’s desperate to return to the field. Platten isn’t yet at the hospital, but possibly should be. He’s sitting next to Ayres on the pine, still talking incessantly, unable to make sense of the game or his surrounds.
“Johnny didn’t have any idea what was going on,” says Ayres. “It was constantly ‘How much in front are we?’ I’d say, ‘Five goals.’ Then another goal. Johnny: ‘How much in front are we?’ Four goals. Another goal. Johnny: ‘How much in front are we?’. ‘Three goals’.”
By the time it gets to two goals Ayres is awash with frustration and panic. “I keep saying (to runner George Stone), ‘I’m ready to go, George, I’m ready to go!’ And George is saying. ‘Just stay there!’ And the phone keeps ringing. So, I’ve got the phone ringing in one ear hoping to get back on, and I’ve got Johnny in the other ear asking how much in front are we. At two goals, I’ve just turned to Johnny and said, ‘Johnny will you fucking shut up?’ But he had no idea.”
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