Drawing on meticulous research and family history, this narrative tells the story of the Collingwood Football Club through the war-torn friendship of two of its early players, Doc Seddon and Paddy Rowan. As teammates in the early 20th century, Doc introduces Paddy to his childhood sweetheart, Louie. Paddy and Louie fall in love, but are tragically separated when both Paddy and Doc are shipped off to war. More than just a love story, this multi-generational saga recounts the battles that each man fought along the Western Front and explores the unique history of Melbourne as well as the decline of the gritty suburb of Collingwood.
Foreword Eddie McGuire vii
Author's Note xiii
Prologue 1
1 The Flat 7
2 Paper Football Dreaming 19
3 Liverpool Street 33
4 Birkenhead 43
5 An Enigmatic Arrival 49
6 The Collingwood Method 55
7 When Percy Met Louie 65
8 The Call to Serve 76
9 A Pre-match Wedding 90
10 The Black and Gold 101
11 The Great Carlton Conspiracy 110
12 St Arnaud 120
13 Twenty Rounds in Egypt 131
14 An Absence of Glory 141
15 A Death in the Woods 150
16 Two Men, One Grave 167
17 Send Him My Love 174
18 A Talisman or Two 185
19 Home 200
20 Between the Cracks 208
21 Promises Kept 226
Epilogue 245
Acknowledgements 255
Index 261
Overview
Drawing on meticulous research and family history, this narrative tells the story of the Collingwood Football Club through the war-torn friendship of two of its early players, Doc Seddon and Paddy Rowan. As teammates in the early 20th century, Doc introduces Paddy to his childhood sweetheart, Louie. Paddy and Louie fall in love, but are tragically separated when both Paddy and Doc are shipped off to war. More than just a love story, this multi-generational saga recounts the battles that each man fought...