Northern Territory Library
Book of the Month
November 2009
Kevin Sheedy is one of the most remarkable men in the history of Australian Rules Football. Born in the AFL heartland of Melbourne, Sheedy played for the Richmond Football Club, but found his greatest fame as the coach of Essendon. He coached the Bombers for a remarkable 27 years, a record that is unlikely to be broken.
Sheedy’s autobiography chronicles these events and the changes that happened to Aussie Rules along the way. His achievements in the sport are vast; three premierships as a player and four as a coach. He will also be remembered as one of the most tireless promoters of the game, travelling from one end of the country to the other in his efforts to make AFL the dominant football code in the country. Even after his reign at Essendon came to an end in 2007 (as his contract was not renewed, much to his disappointment) he continued to influence the direction of the game.
In the latter stages of his book he speculates as to where the game of Aussie Rules will go in the future, and he floats the idea that one day it may go overseas. Ironically, it has only just been announced that Sheedy will coach the new Western Sydney AFL club, which represents one of the boldest moves in the expansion of the code. It seems only fitting that Sheedy is at the forefront of the move.
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