Overview

Norm Smith is regarded by many as the greatest coach in the history of the Australian Football League, having transformed a battling Melbourne FC into a League heavyweight that won six premierships in 10 seasons (1955-64). In this meticulously researched monument to Smith’s life – enriched by the recollections of more than 100 people, many of whom had played with or under the Demon dictator – author Ben Collins lays bare the man behind the legend... in all his glories and foibles. In this most captivating analysis of Smith, a portrait emerged of a frightfully hard and brutally honest coach who was ruthless in football but possessed disarming compassion away from the game. This is his story, concurrent with that of his older brother and fellow coach Len Smith, from their childhood in tough, working-class Northcote during the Depression to their status as the most influential coaches of their generation.

Full Product Details

Author:   Ben Collins
Publisher:   The Slattery Media Group (AFL Publishing)
Imprint:   The Slattery Media Group (AFL Publishing)
Edition:   2nd edition
Dimensions:   Width: 15.50cm , Height: 6.50cm , Length: 24.00cm
Weight:   1.100kg
ISBN:  

9781921778742

ISBN 10:   1921778741
Pages:   744
Publication Date:   01 July 2007
Audience:   General/trade ,  General
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Available To Order  
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Table of Contents

Foreward; The School of Hard Knocks (1915-32); Demons (1933-38); The First Hat-trick (1939-41); 'A Worthy Lieutenant' (1939-41); The Best in the VFL (1944); Captain (1945); The Smith-Mueller Legend (1948); Coach of Fitzroy (1949-51); Home Again (1952-53); The Demon Uprising (1954); Setting Standards (1954); The Dawning of a Dynasty (1955); Champions of Australia (1955); The Finest Melbourne Side of All (1956); The Most Bitter Dissapointment (1958); Order Restored (1959); 'Put Those Shotguns Away!' (1960); The Party Animal; The End of an Era (1961); Just Off the Pace (1962)' 'We Should Have Won The Flag' (1963); The Greatest Premiership (1964); Calm Before the Storm (1965); Sacked (1965); Severed Ties (1966-68); The Saviour of South Melbourne (1969-72); A Premature End (1973)

Reviews

Norm Smith is regarded by many as the greatest coach in the history of the Australian Football League, having transformed a battling Melbourne FC into a League heavyweight that won six premierships in 10 seasons (1955-64). In this meticulously researched monument to Smith's life - enriched by the recollections of more than 100 people, many of whom had played with or under the Demon dictator - author Ben Collins lays bare the man behind the legend... in all his glories and foibles. In this most captivating analysis of Smith, a portrait emerged of a frightfully hard and brutally honest coach who was ruthless in football but possessed disarming compassion away from the game. This is his story, concurrent with that of his older brother and fellow coach Len Smith, from their childhood in tough, working-class Northcote during the Depression to their status as the most influential coaches of their generation. -- Collins, Ben

Norm Smith is regarded by many as the greatest coach in the history of the Australian Football League, having transformed a battling Melbourne FC into a League heavyweight that won six premierships in 10 seasons (1955-64). In this meticulously researched monument to Smith's life – enriched by the recollections of more than 100 people, many of whom had played with or under the Demon dictator – author Ben Collins lays bare the man behind the legend... in all his glories and foibles. In this most captivating analysis of Smith, a portrait emerged of a frightfully hard and brutally honest coach who was ruthless in football but possessed disarming compassion away from the game. This is his story, concurrent with that of his older brother and fellow coach Len Smith, from their childhood in tough, working-class Northcote during the Depression to their status as the most influential coaches of their generation. -- Collins, Ben

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