Sports writers and sports stars rarely meet on the same playing field. But veteran sports journalist Martin Flanagan and former Western Bulldogs captain Bob Murphy are doing just that. Both, now, as authors. And both drawing on a true triumph-of-the-underdog tale: the Bulldogs’ miraculous 2016 Grand Final victory.
Bob Murphy and Martin Flanagan at the Wheeler Centre — Photo: Scott Limbrick
Murphy’s second book, Leather Soul, describes ‘Footscray winters and the glorious liniment-scented afternoons’: all the laughs, scraps and yarns of his 17-year footy career. And Flanagan’s latest, A Wink from the Universe, draws on player interviews, diaries, videos and fans’ recollections, to build a layered narrative of the Dogs’ 2016 victory – a triumphant 25-year conclusion to his acclaimed Southern Oval, Western Sky, which covered the Dogs’ failed 1993 season and battle to survive.
If you missed the pair’s last Wheeler Centre event, now is your chance to catch the long-awaited rematch. Join them as they share tall footy tales and discuss the scrappy, winsome club they both love.
A previous encounter
Podcast episode
The Wheeler Centre
Martin Flanagan and Bob Murphy in Conversation / Sport
