Comeback

Book excerpt: As a boy, James Button fell in love with the Geelong Football Club. It was a family affair. But as the years wore on and the defeats and disappointments mounted, it became clear to him: his team would never win a flag. This book tells the story of his glorious mistake. Writing as a reporter, not primarily as a fan, James interviews hundreds of people to tell the story of how one organisation changed its culture, on and off the field. He relates not only the fortunes of the team over fifty years but of the town with which it is so closely entwined. And he tries to explain why so many of us, whoever we barrack for, are gripped by an unreasonable passion for football.