Helen Garner reflects on the poetry of AFL as she observes her grandson's under-16 game, highlighting its role as a common cultural language filled with shared rituals. In contrast, Brandon Jack's debut novel Pissants uncovers the darker side of AFL, portraying addiction, misogyny, and the pressures of conformity among fringe players. While Garner celebrates the epic nature of youth footy, Jack's work portrays a stark view of marginalised characters navigating their identities amidst societal issues, characterized by substance abuse and toxic masculinity without clear heroic redemption arcs.
In under-16 leagues, AFL becomes a shared space of hopes, rituals, and poetry, while also reflecting deeper cultural issues around addiction and misogyny outside the oval.
Brandon Jack's Pissants illustrates the marginal lives of fringe players in AFL, depicting their struggles through degradation, anti-authoritarianism, and harsh realities of youth.
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