Pickett's autobiography is apparently a ripper

May 19, 2004
5,812
4,185
Melbourne
AFL Club
Richmond
Ill buy the Bachar book but not Marlions. Marlion needs to play another 4 or 5 years before being involved in books. Just my opinion but 20 games not enough but each to his own.
I can understand why you may think he's not had the career to necessitate a book yet, but I also understand why Marlion wants to strike while the iron is hot. He's had a really interesting story with his GF debut, time in prison and now a second flag. It makes sense for him to release the book and get a pay day. He could be out on his backside in 12 months, and if he's not getting a game then the book won't have the same appeal. Besides, he could always write a second one or updated version
 
Sep 2, 2017
1,127
3,435
Oakleigh
AFL Club
Richmond
Of course I'm interested in his story. I thought I'd said as much in my post but I've obviously not made myself clear. What interests me though is the environmental factors that shaped the making of Marlion as a footballer and as a person. It's a depiction of those circumstances that I'm hoping will separate this book from the ruck of so many footballer stories that have been published to date. It's Marlion the man I want to know about and how he came to be Marlion. I can read about Marlion the footballer anytime in any media publication.
I didn’t quote you?
 

HTPunter

Brownlow Medallist
Sep 27, 2014
10,795
14,995
AFL Club
North Melbourne
I'm less interested in learning about the football side of Marlion's journey than I am about developing a better understanding of the environment in which he grew up. In all honesty, Marlion as a footballer is simply a talented hard working team contributor who does his job without any fuss and then moves on to the next game. That is not being disrespectful. It's just that Marlion is competent rather than exceptional and, as such, any narrative about him as a footballer is of limited interest to me.

What does interest me is developing an understanding of the disadvantages and challenges a young indigenous kid faced in growing up and how, be it through strength of character, talent, luck etc, he broke out of destructive patterns that could have left him ending his life as another unknown failure. I'm not suggesting that Marlion's story should be seen as a template for all troubled indigenous kids or that he should be burdened by the unrealistic weight of being labelled his peers' spokesperson. I do think Marlion is more a remarkable man than a remarkable footballer and I'm hoping the book provides some insights into how he's arrived at where he now is.

This.

For one, those who are going on about his football career not being enough just yet probably haven't even figured that the 2nd flag won't even be included... He didn't write it because he thought he was a champ for playing in 2 flags. Hell, it probably doesn't even mention most of the covid season, it was written amidst lockdown.

No one apart from kids should actually reads footballers autobiographies for the footballing career recap. "I debuted, then I played a season and was All Australian and Best and Fairest. Then I got married and had kids. Then I retired" wow fascinating.

I'm interested to get an insight into a world that is not my own. I don't see or experience some struggles that are specific to Indigenous kids. Also hoping he may elaborate the reasons he was going down the path he did before footy (I.e. Does he consider cultural destruction a reason, a reason which is unpopular amongst white people but comes up again and again).
 

SumTingWong

Norm Smith Medallist
Dec 10, 2011
8,216
16,723
AFL Club
Richmond
Other Teams
Liverpool, NY Giants, NY Mets
And I'm assuming many Indigenous players do too. Not sure we should just dismiss it because it's common - in fact, quite the opposite.
I'm not dismissing it at all. I'm really proud of the way he's turned his life around but it's hardly an original story.
 

Royce Hafey

Premiership Player
Mar 6, 2013
3,799
12,764
Point Cook
AFL Club
Richmond
This.

For one, those who are going on about his football career not being enough just yet probably haven't even figured that the 2nd flag won't even be included... He didn't write it because he thought he was a champ for playing in 2 flags. Hell, it probably doesn't even mention most of the covid season, it was written amidst lockdown.

No one apart from kids should actually reads footballers autobiographies for the footballing career recap. "I debuted, then I played a season and was All Australian and Best and Fairest. Then I got married and had kids. Then I retired" wow fascinating.

I'm interested to get an insight into a world that is not my own. I don't see or experience some struggles that are specific to Indigenous kids. Also hoping he may elaborate the reasons he was going down the path he did before footy (I.e. Does he consider cultural destruction a reason, a reason which is unpopular amongst white people but comes up again and again).
I agree. I read Jimmy Barnes's two memoirs recently and the stuff that was most compelling was the horror story of growing up in Glasgow and Elizabeth. Once he got into the rock career (despite the fact that I'm a huge fan of Chisel) it became more like every other showbiz memoir.
 
May 8, 2007
48,686
71,371
AFL Club
Richmond
Great stuff. As Bazzar alludes to, Warner, of course, was a great Aussie singer/songwriter who wrote and sung “half time at the football”, back in the ‘70s. As well as “suburban boy (which has the line Bazzar uses) “kookaburra girl” and “convict streak”. Half time and the football live was song all Australian teenage boys could relate to at the time. The live lyrics very different to the record ones! I went to a Dave Warner concert (i think, given it was 40 plus years ago) in the Tiger Lounge aka Tiger Room in the Royal Oak Hotel in Chapel St one Saturday night. Dave played a few songs including a 14 min. XXXX-rated version of ”half time at the football”. He then stopped and as it was being recorded someone took the tape off to a nearby place and they made 50 vinyl Eps of those songs. They then came back and had them on sale at the door after the concert had finished! I managed to get one which i had for years before my wife threw it out!


concert
Convict streak my favourite. Mugs Game the album.
He also wrote an episode of packed to the rafters with Craig McLachlan as an old has been rocker and they played suburban boy.
Absolute Aussie ledgend Dave Warner is.

I'd be gutted about the EP being chucked out. How great would that be to have.
Wonder if they ever come up on discogs.
 

Craze

Premiership Player
Aug 7, 2013
3,513
7,925
AFL Club
Richmond
Other Teams
Steelers
Aren't you interested in reading his story? Don't you think he has a story worth telling? I can't wait to read it, I'm picking up my copy today. It's $22 at Big W, just buy it.
It's probably an unpopular opinion in here, but I think there are probably 100 autobiographies that I'd read before Marlion's. Let's not forget that he committed grievous bodily harm, and various other property crimes. All of which hurt people, and so there are victims to consider. I just hope he takes full responsibility for his actions rather than blame his upbringing. If his message helps turn others away from a life of violent crime then that's positive. And I know Marlion does work in juvenile detention, which is great.

I just have a strong objection to those who engage in violent crime, and I'd rather invest my time, energy and money elsewhere.
 

Marcel Proust

"Oohh WADA ooga booga" {Jul 11 2013}
Sep 6, 2018
29,608
38,560
#BigBigSound
AFL Club
Richmond
It's probably an unpopular opinion in here, but I think there are probably 100 autobiographies that I'd read before Marlion's. Let's not forget that he committed grievous bodily harm, and various other property crimes. All of which hurt people, and so there are victims to consider. I just hope he takes full responsibility for his actions rather than blame his upbringing. If his message helps turn others away from a life of violent crime then that's positive. And I know Marlion does work in juvenile detention, which is great.

I just have a strong objection to those who engage in violent crime, and I'd rather invest my time, energy and money elsewhere.

But that's what makes the story.

It's more interesting than Mary Poppins. I was was going to say mother Theresa or ghandi but they probably had worse track reckons that Marlion.

Furthermore Pickett is essentially the product of genocide and imperialism so your comment is quite ironic. Bit of crime hurts your feeling hey
 

Arthur Rivers

Debutant
Mar 23, 2007
80
103
GOC
AFL Club
Richmond
Other Teams
VDL Tigers, U.S. Mariners
Convict streak my favourite. Mugs Game the album.
He also wrote an episode of packed to the rafters with Craig McLachlan as an old has been rocker and they played suburban boy.
Absolute Aussie ledgend Dave Warner is.

I'd be gutted about the EP being chucked out. How great would that be to have.
Wonder if they ever come up on discogs.

Have looked occasionally, but without luck. Remember he also did an interesting version of Eve of Destruction?
 

Craze

Premiership Player
Aug 7, 2013
3,513
7,925
AFL Club
Richmond
Other Teams
Steelers
But that's what makes the story.

It's more interesting than Mary Poppins. I was was going to say mother Theresa or ghandi but they probably had worse track reckons that Marlion.

Furthermore Pickett is essentially the product of genocide and imperialism so your comment is quite ironic. Bit of crime hurts your feeling hey
Crime doesn't hurt my feelings. It hurts people. That's why they call it 'victims of crime'. I'm not sure of the exact circumstances of Marlion's crimes but grievous bodily harm is pretty serious and I presume someone (and possibly their family) is still getting over it.

Turn it into an argument about his race, good for you. My decision not to read his autobiography has nothing to do with him being Indigenous. I just have a fairly narrow field of interest when it comes to autobiographies, that's all.

Your comment about Marlion being a product of genocide is interesting. It implies that Marlion had absolutely no free will, that it was the government's fault (or the British settlers 200 years ago). And yet the reason we all admire him is that he himself turned his life around.
 
It's probably an unpopular opinion in here, but I think there are probably 100 autobiographies that I'd read before Marlion's. Let's not forget that he committed grievous bodily harm, and various other property crimes. All of which hurt people, and so there are victims to consider. I just hope he takes full responsibility for his actions rather than blame his upbringing. If his message helps turn others away from a life of violent crime then that's positive. And I know Marlion does work in juvenile detention, which is great.

I just have a strong objection to those who engage in violent crime, and I'd rather invest my time, energy and money elsewhere.

Funny isn't it how guys like chopper read and Ned Kelly actually murdered people but get feted as antiheroes.

Or everyone idolises Gary Ablett senior for his footballing skills despite the incident with the poor dead girl half his age.

Maybe life is a bit more nuanced than we'd like to think, and maybe even aresholes get their shot at redemption every now and then.

Some of the greatest stories ever written involve people who made bad choices and ended up in jail. Mister nice is worth reading, as is papillon, and escape.

I don't usually read sportsperson bios as they tend to be dumbed down and tedious, but this one might be interesting.
 

Craze

Premiership Player
Aug 7, 2013
3,513
7,925
AFL Club
Richmond
Other Teams
Steelers
Funny isn't it how guys like chopper read and Ned Kelly actually murdered people but get feted as antiheroes.

Or everyone idolises Gary Ablett senior for his footballing skills despite the incident with the poor dead girl half his age.

Maybe life is a bit more nuanced than we'd like to think, and maybe even aresholes get their shot at redemption every now and then.

Some of the greatest stories ever written involve people who made bad choices and ended up in jail. Mister nice is worth reading, as is papillon, and escape.

I don't usually read sportsperson bios as they tend to be dumbed down and tedious, but this one might be interesting.
Yeah I admit I find it difficult to stomach people who were involved in crime, or making light of crime, or celebrating their involvement in crime. Even if they have turned their lives around. Although I must admit to enjoying Goodfellas.

I'm sure Marlion doesn't do any of that, and it's probably more a cautionary tale and intended to shed light on the difficulties of his upbringing.
 

Marcel Proust

"Oohh WADA ooga booga" {Jul 11 2013}
Sep 6, 2018
29,608
38,560
#BigBigSound
AFL Club
Richmond
Funny isn't it how guys like chopper read and Ned Kelly actually murdered people but get feted as antiheroes.

Or everyone idolises Gary Ablett senior for his footballing skills despite the incident with the poor dead girl half his age.

Maybe life is a bit more nuanced than we'd like to think, and maybe even aresholes get their shot at redemption every now and then.

Some of the greatest stories ever written involve people who made bad choices and ended up in jail. Mister nice is worth reading, as is papillon, and escape.

I don't usually read sportsperson bios as they tend to be dumbed down and tedious, but this one might be interesting.

Read papillon recently and blew my socks off.

Are slaves woke enough for you?

Idk what this means
 
Back