The Family Men (Catherine Harris, Black Inc.)

A month after a post-season celebration, footballer Harry Furey still can’t remember what actually happened at the team’s men-only Sportsman’s Night—but he knows it was bad. Harry comes from an AFL dynasty. His father is a disgraced legend whose off-field behaviour led to the death of an underage girl. And it seems that little has changed in the culture of the game since then. Young players are worshipped like stars, their sins still forgiven as long as they observe the rules—loyalty to the team, their supporters and the media. The Family Men unfolds like a slow-motion car crash, as the sordid events of that night slowly become clear, but this is not a black-and-white story of predatory behaviour and an innocent victim. In following the unnamed girl’s journey, this outstanding novel also examines the line between innocence and naivety. Despite his actions, Harry remains a sympathetic character. The book could be considered a fictional counterpart to Anna Krien’s Night Games. It also has much in common with Paul Carter’s Vogel Award-winner Eleven Season—another striking novel about masculinity, sex and football. The Family Men is a nuanced indictment of a sporting culture that forgives appalling behaviour in our heroes, and it is as ‘true’ as the best journalism.

Lachlan Jobbins is a freelance editor

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Category: Reviews