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The Club
"The Club is about the hangers-on, the end of loyalty, the coming of professionalism, big business and massive transfer fees. It's about each and every club in the League and about soccer, rugby and baseball too," writes the Melbourne Sun's football commentator, Lou Richards, himself a former Aussie Rules champion who has seen it all. He and fellow fanatic, Professor Ian Turner of Monash University, introduce David Williamson's latest probe into the confrontations of Australian life. If you have ever belonged to a sports club, if you have ever been part of any organisation in which the will to win prevails and the trial of strength goes on in the clubroom long after the players have left the field - then you will know the men of The Club.
90 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1977
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89 people want to read
About the author
David Williamson
41 books27 followersDavid Williamson AO gained a Bachelor of Engineering at Monash University in 1965 before briefly working as a design engineer at General Motors Holden and in 1966 he began lecturing in thermodynamics and social psychology at Swinburne Technical College.
Mr Williamson began writing and performing plays in 1968 with La Mama Theatre Company.
The Removalists and Don's Party established him as Australia's best-known playwright and established his reputation overseas on the stages of Europe and America.
His success in films is notable, having written the screenplays to Don's Party (1976), The Club (1980) and Phar Lap (1982), as well as collaborating with Peter Weir to make Gallipoli (1980) and The Year of Living Dangerously (1982). Over 30 years, his work has encompassed more than 36 plays and numerous films and television productions.
Mr Williamson has won four AFI awards and the Australian Writers' Guild AWGIE award 11 times. He has received honorary doctorates of Literature from the University of Sydney (1988), Monash University (1990), Swinburne University of Technology (1996) and the University of Queensland (2004).
Mr Williamson began writing and performing plays in 1968 with La Mama Theatre Company.
The Removalists and Don's Party established him as Australia's best-known playwright and established his reputation overseas on the stages of Europe and America.
His success in films is notable, having written the screenplays to Don's Party (1976), The Club (1980) and Phar Lap (1982), as well as collaborating with Peter Weir to make Gallipoli (1980) and The Year of Living Dangerously (1982). Over 30 years, his work has encompassed more than 36 plays and numerous films and television productions.
Mr Williamson has won four AFI awards and the Australian Writers' Guild AWGIE award 11 times. He has received honorary doctorates of Literature from the University of Sydney (1988), Monash University (1990), Swinburne University of Technology (1996) and the University of Queensland (2004).
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
June 29, 2018
Backroom Shennanigans
29 June 2018 – Coffs Harbour
I’ve heard of this play, but I’ve never got around to actually reading one of Williamson’s plays. Basically he is quite a famous Australian playwright. In fact he is the only Australian playwright that I can name, and probably the only Australian playwright of which I would actually go and see one of his plays, particularly this one (especially now that I’ve read it), and his other famous one – Don’s Party. I guess it is a good thing that I never studied this play at school, namely because I probably would have had a sour taste in my mouth, but in regards to Australian literature, well, it is up there with the best (which, in my opinion, isn’t really a hard mountain to climb).
So, the beauty of this play is that it could be set in the club rooms on any major sporting club that happens to be dwelling at the bottom of the cellars: it could be Leeds Utd or Bayer Munich; the Greenbay Packers or the Boston Redsocks; hey, it could even be the Collingwood Football club, which is actually the club that I believe it is based upon, though these days, for those who are familiar with Australian Rules Football, the team that comes to mind would be Carlton.
Now, I honestly don’t know the history of many, if any, of the teams beyond Australian Rules Football, and even then I’m not all that familiar with them beyond the late 90s, but the thing is that, aside from some Australian jargon, this could be any team out there. In fact, it doesn’t matter what country you are in I assure you that as soon as you start reading the shenanigans that are going on here a certain sporting team will suddenly spring to mind, and you will have no choice but to run with it, even though some of the lingo such as playing in the ruck, and full-forward, or even the term ‘to mark the ball’ may not equate to any of the other sports out there.
So, we have this unnamed club (Collingwood) that used to be the pride of the league, but has since fallen on hard times. It has been nineteen years since they have won a flag, which is basically a premiership, and the last five games have been pretty disastrous. We have a club president who, while he loves the game, knows absolutely nothing about actually playing it, but is more than happy to throw his two-cents worth into the ring. We have a couple of coaches, one a former coach, and the second a former top player whose time coaching the team looks like it is coming to an end. Finally, we have the star player who looks like he may be heading for retirement, and then we have the ace recruit that has turned out to be a dud. Yep, there are certainly a number of names that spring to mind when I actually write this synopsis.
Really, it is just a couple of hours of these characters interacting, and trying to set the team in a better direction. In fact, it seems to have more to do with the backroom discussions than actual on field strategies. Obviously, the president is an interesting character because it shows us how fans actually know nothing about playing a professional sporting match. I always find it fascinating that fans seem to know a lot more about what to do than the guys on the field who are under a lot of pressure and have missed obvious marks because, well, the pressure they happen to be under.
Then there is the player that has suddenly discovered that he is now past his prime. For years he would be unbeatable on the field, but suddenly discovers that the young blood are now tearing him apart. Yet, despite his skill, this is still a team that has not gotten anywhere in 19 years. It simply goes to show how what we have is not so much a champion team but a team of champions. Germany’s demolition of Brazil at the last World Cup certainly showed us what is the better match. As for the young dud, well, that is also an interesting story, because while he may be an ace on the field, if his heart in not into the game, then he isn’t going anywhere, and certainly playing for a club that happens to be sitting at the bottom of the ladder really doesn’t help. Mind you, these days in Aussie Rules Football, they try to even it out by having the teams at the bottom get first pick at the draft at the end of the year, but that still doesn’t seem to help some teams all that much.
Finally, there is this idea of professionalism. The play was written in the mid-seventies where we were beginning to see a change in the sporting culture. When my Mum was growing up she told me how playing for a major league club was a part-time hobby, whereas these days it is a full time endeavour. Want to go out for some Saturday night drinks? Well, that isn’t happening these days because you have a strict training regime, and during the season you are pretty much accountable for everywhere you happen to be going. These days it is big money, and good players can earn millions (ignoring salary caps of course, which is a big thing in Australia, and surprisingly, a big thing in the United States as well – I never realised salary caps were actually a thing over there). Beforehand it was all about tradition, but these days it is about money. Want to win a flag, well then buy yourself a champion team (or rather a team of champions).
This is where it clashes with tradition. These days players chop and change based on the best offers given to them, whereas back then they would not only stick with their team, but they would stick with the team their parents played for. Mind you, we still have the father-son rule in effect, which means that if your father played for a team, then you pretty much get dibs on which team you want to play for, which honestly, still gives the game a bit of magic. However, people aren’t loyal anymore, and you see this on a field where players who have switched teams get booed by supporters of the teams that they switched from. I doubt the players care though, since they earn more money than a majority of the fans will probably make in their lifetime. Coaches also switch teams as well, though of course if as a coach you aren’t winning flags, then you aren’t going to be a coach for long because, in the end, it doesn’t matter what era you are in, the only thing that matters is winning that flag.
29 June 2018 – Coffs Harbour
I’ve heard of this play, but I’ve never got around to actually reading one of Williamson’s plays. Basically he is quite a famous Australian playwright. In fact he is the only Australian playwright that I can name, and probably the only Australian playwright of which I would actually go and see one of his plays, particularly this one (especially now that I’ve read it), and his other famous one – Don’s Party. I guess it is a good thing that I never studied this play at school, namely because I probably would have had a sour taste in my mouth, but in regards to Australian literature, well, it is up there with the best (which, in my opinion, isn’t really a hard mountain to climb).
So, the beauty of this play is that it could be set in the club rooms on any major sporting club that happens to be dwelling at the bottom of the cellars: it could be Leeds Utd or Bayer Munich; the Greenbay Packers or the Boston Redsocks; hey, it could even be the Collingwood Football club, which is actually the club that I believe it is based upon, though these days, for those who are familiar with Australian Rules Football, the team that comes to mind would be Carlton.
Now, I honestly don’t know the history of many, if any, of the teams beyond Australian Rules Football, and even then I’m not all that familiar with them beyond the late 90s, but the thing is that, aside from some Australian jargon, this could be any team out there. In fact, it doesn’t matter what country you are in I assure you that as soon as you start reading the shenanigans that are going on here a certain sporting team will suddenly spring to mind, and you will have no choice but to run with it, even though some of the lingo such as playing in the ruck, and full-forward, or even the term ‘to mark the ball’ may not equate to any of the other sports out there.
So, we have this unnamed club (Collingwood) that used to be the pride of the league, but has since fallen on hard times. It has been nineteen years since they have won a flag, which is basically a premiership, and the last five games have been pretty disastrous. We have a club president who, while he loves the game, knows absolutely nothing about actually playing it, but is more than happy to throw his two-cents worth into the ring. We have a couple of coaches, one a former coach, and the second a former top player whose time coaching the team looks like it is coming to an end. Finally, we have the star player who looks like he may be heading for retirement, and then we have the ace recruit that has turned out to be a dud. Yep, there are certainly a number of names that spring to mind when I actually write this synopsis.
Really, it is just a couple of hours of these characters interacting, and trying to set the team in a better direction. In fact, it seems to have more to do with the backroom discussions than actual on field strategies. Obviously, the president is an interesting character because it shows us how fans actually know nothing about playing a professional sporting match. I always find it fascinating that fans seem to know a lot more about what to do than the guys on the field who are under a lot of pressure and have missed obvious marks because, well, the pressure they happen to be under.
Then there is the player that has suddenly discovered that he is now past his prime. For years he would be unbeatable on the field, but suddenly discovers that the young blood are now tearing him apart. Yet, despite his skill, this is still a team that has not gotten anywhere in 19 years. It simply goes to show how what we have is not so much a champion team but a team of champions. Germany’s demolition of Brazil at the last World Cup certainly showed us what is the better match. As for the young dud, well, that is also an interesting story, because while he may be an ace on the field, if his heart in not into the game, then he isn’t going anywhere, and certainly playing for a club that happens to be sitting at the bottom of the ladder really doesn’t help. Mind you, these days in Aussie Rules Football, they try to even it out by having the teams at the bottom get first pick at the draft at the end of the year, but that still doesn’t seem to help some teams all that much.
Finally, there is this idea of professionalism. The play was written in the mid-seventies where we were beginning to see a change in the sporting culture. When my Mum was growing up she told me how playing for a major league club was a part-time hobby, whereas these days it is a full time endeavour. Want to go out for some Saturday night drinks? Well, that isn’t happening these days because you have a strict training regime, and during the season you are pretty much accountable for everywhere you happen to be going. These days it is big money, and good players can earn millions (ignoring salary caps of course, which is a big thing in Australia, and surprisingly, a big thing in the United States as well – I never realised salary caps were actually a thing over there). Beforehand it was all about tradition, but these days it is about money. Want to win a flag, well then buy yourself a champion team (or rather a team of champions).
This is where it clashes with tradition. These days players chop and change based on the best offers given to them, whereas back then they would not only stick with their team, but they would stick with the team their parents played for. Mind you, we still have the father-son rule in effect, which means that if your father played for a team, then you pretty much get dibs on which team you want to play for, which honestly, still gives the game a bit of magic. However, people aren’t loyal anymore, and you see this on a field where players who have switched teams get booed by supporters of the teams that they switched from. I doubt the players care though, since they earn more money than a majority of the fans will probably make in their lifetime. Coaches also switch teams as well, though of course if as a coach you aren’t winning flags, then you aren’t going to be a coach for long because, in the end, it doesn’t matter what era you are in, the only thing that matters is winning that flag.
October 10, 2014
I was honestly surprised that I liked this. Williamson doesn't really do it for me on the whole -- he's too unsubtle -- but his early plays I find I like a lot more than his later ones. I'd avoided "The Club" because, Jesus, sport, but I found myself in the position of needing to read it for work.
It is unsubtle, but that's part of its charm. I found the single-setting hearkening to ancient tragedy very interesting, and I did manage to find a universal fellow-feeling for some of the characters -- none are overly likeable, but then, none are meant to be. It's clear that this is a play about sport written for the theatregoer -- just as the film of this play is clearly created for a wider audience, happy ending, player cameos and all.
I would go to see this, if it were performed nearby, because it is quite compelling, and I found myself enjoying it despite myself. Better than expected.
It is unsubtle, but that's part of its charm. I found the single-setting hearkening to ancient tragedy very interesting, and I did manage to find a universal fellow-feeling for some of the characters -- none are overly likeable, but then, none are meant to be. It's clear that this is a play about sport written for the theatregoer -- just as the film of this play is clearly created for a wider audience, happy ending, player cameos and all.
I would go to see this, if it were performed nearby, because it is quite compelling, and I found myself enjoying it despite myself. Better than expected.
August 29, 2023
When it comes to Australian drama and dramatist, it’s very hard to go past the name of David Williamson. He was an arguably still is the most important recent playwright. Whilst nowadays, he might be considered a little bit pase, and his works are more likely to be produced in revival, Williamson still resonates both in terms of what he says about Australian identity and culture, and perhaps more importantly, how he has represented with his works a truly Australian voice. The Club would have to be the most potent and most Australian of his plays, and even though it is 50 or so years since it was first performed Williamson’s words will still provoke, still entertain, and still give an audience or reader pause for thought. This is a fascinating and highly engaging text of a dramatic work that still is relevant.
The important thing about this piece is that it is dated, and yet it’s captures elements or aspects of the character types and themes that Williamson understood to be longer lived than the original context of his work. The Club might be considered to be a comedy that is focused purely on the parochial world of Australian Rules football. Those who play the game, those who run the game, and those who are invested in the game are the primary concern of the play. However, Williamson IsNot in truth, limited in this very precise, dramatic construct. As one reads the text of the play it becomes very obvious to the reader (and also to the audience when this piece is in performance), that Williamson is addressing larger concerns. This is a political play, this is a play about violence, this is a play about hope, and dreams, it is a play about loyalty and treachery, it is a play about idealism, it is a play about male chauvinism, it is a play about nostalgia. There is so much going on in The Club that it would be wrong to write it off as a curio from the Australian theatrical scene of the 1970s.
If there is one aspect of this play that makes certain of its longevity, it is its language. Williams had an excellent year for the Australian voice, especially that used by your archetypal sporting ‘blokes’. The vernacular is there in full panoply, and as an Australian that is comforting and enjoyable to see and hear our slang and our words brought to life. I will admit that this is a very male voice and one that is also coloured by the restriction of all the characters to white Anglo.perspectives. Neither of the characters nor their dialogue give one a diverse representation of a contemporary Australian voice. However, that’s not the point. Williamson is giving the reader, the audience, access to the type of language, and a style of speaking that is still present today, even if it might be hidden underneath a combination of new accents and new words, as well as the more prevalent use of obfuscation in our conversations. Scratch the surface of contemporary meetings of many Australian men today, in many social settings (but particularly in sporting ones) and you will hear echoes of what Williamson wrote. For example, these words from Laurie (the club coach in the play) could be heard today and no one would bat an eyelid:
“I haven’t had the players to come up with the goods, and the reason I haven’t had them is that all through these years, Jack kept thumping the table pointing to those photos, and shouting at the club, had never paid for its campaigns in the past, and it wasn’t going to start now. Alright. He won four premierships. With the players he had, I could’ve won 10. You can’t do this to me Gerry. I’ve worked my guts out for eight years, bringing rat shit teams up off the bottom of the table. If you give me half the names that have been mentioned here tonight, or when you were premiership.”
This might be a rant by a character in a play about Australian Rules from the early 1970s, but there is no way similar sentiments haven’t come out of the mouths of real people in Australia today.
One aspect of The Club that will be problematic to contemporary readers and audiences alike is the misogyny inherent to much of the dialogue. Williamson’s play script is filled with some fairly ugly terms regarding women, combining sexualisation and violence in such a way that will be confronting. The important thing to remember, is that the playwright is not looking for his reader audience to, accept what is characters say.
In fact, Williamson wants us to be disgusted, he wants us to revile these people, and what they say. The character of Jock, the old club stalwart, is particularly awful. A hypocrite, a bully and a mean spirited old twit he has been set up Williamson to be both hated and laughed at. It could be said that there are very few if any characters in the play who escape our antipathy. The aforementioned Laurie is far more acceptable than Jock, or the other back room personalities (Ted, the club President and Gerry, club administrator). Danny and Geoff, the team captain and Star recruit respectively are also less malignant. They are certainly less mealy mouthed, less offensive in their language and personalities than those who sit behind desks in the club’s boardroom.
The Club as a text does suffer a little from its relationship with the 1980 film that was adapted from its initial theatrical production. It’s hard not to hear the movie’s ‘voice’ whilst reading the script. Of course, this is a problem really that is only going to occur to those who have seen the film, and it’s not a big issue.
Well, it all is said and done. This is a classic of Australian dramatic literature. Williamson’s The Club is a seminal work of post-war theatre and the book of the play is a worthy study within that context. It must also said that this is a fairly short and entertaining read. One doesn’t need to be bogged down into grandiloquent language and obtuse dramatic themes when reading this book. It won’t appeal to everyone, however, for those who are interested in Williamson’s work, or would like to explore Australian dramatic literature, or maybe a perplexed, or curious about men and sport It won’t appeal to everyone, however, for those who are interested in Williamsons work, or would like to explore Australian dramatic literature, or maybe a perplexed or curious about men in sport The Club deserved a read.
The important thing about this piece is that it is dated, and yet it’s captures elements or aspects of the character types and themes that Williamson understood to be longer lived than the original context of his work. The Club might be considered to be a comedy that is focused purely on the parochial world of Australian Rules football. Those who play the game, those who run the game, and those who are invested in the game are the primary concern of the play. However, Williamson IsNot in truth, limited in this very precise, dramatic construct. As one reads the text of the play it becomes very obvious to the reader (and also to the audience when this piece is in performance), that Williamson is addressing larger concerns. This is a political play, this is a play about violence, this is a play about hope, and dreams, it is a play about loyalty and treachery, it is a play about idealism, it is a play about male chauvinism, it is a play about nostalgia. There is so much going on in The Club that it would be wrong to write it off as a curio from the Australian theatrical scene of the 1970s.
If there is one aspect of this play that makes certain of its longevity, it is its language. Williams had an excellent year for the Australian voice, especially that used by your archetypal sporting ‘blokes’. The vernacular is there in full panoply, and as an Australian that is comforting and enjoyable to see and hear our slang and our words brought to life. I will admit that this is a very male voice and one that is also coloured by the restriction of all the characters to white Anglo.perspectives. Neither of the characters nor their dialogue give one a diverse representation of a contemporary Australian voice. However, that’s not the point. Williamson is giving the reader, the audience, access to the type of language, and a style of speaking that is still present today, even if it might be hidden underneath a combination of new accents and new words, as well as the more prevalent use of obfuscation in our conversations. Scratch the surface of contemporary meetings of many Australian men today, in many social settings (but particularly in sporting ones) and you will hear echoes of what Williamson wrote. For example, these words from Laurie (the club coach in the play) could be heard today and no one would bat an eyelid:
“I haven’t had the players to come up with the goods, and the reason I haven’t had them is that all through these years, Jack kept thumping the table pointing to those photos, and shouting at the club, had never paid for its campaigns in the past, and it wasn’t going to start now. Alright. He won four premierships. With the players he had, I could’ve won 10. You can’t do this to me Gerry. I’ve worked my guts out for eight years, bringing rat shit teams up off the bottom of the table. If you give me half the names that have been mentioned here tonight, or when you were premiership.”
This might be a rant by a character in a play about Australian Rules from the early 1970s, but there is no way similar sentiments haven’t come out of the mouths of real people in Australia today.
One aspect of The Club that will be problematic to contemporary readers and audiences alike is the misogyny inherent to much of the dialogue. Williamson’s play script is filled with some fairly ugly terms regarding women, combining sexualisation and violence in such a way that will be confronting. The important thing to remember, is that the playwright is not looking for his reader audience to, accept what is characters say.
In fact, Williamson wants us to be disgusted, he wants us to revile these people, and what they say. The character of Jock, the old club stalwart, is particularly awful. A hypocrite, a bully and a mean spirited old twit he has been set up Williamson to be both hated and laughed at. It could be said that there are very few if any characters in the play who escape our antipathy. The aforementioned Laurie is far more acceptable than Jock, or the other back room personalities (Ted, the club President and Gerry, club administrator). Danny and Geoff, the team captain and Star recruit respectively are also less malignant. They are certainly less mealy mouthed, less offensive in their language and personalities than those who sit behind desks in the club’s boardroom.
The Club as a text does suffer a little from its relationship with the 1980 film that was adapted from its initial theatrical production. It’s hard not to hear the movie’s ‘voice’ whilst reading the script. Of course, this is a problem really that is only going to occur to those who have seen the film, and it’s not a big issue.
Well, it all is said and done. This is a classic of Australian dramatic literature. Williamson’s The Club is a seminal work of post-war theatre and the book of the play is a worthy study within that context. It must also said that this is a fairly short and entertaining read. One doesn’t need to be bogged down into grandiloquent language and obtuse dramatic themes when reading this book. It won’t appeal to everyone, however, for those who are interested in Williamson’s work, or would like to explore Australian dramatic literature, or maybe a perplexed, or curious about men and sport It won’t appeal to everyone, however, for those who are interested in Williamsons work, or would like to explore Australian dramatic literature, or maybe a perplexed or curious about men in sport The Club deserved a read.
April 11, 2013
This was on my Year 11 reading list, then we went to see the play - brilliant.
I can vividly remember sitting on a train reading this and being unable to stop laughing out loud that tears formed in my eyes at the bonding between star player and the former one over a joint. Hysterical.
With the present controversies at The Clubs I recalled my reading of this popular play.
As a recently arrived immigrant to Melbourne it was a perfect introduction to the religion of Aussie Rules, and my first date was Hawthorne v Collingwood. One date wonder!
Since then I've seen plays and films by David Williamson, our Aussie Shakespeare.
I can vividly remember sitting on a train reading this and being unable to stop laughing out loud that tears formed in my eyes at the bonding between star player and the former one over a joint. Hysterical.
With the present controversies at The Clubs I recalled my reading of this popular play.
As a recently arrived immigrant to Melbourne it was a perfect introduction to the religion of Aussie Rules, and my first date was Hawthorne v Collingwood. One date wonder!
Since then I've seen plays and films by David Williamson, our Aussie Shakespeare.
July 8, 2018
Classic Williamson! A great send up of Australia's sporting obsession. Must be based on Collingwood!
October 25, 2023
A really brilliant into the culture of a footy club, and the types of characters you're bound to come across. For me, it reminded of my basketball club growing up. I can imagine that any sports club, no matter where it is in the world, has these characters. It's also bloody hilarious. The final lines had me in stitches. Williamson has a way with words, and I'm keen to check out the rest of his work. Looking forward to watching the film too!
April 21, 2025
Re reading this play over the decades shows it’s durability, perhaps requiring an inflationary uptake to the figures quoted. Avarice, greed, pride and power mixed with a mega dose of testosterone and compressed immaturity and we have the oft repeated maelstrom of parasites at football clubs around the world. Gaslighting Machiavellis without finesse. Always a pleasure to read.
January 7, 2022
He's been up his mum and his legless sister and he thinks he's killed his old man!
April 3, 2025
despite my total lack of interest in most sports, reading / watching angry old men shouting at each other was pretty amusing.
April 19, 2012
Like many plays that you read without seeing performed, "The Club" unfortunately seems a little flat on the page but would most definitely make for a fascinating production when brought to life. While the sport of AFL has moved on in popularity and grandeur, it is incredible how apt these themes remain. A very interesting read.
March 16, 2012
Like Don's Party, The Club takes a bunch of seemingly disparate characters, whips them into a frenzy of two-faced interactions and surveys the wreckage before the play's closing. Great one-liners abound, though none vie for the crown held by the 'G'day cunt-features' line of Don's Party.
Read
August 23, 2008isbn,original
March 30, 2014
Loved it. Then again, it was about football, so that was to be expected...
May 19, 2025
Fantastic time capsule of VFL during its evolution into national entertainment.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews