Overview

Norm Smith is regarded by many as the greatest coach in the history of the Australian Football League, having transformed a battling Melbourne FC into a League heavyweight that won six premierships in 10 seasons (1955-64).

In this meticulously researched monument to Smith's life – enriched by the recollections of more than 100 people, many of whom had played with or under the Demon dictator – author Ben Collins lays bare the man behind the legend... in all his glories and foibles.

In this most captivating analysis of Smith, a portrait emerged of a frightfully hard and brutally honest coach who was ruthless in football but possessed disarming compassion away from the game.

This is his story, concurrent with that of his older brother and fellow coach Len Smith, from their childhood in tough, working-class Northcote during the Depression to their status as the most influential coaches of their generation.

About the author

Ben Collins

Ben Collins is a full-time writer at The Slattery Media Group, and the author of several books. His career in journalism began in 1997 as a cadet with The Courier in Ballarat. He then worked with Fairfax Community Newspapers before becoming one of the original reporters with the Herald & Weekly Times’ free commuter publication, MX, in 2001. He was the co-author of Jason McCartney: After Bali – the highest-selling non-fiction book by an Australian author in 2003. 

Look inside

Download PDF excerpt.