Clinton Walker

Walker records his life-time involvement with football, beginning with his father's football career in the VFA, VAFA and finally as a country footballer in the Bendigo area during the 1950s. Walker's own career as a talented player with prominent junior club, Sherwood, in Brisbane during the early 1970s is also described. Through interviews with former players, officials and fans of elite and grassroots footy, Walker depicts the challenges, problems and successes of various clubs, alongside an account of the emotional effect of football involvement for fans and players. Detailed analyses of Sherwood, (QAFL), Eaglehawk (Bendigo Football League) and Colbinabbin (Heathcote District Football League) are especially interesting. The theme of the transformation of grassroots football's role as a community-binding agent, to one of purely a player feeder system for elite level football, is laced throughout this interesting narrative.… (more)