
Club president Ted Parker (Graham Kennedy) is under pressure to resign, following allegations that he beat up a stripper at a club function. In the committee room, ex-coach Jock Riley (Frank Wilson) and administrator Gerry Cooper (Alan Cassell) engineer his departure, watched by the coach (Jack Thompson). Summary by Paul Byrnes.
A statement of the new realities: Ted has helped create a business without loyalty, which brings about his own demise. His sexual misconduct seems to be largely forgotten, as he becomes a victim. In fact, he’s brought down in a traditional way – betrayed by his so-called 'friends’.
Laurie Holden (Jack Thompson) is coach of a Victorian Football League (VFL) team that hasn’t won a premiership for 19 years. Club president Ted Parker (Graham Kennedy) brings in a star recruit at great expense, but youngster Geoff Hayward (John Howard) is a major disappointment. As the club loses a string of games, the coach, president, committee members and players start to tear each other apart.
The Club is based on one of David Williamson’s most popular plays of the 1970s, but its adaptation to the screen is not entirely successful. Enjoyable as the film is as a satire on Australian sporting tribalism, the film remains stagy, and the performances unmodulated. The aggressive dialogue that worked so well in a theatre becomes a bit more like a shouting match on film, and some of the comedy disappears.
The play was set in an unnamed club that was obviously Collingwood, the team that Williamson grew up supporting (before he switched to the Sydney Swans). The film was largely shot in Collingwood’s old headquarters at Victoria Park, and clearly identifies the team as Collingwood.
Although its characters are fictional, the types are instantly recognisable to audiences: the self-made Ted Parker, a meat pie millionaire; the scheming Jock, a drunken buffoon with a mean streak (Frank Wilson); the oily administrator (Alan Cassell), plotting the demise of both Parker and the coach (Jack Thompson). The less familiar character – and the least believable – is the Tasmanian star played by John Howard, who arrives at the club as the most expensive recruit in league history and then refuses to play, because he’s having an existential crisis.
The play was written at a specific time, when professionalism was taking over the game and changing the idea of club loyalty among players and coaches. It was intended as a satire, not just on sport, but society in general, and masculine codes of behaviour in particular. While some of it is now less potent, much still resonates.
Notes by Paul Byrnes
This clip shows the ruthless internal politics of a fictional Australian Rules football club. Club president Ted Parker (Graham Kennedy) is put under pressure to resign after allegations of sexual misconduct have surfaced in the press. Ted vigorously defends his position to the committee and reveals his determination to survive the media onslaught. The guarded comments of ex-coach Jock Riley (Frank Wilson) and administrator Gerry Cooper (Alan Cassell) develop into open attacks on Ted. Ted’s fate is sealed when current coach Laurie Holden (Jack Thompson) suggests that Ted should bow out gracefully.
Education notes provided by The Learning Federation and Education Services Australia
This clip starts approximately 1 hour 4 minutes into the feature.
We see men standing tensely around the committee room.
Coach Exactly how badly was she hurt?
Ted Parker I hardly touched her. By the time the press have got through with it, it will sound like we went 15 rounds.
Coach Well, who told the press?
Jock Riley God knows we did everything possible to keep it quiet at this end.
Ted You need me around here, Gerry. I’ve fought a pitched battle against the entrenched forces of conservatism and won! In fact, I’ve been so bloody successful those very same forces have turned around and adopted my ideas as if they were their own!
Gerry Cooper Are you referring to me?
Ted Yes, I am referring to you! Because of what I’ve done, we’re going to have the greatest years we’ve ever had. We’re going to have a triumph that will make the famous years of the ‘20s look pale by comparison, and I’m going to be here while it’s happening. No little trollop’s going to deprive me of that. The committee will stick by me to a man.
Gerry Wanna bet?
Ted Stake my life on it.
Gerry Then you’re a dead man. I’m going to move that you stand down.
Ted You won’t get it seconded.
Gerry Wanna bet?
Ted You’ll never get the numbers. Ian and Kevin and Jeff are my personal friends.
There is silence in the room.
Jock If the feeling around the committee is that you should resign, Ted, it’s not necessarily that we don’t believe you’re innocent, or we’re not your friends. It’s just that the committee, unfortunately, has to face realities. The reality is that we can’t afford to jeopardise the credibility of the club by retaining a president who’s… erred in the way the public is going to… (coughs) …think you’ve erred.
Ted What kind of logic is that?
Jock Business logic, Ted. You brought it to this club. And you were right. Loyalty to any one individual is a luxury we can’t afford in a business with a multimillion-dollar turnover. You’ll get my vote to retain you, of course. But if the consensus goes the other way, I hope you’ll understand their viewpoint.
Coach They’re going to get you, Ted. Give up gracefully.
Ted I’ve had my differences with you, Laurie, but I’ve been a good president. Not a – not a great one, but a good one. They won’t throw me out if I lay my record on the line.
Coach You’ve served your purpose, Ted. They don’t need you anymore. If they didn’t need me, they’d sack me too.
More silence.
Ted Well… no-one’s going to sack me. I’ve just resigned.
Jock Oh, I’m sorry this has happened, Ted. You have been a good president. You certainly won’t be forgotten. You fought to get me my job here.
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