Experienced journalist Peter Ryan has spent 2009 ensconced in Collingwood’s inner sanctum and has seen first-hand the personalities, pressure, discipline, ambition and compassion that drive the club. It was a wild ride as Collingwood chased its first premiership since 1990, a test of character, brains and strength.
The Club has collaborated with The Slattery Media Group to publish 'Side by Side, A Season With Collingwood' and will release the book on November 11th 2009. The book will be hardback of more than 430 pages. A members’ only edition has been produced and is available exclusively through the club. Included exclusively in the members’ edition is a special series of photos showing scenes from inside the Lexus Centre and the rooms.
With the full endorsement and support of the club 'Side by Side' provides insights never before gleaned of an Australian sporting powerhouse.
“The book is compelling and I can guarantee you that no story ever written in newspaper or book previously published has come close to getting an insight into what the clubs and football are actually about.”
- Eddie McGuire, President Collingwood Football Club
Order the special members' edition of 'Side by Side'
Following is Collingwood captain Nick Maxwell’s foreword for the book.
Foreword
By Nick Maxwell, Collingwood captain
It is hard to allow someone into the inner sanctum of the club. They are entrusted with secrets, strategies and personal information – not just about individuals but the club as a whole. Through his professionalism and honest and open nature, Pete Ryan earned the respect and trust of the group to represent fully and frankly the intricacies of one year in the rolling history of the Collingwood Football Club.
Pete has captured the individual stories of the people who make our club tick, from the head coach and the players to the volunteers who put in hours of thankless work. While the media and general public analyse and critique our performances every week, more often than not the hard work, the struggles and the emotion associated with being part of an AFL club remain in the shadows.
We understand this comes hand-in-hand with the industry we work in, but it is good for supporters and the public to understand what happens behind the scenes. We too have to deal with the loss of loved ones, the pressure of performing on the big stage, the stresses and emotion of family issues, coping with injury, and the fear of failure. We are not robots. Believe it or not, we don’t mean to make mistakes. It hurts us more than anyone when we do, knowing we have cost our team a goal or let down the coach or our teammates.
I hope, by reading Side By Side – the story of Collingwood in 2009 – you too can develop an understanding of what it is that defines our great football club.
