110 Per Cent: Great Australian Sporting Speeches.

'110 percent: Great Australian Sporting Speeches' required extensive research because there is no tradition in this country of preserving sports speeches. I spent many pleasant hours in libraries seeking moments of verbal eloquence from those who express themselves best with their bodies. In the book's introduction I hark back to the oratory of the bush footy coaches I heard in my youth, and express hope that future generations will do more to record key speeches.

The book was published 48 years after Alan Killigrew revved up his men as per the following passage, but reading his words still gives me an adrenaline jolt. These sort of speeches are important artefacts of our culture and should be preserved.

"All right, I can't tell you how to win. I can't put blood in your heart. I can't push the blood through to work your muscles. Heart is something you gotta have on your own. Now North has won only five times here in 40 years. Well, what are you going to do? Are you going to be one of those teams who couldn't or one of those who can?"