– Updated 28 June 2026
By Greg Blood
List of books and films covering Australian sport in 2026 that tell the story of specific sports, athletes, teams, events and issues. Includes books by Australian authors/editors published overseas.
Links to publisher website where available. Updated during 2026.
Athletics
- That Race : Stawell ’96 – 15 Inspiring Stories by David Griffin. Wilkinson, 2026.
Australian Football
- Deal Maker: The Secret World of AFL Recruiting and Trading by Peter Ryan and Scott Clayton. Hardie Grant, 2026.
- Peter Daicos: My Family’s Story. Hardie Grant, 2026.
- Famous Flags: Great Local Grand Final by Toby Priome. Simon & Schuster, 2026.
- Give them a Pep Talk and go to the Races: Victoria v Soputh Australia, 15 June 1963 by Michael Sexton, Sportswords, 2026.
Cricket
- Ball of the Century by Brendan Cooper. Constable, 2026.
- Blue Caps to New Zealand : The NSW Tour of 1923-24 by Peter Lloyd and Pat Rodgers, 2025
- The Boy from Inverell, Arthur Watson OBE by Ron Cardwell and Pat Rodgers, 2026
- Blue Gum and Willow: Northern District Cricket Club : centenary book of records & statistics : 1925 to 2025 by Hilary Griffith. NThe Club, 2026.
- 100 Not Out: Celebrating a Century of Country Cricket by Ken Piesse. Wilkinson, 2026. (Forthcoming)
- The Life and Times of Frederick Robert Spofforth ed. Ron Cardwell, Cricket Publishing., 2026.
- The Philadelphia Story…the Australians of 1912 by Steve Smith. 2026.
- Johnny Mullagh & Mortals by James Merchant
- Larwood’s First Tour. MCC in Australia 1928-29 by David Somerville.
Cycling
- Wheel Life 3 – Cycling Recollections of the 1990s and 2000s by Ben Schofield, Dec 2025
Issues in Sport
- Champions Do Extra: Lessons Learned in Footy and life to build a Winning Mindset by Brad Thorn. HarperCollins Publishers, 2026
- The Sport Economist : Australian Sport by the Numbers by Tim Harcourt. : Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2026.
Rugby League
- Alternative arenas : the Brisbane Rugby League Referee’s Association centenary 1926-2026 by Scott Irvine. 2026.
- The Great Grand Finals : Rugby League’s Greatest Contests. 4th ed. by Liam Hauser. New Holland, 2026.
- Jumping Jack by Gary Jack and Adam Hawse. Fair Play Publishing, 2026.
- Marooned: Marooned: A Memoir of Fandom, Fatherhood, and the Far Side of the World by Darren Groth. Hawkeye Publishing, 2026.
Rugby Union
- The People Who Built GPS Rugby Club : 1887-2025 by Mark Oberhardt. GPS Rugby Club, 2026.
Surf Life Saving
- Beyond the Beach Vol 1 & 2 One Hundred and One Summers of the Palm Beach Surf Club. Halstead Press, 2026.
Swimming
- Alexa Leary. Sink or Swim. Penguin, 2026.
Documentaries & Films
Athletics
- The Long Run, Channel 9/ Stan, 2026 (inside look at the powerful stories behind the Indigenous Marathon Project (IMP).
Australian Sport
- Forging Champions, Channel 9, 2025 (Documentary on the Australian Institute of Sport through the eyes opf its athletes)
Australian Football
- Ground Up, ABC (Satirisation of the controversy surrounding Tasmania’s $1.13 billion multi-purpose Macquarie Point stadium)
- Final Siren: Inside the AFL, Prime, 2026 ( Follows six AFL clubs – Melbourne, Western Bulldogs, GWS GIANTS, Fremantle, Gold Coast SUNS, and 2025 Premiers the Brisbane Lions through 2025 AFL season).
Football
- Wogball: Australia’s Beautiful Game, SBS, 2026.
Horse Racing
- J-Mac, Racing NSW, 2026. (Jockey James McDonald)
Swimming
- Sink or Swim : Michael Klim, ABC Australian Story, 2026.
- Deep End: The Scott Miller Story. ABC, 2026.
Tennis
- Goolagong, ABC Iview, 2026 (TV series on Evonne Goolagong Cawley)
Previous lists
Leave a ReplyCancel reply