The Milk, a book about 40 years following the Canberra Raiders and the game of rugby league, is a mix of reportage, memoir, love story, war story and a few other stories that explores, and attempts to explain, the self-inflicted madness of the footy fan.

Each chapter focuses on an era around one of 20 key games and runs parallel with the author's journey which began as a 12-year-old at Seiffert Oval in 1982, peaked across the premierships of the Meninga Dynasty, fell off with Super League and the birth of the Brumbies and a few other things (notably the joys of Prague), yet crept insidiously back into the author's consciousness and burns as hot today as it did in '82.

The Milk is not definitive history of the Canberra Raiders, it's a history. It's an entertaining, often funny, occasionally ranty look at 40 years of fandom for the Canberra Raiders, the great enigma of Australian rugby league.

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What they said:
"Reading Matt Cleary is like having a yarn at the pub with a funny and well-informed mate. He's a son of the Capital. This is the book he was meant to write.” – Jeff Centenara, Inside Sport.

“Matt is one of Australian sport’s great storytellers. As a feature writer for Rugby League Week over many years, he was a master at producing engaging yarns chock-full of wit, one-liners and 'Cleary- isms'." - Mitch Dale, Rugby League Week.

“South Sydney fans don’t usually have much time for the Raiders - they’ve got more than a few passages in our Book of Feuds. But even rusted-on Rabbitohs will enjoy The Milk.” – Brad Ryder, author, Life Member and club historian of South Sydney Rabbitohs.

“I hate the Raiders as much as Raiders' fans hate Manly. But I got right into The Milk. He can tell a yarn, this bloke." – Bill Chapman, mate from golf. 

About the author:

Matt Cleary is a sports writer who has contributed to dozens of sports and travel journals in Australia and overseas. He is the author of A Short History of Golf. He lives on the northern beaches of Sydney, enjoys golf, Balter XPA, rib-eye steak, swimming between the flags at South Steyne with his three boys, eating out with his darling wife, and planning road trips to Raiders games. Click here to read him at TheMilk.substack.com.