When Mel fell in love with Ryan 'Hoff' Hoffman, a dedicated young player with the NRL's Melbourne Storm, she had no idea what she was getting into. Firstly, she was from Melbourne, so she didn't even know the rules of rugby league. Secondly, she'd always been more the theatre and literature type - sport was pretty much a mystery to her.
But she soon learned that marrying a professional sportsman means marrying a whole team of players, their managers, fans, wives and girlfriends. She also learned that the rules of the game extended far beyond the field, and as part of the rugby league 'family', she would be expected to fall into line. Two kids and a feminist awakening later, Mel found that while there was much to love about a life in footy, its failures - particularly when it came to women in the game - were impossible to ignore.
In Full Credit to the Boys, Mel charts the highs and lows of life on the sidelines of a professional sport career. Hilarious, biting and unabashed, it's a story for sports lovers and haters alike, an insider's look at a life dedicated to the games that sit at the heart of Australian culture.
