[Press Release by Film Camp]
The teams are Wests and Manly. The year is 1978, and it was a climatic game to a year of furious rivalry and brutal football. Produced by Philippa Campey and directed by Paul Oliver, The Fibros And The Silvertails is the story of the feud between two football teams that turned into a war about class and alleged corruption.
“I remember listening to that game on the radio,” reminisces Oliver. “I was ten and was so nervous I couldn’t bear to listen to it with my family. I locked myself in my room and said the rosary, praying for divine support on the side of Wests. Unfortunately, it was not to be.”
“For 30 years, I have often thought about that game and season – the closest Wests ever came to winning a premiership since 1952. I wondered about the controversy surrounding referee Greg Hartley, the disallowed tries and the missed tackle counts. I wondered about the invention of the words ‘fibros’ and ‘silvertails’ and how this idea fuelled the passions of players and supporters. I wanted to hear what the main characters had to say now.”
So Oliver went on to go back and recall this era in sporting history to investigate these burning questions.
The Fibros And The Silvertails premiered with sold out sessions at the Sydney Film Festival and Paul Oliver won the Best Documentary AWGIE Award in 2008.
Produced with Screen Australia and in association with the ABC, the film will be independently released by Film Camp on DVD after the broadcast.
The Fibros And The Silvertails will be broadcast on ABC TV on Thursday 9th October at 9.35pm.