The Club (1980 film)

The Club
The Club - (DVD cover)
Directed by	Bruce Beresford
Written by	David Williamson
Starring	Jack Thompson John Howard Graham Kennedy
Production company	South Australian Film Corporation New South Wales Film Corporation
Distributed by	Roadshow
Release date	18 September 1980
Running time	96 minutes
Country	Australia
Language	English
Box office	A$899,000 (Australia)

The Club is a satirical play by Australian playwright David Williamson. It follows the fortunes of an Australian rules football club over the course of a season, and explores the clashes of individuals from within the club. It was inspired by the backroom dealings and antics of the Victorian Football League's Collingwood Football Club.

The play was first staged by the Melbourne Theatre Company on 24 May 1977 at the Russell Street Theatre. It toured Australia-wide, breaking all previous box office records, and had seasons in Germany, the United States (where it ran under the name Players) and the United Kingdom. It is popular with amateur theatre groups and secondary school students, having been in the senior English syllabi for four Australian states for many years.

In 2007, The Club was re-produced and toured throughout Australia, starring John Wood.

A film version was produced in 1980, written by David Williamson, directed by Bruce Beresford and starring John Howard, Jack Thompson, Graham Kennedy and Frank Wilson. The film was described as a "hilarious, sharply observed slice of life".

The film features Mike Brady's 1978 football anthem "Up There Cazaly".

The club pay a high price for Tasmanian recruit, Geoff Hayward (Howard). Geoff does not play well initially, infuriating the dedicated coach, Laurie Holden (Thompson). With the club playing so badly, Laurie's coaching days look to be over soon.