... the strange thing that happened was I realised sport wasn't my life. I realised that I had an abundance of sporting talent, but I took it for granted because it meant more to my fans than me.

Against the backdrop of community football, the heir to a sweeping family fortune and the son of a prominent bikie gang leader become unlikely friends. Billy Kickett and Lenny Leaper are from opposite sides of the track but as they compete in the same sport and vie for the same honours, they find their lives becoming entwined.

Under the shadow of their family's bitter and contentious past, the two boys push each other to elevate their game to new heights. But in the brutal world of sporting competition, friendship and rivalry can become virtually indistinguishable. When Billy suffers an injury in a match scrimmage with his friend, both their lives, their families and their supporters are threatened with consequences they never expected.

In David Ryan's The Medal, one moment catapults a friendship into a bitter rivalry from which there may be no return. In the passion and intensity of Australian Rules Football, the price for ambition is high and forgiveness has its limits. When all hope seems shattered, can meaning be found again?