Dan’s Story
With 18 published books since 2014, Dr Dan Eddy is one of Australia’s most prolific non-fiction authors. His sole works are King Richard: The Story of Dick Reynolds, Essendon Legend (2014), Skills of Australian Football (2016), the critically acclaimed Larrikins & Legends: The Untold Story of Carlton’s Greatest Era (2017), Always Striving: The Key Moments that have Made the Essendon Football Club (2017), The Norm Smith Medallists (2018), Crimmo: The Peter Crimmins Story (2020), A Football Genius: The Peter Hudson Story (2022) & Brilliance and Brutality: Richmond, Carlton & the Grand Finals of 1969, 1972 & 1973 (2023). He was also commissioned by Essendon Football Club to write the club’s official 150-year history, The Red & Black Collection (2022).
Dan has also co-written The Will to Fly (2016), the inspirational true story of Winter Olympics Gold medallist Lydia Lassila, Champions: Conversations with Great Players & Coaches of Australian Football (2016), The Shinboners: The Complete History of the North Melbourne Football Club since 1869 (2017), Nova: Finding My Voice (2018), Grand Finals Volume III (2019), Legends of the Australian Football Hall of Fame (2019), The Three-Peat: History of Hawthorn Football Club 2009-2021 (2022), We Are Geelong: The Pictorial Story of Geelong’s Campaign to Win a 10th VFL/AFL Premiership (2022) & Collingwood Forever: The Epic Story of Collingwood’s 2023 Premiership (2023).
Mental Health Advocate
In 2018, speaking at the Hero Round Table conference in Yarram, Dan revealed the challenges he has faced as a sufferer of major depression, anxiety and Asperger’s Syndrome. In a raw and honest discussion, he spoke of how writing and a supportive family have enabled him to flourish individually despite his mental health struggles. Dan’s story is an inspirational one and demonstrates the power of setting goals and chasing your dreams as a means of managing the difficulties of a mental illness.
“Dan’s talk brought a hush to the hall as every pair of ears absorbed the details. His genuine presentation showed no signs of artifice; it was simply an invitation into a world of uncertainty, in which Dan’s allies have supported him throughout.”
Matt Langdon, Founder of the Hero Round Table
In 2013, Dan successfully completed a Master of Arts degree at Victoria University. Then, in 2016, he was awarded a scholarship through Federation University Australia to write his PhD on Australian Football Hall of Fame Legend, Alex Jesaulenko, which was completed in 2019. He has also been published in Inside Sport Magazine and the AFL Grand Final Record.
Dan and his son Ernie live in Leongatha, in Victoria’s picturesque Gippsland region, with their loyal sidekick Dennis the border collie.
