The Final Winter

In the early 1980s Australian rugby league was in a state of upheaval. Crowds were dwindling and corporate pressures were bearing heavily upon the game’s traditions.

Central character Mick ‘Grub’ Henderson, played by Matt Nable, who also wrote the film’s screenplay, embodies the old school of rugby league. “Your only job is to hurt the person in front of you,” he tells his players before leading them onto the field as their captain.

Grub’s Newtown Jets (back when the Jets had a first grade team) are taking on the St George Dragons in a rough game. In a heated moment Grub callously elbows his younger brother Trent, who plays for the opposing team. This it sets off a narrative fundamentally about one man’s struggle to keep his life together while his football career and family life fall apart around him.

Grub’s violent actions are also shown to be selfish as they cost the Jets the game. “Hope that felt good because you just (expletive) our season! (Expletive) selfish (expletive)!” shouts coach Jack Cooper, played by former league Matthew Johns, who pulls off the dramatic role well in his big screen debut. It should be said now that The Final Winter contains a lot of swearing, which makes it a realistic depiction of life on the football field, but also might make it offensive to some viewers.

Grub is put on report his actions, putting into doubt Grub’s chances of playing any more games that season. As the story evolves, it may be the last of Grub’s career.

Grub’s attack on Trent is also revealed to be the symptom of a festering jealousy that he has had against his younger brother since childhood. To compound this jealousy, club owner Murray ‘Colgate’ Perry, played to sickeningly arrogant perfection by John Jarratt, woos Trent to join the Jets with an eastern suburbs house and flash car. Trent is the first of the new era of superstar player who can attract big dollars for pulling big crowds and marks the changeover of the game into professionalism.

Grub’s jealousy of Trent is reminiscent of Cain’s jealousy of Abel in Genesis 4. Just as Cain is inappropriately jealous of the favour Abel receives from God for his good offering, Grub is jealous of the generous rewards Trent receives for his ability. Instead of taking joy in Trent’s good fortune, Grub chooses to add this to the list of reasons to hate his brother. It reminds us of the expectation we have as Christians to “rejoice with those who rejoice” (Romans 12) rather than coveting our neighbour’s possessions (Exodus 20).

As Grub’s football career falls apart, he is forced to spend more time at home. It becomes apparent that his obsession with sport has made him neglect his own family. Grub snaps at his wife and his daughters with little provocation. He heads to the pub for a drink whenever things get heated or even if he’s just bored. When his wife brings this to his attention, he yells, “What have I got now? I’ve got nothing! What am I supposed to be without football?” His wife is understandably hurt and angered by Grub’s assertions.

Jesus asks his disciples, “What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?” Despite having two children with his wife, Grub has given the best of his adult years, his heart and soul, to football. What good will it do Grub if he goes down in history as the greatest league player of all time but fails to love his family? While deeper spiritual questions about man relating to God are not raised in The Final Winter, Grub is shown to have erred as he fails to love his family properly.

Grub is good at blaming those around him and fails miserably at acknowledging his wrongs and taking responsibility for his actions. As it is written in 1 John, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” It’s only as others continually show mercy to Grub that he realises what it means to forgive and seek forgiveness to repair relationships.

The Final Winter depicts Grub’s painful journey as he struggles to make amends with his brother, his family, the judiciary and adjust to life without football. Grub is forced to accept the life he has, be a man and make do with what he has been given.

As God’s beings in God’s creation, will we merely grudgingly accept our lot in life, or will we be thankful to God and make the best of the many good things he has given us?

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