Callinan plays Troy Carrington, a football player who had a quick and inglorious pro career and has returned to the small country town of Bodgy Creek to live out his days. He has become somewhat of a recluse after his embarrassingly short footie career and becoming a town outcast by helping via a protest to close down the town’s main business, a lumber mill.

He spends his days making bad wine on the farm he inherited from his late father. His life changes dramatically when he meets the young boy Neil Barlow (Rafferty Grierson) and his mother Angie (Kate Mulvany). Angie talks Troy into helping save the local football club, which he does by convincing a rag-tag group of immigrants into joining the club. This does not sit well with many of the locals.

The film wears its heart on its sleeve but this is one of its charms, that and lambasting redneck humour in the kindest possible way. The way things come together at the end while being completely predictable is still utterly charming and not devoid of making a statement. Sugar makes the medicine go down easy.

Rob Hudson
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The township of Bodgy Creek has seen better days: the population is dwindling, jobs are scarce & the litter has built up around the fading Tidy Town sign. The next victim of the town’s decline is the cash strapped Aussie Rules footy club.

Barely able to field a team, the club is reeling from news that their clubrooms have been condemned due to asbestos contamination. A left field solution to their woes comes in the form of former football star Troy Carrington [Damian Callinan] Having fallen out with the community over leading protests that led to the closure of the local timber mill, Troy is living a hermit like existence on the towns fringe. However, he is coaxed into coaching after striking up an unlikely friendship with young Neil [Rafferty Grierson] who is struggling with the recent loss of his father. Teaming up with Neil’s mum Angie [Kate Mulvany], who is running a nearby refugee support centre, they conspire to recruit refugees to save the team.

However, the plan is not well received by Neil’s Grandad & Club President Bull Barlow [John Howard], who leads a concerted protest to undermine the refugee plan. For all Troy’s good intentions, his initial efforts to turn this rabble into a team seems to be faltering. Aside from the brilliant Sayyid [Fayssal Bassi] the team are going backwards & some of the players resent the newcomers.

Slowly, the team begins to gel & the refugees assimilate into the community. Bull, having formed a friendship with his new neighbour Sayyid through shared grief, jumps on board the bandwagon as the Roosters head towards the finals. However as a Grand Final win emerges as a possibility, Troy’s becomes myopic in his quest for redemption & loses sight of what has already been achieved It takes Angie to reveal that ‘The Merger’ has already worked.

The Merger is in cinemas September 6 with advance preview screenings September 1-2!
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To enter this great competition just fill in the entry form below. Please note – these tickets are for a specific screening only and can not be exchanged or refunded. The winners will need to be available on Thursday August 30 at 6:30pm in Brisbane to be able to attend this screening at Dendy Coorparoo Brisbane.

Competition will be drawn 28 August 2018, winners will be notified by email.