In a League of Their Own (ATOM Study Guide)

In a League of Their Own follows Australia's first all-black football team through their first season in the big league in 2007 and 2008. After more than thirty years of running their own competition in a remote island community off the coast of Darwin, the Tiwi Bombers set out to prove that their fast, intuitive style of football can beat the long-established teams of the Northern Territory Football League (NTFL).

From the outset there is opposition from the other clubs as their top Tiwi players are signed to the Tiwi Bombers. It looks like a Tiwi dream team will come together to annihilate the established clubs. After a long winning streak through the first half of the season the Tiwi Bombers appear to be unbeatable. But there are unseen dangers lurking behind their apparent success. The young players commitment to steer clear of drugs and alcohol is severely tested. Riding high on success they lose their resolve and attendance at training drops. Their winning streak comes to an end and they struggle to maintain their place in the top four teams.

The tropical rains begin and the dirt roads that connect the communities turn to mud. Getting the team together to train is more difficult than ever. The players and their mentors look to the past and the strength of their tribal ancestors for inspiration. The captains and coaches remind the younger players that they have inherited this opportunity from the decades of struggle by their fathers and grandfathers.

The Tiwi Bombers make a last ditch effort to make it into the finals series. After losing their first finals game, it comes down to one game. The pressure is unbearable. The weather couldn't be worse. Training is almost impossible. The highly emotional climax to this journey is unavoidable. The cost of their inexperience and lack of discipline is crushing for the players and the club but the message for the Tiwi Islands community is to get back up and fight another day.