But why Ned Kelly? When I think back, it appears tales of bushrangers and highwaymen have always been a part of my life. I remember as a tot, one of the first stories read to me – as I was too young to read – was Midnite: The Story of a Wild Colonial Boy by Randolph Stow (published in 1967). Midnite was somewhat of a dimwitted young lad who falls into a life of crime, masterminded by his talking Siamese Cat – named Khat – and abetted by his horse, Red Ned. I was magicked away to another world (and in my opinion, still remains one of the best children's books ever written).
By 1978, from across the pond, I was hooked on the LWT series, Dick Turpin, featuring Richard O'Sullivan as the famous highwayman. Then in 1980 came the Australian television series, The Last Outlaw. It starred John Jarratt as Ned Kelly. The series was written, after painstaking research for authenticity, by noted Kelly scholar Ian Jones (author of Ned Kelly: A Short Life). The series was epic in scope, and showed there was a lot more to the Kelly story than simply an outlaw in armor. Once again, through the magic of television, I was transported to another time and place. And, as you may have guessed, it is also where I first came to learn of the fight between Ned and Isaiah Wild Wright (as played by David Bradshaw). By today's film and television standards, the fight depicted was pretty crude, but as it was the climax of the first episode, and richly displayed Kelly's strength of character, the sequence still lingers in my mind thirty-plus years later.
Since then Ned's story has been retold many times in books, film, and documentaries, each of them adding to the myth. Absorbing all this information, it seemed inevitable I would write a story about hiss exploits. Thankfully, through the Fight Card series, I was given the opportunity to look at a unique and character-defining episode in Ned's life that is often overlooked. I hope you enjoyed reading The Iron Fists of Ned Kelly as much as I enjoyed researching and writing it.
David Foster (writing as Jack Tunney)
Melbourne, Australia
October 2014
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FIGHT CARD VOLUME 1
FELONY FISTS
THE CUTMAN
SPLIT DECISION
COUNTERPUNCH
HARD ROAD
KING OF THE OUTBACK
A MOUTH FULL OF BLOOD
TOMATO CAN COMEBACK
BLUFF CITY BRAWLER
GOLDEN GATE GLOVES
IRISH DUKES
THE KNOCKOUT
FIGHT CARD VOLUME 2
RUMBLE IN THE JUNGLE
AGAINST THE ROPES
THE LAST ROUND OF ARCHIE MANNIS
GET HIT, HIT BACK
BROOKLYN BEATDOWN
CAN’T MISS CONTENDER
BAREFOOT BONES
FRONT PAGE PALOOKA
SWAMP WALLOPER
COPPER MOUNTAIN CHAMP
MONSTER MAN
ADVENTURES OF SAILOR TOM SHARKEY
BRIDGEPORT BRAWLER
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GUNS OF NOVEMBER
FIGHT RIVER (Coming Soon)
FIGHT CARD MMA
WELCOME TO THE OCTAGON
THE KALAMAZOO KID
ROSIE THE RIPPER
FIST OF AFRICA
FIGHT CARD ROMANCE
LADIES NIGHT
LOVE ON THE ROPES (Coming Soon)
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RISE OF THE LUCHADORES
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SHERLOCK HOLMES
WORK CAPITOL
BLOOD AT THE BONE (Coming Soon)
FIGHT CARD PRESENTS
CHARITY ANTHOLOGIES
IRON HEAD & OTHER STORIES
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