by Steven Lynch
Sunday, December 29, 2002

The walk from the centre of Melbourne to the MCG is a pleasant one, mainly downhill, mostly leafy, especially if you detour through Fitzroy Gardens and past Captain Cook's Cottage. But persons of a sporting disposition sometimes walk up from the Flinders Street clocks or jump off the tram when it squeals to a halt at the Exhibition Street stop.

Because that's the home of Melbourne Sports Books, the local equivalent of London's Sportspages. Most sports known to man are represented on the shelves, although the Aussie Rules section is somewhat larger than a Pom might expect. There's even an Aussie Rules version of Monopoly - for Mayfair and Park Lane read Carlton and Collingwood.

There's a surprising amount of English soccer books, too, and cricket gets a couple of chunky bookshelves, with Wisden (the Aussie-green one, mainly) getting a shelf of its own.

The shop's owner is something of a local legend. Everyone knows Santo Caruso - and most people with an interest in sport would have received something from Santo's in their Christmas stocking.

He set up shop about 11 years ago, spotting the absence of a specialist sporting bookshop. For around nine years Santo operated in an upstairs location in Elizabeth Street - next to one of Melbourne's myriad McDonald's - where the books were laid out on lowish tables that gave you lumbago if you carried too many of them around.

A couple of years ago Santo and his staff (which, over the years, seems to have included most of his family) moved uphill and upmarket to a more conventional shop. (The old one is now an internet café.) "Yes, it's better here," says Santo. "Nearer the cricket and the tennis, you see."

Santo is a regular on Melbourne's diverse radio stations, where he plugs his books in an endearing way. He leaves out the official titles and says things like "We've got the new Ricky Ponting, and Chris Cairns has just come in."

He's a regular guest on Melbourne's dedicated sports radio station, Sport 927. It's rather keen on horse-racing, but the weekday morning show is another local legend. Hosted by Kevin Bartlett (an Aussie Rules hero unlucky not to get his own Monopoly square), its phone-ins are fabulously one-eyed. For years every other caller was advocating the return of Dean Jones to the Australian side, and now Matthew Elliott gets similar treatment, if slightly less hero-worship. Currently the travails of Carlton - the once-mighty Aussie Rules side facing financial problems - are chewed over regularly.

Bartlett has had a few sidekicks over the years. Simon O'Donnell had a trot, but a personal favourite was Doctor Turf (I never did find out his real name). He was put out to grass a few years ago, and Gary Honey, an Olympic long-jumper, has just finished a two-year stint. The name of his replacement is eagerly awaited.

Deano is the hot favourite. And Santo would be a close second.

Steven Lynch is editor of Wisden.com.

To order a book (or a Monopoly set) from Santo go to
www.melsportsbooks.com.au

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