While the book is set around a football team making the grand finals, it explores many other issues. Through the central character Gary "Blacky" Black issues of racism, relationships, differences and acceptance are examined.
Blacky, the main character in Deadly Unna? narrates the story of a year in his life. The novel has two parts to it, a winter and a summer. Winter is the football season and this year Blacky is sure they"ll make it to the grand final where he says to Arks, "Don't worry, we"re gunna win this one." Gwynne (1998:19). They do make it to the grand final and they do win the game. This is the first footy game they win in thirty eight years. But before they do win it, there are many issues Blacky goes through, one of the major ones being racism.
The book is set in Adelaide, where there are two main towns: The Port is a little country town and is where most of the non-indigenous people in live, including Blacky. Then, there is the Point. This used to be a former Aboriginal mission settlement. The only people who live at the Point are Aboriginals. Football provides the only point of contact between the two communities, besides some of the Aboriginals coming to the Port to buy some of their supplies. Near the beginning of the novel Blacky is introduced to Dumby. Blacky describes Dumby as having "perfect teeth", "he wasn't tall, but not short either. Slim, athletic looking. He had long hair, shoulder length.". Gwynne (1998:22,23). Blacky didn't like Dumby at that point of time and when Pickles asked if Dumby was a mate of Blacky, Blacky said, "No way. Not him, I hate his guts," Gwynne (1998:25). But after a few footy games with Dumby, Blacky "started to like him". Mad Dog had started fighting Blacky and Blacky couldn't get away from him. As soon as Dumby saw what was happening, he saved Blacky from Mad Dog. From that day, Blacky let anyone know that he was friends with Dumby and "it was just the excuse he needed.
