It was a room full of Sydney Swans royalty at the SCG last Wednesday night when former Reserves player Barnaby Howarth launched his book ‘Playing in the Puddles’.

Former Chairman Richard Colless and dual Brownlow Medallist Adam Goodes were among the crowd to launch the book.

Playing in the Puddles is the inspirational story of a type 1 diabetic who was three-quarters through writing his autobiography in 2005 when he had a stroke and was placed on life support after being bashed outside a nightclub in Sydney.

He has teamed up with author Julie Lewthwaite to write his biography – the story of a man who loved the life he was living so much, that being diagnosed with diabetes at 14 then having a stroke at 25 couldn't knock him off the path he wanted to walk.

When he was 18, he was drafted into the AFL by the Sydney Swans, and thought this was at the start of his journey to becoming a somebody.

From there it is a journey of highs and lows for Barnaby. This book tells the story of a man who is proud to be living a normal life. Anybody who feels that "normal" isn't enough needs to read this book.

Click here to purchase Playing in the Puddles by Barnaby Howarth today.