When history teacher Matt Bashir is promoted to Principal of a notoriously violent Boys' school in Sydney's south-west, his radical approach brings him into conflict and leaves his personal life dangerously exposed. But just when he seems to be making progress, a 17-year-old student is found dead on school grounds.

John Grant is returning to Sydney after a year teaching at a one-classroom school in the Outback. Shortly after hitting the road, he collides with a kangaroo, and finds himself marooned in a small mining town, awaiting repairs on his car. With little to do but drink beer, John is seduced into a raucous, illegal game of two-up. After a short, exhilarating winning streak, he loses everything, which triggers a dangerous series of events that render John a broken and desperate man.