Specky Magee and the Season of Champions

by Felice Arena

  The Great McCarthy wasn’t impressed.

  ‘Hey, what’re you doing? You’ve ruined a bloody good cigger!’

  ‘Yeah, well, bad luck!’ answered Tiger Girl. She didn’t seem at all intimidated by the senior boys.

  ‘No friend of mine is going to take up a disgusting habit like that,’ she replied, taking Specky’s hand and pushing her way past the Great McCarthy and his mates.

  ‘Hey, Footy Legend, I didn’t realise you were married!’ yelled Rick.

  ‘Guess we know who wears the pants in your household!’ shouted the Great McCarthy after him, breaking out into laughter with the other boys.

  Embarrassed, Specky still allowed himself to be dragged off by Tiger Girl. He had no choice anyway – she seemed pretty determined. Eventually, they sat down on a secluded bench between the Art and Woodwork buildings – where no one could see them.

  ‘So, I saved you again,’ grinned Tiger Girl, her green eyes twinkling. ‘If you’re serious about footy, you won’t pick up a cigarette again – they’ll ruin your fitness. Besides, smoking can eventually kill you.’

  ‘Yeah, I suppose.’

  Specky smiled back, unsure why he was suddenly feeling nervous.

  ‘That bully this morning – Derek Johnson, right? Looked like he was giving you a hard time.’

  ‘Nah, he wasn’t really,’ scoffed Specky, trying to act as if Screamer didn’t worry him at all. He could see that Tiger Girl didn’t believe him. ‘Well, maybe he does like to have a go at me sometimes, but it’s nothing I can’t handle,’ he tagged on.

  ‘I hope you didn’t mind me kissing you. Thought I’d give your mates a bit of a thrill. And maybe you, too!’ said Tiger Girl cheekily.

  Specky blushed, his face glowing as bright as an electric stove plate. He wondered why this pretty Year 9 girl was paying so much attention to him, and for a moment thought about asking, but got distracted when Tiger Girl suddenly closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

  ‘Are you okay?’ asked Specky.

  ‘Yeah, I’ll be fine. Just feeling a little tired, that’s all.’

  ‘Has it got something to do with you being at the doctor’s the other day?’

  Tiger Girl’s smile vanished.

  ‘No! It’s nothing,’ she snapped. It was obvious that she wasn’t keen to talk about it. ‘What about you? Why were you there?’ she asked quickly, changing the subject.

  Specky told Tiger Girl about his growth-spurt pains, and how he wasn’t allowed to play footy for a while. Tiger Girl was sympathetic, which made him feel a bit better, but then he remembered how he had lied to Coach Pate and he felt terrible again. It wasn’t long, though, before the conversation turned to footy, and for the rest of lunchtime the two spoke non-stop about Richmond’s last game, the Tigers’ past greats Kevin Bartlett and, of course, Jack Dyer – ‘Captain Blood’, and whether or not Danny Frawley was the right coach to take them to their first flag since 1980.

  After school that day, Specky ran through the front door of his house, to discover a letter waiting for him on the kitchen counter. It was from the Great Footy Contest organisers. He excitedly ripped opened the envelope and read the official-looking document.

  Dear Simon

  Congratulations on being selected as one of the Great Footy Contest winners. As a winner of this prestigious nationwide competition you will be awarded the experience of a lifetime: to travel to Ireland or the USA and represent Australia as one of twenty Young Ambassadors of Australian Rules Football. The two-week trip is scheduled to take place between the 31st August and the 14th September, this year.

  We invite you and a parent or guardian to join us at the Hyatt Hotel, Melbourne, for a celebration dinner hosted by Ron Barassi. The aim of the dinner is to give you a chance to meet the organisers, your trip chaperones and the other contest winners. We’ll also be announcing which country you’ve been selected to visit. If you’re an interstate winner (outside Victoria), you’ll also find enclosed two airline tickets and reservations for accommodation, courtesy of Qantas and the Hyatt Group.

  Please refer to the attached sheet outlining date, time and address details of the dinner.

  We look forward to seeing you, and, once again, congratulations!

  Richard E. Bohlander

  Director

  The Great Footy Contest

  Specky found it difficult to contain his excitement.

  ‘Awrrh, sick!’ he repeated, over and over, jumping up and down on the spot. This is so unreal, he thought. And I’ll get to see Johnny again! Johnny Cockatoo, who lived in the Northern Territory, had been Specky’s partner in the contest.

  ‘And I’m also going to …’

  Specky stopped dancing about in the kitchen. He had suddenly realised who else he was sure to bump into at that dinner – Christina.

  8. around the table

  For the next few days, as difficult as it was missing out on lunchtime footy and midweek training, Specky started to think that maybe his doctor was right, after all. For the first time in ages, he felt little if no pain around his knees and he slept soundly several nights in a row, without waking up once. Specky thought it was worth sharing this news with Tiger Girl – he hadn’t told her how it could make his knees worse if he played or how he had lied to Coach Pate, he felt pretty guilty about that, so he decided it was best left unsaid. But she had told him to let her know how it was going, and, actually, any piece of news at all would have provided him with an excuse to see her.

  Unfortunately, since the day they had spent lunchtime together, Specky hadn’t seen her around school at all. It wasn’t until Friday morning at recess that he mustered up enough courage to ask a Year 9 student about her.

  ‘What’s her name?’ asked the girl, madly chewing gum and taking books out of her locker.

  ‘Um, well, I don’t know exactly …’ said Specky, feeling like a bit of a dill. ‘I just know her by the nickname I gave her, “Tiger Girl”. She’s a die-hard Richmond supporter.’

  ‘Oh, you mean Samantha Shepherd? Light brown straight hair, green eyes, really pretty?’

  ‘Yeah, that’s her!’ nodded Specky, glad that she knew who he was talking about, and very excited to find out Tiger Girl’s real name.

  ‘So, where is she? Why hasn’t she been at school for the last few days?’ Specky asked.

  The girl stopped chewing her gum and turned to Specky with a sorry look.

  ‘I heard she’s in hospital.’

  ‘In hospital?’ Specky was confused – and very concerned. ‘What happened? Why?’

  The girl began to walk away.

  ‘Look, I gotta get to class, the bell’s already gone,’ she said, running off down the corridor.

  ‘Well, at least tell me which hospital she’s in!’ Specky yelled after her.

  ‘The Royal Children’s!’ the girl shouted back. And, with that, she was gone.

  Specky found it difficult to think of anything but Tiger Girl the whole day long, until he was distracted by Alice panicking about their plans for that night. Alice’s boyfriend was due to come over to have dinner with the family.

  ‘He’ll be here any minute now, so don’t say anything dumb and don’t try to be funny. And don’t say anything about me, okay?’ she said to Specky nervously.

  ‘Like I would,’ smirked Specky.

  ‘I can’t believe Dad made me do this. What was I thinking?’

  Alice brushed her fingers through her hair, several times over, in front of the hallway mirror.

  ‘So, what’s his name?’ asked Specky, pretending to be interested. He saw it as an opportunity to stir Alice – a great way to get back at her for dobbing him in to their parents.

  ‘Dieter,’ she replied.

  Specky snorted and spluttered uncontrollably.

  ‘Dieter! What sort of name is Dieter?’ he chuckled.

  ‘Mum! Simon’s annoying me!’

  ‘Simon, leave your sister alone. Have you set the dining table, yet? If not, do it now, please!�
�� Mrs Magee’s voice echoed from upstairs.

  Specky did as he was told, continuing to snigger to himself.

  Eventually, the big moment arrived. The doorbell sounded.

  ‘I’ll get it!’ screamed Specky, but before he had taken a step, Alice grabbed him by the ear. ‘Don’t you go near that door, you little twerp.’ She gave his ear a sharp tug, then let go and nervously made her way to the front of the house.

  Specky’s mum waved at him to join her and his dad in the lounge room. Specky couldn’t see the front door from where he sat, but he heard it opening and then he could hear Alice and Dieter whispering loudly to each other in the hallway. He glanced over at his parents and caught them trying, unsuccessfully, to look casual. His mother was picking fluff off her jumper, and his dad was leaning back in his recliner armchair, staring at the ceiling.

  A few moments later, Alice awkwardly shuffled into the lounge room with her new boyfriend a few steps behind her.

  ‘Mum, Dad …’ stuttered Alice. ‘This is –’

  ‘The Great McCarthy!’ gasped Specky, pop-eyed.

  Even when they were almost through Mrs Magee’s delicious roast lamb and vegetables, Specky still couldn’t believe that Alice’s ‘Dieter’ was the ‘Great McCarthy’.

  The Great McCarthy had turned white as a ghost when he saw Specky waiting to greet him. Specky had tried to cover up the fact that he recognised Dieter – he had pretended to sneeze to cover up his surprise and mumbled, ‘I’m just talking to myself,’ when his parents asked, ‘What?’ But Alice wasn’t convinced. For most of the dinner, she glared at him suspiciously.

  As for the Great McCarthy, he was speaking very softly and politely and was obviously on his best behaviour. He was clearly worried that Specky might say something about his smoking. He was quite unlike the brash, cocky kid Specky had met at school, and Specky couldn’t resist making him more nervous than he already was.

  ‘So, Dieter, um, being in Year Eleven must be great. You get to study some great subjects, don’t you? Like the Great Wall of China, the Great Ocean Road and the Great Barrier Reef,’ he added, grinning like a Cheshire cat.

  ‘What are you going on about?’ snapped Alice, trying to kick Specky under the table.

  ‘Now, Simon, you’re rambling. Eat your broccoli,’ said Mrs Magee.

  ‘So, Dieter, do you have any plans for what subjects you’re going to do next year in Year Twelve, and what you want to do when you leave school?’ asked Specky’s dad, keen to find out more about the type of boy his daughter was dating.

  ‘Um, yes, I do, sir,’ replied Dieter.

  ‘You could be a fireman. Although breathing in all that smoke couldn’t be good for you,’ said Specky smugly.

  ‘What?’ asked everyone else around the table.

  ‘Nothing,’ said Specky smiling.

  Dieter gulped nervously. He continued.

  ‘Um, I want to get into financial planning. I’m pretty good with numbers. My dream is to be the CEO of the Richmond Football Club, one day.’

  Specky caught his dad giving his mother an impressed look – even Alice looked happier than she had all night.

  ‘And so you’re deciding on a university, then?’ Mr Magee asked.

  ‘Yeah, I already have a fair idea of a couple of universities I’d like to attend. I’m working a part-time job, now, to save money for it.’

  Once again, Specky caught his parents smiling. He could see that the Great McCarthy was winning them over.

  ‘Actually, I already work for the Richmond Footy Club. I’m their mascot,’ he added.

  Now, Specky was impressed – he couldn’t help it.

  ‘Really? You dress up as the actual Tiger mascot, at all the AFL games?’

  Dieter nodded.

  ‘Cool!’

  By the end of dessert, the mood around the Magee table had relaxed considerably. Everyone was laughing and chatting away freely. Even Specky had to admit to himself that he was beginning to like the Great McCarthy, and was starting to think that he might have misjudged him.

  He acts tough, but he’s kind of cool, thought Specky.

  Later on, as Specky stood at the kitchen sink cleaning dishes, Dieter offered to help – not only to win more points with Mr and Mrs Magee, but to get an opportunity to talk to Specky alone.

  ‘Hey, I just want to say thanks for not saying anything out there,’ he said, wiping a cloth over a plate.

  ‘Who says I won’t? I mean, they might need to know that you’re the Great McCarthy, that you can have any girl you want,’ replied Specky.

  ‘Yeah, look,’ Dieter said anxiously. ‘I was just mucking about when I said that, and about me smoking, I’m actually trying to give it up, and I wouldn’t want …’

  Specky looked up and was surprised to see that Dieter seemed genuinely upset and worried.

  ‘I’m only joking with ya – sort of,’ mumbled Specky, now feeling slightly guilty about stirring him.

  ‘Yeah, well, I really like your sister, and I don’t want her to get hurt. So, I’m hoping you can keep your mouth shut. If there’s anything I can do for you in return, just name it.’

  Specky stopped scrubbing.

  ‘Anything?’ he asked.

  ‘All right, anything.’

  Specky pondered long and hard for a few moments.

  ‘Can’t think of anything right now, but I’ll get back to you. And I’ll hold you to it.’

  ‘Deal!’ said Dieter, shaking Specky’s hand.

  9. urge

  ‘After last week’s brilliant game, there shouldn’t be any excuses to drop four points this week. You’re all playing sensationally at the moment, and I know that if you can stay focused, we’ll get over the top of this team!’

  Specky’s team-mates broke out in a chorus of ‘yeah’, ‘carn Lions’ and ‘we can do it’.

  But Coach Pate’s motivational talk to the Booyong High Lions just reminded Specky that it was the first weekend he wasn’t going to run onto the ground with his mates. It was his first Saturday morning without football, and it was killing him. The only one not to be dressed in footy gear, he sadly trudged back to the boundary line with Coach Pate to watch the game from the bench.

  Specky now knew what went through the minds of all those AFL footballers who had their season and, in some cases, their careers prematurely ended by injury. It was the loneliest feeling he had ever experienced. No matter how many times he told himself that this was only a temporary setback and that he would be back on the field before the end of the season, he couldn’t help feeling like he was missing out on the best time of his life. He had never had to sit on the sidelines before and just watch a game, and he quickly realised that he was not a very good spectator. He bounced around the idea that he could take down some statistics and maybe help Coach Pate with some of the coaching duties. That would be the team thing to do, but, try as he might, he could feel himself becoming jealous of his mates because they were out there and he wasn’t. The challenge for Specky was to find a positive outcome, just as James Hird had suggested when he spoke to him on the phone. He made a promise to himself that, as well as doing his exercises, he would use the time to work on his non-preferred handball skills every night. That way, he wouldn’t be putting any pressure on his knees because he wouldn’t have to run around, but he would still be improving his game. Having made that decision, he felt a little better, but it still didn’t make up for the fact that he couldn’t do the one thing that he loved most.

  ‘Don’t worry, mate, it won’t be long before you’re back taking speckies again,’ said Gobba, sharing the bench with Specky.

  ‘Thanks,’ replied Specky. ‘And I’m sure you’ll get a kick today.’

  Specky could tell that Gobba didn’t care either way. He was more interested in honing his skills as a commentator.

  They were only a few minutes into the game, and Gobba’s mouth was already in overdrive.

  ‘And the big man Robbo gets his fist to it. Nicely picked up by Casteli
no who quickly passes it to Simmo. But Simmo, who looks like he forgot to wipe his hands after eating buttered toast this morning, folks, fumbles and lets the Sherrin slip through his fingers. But, fortunately, it’s picked up by Einstein, who handballs it off to Hughesie, who cleverly taps to Smashing Sols. Big kick by Sols – and, look out! Here’s Screamer in the square. And, as his nickname would suggest, thrill-seekers, he takes a screamer! Nice mark directly in front of the goal posts. Now, can he redeem himself after messing up in the same position, last week? Yes, he can! Right through the high diddle diddle. And the Lions get the first score of the game.’

  At first, Specky didn’t mind Gobba’s commentary, but midway through the second quarter it was beginning to get under his skin, especially since Screamer was playing an awesome game.

  The Lions were flogging the opposition, partly due to Screamer’s complete domination. He had already kicked an amazing seven goals.

  One of the biggest improvements in the Lions’ game in the second half of the season was the fact that they were far more consistent for the full four quarters of a game, regardless of the score. In the past, when they had opened up a good lead, a number of their players would start to take it easy and, instead of doing all the team things that got them there in the first place, they would start to look for short cuts and the easy option. They would try to take marks from behind, rather than punching the ball to ground. They wouldn’t chase their opponents when they had the ball. They would try and kick impossible goals from the boundary line rather than ‘centering’ the ball back into the middle of the ground, and they would go chasing kicks rather than sticking to the positions that Coach Pate put them in. The fact that they were still working really hard for each other, despite being more than ten goals ahead, was a good sign that the Booyong High Lions football side was starting to mature into a very good team.

  Specky was itching to get onto ground. Never in his life had he felt so restricted – he finally just had to get up and walk along the boundary line to settle down.