Specky Magee and the Season of Champions

by Felice Arena

  Specky exhaled, totally relieved that Tiger Girl was so understanding and that he hadn’t hurt her feelings.

  ‘Hey, you two! Stay right there!’

  Specky and Tiger Girl whipped their heads around to see two uniformed policemen heading their way.

  ‘Awrrh, no!’ panicked Tiger Girl. ‘Mum must’ve turned up at the hospital earlier than I thought. She would’ve freaked out, seeing Danny and Robbo. I bet she forced them to tell her where we were, and then called the cops. She always overreacts.’

  ‘Well, what are we gonna do?’ asked Specky, looking increasingly worried as the officers approached.

  ‘You’ve gotta run for it,’ said Tiger Girl urgently. ‘I’ll stay here and go back with them.’

  ‘No, that’s crazy. I’ll stay with you.’

  ‘No!’ snapped Tiger Girl. ‘If you stay, you’ll get in trouble, for sure. At least I can say it was all my idea. I know how to handle my mother. But if they catch you here, she might not let me see you anymore. So, just go! Run! Run!’

  Before she could say another word, Specky bolted away from Tiger Girl as fast as he could.

  ‘Hey, kid! Stop!’ hollered one of the officers, charging after Specky.

  Specky twisted and turned, baulking and dodging past people like he was Chris Judd, the young West Coast Eagles star.

  All of the agility work that Specky had been doing at training was coming in handy. He spent many hours on the training track, dodging and weaving between cones, practising his blind turning and baulking skills. He knew that at the AFL Draft Camp the young players were assessed by AFL recruiters, and the agility test was one of the things that all clubs took into consideration.

  Specky felt like a hunted fugitive, running for his life – just like in the movies.

  Dashing through the gates, he raced down the steps of the stadium and sprinted toward the Richmond train station.

  As he sprinted into the bitter winter air, Specky managed to look over his shoulder and he saw the policeman gaining on him.

  ‘I don’t believe it!’ he gasped in between breaths, his lungs burning like hot coals.

  With no other choice but to pick up his speed, Specky decided to bypass the train station.

  He’d catch me there, he thought. I gotta lose him.

  Specky headed to the intersection of Punt and Wellington roads, only to find he suddenly had to stop and wait for the lights to change. He knew he’d be an idiot to try and cross one of the busiest streets in Melbourne against the lights.

  ‘Come on, come on!’ Specky urged, tapping the button again and again.

  The police officer was a cricket pitch away, but he was closing in on him.

  ‘Come on!’ Specky yelled at the traffic lights.

  Just as he thought the policeman would catch him, they finally changed and, once again, Specky was in full stride. He darted across the road, down a couple of narrow residential streets and past a number of clothing warehouses – with the officer still hot on his tail. Specky took a sharp left turn into a laneway, only to discover it was a dead end. Moments later, the policeman appeared, panting heavily and relieved to see that he had Specky trapped.

  ‘It’s okay, kid. I won’t hurt you,’ he puffed, walking slowly toward Specky. ‘I just want you to come back to the station with me and answer a few questions. Come on, nice and easy now.’

  Specky shot a look down the end of the laneway and saw that it was divided by a brick wall a little over two metres in height.

  I can’t give myself up, not now. Mum and Dad would go nuts, thought Specky.

  ‘That’s it, kid. Nowhere to go. Just walk back with me,’ said the officer, now only a few steps away from Specky.

  But, just as the policeman reached out for him, Specky shot off again, running toward the brick wall at top speed.

  ‘Hey!’ yelled the officer.

  Before he could make sense of what he was about to do, Specky soared for the wall as if he was taking one of his famous speckies in a game. He leapt off the ground, lodged his right foot halfway up the red-brick barrier, and clawed at the top edge. Then he flung his entire body over the wall like an action-movie stuntman.

  It was one of the greatest leaps Specky had ever made, and, for a moment, as he picked himself up and resumed running, he wished his Booyong High team-mates had been there to see him do it. Specky had successfully broken away from the policeman and an hour later he made it home.

  ‘So, I hope you can explain yourself, young man.’

  Mr Magee was standing in the hallway waiting for Specky as he made his way through the front door. Specky could tell right away that his parents were extremely upset and angry with him. He realised, by the looks on their faces, that the policeman chasing him had probably found out his name and called them anyway.

  ‘I’m sorry,’ began Specky. ‘But I was doing it for this friend of mine and she said I should run because –’

  ‘What are you talking about?’ snapped Mr Magee.

  ‘The phone call? Didn’t you just get one?’ asked Specky, now wondering what was going on.

  ‘Yes, we did. And your mother and I are extremely disappointed. How could you, Simon?’

  ‘That’s what I’m trying to explain. When the police showed up –’

  Again, Specky was stopped by his parents.

  ‘The police?’ they gasped, looking totally confused.

  It suddenly dawned on Specky that his parents hadn’t received a phone call from the police at all.

  ‘Um, who called you?’ he asked nervously.

  ‘Derek Johnson,’ said Mr Magee, shaking his head in disgust.

  Specky felt as if he had been punched in the stomach.

  ‘And he was ringing to see how your knees were doing after playing in the Diadora Cup match on Tuesday!’ added Mrs Magee, obviously hoping it wasn’t true.

  Specky was stunned.

  ‘Dad …’ he quivered apologetically. ‘It was only one match and –’

  ‘I can’t believe that Coach Pate let you play, especially after I told her you couldn’t. Mark my words, I’ll be speaking to her,’ growled Specky’s father.

  ‘No! Please, Dad, don’t call her. She didn’t know. It was all my fault. I lied to her and said you forgot to tell her that I was allowed to play a couple of games.’

  ‘You what?’ choked Mr Magee.

  ‘Oh, Simon, how could you?’ asked his mum.

  ‘I did it because there’s a chance for me to win –’

  ‘I don’t want to hear it!’ erupted Specky’s father. ‘We trusted you and you still defied us. That’s it, Simon! No more chances! You’re banned from playing football for the rest of the season.’

  18. that’s final!

  For the rest of the afternoon and well into the evening, Specky pleaded with his parents to drop what was the worst-ever punishment they could have inflicted on him.

  ‘Mum, you and Dad can’t do this,’ he croaked, cornering his mother in the kitchen, trying to get her to side with him. ‘We’re gonna be in the finals! I have to play! Mum, please, you –’

  ‘Simon, that’s enough. Since you haven’t followed the doctor’s orders, I’m sure he’d say your knees still haven’t recovered enough to play anyway.’

  ‘But, Mum –’

  ‘But Mum, nothing! You’ve put your health at risk, Simon. And, if you’re not mature enough to understand that, then it’s up to us to step in. Now, I’m sorry, but your father’s decision is final.’

  Specky ground his teeth and shook his head angrily.

  ‘This sucks!’ he mumbled under his breath. ‘So, since I’m not allowed to play any more footy, does this mean I’m not going to New York, either?’

  ‘That’s up for review. Closer to the date,’ chimed in Specky’s dad, entering the kitchen.

  Specky couldn’t take it anymore. His parents were serious and they weren’t going to budge. His emotions were so raw that he found himself struggling to hold back tears.

  ‘I
was so close to seeing out the seven weeks. My knees were feeling great. I should be playing. IT’S NOT FAIR!’ he protested at the top of his lungs. ‘YOU CAN’T DO THIS TO ME! FOOTY’S MY LIFE! DON’T YOU UNDERSTAND THAT?’

  Specky was now sobbing uncontrollably – something he’d rarely done. He dropped his head into his hands.

  He was aware his parents were taken aback by his outburst. They just stood there, speechless. It was completely out of the ordinary for him to flare up like that. I must look like some small child having a tantrum in a supermarket, he thought.

  But his parents weren’t moved. ‘You done?’ Mr Magee asked calmly.

  Specky nodded, continuing to sniff and whimper.

  ‘Simon, we trusted you, we treated you like an adult. I gave you a chance and you blew it. You’ve showed us that we can’t trust you. So, you’re grounded. No phoning or emailing for a month, and no going out or going to your friends’ houses until I say so. Also, no more football. Not even attending the games.’

  Specky whipped his head back up to face his parents, his eyes now red and puffy.

  ‘What?’ he asked as if he hadn’t heard his father correctly. ‘I can’t go and support my mates?’

  ‘You heard me. Subject closed.’

  For the remainder of the school holidays and for the first two weeks into the new term, Specky was absolutely miserable. And what made it even more painful for him was that a visit to the doctor’s had confirmed that his knees were getting better and that he would have been allowed to begin some light physical activity. This included getting the green light to play a little footy. But Specky’s parents weren’t budging. So, because he felt guilty and because it was the easiest way out, Specky let his friends believe that he wasn’t allowed to play football for the rest of the season because of doctor’s orders.

  Specky couldn’t remember the last time he had felt so down. He had to get used to the fact that he could no longer travel to see Tiger Girl. Plus, he wasn’t supposed to chat to Christina on-line or on the phone, and the few times he managed to sneak in a phone call when his parents were out she was on a holiday with her family and then away on a school camp. But the toughest thing for Specky to endure was not being able to watch his beloved school team take on the finals.

  On the day of the first final, Specky was bouncing a tennis ball against the back wall of his house, while his dog Sammy eagerly looked on, hoping he would throw it.

  The game must have ended over an hour ago, he thought sadly, glancing down at his watch.

  After winning the last two matches of their season, Specky’s team had secured second place on the ladder. This meant that today they were scheduled to play the second semifinal against the top team, the Latona Avenue Sharks. The winner of this game would automatically advance into the Grand Final.

  ‘I wonder if they won?’ sighed Specky to himself. Just then, Robbo, Danny and Gobba appeared at the back door.

  ‘Hey!’ they said. ‘Your mum let us in. What are ya doing? Why didn’t you come and see us play?’

  ‘Um … I wanted to, but Mum said it would upset me too much – you know, psychologically and all that stuff,’ stuttered Specky, knowing it sounded like the lame lie that it was. ‘So? What happened? Did we make the Grand Final?’ he asked, quickly changing the subject.

  ‘Well, we’re not gonna tell ya,’ said Gobba, grinning as if he had something else in mind.

  Specky caught Robbo and Danny rolling their eyes behind Gobba’s back.

  ‘What? What d’ya mean you’re not gonna tell me?’

  Gobba pulled out a small tape recorder from his pocket – the type that journalists use at press conferences.

  ‘I taped myself calling the game!’ he said proudly. ‘Lucky you didn’t come to see us – now you can hear what happened.’

  Specky looked up at Robbo and Danny as if to say, ‘Is he serious?’

  They nodded and Robbo said, ‘Just go along with it. We promised him we wouldn’t talk about the results until you heard the tape.’

  ‘Okay, then,’ Specky shrugged, gesturing to Gobba to press play.

  ‘Right. Here goes …’ said Gobba, excited by his very own delayed broadcast.

  ‘Testing one, two. Testing – right, I’m on. Welcome, thrill seekers. Welcome to the finals. The second semifinal to be exact, between the Booyong High Lions and the Latona Avenue Sharks. I’m your host for today, Gobba, coming live to you from the Booyong High Lions’ bench. And what a game it’s gonna be – the anticipation here, folks, is, well, electrifying. Both sides are now on the ground, ready to battle it out. Last time these two met, it was the Sharks that came out on top, thanks to their gun players, the Bumfluff Twins. So, can the Lions redeem themselves this time? That’s the sixty-four million dollar question, folks. And can they do it minus one of their star players, Specky Magee?’

  ‘So, did you tape the whole game? Can we fast-forward it?’ asked Specky.

  ‘Um, yeah, most of it. I didn’t record when I was on ground at the end of the first quarter and beginning of the last,’ replied Gobba, slightly offended that Specky didn’t want to hear every word of his brilliant broadcast. He pressed play again.

  ‘And what a sensational snap for goal by Screamer! His third for the game. And, folks, that puts the Lions ahead by just three points! And there goes the siren to signal half-time. And here come the boys, who should be pleased with their effort so far. What a doozey, what a game! But now here’s a word from our sponsors … Gold Cordial, Gold Cordial, that’s the drink for me, Gold Cordial, Gold Cordial, it looks like my pee – Gold Cordial, Gold Cordial, yes, that’s the drink for me –’

  ‘What are you doing?’ Specky asked Gobba, pulling a face at Robbo and Danny.

  ‘That’s just me singing a made-up TV ad – make my broadcast more realistic. Cool, huh?’

  Specky and his friends laughed.

  ‘So, it was a close game. Just tell me! Did we make it to the Grand Final?’ Specky, impatiently, asked again.

  ‘No, you have to listen to the third quarter,’ begged Gobba. ‘I was on the bench for that whole quarter. It was some of my best work.’

  ‘I’m sure it was, but, mate, I just wanna know now. Robbo? Danny? Can’t believe you haven’t told me yet. C’mon, tell me!’

  ‘Okay, okay,’ blurted Gobba. ‘Don’t you guys say anything, I’ll just fast-forward it to the last couple of minutes of the game. Right, here it is. Listen to this.’

  ‘The Bullet fumbles, but clears it just in time. And, speaking about time, folks, the clock is quickly ticking away. I’m guessing there must be only a minute or so left to go. And, who would’ve thought, the scores are dead even. It’s gonna come down to the wire. Lions have possession and are driving it forward. Castelino handballs to Smashing Sols – another handball to Einstein – but, no, awrrh … he’s caught! A devastating tackle by the opposition and a crucial turnover. The Sharks quickly get the Sherrin moving. A long kick by their ruck rover. Danger, danger, for the Lions! The ball is now in the Sharks’ forward line. Who’s underneath it? What a grab by one of the Bumfluff Twins – Taylor, I think – who’s been moved from full-forward onto the ball. He wastes no time and takes off, but suddenly stops, deciding not to – but, no, the umpire says play on. But, look out, here comes Screamer Johnson charging at a hundred miles an hour. Great move by Coach Pate to have him tag Bumfluff Taylor. Awwwrrrh! What an awesome tackle! Screamer has just bowled Taylor over, causing him to drop the ball. But, hang on, the umpire is awarding the free to the Sharks’ champ. Too high, he says! The Booyong High camp are going crazy over that unfair decision – especially Screamer’s dad. He’s going right off, shouting every single swear word he can think of at the ump. As for Screamer, he’s also abusing the umpire. It’s not pretty footy, folks, and Screamer better be careful that he doesn’t give away – fifty!! The ump has given fifty because of Screamer’s abuse. Bumfluff Taylor is now in goal-scoring range, listeners. Some of the Booyong parents are holding on to Mr Johnson to
keep him from running out onto the ground. Coach Pate is not impressed by the team manager or Screamer – and neither is anyone else. Bumfluff Taylor lines up his kick … and it’s a GOAL! And there goes the siren to sound the end of the game! Can you believe it? The Sharks go through to the Grand Final – scraping through by half a bee’s nose.’

  Specky shook his head in disbelief.

  ‘So, there you have it,’ said Gobba. ‘What d’ya think?’

  ‘Awrrh, it stinks!’ replied Specky.

  ‘It does? I thought my commentary was really good!’

  ‘Nah, I’m talking about the result. The commentary was pretty good.’

  ‘Luckily we have a second chance. We play the Razorbacks next week. They won their first semifinal today,’ said Robbo.

  The following week flew by, and, like an MCG big-screen replay, Specky’s mates once again paid him a visit after their all-important semifinal clash. But this time, they were too excited to let Gobba play back his tape.

  ‘We won! We won! We won!’ Robbo and Danny shouted excitedly. ‘We killed the Razorbacks! We’re in the Grand Final!’

  19. best and fairest

  ‘As the principal of this school I can only say how proud I am of all our sporting teams and the way they performed this season. But, in particular, congratulations must go to our Under Fourteen football side. Well done to Coach Pate and to all of you for making it into the Grand Final. It’s the second year in a row for this team; so, let’s show them our appreciation. Good luck, boys, and go Lions!’

  Specky’s school broke out into cheers and applause. Specky and his team-mates, who were gathered on stage in front of the entire school, basked in the rousing response. In fact, for the rest of the week, Booyong High went out of their way to celebrate the team’s lead-up to the Grand Final. There were blue and green streamers and balloons stuck up all over the school; drawings by Year 8 Art students depicting every boy in the team were posted along the entire corridor wall of D Wing; hot meat pies in blue-and-green paper bags were served at the canteen; and there was even a lunchtime parade – the school band marched a couple of laps around the oval, with Specky’s team pacing and waving a few steps behind.