by Felice Arena
Specky and Eamon parted ways, and mingled with the rest of the players. Despite the small melee that had broken out after half-time, Specky sensed that the spirit between the two teams was upbeat. Sean Kavanagh, the aggressive Irish Captain, seemed totally transformed. He was now making a point of congratulating every Australian player on a well-fought game.
As the Irish jogged off on a victory lap, Grub joined the team on the ground. ‘Keep your heads up, boys, and don’t feel too disappointed,’ he said. ‘It’s really only half-time in this series, and we’ve done well to close the margin to eighteen points. And don’t you worry, I think we might just have worked out how we’re going to pull off the greatest comeback victory in the history of International Rules. Now get inside and cool down properly. Our preparations for Galway start right now.’
17. the road to galway
Specky and his team-mates shuffled out of the hotel lobby and boarded the bus.
‘Stop dragging your feet! We haven’t got all day,’ barked Grub.
‘I knew I could spot talent when I see it. You were an absolute star yesterday,’ came a voice just over Specky’s shoulder. Specky turned to see Brad Dobson. ‘What a coincidence that we would bump into each other like this halfway around the world,’ he added.
Coincidence? Yeah, right, thought Specky, knowing Mr Dobson was too calculating for any-y thing to be a coincidence.
‘You know, I’m still waiting for your parents to call me,’ he said. ‘I really could make great things happen for you, Simon.’
‘Um, I better get going,’ Specky said, trying to shrug the agent off.
‘I hear you’ve been invited to try out for Manchester United. Very impressive, especially for a non-soccer player like yourself.’
‘What? How do you know about that?’
‘I have contacts all over the world, Simon. That’s why I’m the perfect person to represent your sporting future. I could broker the Manchester United deal for you, if you decide to go down that path.’
Specky shuffled from foot to foot, now feeling incredibly uncomfortable. ‘Um, I’ve really gotta go,’ he said again.
‘Look,’ said Brad, ‘I know you’re still very young, but in a couple of years you’ll be the hottest prospect on the market. I’m sure of it! And when that happens I want you to come to me first.’
‘Hey, Dobson!’ Grub called out from the bus. ‘What did I tell you about coming near any of my boys? Don’t think I won’t report you!’
‘Just saying hello, Jay!’ Brad waved at Grub with a cheesy grin, before turning back to Specky. ‘See ya, Simon. I’ll be in touch.’
Once out of the hustle-and-bustle of Dublin, the Australian boys were all mesmerised by the breathtaking scenery. They were headed to Galway on the west coast, and the bus whizzed past stone-fenced fields, windy moonscape-like moors, and lush green valleys. Brian said the sheep that dotted the landscape looked like they were from a Disney movie – all plump and woolly and snow-white and nothing like the dusty scrawny ones back in Rivergum.
But an hour into the trip, most of the team lost interest in the passing scenery and turned back to their mobile phones and iPods. Skull, Mitch, Spiro, Lurch and a few of the others took over the back of the bus and amused themselves with dirty jokes.
‘Did you see this, mate?’ said Special K, who was flipping through a copy of the Irish Times. ‘You’re all over it.’
Specky was surprised to see that almost half a page was dedicated to yesterday’s Test and that most of the article was about him and the Irish team’s champion, Eamon O’Sullivan:
The Wizard of Oz
By Mick O’Shea
As embarrassing as yesterday’s insipid performance was for the Australian team, there was one shining light that captured the imagination of the footballloving public of Ireland.
The Australian goalkeeper’s performance was one of rare quality and artistry and produced one particular moment that may yet redefine the way the game is played. Displaying an unthinkable self-confidence and willingness to take a risk (so sadly lacking in the rest of his team-mates) young gun Simon Magee abandoned his own goal and went on a searching run down the field that resulted in the greatest six-point play that this writer has ever witnessed.
This has never been done at any level of the game here in Ireland, and the sheer audacity and brilliance of the act had senior coaches shaking their heads in amazement.
Combined with his astonishing acrobatics in front of his own goal, constantly fending off the Irish boys who peppered away at the net all day, Magee was a definite contender for the Player of the Match honours, which in the end, deservedly, went to our local genius, Eamon O’Sullivan.
The return match in Galway will be interesting, if only to see whether or not the Irish lads can better their 18-point winning margin, which flattened the Aussies.
Without Magee, the real Wizard of Oz, this series would be a demolition. As it stands, it will still be horribly one-sided, but with the prospect of seeing this extraordinary talent in action again, it might be worth buying your tickets now.
‘You’re famous, mate,’ remarked Special K, grabbing the paper back off Specky.
The attention made Specky a little uneasy. He felt a sudden wave of pressure for the next Test.
Publicity was something that Specky would have to get used to in order to follow his dream. There was no way to escape the media if you were playing in the AFL. His grandpa had given him the best advice: ‘If you’re going to read and believe all of the good stuff they write about you, then you’ve got to be prepared to read and believe all of the negative stuff as well.’ Specky still felt self conscious about the article, but he knew that what others wrote or said about him was out of his control, and the only opinion that really mattered to him was that of his coach and his team-mates.
‘Listen up, boys,’ said Grub from the front of the bus. ‘Quieten down! Now, Bobby, Rick, Brother O’Donnell and I stayed up most of last night editing the tape of the game. We’re going to go through the DVD now and have a look at what we did well and what we need to improve on, and then we’re going to talk about how we’ll turn things around.’
Specky knew this was exactly what the AFL teams did after each game they played. Video reviewing and analysis was one of the most effective coaching tools available. Telling someone what they were doing wrong was one thing, but reinforcing the point with actual match-day footage had a far greater impact. It could be confronting for some players who weren’t used to having their mistakes highlighted in front of the team, but it worked.
Grub went through the entire match with them. Specky found it a fascinating process. Little things, like where a player was standing in relation to his opponent, or letting a ball get over the back of a pack, or not covering for each other when they were caught out of position made so much more sense when he saw it on the television.
Grub encouraged them to put their hand up and ask questions, or challenge him if they didn’t agree with something he said.
Before Specky knew it, two hours had flown by. To his surprise, the game wasn’t as one sided as they had thought, and Specky was confident that if they could fix the little things, and improve their kicking they were a chance to win the next Test. Whether or not they could win by more than 18 points and take the series was another thing altogether.
‘Okay, I’ve watched that game from start to finish four times since yesterday,’ said Grub, as he switched off the screen. ‘And apart from the fact that I hope our goalie will stay in front of his goal this time around, I can tell you that we have come up with a game plan that WILL win us the next Test and WILL win us the series.’
Specky wriggled in his seat excitedly. Grub was a magnificent motivator and he was managing to restore the team’s shattered confidence.
Specky noticed Brother O’Donnell sitting quietly at the front of the bus, taking notes. He was sure Grub would be using Brother O’Donnell’s insider knowledge and expert input to form his new game
plan.
Grub continued. ‘You know what happened in the last few minutes of the game, but I want you all to focus on it closely. Our big guys – Lurch, Mitch, Baylo and Dicky – were able to go forward and make it possible for us to score freely, and that’s going to be the cornerstone of our game plan in the next Test.
‘We’re going to go tall, boys,’ Grub announced triumphantly. ‘We know they’re bloody quick, but we also know they’re bloody small. We’re going to stretch them in the front half of the ground, and rather than try and get too fancy with our kicking, we’re just going to bomb the ball high into the air and watch our boys mark everything that comes their way. It’s that simple. And, after talking with Brother O’Donnell, I’m certain they won’t make any changes to their squad. It’s going to work, boys. Trust me.’
With that, Grub took his seat and launched into an animated conversation with Brother O’Donnell.
Specky loved the plan. He couldn’t wait for the re-match and had every confidence that his coach was on the right track.
The bus turned off the main motorway and headed down a long and winding dirt road, snaking its way through the heart of the rugged Connemara landscape.
‘Woah, look at that! Is that the hotel?’ said Mitch. ‘It looks like Hogwarts!’
Specky and his team-mates rushed to the windows. No one could believe their eyes. There on the horizon, standing high on a cliff face and surrounded by the Twelve Bens mountain range, stood a castle.
‘It’s massive,’ said Brian.
‘Well, boys,’ said Bobby, taking the microphone. ‘These are our digs for the next couple of nights. Not bad, eh? Welcome to Ballyglenn Castle!’
18. ballyglenn
Specky and his team-mates crunched their way along the fine white gravel to the grand lobby of the castle hotel. A well-dressed middle-aged woman walked down the large wooden staircase and over to Grub – her arms open wide.
‘Oh, Jay Roger Mortimer Gordan, you old dog! Look at you!’ she said, hugging him tightly.
‘Maureen Shelly Baby Malone, you haven’t changed a bit. Still as beautiful as the day I met you.’
Dicky snorted and elbowed Specky in the ribs. ‘Grub’s in lurve,’ he whispered, laughing. ‘And I thought he was married to Bobby!’
‘Boys,’ Grub said, clearing his throat and swinging around to face the team. ‘This is Ms Malone. We have her to thank for arranging our stay here. She’s the owner of this magnificent building. She also happens to be my ex-wife.’
Ms Malone smiled brightly at everyone. ‘We were only married for a month. And then we both came to our senses. Could you imagine me living with this grumpy old coot? Besides, I couldn’t move the castle to Melbourne – it’s over three hundred years old and my family has owned it for five generations.’
Specky gazed up at the solid oak beams that loomed over them on the cathedral ceiling. Large paintings of hunting scenes hung on the ancient stone walls and sunlight streamed through the multicoloured stained-glass windows casting coloured light across everyone’s faces. Three hundred years old! he thought. This was built before Captain Cook even came to Australia. That’s even weirder than the idea of Grub being married!
‘We only have one rule here,’ Ms Malone continued. ‘No scallywagging! That means no running or ball-kicking in the castle. We do, however, have three football pitches, a basketball court and some incredible hiking tracks.’
Specky liked the way that Ms Malone spoke. Her accent was different to the Dublin accents he had heard so far – it was soft and kind of sing-song-y.
‘And one more thing,’ she added. ‘There are two libraries in the castle. The Grand Library is on the second floor. It has a number of computers and, yes, we are wireless here. But there is also the Old Library on the top floor. You’re welcome to go in there, but I must warn you that our resident ghost, Gretchen, is quite protective.’
‘Wooooooooo!’ said Skull. ‘Is she headless?’
Ms Malone grinned. ‘No, she’s not headless. She can be cranky, though. She was a nanny to the Malones in the eighteenth century and she died here. She loved books and if you don’t respect the library, she will let you know about it. Some guests have reported books flying off the shelves unaided. I kid you not.’
‘Hey, Brother O’Donnell,’ said Skull. ‘You may have to do a … a …’ Skull turned to Specky. ‘Speck, what’s that thing priests do to get rid of demons?’
‘An exorcism?’
‘Yeah, an exorcism,’ nodded Skull. ‘Brother O’Donnell, you might have to perform an exorcism if there’s a real live ghost in the castle.’
‘You can’t do exorcisms on ghosts, you dropkick,’ scoffed Dicky. ‘It’s only for people who are possessed by evil spirits. Don’t ya know anything?’
‘Lucky your mate knows all about this spooky stuff, Magee,’ Skull laughed. ‘When you did that girly jig, I could have sworn you were possessed.’
Everyone laughed.
‘Okay, I’ve had it with the jokes. I think it’s time to get Skull back,’ Specky whispered to Dicky as the team followed Grub and Bobby to their wing of the castle. ‘And I’ve got a plan. You in?’
‘Definitely,’ grinned Dicky.
But before they could get far, Ms Malone called Specky back. ‘It’s Simon, isn’t it?’ she said. ‘Jay suggested that as goalie, you might like to sign our guestbook – on behalf of the team.’
Specky followed Ms Malone to her office behind reception. Ms Malone handed him a pen and a leather-bound book. Specky scribbled a message in the guestbook.
‘You’re all probably wondering what the story is with your coach and me,’ Ms Malone said, sitting back in the chair opposite.
‘Um, not really,’ Specky said, embarrassed.
‘Jay and I go way back,’ she said, oblivious to Specky’s answer. ‘Thirty-seven years, can you believe it? We were just two young lovers in London …’
Oh, cripes, thought Specky. That’s too much information already!
‘We found each other in the Star and Garter, a pub in London’s West End. Jay was there with the Australian cricket team. When our eyes met, well …’
Yep, I’m trapped, thought Specky, looking at the door.
‘Well … let’s just say it was love at first sight. Or so we thought. Jay and I were best friends – we still are, but we make much better friends than husband and wife. So we parted ways …’ Ms Malone sounded sad and she trailed off, lost in her own thoughts.
Huh? Specky thought. TG and I are best mates … would going out with her ruin that? Are we better as friends than boyfriend and girlfriend? And could Christina and I be just friends? Or do we make a better couple?
Specky gazed past Ms Malone to see Dicky and Brian waiting for him in the lobby. They were trying to get his attention. Ms Malone finally noticed – she turned and laughed.
‘Oh, look at me! I don’t usually ambush people like this, let alone teenage boys who wouldn’t be caught dead talking about affairs of the heart. And it looks as if a couple of your friends are as desperate for you to leave my office as I’m sure you are.’
‘What was all that about?’ asked Brian as Specky joined them.
‘Long story! Except … if she calls you in, don’t go! You might never get out,’ said Specky.
‘Okay then, noted,’ said Brian.
‘So, payback time for Skull?’ said Dicky.
Specky nodded. ‘Oh, yeah, bring it on.’
19. what the …?
‘So d’you think Brian can get Skull to come up here?’ whispered Dicky.
‘Definitely,’ grinned Specky. ‘I told him to say that Grub has put together a special leadership group and that he’s included – and that Grub wants to speak to the group privately in here. So when Skull walks through that door, we’ll jump out and scare the living poo out of him. It’s gonna be awesome!’
Specky and Dicky were hiding behind a large shelf of books at the back of the Old Library.
‘That’s if Gretchen doe
sn’t scare us first,’ said Dicky.
Specky looked around the dark, drafty room. Dicky was right – it was kind of creepy.
‘Someone’s coming,’ whispered Dicky.
The boys crouched down, ready to pounce. The door opened.
‘Sorry about that. I couldn’t get clear reception in my room …’
It was Brother O’Donnell.
‘Awww, man, so much for getting Skull back,’ whispered Dicky.
Just as Specky and Dicky were about to step out from behind the bookshelf, they heard Brother O’Donnell say something that made them stop dead in their tracks.
‘No, don’t worry … yeah, I’m sure. They’re all downstairs … I know everything I need to know about the Australian team now … Yep, that’s the agreement …’
Specky pulled Dicky back.
‘What the … ?’ Dicky hissed as Brother O’Donnell continued.
Specky’s jaw dropped and Dicky shook his head in utter disbelief.
‘Well, Coach McGinnity, I suggest you listen closely. I’ve been sitting in on all of their team meetings and their coach has asked for my advice. The Australians firmly believe they can turn things around with their tall forward-line players. They’re going to play five, maybe six, of their tallest players in the forward line … Yes, yes, of course I’m serious. All of them … That’s right.’
Dicky mouthed a swear word to Specky. They couldn’t believe it – they had a rat in the ranks – and he was sharing their team’s tactics for the next Test with the opposition’s coach.
‘They don’t think they can contend with our speed and agility, but with …’ Brother O’Donnell paused while he pulled a notebook from his pocket. ‘With Freeman, Bayless, Mahoney, Atkins and Backley on the forward line, they feel that our team is not well enough equipped to deal with them … Yes … And we haven’t got the height in defence to match up with them … Well, I suggest you find some tall defenders in a hurry, and if you haven’t got any in your squad, then search around the counties and find some, otherwise we’ll be in a bit of trouble … for sure … yes …’