Specky Magee and the Spirit of the Game

by Felice Arena

  I already miss Melbourne and the Blues…

  but most of all, I miss u! x

  ‘I’m an official fundraiser for the RSPCA,’ said Danny.

  ‘That’s for real – he is,’ Specky explained to Brian.

  ‘And this is my way of raising money,’ Danny went on. ‘So, Monique, because you’re new, I’m going to allow you to have the first kiss – for free.’

  Specky shook his head, embarrassed for Danny.

  ‘You’re such a jerk sometimes, Castellino,’ said Tiger Girl. ‘He’s just joking with you, Monique.’

  ‘No, I’m not! I’m deadly serious,’ retorted Danny.

  ‘Oh, Dannee, you are so cute,’ said Monique, smiling. ‘You remind me of my little chien – my dog back ’ome. ’E is a black chihuahua.’

  Specky, Brian and Robbo sniggered and Gobba put on his best caller’s voice: ‘And the Italian Stallion has been bumped way down to chihuahua status, folks. How’s the rover gonna baulk and weave his way out of this one? It’s all crème brûlée and croissants to me, listeners, but stay tuned.’

  ‘Shut up, Gob!’ snapped Danny.

  ‘’Owever,’ added Monique. ‘I can’t kiss you because I ’ave a cod.’

  ‘A cod?’

  ‘A cold, you drip,’ exclaimed Tiger Girl.

  Specky tried to stop himself laughing.

  ‘That doesn’t worry me,’ pleaded Danny. ‘I have a terrific immune system.’

  ‘Well, I hope your immune system can handle this,’ said Specky, pointing past Danny.

  Danny and the others turned to see a very large girl marching directly toward them.

  ‘Holy cow! It’s the Gladiator,’ gulped Danny.

  Everyone at Booyong High knew the Gladiator. She was a giant of a girl, with muscles on top of muscles. Standing even taller than Robbo and built as solid as a brick shed, the Year 9 student was a national sprint champion. She could even outrun most of the senior boys.

  ‘Yep, she’s read your sign, mate,’ grinned Robbo. ‘She’s coming in for her pash.’

  While Specky and the others laughed, Danny hurriedly took the sign away and ripped it up.

  ‘Hey, what are you doing?’ the Gladiator protested. ‘Here’s my money. Where’s my kiss?’

  ‘Um, I’ve raised all the money I need, thanks,’ stammered Danny.

  ‘Oh, okay,’ sighed the Gladiator, disappointed. ‘Well, book me in for next time, okay?’

  ‘Will do,’ Danny lied as the Gladiator turned and walked away.

  ‘How shallow are you?’ Tiger Girl growled, when the Gladiator was out of earshot.

  ‘I’m not shallow,’ replied Danny. ‘I just don’t wanna be crushed like an ant.’

  Tiger Girl shook her head in disgust.

  ‘Seemon,’ said Monique, while Robbo and Gobba continued to laugh at Danny. ‘When do I get to see real ozzie futeball?’

  ‘Um, well, maybe Tiger Girl can take you to the MCG or Telstra Dome,’ suggested Specky. ‘There are some good games this weekend and I –’

  ‘No, no. I mean to see you and Brian play. Because you two are shumpeeons, no?’

  ‘The Booyong Lions play tomorrow morning,’ Danny said quickly. ‘You can see me play, too. We’re all shumpeeons, I mean, champions, in our own right.’

  ‘I’ll be there, as well,’ added Robbo.

  ‘And I’ll be calling it when I’m not on the ground,’ said Gobba, not to be outdone.

  ‘What about you, Brian?’ asked Monique.

  As Brian explained why he didn’t play for the Lions, Specky gave Tiger Girl the details of where and when they were competing on Saturday.

  ‘I cannot wait to see you play!’ Monique beamed as she and Tiger Girl moved on to their next class.

  When Specky arrived at the oval early the following morning, he wasn’t surprised to see that Robbo and Gobba were already there – both doing their best to impress Monique.

  ‘You should tell your mates to take it down a few notches,’ said Tiger Girl, intercepting Specky before he reached them. ‘Robbo’s given Monique a plate of his mum’s “authentic Aussie lamingtons” and Gobba’s burnt a CD for her of his best calls and a few songs from Australian artists.’

  ‘Yeah, all right,’ shrugged Specky. He just wanted to focus on the match. ‘Are they upsetting her?’

  ‘No, she seems to love all the attention,’ said Tiger Girl, in a bitter tone.

  ‘Is she bugging you or something?’ he asked.

  ‘Nah, she’s okay. She’s just… never mind.’

  ‘What?’ pressed Specky. ‘Don’t tell me she likes one of ’em?’

  Tiger Girl nodded.

  ‘Seriously?’ laughed Specky, surprised to hear that one of his mates had actually impressed Monique with his ridiculous stunts. ‘Who? Who is it?’

  ‘Look, it doesn’t matter,’ said Tiger Girl. ‘Besides, your coach is calling you.’

  Specky turned to see Sandy Pate, who was also his PE teacher, wave him and the boys in to join her in a huddle. As Specky made his way over with the rest of the team, Screamer strode up beside him.

  ‘Hey, how’re you handling Christina being gone?’ he asked. ‘She texted me right after she told you. You must be cut.’

  ‘Nah, it’s all good,’ said Specky.

  Screamer and Christina were good mates, and while it used to bug Specky that they were close, he knew that this time Screamer was being sincere.

  ‘Thanks for asking, though,’ added Specky.

  ‘So, have you met the hot exchange-chick?’ Screamer asked.

  ‘Not you, too?’ exclaimed Specky. ‘Doesn’t anyone care about footy anymore?’

  Specky and Screamer shuffled in beside the rest of the Lions to hear Coach Pate’s pre-match address.

  ‘Okay, listen up!’ ordered Coach Pate. ‘A few team notices to begin with. The Endlich Road School was closed down last week, so their team is no longer in existence. Which means the league’s fixture has been rearranged a bit and next Saturday will now be a bye for us.’

  Maybe I can go up to Rivergum with Brian that weekend, thought Specky.

  ‘What did Tiger Girl say?’ whispered Danny, tapping him on the shoulder. ‘Did she say anything about Monique? Does she like me?’

  ‘Not a good time, mate,’ Specky whispered back, trying to listen to Coach Pate.

  ‘Yeah, you really impressed her with that stupid sign,’ whispered Robbo sarcastically.

  He and Gobba pushed their way in next to Danny.

  ‘Like your mum’s lamingtons?’ snapped Danny. ‘How lame was that?’

  ‘That’s not lame,’ retorted Robbo. ‘They’re the best lamingtons ever.’

  ‘You’re both bombing out big-time,’ added Gobba.

  As Specky’s friends bickered in loud whispers, he glanced over to see Tiger Girl and Monique join the parents and teachers on the boundary line. He turned back to his friends.

  ‘Chill out, will ya?’ he snapped. ‘Tiger Girl told me that Monique likes one of you. But she didn’t say who.’

  ‘It’s me.’

  ‘Nah, it’s me.’

  ‘Yeah, right. It has to be me.’

  ‘Would you boys like to sit out this game?’ roared Coach Pate.

  They all apologised, and the coach continued her talk.

  ‘Okay, just a reminder that two weeks after the bye, the league will have a mid-season break – no games will be played that weekend. This is a first-time trial to give parents and teachers a weekend off – which I think will be great for all of us.’

  Specky noticed that after Coach Pate finished her address she looked at a man in the crowd and smiled at him. Specky was surprised to see the man wave back at her.

  ‘That’s her new fella,’ whispered Johnny, who had been standing next to Specky. ‘Heard some olds talking about ’em when I got here.’

  Well, this should be interesting, Specky thought. Looks like Danny, Robbo and Gobba aren’t the only ones out to impress today.

  ∗�
��∗

  The game had begun – Specky’s beloved Lions were up against the hard-hitting Tremont High Tigers.

  Sometimes, a player can get the feeling that the team is not quite as tuned in to the game as they should be. Specky got that feeling within the first minute of the game against the Tigers.

  He had been worried about how Danny and Robbo would play with Monique in the crowd. They had been so distracted that they had hardly even heard Coach Pate’s pre-game address. His worries were confirmed the moment the ball was bounced.

  Robbo, who was a fantastic tap ruckman, grabbed the ball out of the ruck and tried to play on around his opponent. He was tackled, and the umpire immediately paid a free kick against him.

  ‘Good on ya, “Robot”,’ yelled Danny, who had strategically lined up on the half-forward flank, right in front of where Monique and Tiger Girl were standing. ‘You can’t do it all on your own. Just tap it down to us little fellas and we’ll do the rest.’

  Rather than run back into defence to help out his back-men, Robbo stood in the middle of the ground arguing with Danny.

  ‘You? You little twerp! You’d never get a kick if it wasn’t for me.’

  Specky couldn’t believe what was happening. Robbo’s opposing ruckman kicked the ball to Danny’s opponent, who ran down from the half-back flank and marked it, unopposed, on his team’s half-forward line.

  Others in the team ran forward, but it was too late. While Robbo and Danny continued to trade insults, the Tigers’ ruckman ran into the forward pocket, not believing his luck. Danny’s opponent passed it back to him and he casually strolled in and kicked the first goal of the game. Robbo and Danny had not even moved from their position. Specky could hear Gobba, who was in full voice, calling the game from his spot on the interchange bench.

  Oh no, folks! It seems that Roberts and Castellino have something on their minds today, and it ain’t football. Maybe it has something to do with the blonde bombshell, the Swiss Miss, the budding international supermodel, Monique Lafayette, who is watching from the stands today. And let’s be honest, they are both kidding themselves. She doesn’t look like someone who’s interested in the sporting type. She looks like the kind of girl who would appreciate the dulcet tones of a budding commentator. Someone who can paint a picture with words, bring the action into your lounge room…

  ‘Ben Higgins, button your lip!’ bellowed Coach Pate.

  Specky could see she was fuming at the total lack of discipline from two of her more experienced players. Coach Pate turned to the team’s runner, Brendan Newton – or ‘Bert’ as he was known to everyone.

  Specky could hear her saying to Bert, ‘Go out there and tell Josh Roberts and Danny Castellino that they’re to come and sit on the bench, where they can continue arguing like a couple of ten-year-old school girls while the rest of us get on with the game.’

  Specky watched Bert jog out to Robbo and Danny. They were told the bad news, neither of them believing it at first. They continued to argue, blaming each other, as they made their way to the bench.

  At quarter time, the Lions were down by sixteen points. It would have been much worse, though, had it not been for the efforts of Specky and Smashing Sols.

  Specky had taken the initiative and moved himself into the ruck when Robbo had been dragged. Playing a kick behind the play, he had managed to take seven marks and restrict the Tigers’ goal scoring.

  Sols was a tackling machine. Every time a Tigers player got possession, he was there, harassing them and tackling them to the ground. Both Specky and Sols were exhausted by the time they broke for quarter time.

  Good players don’t wait for the coach to do everything. Nathan Buckley and James Hird were often referred to as ‘on-field coaches’ because they delivered the messages of their coach without having to be told what they were. If a player becomes a respected leader, then his team-mates listen to what he says and respond in the most positive way. That respect needs to be earned, though, and Specky had certainly done that, through his actions and good judgement.

  ‘What’s going on, you two?’ asked Specky, moving toward Robbo and Danny as he ran from the field. ‘Geez, I went along with your lame contest, but you’ve gotta know that when we get here for the game then nothing else matters. You’ve gotta get your mind on the job and forget that other stuff.’

  Without knowing it, Specky had the attention of the rest of the team and his coach, as well as Robbo and Danny.

  ‘Come on! That was embarrassing,’ he continued. ‘You’re only thinking about yourselves. You’ve let us down, now do something about it.’

  With that, Specky turned around and went in search of a drink. When he returned, Coach Pate called the group together.

  ‘I think Simon has summed it up pretty well, so nothing more needs to be said to Josh and Danny. Let’s go back to the way we lined up for the first quarter and see if we can’t get our nose in front by half-time.’

  And the Booyong Lions did just that. Robbo and Danny were able to put their squabbling aside for the rest of the game, and while it would not go down as one of their greatest victories, the Lions were still able to win the game by eleven points.

  Specky had kicked four goals by the end of the match, but with five minutes to go, he collapsed on the ground, grabbing at his hamstring. He hobbled to the interchange bench, where a very concerned Coach Pate was waiting.

  ‘It’s okay. It’s just a bit of cramp,’ Specky assured her.

  ‘Well, take it easy and look after yourself. I know you’re doing a lot of training at the moment for the State team so make sure you’re recovering properly after each game.’

  Specky lay down on the grass and went through the stretches he had learnt at State training. Even after the game had finished, and most of the players had gone home, he was still stretching his lower back and his hamstrings.

  One of the most important things a footballer can do, before and after training, is a proper warm up and warm down. Stretching is a vital part of this process. AFL footballers spend many hours throughout the week stretching their muscles to ensure that they don’t suffer from strains and tears. Most of the clubs have sent at least some of their players to pilates classes, which are more commonly used by ballet dancers. Pilates is a concentrated class of stretching, using all sorts of pulleys and fit-balls, designed to improve the core stability of the stomach muscles and to increase flexibility in the legs.

  ‘What are you, the rubber man?’ joked Robbo as he waited patiently for Specky to finish.

  ‘Nah, just trying to loosen up a bit. Training the other night with the State team really took it out of me.’

  ‘Well, hurry up, will ya? I’m meeting Danny, Sols and the Bullet down at the shops. I’m starving,’ said Robbo, who was always thinking of his stomach.

  ‘I won’t be able to make it, mate. I’m gonna drop by the indoor pool and swim a few laps. It’ll really help my muscles,’ replied Specky as he stood up, gingerly, from the grass.

  ‘Gee, you’re really getting professional now, Speck. Fair enough. But just think of the foot-long ham-and-cheese special you’ll be missing out on.’

  ‘I’m sure you’ll eat an extra one for me,’ Specky called after him.

  Specky would have loved nothing more than to hang out with his mates, but he was getting his first understanding of the sacrifices he was going to have to make if he was to fulfil his dream of playing in the AFL one day.

  Accepting those sacrifices is one of the great challenges that young footballers face as they prepare themselves for an AFL career. Specky was always checking out the websites of AFL clubs and loved reading the profiles of his favourite players. Matthew Pavlich, from the Fremantle Dockers, was someone he admired greatly. He had once read that growing up in Adelaide and then in his early days at Fremantle, the ‘Pav’ had had a tough time dealing with the fact that when summer came around and all of his mates headed to the beach for a game of beach cricket or a bit of waterskiing he couldn’t go with them.


  Even on a thirty-three degree day, as his mates were having fun by the ocean, he would be going on ten-kilometre runs or participating in two-hour preseason torture training sessions. While his mates were heading out to the pub for a quiet beer or a lemonade, he would be tucked up in bed, getting ready for a six o’clock session the next morning.

  It was all about dedication, and Specky knew this was just the beginning.

  The following week turned out to be exactly the same as the last for Specky. It was taken up with footy training for both his school and the State team, extra stretching and swimming sessions, doing his homework and assignments, texting Christina in Sydney, and watching his mates make fools of themselves as they continued to try to impress Monique. None of them were getting any closer to finding out who Monique really liked or who’d be the one to get that elusive kiss.

  So when Specky’s parents said, midweek, that he could go with Brian to Rivergum for the weekend, Specky was rapt. He couldn’t wait to get out of the city and experience something new.

  ∗∗∗

  ‘Well, we’re almost home,’ announced Mr Edwards as they drove past the sign that said Welcome to Rivergum.

  Specky sat up in the back seat, relieved that the journey was almost over – six and a half hours in a car was a long time for anyone.

  ‘In the summer, we go swimming over there. It’s the best spot on the river,’ said Brian from the front-passenger seat.

  Specky looked out the window. It was dark outside and it was impossible to see what Brian was pointing at.

  Mr Edwards drove along Allan Street, the main street of Rivergum.

  The town was a lot smaller than Specky had expected. The car’s headlights reflected in the dark windows of the tiny cluster of closed shops. It seemed like a ghost town.

  ‘Dad, let’s stop and say g’day to Ernie. I want him to meet Speck,’ Brian said, as his dad slowly passed the pub. It was the only building on the main street with the lights on.