Matt Tognolini was having a bad day. It was only a scratch match, sure. And he was coming off a thigh strain — Fitzy, the coach, had told him not to push himself too hard. But still, something was wrong. There should be more life in his legs, more spark in his blood. He felt as flat as the surf at South Beach.
And to make it worse, he was up against Justin Ayres, the star full-back, who had just changed clubs for big bucks. Justin was aggro at the best of times but now he really had something to prove.
Toggo moved a few paces forward. Justin followed and gave him a nudge even though the ball was at the other end of the ground.
‘Relax Ayre-head,’ Toggo said, without turning around. ‘It’s a scratch match, remember. And the cameras are on the ball. Or do you want to impress your mum?’
‘Ah, shut your mouth.’
Justin might be quick for a big man, but not with the dialogue. When he did ads for Carter’s bread, the sandwiches were better actors than him.
Justin bumped Toggo hard.
Right, Toggo thought. He had something ready for a situation like this.
Carter’s bread, Carter’s bread,
Use our loaf and get ahead.
Toggo sang, smiling widely at the big full-back. The ball was on the left flank, just behind the centre line. Little Dazza Nannup, the Dockers’ brilliant wingman, was hooking it in with a spare arm like it was a piece of washing hanging out to dry.
Justin Ayres looked at his opponent. Those were the right words he was singing. So what was this crazy guy doing? No, ignore him, he told himself. The coach had warned him not to listen to anything Matt Tognolini said.
Get a head, get a head,
Use our loaf cos yours is dead.
What was that? Had Justin heard it right?
Get a head, get a head,
Use our loaf cos yours is dead.
All Justin’s attention was going into not paying attention to Matt Tognolini. He wasn’t going to let this guy upset him, no way … Toggo was trying to get him to go the thump. To get him reported and rubbed out for a couple of weeks … Well, he didn’t come down in the last shower. He wasn’t going to fall for that one. And anyway, there was nothing wrong with his head … was there?
Suddenly Toggo sprinted forward, leaving Justin flatfooted in the goal square. Little Dazza, screaming up the wing, hit his teammate cleanly on the chest with a perfect, no sweat, pass. The crowd roared.
Toggo moved back slowly to take his kick. Carter’s bread, Carter’s bread. He was singing softly to himself to steady his nerves. Use your loaf and nail it dead.
Well, he’d used his loaf in getting clear of Ayre-head. Now it was up to his boot to finish it off.
Toggo pulled up his socks, scraped his boots on the ground and thought about the kick. This would be his first shot at goals for the season. It was important. It would set things up for the rest of the year. It was a difficult kick but he should be able to put it through. He wished he felt better; sharper, buzzier, lighter in the body. Stop that, you’ll make yourself miss.
It’s a big ask … he’s taking his time … the TV commentator didn’t sound too hopeful about Toggo scoring a goal. He seemed to be having trouble cranking up for the new season as well.
‘Get on with it,’ Rowan said to the TV screen. He was an Eagles fan and the Dockers had taken over from Essendon as the team he loved to hate.
Come on, Toggo, Greg begged silently. You can do it, mate. The Dockers had been his team from their first season in the competition and Matt Tognolini was his favourite player.
The man in purple and white ran in to take his kick.
‘Look out,’ Greg yelled. Rowan had reached for the potato chips and blocked his view. As they jostled on the lounge, Turley gave a yap and tried to join in.
‘Miss! What’d I tell you,’ Rowan said. The man in the white coat had pointed one finger and was waving just one flag.
Justin Ayres retrieved the ball from behind the posts and kicked it back into play — straight to Darryl Nannup. Dazza booted it quickly back towards the goal square, where Toggo took an easy mark in front.
‘He’s gunna miss again, you watch,’ Rowan said. But this kick was so close-in that even an under sevens player would have nailed it.
‘Hah!’ Greg said as the ball sailed through the goal posts. He thumped Rowan on the shoulder and Rowan pushed him back. Rowan was eighteen months older than Greg and usually won when they wrestled. He put Greg in a headlock and held him down while Turley licked his face.
Greg didn’t make a sound but their father, Nick, seemed to know when something like this was going down. ‘Cut it out, you guys,’ he said from the doorway. Or maybe he just couldn’t stay away from the TV set. He was a Dockers supporter like Greg and would much rather be watching the game than doing the accounts for his lawn mowing business.
Nick lingered in the doorway. The Dockers had possession of the ball in the back line and were running hard. Handball, handball, handball, chip pass. Nick sat down on a chair — the accounts could wait for a minute.
Ben Norris, the Dockers centreman, laid boot to ball and drove it deep into the forward line. Toggo and Justin Ayres both went up for it and spoiled each other. Toggo stumbled forward — knee in the back. The whistle went. Free kick to Toggo.
This’ll be a piece of cake, Greg thought. Toggo was only thirty metres out from goal and directly in front.
Toggo took a breath. There should be no problem with this kick but he just wasn’t feeling right. Even the goal he’d taken from really close-in hadn’t been easy. Don’t think that, he told himself. You’re going to get this, no worries. But he was worried.
Toggo knew as soon as the ball left his boot that it was a dog. Out of bounds on the full. A big razz went up from the opposition supporters, and a couple of the Dockers fans as well. That was two misses out of three. Not a good start.
Matt Tognolini kicked one goal seven points for the match. Even his mum listening on the radio would have to admit that he’d missed some real sitters.
Greg Lukin felt every miss as if he’d made it himself. It was excruciating. Especially with Rowan cheering and making comments every time the ball went off the side of the boot. But it gave Greg encouragement in a funny kind of way. If a champion like Matt Tognolini could miss that often, and that badly, maybe there was hope for him this year. It was his first year up from the under thirteens. Playing in the under fifteens, he’d need all the help he could get.