Specky Magee and the Best of Oz

‘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.’

‘I hear you’ve been invited to try out for Manchester United. Very impressive, especially for a non-soccer player like yourself.’

‘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.

‘Well, boys,’ said Bobby, taking the microphone. ‘These are our digs for the next couple of nights. Not bad, eh? Welcome to Ballyglenn Castle!’

17. the road to galway