Ken84050

Many, many thanks, Graeme. Normally I avoid incomplete serials, but after finishing "Leopard Skin Cover" I was thoroughly hooked on your regular rations of "Leopard Spots". They were highlights of the week. Your wonderful range of characters really do seem like real people worth caring about. A lot. Football held them all together, but so many personal things were going on as well. You do a fine job of weaving all the strands together. Also you have foreshadowed so many things about their futures that all your fans will be queued up when you are ready to begin Book 3. Of course your work takes priority. At the height of your career you have done amazingly well to find so much time for writing already. There's a huge amount of gratitude out here, certainly in my corner of the internet. Sincere respect, Ken.

This is rather off-topic, being the wrong kind of football, but some of you may be interested. There's an annual tournament between gay and inclusive rugby teams in Australia and New Zealand. This year's has just started in Auckland: http://events.stuff.co.nz/2015/purchas-cup/auckland/western-springs

Graeme, you wretch! It was a fair bet that the game would lead up to a nail-biting finish in the fourth quarter, but not that you would postpone it to Chapter 57. How could you tease us poor readers like that? Now we have to wait a week!

Surprises! Jim enjoyed his parents' surprise arrival, and he obviously gets on really well with them. Neil was wise to link them with his own parents. In early chapters Phil Rosewood's homophobia overwhelmed his good qualities, but now we can see him as a better person. He even apologized to Jim. Jessica Henderson has a lively mind. Her little speech on relationships between God's children may have been on exactly the right wave-length for Mary Rosewood. Let's hope so, since Ty later said of Jim's parents: Liam was mischievous with his school football mates in Chapter 54: So that's another surprise coming up. And there may be a third. Kevin wasn't exactly frank with the school footballers: Perhaps Evelyn needs to mention the Sydney Swans to them. Let's just hope there's no nasty surprise at the end of the grand final.

What whole-hearted sponsors Matt and Gary are - certainly not just fair-weather friends. "Next year" means 2015. Jim's parents seem like people whom Neil's parents could respect and like. [EDIT TO ADD. That's not my snobbery, but Phil Rosewood's. I was recalling Chapter 17: So Philip Henderson should meet with his approval.] The Saturday dinner promises to be quite an event. Everyone will be concerned about Ty's fitness. Phil Rosewood's unemployment is unlikely to remain secret. Neil is no longer letting his mother shut her eyes to his sexuality, even though his father wants him to. His time with the Leopards and with Liam has given him a new confidence. Thank you, Graeme, for bringing on stage such a kaleidoscope of people. There's even a new glimmer of hope for Jarrod and Mary.

That's clear in Chapter 53 too. The description of the game was enlivened by all the different points of view: AFL scouts, Ty in hospital, radio commentators, and various young supporters. After all the build-up, surely the Leopards won't lose the grand final? Graeme has dropped a lot of hints suggesting what may happen after that. The players will hear about Peter's leaving, and everyone will be thinking about his replacement. Speculation about AFL drafts will no longer be subordinated to the Leopards' team efforts. Players will have more time for their girlfriends and boyfriends. A foretaste of that was the little scene showing Deon and Clarissa more affectionate than before. And thank you, Graeme.

Chapter 52 is clearly Ty's chapter, or perhaps rather Ty's knee's chapter. The hyperbaric treatment is surprising, but no doubt Graeme has done his research about that. It seems that the Carlton club were right to keep their interest in Ty a secret. The Hawthorn club were interested enough to enquire about his injury, but as luck would have it they were deterred by his father. Lucky Carlton! Robert Flanders may deserve someone's gratitude after all. Of course Patrick O'Malley deserves far more gratitude; and perhaps after Carlton shows its hand the Leopards should celebrate Patrick in some special way. We shall see. Now a minuscule complaint. Chapters 50-52 have given us a feast of football but a famine of flirting. Some other sentimental readers also may be hoping for more about Liam & Neil, Deon & Clarissa, Todd & Lorraine, and even Paul & Teresa (Chapters 20 & 29) if he can finally pay off his debt. Please, Graeme?

Why aren't people cheering for the Upstaged trilogy? There aren't even many chapter reviews. Whether it's by Nephylim or by Stephanie Danielson or both (if they are in fact different people), it's a really absorbing series of tales. The main characters are so sharply defined: Erik, impetuous and passionate; Asher, damaged and deep; Daisy, fiercely protective of her brother; Billy, kind and dependable; Vince, sincerely sweet; Connor, heart of gold in a rough package; Angel, affectionate despite his family. Unfortunately I've caught up with Book 3 (Duet) Chapter 20, so now I must wait for developments in Ireland and Italy. Anyone who hasn't got that far has a treat in store. To say much more would entail spoilers, which I want to avoid.

What a lot of ups and downs in Chapter 51! Dave's delight when his nemesis was arrested distracted him during Wednesday's practice but then he came right in the next game. Ty had enough self-discipline to cope well with Craig Roach's taunting but then suffered a knee injury which could seriously affect his future. The Sydney Swans told Sam that they were interested in Deon but joining them would take him away from Clarissa. Graeme doesn't give his footballers an easy ride.

Yes, but non-subscribers like us can still see the YouTube video.

Another game lost. The Leopards urgently need to win from now on; so Graeme has set us up for a series of football cliffhangers. Deon and Clarissa in the restaurant showed amazing maturity and honesty. They really deserve each other. Luckily some AFL clubs in Melbourne are taking Deon seriously, so he has a good chance of staying close to Clarissa.

I thought cheerful chat too soon after the news about Phil Walsh would have been callous. Chapter 48 was one of the most cheerful yet. In their chapter reviews, Cole Matthews called it "all positive" and Defiance19 called it "feel good". Exactly! Liam's football party brought out the best in everybody. In the evening Liam in Neil's arms, with Clarissa and Doug, chatted happily like four friends. Then the Purple Bombers kept up the warm and fuzzy atmosphere. Clarissa is not only smitten with Deon but seems just a little shy, amazingly enough.

Subtle! Peter hands over a bit more responsibility to Julie and Will, just in case he does disappear off to the Western Bulldogs. Will Deon go with him? Then will Clarissa become a Bulldogs fan? Mary Rosewood understands what is keeping Neil at a distance. But notice the "we". She doesn't yet accept that the prejudice is her own and no longer Phil's. As for the powerful alliance between Doug and Neil - lucky Liam!

Let's not compete, Timothy. There may be quite a few of us who enjoy stories about teenage boys as long-delayed escapism.

I've never been homophobic, but I have had bad attitudes that needed fixing. Haven't you? Phil's attitude is well and truly fixed. From impunity's chapter review: Brilliant! Or even the TV channel could be interested in a follow-up.

Poor Alastair. He invited Deon to check his bona fides in Chapter 45. But instead of contacting Kevin, Deon and his family keep on harbouring suspicions. Poor Phil. He is so ashamed of the TV programme which led to his dismissal, and so anxious that Neil should not blame himself. But he can't keep it secret from Neil forever. Poor Todd. He is the only person who knows Neil's problem, but he feels that it's too confidential to share even with Oliver. Poor Liam. He has no idea why Neil suddenly became cool towards him. And poor Neil. Of course.

Even when Graeme reveals characters by small hints, they are always consistent. What do we know about Rod? Doug and Liam are best friends, leaving Rod as a third wheel among the erstwhile bullies. Already in Chapter 4 Graeme hinted that Rod was less intelligent than Doug or Liam. In Chapter 19 when Helena outed Neil to his bullies, Doug understood Liam's problem but Rod did not. Liam explained it to Neil in Chapter 38. Now in Chapter 45: Liam used to follow Doug's lead. Rod still does. Knowing that Doug wants Liam and Neil to break up, Rod reverts to straightforward bullying to achieve it. All in all he seems a rather pathetic person.

I don't want to dominate this forum. I shall hold off for a while. The rest of you - please come back.

This is off topic, but it's Graeme's fault. In response to a Chapter 43 review he wrote: Re-reading that story after a long time gave me a good laugh. In less than 2000 words Graeme packs in the main clichés of so many Nifty authors. The gay room-mate is a swimmer and a musician. He is tall. He has perfect white teeth. He has blue eyes. He has rich parents. There is also a quarterback. (Real-life gay American footballers undoubtedly play in other positions too, but in the banal story tradition they are always quarterbacks.) Also there is bad cafeteria food. Also there are traditional caricatures of gays, with homophobia thrown in. In future such stories may be written by machine, but in the meantime we have Graeme.

Ty's lapse into brathood was provoked by insults to Jim, not to himself; but still he was appropriately penitent afterwards. On the bus he was inconsolable until Neil brought him back to an even keel. Neil is very much a member of the Leopard family, and his increasing confidence is making him a valuable one. My conjectures about later developments are usually wrong, but I can't help wondering whether Neil may do something similar for Doug. Remember in Chapter 41: We don't know much about Doug's family background or whatever else makes this potentially worthy young man so aggressive and spiteful. Perhaps Neil will be the one to help Doug just as he unexpectedly helped Ty on the bus. Or perhaps not. Anyway, holding Liam's party on Leopards' premises will make Neil feel at home and more at ease with Doug and the rest of the school football team.

No, it was just plain wrong. Now that I've started re-reading "Leopard Spots", it seems quite clear that the prologue events took place on Thursday 20th and Friday 21st March. Probably nobody cares, but anyway there's my confession.

Responding to a chapter review, Graeme wrote: Thank you for the reminder, Graeme. Chapter 9 made quite clear that Mary is religious. I had forgotten about that after reading it so long ago. Some time soon I must indulge in re-reading the whole story. Usually I avoid the frustration of incomplete serials, but "Leopard Spots" is different; partly because Graeme reliably posts a chapter every week, and partly also because of this forum. It's really enjoyable to mull over the story with the little group of regulars here. It would be alarming if we were Graeme's only fans, but the long list of greetings on his birthday shows there are plenty of others. I'm very pleased to have stumbled upon this forum in March. Best wishes to you all.

Not just feelings. They are a traditional couple: breadwinner and housewife. Mary has a sheltered life, but Phil works with other people and can learn from them. In Chapter 38 he said: Clearly he is leading the way out of their homophobia.

Graeme's hints can be pretty subtle. At Sydney Airport Sam and Marcus communicated silently. There's something they're not telling Deon. Tentative plans to return to Melbourne, perhaps? During Mandy's holiday somewhere warm with Gary and Matt, the three of them may discuss that too. Becky is starting to thaw. Her attitude is very important for Lorraine and Todd. Probably none of her mother's transient boyfriends entertained the family to a home-cooked dinner, so perhaps Becky will start to appreciate Todd along with Ollie. Neil's father may be more intelligent than his mother, or at least more realistic. When four other people accompanied Neil: But her husband knew exactly why Todd and Paul were there. His response to the hand-holding was a polite request for Neil to consider his mother's feelings. Even so, she could scarcely bear to look at Neil beside Liam. Phil is actually showing some respect for Neil. However, Mary can't see past his gayness. Help her, please, Beth!

In that case, very belated greetings to you, Graeme. GA is hard to navigate, and I didn't find out about your birthday in time. I heartily agree with the praise in the Chapter 41 reviews. Something not yet mentioned is Patrick O'Malley as the Carlton club's éminence grise. In Chapter 12: So in Chapter 41: But we know how lucky Ty is to have Patrick on his side. Todd was perceptive in telling Neil: Despite Neil's diffidence, he forms very clear ideas and intentions - a mouse with the heart of a lion. He even advises Liam about Doug. Liam has acquired a pretty impressive boyfriend, and he knows it.