Graeme

That video reminds me of the time Corey Enright lost his shorts during an AFL match, back in 2007

I use that tag when the story is about Halloween. A story written for Halloween, but isn't about the day itself won't have that tag. The story of mine that Valkyrie linked to above is an example of a story written for Halloween that isn't about Halloween. EDIT TO ADD: Check out the Halloween and Ghosts past anthologies for more stories appropriate for Halloween! If you want to know something slightly creepy, the first story in the Ghosts anthology list was written by Codey, but posted post-humorously. I was chatting with Codey's partner who was going through Codey's old files and he had just found that ghost story. He agreed to submit it to that anthology (I was the anthology coordinator at the time), so we have a story in the Ghosts anthology that was written by someone who was a ghost at the time...

Thank you! Yes, there are a lot of challenges ahead, and the self-centred nature of young kids isn't going to make life any easier.

Thanks, quokka!

I couldn't see how the guys could end up guardians without some sort of tragedy I didn't like doing it, but hopefully they can move on with their new lives.

You've picked it pretty well! Yes, the guys will have a number of challenges with simply looking after the boys, as Alan is slowly coming to realise. He doesn't really need the additional drama from Craig's parents. However, kids can also be a lot of fun. Let's hope the guys get to see that, too.

Thank you! I don't think it will be too long before Australia has marriage equality, but we're still waiting...

I started writing this story when my boys were only a little older than Troy and Bradley. Anyone who has read my Family Snippets will understand that kids of that age are an alien species...

Kids tend to live in the now, but that doesn't mean they aren't hurt. They will still need to feel loved, no matter from whom. As for car seats...yes, they can be a challenge

I can't even imagine how Lisa must have felt when Troy and Bradley reacted the way they did. Unfortunately, kids of that age can react in strange ways. It isn't always easy to work out what they'll do. As you said, though, she knows they're in good hands.

Thank you. The guys have a huge learning curve ahead of them, and the Lynton's don't look like they'll be making it any easier.

Sorry I know that this chapter is heavy on the depressing side. There are definitely lighter moments coming, as well as a lot of drama.

Alan Thrush watched as the coffin was slowly lowered into the grave, his vision blurred by tears. Craig had done a stupid thing, but it was too late for recriminations—four days too late. Driving home in the heavy rain after a Saturday-night dinner with friends, Craig had tried to overtake a slow-moving vehicle, had lost control of his car…and with that his life. “Daddy…” The soft whimper from his left recalled Alan to his duty. Craig’s thoughtless act of careless driving had left his wife in

Alan Thrush and Peter O'Gorman are a gay couple in their mid-twenties who have the support of their friends and families. Their comfortable lives are turned upside down, however, when Alan's sister and brother-in-law are involved in a serious accident, leaving the young men as the guardians of two small boys.

Congratulations, Carlos!

Thank you! Positioning the story against real events was interesting, but it's not something I would do too often. The constraints of real-life events happening at particular times was sometimes a challenge.

Thank you! I knew when I started it that the majority of readers would be clueless when it came to Australian Rules football, so I wrote it accordingly. That was one of the fun challenges with the story. And as someone else has said, the Cockroach has to live with the fact that the person he thought was useless, that shouldn't have been part of the state team, ended up being drafted in the first round... He probably won't think of it that way, but I'm sure the Leopards will remind him every time they meet

Thank you! A lot has happened since I started this story and I never expected it to go to three books. I'm pleased with how it's all turned out, but I'm going to miss everyone, too.

Thank you! With so much foreshadowing, it was hard to include some surprises, but that was part of the fun in writing this chapter. The oldest new player recruited into the AFL itself (the main draft, not the rookie draft) that I know of was 27, so Todd still has a chance, though it's decreasing each year. By the time the next season starts, he'll be 24, which is when he would be expected to be at his prime. If an AFL club recruited him at that end of the following season, he'll be starting his AFL career at the age of 25, and he would only probably have 2-4 years playing at that level. An AFL club may pick him for tactical purposes, but unless he really shone in the VFL, most AFL clubs won't see him as a long-term investment. It could happen, but it's not likely. Geelong is only an hour from Melbourne, but it's on the opposite side to Lilydale. That's why it's two hours (more in traffic or in a bus) from Lilydale to Geelong. But, yes, from the point of view of Dave's support network, Hawthorn was definitely better for him than Geelong.

Thank you! I've had a lot of readers say that they're not normally into sports or reading sport-centric stories, but they've liked this series. I've tried hard to balance the sport-related portions with the character-related portions so there's something for everyone. It's not possible to get that balance right because different people will want the balance at different points, but overall I'm happy that I succeeded.

Thank you! I hope it's not a spoiler, but I'm trying to work on a story around the wedding. My problem is to make it a story and not just an anecdote. If I succeed and end up with something I'm happy with, yes, you'll have your story about the wedding In some ways, it's an extended (and late) epilogue, tying up more loose ends.

Thank you! It's not a sport that's widely known outside of Australia, and I simplified a lot of things, but I'm glad you liked the story of a year with the Leopards.

Thank you! I had a lot of fun writing Ty's speech. In my discussions with Jason Ball, we used the term 'casual homophobia', though I think 'unthinking homophobia' is more accurate. Jason found a number of people who would make homophobic comments without really thinking about what they were saying -- it was just something that was said, a phrase to be used, without them really understanding what they were actually saying and what it meant. That's the easiest form of homophobia to be addressed because it's not really intended. There are other forms, however, that will take longer to address. Using an analogy, the AFL had been working hard for years to stamp out racism in the sport, but there are still people (including some AFL players and administrators) that make the occasional inappropriate comment towards the aboriginal players in the AFL.

Thank you! A beta-reader comment earlier in the series by C James is what prompted the pastafarian reference. You can thank him for the inclusion