Leopard Skin Cover - 9. Chapter 9

He told himself it was just infatuation. He told himself he was sexually frustrated and the whole situation was messing with his mind. He told himself he didn’t want Tony.

All the time, he knew he was lying to himself. It didn’t stop him. He had been lying to others and playing games with his mind for so long that this was just more of the same.

He tried to concentrate on other things. To focus on his football. To focus on treating Tony like his teammates did – as someone who was just one of the team but wasn’t really an available male. Someone to associate with, but someone who wasn’t a legitimate target for his desires.

It didn’t work.

His mind started playing tricks back. He found himself thinking of excuses for spending time with Tony. For seeing him more often, even if only from a distance.

His fears grew as he realised he was going to be outed if he couldn’t control himself. His fears rose even higher when he realised that he wasn’t sure if he wanted to control himself.

He had already made mistakes, mistakes that his teammates had, hopefully, not picked up on. He had been lucky so far, but he was losing control and needing to do something about it.

He recognised the tension that was building. It was the same sort of tension that made him go to the nightclub. The same sort of tension that was only released by finding the chance to be himself. To no longer hide, even if only for a short while.

This time, though, he knew there was a difference. Instinctively, he knew things would only be resolved by confronting Tony — and facing up to how he felt.

He was scared.

* * *

Tony’s eyebrows rose when he saw the caller ID on his phone. He grinned as he pushed the accept button.

“Keith! How’s things?” Tony hadn’t spoken to Keith Sutherland since he’d finished his previous job.

“Not too bad, Tony, though things haven’t been the same since you left. I don’t suppose there’s any chance you’d come back here to Pride FM?”

Tony laughed. “Sorry, Keith, but I’m really enjoying this job. It’s very different from what I was doing – much more challenging.”

“Oh, well, it was worth a try. Have you got a couple of minutes?”

Tony frowned. “Sure. What did you want to chat about?”

“Management here has come up with a change they want to make to the Friday-morning breakfast show, and I volunteered to talk to you about it.”

“You’ve lost me, Keith. How am I involved in the breakfast show programming?”

“Not you, per se, but who you’re now working for. A lot of our competitors include a segment that reviews the upcoming AFL rounds, with informed commentary from one of the current AFL players. We can’t really get someone from the AFL to help us out, but it’s been suggested that maybe a VFL player may like to do the job.”

Tony thought furiously for a couple of seconds. “That’s probably doable, but I’d have to run it past my management first and then discuss it with the players. Any chance you could include a VFL-round review as well?”

Keith laughed. “I told them that you’d ask about that. The answer is a tentative yes, though it’d be on a trial basis. They’re pretty sure an AFL review would be popular; they’re less sure about the VFL. Sorry, but it’s just not as important to sports fans as the AFL.”

“Fair enough. As I said, I’ll have to speak to some people here first. When do you need a decision by?”

“The AFL season starts on Friday week with a split round, and we’d like to start advertising the change starting on Monday at the latest, so within the next couple of days, if possible.”

“Let me guess: you’ve been looking for an AFL player and have recently realised that you’re not going to get one and we’re the second choice.”

Keith chuckled. “Guilty as charged, but it was only after you went to the Leopards that our chance of getting a VFL player opened up. So, when do you think you’ll be able to let us know if you can get us someone?”

“I’ll get back to you as soon as I can. Once we’ve finished here, I’ll speak to my boss straightaway. I just need some details as to what commitment you’re looking for.”

The two spent the next ten minutes going over the fine detail of what the radio station was seeking. Tony was feeling confident by the end of the discussion but not enough to allow him to say anything to Keith.

“Thanks, Tony. I hope to hear good news from you soon. Before I go, any word on that sponsorship deal that you’ve been wanting from us? I expected to hear something from you before this, and I had hoped that someone would be doing a gig for us as part of that sponsorship.”

Tony chuckled. “Sorry, Keith. I’ve been fussy about who I’d send to you, and the guys that could do with the help weren’t ones that I thought would be comfortable being at Pride FM. The ones that would’ve been fine already have sponsorships, and I’ve been told I’m not allowed to help them get a second one: something to do with VFL salary-cap rules.”

There was a short pause. “Some of the players are homophobic?”

“No. I’d say more that they’re uncomfortable around gays, mainly through lack of exposure. They’ll get there, but sending them to Pride FM would be a baptism of fire, and they just might get burnt. We’re talking eighteen- and nineteen-year-olds, some of whom have had a very sheltered life.”

Keith laughed. “Okay, I’ll let you go, then. Feel free to call me at any time; we’re really waiting on this deal.”

Tony took a couple of minutes to put together an email with all the details he’d gathered and sent it to Colin. Not waiting for a reply, he headed next door.

Colin was busy typing on his computer, but he looked up and smiled when Tony walked in. “G’day, Tony. I’ll be with you in a sec.”

Tony settled himself in one of the two visitor chairs and waited. He could see two ways forward with the Pride FM deal, but he needed Colin’s experience to work out which one was best. It would only be presented to the players if it had Colin’s approval.

“Thanks for waiting, Tony. What’s up?”

Tony smiled. “I’ve sent you an email with the details, but essentially I’ve had an offer from Pride FM for us to supply someone as a pre-game commentator for the AFL season. Each Friday morning, they’ll be on air reviewing the upcoming round as part of a regular segment on their breakfast show. With the AFL season starting in less than two weeks, they’d like to know as soon as possible if we’re able to help.”

Colin’s forehead wrinkled. “Interesting.” He turned back to his computer screen while he continued to talk. “More notice would’ve been nice, but it’s still a chance to get the club’s name out in the public eye and more exposure for one of our players. What are your thoughts?”

“As I said in the email, the key issue is going to be financial. We can leave it as a question between the player and Pride and not get involved, or we can make it between Pride and the Leopards and they pay the club. We avoid salary-cap issues with the former, but the latter gives us more options, such as rotating the players through the position until we get a good match.”

Colin started tapping his fingers on the desktop. “I’ll need to check with Anne and Eric, but I think having this between the club and the radio station will be better in the long term. What are the detailed requirements?” He paused and scanned his computer screen. “Never mind, I can see you’ve given me everything I need.”

Tony smiled. “If it’s between the club and Pride, I’d suggest sending two players the first one or two times. We don’t have a lot of people experienced with the media, and one person will probably find himself a bit intimidated.”

“Who would you suggest?”

“Roger and Paul, at least for starters. Both seem comfortable around gays, so that’s not going to freak them out, and I believe Roger has a little media experience from his AFL days. Both are confident speakers, and they’ll be able to cover for each other if there are any hiccups.”

Colin nodded slowly. “Good choices.” He paused as he read more of the email. He looked back at Tony with raised eyebrows. “VFL-round reviews as well?”

Tony shrugged. “I thought it was worth a shot. Raising the profile of our games is going to help with attendances and make the club better known. That’ll make our job easier. Effectively, it’s a free awareness campaign.”

Colin laughed. “Not free; they’ll be paying us to do it. Okay, I’ll go see Eric and Anne now – Eric for approval in principle and Anne to get the financial and legal ball rolling. When do we need to respond?”

“The sooner the better. They want to start advertising this at the start of next week at the latest.”

“Okay, let’s get moving. While I check with el Presidente and Madam Treasurer, I want you to contact Roger and Paul and sound them out. Start thinking of a couple of backups just in case they can’t do it; with his two kids, Roger’s not always available first thing in the morning.”

“After the first couple of times, they’ll probably be able to phone in for the segment, but I know the radio station will prefer them to be on site. We can keep the phone-in option for emergencies.”

Colin smiled. “Excellent. I like to see someone who’s covered all the bases. Well done, Tony. I think this is going to impress a number of people.”

* * *

Oliver poked his head into Tony’s office. “Busy?”

Tony grinned. “Very, but what can I do for you?”

Oliver stepped into the room. “I’ve got some revised numbers for Jim’s birthday party. Ty and Todd are now both bringing someone.”

Tony waved a hand dismissively. “Unless the numbers are dropping or skyrocketing, it doesn’t matter. We’ve got the whole restaurant booked, and Glenda has negotiated a fixed-price-per-head rate that includes using the team bus for transport there and back. You can let everyone know it’ll be $45 per person, excluding Jim. That’s for a three-course, limited menu rather than full a la carte, but that way the restaurant can cut back on costs; they don’t have to order as many different things. They’ve asked us to give indicative figures for the meals, too, to help with their ordering, so if you could distribute the menu and ask everyone to make some selections, it’d be appreciated. They don’t have to make a final decision – just what they’re likely to have, so the restaurant can prepare.

“A birthday cake for Jim is included; apparently the chef is looking forward to making one. Drinks will be extra, but the place is BYO wine. Beer and spirit drinkers will have to purchase theirs from the bar.”

“Cool! This is going to be so much fun.” Oliver grinned. “Who have you told where it’s going to be?”

“Just you and Glenda.” Tony cocked his head. “Is it really that important to you to keep the place secret? From what I’ve heard, you’ve not even told people it’ll be at a restaurant!”

Oliver shrugged. “It’s the closest thing to a surprise birthday party we’re going to manage. Jim knows we’re organising something, but it’s much more fun if he’s not sure exactly what we’ve got planned.”

* * *

Peter was reviewing his files on the Box Hill Hawks players in preparation for the upcoming game on Sunday when his desk phone rang.

“Peter Stevenson.”

“Hi, Peter, it’s Mel. Eric would like a meeting with you at eleven. Your calendar looks free, but I wanted to check to make sure in case there was something you hadn’t put onto the computer system.”

Peter frowned at the request. Melissa knew from past experiences that he didn’t always fill in his online diary, but he wasn’t sure why Eric wanted to see him. “What’s it about?”

“Ongoing financial planning and a media opportunity that’s arisen for the club. He wants your input.”

“Okay, eleven’s fine. Thanks, Mel.”

“The meeting will be in the boardroom, not his office. I’ll send you an invite now.”

Peter felt a chill. “Who else is going to be there?”

“It’s just you, Eric, Anne, and Colin.” Melissa laughed. “They’re only using the boardroom because they want to use the projector. There’s nothing to worry about.”

Peter chuckled. “Thanks again, Mel. You know I don’t like the boardroom. Most of the time when I’m called there, it means trouble. Do I need to bring anything?”

“This one shouldn’t be trouble. It’s more to keep you informed and to get your opinion on a couple of points. I’ve blocked out an hour, so it won’t be a long meeting.”

Peter glanced at the clock. It was just before ten. “Okay, Mel, I’ll be there at eleven. Now, I need to get back to my planning for our next game. It’s going to be a tough one.”

Mel laughed. “You say that about all the games.”

Peter smiled. “I know, but this one is against last year’s premiers. We’re going to have to pull out all the stops if we’re going to be competitive.”

“In that case, I’ll let you be. Good luck!”

Peter worked on his opposition-player reviews until just before the meeting. He needed to plot out the best way to tackle each Hawks player as well as overall game strategy. It was the part of coaching he found the most challenging but also the most rewarding. If he did his job well, it made things easier for his players.

“Sorry I’m late,” Peter said as he entered the boardroom. He took a chair on the opposite side of the oval table from where Anne was sitting with her laptop. Eric was standing behind her, looking over her shoulder.

Anne Flintlock smiled. “Only by a couple of minutes, and we’re still waiting for Colin. Eric and I are just going through next month’s budget forecasts.”

“Everything’s fine, I hope.” Peter thought he was just being polite, but he felt uneasy when Anne and Eric exchanged glances.

“Sorry, everyone. I had a phone call that went longer than I expected,” Colin said as he entered the room, carrying his laptop.

“Okay, let’s get started, then.” Eric closed the door and then sat down next to Anne. “You’re up first, Colin. You said you had a new media proposal that needs urgent attention.”

Colin talked while he plugged his laptop into the overhead-projector system. “That’s right. Tony’s received a proposal from the Pride FM radio station for a regular Friday morning football review for the weekend’s AFL games. They need a response this week; the sooner the better.”

He glanced at the projector screen and smiled when he saw his desktop being displayed. He didn’t always expect the technology to work first time. “I’ll just bring up the details that Tony sent me, and we can start discussing them. Personally, I think this is a great opportunity to not only make the Leopards better known but to also bring some extra revenue into the club.”

“Who is Pride FM? I haven’t heard of them,” Anne said.

“They’re a gay and lesbian radio station,” Peter said as he started to read the email that Colin was displaying. “Tony used to work for them, and he’s maintained some contacts there.”

“Are they an organisation we want to associate ourselves with?” Eric asked, glancing at Colin. “It’s not like they’re a major media player.”

Colin shrugged. “I don’t see a problem, myself. We’ll be reaching into a marketplace where there’s almost certainly some interest, and the advertising for the club may bring in some new members or increased attendances at games.” He scrolled down the email. “As you can see, there’s also the possibility of reviewing VFL games, though only on a trial basis to see if there’s enough interest.”

“But they’re a gay radio station! Do we want to associate our club with that?” Eric glanced at each of the other people in the room, one by one.

Anne frowned. “I’d say our chance of losing any sponsorships on that basis is low, though Colin would be a better one to gauge that likelihood. We might drop attendances slightly, but I would expect that would be more than offset by any increase from the new demographic group.” She glanced at the marketing manager. “Colin?”

“I don’t see a problem. It’s just a radio gig once a week. If someone takes offence at that, then...” Colin shook his head. “I was more concerned about the players and how they’d feel, which is why I asked for Peter to come along.”

Peter shrugged. “If they’ve got a problem with it, they can come to me. Who were you looking at doing the work?”

“Roger and Paul, initially. By making this a deal between the Leopards and Pride FM, rather than directly between the station and the players, it means we can vary who does the job, if needed. The amounts we’re talking about are small enough that I don’t see a problem from a salary-cap point of view, and the club can keep a percentage of the proposed revenue. Anne, that’s right, isn’t it.”

She nodded. “If the figures on the email are correct, then no, there shouldn’t be a problem.”

“In that case, I don’t see any issues from my side,” Peter said.

“But what if the other teams start picking on the players, accusing them of being poofs?” Eric asked.

Anne frowned. “Then we file a formal complaint. Sexual orientation is one of the protected areas under the League’s anti-vilification policy.”

Eric twisted in his seat to look at Anne. “How did you know that off the top of your head?”

“Because it’s my job, Eric. Besides being the financial controller, I’m also the nominated Complaints Officer under that policy.” She narrowed her eyes. “Just for the record, discrimination on the basis of gender – in a coach, for example – is also prohibited conduct.”

“Wh...why did you mention that?”

Anne smiled. “Just thought I’d throw it in.” She turned to Peter. “Let me know if I have to give a refresher on the policy to the players. I can do it after training on any Monday.”

Peter grinned at the news that Anne was on his side in his battle to keep Julie. “I don’t think they need it, but if you want to schedule one at your convenience, there’s no harm in reminding them.”

Anne glanced around the room. “Then we’re in agreement. We’ll go ahead with this deal, subject to satisfactory terms and conditions.” She glanced at Eric. “The club really needs the revenue, and we can’t afford to let this opportunity slide by.”

Eric nodded, though it was apparent to everyone that he wasn’t happy. “Which brings us to the next point. Colin, can you fill us in on the latest?”

Colin grimaced. “It’s not good news. Richard Lyons seems to be trying to find excuses to justify withdrawing his company’s sponsorship of the club. I know he told you, Eric, that it was only a possibility, but my reading of the situation is that it’s more a question of when it will happen.”

Peter frowned. “This is the first I’ve heard of it. What does it mean if he pulls out?”

Anne sighed. “The club folds. Without that money, we can’t keep operating. The Lilydale Leopards Football Club will go into receivership. We could probably sue, based on the current agreement, but the legal costs would still mean ruin, with no guarantee of when we’d see any money.”

Peter swallowed. He glanced around the room, hoping that this was a joke, but the sombre expressions on everyone’s faces told a different story.

“What are we doing to find a replacement sponsor?” he asked.

“I’m looking as hard as I can, Peter. This has been my priority for the last week, while I’ve off-loaded most of my normal work onto Tony. Without telling him why, I’ve got him going through his contacts, too, but there aren’t many companies with the amount of spare money available that we’re talking about. We’ve pretty much tapped everyone who’s been a loyal club supporter over the years. There’s not much more money out there.”

Eric caught Peter’s eye. “That’s why we need to win even the practise matches, Peter. A loss may provide the excuse that Richard needs to pull out.”

“And we can’t tell anyone,” Colin added, “because if it became public knowledge, that would trigger the collapse of the club.”

* * *

Deon entered the club’s gym at lunchtime, intending to do a light workout before returning home to rest until the normal Monday-night training session. He paused at the entrance when he saw both Tony and Julie jogging on the treadmills.

Looking around, the only other person exercising was the midfielder Greg Chambers, who was using the leg-press machine with a medium weight.

Deon considered his options for a couple of seconds and then headed towards the treadmills.

“Hi,” he said as he started up the machine next to Tony.

“G’day, Deon.”

Julie nodded from where she was on the far side of Tony. “Don’t work too hard, Deon. We’ve got a heavy session planned for tonight.” she said with a smile.

He smiled back as he stepped onto the machine, increasing the speed to a fast walk. “I’m only doing some cardio, without going overboard. I’m expecting tonight’s and Wednesday’s sessions to be pretty gruelling.”

Tony seemed puzzled. “And not Friday’s?”

Deon rolled his eyes. “Because we’ve got a game on the weekend.”

“The game’s not until Sunday. I wouldn’t plan on it being an easy session on Friday.” Julie grinned. “It’s up to Will and Peter, of course, but I think you should budget on a relaxing Saturday to recover. That’ll be what I’ll be telling all my midfielders tonight.”

“Oh, shit.” Deon wanted to bury his head in his hands. “I thought I had it all worked out.”

Julie smiled. “This’ll be your first Sunday game, so don’t worry about it. The extra conditioning training is also throwing things out of whack, which is another reason to have a rest day on Saturday.”

Tony interrupted their conversation. “Do you want to swap treadmills, Deon? That way you can talk directly with Julie.”

Deon shook his head. “Nah, it’s okay. I think we’ve just about exhausted this conversation, anyway.”

Julie started to reduce her speed. “And I’m finishing up. I’ve got just enough time for a shower and then get back to work.”

Tony frowned. “I hadn’t thought to ask. There’s no female change rooms that I’ve noticed, so where do you shower? Do the guys have to keep out until you’re done?”

Julie laughed. “No need. The coaches have their own facilities. Not up to the standard of what the team gets, but they’re private. During the day, unless there’s a formal training session, the coaches’ room is used as the female change room by any of the girls working here that want to use the gym. The coaches and the girls all know this, even if it’s not widely mentioned. You may notice that Will and Peter sometimes use the team’s change room during the day, and that’s why.”

Tony gave a theatrical wipe across his forehead. “That’s a relief. I might’ve been scarred for life otherwise.”

Deon chuckled and then hit the incline button on his treadmill to give himself more of a challenge.

Julie stepped off her machine and reached over to Tony’s. She increased his speed. “If you work hard enough, you’ll be too tired to care about what you see.”

“Hey!” Tony reduced the speed back to where it was previously. “I’m not one of your players. You’re not allowed to torture me.”

Julie grinned. “Pity. You could do with some toning up.” She picked up her towel and wiped the sweat off her treadmill.

Tony frowned and glanced down his body. He looked at Deon. “Am I getting fat?”

Deon chuckled again. “Ignore her. She’s trying to motivate you to work harder. She’s good at what she does.”

Julie paused and nodded her head in Deon’s direction. “Thank you. That won’t excuse you from the hard work tonight, but I appreciate the compliment.” She grinned and headed towards one of the gym exits.

“Did you say that because...” Tony shook his head. “Forget it. That’s not a fair question.”

Deon shrugged. “She is good at what she does. Paul told me that she used to be a personal trainer before she started coaching full time. What she said was exactly what you needed to hear to make you try harder, right?”

Tony grinned. “Yep. But I still want to know if I need to tone up.”

Deon gave him a quick visual once-over. “You seem okay to me. It depends on what you want to achieve. If you’re trying to be a body builder, you need to work harder. If you just want to be fit, you look fine.”

Tony slowed down his treadmill to a fast walk. “Thanks, Deon. I’m definitely not aiming to be a body builder.”

Deon glanced across. “Are you finishing up?”

“No. I just have trouble holding a conversation if I’m running too fast.”

Deon frowned. “What did you want to talk about?”

“I thought you might have something you’d like to discuss.”

“Nope.” Deon pushed the button to increase the incline on the treadmill. He concentrated on swinging his arms and keeping a firm midsection while watching himself in the floor-to-ceiling mirror in front of the machines.

“Okay.” Tony increased his speed back to a steady jog.

The two worked side-by-side in silence for almost five minutes. Deon could see in the mirror that Greg was doing cool-down stretches.

“Have you ever had a girlfriend?” Deon asked, eyes still straight ahead.

“What?” Tony looked to his side in surprise and then stumbled as he lost his rhythm. He managed to regain his footing without falling over, but only by grabbing the rail that ran across the front of the treadmill.

Deon flicked his gaze to Tony before returning his attention to the mirror. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.”

Tony chuckled as he reduced his pace to one slightly slower than Deon’s. “That’s okay. It was more the question itself than being asked one. No, I’ve never had a girlfriend.”

“Okay.” The tone was flat, almost uninterested.

Tony grabbed hold of the rail with both hands to steady himself and turned his head to watch Deon. “I knew from maybe thirteen that I was gay. Definitely from fourteen. I was lucky enough to have the self-confidence to come out early, so I never went through a phase of trying to see if I was really straight. I’ve only dated guys, not girls. I’ve had, and still have, girls that are friends, but none that I’ve had a relationship with.”

“Okay.”

Tony watched for another half-minute, then shrugged his shoulders and started to increase the speed of the machine again.

“Wait.”

Tony chuckled as he slowed the machine back down. “Yes, Deon? Are you trying to force me to do interval training by making me keep slowing down from time to time?”

Deon flicked him a grin. “No. I’m asking questions when I think of them, that’s all.”

“Alright. What’s the next one?”

“I heard you wanted kids.”

Tony kept his head forward. “I do, but I’m not going to try to be a single dad, which means I want to be in a long-term relationship before that happens. My partner would have to want kids, too, before it happens.”

Deon nodded.

Tony waited and then reached for the speed control. He paused with his hand just above the buttons. He looked across at Deon.

Deon chuckled for a second before his expression turned serious. “Would you sleep with a girl to have kids?”

“Tough question. The answer, I think, is I would, but only if I had to. I don’t need to have a genetic link to a child I’m raising, so my preferred option would be adoption rather than bringing another kid into this world. If I couldn’t adopt and couldn’t use IVF, then, yes, I’d consider sleeping with a girl, but it’s not my first choice.”

“Okay.” Deon’s tone was back to being flat.

“Is there somewhere you want to go with this, because I have to admit this is one of the strangest conversations I’ve ever had in a gym.”

Deon shrugged. He noticed in the mirror that Greg raised a hand to them. He held up a hand himself. “See you tonight, Greg!”

“Same here, Deon. See you later, Tony.”

“Bye, Greg!”

The two were alone in the gym. Deon was still pacing at a steady rate. When Tony went to increase his speed back to a run, Deon grinned. “Are you sure you want to do that?”

Tony laughed. “Now that we’re alone, have you got some more questions for me?”

Deon frowned. He hesitated, not sure if he wanted to ask the question but knew he wouldn’t be comfortable unless he knew the answer.

“Have you ever slept with a married man?”

Tony stumbled. This time he ended up off the end of the treadmill. Deon hit the emergency stop on his machine and turned to where Tony was picking himself off the floor.

“Are you okay?” Deon stepped over and held out a hand to help Tony up.

“A little bruised, mainly on my self-esteem, but otherwise okay. Why did you ask that question?”

Deon shrugged. He waited until Tony returned to his treadmill before restarting his own.

“The answer is not as far as I know. It’s possible, because I’ve had times when I’ve had sex when I wasn’t in a relationship and I didn’t ask too many questions, but I’ve never slept with anyone who’s told me they’re married.”

“Okay.”

They worked in silence for another couple of minutes before Tony spoke. “I’m going to have to finish up, Deon. Is there anything else you wanted to know?”

Deon shrugged. “I think I’ve got what I want for now. I’ve still got at least another hour of work to do here.”

Tony slowed his machine, but instead of getting off, he turned and looked at Deon pacing on his treadmill.

Deon glanced to the side. “What?”

Tony shook his head. “I’ve got no idea what you were after, but I’m glad you got what you wanted. If you ever want to talk again, you don’t have to torture me in the gym first. I’m happy to chat any time.”

Deon grinned. “But it was a lot more fun tormenting you during the inquisition.” He immediately slowed the treadmill to a halt. It was time to start on some light weight work.

Deon held out his hand. “It’s been good, Tony. Thank you.”

Tony shook his hand, a perplexed expression on his face. “Thanks, Deon. It’s been weird but good for me, too.”

* * *

Peter glanced around the group. “Okay, guys. Now that you’re warmed up, we’re going to split into specific drills. Midfielders with Julie. Forwards and defenders, you’re with Will, who’ll run you through some contested work. Ty, you’re training as a forward tonight.”

“What?” Ty’s confusion was obvious as the midfielders headed away.

“You’re training as a forward. You know, the guys who score the goals and get most of the glory from the spectators.” Peter grinned. “Welcome to the world of being a utility player, Ty. Will, Julie and I all believe you’ve got the talent to do the job. Once we’re happy, you’ll be playing in whatever position on the field you’re needed.”

Ty scowled. “Utility players aren’t the best in any position. I’d prefer to be a solid defender than mediocre across the board.”

Peter looked at the rest of defenders and forwards. “Get going guys.” He brought his attention back to Ty. “Come with me.”

Peter walked a short distance away and then turned to face a disgruntled Ty.

“Utility players are extremely useful for a coach, and while we’ve got some flexibility with a lot of players, we don’t have anyone able to span the gamut of positions. Most players are specialists in one position, with some ability to fill in elsewhere. All of your coaches agree that you’ve got the rare combination of skills and raw talent to be able to play in a broad range of positions. We also think you can be a lot better than merely mediocre, Ty. It’ll be hard work – the hardest you’ve ever done – but we have faith that you can do it.

“What do you say?”

Ty stood staring at the ground for several seconds. Peter let him take his time. He knew that he was asking a lot of the young man, but with the recent attitude changes, he believed Ty could do what was being asked of him.

Ty looked up. “My skills as a defender are going to weaken if I’m not training in that position all the time.”

Peter nodded. “To a degree, yes, but if you put in the extra hours, you can get them back. You’ll need to work more on your conditioning, because you’ll be training almost every day of the week, but Will, Julie and I will be here to help. We can also start scheduling some extra help on the days when you’re not working. At the moment, you’re working Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, right?”

Ty nodded.

“That means you’ve got Tuesdays and Thursdays to work on your skills. Dave has those same days off, so we’ll pair you with him for part of the day. Charlie, Paul and Jim will be available some of the time, too. When we’ve got Saturday games, you’ll also have Sunday to train if you need it.

“You won’t be able to train all of those days initially, but once you’ve built up your stamina, you’ll manage the load. As I said, it’ll be hard work, and you’ll need to make sacrifices. We want you to try, because long term it’ll make you a much stronger player. But the final decision is up to you. If you think it’s too much, we’ll work you as a defender and part-time midfielder.

“One more thing. The workload I’m talking about is what you’d be putting in if you were playing AFL. If you don’t think you can do it now, you’ll struggle if you’re selected in the end-of-year draft.”

Ty pulled a face as he thought. He looked over his shoulder at the midfielders. Peter followed his gaze and spotted Jim looking in their direction. Peter smiled to himself as he realised what that meant.

“I’ll do it. What time do I need to be here for training tomorrow?”

Peter grinned. “I’ll have the details for you by the end of tonight’s session. For now, join the others and get started, brat.”

Ty was startled at the use of the nickname, then grinned. “You get to tell Dad what’s going on. Otherwise, he’ll rip me a new one because he thinks I’ve done something wrong.”

Peter laughed. “Okay, brat, I’ll tell Dad. Now get to work. Your new hell starts now.”

Peter watched as Ty jogged off to join Will. He was feeling buoyant at the possibility of having a strong utility player on the team. His smile faded when he remembered the meeting that morning. He hoped that there would still be a team for Ty to shine in when the season started.

* * *

“So, you’re going to be a radio star,” Todd said as they entered the house. “I’m jealous!”

Paul grinned. “I’m nervous. I’m scared that I’ll have the mike in front of me and when it’s time to speak, nothing comes out.”

Oliver chuckled. “You’ll be fine. It’s not like you have to get up in front of lots of people. You can pretend that it’s just you, Roger and whoever else is in the studio with you.”

Paul shrugged. “Yeah, I know, but I’ve also got to prepare. Roger and I had a quick chat after training, and we thought we’d split the games between us but discuss them on Thursday night so we’d each know what the other person is thinking about. The first week is a split round, so there’s only half the games to cover, which is good.”

Oliver dropped his sports bag and headed towards the kitchen. He paused at the entrance and looked back. “Anyone for a beer?”

Paul shook his head. “Not for me, Ollie. I had enough at the club.”

“I’ll have one, thanks,” Todd said. He turned to Paul. “If you’ll take a suggestion, why don’t you ask Julie to help you assess the games? She can look at it from a coach’s perspective.”

Paul nodded slowly. “A good idea. Thanks, Todd. I’ll ring her tonight and see what she thinks.” He dropped himself into one of the lounge-room chairs and sighed.

Oliver returned with two beers. He handed one to Todd. “Are you sure you don’t want one, Paul?”

“Nah, I’m fine. I just feel like chilling out for a couple of hours.” Paul picked up the remote control and switched on the television.

Oliver stared at Todd. “Why don’t we go outside and leave Paul to relax?” The tone made it more like an order than a suggestion.

Todd grinned. “Sorry, I’m off to my room. I need to ring Lorraine.”

Paul looked up. “Who’s Lorraine?”

Ollie grunted. “Finally a name! How about filling us in on the rest, since you’ve started?”

Todd grinned. “Maybe I’ll talk to Becky, instead. Anyway, I’m off to my room. Thanks for the beer, Ollie.”

“Bastard!” Oliver called out to Todd’s back. He dropped into the seat next to Paul’s. “Now he’s just playing with us.”

Paul hit the mute button. “What do you mean?”

“You know how he was moody for all of last week? Well it seems he finally went to see that new girl of his on Saturday night. It looks like the two are going to get together, but he’s been coy about giving out any details. I think he’s doing it just to annoy me.”

Paul grinned. “Probably, but he seems happy, so why not let him do things his way?”

“I know, but I still find it bloody annoying.” Oliver paused, then continued in a quieter voice. “For a few days, I thought I’d lost my best friend. I’m happy that he’s happy, but he still had me scared for those few days. I want to know who it is that’s disturbed him so much.”

“Well, at least you know her name, now.”

Oliver rolled his eyes. “Not really. It’s probably Lorraine, but it might be Becky. He didn’t look like he was making up names, which might mean there’s two girls involved.” He threw up his hands. “He’s doing this deliberately, the fucking bastard!”

Paul chuckled. “You’ll know soon enough. He’s bringing her to Jim’s party, and you’ll be able to meet her then if you don’t get a chance beforehand.”

“But that’s two bloody weeks away! I can’t wait that long.”