Leopard Spots - 56. Chapter 56

The noise from the crowd was deafening as the umpire bounced the ball. Zach and the Footscray ruckman rushed forward, the two big players colliding in the middle of the ground, as neither was successful in knocking the ball down to one of their teammates. Jarrod was the first of the smaller men to rush in and scoop it up, only to fumble and have it spill out of his hands. A Footscray player was the lucky recipient of Jarrod’s mistake, and the football was soon on its way towards the Bulldogs’ forward line.

Paul blocked the attempted mark by his opponent, but another Bulldog player was there to pounce on the loose ball. A quick snap resulted in the first score of the match: a goal to Footscray.

“Shit!” Peter scowled as the umpires carried the football back to the middle of the ground.

“They did this to us last time, too,” Julie said. “Our guys are a bit sluggish. They need to kick into gear soon or we’ll be in trouble.”

“Tell me about it.” Peter’s eyes continued to scan the ground while waiting for the play to restart. He was questioning his decision to stay down with the players rather than up in the coach’s box that gave a better view. The coach’s box was a feature that only existed at stadiums that catered for AFL matches, and while there were excellent communications between the coach’s box and the player interchange bench, Peter preferred to be physically with his team.

When the umpire bounced the ball a second time, neither ruckman managed to knock the football to a teammate. Jarrod was again the first in, and this time he successfully managed to pass the football to Charlie. Charlie spun around and handballed it towards Dave, but a Footscray player intercepted it and immediately kicked it back into attack.

“Shit, Charlie. Look before you pass the ball!” Peter muttered as he slammed a fist into the wall at his side. “You know better than that.”

“He was concerned about being tackled,” Julie said.

“Yes, I know, but I would prefer him to be tackled and have to fight for the ball than to hand it straight to the opposition.” Peter sighed. “Sorry, Julie. I think I’m almost as nervous as the guys out there.”

Julie chuckled, though with little mirth. “We all are.”

Three minutes later, Peter slammed his fist into the sidewall again. “Fuck!”

Will frowned as the goal umpire signalled another goal to the Footscray. “We need to score quickly or they’re going to get away from us. How about switching Dave into the centre instead of Jarrod?”

“No!” Julie scowled. “You do that this early in the game and you’ll destroy any self-confidence Jarrod has. He messed up once; the second time was Charlie’s, not his. Give him a chance to settle down first.”

“We can’t afford another mistake. We need to win this one.” Will turned to Peter. “If not Dave, how about Jim? Is there something he can do in support to make sure another mistake isn’t made?”

Peter shook his head. “You’re both right. We need to give Jarrod and Charlie some confidence, and we need to win control of the ball this time.”

Julie tapped her lips as she thought. “Send out a runner to tell them to relax. That tells the guys we’re concerned but we’re leaving them to sort things out for themselves.”

Peter nodded. “Runner!”

Neil stepped forward and waited for his instructions.

“Tell Jarrod and Charlie to calm down, not to rush. And concentrate, just like they do every week at training. Go!”

Peter watched Neil run out onto the playing field. He hoped the reminder would be enough to settle the two rookies.

* * *

“What the fuck?” Steven Anderson stared down at the oval and then scowled at Liam. “What’s Four-Dork doing down there?”

Liam’s momentary annoyance at Neil’s old nickname was overshadowed by the pride he felt for his boyfriend’s role in the day’s events. “He’s a runner for the Leopards. Why are you asking? I thought you guys wanted to make sure he wasn’t sitting near us.” Liam waved a hand towards the players. “He’s not.”

“But...” Steven scowled at Doug. “Did you know about this?”

Doug shrugged. “I didn’t see it as a big deal.” He raised an eyebrow. “Are you jealous?”

“Of Four-Dork?” Steven scoffed. “It’s just...”

“...that you’re jealous,” one of the other guys finished for him. He grinned. “Who wouldn’t want to be on the ground during a grand final even if it’s only in a support role?”

“Yeah, but Four-Dork?” Steven gave Liam a hard stare. “Is this some sort of setup?”

“No, though I’ll admit that I’m here to see Neil as much as the Leopards. But I’ll be watching the game more than him, I promise.”

Doug snorted. He leant over and whispered to Liam. “Only because you can’t see him from here when he’s not on the ground.”

Liam reddened. Doug knew him too well.

* * *

“What’s going on?” Evelyn glanced at the scoreboard. “The Bulldogs are walking all over them.”

Kevin grimaced. “The Leopards have been making a lot of simple mistakes. I think it’s grand-final nerves. To have gotten this far, they’re better than they’re currently showing. It looks like they’re settling down, but those two early goals were costly.”

“Why aren’t Footscray having the same problem?” Evelyn asked.

“Because some of them are AFL players, and this is their home ground. That makes a difference.” Kevin shrugged. “Not a lot, but enough. Those players are more relaxed, and that settles the rest of the team. The Leopards are just a bit more anxious, and that’s causing them to make mistakes.”

Clarissa frowned as she leant forward in her seat. “It’s not that many of the players, mainly just the younger guys.”

“Not all of them. The brat seems cool, calm, and collected.” Karen’s eyes scanned the oval. “He’s running around talking to the other guys as much as he’s working to get the ball himself. I hope he doesn’t tire himself out.”

“The brat?” Kevin asked.

“Number 17, Ty Flanders.” Clarissa pointed him out. “He’s the vice-captain — and Karen’s boyfriend.”

Kevin eased towards Clarissa and lowered his voice. “She calls her boyfriend a brat?”

Clarissa chuckled, not bothering to keep her voice down. “He calls himself that. He generally doesn’t answer to his real name anymore. Ask Deon about it after the game. He lives with the brat, who is, from what I’ve been told, an extremely good player.”

Kevin nodded. “He is. I played in the Vic Metro team with him last year.” He paused as the Leopards worked the football up the field and back into attack. Ty broke away from his defender and took a simple mark. He immediately played on, side stepping his opponent before kicking it to Roger in the forward pocket. “He certainly hasn’t lost any of his skills. If anything, he looks even better than I remember.”

They all watched anxiously as Roger attempted to kick the football from not far in front of the right- hand-point post. The angle didn’t give Roger much visibility of the space between the two central goal posts, a gap he would need to thread if he was to kick a goal. They held their breath as the Leopards captain started his run-up, but then let it out with a coordinated sigh when the football hit the far post for one point to their score.

Evelyn grimaced. “They’re going to need to kick goals, not behinds, if they want to win.”

“Be patient,” Kevin said. “It’s only the first quarter; there’s still plenty of time to go.”

* * *

Phil Rosewood grimaced at the scoreboard as the siren sounded to end the quarter. “Fifteen points down. Not great, but at least they kept up with the Bulldogs after that opening spurt.”

Bruce Bellweather, who had joined them soon after the quarter started, nodded his head. “They were pretty scratchy at the start, but I think they’re fine now. I just hope they can claw their way back into the game. The difference isn’t too much – three goals will put them in the lead – but at this level...” He shrugged.

“They’ll be fine.” Jim’s father smiled. “I have faith in them. They got this far against the odds; why not go all the way?”

Phil snorted. “I’d like to think you’re right, but I don’t think it’ll be that easy.” He smiled at his wife. “I’m going to get some beers. Would you like something?”

Mary Rosewood stood up. “I’ll go with you. I need to stretch my legs, anyway.” She smiled at Jessica and Glenda. “Would you like anything while we’re up? Phil and I won’t mind.”

Glenda smiled. “A bottle of water would be nice, but only if it’s convenient. Don’t go out of your way.”

“It’ll be no trouble.” Mary raised an eyebrow at Jim’s mother, silently repeating her question.

“Nothing for me.” Jessica Henderson clambered to her feet. “I need to head to the ladies, and knowing sporting stadiums, there’s going to be a line a mile long.”

Glenda chuckled as Mary rose to her feet. “Too true. Best of luck!”

Mary, Jessica, and Phil edged their way along the row of seats to the nearest stairs. They then headed down to the main passageway around the stadium along with a lot of other people. As the three edged their way down the stairs, Mary frowned at the two guys in front of them who were holding hands. She turned to Phil. “Do they really need to do that?”

“Do what?” When Mary tilted her head towards the gay couple, Phil sighed. “Leave it alone, please, Mary. We’re here for Neil and to support the team that’s been looking after him.”

“But it’s unnatural!”

One of the two guys scowled over his shoulder at Mrs. Rosewood. He opened his mouth to say something, but his friend jabbed him with an elbow.

“Mary, dear, both of us have gay sons,” Jessica said. “Do you really want to deny them the pleasure of being able to hold the hand of the one they love?”

“No, but...” Neil’s mother glanced around at the spectators that surrounded them. It was apparent that many of them were gay. She shivered, moved closer to her husband, and slipped her hand into his. A gentle squeeze told her that he understood. Her eyes kept drifting to the many small displays of affection between the couples she could see. It didn’t seem right to her, but she couldn’t help notice how happy many of them appeared.

* * *

Kevin frowned. “What the hell is Ty doing? He doesn’t seem to know where he’s supposed to be playing.”

Clarissa glanced at him. “What do you mean?”

“He’s currently in defence, but a couple of minutes ago he was on the forward line. Before that, he was wandering around the midfield, and he started in defence, but headed forward soon after the bounce to start the second quarter. He’s not following the ball; he’s just going where he wants to go.”

Karen grinned. “Ty does things his own way. If Peter hasn’t pulled him off, then that means the coaches aren’t concerned.”

Helena nodded. “Peter’s pretty cluey. I wouldn’t be surprised if he told the brat to keep moving around just to rattle the other team.”

“He’s certainly doing that.” Kevin snorted and then grinned. “If I don’t have the faintest idea as to what the hell he’s supposed to be doing, they probably don’t either. However, after that goal early in the quarter, they’ve given him a tagger to try to keep him contained.” He cocked his head as his eyes scanned the ground. “That’s only been partly successful. He’s still making his presence felt out there, and he’s probably confusing the hell out of the Footscray team. He hasn’t stopped moving, and it doesn’t look like he will.”

After the opening minutes of the game, the contest between the two teams was evenly balanced, but that meant that the Leopards were still trying to chase down the early lead that the Bulldogs had taken. The back lines of both teams were solid, restricting scoring opportunities, but that didn’t help the Leopards. Kevin and the girls knew they would need a breakthrough, but Kevin wasn’t sure how they would achieve it. It was a case of which team would make a mistake first.

“Stop them, guys,” Clarissa muttered to herself as Footscray kicked the ball long over the midfield, avoiding Dave and Jim. The tactic allowed the Bulldogs to dodge the troublesome Leopard midfielders, but it didn’t give them as much control as to where the football ended up.

“Go, Ty!” Karen yelled as her boyfriend and his tagger-shadow raced to where the football was headed.

“He’s not going to get there in time,” Kevin said. “That other Leopard should stop the mark, though.” He glanced at Clarissa. “Who is that?”

Helena answered for her. “Todd.” Her short response was a symptom of her concentration on the game.

They watched as Todd and the Footscray player jostled for position, neither able to push the other out of the way. As Kevin had predicted, Todd was able to prevent a mark, and the loose football bounced forward. Unfortunately, the erratic bounce of the ovoid ball wasn’t favourable for the Leopards, and it headed towards one of the Bulldog midfielders who had drifted towards their forward line.

“No!” Clarissa bit her lower lip as the Footscray player collected the ball just outside the fifty-metre arc.

“Ty’s onto it,” Kevin said. “If Todd works with him...”

Ty didn’t hesitate. He charged to the left hand side of the smaller player. As the Bulldog midfielder spun away, he found himself being tackled by Todd.

“Well done, Ty!” Kevin grinned, knowing that Ty had forced the Footscray player to turn into Todd. “Now finish the job, guys.”

A desperate handball got the ball away, but Ty slammed into the side of Todd’s opponent who was also going for the football, leaving Ty to scoop up the ball. A quick kick sent the ball to where Jim had broken away from his man, before Ty was driven to the ground by a late bump from his tagger.

Kevin turned to Karen. “Are you sure Ty’s knee is still injured? He’s moving like a man in prime fitness, no hesitating that I can see.”

Karen grimaced. “I cringe every time he gets hit because, yes, he’s still injured, but he’s been given a painkiller that’s supposed to last him for the match.” She leant forward and stared at the players. “Go, go, go!”

Kevin returned his attention to the game to see Ty sprinting down the middle of the ground, his tagger lagging well behind. Down the far side of the oval, Jim was kicking the ball to Oliver. “He’s going to split the defence!” Ty’s unexpected presence in the forward line had the Leopards momentarily outnumbering the Bulldogs. Ty was aiming for the gap between Oliver and Deon, giving Deon’s opponent the difficult choice regarding which one of the young Leopards to defend: Ty or Deon.

Oliver took the mark and immediately played on. He passed the football to Ty who pushed himself hard, trying to get into scoring distance. When Deon’s opponent raced towards him, Ty handballed the football over the defender’s head to the now-free Deon. Deon didn’t hesitate. Four quick steps and then a long kick that sailed between the middle two posts gave the Leopards another goal.

“Way to go, Deon!” Kevin grinned as he pumped a fist. “Ty, too! That was a brilliant bit of running.”

“Ty looks tired.” Karen frowned at where Ty was leant over, breathing heavily. Jim was there, patting him on the back, while Oliver and Roger were congratulating Deon.

“Hopefully, he’s just winded after that sprint.” Kevin chuckled. “If he does that a few more times, the Leopards will hit the lead soon.”

“Don’t get too far ahead,” Clarissa said. “There’s still time left in the quarter for Footscray to respond.” She smiled. “But it was a good sequence of play. Let’s hope they can do it again.”

Kevin shook his head. “It never works the same twice in a row. They’ll have to do something different next time.” He glanced at the clock. “I’d guess there’s a bit over five minutes in the half. Let’s see if the Leopards can build on their momentum.”

Several minutes later, the siren sounded to end the half. The Leopards were only nine points behind: one and a half goals.

* * *

“So...what do you do for a living?” Alan asked his new friend as they strolled along the passageway that ran around the stadium along with a good percentage of the crowd who were taking advantage of the long break between halves. They were headed to one of the areas where hot food was being sold.

Joe glanced down at the Pride FM T-shirt that was visible under his jacket. “You can’t guess?”

Alan chuckled. “That tells me who you work for, not what you do.”

“Fair enough. I’m one of the producers at Pride FM. My job is making sure the shows I’m responsible for run smoothly. It can be a real chore sometimes, but most times it’s a lot of fun. My favourite is the morning show. It’s a pain getting up before dawn, but the show itself is worth it. Michelle and Maria are great co-hosts, and they make the time go quickly.”

Alan’s eyes widened. “So you’re that Joe! I always try to listen to the breakfast show, especially the Friday footy-tipping segment with the Leopards.” He grinned. “Is your constant moan about not having a date real, or is that a running gag?”

Joe shrugged. “A bit of both. I’ve had dates but not a lot. To be honest, the hours I work are the real killer when it comes to relationships. It’s hard to socialise when you have to go to bed well before everyone else just so you can get up early for work. I can’t even go out late on weekends. If I stay up too much past my usual bedtime, it disturbs my sleep pattern, and it takes me about a week before I recover.”

“Ouch.” Alan winced in sympathy. “That does make dating difficult.”

“Yeah.... Combine that with this face and being a bit overweight, and...” Joe grimaced.

“Hey, you’re not that bad looking. I’ve dated worse.” Alan bit his lower lip and put his hand on Joe’s shoulder. “Sorry. What I meant is that I think you look fine. I think you’re very dateable.”

Joe grinned. “If it wasn’t for the fact that I only met you an hour ago when I arrived, I’d kiss you for that comment.”

Alan grinned back as he slowed to a stop. “I’m willing to overlook the time element if you are.”

Joe glanced around and then led Alan to the side wall, away from most of the traffic. He put a hand either side of Alan’s head, trapping his new friend. Alan didn’t seem to mind, so Joe leant in for a kiss. It started off gentle, but Alan applied pressure with his lips and upped the ante by opening his mouth slightly.

Joe was about to break off the kiss and ask for Alan’s phone number when something struck the side of his head hard enough to make him stagger and his vision to momentarily blur.

“Fucking poofters. We don’t want your sort here.”

* * *

Kevin, Evelyn, and Clarissa were standing in the long line of people who were taking advantage of the halftime break to grab some food and drinks when Clarissa’s head snapped around. “Did you hear that?”

Kevin and Evelyn saw a commotion in the direction that Clarissa was looking. Kevin shrugged. “We shouldn’t get involved.”

“Get the fuck out of here or I’ll shove my fist so far down your throat it’ll come out your arse!”

Clarissa and Evelyn glanced at each other. “Doug!” they said simultaneously.

“And where there’s Doug, there’s Liam.” Clarissa raced towards the growing crowd.

Kevin hesitated. He bit his lower lip while he tried to decide if he should follow. The decision was made for him when Evelyn gave him a half-smile. “We don’t really need something to eat.”

Kevin nodded and led the way, using his larger bulk to open a path through the crowd for Evelyn to follow. It didn’t take too long before he reached the front of the spectators. He moved next to Clarissa as he took in the scene.

Doug and Liam faced a group of seven guys, most of whom looked like they were in their mid-twenties. Five of the seven were wearing the Footscray colours of blue and red, and the taunts being made had a drunken slur. The seven formed a loose arc, trapping Doug and Liam against the wall.

Behind Doug and Liam were two men in their late-twenties or early thirties, both wearing brown jackets, one over a Pride FM T-shirt, the other over a black shirt. The man with the Pride FM shirt had a hand to the side of his face, while the other was holding him. The second man was eyeing the drunks apprehensively through a pair of thick, almost bottle-like glasses’ lenses.

Kevin leant over so he could speak to the two girls without raising his voice. “Security should be here soon.”

“Doug’s likely to explode before then.” Clarissa’s eyes scanned the onlookers. “Why isn’t anyone helping?”

Kevin felt a nudge from Evelyn. He looked across and saw a worried expression. “Please?” she asked.

Liam grabbed Doug’s arm as Doug started to step forward. Liam spoke to the guy in the centre of the group of seven. “Why don’t you let us go, and no one gets into trouble?”

He received a scowl in response. “You fucking poofs are disgusting.” The guy spat on the ground at Liam’s feet. “We don’t want to see that sort of fucking stuff, and we’re making sure we don’t fucking have to.”

Doug started to move, and Liam immediately yanked him back. Kevin sighed and then pushed his way between two of the drunks. Both were startled, but one recovered quickly. “Hey, Vince, another one’s come to join in!”

The man who seemed to be the leader of the group of drunks sneered at Kevin. “Fuck off, if you know what’s good for you.”

As Kevin’s eyes flicked over the other aggressors, he heard Liam telling Doug to back off and calm down. Kevin thought he sensed hesitation from at least a couple of the guys they faced, as if the odds had shifted enough to make them wary. He tried to play on that. “No one wants any trouble. You go your way and we’ll go ours. There’s no need for anything to happen.”

Vince took a step forward, encroaching on Kevin’s personal space. They were of roughly equal height, though Vince had a definite weight advantage. Kevin hoped it was mainly fat and not muscle.

“I am going my own way...and you’re in the fucking road.” Vince leant forward to emphasise the last few words.

Kevin knew he couldn’t step back, as that would just encourage the bully, though the smell of stale beer made the move tempting. “There’s plenty of room. How about we all go back to our seats and enjoy the footy? That’s what we’re here for, after all.”

Vince shoved Kevin back a half step. “No fucking poofter tells me what to do.”

Kevin held up both hands. “Easy. I’m just suggesting that–”

He didn’t get to complete his statement as Vince slammed a fist into Kevin’s stomach. A follow-up to the face had Kevin reeling. The next thing he knew, Doug had charged past and floored Vince with a punch to the chin.

Before the fight could escalate, five security guards appeared and quickly separated Doug and Vince. One of the guards stepped forward and scowled at the crowd gathered around, while two others made sure that none of the participants slipped away. “Okay, what’s going on?”

“We weren’t doing anything,” one of the drunks slurred. “These poofs were getting in our face.”

“We were minding our own business,” the guy with the Pride FM T-shirt said, “when they hit me without provocation!”

Kevin felt something on his lips. He didn’t really need to touch his face or look at his fingers to know that his nose was bleeding, but he did it anyway. He started to scramble in his jeans pocket for a handkerchief when Evelyn stepped forward with a tissue. “Thanks.” Kevin smiled at her before returning his attention to the drama in front of him.

Unfortunately, the senior guard was staring in his direction. “Do you need a doctor?”

Kevin shook his head. “I should be fine. I think it’s just a bloody nose.”

“And your name is...?”

Kevin hesitated for a moment and then mentally crossed his fingers. “Kevin Scanlan.”

The guard – Carlos according to his name tag – nodded slowly. “I thought I recognised you. Good luck to the guys for next weekend.”

Kevin flinched. He had thought he would be reasonably incognito, as it would take a passionate Sydney Swans supporter to know who he was. Most fans wouldn’t know the players in the reserves’ team, and he had only played two senior games. It was just his luck to find a security guard who appeared to know more than most. His disquiet wasn’t helped when a couple of girls pushed forward with their phones to take photos before the security guard dispersed them with a glare.

Carlos turned back to Kevin. “What’s your involvement and what happened here?”

“I was trying to stop things from escalating when I was punched.” Kevin kept dabbing at his nose. “Doug came in to protect me from being hit again.”

“He’s lying!” Vince glared from where he was being restrained by two guards. “He tried to hit me, and I defended myself!”

Doug glared back. “You hit him twice while he was just standing there doing nothing!”

“Okay, that’s enough.” Carlos paused for a moment to scowl at first Vince, then Doug, and finally Kevin. “I think you three should go home before I call the police. As for the rest of you–”

Evelyn pushed her way forward. “I’ve got a video of what happened. Doug and Kev didn’t start it. Kev didn’t even swing a punch, and Doug only came in to protect Kev.” She held up her phone and pushed a button. “See?”

Carlos narrowed his eyes at the interruption and then nodded slowly as the video played.

A few minutes later, Vince was being escorted out of the stadium – the alternative he had been given was to wait for the police – and his mates were warned that any more disturbances would result in them also being ejected. Doug was told to leave matters to the professionals in the future, and everyone else was told to stay out of trouble.

Kevin gave Evelyn a hug and a kiss. “Thank you. You’re a lifesaver.”

Evelyn smiled as she held her body close to Kevin’s for a moment. She then let go and handed him another tissue to apply to his nose. “You’re the one who went in there to help. I just made sure there was evidence as to what really happened. Clarissa also videoed things, just in case we needed more than one viewpoint.”

They were interrupted by the conversation behind them. “Thanks, guys.” The man in the Pride FM T-shirt smiled at Liam and Doug. The left side of his face was coloured. “Alan and I really appreciate what you did for us. I don’t know what was going to happen if you hadn’t stepped in, but I’m glad we didn’t find out.”

Doug scowled. “I didn’t do it for you.”

Liam rolled his eyes. “Give it a rest, Doug. Yes, we all know you’re absolutely straight and you’re only protecting me, but give yourself some credit; you were there first to stop those bastards.” He smiled at the two guys. “I’m Liam. This is Doug.”

“Joe and Alan. Thanks everyone.” Joe grinned at Kevin. “It certainly helped that you knew the security guard.”

“I don’t know him.” Kevin grimaced. “Unfortunately, he obviously knew me.”

Liam frowned. “Unfortunately?”

Kevin sighed. “It’s not important.” He turned to Joe and Alan. “Are you guys okay?”

“We’re fine.” Joe gingerly touched his face. “Nothing broken. You seemed to have taken the most damage.”

Kevin pulled the tissue away from his nose for a moment but put it back when it was evident the bleeding hadn’t stopped. “I’ve had worse.” He grinned at Doug and Liam. “You guys probably have, too. Footy can be rough at times.”

Doug and Liam grinned back. “Yeah, that’s right,” Doug said.

Evelyn glanced at the time on her phone. “I don’t think we’ll have a chance to get any food before the second half starts. How about we head back?”

Alan smiled. “Tell us what you want and where you’re sitting, and we’ll get something for you to eat. It’s the least we can do for coming to our aid.”

Joe nodded. “It’s no trouble, and if you give me your names, I’ll make sure they get mentioned on the radio on Monday. Anything for the heroes of the day.” He touched the side of his face again. “I don’t think they would’ve done too much more than they did, but I’m glad we never found out.”

A few minutes later, they left the two gay men behind and headed back to their seats. When Kevin spotted someone staring in his direction, he winced at the reminder of something that he’d managed to ignore since the fight. “Clarissa, Evelyn, can I get a copy of those videos you took? I might need them.”

“Sure.” Evelyn glanced at Clarissa who had already taken out her phone. “Give me your number, and I’ll send it to you.”

“Thanks.” Kevin sighed as the girls typed the number into their phones. “I should ring Alastair later and ask for his advice.”

Clarissa raised an eyebrow. “On what?”

“Those two girls who took a photo. I need to let Alastair know what’s happened. It could mean trouble.”

“Who’s Alastair?” Doug asked.

Kevin hesitated for a moment as he glanced at the other guys. “My agent.”

Doug frowned. “Wait a sec. What’s going on here? Who exactly are you? Some sort of actor?”

Kevin snorted. “No, not that. I’ve just finished my first year as an AFL football player with the Sydney Swans. I managed to play two games with the seniors just before the finals, and that must be why the security guard recognised me.”

“You told us you played for a country club!”

Kevin gave Doug a weak smile. “No, you said that. I just didn’t correct you.”

“You’re a bloody AFL player and you didn’t tell us?” Doug’s expression was caught between a scowl and awe.

“Keep your voice down!” Kevin glanced around nervously. “I didn’t say anything because I didn’t want people to know. I’m here to watch Deon and the Leopards play. That’s all.” He grimaced. “Those girls who took that photo obviously recognised my name and are probably telling their friends. If the word gets out that I’ve been involved in a brawl, or worse, that photos of me like this are posted online,” he waved a hand at his face, “then the club isn’t going to be impressed, and I’m likely to be disciplined. It might even mean I won’t get any more games with the seniors, and they don’t renew my contract at the end of next year.”

Clarissa and Liam exchanged looks. She then turned to Kevin. “Safety in numbers. You stay with Doug and Liam, and I’ll get the other girls to move down and join the guys. We’ll keep you surrounded and won’t let anyone get close.”

Kevin smiled with relief. “Thanks.” He glanced around at the others. “Thanks a lot.”

* * *

Mary gave Jessica a worried look as the two returned from the ladies restroom. “Did you overhear what those girls said back there?”

Jessica’s expression was stormy. “I did. I hope they were exaggerating and no one got seriously hurt.”

“They said that the police were called and that a doctor needed to look at someone. All because two guys were kissing.” Mary started to wring her hands. “Do you think it was anyone we know?”

Jessica smiled reassuringly. “Our boys are down in the team’s locker room. It won’t be them.”

Mary’s head started bobbing up and down. “Yes, yes...they’re fine.” She grabbed Jessica’s arm, applying more pressure than necessary. “But is this going to happen to Neil? Is he going to end up in hospital because he’s...because he...”

Jessica used her free hand to ease Mary’s grip. “I worry about Jim and Tony, too, but they’ve got friends who will protect them. We can’t keep our boys at home forever, Mary.” When Mary winced, Jessica made a face. “Sorry, but Neil is an adult now. He has to live his own life.”

“But he’s going to be hurt. It’s wrong! My little boy is going to get hurt because of it.” She started to shake. “Why does he have to be this way?”

Jessica pulled Mary into a hug. “Life’s not always fair. Neil and Jim can’t control what other people think of them, but...” She gently opened a gap between them so she could look Mary in the eye. “...we can help make sure that most people treat them with respect. It’s the people who keep saying that being gay is wrong who encourage the violence.”

“I would never hurt my boy!”

“No, but if others hear or see you disapproving of who he is, that will encourage them to pick on Neil. All because of something that he has no control over. We don’t decide who we fall in love with, Mary. As long as our boys are happy with their partners, we should be happy for them. Let them love who they want; it’s their life, after all, not ours.”

Mary fumbled with her handbag and pulled out a handkerchief. She dabbed at her eyes. “But I can’t...”

Jessica pulled her back into an embrace. “Give them a chance, Mary. Remember...when all else is gone, faith, hope, and love will remain, but the greatest of these is love.”

* * *

Clarissa sat down next to Liam. “Okay, spill. What happened before we arrived?”

Liam shrugged. “Doug and I were just wandering around when we saw those two older guys kissing at the side of the walkway. The thugs were coming the other way, and one of them moved over and punched Joe in the side of the face. He made some sort of comment about not wanting gays around, and that was enough for Doug. Before anything else could happen, he was between them and glared the bastard back a few steps. You guys arrived soon afterwards.”

Clarissa narrowed her eyes. “You’re leaving out a few things. I’m sure I heard you raise your voice, and I definitely heard Doug threaten them. Those guys were also in a position to attack, so they had time to spread out and surround you. I also find it difficult to believe that Doug made the bastard that hit Kevin back off simply by glaring at him.”

Liam smiled sheepishly. “Okay, I did simplify things a bit. The guy that hit Joe wasn’t the same one who hit Kevin. It was another guy, and after Doug got in his face, he backed off quick smart. But the original bastard didn’t like that, and he was going to step forward and start a fight with Doug, so I stepped up next to Doug and told him to leave my mate alone.” Liam grinned. “I’ll admit that I raised my voice, hoping to attract attention. I wanted security, but you guys were just as good.”

“That makes more sense.” Clarissa sighed as she glanced over at Kevin. “I hope it all turns out well, but Kevin seems pretty concerned about getting into trouble.”

“He should be fine. Those videos you and Evelyn took show he didn’t do anything wrong.” Liam tapped her on the arm to attract her attention. “Did you know he was an AFL player before he told us?”

Clarissa chuckled. “Yeah, I did. Deon told me Friday that he was coming down from Sydney, and the three of us went out for dinner last night. He gave us some of the inside gossip as to what’s going on up there, and he’s arranged for tickets for us to go to the AFL grand final next Saturday to watch his teammates.”

“Any chance you can get tickets for Neil and me, too?” Liam gave Clarissa a hopeful look.

“Sorry, no. He was only able to get four tickets, and that’s Deon, me, himself, and his dad.”

“Damn.”

* * *

“Fuck!” Peter glared as the Bulldogs kicked another goal. The third quarter was only four minutes old, but Footscray had already scored twice. He glanced at his assistant coaches. “I think both of those goals were flukes, but they might’ve unsettled the guys. We need a quick response. Any ideas?”

Julie frowned. “Jarrod’s been pretty consistent in beating his guy, so why don’t we have Zach spoil instead of trying to win the ruck?”

Will nodded slowly. “But Jarrod will need to get it out of there quickly, or he’ll get swamped. That’s already happened a couple of times.”

“If the other guys know the plan, they’ll be ready.” Peter glanced over his shoulder. “Runner!”

Neil stepped forward.

“Tell Zach I want him to stop the other guy from winning the ruck. Tell Dad and Dave, so they can be prepared to receive it from Jarrod before he gets tackled. Then tell the brat to get the hell down the ground to the forward line. We need a quick goal. Go!”

Neil ran out onto the oval. He needed to move fast if he was going to pass on those instructions before the umpire restarted play with another centre bounce. Dave was the closest, so he went there first. After passing on the instructions, he ran to Zach and did the same. He glanced down the ground and saw the umpire approaching with the football. Neil knew he didn’t have a lot of time. Scanning the area on the far side of the centre square, he grinned with relief when he saw Jim and Ty together.

As Neil approached, Ty turned to leave, but Jim grabbed him by the arm and pointed to Neil. Ty nodded and jogged to meet Neil halfway.

“Peter said to go to the forward line. He wants a quick goal.”

“Gotcha.” Ty started running before he finished saying the word. After a glance behind him, Neil ran to Jim and passed on the last of Peter’s instructions.

With the play about to restart, Neil didn’t want to try to cross the ground. He backed away to the boundary line and waited for a chance to return to the coaches.

As Peter had hoped, Zach successfully stopped the Footscray ruckman from tapping the football to one of his teammates. Instead, Jarrod pounced on the loose ball and quickly handballed it to Dave. Dave took three steps, shrugged off a tackle, and handballed it to Zach before a second Bulldog slammed into him.

Unable to find a target down the ground, Zach sent the football across the oval to Jim. Jim immediately kicked it to where Ty had broken away from his tagger. Ty marked the ball next to where the fifty-metre arc met the boundary line.

Neil knew it would be a difficult shot. The distance alone didn’t allow a lot of accuracy, but the angle meant that Ty would only have a small gap visible between the goal posts. With all the attention down the ground where Ty was preparing for his scoring attempt, Neil started to jog across the oval and back to his position by the interchange bench.

Ty had already ignored Deon and Roger, who had tried to break away from their defenders to give Ty a target closer in, but when Oliver sprinted out into the area directly in front of the goal square, Ty didn’t hesitate. A short hard stab punt found Oliver’s chest, just under forty metres out.

Oliver turned and immediately kicked the ball to Deon who, after his initial breakaway, had ducked back through the pack assembling in front of the goal square and emerged on the far side with only a single Footscray tagger still with him. The defender tried to spoil the mark, but Deon used his body to hold him off for just long enough to take the mark about thirty-five metres out and on a forty-five degree angle.

Neil smiled as he completed his way across the ground. He didn’t think Deon would miss that shot, which meant that Peter had the quick response he had asked for. The smile faded as Neil glanced at the scoreboard.

Even if Deon succeeded, the Leopards would still be more than two goals down.

* * *

“Nicely done.” Kevin smiled as he nodded approvingly.

Liam gave him a quizzical look. “What do you mean?”

Kevin waved a hand at where the Leopards were congratulating Deon on his goal. “That had the hallmark of a set play. Ty ignored the first set of dummy leads, but he was almost anticipating that last one. Ollie didn’t even hesitate; he was looking across to where Deon broke away as soon as he marked the ball. I’m guessing that the idea was to break up the defenders, and then allow Deon a one-to-one contest on the far side of the ground from where the play started.”

“Do you do a lot of that in the AFL? Set plays, I mean.”

“It varies.” Kevin shrugged. “At the VFL level and above, the game’s too fluid for much in the way of set plays, but there are a few. The main time clubs use one is around a stoppage, like at the centre bounce, or a throw-in by the boundary umpire. A number of clubs use set plays in attack at times,” he nodded down to the oval, “like the Leopards just did, but it tends to be more that everyone has to know their role and do it well. The combination of everyone doing their particular job is what brings them together as a team, and hopefully a winning result.”

“So, most of the time it’s just skills and teamwork?” Clarissa asked.

“And understanding. Being able to read the situation, know what you have to do and, just as importantly, know what your teammates are going to do. That’s all needed, too.” Kevin paused and considered the players on the oval below them. “Both teams are playing more aggressively than in the first half. The Leopards are keen to close the gap while the Bulldogs want to extend it further. I think this could be a key quarter.”

Liam snorted. “You can’t predict that. You never know what’s going to happen until after the event.”

Kevin grinned. “I know. Maybe I’m just being hopeful. I really want Deon to win this one. We lost our final last weekend, and I’d like it if he did better than that.”

A noise to their right attracted all their attention. Joe and Alan were at the end of the row of seats with a couple of trays of food, but their way was being blocked by the other guys from school.

Liam stood up. “Let them through, guys. They’re okay.”

Joe and Alan edged their way along the narrow gap between the rows until they reach Doug, Clarissa, Liam, Kevin, and Evelyn. “Sorry it took us so long,” Joe said.

“Don’t worry about it,” Liam said. “You’ve done us a favour.”

“And you did us one, earlier.” Joe smiled. “Anyway, here are your orders...with a few extras thrown in.”

Alan balanced the tray he held on one hand while he distributed the food with the other. “We were going to get you a few beers, too, but we weren’t sure if you were all over eighteen, so we got soft drinks, instead.” He glanced back at the oval for a moment. “Have we missed much?”

“Two goals to Footscray and one to Lilydale,” Kevin said. “Both teams are playing hard, fast ball.”

Joe winced. “I’d hoped it would be the other way around. I really want the guys to win.” He caught Kevin’s eye. “Say, if you want, I can try to get you into the Leopards locker room after the game to meet the players. I know a couple of the guys, and I’m sure they’ll do me a favour.”

Kevin and Liam both laughed. Clarissa grinned. “No need. We know some of the players, too.” She indicated the people sitting in the row behind them. “Karen is Ty’s girlfriend, Stacey is Charlie’s, and Helena is going out with Ollie.” She then waved a hand at the others in their row. “Kevin’s a friend of Deon’s, and Liam is the boyfriend of one of the team’s runners.”

Evelyn snorted. “You left off that you’re Deon’s girlfriend.”

Joe’s eyes had widened momentarily. He grinned at Liam. “You’re Neil’s boyfriend?” He glanced down at the tray in his hands that still had a collection of drinks to be distributed. “I’d shake your hand, but I don’t have one free at the moment. Neil’s told me a lot about you.”

Liam blushed as he started to distribute the drinks from Joe’s tray. “Yeah, that’s me. You work at Pride FM?”

“That’s right.” Joe winked. “Now I know why Neil is always so uncomfortable when guys at the station flirt with him. He doesn’t want to tell them his boyfriend is much better looking than any of them.”

Doug scowled. “If he even thinks about cheating on Liam...”

“Doug!” Liam glared across at his mate for a moment.

Joe gave the two of them a nervous look. He then smiled at Kevin, though he looked uncertain. “Any chance of a photo of the three of you? I want to post a picture of our rescuers online.”

“I don’t know...” Kevin grimaced. “I don’t really want any publicity for what happened.”

“Because your club might get concerned?” Joe grinned when Kevin stiffened. “Your comments earlier intrigued me, so while we were waiting in line for the food I did a search on your name.”

Kevin bit his lower lip for a moment. “They don’t like any negative publicity.”

Joe gave him an amused look. “I work for a radio station. I’ll make sure all the publicity is good. Anyway, the Sydney Swans have got a long history of players campaigning against homophobia. You’re continuing a grand tradition.” He cocked his head. “How about it? I’ll make it clear that you didn’t start anything and were trying to defuse the situation.”

Kevin glanced at Clarissa and Evelyn. “Can you include the girls, too? They played a part even if they weren’t on the frontline.”

“Sure!” Joe glanced around and then grimaced. “There’s not a lot of room, so the five of you will have to scrunch up.”

“That’s fine with me.” Evelyn grinned. “I can sit on Kev’s lap.”

It took a couple of minutes, punctuated by amused complaints from the girls in the row above them, but Joe had his picture. When Evelyn asked, Joe gave her a copy and then headed off with Alan.

Clarissa’s smile disappeared when she glanced at the scoreboard. While they had been having their photo taken, Footscray had been pulling further in front.

* * *

The play was fast and furious and much more fluid than in the first half. Scoring chances were coming easier than before, though both teams still needed to work hard.

Peter spoke to Julie, though his eyes stayed on the field. “I need someone in the middle to slow down the play. It can’t be Dad or Dave; I need them where they are. They’re funnelling the play through that area, but Jarrod’s not able to contain the Bulldogs enough.”

“Leave him there, but put Charlie in the middle, too. Between them, they’ve got the speed to get to where the ball is going.”

Peter glanced at her. “But then who’s going to fill Charlie’s spot?”

Julie smiled. “No one. He’s supporting Dave, but the ball rarely heads in Dave’s direction. He’s dominating that wing, and Footscray aren’t sending the ball there because of him.”

Peter thought for a moment and then shook his head. “You’ve given me a better idea. We’ll get Dave and Jarrod to rotate. When Dave goes to the middle, Jarrod takes the wing supported by Charlie. At centre bounces, Jarrod takes the middle – he’s doing well there – but when we’re attacking, Dave’s to swap with Jarrod and Charlie is to move up to help. Once they realise, the Bulldogs will probably start pushing the ball down Dave’s side, but it’ll disrupt their play. Before they get settled, though, Dave will shift back. The idea is that Dave goes to where the Bulldogs are directing their play.”

“They’ll pick up on that pretty quickly and just kick the ball to where Dave isn’t.”

Peter grinned. “Yeah, but they’ll have to look first. We can’t stop them, though I’d love it if we could, but we can slow them down. That’s what I want to do. The more they hesitate before they kick, the more chances we have to take them down.”

Julie nodded thoughtfully. “That’ll work. The risk is that Dave, Charlie, and Jarrod don’t communicate well enough about their changing positions and they leave a hole for Footscray to attack through.”

“True, but Dave and Charlie, in particular, have a good sense of what each other is doing – almost as good as the brat’s and Dad’s. They should be able to keep the midfield covered.” Peter glanced over his shoulder. “Runner!”

Neil stepped forward. He had been listening to the coaches and agreed that something had to be done. The Bulldogs were slowly extending their lead, and the Leopards needed something to stop them. He hoped Peter’s plan would do the trick.

* * *

“Do you think it’s over?” Evelyn asked as the siren to end the third quarter sounded. “They’re a long way behind.”

Kevin shook his head. “It’ll be a challenge, but they can still win. Twenty-four points isn’t an insurmountable target, though it’ll be tough.” He sighed. “Aspley did it to us last weekend in the NEAFL grand final. If the Leopards get a quick goal and build up some momentum, it’s doable.”

“So a lot depends on the first few minutes of the final quarter?” Clarissa asked.

Liam and Kevin both nodded. Kevin pulled a face. “Attitude is important, too. If the Bulldogs start feeling complacent, the Leopards might get a jump on them. But if the Leopards start thinking they’re already beaten, they won’t rally.”

“Then let’s hope the Leopards fire up and the Bulldogs lie down.” Clarissa scowled. “I didn’t come here to see a massacre.”

* * *

Peter glanced around the gathered players and then past them to the Leopards’ support staff and the Footscray huddle further down the ground. He then returned his attention to his waiting team.

“I’m not going to say much. You know what you have to do, and you’ve been doing it. I can’t ask for anything more. There’s one quarter of play left in the match, and while we’re four goals down, I know you’re going to do everything you can to fight until the final siren sounds. I have faith in you guys, and all I ask is that you have faith in yourselves. The whole season comes down to this last quarter. It’s up to you. Keep doing what you know you have to do. You haven’t disappointed me so far, and I don’t expect you’ll do so now.”

Peter whispered an instruction to Ty and then smiled at the team. “Back in March, the Leopards were on the ropes. The club was about to fold, but one player kept fighting to keep it alive. Dad came out of the closet, and the club found the sponsors it needed to keep going.”

Several players glanced at Jim who frowned but didn’t say anything.

“As we all know, something bad happened at Easter time. Something that the rest of us will never truly understand, but not only is Dave still here fighting, in two weeks’ time he’s heading off for the AFL, state-draft testing day.”

Dave’s brow wrinkled and his eyes narrowed, but, like Jim, he stayed silent.

Ty dragged Neil forward and then gently pushed him into the middle of the huddle.

Peter draped an arm across Neil’s shoulders. “Then in May, Neil hit rock bottom, but with the help of Leopards like Todd, Paul, Ollie, and the brat, Neil fought back. Today, he’s not only a valued member of our club, but his life’s on track, and his parents are here today to support not only us but him, too.”

Neil’s face reddened and he didn’t meet anyone’s gaze.

Peter turned to Ty. “Two weeks ago, the brat’s season was over, but when a chance was offered to resurrect it, he fought to make it back into the team. He’s here today because, like Neil, Dave, Jim, and the rest of you guys, he’s a Leopard...and Leopards don’t stop fighting!”

As the players straightened and despondency that had started to creep into a few of the guys was replaced with determination, Peter gave them a half-smile. “There’s one quarter left to play. We’re four goals down, but that means nothing, because we’re Leopards. The game’s not over until the final siren sounds. I know you guys; you’re going to fight right through to the last second of the game.”

The players responded, just like Peter knew they would. He let them reinforce the team spirit with shouts and cheers for a few seconds. He then held up his hands. The players immediately fell silent.

“Go out there guys and make us proud. Win or lose, we’re going to hold our heads high and show everyone what it means to be a Leopard.” He smiled at his team, knowing that this would be the last day he’d be able to call them that. “Those Bulldogs aren’t going to know what’s hit them.”