Specky Magee and the Boots of Glory Read online

  Puffin Books

  By the best-selling authors of Specky Magee,

  Specky Magee and the Great Footy Contest and

  Specky Magee and the Season of Champions.

  www.speckymagee.com

  It’s encouraging Aussie kids to read and enjoy Aussie culture…

  Eddie McGuire

  What reviewers thought of

  the books in the

  Specky Magee Series

  Lively and fresh… cheerful footy-crazy writing

  the Age

  A funny, fast-paced and even poignant novel about a boy, his friends, and the game he loves.

  the Courier Mail

  Whether a football fan or just looking for a good read, this novel will appeal…

  Reading Time

  … blends the powerful storytelling skills of Felice Arena with the

  depth of Australian Rules Football knowledge of Garry Lyon

  to come out a winner.

  Book and Education Resource Reviews

  As recommended in The Reading Bug

  by Paul Jennings.

  What readers thought

  The Specky books are the best books in the world. I hope there will be more Specky books. I can’t wait.

  Sam

  Specky Magee and the Season of Champions is the best book I’ve ever

  read. I’m not much of a reader but from the first page I knew it was

  going to be a great book.

  Laura

  I don’t read many books, but I’m really enjoying Specky Magee and

  the Great Footy Contest. You are great authors. I really enjoyed the first

  book as well and look forward to reading more

  Specky books in the future.

  Alex

  Thank you so much for writing Specky Magee. I have read Specky Ma-

  gee once and I’m starting to read Specky Magee and the Great Footy,

  Contest for the second time. PS Go Port Adelaide!

  Luke

  I’m crazy about Specky Magee. Before I read it I didn’t like footy.

  Now I like it just as much as my brother and Dad!

  Josh

  I am a mad Demons supporter. I read the first Specky Magee book in

  one night while watching the footy - Collingwood vs Brisbane.

  This would be one of the games of the year but

  I just couldn’t put Specky Magee down…

  I have nearly finished Specky Magee and the Great Footy Contest

  and I am enjoying it even more than the first one.

  I can’t wait for the next Specky Magee book.

  Tom

  PUFFIN BOOKS

  Published by the Penguin Group

  Penguin Group (Australia)

  250 Camberwell Road, Camberwell, Victoria 3124, Australia

  (a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty Ltd)

  Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

  375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA

  Penguin Group (Canada)

  90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto, ON M4P 2Y3, Canada

  (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.)

  Penguin Books Ltd

  80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

  Penguin Ireland

  25 St Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2, Ireland

  (a division of Penguin Books Ltd)

  Penguin Books India Pvt Ltd

  11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi – 110 017, India

  Penguin Group (NZ)

  Cnr Airborne and Rosedale Roads, Albany, Auckland, New Zealand

  (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd)

  Penguin Books (South Africa) (Pty) Ltd

  24 Sturdee Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196, South Africa

  Penguin Books Ltd, Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London, WC2R 0RL, England

  First published by Penguin Group (Australia),

  a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty Ltd, 2005

  Text copyright © Red Wolf Entertainment Pty Ltd and

  Gamel Sports Media Pty Ltd, 2005.

  All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above,

  no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a

  retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic,

  mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written

  permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

  www.puffin.com.au

  ISBN: 978-1-74-228142-1

  Puffin Books

  G’day all,

  So, here it is - the fourth Specky adventure! And I reckon this is the best of them all.

  I know, I know, I said that about the last one, and the one before that… but, there’s something really special about Specky Magee and the Boots of Glory. Maybe it’s seeing Specky with a whole new group of friends and a whole new set of challenges.

  This story has something in it for everyone: footy action, adventure, comedy, romance and mystery. It’s like a hamburger with the lot - but not as messy.

  This is really my favourite… well, at least until the next one comes out.

  Heaps of you have written and emailed saying how much you’ve enjoyed reading about Specky and his mates. And the books have been picked for a stack of Australian children’s-choice awards, where you, the reader, get to judge your favourite books. So, thanks to you all, and happy reading!

  Felice

  And if you’re wondering how my footy lessons with Garry are going, well… I’m sure he’ll give you a report, but I think it will only be a lesson or two before I’m ready to hit the big time. I’ll be a legend in my own backyard before I know it!

  Hi, Specky lovers,

  Who could have guessed what adventures lay ahead for Specky at the end of our last book, Specky Magee and the Season of Champions? Well, we couldn’t wait to get stuck into the brand-new story and find out.

  Unlike my good friend Felice, Specky continues to develop as a footballer every year. He’s in unfamiliar territory, and with new friendships made, as well as the occasional enemy, there is so much happening that even Felice and I weren’t sure how things were going to end up. And if you love a bit of mystery and intrigue you will love this new book. But you can be sure that all of your favourite characters will be back, that there will be plenty of footy tips to help improve your game, and lots of action on and off the footy field.

  We can only hope that Felice will continue to work hard on his football game, so that by the time the fifth book is finished he will be as good at footy as I am at spaling… ooops, I mean spelling.

  Thanks for all of your support with our first three books. We hope you love reading them as much as we love writing them.

  Garry

  1. into the darkness

  In the dark of a still autumn night, the shadowy figure of a teenage boy tiptoed across the floor of his dormitory. Holding his breath, so as not to wake the other boarders, he made his way toward a large arched window, and, slipping behind the curtains, he gently unlatched it. He lifted himself up onto the sill and, for a moment, he almost lost his balance as he tried to adjust the red balaclava he was wearing. He looked down – it was a long drop and he couldn’t see the ground through the fog. He took a deep breath, and carefully climbed onto the nearby snow gum. Branch by branch he climbed down, and hit the ground with a soft thud.

  The boy ran off into the darkness, sprinting away from his dormitory building as fast as he could. He took a familiar path – behind the theatre, past the stables, in front of the indoor swimming pool and the gym,
across a couple of football fields, and down a very long gravel driveway.

  He finally stopped at the intersection of a deserted road and the official entrance to his school, which was framed by an imposing sandstone wall. Panting and puffing, the boy waited anxiously.

  ‘Where is he?’ he muttered nervously, just as moonlight broke through the clouds and the thick fog. The boy could just make out the words chiseled into the wall: GOSMORE GRAMMAR. He looked guiltily at them for a moment and then looked away.

  Eventually, the sound of a bike chain crunching echoed in the distance. Within moments, the sound was only metres away.

  ‘Hey, Red, you there?’ came a loud whisper.

  ‘Yeah, I’m here,’ said the boy, stepping forward as the light from a pen-sized torch shone directly into his eyes.

  The boys greeted each other. The boy on the bike was also wearing a balaclava.

  ‘So, spill the beans, Red,’ he demanded.

  ‘Look, do you have to call me Red? I think it’s stupid that…’

  ‘Keep it down, will ya?’ the boy snapped, dropping his bike and moving forward threateningly. ‘We’re using code names, remember? You’re “Red” because of the colour of your balaclava and I’m “Crusha”. Got it?’

  ‘Red’ paused for a second, annoyed. ‘Yeah, got it,’ he reluctantly mumbled.

  ‘So,’ said Crusha. ‘What else have you got on Magee?’

  ‘Well, he’s in my dorm, and for the first couple of weeks all he talked about was his old school, Booyong High, his girlfriend, Christina, and his best mates, Danny and Robbo. And he still goes on about some trip they took to America last year.’

  ‘What a loser! What else?’ grunted Crusha.

  ‘Oh, yeah, last week he got all these birthday cards from his old mates, sent to “Specky Magee”. Everyone at his old school called him that because he’s s’posed to take awesome marks – “speckies” – while playing footy.’

  ‘Really?’ said Crusha, sounding impressed for a second. ‘Have you seen him take any?’

  ‘Nah, not yet. But I can tell he’s a gun player just by watching him during kick-to-kick at lunchtime.’

  ‘Right, anything else?’

  ‘Um… yeah. He barracks for five AFL teams. He reckons he’s more a fan of the actual game than he is of any particular team. He goes for Collingwood, Essendon, West Coast, Brisbane Lions and Sydney.’

  ‘Five teams! That’s weird as!’ Crusha snorted. ‘When do ya start footy training?’

  ‘This Tuesday,’ answered Red.

  ‘And does Magee know anything about the Boots of Glory game?’

  ‘He’s heard some of the boys talk about it. But I don’t think he knows how important it is.’

  For a moment, by the light of the moon, Red caught a glimpse of Crusha’s school emblem printed boldly across his chest. It read: Salisbury College – The Mighty Royals.

  ‘Well, he better take it seriously,’ grunted Crusha. ‘’Cause when we get him playing by our rules, the Boots of Glory will be ours for sure.’

  Red shrugged his shoulders indifferently.

  ‘And one more thing,’ Crusha added. ‘He’s a new boarder so he’ll probably have some kind of initiation – probably soon, right?’

  Again, Red shrugged his shoulders as if to say ‘Yeah, I suppose so, whatever’.

  ‘Good,’ continued Crusha. ‘Mr X wants to know what it’ll be. Just keep checking your locker for a message about when to meet me next.’

  ‘Great, I can’t wait to come out here again and freeze my butt off,’ said Red sarcastically. ‘So, are you gonna stop using that dumb name and just tell me who Mr X is? Am I ever gonna meet him? Or see your ugly mug?’

  Crusha quickly took a step toward Red and grabbed the scruff of his jumper.

  ‘You’ll never know who we are; you get that, loser?’ he sneered. ‘And I wouldn’t ask those questions again, if I were you. Just remember, you’re getting a good deal out of this.’

  Crusha shoved Red backward, causing him to lose his balance and fall over.

  ‘Catch ya later, Red!’ cackled Crusha, as he trudged back to his bike and rode off into the night.

  2. old friends,

  new friends

  Specky shuffled alongside his fellow Year 9 classmates into the Gosmore Grammar Library. It was Monday afternoon study period – a free hour in between classes. Everyone was meant to go to the library and catch up on homework, do research on the internet or ‘read silently’, but most of the boys used it as a bludge session. They either mucked about or flicked through sports magazines. Although when the head librarian, Mrs Leggiamo, was about – patrolling the area like a hawk – everyone was very well behaved.

  Specky decided to use the time at one of the computers and catch up with his friends in Melbourne.

  Waiting for the computer to start up, Specky looked around the library and sighed – he was still amazed by the sheer grandeur of his new school.

  The library alone was impressive. The walls were made of cherry-oak wood panels, and the bookshelves towered almost all the way to the top of the three-metre-high cathedral ceiling. There were octagonal stained-glass windows in one side of the building so the sun, depending on the time of day, would shine directly across a dozen strategically placed leather armchairs.

  It was a far cry from the solid grey concrete walls, plastic chairs, and aluminum office-style shelves Specky was used to at his old school. He knew it would take some time before he’d feel comfortable in his new surroundings.

  As always, Specky drew some comfort from the experiences of his AFL heroes. With the AFL now a truly national competition, young players who wanted to follow their football dream could find themselves packing their bags for a move to any one of the five states that are home to the sixteen clubs. With the way the AFL Draft operated, players could not choose which team they would play for.

  Specky thought of Chris Judd – one of his favourite young players. Chris grew up in the suburbs of Melbourne, and played all of his junior football there. He was an outstanding young footballer, who had been keenly sought by most clubs in the country. When he nominated for the 2001 Draft, he knew he was going to have to take his chances, that there was every possibility that he would be moving interstate, away from all of his friends and family. But it was a price he was prepared to pay if it meant that he would get to play in the best competition in the land.

  As it turned out, the West Coast Eagles – one of the two Western Australian teams – selected him with the overall number-three pick in the draft. Specky had been rapt, because the Eagles were one of the five teams that he followed most closely; and Chris Judd was now, after just three seasons, one of the best players going around, having won the Brownlow Medal, the most prestigious award in football, in the 2004 season. If Chris Judd had been able to settle into his new environment, on the other side of the country, then Specky felt confident he would be able to get used to Gosmore Grammar.

  Specky looked back at the computer screen and saw that his inbox had emails from Danny, Robbo, Christina and his sister, Alice. He opened Christina’s first.

  Hey! I SMS’d u last night but it was after your curfew time. Sorry about that!

  Specky shook his head. Apart from the different surroundings, there were so many rules and regulations he’d had to get used to. One of them was that students’ mobiles could only be switched on between 4 and 7.30 pm weekdays and from 9 to 5 pm on weekends. If anyone broke this rule, their phone would be confiscated for an entire term. Specky read on:

  It wasn’t important, just saying hi. And did you see my Blue Boys win their first game of the season yesterday? Go Blues! I can’t believe they beat Sydney – it was amazing. Hey, I bumped into Robbo and Danny at the end of the game too! Robbo didn’t say much. He was bummed about the Swans losing. But u know Danny – he wouldn’t shut up. He asked me if I had talked to ‘Specky Potter’ lately, since he moved to ‘Hogwarts Grammar’. I thought that was funny, but Robbo didn’t. He
said that Danny’s been telling that same dumb joke for weeks and I shouldn’t egg him on. Your mates crack me up. Anyway, they also said we should all go to a movie together when you come home for holidays.

  U know, it’s been 1 month, 1 day, 2 hours, 3 minutes and 38 seconds since we saw each other last!

  So, now that it’s been a few more weeks, tell me some more about your new Gosmore mates.

  Gotta go. Miss u!

  Love,

  Christina xoxoxoxoxoxo

  Specky grinned as he read Christina’s email once more. Next he clicked open Robbo’s email.

  Hey, Speck!

  Tonight after school is our third footy training session. Our first game will be on Saturday. It’s weird with u not in the team. We saw Christina yesterday @ the Swans and Blues match. Did u c it on TV? Awesome game – 2 bad Sydney lost. Anyway, just wanted 2 say g’day. C u in the holidays. Robbo

  Right, let’s see what Castellino’s got to say, Specky thought, clicking on Danny’s email.

  Hi, Specky Potter! How’s Hogwarts Grammar? Do u have your own butler? Have u gotten used to wearing a tie and a blazer yet? I can’t even tie a tie! Footy training’s tonight! Can’t wait! Saw Christina yesterday. Cya! Danny

  GO PIES!!!!!

  Specky was still laughing as he opened his sister’s email.

  Hey, Squirt! Mum just told me to remind you that you’re allowed to invite a couple of your Gosmore friends to come and stay for a few days during the holidays. I told her you don’t have any mates! Hehehehe!

  Here’s Dieter: Hey, Legend! Your sister takes forever to get ready. We’re running really late again. I don’t know why I agreed to drop by each morning and walk her to school! Anyway, hope things are cool there for ya at the big GG school! Cya soon. D (The Great McCarthy).