participate in the annual mid-season barbie Longest Kick Competition. Every team member gets the chance to kick the ball as far as he can. Then we get one of his family members to also have a kick. And mums, it doesn’t always have to be the dads who do the kicking. After everyone has had his or her kick, we tally up the measurement of both kicks. The family with the longest distance will win a great hamper full of gourmet goodies…’
Everyone cheered again. Specky looked back over his shoulder.
‘Come on, where are you, Dad?’ he said under his breath, not wanting to be left out.
Danny and his dad started off the competition, followed by Robbo and his father, then the rest of the team. There were some lousy, wobbly kicks and equally some terrific ones—but no matter how far the ball was booted, everyone was having fun.
Everyone but Specky. Specky was the only one in the team who didn’t have a family member representing him. Coach Pappas and Mr Roberts offered to be his partner, but Specky politely declined. This scene was all too familiarfor him. Specky couldn’t help but be reminded of another time when he was so embarrassed. It was when he was eight. The Auskick team he was a part of organised a dads versus sons game. Each boy was to play directly against his own father. Unfortunately, Specky’s dad was nowhere to be seen. So he was forced to play opposite Mrs Kavensky, the sausage sizzle lady and a former Olympian shot-putter who weighed over 100 kg. Specky was slaughtered by her, especially when she executed a ‘hip and shoulder’! He felt so humiliated and now he found himself again not wanting his friends and coach feeling sorry for him.
Finally, everyone had had a kick and the friendly barbecue competition was over. Danny and his father had won. Specky congratulated his friend.
‘Thanks. I’m sorry your dad wasn’t here,’ said Danny.
‘That’s okay. He doesn’t know how to kick a football anyway,’ Specky said with a brave smile.
Eventually Specky’s team-mates, their parents and Coach Pappas headed home. Once again, Specky was left alone waiting for his dad to pick him up.
One hour later he finally arrived. Speckyhopped into the passenger seat of the car, and slammed the door behind him.
‘I’m so sorry, Simon. I just couldn’t get away. I wanted to make sure Vladimir was comfortable, and the caterers needed direction. Anyway, the launch is all set to go and I got word today that the Premier of Victoria will be making an appearance. Isn’t that exciting! Why aren’t you out of your footy gear? You’ll have to get changed on the way.’
Specky was fuming, but he stopped himself from saying anything. He felt as if he was going to explode, especially since his father continued to ramble on about himself and the exhibition all the way to the gallery, without even noticing that he was upset.
An elderly lady with a big blonde hairdo shaped like a motorbike helmet, and who smelled of way too much perfume, rushed over to greet Specky’s dad as they hopped out of the car and made their way into the gallery.
‘Dar-ling! There you are! Where have you been? Who would’ve thought that they’d all come on time. The gallery is already full! Lady Jane, the Farrahs and Dame Stanistreet have all asked about you. And Vladimir is getting terribly anxious,’ she said.
Specky’s father hurriedly introduced her to him as the gallery’s publicist, but the woman was far too caught up in herself and the event to acknowledge Specky. But he didn’t care. As he mingled his way through the champagne-sipping crowd just behind his father, Specky heard a familiar voice.
‘Hey, squirt!’
Specky turned to see it was Alice tapping him on the shoulder.
‘You should let Dad go and do his schmoozing with everyone. Mum’s over there keeping the sculptor’s wife company. She’d trying to speak some Russian—it’s tragic!’
Alice was totally unimpressed and bored by the whole event. Specky watched
Everyone cheered again. Specky looked back over his shoulder.
‘Come on, where are you, Dad?’ he said under his breath, not wanting to be left out.
Danny and his dad started off the competition, followed by Robbo and his father, then the rest of the team. There were some lousy, wobbly kicks and equally some terrific ones—but no matter how far the ball was booted, everyone was having fun.
Everyone but Specky. Specky was the only one in the team who didn’t have a family member representing him. Coach Pappas and Mr Roberts offered to be his partner, but Specky politely declined. This scene was all too familiarfor him. Specky couldn’t help but be reminded of another time when he was so embarrassed. It was when he was eight. The Auskick team he was a part of organised a dads versus sons game. Each boy was to play directly against his own father. Unfortunately, Specky’s dad was nowhere to be seen. So he was forced to play opposite Mrs Kavensky, the sausage sizzle lady and a former Olympian shot-putter who weighed over 100 kg. Specky was slaughtered by her, especially when she executed a ‘hip and shoulder’! He felt so humiliated and now he found himself again not wanting his friends and coach feeling sorry for him.
Finally, everyone had had a kick and the friendly barbecue competition was over. Danny and his father had won. Specky congratulated his friend.
‘Thanks. I’m sorry your dad wasn’t here,’ said Danny.
‘That’s okay. He doesn’t know how to kick a football anyway,’ Specky said with a brave smile.
Eventually Specky’s team-mates, their parents and Coach Pappas headed home. Once again, Specky was left alone waiting for his dad to pick him up.
One hour later he finally arrived. Speckyhopped into the passenger seat of the car, and slammed the door behind him.
‘I’m so sorry, Simon. I just couldn’t get away. I wanted to make sure Vladimir was comfortable, and the caterers needed direction. Anyway, the launch is all set to go and I got word today that the Premier of Victoria will be making an appearance. Isn’t that exciting! Why aren’t you out of your footy gear? You’ll have to get changed on the way.’
Specky was fuming, but he stopped himself from saying anything. He felt as if he was going to explode, especially since his father continued to ramble on about himself and the exhibition all the way to the gallery, without even noticing that he was upset.
An elderly lady with a big blonde hairdo shaped like a motorbike helmet, and who smelled of way too much perfume, rushed over to greet Specky’s dad as they hopped out of the car and made their way into the gallery.
‘Dar-ling! There you are! Where have you been? Who would’ve thought that they’d all come on time. The gallery is already full! Lady Jane, the Farrahs and Dame Stanistreet have all asked about you. And Vladimir is getting terribly anxious,’ she said.
Specky’s father hurriedly introduced her to him as the gallery’s publicist, but the woman was far too caught up in herself and the event to acknowledge Specky. But he didn’t care. As he mingled his way through the champagne-sipping crowd just behind his father, Specky heard a familiar voice.
‘Hey, squirt!’
Specky turned to see it was Alice tapping him on the shoulder.
‘You should let Dad go and do his schmoozing with everyone. Mum’s over there keeping the sculptor’s wife company. She’d trying to speak some Russian—it’s tragic!’
Alice was totally unimpressed and bored by the whole event. Specky watched
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