JOCK: Not negotiating. I didn’t mean negotiating. All we’ve done is started to think of some names.

LAURIE: Who has?

JOCK: Gerry and I.

LAURIE: What names?

JOCK: Try these for size. Cam Donaldson, Mickey Dimisch and Andy Payne. How’d you like that lot on your goal-to-goal line?

LAURIE: I’d love ’em on my goal-to-goal line but I’d like to be consulted.

JOCK: You are being consulted. Right now. Cam Donaldson, Mickey Dimisch and Andy Payne. Good enough?

LAURIE: Are they available?

JOCK: No, but they will be. Gerry’s amazing, but for Christ’s sake keep those names under your hat. There’s half a dozen clubs after all of ’em. Next year’s going to be a good one, Laurie. With you at the helm and players like that in the team there’ll be no stopping us.

GERRY enters through the right door holding a notebook in his hand.

GERRY: Is this all you’re prepared to say to the press, Laurie?

LAURIE reads the statement.

LAURIE: Yes.

GERRY: You’re not very generous. Ted’s pretty upset.

LAURIE: Tough. What’s this I hear about Donaldson, Dimisch and Payne?

JOCK: Sorry, Gerry. It just slipped out.

GERRY: (coldly) The rate at which things slip out around here makes me wonder if members of this Club aren’t fitted with a special circuit that goes straight from ear to tongue and completely bypasses the brain.

LAURIE: What’s the meaning of starting to plan next year’s team without even consulting me?

GERRY: I was going to talk to you about it today, only you went and got yourself into this mess with Ted.

LAURIE: Where are you getting all the money for this spending spree?

GERRY: We’ll get it.

LAURIE: How?

GERRY: Leave that to me.

LAURIE: Be buggered I’ll leave it to you. Listen. I’ve been around here for twenty-seven years and I’m coach of this bloody Club, not the office boy. How are you getting the money?

GERRY: Keep it quiet then. It’s all touch and go at the moment. We had two of the biggest property developers in the country in the members bar last Saturday—

LAURIE: Arthur Mowbray and Dick Tanner?

GERRY: Yeah, and despite what Ted thinks they didn’t get there by accident. I fossicked around and found out that they’re both old supporters so I’ve been courting them, and doing it pretty well even if I do say so myself. Most guys of that age and in their position are looking for an interesting sideline, pastime, hobby—and these two are no exception, except that they won’t have anything to do with us while Ted is President. They haven’t said anything directly but it was quite obvious what they were feeling and I can’t say I blame them. He was fawning on them like a drunken toad on Saturday.

LAURIE: What sort of role in the Club are you planning for them?