Shortly after half-time, Mooney was thumped in a terrible tackle. From the boundary Leon heard the air go out of him as he collapsed to the ground. Outraged, the locals screamed and swore at the umpire, demanding justice, and Leon thought a fight was going to break out, maybe two—one on the field and one among the spectators. The umpire finally stopped the game and Mooney was carried off, blood streaming from his nose, groaning like he was in labour.

That was when Robbo looked at Leon. ‘You’re on.’

Leon had to go out there cold, but he wasn’t going to pass up his chance. He jumped up and down a few times, did some quick stretches and jogged onto the field. The way the men looked at him, he wasn’t sure which team was going to give him a harder time.

It was a battlefield out there. Nothing like schoolboy football. And nothing like footy in Hobart. Both sides were out to get him. Everyone crashed into him, and every collision hurt. Nobody looked for him. No one kicked or handballed to him.

Battered and bruised, he charged through the field, determined to do something useful. When the ball flew near, he sprinted and clawed for it, still running, and then he was scrabbling. But it was okay. He was out there on his own. The ball was his.

As he bore down on it, he heard heavy breathing on his tail. Without taking his eye off the ball, he snatched it into his hands, glanced up, looking for a pass, and tried to get his boot to it. Then something crashed into him and he slammed face-down in the mud. The breath whooshed out of his lungs and pain ripped through as a player thundered over, juddering him in his wake. Dogged, he thrust his feet under him and kept running. He had to be strong: they’d be judging him for this. But as he dug his toes into the mud and struggled to regain momentum, he saw a face scowling back at him and, with a jolt, he realised it was Toby who’d crunched him. Incensed, Leon burst after him, so angry he felt rocket-powered. But, before he could get close, Toby was brought down by a tackle around the neck from the other team. The opposition took possession, and it looked like they were going to score another goal—until Leon hammered in and snatched the ball again.