Bontempelli & Jong — 'Yum cha with the stars'
A few years ago I pitched a series to the AFL about kids meeting their favourite players in chance encounters. This story was published in a Penguin anthology 'Speccy-Tacular Footy Stories' in 2018.
I’m hoping Marcus Bontempelli wins the Brownlow this year. I reckon he was unlucky a couple of years ago, and for consistency over a long period he’s now my favourite midfielder.
When I was writing ‘A Boy Called Bob’ with Bob Murphy we included little textbox vignettes, and one of them was ‘What It’s like Playing with Marcus Bontempelli’. I loved Bob’s description: ‘he walks out of packs in slow motion, like he’s walking in deep water.’
When I was a kid, I was obsessed with the encounters I had with (then) VFL footballers ‘in the wild’ — supermarkets, restaurants, airports, even carrying a bag across the MCG carpark, to my footy obsessed brain they seemed like supermen in casual clothes. All these years later, I still enjoy a good player sighting. My friend Nick Mann filled me in about seeing Taylor Duryea buying bread and coffee beans at Fairfield IGA just this week. Nick bailed him up, wished him best of luck for the game. Good one, Nick!
A few years ago I tried to recapture these experiences in an AFL Encounters series I pitched to the AFL I wrote six prototypes —Jack Riewoldt at the hardware store, Luke Hodge by the side of a freeway. There was one where the kid accidentally grabs Travis Boak’s leg at the local pool while attempting to play a prank on his sister. I might run a series of these here over the next few months.
This one was probably my favourite. The Bont needs no introduction. Lin Jong is now a retired Bulldog, who was incredibly unlucky to miss the 2016 premiership with a collarbone injury. In the end, hamstring injuries forced him out of the game, and he’s now training to become a primary school teacher.
This piece was published in an middle grade anthology called ‘Speccy-Tacular Footy Stories’. Other authors included Michael Wagner, Nicole Hayes, and Adrian Beck. I have eight copies of the book, and if anyone wants a copy, it’s free with any other purchase from Tony Wilson Books or with a paid subscription to this newsletter. (first eight people until books gone)
My name is Huan and I barrack for Western Bulldogs. I watch the Dogs on the television every week. At home, it’s just Mum, me and Jia, my little sister. Jia and I were born in Australia but Mum was born in China. Mum doesn’t really like footy. She is the boss of a Chinese restaurant and works every weekend. I’ve never seen the Western Bulldogs play live, but one day I would love to go to a game.
My favourite player for the Bulldogs is Lin Jong. He has a Chinese name like me, but his parents are from East Timor and Taiwan. Lin Jong is a great runner and tackles harder than anyone. When I play footy at school, I tackle hard too. Sometimes I pretend I am Lin Jong!
I think the best player for the Dogs is Marcus Bontempelli. He was the number four pick in the draft. He is still very young but already a big star. I reckon ‘The Bont’ will win the Bronwlow Medal one day.
My best friend Eddie also barracks for the Bulldogs. When we have shots at goal after school, Eddie always pretends he’s Marcus Bontempelli.. ‘Bon-tem-pelli!!!!’ Eddie screams, as he takes a shot. Sometimes I tackle him. ‘Baaaaall!’ I yell. Everyone at school knows we’re footy crazy. Our teacher Mr Bennett calls us ‘The Dognamic Duo’ We have a lot of fun together.
***
One night, Eddie calls me on the phone. ‘Huan! Huan! The Bulldogs players are coming to Auskick!’ He’s so excited he can hardly breathe.
‘No way,’ I say. ‘Which ones?’
‘We don’t know,’ Eddie says. ‘We have to wait until Saturday.’
Eddie does Auskick on Saturday mornings. I want to do Auskick too but Mum does not let me. On Saturdays Jia and I visit our Ma Ma while Mum runs yum cha at the restaurant. Ma Ma is what we call our gran. Ma Ma knows even less about footy than Mum. Mum says I have to keep going to Ma Ma’s house.
‘You can come to Auskick with me?’ Eddie says. ‘My dad will take you.’
‘I’ll ask,’ I say. But I don’t sound happy. I know what my Mum is like.
Eddie says goodbye and hangs up. I find Mum in the kitchen. I speak to her in Cantonese: ‘Mum, some Bulldogs players are going to Eddie’s Auskick on Saturday. Can I go?’
Mum doesn’t look up from cooking. ‘I’m sorry, Huan,’ she says. ‘But on Saturdays I’m too busy with yum cha. Ma Ma looks after you.’
My tummy scrunches into a ball. ‘Eddie says I can go with him!’
Mum keeps on cooking. Mum is always cooking. ‘Ma Ma likes to see you and Jia. It’s her day.’
‘But Mum . . .’ I shout.
‘No, Huan,’ she says. I run out of the room. She’s made up her mind.
***
I give my grandmother a big kiss. I try not to show her that I’m upset and I try not to think about Eddie meeting the Bulldogs players at Auskick.
Ma Ma kisses Jia too.
‘Did you have a good week, zhee jai?’ Ma Ma asks. Zhee jai means piglet. Ma Ma often calls me piglet.
‘Yes,’ I say to Ma Ma. Then I start crying. I can’t help it. Ma Ma asks me what’s wrong. I tell her about Auskick and how I am missing the Bulldogs players.
Ma Ma nods. ‘I know how my Huan loves these Bulldogs,’ she says. ‘Where is Auskick?’
I tell Ma Ma the name of the oval. Ma Ma walks to the door and gets her hat and umbrella. Then she opens the door and points outside.
‘We can catch the tram,’ Ma Ma says. ‘Hurry, zhee jai. There’s a tram in nine minutes.’
***
We arrive at the oval and nobody is there. My heart sinks. We are too late.
Ma Ma gives me a squeeze. ‘I’m really sorry, zhee jai,’ she says. ‘The tram was too slow.’
Then Jia points to the car park on the far side. ‘Look!’ she says, pointing. ‘Look, there!’
My heart starts pumping. It’s a crowd of kids around some grown-ups.
‘Go, Huan!’ Ma Ma says.
I start running. I sprint across the oval to the car park. There they are, still signing balls! I see Bulldogs star Jack McCrae. I see Tim English and Tom Liberatore. I see Jason Johannisen. Then I gasp. Who is that signing something for my best friend Eddie? It’s Lin Jong! And next to Lin Jong is . . . Marcus Bontempelli!
I can’t believe they are here. Our two favourite players! I run over to Eddie. I tap him on the back. ‘Hi!’
‘You’re here!’ Eddie cries. He grins at Lin Jong. ‘The ball is for this kid!’
Lin Jong hands me the footy. He’s written, ‘To Huan, tackle hard! from Lin Jong’. Marcus Bontempelli has signed it too.
I look at Eddie. He’s giving me his footy. I give Eddie a big hug.
‘Hey, don’t tackle me too hard, buster,’ Eddie jokes.
Ma Ma hobbles over and Lin Jong says hello to her too. They talk about things other than footy. Lin Jong tells her his dad is from East Timor and got away from a war just in time. Ma Ma tells Lin Jong about Mum and the restaurant.
‘You’re making me hungry,’ Lin Jong says. ‘Bont and I are off for a bite now, actually.’
Ma Ma asks where they are going.
‘Mamma Cho’s,’ says Marcus Bontempelli. ‘For yum cha.’
I stare dumbly at Marcus Bontempelli. Mamma Cho’s is Mum’s restaurant! My two favourite players are going to my Mum’s restaurant for yum cha!
Ma Ma giggles and says something quickly in Cantonese. Lin Jong doesn’t speak Cantonese. Neither does Marcus Bontempelli. Ma Ma says it again in English. ‘Mamma Cho’s is my daughter’s place. We will go there for yum cha too!’
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Good one, Wilson! to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.