Specky Magee facts for kids

The Specky Magee series is a super popular set of books for kids in Australia. These books are written by Felice Arena and a famous Aussie Rules football player, Garry Lyon. They tell the exciting story of a teenager named Simon Magee. Simon dreams of becoming a champion in Aussie Rules football. There are eight books in this amazing series.

The Specky Magee Book Series

• Specky Magee (2002): This is the first book in the series. It shows Specky's huge love for Aussie Rules football. Specky finds an old photo of himself in AFL gear. This is strange because his family dislikes AFL. He also meets an online friend, "CHRISkicks," who turns out to be a girl. Specky starts to wonder if he is adopted.

• Specky Magee & the Great Footy Contest (2003): This is the second book. Specky and his friends face an old enemy, "Screamer" Johnson. Screamer threatens Specky's spot as a full-forward. Specky also takes part in the Great Footy Contest. This competition helps young football stars show off their skills. The winner gets a trip to the US or Ireland as a youth AFL ambassador.

• Specky Magee & the Season of Champions (2004): This is the third book. Specky makes many new friends. His football career is put at risk by a serious knee injury. He is told to rest for seven weeks. But Specky ignores this advice and plays anyway. This puts his health in danger.

• Specky Magee & the Boots of Glory (2005): This is the fourth book. Specky wins an AFL scholarship. He now attends Gosmore Grammar, a top football school. Specky proves to be a great player, even at this high level. But his future at the school is threatened by a tricky initiation stunt.

• Specky Magee & a Legend in the Making (2006): This is the fifth book. Specky discovers a surprising side to Screamer. Screamer loves playing the piano and is very talented. This discovery causes problems in Specky's friendship with Christina. But Specky helps Screamer follow his musical dream. Specky also gets chosen for the Victorian Under-15 team.

• Specky Magee & the Spirit of the Game (2007): This is the sixth book. After being chosen for the Vics team, Specky meets Brian Edwards. Brian is a talented midfielder from the country. Specky visits Brian's town and plays for the senior team there. Meanwhile, Danny, Gobba, and Robbo try to win over a French exchange student.

• Specky Magee & the Battle of the Young Guns (2009): This is the seventh book. Specky's time with the Booyong footy team faces challenges. He struggles with maths tests and a strict new teacher and coach. He also plays in the National Footy Carnival. Specky is offered sports management, and a big surprise happens. This surprise sets up the story for the next book.

• Specky Magee & the Best of Oz (2011): This is the eighth book. Specky faces many new challenges. He joins a new team, visits a new country, and learns a new type of football. This fast-paced story follows Specky and his Aussie teammates. They have an amazing adventure in Ireland.

Meet the Characters

The books follow a young football star named Simon "Specky" Magee. We see him grow up through his teenage years. He loves AFL, just like most of his friends.

Main Characters

Simon "Specky" Magee: Specky is the main character of the books. He goes to Booyong High for most of the series. He briefly attends Gosmore Grammar in book four. Specky is 12 in the first book, 13 in books two and three, and 14 in the later books. He is incredibly skilled at Aussie Rules footy. He mainly plays as a full-forward. He also plays as a wingman, centre-half forward, or centre-half back sometimes. Specky supports five AFL teams. His adopted parents and sister do not like football. Specky is adopted.

Josh Roberts: Josh is one of Specky's best friends. He plays as a ruckman for the Booyong High school team. He is very tall. Josh supports the Sydney Swans completely, as he was born there. In book six, he starts dating Samantha Shepherd.

Danny Castellino: Danny is another of Specky's best friends. He is the top rover for the Booyong team. He is described as a very small character. Danny is extremely fit. He is a huge fan of Collingwood. Like Robbo, he starts a romance in book six. He dates national sprint champion Maria "Gladiator" Testi. They break up in book seven but get back together.

Christina Perry: Christina is Specky's girlfriend, though they sometimes break up and get back together. They meet in book one. Their romance begins at the end of book three. This happens after her relationship with Screamer ends. Christina supports Carlton. She is a tomboy who loves footy, just like Samantha Shepherd. She moved to Sydney in book six but returned in book seven.

Samantha "Tiger Girl" Shepherd: Samantha is another close friend of Specky's. She meets Specky in book three. Specky supports her through a tough time. They become close friends. She is also in Year 9, like Specky and his friends. They have always felt close. This feeling grew stronger in book seven. She now dates Specky. She supports the Tigers, which is how she got her nickname.

Derek "Screamer" Johnson: Screamer is Specky's long-time rival. He later becomes a friend. He first appears in book two. He makes Specky jealous because of his connection with Christina. He is also a skilled full-forward. In book five, Specky learns about Screamer's amazing piano talent. Specky encourages him to follow his dreams. This turns them into friends. In book seven, Screamer leaves Booyong High. He goes to Eckert School of Music on a piano scholarship in Sydney.

Ben "Gobba" Higgins: Gobba is another of Specky's school friends. He is first mentioned in book three. His nickname comes from his dream of being a professional sports commentator. He is so good that he attends a special school for young sports callers. He often gets assignments from this school. He still attends Booyong full-time. He supports the Bulldogs.

Johnny Cockatoo: Johnny is one of Specky's close friends. They meet during Specky's trip to the Northern Territory in book two. They become friends right away. When Johnny moves to Melbourne, their friendship gets even stronger. He plays rover, like Danny. They work very well together on the field. He is proud of his Aboriginal heritage. He knows a lot about Indigenous AFL players. He supports the Kangaroos.

Brian Edwards: Brian is another of Specky's friends. He first appears in book five. They meet through State footy training. Brian temporarily moves in with Specky to play for the State team in Melbourne. He is mentioned briefly in book seven. He is the third character in the books to support Carlton.

Maria "Gladiator" Testi: Maria is Danny's girlfriend. She is a national sprint champion. She shows interest in Danny in book six. In book seven, her role becomes bigger. She is in Specky, Danny, and Robbo's maths class. Danny breaks up with her in this book because she became too clingy. But they later get back together.

Sanjay "Bombay Bullet" Sharma: Sanjay is one of Specky's friends. He is of Indian background. He is proud of his heritage. He is an amazing sprinter, which is why he is called the Bullet. He can make superb dashes and impressive snaps.

Paul "Smashing Sols" Solomon: Paul is another of Specky's friends. Their friendship grows a bit in book seven. They bond over their dislike for their new Maths teacher. His nickname comes from his excellent tackling ability.

Coaches and Teachers

Coach Sandy Pate: Coach Pate is Specky's AFL coach from book two to the start of book seven. She is a fair coach. She comes to Booyong at the start of book two. She replaces Coach Pappas. She likes Specky and often gives him advice. She leaves in book seven to go to Italy. Mr Rutherford then takes over the AFL coaching duties.

Mr Rutherford: Mr Rutherford appears in book seven. He is Specky's new maths teacher. Specky and his friends see him as strict and tough. Things get worse when he becomes the coach. But Specky starts to like him later. Mr Rutherford apologizes for removing Specky from the footy team. This happened when Specky failed a maths test that was not his fault.

Specky's Family

Alice Magee: Alice is Specky's 16-year-old sister. She sometimes seems to dislike Specky. But it is clear that she cares for him. She is dating The Great McCarthy. She dislikes AFL.

David & Jane Magee: David and Jane are Specky's adoptive parents. They are often strict but fair with Specky. This is especially true about his footy commitments. David was not good at sports. He did not support Specky at first. But this changes from book two onwards. Jane is also a good cook. They adopted Specky when he was 18 months old.

Jack Magee: Jack is Specky's baby brother. He is born in book six. He cannot speak or walk yet. He mainly gurgles in book seven, especially when he is happy.

Ken Magee: Ken is Specky's grandfather. He is the reason Specky supports the West Coast Eagles. He moves into the Magee house in book seven. This causes some tension. He has a health issue.

Other Characters

Gus "Einstein" Turner: Gus is one of Specky's school friends. In the first two books, he is known as a half-forward. In book seven, he becomes a full-back. Einstein is very good at maths. He can guess distances, especially for AFL kicks. He is mentioned briefly in book seven. He supports Geelong.

Dieter "The Great McCarthy" McCarthy: Dieter is a Year 12 student. He is Alice's boyfriend. He is also an acquaintance of Specky's. He used to be the Richmond mascot. He supports Richmond.

Kyle Rutherford: Kyle appears in book seven, like his father. He and his dad move to Booyong in this book. Kyle does not like this move. He is jealous of Specky. He tries to make Specky fail his maths test. This is to get Specky kicked off the team.