A novel by Phillip Gwynne
Deadly, unna?
He was always saying that.
All the Nungas did,
But Dumby more than any of them.
Dumby Red and Blacky don’t have a lot in common.
Dumby’s the star of the footy team. Blacky’s a gutless wonder.
Dumby’s got the knack with girls. Blacky never knows what to say.
Dumby’s got a killer smile. Blacky needs braces.
Dumby’s from the Point. Blacky’s from the Port.
Dumby’s a Nunga. Blacky’s white.
But they’re friends.
And it could be deadly. Unna?
1. ‘Just shows what sort of town I live in. Hopeless’ (3). Why does Gary say his town is ‘hopeless’?
2. Who is Mr Robertson?
3. Why does Gary enjoy hearing Mr Robertson say ‘arks’?
4. Why is Arks infuriated by ‘the Nungas’?
5. What is a Goonya?
6. What disaster occurs four days before the grand final?
7. Why did Gary become ‘the most important person in the town’ (6)?
8. Why did Gary compare two of the footballers with Godzilla and King Kong?
9. Why was Gary afraid of Thumper?
10. ‘A gutless wonder is about the worst thing you can be in our town’ (9). Why?
11. What is the Thumper tackle?
12. ‘they offered him a fair whack to come down here’ (12). What does this expression mean?
13. Why was the ‘Arksmobile … something special’ (14)?
14. How does Arks feel about having never won a grand final?
15. ‘I wasn’t much of a footballer’ (16). Why do you think Gary has such low self esteem?
16. ‘It seems like the only nicknames that ever lasted were the ones I made up’ (17). Why do you think nicknames are so common in Gary’s town? What is the importance of nicknames?
17. Why did Gary feel sorry for his coach?
Discussion
What have you learned about Gary’s town in the opening chapters of the novel?
What is Gary’s opinion of his town?
Vocabulary since, ruck, entice, cumbersome, bellowing, register, diesel, acknowledged, intimate, opposition, momentum, gutless, splashing, siren, clobbered, reputation, oath, practice, unmistakable, exhaust, optimistic, transit, dribble, technical, revolutionized, finesse, galah, triumphantly
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