Page 5 of After the Siren
‘Done.’
‘Also, I expect daily updates on your budding bromance with Jake Cunningham.’
‘Of course.’
They settled back on the couch. Theo let his breath go as the familiar music chimed.
Priya raised her glass of kombucha as the first scene rippled onto the screen. ‘To old friends, and new beginnings.’
‘Cheers.’
NOVEMBER / DECEMBER
PRE-SEASON
Fly or flop? Second chance for Bestavros at Brunswick Falcons
After a dismal end to a patchy 18 months at the Sydney Sharks, 24-year-old forward Theodore Bestavros is getting a second chance at the Brunswick Falcons.
Sources inside the club say that new development coach Kat Lloyd (former star Geelong AFLW defender and Hawthorn assistant coach) led the push to recruit Bestavros as part of the deal that saw veteran Falcons defender Jamie Collins move to the Sharks. Bestavros was drafted at age 22 after standout performances at the State level but never delivered on that early promise for the Sharks, playing ten uninspiring games at the AFL level before the memorable Round 23 mishap that sealed his fate.
‘A distraction’: Falcons CEO weighs in on Pride Round debate
Brunswick Falcons CEO Randolph Jones has weighed in on the debate about an AFL Pride Round. LGBTQIA+ supporter groups have been calling for a competition-wide Pride Round, following its success in AFLW. Several players have spoken out in support of the idea, including Falcons captain Aleksandar Yelich and vice-captain Morgan Reyes. Jones was less enthusiastic. ‘I worry that these things are becoming a distraction,’ he toldFerret Footy’s Briony Gallagher. ‘The focus needs to be on the footy.’
Five Falcons players to watch (who aren’t Jake Cunningham)
Aleksandar Yelich (#3)
Falcons captain Aleksandar ‘Yelks’ Yelich spent the first six weeks of the 2023 season on the sidelines after a pre-season knee injury. Some people speculated that the All-Australian fullback would hang up his boots – he turned 35 in August – but he’s not showing any signs of that. We’re betting on a big season for Yelks: after all, he probably doesn’t have a heap of them left.
Morgan Reyes (#7)
Morgan ‘Raze’ Reyes’s 2020 move from the Currawongs to the Falcons drew plenty of skepticism. He’s proved the doubters wrong, though, quickly establishing himself as exactly the hard-at-it, up-and-under inside midfielder the Falcons needed. Having got on top of his conditioning, we’re predicting a huge year in the middle for Raze, who’s also joined the Falcons leadership group.
Padraic Riley (#25)
You’d never know from watching Padraic Riley that he only picked up a Sherrin for the first time in 2019. The star Gaelic footballer was recruited by the Falcons from Kilkenny. He’s more than repaid the investment: after a bit of a shaky start, Paddy is a dominant force on the halfback flank – and if you’re really lucky you’ll see him forget where he is for a moment and kick it like he’s still playing Gaelic.
Tommy Ryan (#14)
A proud Gunditjmara man, Tommy is the second Ryan to play for the Falcons. His father, Jimmy Ryan, was an integral part of the Falcons in the late 80s and early 90s, and he’s now back at the club working on their new inclusion framework. The younger Ryan has the forward craft to match his famous father. He had a rocky start to his AFL career, plagued by asequence of niggling injuries, but he came good in 2023. He and Cunningham are going to be hard to contain.
Jonathon Xenos (#30)
Johnny ‘Xen’ Xenos will always have his detractors; some people just can’t wrap their head around the idea that a guy who’s 5′7″ can play at the highest level. But we love an underdog, so we’re going to back Xen in for a big year. The ultimate one per-cent player, the stats sheet doesn’t reflect the real impact he can have on a game.
aflthirstmy body is ready for the@brunswickfalconspre-season camp. keep the content coming@jcjk9 @jxenos @paddyriley25 @tryan2002
brunswickfalconsThe younger players in our squad are gearing up for their pre-season camp. Keep your eyes open for all the latest on our socials.
falconfortnightlywe’re back baby! tune in for the tea on the collins exit, jake cunningham’s saucy off-season antics, and the choice to pick up bestavros from the sharks. beers are cold and the takes are hot.
falcons754replying to@falconfortnightly @katlloyd’sfirst move is bestavros? guess she wont be here for long
matty357replying to@falcons754reckon he’s learned to kick over the summer?
gofalcons77replying to@matty357like@jcjk9said on@fullforwardsome ppl just don’t have what it takes
