After The Siren Book Review
Summary: Two players with low opinions of each other are brought together through training and end up seeing each other in a different light.
5
Awkward AFL
It’s a bit hard to ignore all the attention Heated Rivalry has been getting of late. LGBTIQA+ stories are becoming far more mainstream, and visibility is definitely a positive thing. In Australia, I think there is still a very toxic male culture within our sports. Though we have a number of athletes who have now come out (and faced the pros and cons of doing so), arguably the biggest national sport, AFL, has still had very little queer representation (to the point where 2025 marked the first time ever a past or present player had come out as queer — kudos to Mitch Brown). After The Siren explores what the culture of AFL can be like for a player who is not heterosexual — the pressures to either keep it hidden in case it might impact a career, or to come out in order to be open with partners and even be a symbol of hope for others.
After The Siren starts with Theo Bestavros going over an unfortunate bit of play from his past season as he prepares to move to his new club. Dealing with anxiety is bad enough, but he also faced public/media abuse for a single bad kick. On top of that, one of his new teammates (Jake Cunningham) also seemed to stick his boot in about the bad play. So the scene is set for a new footy year: imposter syndrome in full effect, and the indication that Jake — the star of his new team — is unlikely to show any respect.
But opinions can change, and first impressions can be wrong… very wrong. Through the course of training and events on and off the field, the two start to develop feelings for each other — raw and animalistic at first, but then something possibly deeper. But can teammates get involved without things getting complicated? Can they be together but not out? How will it impact a burgeoning football career?
Darcy Green “tackles” (sorry, not sorry) quite a lot of issues in After The Siren. There are points about masculine culture and how that impacts people, expectations versus reality, and the mental strain that can put on players. Gender inequality and homophobia in sports, to name a few. I don’t want to give anything away, but I do like the notion of it being a “low‑risk” enemies‑to‑lovers story (I’m sure I read a quote along those lines from Darcy Green somewhere). Issues arise and difficulties are had… but there is a happy ending (both sorts). On that note, actually… this can be quite explicit at points, so if that’s not your thing, maybe don’t read it. But erotic stories seem to be all the rage at the moment, so I’m guessing that’s what many are hoping for.
Final Thoughts
As someone who doesn’t identify as heterosexual, I absolutely believe that representation matters — even fictional representation. I also firmly believe that no one should be made, pressured, or forced to come out. After The Siren almost reads like an idealised version of how things could go for non‑heterosexual AFL players… unfortunately, I suspect there is still a lot of work to be done in the real world before any more players feel safe coming out (given the number of homophobic slurs that were used just last year, it’s clear it’s still a big issue). But even just reading about two players finding each other and getting to be their true selves — it’s quite sweet, and I may even have been a bit teary at parts. If you like queer romance, definitely grab a copy. If you like romance and don’t mind that it’s queer… grab a copy!
About the Author
Chris O'Connor Father of four, husband of one and all round oddity. Gaming at home since about 1982 with a Sinclair ZX Spectrum. Moving on to the more traditional PC genre in the years that followed with the classic Jump Joe and Alley Cat. CGA, EGA, VGA and beyond PC's have been central to my gaming but I've also enjoyed consoles and hand helds along the way (who remembers the Atari Lynx?). Would have been actor/film maker, jack of many trades master of none.
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