The completely reliable history
Never Surrender by The Squinters is a sanctuary for those riding the Orange Tsunami—and a place to commiserate when it runs directly into a retaining wall.
What this is
Every week, after every Giants match, The Squinters biasedly review the game, preview the next game biasedly, speculate biasedly on the giant issues of the week and impartially on anything else that biasedly occurs to them.
The show is proudly fan-made, proudly unofficial and designed for supporters who want more than a neutral match report. We care too much, celebrate loudly, suffer unnecessarily and keep turning up.
How it happened
A podcast history featuring footy mates, Viking essays, GarageBand and a dangerous amount of optimism.
A group of Sydney Uni AFL mates had all jumped aboard the Giants. Needles turned the group chat into a podcast and Sparrow—an old college mate, former rugby man and newly converted AFL tragic who had helped build Giants Stadium—was all in.
After producing a sustained body of written work about the future of Adam Tomlinson, Ragnar Lothbrok successfully joined the team. His energy was pivotal at a point when editing and upkeep were threatening to flatten Needles and Sparrow.
Ragnar learnt GarageBand, returned to writing music and brought the rare combination of having played the game and actually watching every match. The pod became more consistent, louder and significantly more musical.
Orca—the born-again evangelical AFL nuffie—committed to weekly pods and often brought Orca Number 3 for insight from a teenager’s perspective. The current four-host shape was complete.
After the old WordPress site disappeared under the weight of cost and upkeep, Sparrow rediscovered his love of coding and content. The Squinters returned to the web with a proper home for episodes, history, articles and future orange nonsense.
The current crew
Four distinct personalities, loosely connected by one football club and a refusal to surrender.
Founder · The Renaissance Man
Founder of The Squinters and the man who pulled a collection of Sydney Uni footy mates into a microphone-shaped problem in 2019. Trackside oracle, occasional quizmaster and permanent President of the pod.
Co-founder · The Stoic
A former rugby man turned committed AFL tragic who helped build Giants Stadium and then decided supporting the club was not emotionally demanding enough. Keeps the pod moving and the Orange Army philosophically upright.
Viking · Musician · Mathematician
Joined after a sustained essay campaign about Adam Tomlinson and became pivotal to the pod’s revival. Actually played the game, watches every match, writes the songs and occasionally proves September mathematically.
Born-again AFL nuffie
An evangelical Giants convert whose blood now runs orange. Brings weekly commitment, strong opinions, songs for every mood and regular perspective from Orca Number 3 when the adults require correction.
Recurring nonsense
Rag’s Bake
For players, teams, media figures and performances that have earned the heat.
Ragnar’s Maths
Stats, streaks and numerical nonsense that somehow proves the point.
Stoic Advice from Sparrow
Emotional ballast for injuries, umpiring, collapses and September.
Hairloss with Orca
A weekly opportunity to pull someone back down to size.
Song of the Week
The musical state of the Giants, selected by Orca.
Parody Songs
Written by Ragnar or performed by Jimmy and the Boys.
Quiz with Needles
Knowledge, memory and public humiliation.
Wall of glory
The microphones change. The archive remembers.
