
Siren: A Women in Sport Collective
By Siren
Realising we could achieve more together than separately, we combined our skills, experience and knowledge to create Siren: A Women in Sport Collective.

Siren: A Women in Sport CollectiveOct 28, 2021

34. Reflections, Lessons and Highlights from 2022
It's the final Siren Sport podcast for 2022 and co-founders Dr Kasey Symons and Kirby Fenwick catch up to chat about the year, their reflections on 2022, the lessons they learnt and their women in sport highlights.
Follow Kasey @kaseysymons
Follow Kirby @kirbykirbybee
From everyone at Siren HQ, we wish you a wonderful holiday season and a safe and happy new year!
See you in 2023!
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33. Taking Siren global!
Siren co-founders Dr Kasey Symons and Kirby Fenwick check in and catch up on all the happenings behind the scenes at Siren, including Kasey's academic adventures overseas.
Follow Kasey @kaseysymons
Follow Kirby @kirbykirbybee
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32. Why not take a wander through our archives?
We're taking a short break at Siren HQ but in the meantime, why not take a wander through our archives! There's lots of women in sports goodness to be found.
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31. What is the AFLW Oracle up to?
In this episode, Siren co-founders Dr Kasey Symons and AFLW Oracle, Gemma Bastiani chat about all the exciting and amazing things Gemma has been doing this AFLW season. Plus, Gemma talks about the things she believes have helped her get to this point in her career.
Follow Gemma @glbastiani
Follow Kasey @kaseysymons
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30. Sport and academia with Dr Rebecca Olive
Siren co-founder Dr Kasey Symons speaks with Dr Rebecca Olive about her relationship with sport and her academic journey.
Follow @rebeccajolive
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29. Inclusive sport with ESWP participant Julie Dickson
Siren co-founder Kirby Fenwick and Dr Kasey Symons catch up with Siren Sport x ABC Sport Emerging Sports Writer Program Participant Julie Dickson to discuss her important story on the BMI or Body Mass Index and the complications of using it as a one-size-fits-all approach. We discuss where the idea for the story came from, the importance of inclusivity in sport as well as Julie's experience in the ESWP.
Read: If the body mass index stops measuring health and starts causing shame, change the game by Julie Dickson Read: As an adult, parkour helped Amy Han rediscover the joy of play and her surroundings by Julie Dickson--
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28. Jacinta Govind and the FIBA Women's World Cup
In this episode of the Siren Sport podcast, co-founders Dr Kasey Symons and Kirby Fenwick catch up with former WNBL player turned basketball writer, podcaster at Shooting The Breeze, and commentator, Jacinta Govind. Jacinta recently came through the Siren Sport x ABC Sport Emerging Sports Writer Program and wrote a story on Opal Steph Reid's unusual path to elite basketball. The trio also chat the FIBA Women's World Cup!
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27. Voices From The Stands
Siren co-founder Kirby Fenwick returns to the grandstands of the AFLW for a special episode of Voices From The Stands.
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26. AFLW season feelings
Co-founders Alison Smirnoff, Kasey Symons and Kirby Fenwick chat through what they're looking forward to for AFLW season seven.
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25. Mentoring emerging writers
Co-founders Kirby Fenwick and Kasey Symons chat about how we mentor emerging writers, and how the ABC has helped us do it more.
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24. Scarlett Harris
Co-founder Kasey Symons catches up with wrestling expert Scarlett Harris.
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23. What Makes a Bulldog
Co-founders Kirby Fenwick, Kasey Symons and Gemma Bastiani chat about Gemma & Megan Brewer's recent three-part series on the Western Bulldogs' 2022 AFLW season.
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22. Mary Konstantopoulos
Friend of Siren Mary Konstantopoulos returns for a chat with co-founder Kasey Symons.
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21. Work behind the scenes
Co-founders Kasey Symons, Kirby Fenwick and Gemma Bastiani catch up in this episode of the podcast to share what they've each been up to recently, and what Siren's been doing behind the scenes.
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20. Marnie Vinall
Co-founders Kasey Symons and Gemma Bastiani catch up with friend of Siren Marnie Vinall.
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19. Rana Hussain
Co-founders Kirby Fenwick and Kasey Symons catch up with friend of Siren Rana Hussain for the sport/pop culture crossover you never knew you needed.
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18. Amy McCann
Co-founder Kirby Fenwick catches up with friend of Siren, and Baseball expert, Amy McCann.
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17. Dr. Kim Toffoletti
Co-founder Dr. Kasey Symons speaks with Deakin University's Associate Professor of Sociology, and key Siren supporter Dr. Kim Toffoletti.
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16. Making Space
In the face of some frustrating and disappointing events last week, co-founders Alison Smirnoff, Kasey Symons and Kirby Fenwick talk through their feelings about being women and marginalised voices in sport media.
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15. What has Siren done for us?
In this episode of the Siren podcast, co-founders Kasey Symons, Kirby Fenwick and Gemma Bastiani chat about how Siren has helped us achieve different career goals, and how we work flexibly to allow each other to focus on opportunities as they arise.
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14. Tully Bevilaqua & Kelsey Trainor
Co-founder Kasey Symons speaks to Tully Bevilaqua and Kelsey Trainor for this special episode. Tully is a former Australian Opal who has also played in both the WNBA and the WNBL. Kelsey is a lawyer, producer and writer who is also a women's sport advocate.
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13. Marissa Lordanic (The Far Post, ESPN)
Co-founder Kirby Fenwick has a chat with friend of Siren Marissa Lordanic about her work in the women’s sport space.
Find Marissa on Twitter: https://twitter.com/marissalordanic
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12. We're back, and we're not done
We're back for 2022! Co-founders Kirby Fenwick and Kasey Symons give a hint at what we've been up to over the break, and what is coming up for Siren.
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11. 2021 Highlights
In our final podcast episode of 2021, co-founders Kasey Symons, Kirby Fenwick and Gemma Bastiani share some highlights of their women in sport year.
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10. Making The Call with Lucy & Emma Race
Co-founder Gemma Bastiani catches up with two women who have been mentioned on the podcast before, the brains behind Making The Call and voices you'll recognise from The Outer Sanctum: Lucy & Emma Race!
Listen to The Outer Sanctum: https://www.outersanctum.com.au/listen
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09. The Siren Newsletter
Co-founders Kasey Symons and Gemma Bastiani sit down to chat about the different parts of the newsletter, how we decide what to include, and why it's important to share the work of others.
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08. Community sport
Co-founders Alison Smirnoff, Kirby Fenwick and Kasey Symons share their experience of being part of community sports clubs. A place where "if you want to be involved, there will always be a role for you".
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07. Recognising value in your work
In this week's episode, co-founders Kirby Fenwick and Gemma Bastiani discuss the challenges of fitting Siren into busy lives and around other jobs, and also the difficulties of valuing your work, and yourself as a journalist or content creator.
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06. History Makers: How we met trailblazer Anne Gordon
In this week's episode of the Siren podcast, Gemma hosts Alison and Kirby to discuss how they came to meet trailblazing Australian cricketer Anne Gordon and the pieces created out of that meeting.
Check out the pieces:
History makers: Anne Gordon, the 1976 Australian women’s cricket team, and Lords
History makers: Anne Gordon, that 76 tour and why the history of women’s cricket matters
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05. In-depth features & balancing multiple interviews
This week's episode features co-founders Alison Smirnoff, Kasey Symons and Gemma Bastiani discussing Gemma's piece from this year about Melbourne's AFLW list management, how we come up with feature piece ideas, and the challenge of synthesising multiple interviews into a single piece of writing.
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04. Siren Collaborator Mary Konstantopoulos (Ladies Who League)
This week's Siren podcast episode features one of our Official Collaborators, and good friend Mary Konstantopolous of Ladies Who League. We chat about how our relationship to sport has changed over the last few years, how Mary got her start in sport media, the importance of women as role models in sport media & more.
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03. Our Deakin University intern, Felicity Smith
Siren has been running an internship program with Deakin University for the past year, and we've had the privilege of working with three women working their way through journalism degrees. Hear us speak with our most recent intern, Felicity Smith, about her experience.
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02. Newsletter Introductions
Each week's newsletter has a few regular sections. There are pieces we post on the Siren website by our co-founders and various contributors, there's the hallowed Tweet Of The Week, our round up of women in sport news in Siren Call, but kicking it all off is always our introduction. In this episode of the podcast, co-founders Alison Smirnoff, Kasey Symons, Kirby Fenwick and Gemma Bastiani discuss how that introduction is formed each week, and why we choose the topics we do.
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01. Our Emerging Sports Writer Program
In the first full episode of our new, regular Siren podcast, co-founders Kasey Symons, Kirby Fenwick and Gemma Bastiani chat about the Siren Emerging Sports Writer Program, the partnership with Football Victoria, and what it's like to mentor emerging writers.
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Welcome to Siren: the podcast
Welcome to the Siren podcast! we’re here to bring you into the Siren family, get to know how we find content, how we put our weekly newsletters together, who we work closely with and more!
Each Friday a smattering of Siren co-founders will be chatting about current women in sport issues, how we operate, sharing advice for emerging sports writers and a whole lot else.
Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts so you’re always up to date!
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WNBA star and Australian Opal Tully Bevilaqua
Welcome to another Siren Sport podcast. On this episode, our resident baller and Siren co-founder Kasey Symons chats to former Australian Opal and 2004 WNBA championship player Tully Bevilaqua. These days, Tully lives in the United States and has recently started her own podcast called 'Laid Back' with the GOAT of Australian basketball herself, Lauren Jackson. So sit back, relax and enjoy Kasey's chat with Tully.
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Active Support in Women's Football and a culture collision
Last month a W-League Melbourne Derby was marred by a group of Melbourne Victory supporters hurling abuse, and a glass bottle, at Melbourne City's Teagan Micah. Siren co-founder Danielle Warby speaks to Melbourne Victory active support group leader Bonny Boles and The Matildas active support leader Brodie Wales about the culture of support in the women's game.
Read Samantha Lewis' piece in The Guardian mentioned in the interview.
Follow Victory Vikings and Matildas Active on Twitter.
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AFLW 2021 Season Preview
Footy is finally upon us once more. With the 2021 AFLW season set to kick off tomorrow at Ikon Park, Siren co-founders Alison Smirnoff and Gemma Bastiani catch you up on each team and what to expect of them.
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AFLW 2020 Draft Wrap
With the 2020 draft, AFLW lists for 2021 are locked and loaded. How is your club’s list placed to content in the competition’s fifth season? Unsurprisingly, skilful midfielder Ellie McKenzie made her way to Richmond as pick one, but there were plenty of unexpected selections made throughout the 61 draft picks. After breaking down every move of the trade and sign period in September, Alison Smirnoff and Gemma Bastiani go through draftee by draftee to establish what new talent has joined each team.
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How is your side shaping up? Our first look at AFLW season 2021
Another AFLW trade and sign period is officially over and lists have begun to take shape. Some teams look like they’re ready to really attack the 2021 season. While others will be desperate to unearth young talent who can have an immediate impact.
Navigating the ins and outs now the dust has settled can be tricky. But Siren co-founders Alison Smirnoff and Gemma Bastiani have got you covered. Looking at every team, the pair analyse acquisitions, the state of the list and what is needed from the draft.
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Back to our roots: Community clubs and Kicking Against The Pricks
Melbourne-based filmmakers Alison Smirnoff and Bill Irving are the team behind the film and they have both found their lives profoundly impacted by the women’s game. The pair sat down with Siren for an in-depth chat about the project and their motivations behind it.
The COVID-19 pandemic and the cancellation of community sport—particularly in Victoria— has meant that production has unfortunately been put on pause this year.
Alison and Bill are adamant, however, that this film is for the community and by the community, so they are doing a call out for archival footage. Yes, this means you and your community footy team.
It doesn’t have to be on field footage. In fact, the more off field vision the better. It can be phone videos, huddle videos, change room videos, footage at training, footage at the after match, singing at the pub, dancing in the streets, drunken rants to the coach – they literally want it all and the older the better.
If you want to get involved, get in touch via social media @katpfilm (Facebook, Instagram and Twitter) or via email: katpfilm@gmail.com
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Introducing Halftime Huddle
Siren is thrilled to announce our first official collaboration – introducing: Halftime Huddle!
Halftime Huddle is Sarah Burt and Taylor Capannolo, a podcast team with a passion for women in sport, sharing stories and great conversation. No wonder we wanted to team up with them!
When Siren formed, we co-founders were determined to make Siren not just a platform where we could contribute more coverage of women in sport, but as a space to amplify the work of many other women who do this work in the alternative media space. There are so many hard working women who write, podcast, photograph women in sport and we believe we’re stronger when we work together to celebrate and elevate each other.
This is why we try to include as much work by women on women’s sports in our newsletter and offer opportunities when we can to other women.
It’s so exciting that we can now extend that approach to Halftime Huddle who have a fantastic podcast that features a variety of women in sport and their incredible stories. Look out for their podcast in our newsletter and more of their great content across our socials and their instagram!
Learn more about our Halftime Huddle collaboration and Sarah and Taylor’s story in this podcast.
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Feature Interview: Michelle Cooling (Sydney Swans)
I’ve always wanted to speak to Michelle Cooling, who is the Social Media Manager of the Sydney Swans. It’s a role that is now considered the ‘front line’ of a sporting organisation, most vulnerable to the online response to results each week. Not only this, but the pathway to actually land a job like this isn’t straightforward. So it was great to speak to Michelle about her pathway through sport, how she earned her role and what her day-to-day work life looks like.
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