With Brunswick’s long history as the North Old Boys, it was only a matter of time that those once gracing the field now watch on as their son’s become footballers in their own right. The last two years we have a young brigade of players arriving on the gentle insistence of their fathers, all past North Old Boys. Lynch (Jex and his son James), Schmidt (Michael and his son James) and Bevanda (Mick and his son Adam) were last year part of the ‘Sons of Guns’ recruitment strategy, aptly named by Jex Lynch himself! Whilst junior Lynch has moved away from footy this year to concentrate on his music – you’ll hear his band The Vacant Smiles, scattered with current and ex Brunswick players, on Triple J at the moment, junior Schmidt and Bevanda are again continuing their family’s history at the club.

Michael Schmidt played 172 games from 1983 -1995, starting in the under 19’s and finishing as the Captain in the 1994 A Reserves Premiership side. James, born just after the end of Mick’s playing days is the current Vice-Captain of the Senior Club and is proudly wearing his dad’s number 5 on his back. Aptly nicknamed ‘noise’ by some, he’ll talk the leg off a chair with an infectious smile and will leave you with a smile on your face. But don’t let that all fool you, the kid can play.

Mick Bevanda played “about 50” games for the club, starting in the under 15’s in 1975 as captain and comp B&F, came back in 78’ for the under 19’s as B&F again in a premiership year. Mick played senior from 78’-81’ and then came back in the late 80’s to play clubbies. A qualified sports trainer, you’ll now find Mick in the thick of the change rooms helping warm up the players on match day. His son Adam, a big lump of a lad, has had a massive preseason and will share senior ruck duties at the club, hoping also to sneak forward and snag a few goals. He’s also the unofficial social club president and will go a long way to keeping the culture of the club strong and fun, playing footy ‘for the love of the game’.

Adam and James represent the young group of players that have bought into the club and will help in keeping it to be the strong community club with a long history that it always has been. We’d love to have past North Old Boys down at the club this year, and hope that if there is any more Sons or Daughters of past players looking for a kick this year or in years to come, that they make their way down to Brunswick and continue the long history of a great family club.