First Look: Three AFL Players Team Up To Open Prahran Diner Aftermath

In 2022, retired Collingwood defender Jordan Roughead and barista Jordan Faulkner opened Whiplash. Four years on, the Hawthorn cafe still sees lines out the door for its bagel sandwiches and loaded focaccias. 

Last month, Roughead, Faulkner and other members of the Whiplash crew – chef Will Steele and AFL players Nathan Murphy and Brody Mihocek – teamed up again on Aftermath, a diner that draws on two distinct sources: English caffs and the Mexican-influenced diners of Los Angeles. Aftermath isn’t a direct reference to either of these inspirations, but a mix of the two – with a slightly stronger Californian bent. 

The concept is driven by Faulkner, who grew up in Australia but is English on his father’s side and lived in California for two years. “It’s basically a space full of things I’m passionate about,” Faulkner says. “Comfort food, music, coffee.”

Everything is made in house with the exception of bread, which comes from Baked for Sophia, and the tortillas. You’ll find the latter in the huevos rancheros and tacos that come filled with braised beef, Oaxacan cheese and tomatillo salsa. “We want it to feel like comfort food, but with the kind of attention you’d expect in a restaurant,” head chef Aidan Watkins says.

Pork belly – used in British-style bacon sarnies – is cured in-house for 48 hours before it’s sliced and layered with maple and soy. For the chipotle baked beans, cannellini beans are soaked and slow-cooked rather than pulled from a tin. A house-made brown sauce takes cues from British HP sauce, and hotcakes start with a pre-ferment, giving them a slight sourdough tang before they’re finished with a maple-miso butter. In place of typical Los Angeles doughnuts, there are churros, made in-house using masa, eggs, flour and milk, and fried before being glazed in a habanero caramel. 

The room pays homage to diners through its booth seating, warm orange tones and silver metal trays, without feeling themed. Low-lighting and bar stools give it a softer, more relaxed feel.

The soundtrack is just as intentional. “I want people to come in and notice [the music] and appreciate the atmosphere it creates,” says Faulkner. “I wanted to play the kind of stuff I grew up enjoying.” Meaning there’s blues, funk, jazz and ’70s rock on high rotation.

For the team, this new venue is the culmination of everything learnt at Whiplash. “The name comes from the challenges and experiences we went through with our first venue … I asked myself, ‘What is going to be the aftermath of all these lessons?’ The things we learnt helped us achieve the new venue we have today,” says Faulkner. 

Aftermath
154B Greville Street, Prahran
No phone

Hours:
Daily 7am–3pm

@aftermath_diner