Luke is running across the ground, closely followed by a stalker. He feels his follower's hot, heavy breath on his neck and can see his large shadow looming before him. He tries to have fun faster to escape, dodging and zigzagging, but he can't seem to shake it; it is with him every step of the way. There is no escape. A call from a companion is a huge relief; Luca was saved. He passes the ball to his partner and continues running towards the goal. Ryley lines up on goal about forty yards out and, with a superbly executed drop punt, sends the ball through the goal posts. He scored the first goal of the 2005 premiership season to give the Falcons a six-point lead, just three minutes into the first quarter. The crowd breaks into applause and starts chanting, "Falcons, Falcons!" Luke knew this season would be much better than the last. This year he will not have any injuries and critics have already ranked him among the top in the race for the best and fairest player at the end of the season. The Falcons also could have finished in the top four this year, even if they didn't have a full coaching staff. The match continued with a rebound from the referee in the center of the oval. The ruckmen battle it out, fighting each other to get the touch needed for an escape from the centre. The ball falls to the ground and is immediately smothered by desperate players trying to help their team. The referee blows his whistle and signals another rebound. Once again the ruckmen fight each other, but this time the ball is thrown forward. Luke leaps into the air to catch the ball, but falls and lands awkwardly, with the other players falling in a heap on top of him. Everyone quickly jumps up and chases the group of players following the ball. Luke remains lying on the ground, curled up in excruciating pain, clutching his knee. The runners of the Falcon team rush onto the field to help the injured player, signaling the stretcher. Luke stands up, ignoring the stretcher, and is helped off the ground by two instructors. He is taken to the club's classrooms, where a physical therapist attempts to identify the severity of the injury.