SPORT

from Glenorchy Gazette April 2021

A FINANCIAL MOMENT

Community News

New building for Men’s Shed

THE Claremont Men’s Shed has a new home with the recent opening of new premises at the Claremont Village Green.

The $247,000 project was made possible through a Federal Government grant of $190,000 from the Community Development Grants Program and $50,000 from the Tasmanian Government, with the Claremont Men’s Shed providing the balance.

The new 28-metre by 10-metre building allows sufficient room to install machinery and includes an office and small kitchenette.

The project also provided the Claremont Men’s Shed with a car park with 12 car spaces for club members.

Claremont Men’s Shed president Colin Richardson said the new facility would be a much safer space for members and friends to gather and would allow members to undertake the work they do in a safer way.

“These sheds provide an important space for men of all ages and abilities to pursue fulfilling and constructive pursuits in a supportive setting,” he said.

“Apart from the friendship and community service men’s sheds bring, there are significant mental and physical health benefits from being involved, especially for those feeling physically or emotionally isolated.”

Tasmanian Liberal Senator Eric Abetz opened the premises and said the new facilities would enable the Claremont Men’s Shed to increase its membership and undertake the important work it does in the community.

He said it was an outstanding example of community and mateship.

“Men’s sheds help men and women, particularly as they grow older, to connect with each other and prevent social isolation and preventable health conditions,” he said.

“The committee and members do a wonderful job in promoting social interaction together with undertaking important volunteering projects for the local Claremont community.”

The men’s shed has already been fielding a significant number of enquir-

From left, Tasmanian Liberal Senator Eric Abetz, Claremont Men’s Shed president Colin Richardson and Member for Clark Elise Archer at the opening of the new premises at the Claremont Village Green.

ies from members of the local Claremont community interested in joining given the expanded range of activities the new centre can accommodate.

“The new Shed is a wonderful example of the community coming together to support a great initiative, with more than a dozen local businesses and organisations also helping to build and furnish the new facility,” Liberal Member of Clark Elise Archer said.

Labor Member for Clark Ella Haddad said the new space was important for the community.

“The Claremont Men’s Shed plays a vital role in the community and the new shed is such a wonderful improvement on the old shed,” she said.

“This was a true community effort and a big congratulations must go to Colin, the board, local businesses and community members who worked so hard together to get the new shed up and running.”

From left, petanque partners and rivals David Collins and Eric Hartill.

Rivals and partners battle it out for petanque glory

2050 Vision for Greater Hobart - Have your say

We will live in the world’s best small capital city, a city built for people that is connected, friendly and safe.

The Clarence, Glenorchy, Hobart and Kingborough councils and the Tasmanian Government have been working together as part of the Greater Hobart Committee to develop a shared Vision for Greater Hobart to 2050.

The draft Vision aims to reflect not only the varied and individual nature of the four cities that make up Greater Hobart, but also to celebrate what brings our communities together.

To help Greater Hobart continue to be a thriving and inspiring place to live, we want your feedback.

You can view the draft 2050 Vision for Greater Hobart at www.greaterhobart.tas.gov.au/vision.

Consultation will run until Monday, 26 April 2021.

To have your say, you can complete the online survey at yoursay.hobartcity.com.au/greater-hobart-vision or email your written submission to contact@greaterhobart.tas.gov.au

TWO sportsmen have spent five months vying for poll position in the first ever Tasmanian Petanque Pennant Competition.

Eric Hartill and David Collins both developed an unassailable lead over the other players heading into the final weekend of competition.

At the start of the day’s play, Mr Hartill was on 84 points and Mr Collins was on 80 points.

Mr Hartill managed to lift his score by five points in the final round, while Mr Collins’ score remained unchanged, with Mr Hartill finishing first.

Mr Collins finished second, while Kevin Warn finished third with 65 points and Annette Horsler finished fourth with 62 points.

Mr Hartill and Mr Collins put their rivalry aside to form the winning pair in men’s doubles for the Hobart Petanque Club’s invitational tournament.

“Both Eric and David have played lots of sport in their lives and have the will to win that makes them mentally strong,” event organiser for the pennant competition Annette Horsler said.

“They have both accumulated injuries and ailments from their previous sports and now they find that petanque is the perfect sport to channel their competitive instincts.”

Petanque is a variant of lawn bowls that is played on gravel instead of grass.

The ball is thrown and not bowled.

“Most people involved in petanque are social players,” Ms Horsler said.

“We are involved in creating opportunities for people to play competitively across clubs.

“That is why we developed the pennant competition and with the assistance of the Hobart Petanque Club and the Kingborough Bowls Club it has been a great success.”

The winter pennant competition will commence in May.

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Supporting people with a disability

• Individual and group support • Life skills development • Recreation and Leisure • Supported holidays • School holiday and after school programs • Respite - evening and overnight weekend • Coordination of supports – improving life choices

Claremont Little Athletics caps off successful season

Back row from left, Member for Clark Elise Archer, Claremont Athletics Club mascot, Member for Clark Ella Haddad, Sue McLeod from Little Athletics Tasmania, Elissa Clark and Member for Derwent Craig Farrell, and front row from left, Xavier Shane, Max Shelton, Tess Farrell, Ashton Jones, Lilah Clark, Taylah Clark and Toby Shelton.

EVEN the rain couldn’t dampen the enthusiasm of the Claremont Little Athletics members as they celebrated their end of season presentation day at Tolosa Park.

Starting the 2020/2021 Little Athletics season in October, the athletes, ranging in ages from three to 15 years, met every Friday night at Abbottsfield Park in Claremont to compete in a number of track and field events.

Claremont Little Athletics prides itself on being a nurturing and inclusive club where all athletes are recognised regardless of their ability.

Throughout the season, the little athletes competed against other athletes in the club and were provided with the opportunity to compete against other clubs in state wide meets.

Personal development is also highly regarded in the club and the athletes were recognised for their personal bests throughout the season.

Like many small clubs, the Claremont Little Athletics 2019/2020 fundraising opportunities were hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic and the club started the season with little funds.

However, through the generosity of local politicians, Bunnings and Claremont Plaza Meats, the club raised $1,300 through raffles and cash donations.

The funds will be used to pay for the presentation awards and new equipment for the club.

Netball Tasmania to apply for Suncorp Super Netball licence

From left, Ashleigh Probert-Hill with Netball Tasmania chief executive officer Aaron Pidgeon. Photo credit: Linda Higginson/Solstice Digital.

NETBALL Tasmania will apply for a licence to compete in the Suncorp Super Netball (SSN) competition for the period commencing in 2022.

“This is an exciting time for Tasmanian netball and Tasmanian sport in general as we see many sports push for Tasmanian teams in national competitions,” Netball Tasmania chief executive officer Aaron Pidgeon said.

“We still have a number of matters to line up before this can become a reality, but we’re committed to the cause and we believe that it’s the right time to be expressing interest.”

The expression of interest process for SSN licences for the period commencing in 2022 is expected to open in April 2021.

Netball Tasmania will seek a participation commencement date of season 2023, allowing the existing Tasmanian Government agreement with Collingwood Magpies to expire prior to the creation of the new club.

As part of the strategy to operate a SSN club in Tasmania, Netball Tasmania will field a standalone team in the Australian Netball Championships for 2021 (formerly the ANL), rather than continue with the Tasmanian Magpies team.

Mr Pidgeon said Netball Tasmania had been extremely lucky to partner with Collingwood since 2017 through which a joint Australian Netball League (ANL) team operated, and Collingwood have played SSN matches in Tasmania.

“We understand a decision to support a Tasmanian SSN team may impact the agreement with Collingwood beyond 2022,” he said.

“That is not a reflection on the relationship with Collingwood which has been fantastic, rather our need to prioritise the implementation of a Tasmanian team in the competition.

“We’re thankful to the Tasmanian Government for supporting that opportunity and we look forward to continuing to work closely with

From left, Renee Eiszele, Lucy Midson, Ashleigh Probert-Hill, Ava Dwyer and Charlie Wheller. Photo credit: Linda Higginson/ Solstice Digital.

Collingwood to deliver SSN content in Tasmania throughout the remainder of the existing agreement.”

Netball Tasmania has submitted a request to the Tasmanian Government for financial support for an SSN licence, a critical component of the application and the implementation of a sustainable financial model.

“We believe that the financial model we have created for the proposed club is sustainable, but it is dependent, at least through the first licence period, on the financial support of the Tasmanian Government,” he said.

“While we would like to be able to deliver a financial model which can standalone without the support of the Tasmanian Government, that’s not a reality in the short term.”

“That said, we are not looking for a handout but rather a mutually beneficial partnership that would see the Tasmanian SSN team deliver a value through regular and ongoing engagement with the Tasmanian community and an unwavering commitment to providing positive leadership and role models for young Tasmanians.”

Mr Pidgeon said there were still challenges in both obtaining a licence and operating a team in the competition.

“As noted, the sustainability of our proposed program is initially dependent on securing government funding, but beyond that we still have much to do to in order to present the strongest submission possible,” he said.

“Realistically, that submission needs to be strong enough to beat out a submission from one of the existing SSN teams or to convince the SSN Commission and the broadcaster to expand the league.”

If approved, the new club will provide local jobs, new entertainment product, a boost to local participation and strong role models in the community inspiring young Tasmanians.

From left, Glenorchy District Football Club members Gerard Malla, senior coach Paul Kennedy, Seb Michalowski, Brandon Oates and Jack Males.

GLENORCHY DISTRICT FOOTBALL CLUB WINS NATIONAL GOOD SPORTS AWARD

THE Glenorchy District Football Club has been named the Alcohol and Drug Foundation’s 2021 Good Sports Tackling Illegal Drugs Club of the Year at a ceremony at Parliament House in Canberra.

Good Sports clubs from across the country were honoured for their commitment to building healthy and inclusive environments where members look out for one another around alcohol and tobacco management, safe transport, healthy eating, mental health and positive spectator behaviour.

The Glenorchy District Football Club received $1000 as the Good Sports Award winner for preparing the club to react appropriately to illegal drug-related issues should they arise, by developing and implementing an Illegal Drugs Policy.

“Our club recognises the important role that sports clubs play in the wellbeing of communities,” junior development officer Joel Berry said.

“We are dedicated to building and strengthening our unique community and making a real difference in the lives of our players, families and wider community.

“Through our Good Sports Illegal Drug Policy, we now have a consistent referral and support process in place at our club to tackle any drug related issues at our club should they arise.

“We also ensure that both our committee members and coaches are aware of these processes and can adequately work with relevant players to ensure a positive outcome.

“We also have applied for a number of grants through Good Sports to provide education to our players and members.

“We are currently working the Drug Education Network to deliver a presentation for our youth members soon.”

Glenorchy District Football Club has reached the highest level of the Good Sports program, implementing policies around alcohol management, tobacco, illegal drugs and safe transport.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the club remained connected with their members and recorded a weekly set of skills videos that were posted into the team Facebook groups.

They also created a ‘skill-booklet’ for their junior members with levels to progress through and prizes for achieving each level.

“Communities are built on local clubs and community organisations that have strong, welcoming and healthy environments,” Federal Minister for Sport Richard Colbeck said.

“Each of the finalists demonstrated the deep commitment of individuals eager to use sport to help make a difference.”

Alcohol and Drug Foundation chief executive officer Dr Erin Lalor praised this year’s award winners and finalists, calling them community champions.

“All of the Good Sports Awards finalists should feel incredibly proud of their efforts in building strong, welcoming and healthy environments,” Dr Lalor said.

“It’s been a challenging year for sporting clubs with many having had their seasons cut short or cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but we’ve also seen many Good Sports clubs go above and beyond to keep their members connected, engaged and healthy.”

In Tasmania, Good Sports is funded by the Tasmanian Government and the Australian Government.

Managed by the Alcohol and Drug Foundation, Good Sports is Australia’s largest and longest running preventative health initiative in community sport.

“The Good Sports team is proudly working with 10,000 community sporting clubs across Australia and more than 400 in Tasmania,” Dr Lalor said.

“The free program encourages systemic changes in club culture to promote long-term positive health outcomes.”

Good Sports is proven to reduce risky drinking at participating clubs by 37 per cent and has seen a reduction of alcohol related accidents among Good Sports club members and supporters by 42 per cent.

For the full list of this year’s Good Sports Awards winners and finalists, visit https://goodsports.com.au/awards/.

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