Tony Popovic is the coach of which A-League club?

Chelsie’s a ce moment

Josh Farrell

MOST children dream of walking out onto Rod Laver Arena in front of a sea of fans and last week Briagolong’s Chelsie Hanna got to live out that dream. The 10-year-old got to toss the coin for the first match of the tournament between Germany’s Tatjana Maria and Maria Sakkari (Greece) in which Sakkari won. Chelsie had prepared well, working on her coin toss in the days leading up to the event. "She was going for height," Chelsie's mother Kristin Kenwell said. Chelsie and her mum arrived at Melbourne Park before the gates opened and were allowed to make their way around the venue as they pleased. "We got to watch the players warming up and Rafael Nadal tossed me a ball," Chelsie said. Chelsie then made her way to the court with the umpire, who took her out to the complex and showed her around. She recalled her conversion with the umpire who turned to her and said "Welcome to Rod Laver Arena, kid." The players came to the net and Chelsie's big moment arrived. She was asked to choose which player would call the coin toss and selected the eventual winner Sakkari. The toss was as high as Chelsie had practiced at home, astonishing the commentators, who were impressed by her coin tossing ability. "Chelsie making sure she got good height on the coin toss," one commentator said. The moment happened all due to the nomination from Bionic Tennis coaching's Nicole Bauer, who nominated Chelsie last year, but due to COVID she was unable to attend. It was a well-deserved moment for Chelsie, who has taken part in multiple fundraising events during recent years. Two years ago, she cut off more than 40 centimetres of her hair to donate to Hair With Heart and raised over $1000 in the process. Every year she helps with 'flanny day' which raises money for homelessness in the region.

Briagolong’s Chelsie Hanna, 10, re-enacts her coin toss at Rod Laver Arena after an interview with the Gippsland Times last week. Photo: Josh Farrell

Gippsland is one of world’s most loved destinations

GIPPSLAND has ranked 17 in The 100 Most Loved Destinations Around the World for 2021. The fresh data, released by the Tourism Sentiment Index, was compiled by studying more than 1.6 billion online conversations and content pieces around the globe. This is the first time the list has been created, and Destination Gippsland CEO Terry Robinson said the placement is a credit to Gippsland's tourism industry. “As a visitor destination, Gippsland offers the perfect mix of world-class, nature-based and outdoor experiences supported by a growing food and drink offering and tourism operators who are really invested in ensuring the guests enjoy their stay," Mr Robinson said. “To rank so highly on a global scale is really a credit to Gippsland’s tourism industry, who have gone above and beyond during these difficult times to ensure the best experience for visitors “Destination Gippsland initiatives such as the Visit Gippsland website, Eat Drink Gippsland guide and marketing promotions throughout the year play a part in attracting visitors – but it is the fantastic customer service of our industry that keeps them coming back.” Six other Australia destinations ranked even higher than Gippsland The Sunshine Coast in Queensland took out first place, and the Whitsundays also in Queensland followed not far behind in second place. To view the full list, visit: https:// sentiment-index.com/most-loved/