News - Cranbourne Star News - 12th January 2023

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Cranbourne man arrested after pursuit

Looking back on 2022’s heroes

Cobras poised to strike

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SPORT

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Roundabout shut for roadworks

Footy unites us

By Marcus Uhe For two long years, the end of year beers stayed undisturbed in the fridge.

Honour boards gathered dust and gained asterisks to explain the awkward chronological gap in the years after 2019.

Ice, used for both cooling drinks or filling plastic bags before being strapped or stuck to wounds in feats of amateur engineering, melted.

Centre-wicket areas didn’t become mud heaps that lurched between swamp and pavement, depending on the previous week’s weather patterns.

There was no kick-to-kick at the breaks, no listening to the three-quarter-time rev-up from coaches like Steve O’Brien looking for a spark from his chargers for the last half hour.

No hum of chatter in the grandstands, punctuated by the piercing crack of a beer can served by a local club volunteer in a fading club polo shirt or jacket from yesteryear, making sure everything is in order.

Sport can band a community together on so many levels.

In a country where professional soccer struggles for a foothold in the Australian sporting culture, Federation Square was bursting at the seams at ridiculous hours as fans crammed in to watch the Socceroos take it up to global heavyweights at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. On a smaller scale, it was replicated at the grassroots – with the bright red embers emanating from flares replaced by car horns from fans clutching a thermo of piping-hot instant coffee, parked around the ovals like Fox Road in Narre Warren North on chilly winter afternoons.

As devotees gathered under awnings and rusting tin roofs in puffer jackets and beanies, a wave of deep heat wafts across the outer, followed by the rattle of moulded studs on concrete and the slow rumble of cheers as the suburban gladiators made their way from backstage to the arena, in what was for almost

The victorious Cranbourne Eagles with their 2022 Premiership flag. 299098 everyone involved, the highlight of their week.

As Mike Brady reminds us every September, football’s such a part of this old town.

And in 2022, the return of a full season of local footy for the first time since 2019 was a reminder that life, as much as we could recall it, was returning to the norm.

In the outer South East of Melbourne, a trio of clubs marked their return to competition in

the best way possible: an elusive grand final triumph.

The Eagles of Cranbourne went from kings of the sky to kings of division one of the Southern Football Netball League with a narrow sixpoint win over Cheltenham.

Champion full-forward Marc Holt has seen and felt a lot on the footy field across his 250game career in blue and gold, but this year’s

flag had that something extra.

When he kicked his third major of the Grand Final late in the third term, few would have anticipated that that would go on to be the sealer, and deliver the 38-year-old a second premiership.

“Personally it was probably the best feeling I’ve had in footy,” Mr Holt said of the victory.

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Morland’s legacy lives on

By Garry Howe The legacy of long-serving City of Casey councillor Mick Morland is marked subliminally in many a corner of the municipality.

He donned the mayoral robes to officially open the Casey Arc Aquatic and Recreation Centre in Narre Warren and turned the first sod to start the build nearby of Bunjil Place.

They are among the bigger ticket projects that carry his name on a plaque if you look hard enough. There would be countless more across the region where the contribution he made might not necessarily be recognised.

Now there’s a place where his legacy will live on forever.

Mick was lost to his family and the community in June 2017 when struck by a car and killed near his Berwick home.

On Saturday 8 May, almost five years after that tragic event, his widow Kay and family members joined former council colleagues, administrators and friends at the official opening of the Mick Morland Legacy Link and Recreation Reserve in Clyde North.

The link is a dedicated walkway between the Manna Gum Community Centre, Cardinia Creek and the recreation reserve, home to the Berwick Springs football, netball and cricket clubs and the Melbourne Flash Sports Club.

Inscribed on the pathway are the words Community, Participation, Sport and Nature all synonymous with Mick’s contribution over the years.

Casey’s chair of administrators, Noelene Duff, said the Mick Morland Reserve, located in the Kilora Park Estate, was an important community hub that celebrated the support he demonstrated throughout his life for sporting clubs, the community and nature conservation.

Kay Morland and members of the Morland family with the plaque that will adorn the new Mick Morland Recreation Reserve. Back row from left Luke Morland, Stephanie Morland, Kobe Evans, Brett Evans, Logan Evans, middle row Lisa Morland, Damon Evans, Samantha Albrey, Tom Sanders and front row Kay Morland, Max Morland Allison Sanders, Charlotte Morland and Rebecca Sanders. 279913 “The reserve forms part of the council endorsed ‘Mick Morland Legacy Link’, connecting the new community centre, recreation reserve and Cardinia Creek, an important recreation, conservation, and ecologically significant site,” Ms Duff said.

“Located in one of Australia’s fasted growing suburbs, this reserve will be a valuable recreation space that will support community activity and connectedness - ideals that were championed by Mick Morland throughout his life.”

Kay Morland said it was a fitting tribute to her late husband and the work he had done in the community.

“This precinct encompasses the things Mick was passionate about during his years on council - community, sport and the environment. He would be humbled, and our family is very grateful, that the City of Casey has chosen to honour his contribution in this way,” Kay said.

She explained that Mick was actively involved in the community from the time he moved to Narre Warren, before he was elected to council.

Like many parents he immersed himself in the kindergarten committee, the school council at Narre Warren Station Primary, the little athletics club as a coach and at the Narre War-

ren Junior Football Club, where he held the positions of president, secretary and coach over a decade.

“In fact, it was his involvement with the Narre Warren Junior Football Club and his concern about their relocation to Sweeney Reserve that triggered his running for council with the City of Berwick in the first place,” she said.

“I have absolutely no idea how many community groups and committees Mick served on during his time on council - mind you, if he were here he could tell you exactly how many and I’ve no doubt name each one of them - but I do know that he was on the council’s environment committee since its inception. He was prone to reminding people of that.

“Mick’s involvement in all of these things is reflected in the Mick Morland Legacy Link by the community centre, the primary school and the recreation reserve linking to the Cardinia Creek Conservation Corridor. All of which makes the naming of this area for him extremely appropriate and very special.

“We know how much he cared about the city he lived in and the many communities that make up that city. He would be very proud to have his commitment and contribution to the quality of life for the citizens of his community recognised in this way.

“His children, grandchildren and I are very proud too.”

Kay acknowledged Casey CEO Glenn Patterson, active communities manager Angie Peresso, events manager Vicky Goodwin and other who helped make the tribute a reality.

She also acknowledged the Rotary Club of Berwick - of which Mick was a long-term member - for its generous donation of a seat on the far side of the oval which would eventually be canopied by a native oak tree.

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Major roadworks underway

Motorists are urged to plan for delays as works commence on the Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road Upgrade. 156034 Road Upgrade, MRPV is adding an extra lane in each direction between Thompsons Road and the South Gippsland Highway, upgrading 11 intersections, including installing eight new sets of traffic signals, building new shared walking and cycling paths and installing safety barriers along the road, MPRV said.

Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road will become a straight-through movement when travelling north from South Gippsland Highway.

The upgrade is set to deliver improved traffic flow and travel times, reduced traffic on Cranbourne’s High Street, improved safety for vehicles accessing Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road from local streets, improved cycling and pedestrian infrastructure making it safer to travel around the local area and reduced risk and severity of crashes, according to authorities.

“This is a vital project for our local community that will reduce traffic on South Gippsland

Picture: FILE

Highway and improve access around the Cranbourne town centre,” said Cranbourne MP Pauline Richards.

The Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road Upgrade is part of the Suburban Roads Upgrade, a $2.3 billion package of road upgrades across the northern and south-eastern suburbs jointly funded by the Victorian and Australian governments.

Visit bigbuild.vic.gov.au for details.

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Motorists can expect significant delays in parts of Casey for the remainder of summer, as major works commence on the Narre WarrenCranbourne Road Upgrade.

On Monday 9 January, works begun at the key Thompsons and Narre Warren-Cranbourne Roads intersection, where the existing roundabout will be removed and replaced with traffic signals.

As part of the intersection upgrade, Major Roads Projects Victoria (MRPV) will install extra traffic lanes at all approaches to improve travel times and left-turn slip lanes to improve traffic flow.

Pedestrian lines will also be included on all four corners of the intersection, along with shared-use paths on both sides of Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road.

To assist in the upgrade, the roundabout at the Thompsons and Narre-Warren Cranbourne Roads intersection will be closed from 9 January to mid-February 2023.

Motorists are urged to allow up to 20 minutes extra during peak times when using detours including Clyde Road, Greaves Road, the Princes Highway, Hallam Road, the South Gippsland Highway and Sladen Street.

Access to Springhill Shopping Centre, McDonalds and the APCO service station will be maintained throughout the works.

The BP service station will be closed for the duration of the works.

Following this period of works, one lane will open in each direction of Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road, while two lanes will open in each direction of Thompsons Road.

All lanes will re-open by Monday 20 February.

Major Road Projects Victoria Program Director Marc Peterson said crews will be working overtime to complete the works as quickly as possible.

As part of the Narre Warren-Cranbourne

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2022 - THE YEAR THAT WAS ...

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Pulling the plug on GP Run While the annual Phillip Island Grand Prix made its long-awaited return in October after two years of Covid-19 cancellations, the same can’t be said for the Cranbourne GP Run. After 24 years of support, the City of Casey made the unpopular decision in July to no longer host the event, which drew big crowds to the High Street shopping precinct in Cranbourne before proceeding down the South Gippsland Highway for the big race.

City of Casey chief executive Glenn Patterson said the council attributed a number of factors to their decision, which was not made lightly.

“Council has taken into account the significant costs of running the event, the disruption to local traffic and we are also aware of the frustration experienced by a number of Cranbourne businesses, who face considerable disruption due to the road closure, without seeing an increase in patronage,” Mr Patterson said.

“We will be retaining this event budget and are investigating options for another community event in the Cranbourne area that offers greater enjoyment and more benefits to residents and ratepayers, with details to be announced at a future date.”

The City of Casey said approximately 60 per cent of the $93,000 event budget was required to manage the closure of the South Gippsland Highway for the event.

John Eacott from the Victorian Motorcycle Council (VMC) said the council was “extremely disappointed” with the City of Casey’s decision.

“The VMC had years of working constantly with the City of Casey,” Mr Eacott said.

“We haven’t been involved in any discussions about relocations or scaling down; there’s options there if Casey would like to

The last Cranbourne GP Run in 2019. 199533 have had a chat.

“We’ll now have a situation where the same thousands going to the GP will go through Cranbourne and some might stop, but otherwise they’ll just keep going and their first stop will be at Phillip Island, and they’ll be spending their money down there instead.”

He said he hoped that Casey would have a “re-think” before it’s too late, allowing the event to proceed after a two-year absence.

“It’s not just locals and people within Victoria who attend - it’s a nation-wide thing. People come from Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia. The GP is an annual get-together for tens of thousands of motorcyclists.

“We were looking forward to everything ramping back up and getting back to normal.

That was a false hope.”

Mr Eacott said the event also served as an important opportunity to refresh and educate motorcyclists on road safety and raise awareness of the relationship between

riders and vehicles.

“We need to encourage people to see how two-wheelers are a valid form of transport.

“We’re the most vulnerable road-user group. Pedestrians are protected with pathways and crossings; cyclist have bike lanes.

We’re out there in the middle of the traffic but we are such a solution (to road congestion).”

The issue came into sharp focus in recent weeks, after a fatal collision on Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road on Friday 22 July, and another incident on the same night in Clyde North that left a rider in a critical collision.

Thirty motorcyclists had died on Victorian roads to July 31, 2022, an increase of five from the same period in 2021, and seven on the fiveyear average.

Speaking on those events, Superintendent Road Policing Operations & Investigation John Fitzpatrick described the increase as a “worrying trend” and issued a reminder of the vulnerabilities of motorcycle riders.

“These figures are alarming and some of the anecdotal evidence that we see is that coming out of Covid-19, people aren’t used to sitting in traffic for long periods of time and they’re choosing a mode of transport that maybe allows them to (avoid) that,” Supt Fitzpatrick said on Saturday 23 July.

“We’re seeing many more people on motorbikes than we’ve seen ever before.

“Driving a motorcar and riding a bike, it’s a shared responsibility about understanding where you are on the road and what’s around you. We ask people to please be sensible about the way they drive and the way they ride motorbikes.”

President of the Cranbourne Chamber of Commerce Jeremy Dart said the decision to cancel the event was “short-sighted”, given the

missed opportunity for local traders to take advantage of the increased patronage.

While the Chamber has received feedback from some retailers in the region aligning with Casey’s hypothesis that the disruption to the roads and their businesses was problematic, he was disappointed that alternative options had not been approved.

“It does bring significant numbers to the region and the specific precinct,” Mr Dart said.

“To allow a different model to exist would be a much better option. There are plenty of facilities out the back (of High Street) that would allow them to still have a festival still.

“Had there been some foresight, it would have been a perfect springboard (for retailers) to say, ‘we’re here, we’re back and open for business’. It would have been a great injection and opportunity to bring the community together.

“I’m sure retailers would have relished the opportunity.”

A convoy of motorcycle enthusiasts conducted their own informal GP Run from Cranbourne to Phillip Island for on Saturday 15 October.

Police temporarily blocked a section of the South Gippsland Highway at the Cranbourne Homemakers Centre in order to safely facilitate the send-off of hundreds of riders.

Senior Sergeant at Dandenong Police Station Dave Hewett said the run was a good opportunity for police officers to mingle with members of the community and break down the barriers between the general public and authority figures, particularly in light of Motorcyclist Awareness Month in October.

“We’re current running a motorcycle safety operation regarding correct licensing requirements, safe riding and wearing the correct clothing,” Senior Sgt Hewett said.

We’re building big near you and there will be transport disruptions Train disruptions: Buses replace trains in both directions and no City Loop trains City Loop

From 9pm 2 to 15 January

Flagstaff, Melbourne Central and Parliament stations closed

Cranbourne and Pakenham lines

4 to 13 January 8.30pm to last train, 16 January

Flinders St to Dandenong

8.30pm to last train, 8 and 12 January

Flinders St to Cranbourne and Pakenham

14 to 27 January

Flinders St to Westall

South Gippsland Highway, Dandenong South

9 January to 1 February

Lane closures between Pound Road West and Carter Way

Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road, Cranbourne

9 January to mid February

Intersection closed at Thompsons Road

Monash Freeway

11 to 25 January

Daytime lane closures between Warrigal Road and EastLink

15 to 19 January

Closed at Warrigal Road

Narre Warren North Road, Narre Warren North

12 to 25 January

Intersection closed at Ernst Wanke Road

Princes Freeway

15 to 24 January

Closed between Princes Highway and Beaconsfield interchange

Hall Road, Carrum Downs and Skye

Until 31 January

Closures at Hall Road and McCormicks Road intersection

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Road disruptions: Closed roads and lanes

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Arrests following pursuit A Cranbourne man was one of three individuals arrested by Gang Crime Squad detectives following a dangerous car pursuit in Moonee Ponds in December.

With the assistance of the Special Operations Group and VIPER Taskforce, warrants were executed at addresses in Carlton, Port Melbourne, Yarraville, Cranbourne and Deer Park in January.

A 34-year-old Port Melbourne man was arrested in Geelong at approximately 11am on Thursday 5 January with the assistance of the Special Operations Group.

He was charged with a range of firearm offences including prohibited person possess firearm, conduct endanger life, theft of motor vehicle and commit indictable offence whilst on bail. He faced Melbourne Magistrates’ Court in January.

A 24-year-old from Deer Park was arrested with the assistance of the Special Operations Group and was set to be interviewed by police.

The activity follows an incident shortly after 7.20am on Saturday 24 December, when a silver Volkswagen Passat was being pursued by a stolen white Toyota RAV4 through the Moonee Ponds, Essendon and Coburg areas and witnesses reported hearing gun shots.

The Volkswagen, pursued by the Toyota, is captured on dashcam footage running a red light at the intersection of Buckley Street and Pascoe Vale Road in Essendon, veering onto the wrong side of the road, police said.

It appears an occupant of the Toyota fired several shots in the direction of the Volkswagen, which was later located on 31 December with a shattered rear windscreen which police believe was gunshot damage.

Just before 7.30am, the stolen Toyota was travelling at high speed on the incorrect side of Bell Street in Coburg and disobeyed a red traffic signal, crashing head on into another motorist and ricocheting into several other vehicles.

Dash cam footage of the pursuit shows a Volkswagen Passat running a red light and veering onto the wrong side of the road, police said.

Picture: VICTORIA POLICE Four men fled from the scene, running south on Bruce Street in Pascoe Vale.

A 23-year-old Cranbourne man was located alone a short time later and was arrested and charged with theft of motor vehicle and possess ammunition.

A man from one of the vehicles struck was taken to hospital to be treated for minor injuries.

Echo Taskforce detective acting inspector Ash Ryan appealed for anyone with information about the incident to contact police.

This includes a man with two small dogs who was standing at the traffic lights at the

intersection of Buckley Street and Pascoe Vale Road in Essendon when it is believed the shots were fired.

“These are rare incidents but any indiscriminate use of a firearm and dangerous driving in the presence of innocent civilians going about their morning is concerning,” detective acting inspector Ryan said.

“We believe this was a targeted attack, but the danger it poses to the community is immense and we are lucky that other people were not seriously injured.

“We will continue to use all available methods at our disposal in an effort to reduce the

impact illicit firearms have on the community, remove these weapons from the hands of criminals and place offenders before the courts.”

The white Toyota RAV4 was stolen from Thornbury between 19 and 20 November, 2022. If anyone has any information on this vehicle being used in other criminal offending, please speak to police.

The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone who witnessed the incident or has information on the men involved is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at crimestoppersvic.com.au

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Footy unites communities From page 1 “In 2011 we went undefeated and we were going to win that premiership, we didn’t really have a choice. In 2016 I broke my leg and missed out on that flag.

“I was going to retire maybe two years ago but I stuck at it. When the siren went it was a feeling I hadn’t felt before.”

When asked at what point he felt things had returned to ‘normal’, he pinpointed off-field events, such as club functions and Thursday night training sessions, rather than anything on-field.

“The first function, getting back to that side of it,” he said.

“I remember we had a really good turnout and from there got that feeling back. You got to see all the old boys who hadn’t been there for a couple of years, who might not have that much going on because they’re retired form work but they want to come down and watch the footy, so it was good to see the old heads down there this year who hadn’t been there for a while.

“I’ve been playing local footy for 20 years and Thursday nights with the boys, to break up the week is always a really good thing to have when you’re working hard.

“Some of your best mates are out there and if they’re not your best mates, they’re your good mates and you’ve known them for a while. We’re lucky that we retain most of our players every year.”

An icon of the game in the South East, Mr Holt accepted his premiership medallion to a chorus of “Holty” being chanted in the stands.

It would prove to ultimately be his final game, having made the decision to retire and spend more time with his young family.

“I’ve stepped back, I’m going to take a year off in 2023 and then in 2024 I’m looking at go-

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Tooradin Seagulls: 2022 Premiers. 298231 ing into a proper coaching role.”

The Seagulls of Tooradin flew higher than anyone in the West Gippsland Football Netball League, ending a 25-year drought that carried more emotion than most.

Seagulls coach Lachie Gillespie played in a losing Grand Final for Tooradin back in 1999 as a 17-year-old but played a key role in ending the drought this year through more than just moving the magnets on the whiteboard.

While footy was at the mercy of the pandemic, he worked tirelessly to keep the squad connected and upbeat as possible in during a trying time on all levels.

“Some of the trades kept working, some couldn’t,” Mr Gillespie said.

“Some boys couldn’t see family members.

“We tried to keep the tribe together and as positive as we could.

“It was hard work but very fulfilling that we all stuck-fat and I think that helped to galvanise the group when we came back.

“To go and see the players and give them a hug, we’re a pretty loving footy club. It was nice to have that human touch and give them a hug, have a laugh, make sure they’re okay.”

Those who have been involved with the club over the years will know that the Seagulls have suffered a great deal off the field with regards to the sad passing of a number of influential figures, such as former midfielder Beau Miller, who passed away in 2016 aged 34.

Earlier in the year, Mr Miller was recognised as the club’s best player from the last 25 years,

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in an emotional ceremony at the Tooradin Sports Club, where Mr Gillespie described him to Star News’ sports editor David Nagel as “a great human being more so than a great footballer” – high praise for a player who won two league medals during his time at the Seagulls.

The importance of family and community was on show throughout the year, with partners, parents, kids and more all welcome in the rooms post-game to soak in the celebrations after a win.

“When you play community sport it’s lovely to have all the connections with family and history,” Mr Gillespie said.

“From my point-of-view, having those connections, it was definitely more than just us out there on game day.

“I knew that they were going to support us and when we walked into those rooms, there was an energy and it was lovely to hear that.

“It’s not just about the 22 running around, it’s the whole community.”

At a sodden Gembrook Recreation Reserve for the Outer East Football Netball League Grand Final, it was Shane Dwyer tasked with steeling his Narre Warren warriors for a final foray.

Trailing by 21 points late in the third quarter, they cut the margin to two points at the last change, hitting the final term with the wind in their sales against Woori Yallock.

The Magpies had to overcome multiple obstacles on their way to a historic premiership, including an hour-long delay for lightning and thunder, on top of the three-

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quarter-time deficit.

For Club President Stuart Stephenson, it was the perfect way to cap the season that meant so much to so many.

“There were lots of easy excuses the players could have made, but they all got behind the coach and were able to wear-down Woori Yallock,” Mr Stephenson said.

“It was a great thrill because Shane Dwyer and most of administration staff had been involved for a long time. It was the result of a lot of hard work over the last three years.”

While Mr Stephenson said there was never a stage where there was genuine concern or the future of the club during the lockdowns, it was not knowing what was coming next that was the hardest aspect.

“We were in a good position and hopeful that when footy and netball came back, if we treated our people well, they would come back,” he said.

“Normally a club brings people together and is a great outlet for young people and the centre of a community.

“We had to keep them involved even though they couldn’t see each other in-person. We had some people really proactive in doing things though socials to stay involved, things like picking best-ever teams and trivia sessions, I think helped keep connections.”

Volunteers like Mr Stephenson are the backbone of any local sporting club and there are a few at the Magpies that have firmly ensconced themselves within their nest.

Two that immediately came to mind for the President of the last six years were canteen manager Maree Parnall and the club’s secretary, Sonya Alexander.

“For a lot of (our volunteers), they were suffering the same issues that the players were.

They were missing being part of the club and the community.

“Maree does a mountain of work and Sonya organises the social functions and the hard administration work while other roles get on with the business of football. She does the jobs no one else wants to do.

“We’ve had similar volunteers for a number of years particularly in canteen and bar, which are critical areas. Those people there mean so much to club.”

The sentiment was echoed by Mr Gillespie.

“People need to understand how critical (local sport) is. When it’s taken away from you, the sport comes second but community aspect is primary, and there are so many volunteers who give up so much time.

“They all care and they’re all passionate and were very grateful to have them.”

With pre-season well underway, here’s to another successful year in 2023.

Thursday, 12 January, 2023

Firefighters battled a factory fire in Hallam on Thursday 5 January.

Thick black smoke engulfed the sky of Hallam as emergency services attended to the incident on Westpool Drive.

Andrew McCartney, acting assistant chief fire officer for Southern district to Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV), said the factory fire involved hydrocarbon chemicals.

“Isohexane was where we believe the initial fire began, which is a class three inflammable liquid, and had spread to adhesives that is also

in the same premise.

“It was a fast developing fire - it was encompassing the whole premise initially. A lot of it was an external fire attack.”

Mr McCartney said the adhesives carried the fire very easily.

“It made it quite large and at a rapid development,” Mr McCartney said.

It took 14 units from CFA and Fire Rescue Victoria and an hour and half of work with firefighters on cranes with hoses to bring the fire under control.

“It is under control now. We still have some concerns for an area in the building that hasn’t

been impacted by fire. We just want to make sure that there are no chemicals stored in that area,” Mr McCartney said on the day.

There were no injuries, according to Mr McCartney, and all firefighters were safe.

“We have medical monitoring to make sure that they don’t have heat exhaustion or anything.”

Police had closed the area to keep the public safe and let the firefighters carry out their job comfortably.

Victoria Emergency, CFA, Ambulance and FRV all attended the incident. cranbournenews.starcommunity.com.au

2022 - THE YEAR THAT WAS ...

NEWSMAKERS

Eddie Hennessey with the man he credits with saving his life, Leading Senior Constable at Cranbourne police station, Paul Sedgewick. 309881

Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS

Constable leaps into action

By Marcus Uhe Leading Senior Constable at Cranbourne police station, Paul Sedgewick isn’t comfortable with the labels of “hero” and “lifesaver”.

But Eddie Hennessy won’t have it any other way.

It was a Saturday night in late October at the Chelsea Heights hotel. LSC Sedgewick was there with his wife, and on the table next to him was Mr Hennessey, enjoying a live performance from Daryl Braithwaite and Russell Morris and conversing occasionally with fellow fans on neighbouring tables, as the performers began to wind down their act for the night.

As the crowd eagerly awaited a rendition of the timeless classic Horses, LSC Sedgewick felt a thud on his foot.

It was Mr Hennessey, who had suffered a medical episode, and fell across him on the way down to the floor.

“I sort of looked down as if to say ‘are you alright mate?’, because I thought maybe he’d tripped on the chair that was between us or something,” LSC Sedgewick said.

“Then I had a look and I realised straight away that no, he’s not okay, there’s something wrong here.”

Despite being off-duty on the night, immediately LSC Sedgewick swung into what he described as police mode.

“I rolled him over because he landed facedown, and his colour was terrible. His whole face was blue-ish, grey, and I looked into his eyes and they were fixed, straight ahead, so I knew instantly there was something wrong.

“I rolled him onto his back and I checked for a pulse and to see if he was breathing, but I couldn’t find either.

“I looked up and there were people standing over watching and I said to someone, ‘ring 000 and get an ambulance’. I re-checked his pulse and still couldn’t find anything, so I pulled his jumper and shirt up and started docranbournenews.starcommunity.com.au

ing CPR straight away.”

First-aid training is compulsory as part of police training and despite only performing it once before during his career in the force, a refresher course in August meant the theory was relatively fresh in LSC Sedgwick’s brain.

After a handful of compressions, there was life; Mr Hennessey begun to regain consciousness and composure, allowing LSC Sedgwick and other bystanders to roll him onto his side and comfort him while they waited for his partner, Niece, and MICA paramedics to arrive.

All the while, the show continued undisturbed.

“We were up the back and to the side so I don’t think Darryl Braithwaite actually knew what was happening, there was a lot of crowd between the stage and us.

“I do recall after we had him on his side and he was recovering, I stuck my head up and went ‘oh, he’s doing Horses!’ which turned out to be the last song of his set.”

While the two can joke about the timeline of events now, the circumstances at the time were no laughing matter.

For Mr Hennessey, it was quite literally a case of life and death.

“I just remember standing there, there were yellow, orangey, bright red lights,” he said.

“I was coming and going. I knew something wasn’t right, instantly, and then boom, it happened that quick.

“I landed on my face. I woke up with Paul next to me and my chest was so sore.”

Shortly after the episode, paramedics arrived and LSC Sedgewick handed over responsibility to the experts, BUT not before exchanging contact details with Mr Hennessey to ensure he could check-in on his new-found friend, who had attended the concert on his own.

Once he had made a recovery, Mr Hennessey set out to reconnect with the man that brought him back to life.

Having worked in similar fields during his professional career, Mr Hennessey has an appreciation for the trials and tribulations faced by officers every day, and the toll it can take on someone’s wellbeing.

“I went online to the compliments and complaints page of Victoria Police to praise Paul for what he had done, not just for me, but for my family and my loved ones,” Mr Hennessey said.

“It was confirmed that he works at the Cranbourne Police Station so I came here, but he wasn’t here.

“I wanted to meet Paul, I really wanted to come and show my gratitude for what he had done. I wanted him to be recognised.

“I wanted to meet up with Paul, and I knew that he was just a big beautiful gentle giant. As you can see, there are no other words I can use to describe him.”

After a couple of weeks, the two were finally reunited, with Mr Hennessey providing a prescient gift to LSC Sedgwick.

“My surname is Hennessey, so I thought it would be fitting to get him a bottle of Hennessey.

“So I came in, gave him a big hug, and shook his hand.

“He saved my life, he can ask for anything he wants and I’ll give it.

“I love the guy. I’ve met him a couple of times now and the more I meet him the more I think he’s a beautiful man.”

For LSC Sedgewick, the best gift he could ask for is seeing Mr Hennessey happy and healthy once again.

“I’m happy for what I was able to do for him and the fact that he’s sitting here today.

“Really what the reward is, for me, that despite your other health issues, you’re here, you’re happy, you’re able to talk, you’ve recently celebrated a birthday, so that’s my reward.

“As far as a lifesaving thing, I certainly don’t consider myself a hero. I didn’t do anything

brave, it needed to be done, and I just did it. As I said, someone had to do it. I’ve had the training and I did it and it worked.”

The incident has prompted Mr Hennessey to encourage everyone to undertake a CPR course.

After all, very few would be able to offer a better assessment of the benefit than someone who was brought back to life via the crucial mechanism.

“I believe knowledge is powerful.

“From my point of view I would like to see big venues, their on-duty managers, foremen in a factory, for example, have some knowledge of CPR. “I’ve actually heard stories over the years where a lot of people have been lost. Some have been lucky, I was Johnny on the spot, I drew the right straw.

“I’m 110 per cent behind more people learning to do CPR. I’ve seen it advertised online now, you can go and do a course for $48.

You get a certificate and you’re authorised.”

LSC Sedgewick agreed.

“In a public environment, you often will get that off-duty doctor, or nurse, or a paramedic who can help. Same as when you go to collisions, as part of our job, often we’ll find out that there’s an off-duty paramedic or nurse or someone at the scene driving past who stopped to help.

“But in a work environment, that’s not always going to be the case, so Eddie’s got a good point.”

Mr Hennessey said he’ll always be grateful for the quick-thinking of the man he had never met just a few hours earlier on the faithful night.

“I think about him. I’m a Christian and I think about him out there and I hope that he’s safe within the community.

“It’s not an easy job, we’ve got a lot of policemen in our family and I just hope they stay safe and do their job properly.”

Thursday, 12 January, 2023

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STAR NEWS 7

2022 - THE YEAR THAT WAS ...

A lap of honour for Mr Hurley on his final day. 267378

NEWSMAKERS

Mr Hurley had a strong bond with his student cohort. 267378

The students show their appreciation for their outgoing principal. 267378

First principal bowing out As Melbourne’s South East corridor has experienced rapid growth over the years, John Hurley has made sure the local kids and their education haven’t been left behind. Having announced his retirement from teaching, he spoke to MARCUS UHE to reflect on his immense contribution to the local area.

Things looked a little different at Thomas Mitchell Primary School in Endeavour Hills this year.

For the previous 30 years, every morning, when the students arrive for another day of learning, they were welcomed at the front gate with the familiar face and friendly smile of their former principal, John Hurley, ensuring they start their day with a smile of their own.

But in February, Mr Hurley, the founding and only principal in the school’s history, decided to draw the curtain on his long and decorated teaching career.

It was a recent dose of reality that prompted his decision to call time.

“Two kids that I taught happened to get married and I’m still in contact with them,” Mr Hurley said. “They said ‘We’ve got some news, we’re retiring.’”

“I thought, ‘this is madness. I taught them in primary school and they’re retiring, but I’m still working.’”

Mr Hurley launched Thomas Mitchell in 1991 following his time at Cranbourne Primary School, with 179 students enrolled on day one to begin their educational journey under his leadership.

A photo of all the staff and students from the inaugural day hung in his office until his very last day, giving him a chance to reflect on just how far the school has come.

Come 2022 and the school sits at just under 800 pupils from a wide melting pot of backgrounds, encapsulating the incredibly diverse community in which the campus resides, and filling Mr Hurley with immense pride.

“I’m a big fan of multiculturalism,” Mr Hurley said. “We’ve got families from more than 70 nationalities in the school.”

“I like going and seeing other cultures and seeing the way they do things. I think we can all learn from each other.”

Mr Hurley’s teaching career begun as a 19-year-old in 10 Mile Creek in Gippsland’s Strzelecki Ranges, thrown into the deep end with 28 kids under his watch ranging from prep to grade six in an “unbelievable” situation.

He fondly recalls some of his regular duties falling outside the standard curriculum, and not something he came across at teacher’s college.

“First thing I used to do in the morning was, because it was cold in there, I would go and cut wood for the fire to keep the classroom warm,” Mr Hurley said.

“Every now and then the kids would come rushing in and say ‘there’s a snake down there, someone needs to go kill the snake.’

“I got an extra seven shillings and sixpence a fortnight to dig a hole and empty the toilet. It was pretty remote.”

Classrooms in the 1960s looked nothing like what they do in 2022 now, too; chalkboards were still the device of choice and the isolated nature of that campus meant there was a lack 8 STAR NEWS

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Thursday, 12 January, 2023

John Hurley celebrates his final day as principal at Thomas Mitchell Primary School. 267378

Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS

I like going and seeing other cultures and seeing the way they do things. I think we can all learn from each other.” of electricity or phone line available, and everything required being written by hand.

Mr Hurley’s inspiration to teach began with his love for school as a student and his own thirst for learning.

He combined his love of travel and exploring with developing young people by working in the UK, and also had a stint at the former Turana Youth Training Centre, helping the most vulnerable young people who needed assistance the most.

As a teacher and a principal, he strived to ensure that learning was an experience for kids and something to be enjoyed, rather than a means to an end, or a chore.

For the kids, this meant a wealth of handson activities, tours, camps, excursions and guest speakers.

Working closely with his students allowed him to pick up bits and pieces from the children through enlightening, day-to-day interactions, and crucially fostered a strong rapport, breaking down the perceived barrier between pupil and authority figure, something he came to dearly miss when his classroom

teaching days came to a close.

“I said to a class that I was teaching on one occasion, ‘look at those crows out there making all that noise,’ - there were birds outside the classroom window. A little kid came up to me at recess and said ‘Excuse me Mr Hurley, those birds aren’t crows, they’re ravens.’ I said, ‘How do you know that?’, and he said ‘My dad is the government ornithologist.’”

“You learn so much from kids.”

When asked by his last students about the legacy that he left behind, the most common trait raised was his kindness.

Filling-in for Santa in the lead-up to Christmas and spreading sweet treats on their final school day of the year is also something that will be sorely missed.

After making his announcement late last year, Mr Hurley said that he was flattered by the messages of gratitude and congratulations that he has received.

When Star News visited the school to speak to Mr Hurley and take photos on location back in January, a former student who was driving through the area spontaneously pulled-over

to shake his hand and congratulate him on his career, before getting back in his vehicle and continuing his journey.

It was as fitting a tribute and a perfect reflection on his legacy.

Despite his official teaching days coming to an end, he won’t be completely shutting the door on his education journey, keen to volunteer at a local English language school interspersed with a return to international travel, reading and following his beloved Collingwood Football Club.

His final day on Friday 11 February included a special assembly, followed by a parade with music and student-made decorations, and a guard of honour from the staff as he left the campus for the final time.

As he bid farewell to the school, he had a gracious message for the community that he played an integral role in establishing.

“I’d like to say big thank you to the Thomas Mitchell community for making me feel welcome.”

Star News wishes Mr Hurley all the best in his retirement. cranbournenews.starcommunity.com.au

2022 - THE YEAR THAT WAS ...

NEWSMAKERS

Kelly’s comeback complete Garfield’s Kelly Fitzgerald is an exceptional athlete. The 58-year-old from the Casey-Cardinia Triathlon Squad recently completed her fist halfironman event, comprising of a 1.9km swim, 70km on the bike and a 21km run. But it’s her journey to get to the finish line that beggars belief, having suffered multiple spinal fractures late last year. She sat down with Star News journalist MARCUS UHE to share her incredible road to recovery.

Kelly Fitzgerald will never forget the first day of summer in 2021.

That is, the parts that she can still recall.

After two years of computer-simulated workouts on a spin bike in her living room, the Garfield dairy farmer was seizing the opportunity to get back on the roads and bask in the sunshine to battle legitimate terrain.

Ms Fitzgerald had joined the Casey-Cardinia Triathlon Squad in late 2019 but Covid-19 complications had meant there had been seldom events to participate in since.

She felt as fit as she had ever been, and was sporting newly purchased apparel and helmet as she and a group of friends completed a regular 50-kilometre circuit around Cora Lynn, Bayles and back to Garfield, in preparation for her first half-ironman event early in 2022.

“It was a great day, it was really really good,” Ms Fitzgerald recalled.

“It wasn’t windy and it was quite nice to be outside.

“I felt really, really good on that day, absolutely amazing, and then it ended up being one of my worst days.”

As she left Garfield to embark on a second lap, she was involved in a traumatic collision with a car rendering her unconscious, breaking 20 bones, including a number of vertebrae, and a crushing her oesophagus.

As a result, she doesn’t have a recollection of the incident itself. In fact, the two weeks are somewhat of a blur.

Initially taken to Dandenong Hospital, she was then transferred to the Alfred, where two days after the collision, she was placed in an induced coma for six days and underwent two surgeries to her upper spine.

But she was lucky to even make it to Dandenong. Chilling data from her sports watch, which recorded her heart-rate during the ride, showed she was operating at an alarming five beats-per-minute in the immediate aftermath of the collision, during the critical 40-minute wait for the ambulance to arrive.

Her C1, T1, T2, T3 and T4 vertebrae were all broken. Surgeons pinned her T1 and T2 together, and did the same with T4 and T5, while T3 has a bone graft, and sealed her back with 35 staples post the operation.

“The three things that save your spinal cord are your sternum, your ribs and your back. I broke all of them.”

As she lay in a daze in her hospital bed, feeling isolated, vulnerable, exhausted and alone due to restrictions on hospital visits during the pandemic, she had no idea of the extent of her injuries.

The pain was immense, and she began setting herself little goals to stay focused: eat, walk, and get to the bathroom, which she was told would act as ticket to freedom.

It wasn’t until she was released shortly before Christmas that her new reality began to dawn on her. Living with a friend on a more suitable location for her recovery than her Garfield property, everything was a battle.

A mother to six and grandmother to nine, Ms Fitzgerald had dedicated so much of her time to running her kids around to their school, sporting commitments, social events, or helping with their homework.

Now it was her turn to be cared for.

“I’ve never really shown myself to be sick or unwell,” she said.

“Maybe it’s a Mum thing that you try to hide from everybody else, so I don’t think my family really knew what to do with me, and I found that a little bit confronting. I couldn’t do anything; I couldn’t go to the bathroom, shower, whatever. I could barely move.”

Adding to the physical pain was the mental struggles.

Having to, literally, find her feet again, consultations with her doctor proved confronting cranbournenews.starcommunity.com.au

Ms Fitzgerald the first time she got back on her bike, post the collision. It took her more than an hour and a half to even get on the bike, in what was a significant mental hurdle for her to Pictures: SUPPLIED clear. 305818

Kelly Fitzgerald proudly sporting her medal awarded for completing her first half-ironman in Sydney Picture: MARCUS UHE in October. 305818

I went to see my GP and I handed over my list of my injuries and she said, ‘Oh my god Kelly, you’re lucky to be alive, let alone talking.’” as anything in her journey.

“I wasn’t (aware of the extent of my injuries) and I wasn’t until the day after I went home. I went to see my GP and I handed over my list of my injuries and she said, ‘Oh my god Kelly, you’re lucky to be alive, let alone talking.’

“I think I had a cry and then she had one too. And then the injuries hit me. I really had no idea until then, so that was a pretty traumatic day, emotionally.

“I think I was in shock, at how bad it really was. I had spoken to (triathlon coach) Charlie in hospital and I wondered, ‘What did they all know?’ then I thought about Charlie at the accident scene.

“I started to think, what did happen? What was I like? What were others going through as well? Was I really that close to dying?”

Much of these questions will remain unanswered and the thoughts still linger in the back of her mind, nearly 12 months on.

Once she felt comfortable moving back home, her bike, which normally takes pride of place in her living room, had to be moved, out of sight and out of mind, as she considered whether she had spun the pedals for the very last time.

Where she had doubts, however, her coach, Charlie Pragnall, had ambitions.

“The pain was confined to just my back and my chest area and I was having trouble breathing. Charlie said ‘80 per cent of your body is pretty good, 20 per cent is not good, but not in 200 per cent pain’.

“So that puts it into perspective a little bit.

That’s how I dealt with the pain.”

Ever the athlete, Charlie Pragnall, an international ironman competitor, began setting her targets.

It started with encouraging Ms Fitzgerald to wriggle her toes while she lay in

her hospital bed.

Once she was cleared to exercise again, he had her walking and back in the pool, neck brace and all, swimming backstroke with a flotation device between her legs in the shallow children’s pool at Pakenham’s Cardinia Life, to the amazement of fellow swimmers and staff members, all of whom became invested in her recovery.

Her progress stunned not only the locals who saw her up close, but the professionals who saw her at her worst when she was at the Alfred.

“I took myself off medication after three months. I was off medication, and when I went back to the Alfred they said that was incredible.

“They said, ‘What you’ve done in three months can take two years.’”

There were ups and downs along the way – even now she still deals with the nagging dayto-day aches, and there were some days that were simply too overwhelming.

On her first trip to the velodrome, for example, it took her over an hour and a half to actually get back on the bike.

“I teach my Grandkids to ride bikes and they’ve got training wheels, and I said that I need training wheels.

“Charlie held my bike up and I just peddled.

If he let go, I would have fallen down. But he got me up and I did a lap of the velodrome finally, after tears and tears.”

Amazingly, just over four months to the day after the life-threatening collision, she completed the 14.8 kilometre Run for the Kids in April, finishing with immense satisfaction and a ‘runners high’ to beat all runners highs as she crossed the finish line in another step (roughly 14,800 of them) on the journey.

But she wasn’t satisfied. After all, there was still the matter of the half-ironman she initially

Ms Fitzgerald on her road to recovery. 305818 trained for and never got to complete.

The location was Western Sydney, in early October. Ever her biggest supporter, Charlie Pragnall signed her up; another target.

After the 1.9 kilometre swim, the nerves really began to kick in. Initial early peddle anxieties aside, she had become reacquainted with the bike, but riding in a competitive event among thousands of others was a shift in gears.

“I was panicking.

“I hadn’t been on the bike outside, so being around people was a bit nerve-wracking.

“On the swim, I just watched the orange band on Charlie’s feet. And then he stayed with me on the bike and made sure I was okay, and then we ran together.

“We got to 18 kilometres on the run and I started to tire. He said to me ‘How much do you want it?’ and I said ‘I don’t want it anymore!’ But I did it, I got the extra three kilometres in and I was very proud of myself. And I made it all thanks to Charlie.”

An unfathomable turnaround, from thinking she could be wheelchair-bound for the rest of her life, through sheer determination and with the support of her team, she had finally completed that 1.9km swim, 70km bike ride and 21km run that would have seemed impossible at the beginning of the year.

She credits a unique approach to pain management, the belief instilled in her by Charlie Pragnall and her supporters, from the staff at Cardinia Life to fellow swimmers and everyone who wished her well along her journey.

“Even the ladies at Cardinia Life, just walking in and hearing, ‘Hi Kelly, how are you going?’ or they would say ‘we saw you do that today’ and it was just the little words all that just kept me going.

“They saw the progress and I think that helped.”

So what’s next?

“I would like to do a full ironman, that’s always on the cards.

“I think if I could do that, that would be pretty amazing. I’m doing a half-ironman Perth in December.

“Maybe next year.”

Thursday, 12 January, 2023

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STAR NEWS 9

BUSINESS IN FOCUS

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This allows you to leave your car at home and spend less on petrol.

You will be able to unlock a world of exclusive benefits, deals and discounts with Club Lifestyle. Offering motorhomes and holiday villas for all Lifestyle homeowners to enjoy for free (except a nominal cleaning fee) and discounts with selected partners to help reduce the rising cost of living, there are so many perks to experience. The best part - you’ll have money left over to live in total comfort. That’s what we call more bang, less buck.

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Thursday, 12 January, 2023

cranbournenews.starcommunity.com.au

BUSINESS IN FOCUS

Chocolate Starfish, Bat Out Of Hell tour.

Cast of Figaro to Phantom.

Feed your creative self These school holidays enjoy a free night out connecting with community at the monthly Table Top Games Night. Meet up with local players, try new games, paint some miniatures or maybe trade cards.

For our fans of classic rock. This January acclaimed band, Chocolate Starfish, will be hitting the stage for their Bat Out of Hell Tour starting right here in Dandenong. Be the first

to see the show before anyone else in Victoria.

Bring the whole family, with tickets for kids under 16 free!

Try this charming theatre for the first time or come back to a familiar favourite. The varied program will delight with something for everyone at prices that will surprise. Save yourself the drive to the city and support local business by booking a performance at the

Drum. Keep an eye out for the full season program launching in February. Great theatre, just down the road.

Book your ticket with confidence. If you are unable to attend due to covid impacts, your ticket will be refunded.

Visit drum.greaterdandenong.vic.gov.au or call 03 8571 1666, 10am-4pm, Monday Friday.

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Drum Theatre’s well-loved Encore series is back in 2023. Explore the full program of matinee performances and treat yourself to a morning at the Drum. Whether you love to tap your feet along to classic tunes or solve a who-done-it mystery, there’s something for everyone; all at an affordable price. Better still, all Encore tickets include complimentary morning tea and a parking voucher. What’s not to love!

cranbournenews.starcommunity.com.au

Thursday, 12 January, 2023

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STAR NEWS 11

2022 - THE YEAR THAT WAS ...

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Kids’ enjoy big summer read

Corrin makes a first impression

Cranbourne Mullets go for good cause

Risky roos prompt warning

Good Friday close to home

New heights for Heath

John’s still clocking on

Archibald Prize coming to Bunjil Place

Chilly fundraiser move

Seagulls out of the shadows

Davis named top of the class

New centre opens its doors

All booked out for the parade

Cranbourne Cup class rise

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Sorely missed

By Cam Lucadou-Wells Shocked friends and colleagues have hailed former City of Casey mayor Amanda Stapledon for her “incredible” and “tireless” community work.

The 58-year-old former councillor – who had been rocked by an IBAC inquiry into Casey councillors - was found dead in a car in Stringybark Drive about 12.30pm on Tuesday 18 January.

Her death is not being treated as suspicious, Victoria Police stated.

Ms Stapledon was widely admired as a strong, unstinting community voice, especially for disability and carer issues.

Many also paid tribute to her as a devoted sole carer for her family over decades.

She leaves behind a frail father who she visited daily in aged care and Pete - her adult son who has multiple disabilities.

Blairlogie chief executive Carolyn Carr said Ms Stapledon was “one of the most incredible community leaders I’ve ever met”.

Her staff reacted with “gasps” and “broke down” at the tragic news.

“She’s been an incredible support for not only our organisation but for people with disabilities in general. And more than that, for carers with people with disabilities.

“She worked tirelessly to raise awareness about how carers and people with disabilities have to live with such a lack of access to services.

“She did all that while being the mum to Pete and Pete was her world. She always put him first and I don’t know how she did it all.”

Ms Stapledon fought for proper support for carers so they could be part of the workforce, Ms Carr said.

“She’s been fighting for that since Pete was a baby. He’s now 28, and she’s been carrying that banner for such a long time.

“The sad thing is, we’re not going to have another voice like Amanda. She’ll be hugely

The battle to put roofs over heads

Harvey lends a helping paw

The City of Casey referred a homeless person to a support service after they were sleeping at the War Memorial on the South Gippsland Highway in Cranbourne.

The occupant had hung sheets from the roof of the memorial site to cover the gaps between the roof and the walls and had created a bed to sleep on in the corner, with the pillow underneath the World War One Roll of Honour plaque at the South Gippsland Highway facility.

STORY PAGE 5

By Marcus Uhe

The City of Casey referred a homeless person to a support service after they were sleeping at the War Memorial on the South Gippsland Highway in Cranbourne. 276736 Picture: MARCUS UHE

Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS

Former Casey mayor Amanda Stapledon was widely admired for her community work. 194479 missed by the community.”

Ms Stapledon’s passion for disability support preceded her council terms between 2008-’20, including two stints as mayor.

She co-founded Casey Kidz Club – an afterschool care program for disabled teenagers - and highlighted the lack of funding support.

Among her major legacies were two 75-kilometre Mayors Walks for Disability – in which she spread the word on service gaps for people with disabilities and their carers.

The initial feat led to her being crowned the Star News Person of the Year 2013.

Ms Stapledon was also a past president of Disability Capability and had held positions on the Blairlogie Living and Learning Board,

the Casey Cardinia and ACE (Aiding Casey Education) foundations and Merinda Park Learning and Community Centre.

She was patron of the Cranbourne Football Club All Abilities Team and the YMCA Open Doors Program.

For many years, she hosted Women of Today on Casey Radio 97.7FM and penned a regular column for Star News Group.

She made two unsuccessful tilts at state politics – as an independent in 2010 and a Liberal candidate in 2014.

For crisis support, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or lifeline.org.au or beyond blue on 1300 22 4636 or beyondblue.org.au Read more on page 18

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Diving is her passion

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Sikhs deliver again

Oliver, Valen, Emily and Mary from Cranbourne Primary School with the school’s therapy dog, Harvey. 284636

Cranbourne trainers David Eustace, left, and Ciaron Maher, celebrate their first Melbourne Cup win with Gold Trip. 306290 Picture: SCOTT BARBOUR/RACING PHOTOS

Gold Trip, with his strapper Mitch Connors, was back home at Cranbourne the morning after winning the 2022 Melbourne Cup. 306290 Picture: SUPPLIED

Crisis hits home Jail for PSO biter Good as Gold Trip

By Marcus Uhe

By Marcus Uhe

Nevaeh (6) with Mayor Cr Amanda Stapledon in the very safe outdoor walled playground. 193854

Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS

There’s a new staff member at Cranbourne Primary School this year, with a special portfolio of engagement, connectiveness and trauma support.

But unlike many of his colleagues, he doesn’t teach any classes, write report cards or hand out grades.

Eight-month old Groodle, Harvey is the school’s therapy dog, and he’s quickly become a favourite of the students, helping to improve attendance numbers and regulate the behaviour of the students at the school.

Story page 8

Cost-of-living pressures are creating a housing crisis that has “never been quite so bad”, says Community Information and Support Cranbourne (CISC) executive officer Leanne Petrides.

Ms Petrides believes that Casey residents are victims of ongoing “geographical disadvantage”, lacking the convenience of the close proximity to services such as libraries and public transport afforded to inner city suburbs.

Statistics of the clientele at CISC since the

beginning of 2020-21 financial year show that the majority of people (46 per cent) requesting assistance through the support centre are living in private rental properties.

“One of the things that we’re noticing is that people have this vision of housing stress and homelessness impacting on that vision that people have of the old person drinking in a park,” Ms Petrides said.

“It’s actually hitting the more traditional class, people who work or who are support workers, police, teachers, nurses, their income

is even being stretched to the maximum in terms of trying to afford rental accommodation.

“What we see there is that if you’re on a limited income and you’re in a private rental, that’s probably be one of the most stressful situations because many, many people are paying more than 50-60 per cent of their income in rent, which of course then limits the amount of money they have to spend on everything else that they need.”

Many of clients that present to CISC are juggling multiple complex financial issues, as liv-

ing in poverty creates a “snowball effect”.

“One of the things that we’re finding is that more and more people are coming to us with assistance requests for petrol, food, medication, education costs, and housing costs.

“They’re all intertwined. “[The clients] might want to go look for a job but they can’t do so because they can’t afford their rent, and if they’re being kicked out, or they don’t have petrol in their car they can’t actually go to the job interview.”

CONTINUED PAGE 5

Former Hampton Park and Cranbourne resident Scott Delaney has been jailed over an attack on Protective Service Officers (PSO) and security guards in Melbourne’s CBD last year.

The 33-year-old, who was on bail and serving a community corrections order at the time of offending, bit two PSOs and a security guard, and kicked another security guard in the chest in the early hours of Wednesday 10 November, Victorian County Court Judge Michael Tinney said.

The court heard the guards, who were patrolling a nearby venue, were attempting to

calm Delaney after he became involved in a verbal altercation with road workers at the corner of Elizabeth Street and Flinders Lane.

Delaney then abused the guards and told them he was going to “smash” them, before they chased him away from the venue onto Elizabeth Street.

When they attempted to return to the footpath, Delaney “charged” at one guard “with what was obviously the makings of a haymaker punch”, Judge Tinney said, but was tackled by a road worker before reaching him.

Upon being released, Delaney sprayed the security guards with beer before being taken to the ground again by another civilian, biting

and kicking the guards in the process.

Three PSOs arrived during the altercation and began attempting to calm Delaney down, who was “voicing various racial abuse and some pretty disgusting and unpleasant taunts,” such as “bite that person’s nose off or rape that person’s mum or sister,” Judge Tinney said.

While resisting being handcuffed, Delaney bit two PSOs on the hand.

Delaney pled guilty in the County Court on Tuesday 31 May to two charges of recklessly causing injury, one charge each of affray, assaulting an emergency worker, and resisting an emergency worker.

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The guard and the PSO, whose skin was broken due to the bites, sought medical treatment for their wounds to prevent infection.

The PSO also sought “advice as to alterations to his lifestyle in the window of infection until given the all clear,” Judge Tinney said.

The victims did not provide impact statements as there was no indication of their injuries having a long-term impact.

Delaney’s guilty plea was accepted as a display of remorse by the Judge, who described the attack as “belligerent, unpredictable and aggressive”.

Continued page 2

By David Nagel Cranbourne is buzzing after local trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace joined the most illustrious honour-roll in racing with Gold Trip’s win in Tuesday’s $8 million Melbourne Cup. The Maher/Eustace stable - which relocated from Caulfield almost 12 months ago to the day - has been embraced as Cranbourne’s own after making the move to the Cranbourne Training Centre.

Cranbourne Turf Club CEO Neil Bainbridge said there was a real feeling of satisfaction at

the club after Gold Trip’s magnificent victory.

“It’s incredibly exciting and very rewarding, and not just for the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace stable,” Bainbridge said.

“It’s also fantastic for our staff and for the Cranbourne Training Centre, to have the Melbourne Cup winner trained at Cranbourne is a great result for all involved.

“It vindicates the level of investment and the hard work that our staff put in to deliver the best training centre in Australia.

“Gold Trip’s Melbourne Cup win was the seventh Group-1 win already this season,

which is a tremendous result, and we couldn’t be happier with how the relocating Caulfield trainers have settled in.

“From a Cranbourne community perspective, and Cranbourne brand, to have the Melbourne Cup winner stabled here locally is terrific for everyone really.”

Bainbridge said the club would now turn its attention to Saturday 12 November, and the running of the $500,000 Ladbrokes Cranbourne Cup. “We’re incredibly excited, Cranbourne Cup Day will be the richest raceday ever run in

Cranbourne, with close to $1.8million in prize money,” he said.

“The Ladbrokes Cranbourne Cup will be worth $500,000 and the first of our seven-year partnership with Ladbrokes…which we’r very excited about. “The spring carnival is the prime time for racing, and for us as a club to have a metropolitan Saturday meeting, on the first Saturday after the famous Flemington carnival, is a privileged opportunity and we’v got no doubt it will be an outstanding day.

“We strongly encourage everyone to come along and enjoy what will be a great day of rac ing and entertainment.”

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Can’t get no satisfaction

Station fix pleas

By Marcus Uhe

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Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS

Former Devon Meadows CFA Captain (left) Andrew Swain and current Captain Nathan Thorp. 294875 New emergency service stations in the region, such as the SES Unit coming to Cranbourne, or fire and police stations coming to Clyde, all had land acquired in the last 18 months.

Nathan Thorp, Captain of the Devon Meadows Fire Brigade, is wondering when they’ll be next.

“We are definitely forgotten about,” Mr Thorp said.

“The SES Unit coming to Cranbourne is going to be a huge help for the community and it’s going to take a lot of stress off of Narre War-

ren (SES Unit). Having that is going to be fantastic but it is a bit of a kick in the guts in a way.

“It’s funny how they have land and they have the money to do it and it’s like, how come we don’t? What went wrong under CFA, or how come we can’t do what they’re doing?

“Unfortunately with the amount of money we do need, there is no grant out there for us to actually go out there and build something.

“We need room to grow with the community in order to keep protecting it.”

Previous Captain Andrew Swain led the bri-

gade for 15 years before handing the reigns to Mr Thorp.

Of particular grievance to both the pr and current captain is the creation of a fiv year plan documented in 2010 that prior Devon Meadows CFA, but nothing came fruition.

Mr Swain accused authorities of playing politics when it came to funding distributions “It’s a big pond and we’re a little fish, said.

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Opposition fires up over IBAC report

Rising through the ranks

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Volunteers at the Devon Meadows Fire Brigade are reluctant to hang pictures in their Finsbury Road Fire Station due to the presence of asbestos in the wall.

It makes conducting maintenance and running repairs more difficult than it should be, due to the complications posed to health and safety.

The station, built by members in 1946, is two separate structures merged into one. The rear of the station, which houses the brigade’s vehicles, was once the Narre Warren Fire Station, but was given to Devon Meadows some 40 years ago.

With no off-street parking available on Finsbury Road, the 32 volunteers are forced to share two parking spaces at the front of the building and four at the rear, but may be required to move their cars if there’s difficulty getting the vehicles out in an emergency situation.

Their hose rack is forced into a narrow alley at the side of the building bordering the fence and can takes weeks to properly dry a hose, due to the lack of sunlight it attracts.

And like most suburbs in the ever-expanding South East of Melbourne, land is at a premium. The station borders the Devon Meadows Scout Hall and Glover Recreation Reserve, meaning there’s little room for an upgrade or expansion at the current site.

This means that volunteers are forced to change into their breathing apparatus and protective equipment next to the fire truck while it’s running in a small enclosed space and risk inhaling fumes from the truck as the engine starts, with the clock ticking in an emergency situation to get out the door as quickly as possible.

Despite numerous applications to the CFA for funding over the years, the brigade feel they have been left behind, having been rejected on the basis that there is a lack of money and land available.

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Call to restore jetties

Dogs after temporary homes

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Push for better phone service

Spooky season

By Marcus Uhe Petrol prices, cost of living pressures and the upcoming State Election are all scary topics.

But nothing compares to the display in Brooke McGowan Grills’ front yard to mark Halloween next week.

Last year she had the idea to decorate her Narre Warren North property to put a smile on faces during another difficult year marred by Covid-19.

It was so popular and well-received that she’s decided to repeat the initiative.

Story page 10

Narre Warren North’s Brooke McGowan Grills’ front yard Halloween display is ready for October 31. 304520 Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS

Landfill resumes

By Marcus Uhe The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) has granted Cranbourne landfill operator SBI a stay of the EPA’s licence suspension decision.

The stay means that SBI returned to accepting solid inert waste at their Ballarto Road facility on Monday 24 October.

It can continue to operate until a full hearing can be held, or until the outcome of its

merits review challenge to the suspension of its landfill operating licence is decided.

SBI’s operating licence was suspended by the EPA on Monday 3 October until 30 January 2023 due to significant and ongoing odour issues and compliance concerns.

The stay was granted on Thursday 20 October.

EPA chief executive Lee Miezis said the organisation did not agree with the decision.

“EPA opposed the granting of a stay of the

suspension decision and put a strong case forward about protecting the local community from harms caused at the site, but VCAT has granted one which effectively puts the suspension on hold until its broader merits can be decided in some months’ time,” Mr Miezis said.

“The step to suspend SBI’s licence was taken to ensure SBI would concentrate solely on fixing the issues that are still allowing odour to impact on the Cranbourne community.

“The VCAT decision means SBI can now

continue landfill operations at the Cranbourne West inert landfill but must operate in accordance with Victoria’s Environment Protection Act 2017.

“Our notices will ensure that remediation of the factors causing the odour still need to be acted on.”

SBI director Simon Williamson said they will continue to work “diligently” with the EPA to close out the existing improvement notices.

Continued page 10

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Richards reaps result rewards

Off-duty cop hero

By Marcus Uhe Paul Sedgewick, Leading Senior Constable at Cranbourne police station, isn’t comfortable with the labels of “hero” and “lifesaver”.

But Eddie Hennessy won’t have it any other way.

It was a Saturday night in late October at the Chelsea Heights hotel. LSC Sedgewick was there with his wife, and on the table next to him was Mr Hennessey, enjoying a live performance from Daryl Braithwaite and Russell Morris and conversing occasionally with fellow fans on neighbouring tables, as the performers began to wind down their act for the night.

As the crowd eagerly awaited a rendition of the timeless classic Horses, LSC Sedgewick felt a thud on his foot.

It was Mr Hennessey, who had suffered a medical episode, and fell across him on the way down to the floor.

“I sort of looked down as if to say ‘are you alright mate?’, because I thought maybe he’d tripped on the chair that was between us or something,” LSC Sedgewick said.

“Then I had a look and I realised straight away that no, he’s not okay, there’s something wrong here.”

Despite being off-duty on the night, immediately LSC Sedgewick swung into what he described as police mode.”

“I rolled him over because he landed facedown, and his colour was terrible. His whole face was blue-ish, grey, and I looked into his eyes and they were fixed, straight ahead, so I knew instantly there was something wrong.

“I rolled him onto his back and I checked for a pulse and to see if he was breathing, but I couldn’t find either.

“I looked up and there were people standing over watching and I said to someone, ‘ring 000 and get an ambulance’. I re-checked his pulse and still couldn’t find anything, so I

Tragic collisions

By Marcus Uhe Four separate road accidents across Melbourne involving motorcyclists on Friday 22 July, including a fatality in Narre Warren South, has Victoria Police concerned about relationship between riders and car drivers on the road.

A man died on Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road on Friday night after colliding with a car outside Casey Central Shopping Centre around 8.30pm, while earlier in the night another man also lost his life in Southbank after colliding with a truck.

Elsewhere, incidents involving motorcyclists in Clyde North and Hoppers Crossing resulted in critical and life-threatening injuries, respectively.

The two fatalities took the Victorian Road Toll to 140 as of Saturday 23 July, including 31 motorcyclists, an increase of six from the same period in 2021.

Superintendent Road Policing Operations and Investigation John Fitzpatrick described the increase as a “worrying trend”.

“So far this year we’ve lost 31 motorcyclists and I think it’s really important to understand that whilst we’re always talking numbers here, there are people behind these numbers, people and families,” Supt Fitzpatrick said.

“We talk about numbers but there’s people and families that are never going to have a loved one sitting around the table anymore.

“These figures are alarming and some of the anecdotal evidence that we see is that coming out of Covid-19, people aren’t used to sitting in traffic for long periods of time and they’re choosing a mode of transport that maybe is a bit, allows them to do that.”

Supt Fitzpatrick attributed a number of factors to the increase, including fuel prices, inexperienced riders, having seen more motorbikes on the road “than ever before”, and that some of the skills of experienced riders have “perished” due to a lack of travel in recent years.

Flowers at the site of a fatal collision on Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road on Friday 22 July. 291493 He said these incidents should serve as a reminder for drivers and riders that they have a “shared responsibility” on the road to understand their surrounds.

“What often occurs, and this we learn through our major collision area which I manage, is that we see collisions where that occurs and the car slightly changes lane, so there’s a collision with the bike into the side of the car as (the motorbike) lands, takes the mirror off, settles in and then he ends up cartwheeling.

“Once you’re flipping over, your chances of surviving that, through neck injuries, you can be wearing the best gear in the world but if you

hit something hard enough, you’re going to die, or you’re going to have such a traumatic injury that your life is never going to be same again. These are the things that we constantly see.

“We ask people to please be sensible about the way they drive and the way they ride motorbikes.”

The exact circumstances surrounding the collisions are yet to be determined and investigations remain ongoing.

Greater Dandenong Highway Patrol are appealing for witnesses to the Narre Warren South collision involving a red Toyota Camry

Picture: MARCUS UHE and a black Suzuki motorbike.

The bike was bearing the false plates ‘ROSTA’ and witnesses reported the bike was driving erratically prior to the collision, police said.

In what was a horror 24 hours on the roads, a man in his 40s died in Mount Waverley after his vehicle crashed into a pole on Huntingdale Road.

Anyone who witnessed the collisions or with dashcam footage or further information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at crimestoppersvic.com.au

Eddie Hennessey with the man he credits with saving his life, Leading Senior Constable at Cranbourne police station, Paul Sedgewick. 309881 Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS First-aid training is compulsory as part of police training and despite only performing it once before during his career in the force, a re-

12 STAR NEWS

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After a handful of compressions, there was life; Mr Hennessey begun to regain consciousness and composure, allowing LSC Sedgwick

partner, Niece, and MICA paramedics to arrive.

All the while, the show continued undis-

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2022 - THE YEAR THAT WAS ...

Memorable quotes of 2022 “They’ve talked about kids making fun of them at school because of their shaved head,” Angela McLoed said. “They said their comeback will be, ‘At least I’ve saved someone’s life.’”

Angela McLoed said her children, Tooradin youngsters Koby and Taj McLoed, had their responses ready as they anticipated being teased for having shaved heads. The kids raised more than $3500 for the Cancer Council after committing to shave their ‘iso-mullets’ in April.

“All my life, I have been able to move forward because someone has helped me. When you have the opportunity, you have to grasp it, you have to move forward yourself, but that initial leg-up is because someone has helped me.” Botanic Ridge’s Rod Grigson reflecting on a life that took him from socialist Sri Lanka, to New York, to the Middle East during war time and now to Cranbourne, as head of the Scribe Tribe at Balla Balla Community Centre.

“I didn’t realise that there was an invasion happening. I just thought, ‘I’m going to take these two numbnuts on.’” Cranbourne Father Russell Irwin was recognised with a Bravery Medal in March after saving a neighbour from a terrifying home invasion in February 2021.

He recalled his thought process at the time, revealing there was no hesitation at the idea of putting himself in the line of fire.

“If we give up, we’re giving up on everyone that lives in Devon Meadows and surrounding areas. Even Clyde, because we are a supporting brigade to these areas, we’ll be giving up on people who don’t deserve to be given up on.”

Devon Meadows Fire Brigade Captain Nathan Thorp has grown frustrated at the condition of the fire station in Devon Meadows.

“We’re (volunteers) putting in our own finances. We’ve lost sponsorships over the years and we’ve not had 20 per cent of our own income in the past couple of years. The people who did this don’t realise the human costs of their decisions.” Casey Comets Soccer Club president Dawn Stone was distraught after vandals damaged their facilities in February.

“I wasn’t (aware of the extent of my injuries) and I wasn’t until the day after I went home. I went to see my GP and I handed over my list

Russell Irwin at the fence he jumped to assist his neighbour, who was the victim of a home Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS invasion. 272248 of my injuries and she said, ‘Oh my god Kelly, you’re lucky to be alive, let alone talking.’”

Casey-Cardinia Triathlon Squad member Kelly Fitzgerald reflects on the day reality dawned on her of the extent of her injuries following a horrific accident on her bike. Ms Fitzgerald suffered 20 broken bones and underwent two surgeries to her upper spine before completing a half-ironman event in October 2022, less than a year after the incident.

“As a driver, I couldn’t fire back at the guy who was shooting at me, but it doesn’t get much more personal than that. All I remember seeing was this dragon’s tongue of red tracer from this vehicle behind me engaging this guy who was engaging me and he just disappeared in this pile of dust.” Iraq Veteran Stuart Couch recalls a frightening moment on the battlefield during his second tour when an insurgent began firing at him with an AK-47 machine gun.

“Some people are parking their car where they need to be hanging around there until they need to move again, just minimising travel as much as possible. Sadly, people are used to living on a shoestring and this just adds to that.” As the cost of living crisis continues to hit people where it hurts, Community Information and Support Cranbourne executive officer Leanne Petridis detailed the lengths that some of CISC’s clients are going to, ahead of the cut to the fuel excise in late September.

FOCUS ON … SCHOOL HOLIDAY ACTIVITIES

Come and experience Walhalla Goldfields Railway Spend an unforgettable day with the family at Walhalla Goldfields Railway.

Relax and take in the breathtaking views as the train winds its way through the spectacular Stringers Gorge on what is considered one of the country’s most picturesque rail journeys.

Departing the historic Walhalla Station on your one-hour journey you will travel through the station yards with the sheer, stunning cliff

face on one side and the winding Stringers Creek on the other side.

Winding through the gorge past Happy Creek Station on your way towards Thomson Station you cross seven bridges which in themselves are a marvel of engineering before reaching the spectacular Thomson River bridge.

Upon arrival at Thomson Station passen-

gers disembark and have the opportunity to peruse the station and surroundings before reboarding for your return journey.

For young train buffs, we also offer a Ride in the Cab Experience for a small extra fee. Get up front and experience a different perspective from the vantage point of the locomotive cab.

See the amazing track work and bridges and

chat to our knowledgeable crew along the way.

Make Walhalla Goldfields Railway your next family day out.

Trains depart Walhalla at 11am, 1pm and 3pm on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday weekly, and daily during school holidays.

Bookings can be made at walhallarail.com.au Call 5165 6280 for more information.

See the amazing track work and bridges.

Walhalla Goldfields Railway

OPEN WED/SAT/SUN

12586023-DL02-23

Trains operate 11am and 1pm

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Thursday, 12 January, 2023

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STAR NEWS 13

2022 - THE YEAR THAT WAS …

Bob and Billie in a 1968 Ford Fairlane at Akoonah Park Men’s Shed’s Car Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS Show. 278701

Extreme rain in October saw the Hallam Main Drain Reserve at Loxley Boulevard in Narre Warren South flood. 303403 Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS

David Short was frustrated at the state of the parks in Cranbourne in January, as long grass presented a fire risk to his property, and was unpleasant to look at. 264271 Picture: MARCUS UHE

Stories through photos Here at Star News we’re lucky to be able to call upon a number of brilliant photographers including Stewart Chambers, Gary Sissons and Rob Carew.

Here are some of their best snaps from throughout 2022, as well as a few from our reporters’ lenses, too.

Kilberry Valley Primary School student Xavier celebrates Tutu Day. 269687 Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS

Long grass in the City of Casey was a constant frustration for residents, as the council experienced issues with their contractors engaged to maintain parks, and battled extreme weather Picture: MARCUS UHE conditIons. 276978

Four-year-old Ashira admires the lanterns at the Lynbrook Lanterns Festival. 300437 Picture: ROB CAREW

How good is cricket? Carlisle Park Vikings wicketkeeper David Nutting could not believe an appeal didn’t go his way at Cardinia. 301442 Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS

Live music after the Cranbourne Cup in November. 307621 Picture: ROB CAREW 14 STAR NEWS

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Thursday, 12 January, 2023

Archibald Prize 2022 winner Blak Douglas with his winning portrait, Moby Dickens. The portrait was on display at Bunjil Place in September and October. 296976 Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS

Colin and his daughter Emily share a bacon and egg roll at a Fathers Day breakfast at Devon Meadows Primary School. 297063 Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS

The Indoor Cricket World Cup at Casey Stadium in October presented Picture: GARY SISSONS some challenges in staying hydrated. 302804

Families by Banjo Paterson Lake release their floating lotus candles onto the water at the Lynbrook Lanterns Festival in October. 300437 Picture: ROB CAREW cranbournenews.starcommunity.com.au

2022 - THE YEAR THAT WAS ...

NEWSMAKERS

Support flows for Ukraine

By Marcus Uhe From 14,000 kilometres away on the other side of the world, a primary school in Lynbrook did its part to support those caught in Ukraine crisis.

The community at St Francis de Sales Primary School threw its support behind Ukrainians through a student-led bake sale.

Grade five students Mia Figurek, Zoe Nguyen and music teacher Kristy Galea sold homemade cookies before school in April, with funds to go to the Ukraine Crisis Appeal, a collaboration between the Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations (AFUO), Rotary Australia World Community Service (RAWCS) and Caritas Ukraine - the largest Australian tax-deductible fundraising effort for Ukraine.

Mia’s family has Ukrainian heritage and she attends Ukrainian school at the Ukrainian Community Hall in Noble Park, while Ms Galea also has a personal connection to the country through her sister’s fiance.

“I was on car park duty and I knew that Mia is Ukrainian, and I asked her ‘what are we do-

Sadie Freni, Mia Figurek, Kristy Galea, Zoe Nguyen and Elijah McKay enjoying the bake sale at St Francis de Sales Primary School, Lynbrook. 274924 Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS ing for Ukraine?’” Ms Galea said.

“She thought about it and I gave her the suggestion of making some blue and yellow ribbons for fundraising and she came back to me and said, ‘I’d really like to do a bake sale.’”

On day one of the sale, they sold one batch of approximately 24 cookies in just two minutes.

The next day, they made a double batch,

but it still wasn’t enough to cater for the hungry cohort.

“There were kids walking off crying, so we had to reassess at the end of it,” Ms Galea recalled.

“Before we knew it I was making about 80 cookies a day and they (Mia and her younger sister Larisa) were making 40 each.

“Zoe came in the day after, one of (Mia) best mates.

“She got on board without asking and I just stood back, watched them and let them run it.”

To keep up with demand, the trio began receiving donations of ingredients from the school community for their iced sugar cookies, loaded cookies, cupcakes and more.

Mia’s after school routine involved making, rolling and cutting the cookie dough, baking the cookies and icing them in blue or yellow icing, the colours of the Ukrainian flag.

In the morning, she would be up at six to individually bag them in time for the sale to kick-off at 8.30am before school started, where her classmates would be eagerly awaiting with

gold coins to purchase a sweet treat.

While she enjoyed having the opportunity to support Ukraine, Mia said that at the time that she was looking forward to taking a break, with the stall closing for business on Friday 1 April.

“After these two weeks I feel like I’m going to quit baking because of how tiring it is,” Mia said.

“I felt really happy because people were supporting me.”

At the outset, the girls hoped to raise $1000 through their sales and other contributions from the St Francis community.

By the end of the two weeks, the initiative had smashed their initial target, raising $3100 which was presented to Stephan Romaniw, Co-Chair of the Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations on the last day of term one, Friday 8 April.

Ms Galea said the spirit of the initiative touched everyone across the school.

“I had a student who came and just dropped a bag of coins and walked off.”

FOCUS ON … DANCE, MUSIC AND DRAMA

Train with me in 2023

Fun times on the dance floor at Rockn’ Suzies.

Rockin’ the night away Rockn’ Suzies dance classes are starting their 20th year.

The teacher is Sue Dodson who danced and taught with Starr Belle dance studio for 19 years before starting a rock and roll class which originally started in Nar Nar Goon.

This is now the start of her 20th year of teaching rock and roll.

She has run classes in Nar Nar Goon, Berwick, Cranbourne, Morwell and Pakenham.

“And I still love teaching people how to dance,” Sue said.

“I believe that Rock and Roll is one of the easiest of the dance styles to master as it allows for lots of individuality.

“The classes are designed to be fun and easy to follow for those aged 10 upwards. Dancing is great for fitness, co-ordination, balance and memory, and many people form great friendships through the classes.

“I am now only teaching at Pakenham and Cranbourne.”

The Pakenham Class is held in the hall where the library is - corner of John and Henry Streets. The Cranbourne class is held at the Senior Citizens Hall - corner of Codrington Street and the South Gippsland Highway. Both of the nights have beginner and advanced rock ‘n’ roll classes open to all with no partner required.

They also include a special class at the end of the night for partners only to learn some of the different styles associated with rock ‘n’ roll which include swing, west coast, jive, triples, line and partner dances and cha cha. cranbournenews.starcommunity.com.au

Rockn’ Suzies also runs a monthly charity dance at the Pakenham Hall which has been running for 17 years now. A different band plays each month which everyone in the community is welcome and encouraged to attend.

For information call Sue on 5940 9791 or 0400 216 670.

Meet Kayla.

She is 10 years old and has been training at Cathy-Lea Studios for eight years. Her favourite classes are Ballet and Lyrical.

Kayla takes classes in Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Lyrical, Hip Hop, Contemporary, Commercial Jazz, Acrobatics and Ballet Variations.

She trains in the studio’s Elite Training Program which includes conditioning and skills classes.

Kayla received 100% for her Cecchetti International Grade 4 Ballet examination and 100% for her Bronze Star Jazz examination in 2022. She was awarded the Noelle Aitken Junior Encouragement Award from Cecchetti Ballet and she was selected for the elite Cecchetti Junior Scholars program.

Kayla is currently rehearsing with for State Youth Ballet Company’s production of “Alice in Wonderland”.

Kayla says the things he likes most about Cathy-Lea are that “The teachers challenge me and push me to be my best. I’m always learning new things.”

She wants to let people know that “classes are fun and everyone is really nice” and it is better than other studios in the area because it “offers a lot of different styles and

Kayla is currently rehearsing with for State Youth Ballet Company’s production of “Alice in Wonderland”. you can pick what you like”.

Kayla’s favourite event is the annual Cathy-Lea concert which is presented as a fully themed production with acting, singing and dancing. Kayla hopes you will come and dance with her at Cathy-Lea in 2023.

Visit cathy-lea.com to register for a free trial class and find out how you can dance with Kayla in 2023.

Train with us in 2023 Dance Music & Drama classes

Rock n Roll Classes Beginners & Advanced

•All ages •All abilities •Free trial classes •Fee discounts •Recreational classes •Pre-professional training •Ready Set Dance •VCE & VET Dance

Classes held at Cranbourne & Pakenham CRANBOURNE TUESDAY NIGHTS Starting 31st January at 7pm PAKENHAM WEDNESDAY NIGHTS Starting 1st February at 7pm $10 per night - No Partner required

Contact Sue on 5940 9791 or 0400 216 670

Creating stars since 1991

5/15-19 Vesper Dve, Narre Warren 9704-7324 office@cathy-lea.com www.cathy-lea.com

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Thursday, 12 January, 2023

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STAR NEWS 15

2022 - THE YEAR THAT WAS ...

NEWSMAKERS

Residents show off talents

By Marcus Uhe The residents at the Botanic Gardens Retirement Village in Cranbourne took the opportunity to showcase their incredible talents and celebrate the fruits of their lockdown labour with a hobbies, arts and crafts display.

Over the weekend of 26 and 27 February, the Village welcomed visitors to view all manner of creations, including woodwork, paintings, quilts, floral arrangements and so much more.

One display belonged to Alan Lazarus, who taught himself to play the harp 10 years ago and recorded his first CD during the pandemic.

“I took up music when I retired at 65 because my hobby used to be flying planes, but at 65 I couldn’t pass the medical,” Mr Lazarus said.

“When you get to our age, music exercises both sides of the brain and keeps you mentally alert, and it’s great fun, too.”

His debut album Footprints (Back in Time) features a combination of cover tracks and originals, inspired by artists such as American folk group Carter Family, Hiram, Hank Williams and Merle Haggard.

Mr Lazarus gave the crowd a sample of his talents with a live performance during the display.

He said the motivation of being able to return to the stage helped him get through the various lockdowns.

“When Covid-19 hit and we couldn’t get out anywhere, like most musicians everywhere, there was nothing going; we couldn’t play anywhere, so I just sat at home and started writing songs, and it turned out pretty well.

“It was hard at first but once you get used to the fact that it’s going to pass, so on the first

Rhae Nelson with her collection of beanies. 269241 day that we’re allowed to get out, I’ve still got to be able to get out and perform or something like that, so I spent most of my time just writing, rehearsing and practising stuff over and over again.

“It worked out okay.”

While vaccination jabs became our number one defence against the virus, Rhae Nelson was focused on needles of a different kind.

“I’m 91 and I’ve knitted all my life but I had never made a beanie until lockdown,” Ms Nelson said.

“I suddenly got inspired. I picked-up my needles and started, and I’ve done about 250 beanies since.

“It was just something different. I had stacks of wool, not enough to do anything with except make a beanie, so I did.”

She even held a beanie-fest and sold more

Peter Rabbit

Pictures: MARCUS UHE than 100 winter-warmers in July last year, with plans to match that tally or even exceed it at the next edition later in the year.

Tricia McGill used the time stuck in her property to get to work on novels number 21 and 22, Sweet Bitterness and When Destiny Calls.

When Destiny Calls drew inspiration from the pandemic, with the story beginning in the early stages of the outbreak in March 2020 as the world began to shutdown before the main character travels back to 1940 as bombs rained down on London during the Blitz.

While Ms McGill is accustomed to spending long hours at her computer, she said that she found isolation from the other residents to be the most difficult part of lockdown.

“For me, the only thing that I missed was

Alan Lazarus with his debut album Footprints (Back in Time). 269241 the social life that goes on here because we were in lockdown quite a bit,” Ms McGill said.

“For years, I spent an awful lot of my day just sitting at my computer, so to me, it’s just another day.

“The hardest thing was not being able to have contact with other people.”

She was blown away by the display and the brilliance of her community.

“I cannot believe that there’s so many clever people here, and this is marvellous because it’s given them the chance to show what they can do.”

You can listen to Footprints (Back in Time) on Spotify at open.spotify.com/ artist/6jX7uckeAIeyR0dCwyE3zZ To purchase one of Ms McGill’s novels, head to triciamcgill.com

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Rex name shame

By Mitchell Clarke Almost one year since alleged corruption was exposed within the City of Casey, a former councillor is still fighting to clear his name.

Former Springfield Ward councillor Rex Flannery, who resigned as deputy mayor just days before the State Government sensationally sacked the entire council in February 2020, says the events of the past 12 months are still “eating” him up.

He has now officially requested that his name is removed from both a councillor honour board in the customer service centre and a wall plaque in Bunjil Place.

“I have never had any involvement into this alleged corruption scandal and therefore I do not wish to have my name associated with past or former councillors who may have brought our City of Casey into disrepute,” he told Star News.

“People look at your name and they see that you’re from Casey Council and immediately they put you in that same mould, which couldn’t be further than the truth.

“It’s just horrible to have been a councillor in that term. It gives you a sickening feeling in your gut and now I have to live with that.“ Mr Flannery argues his name should never have been placed on the plaque celebrating the $126 million Bunjil development because at the time he didn’t support the project.

“I guess I’ve eaten a little bit of humble pie with Bunjil Place. I’ve been able to see the value that place brings to the community but at the time I was against the development and I wasn’t once consulted (about having my name included),” he said.

He also claims former ex-ward partner, Sam Aziz, stated to him that he “wished he never had my name added to the plaque”.

“That was the only time I agreed with him,” Mr Flannery said.

While Mr Flannery hasn’t accused any former councillor of committing wrongdoing, he said anyone found guilty from the IBAC hearing should immediately have their honours stripped.

“They need to have their plaques removed

Rex name shame Almost one year since alleged corruption was exposed within the City of Casey, a former councillor is still fighting to clear his name.

Final Stage

Rex Flannery, pictured in late 2015, wants his name stripped from council. 148005 from anywhere within the City of Casey ... whether it’s a plaque in the botanical gardens or in Bunjil Place, I want them removed so they have absolutely no recognition anymore,” he said.

“They’ve disgraced themselves and they’ve disgraced the council. They’ve taken something away from me that I totally enjoyed. I loved serving the Casey community. I just want some clarity as to what way it’s going to go.”

Since his resignation, Mr Flannery has been working in an operating theatre at a local hospital. He said he has every intention to run for council again in 2024.

Order now on aussietoysonline.com.au

Bunjil Place. associated with the 2016-20 term.”

Casey’s governance manager Rhys Matulis said: “Given the IBAC investigation, it would be inappropriate to comment on that matter. Council has received and will consider Mr Flannery’s request in due course.”

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“I want to get back into serving the community again. I want to run again and I want to get my name back on the honour board for the right reasons. At the moment it’s a dishonour board,” he said.

Star News understands Mr Flannery has put forward his request to be heard by the administrators at the next council meeting, slated for Tuesday 2 February.“It’s up to them now but a year later, this is still eating at me. I need closure and this is one way that I can get it,“ he said.

“I played no part in any downturn or sacking of the council and I feel it’s my duty to say that I don’t want to be a part of or in any way

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Thursday, 12 January, 2023

cranbournenews.starcommunity.com.au

2022 - THE YEAR THAT WAS ...

NEWSMAKERS

Complex in a stalemate

By Marcus Uhe Every time Sandra Le drives past the demolished site of the Hampton Park Food Market, she wonders what could have been.

As the owner of that block of land at 65 Hallam Road, Ms Le chose to demolish the market in April 2019, with plans to transform the rundown precinct into a brand-new multi-level complex complete with 117 apartments, office space, carparking and retail stores.

A planning permit was granted in April 2019 by the City of Casey, giving her the green light to do-away with the old setup.

But the proposal was withdrawn by Ms Le after struggling to lease retail vacancies to ‘blue-chip’ tenants, and commercial viability concerns with the apartments, forcing a rethink of how to use the land.

In September 2020, Ms Le, in consultation with her developers, submitted an amended proposal, this time minus the residential component, but maintaining two levels featuring retail and office tenancies.

Feedback from the City of Casey suggested the site did not align with the council’s Hampton Park Central Development Plan, forcing her to withdraw the application.

It leaves Ms Le in an awkward position; with no plans approved, she’s struggling to find an anchor tenant who will commit to investing in her development, leaving the site, a prime piece of real estate in the area, in its current state of inertia.

Ms Le believes the council want her to commit to her original plan of building apartments, but as the landowner, she doesn’t see that as a valid investment.

“People who work at the council, they don’t have developers to deal with, I have to deal

The site of the former Hampton Park Food Market at 65 Hallam Road. 299804 with that,” Ms Le said.

“And I’m not putting the blame on (the council), I’m just saying, from a developer’s point of view, if you can’t make project stack up, it’s just going to sit there.

“With the current market and the costs of construction, we can’t do it.

“I start doing the pre-sale and all that, and you know it’s going to cost you $300,000 to build something like that. If you don’t sell it for $500,000-600,000, why would you build it?

“It’s going to cost me $300,000 to build one apartment, and you tell me, can I sell it for $500,000 in Hampton Park? Probably not. People don’t think about that.”

Duncan Turner, Manager Statutory Planning and Building Services at the City of Casey, said the council had extended the time in

which the permit must be commenced, after it was due to expire in April 2022, because the applicant had not commended works on the site.

He confirmed the misalignment with the Hampton Park Central Development Plan, but said the amended request was withdrawn before the council could rule it out on those grounds.

“The Hampton Park Central Development Plan provides a strong vision and development framework for how the activity centre should grow and develop,” Mr Turner said.

Ms Le’s investment in the precinct dates back more than 20 years, including acquiring the block of land in 2006.

She’s passionate about the location and suburb and wants to do right by her custom-

Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS ers and feels that she has met the council’s requirements on multiple occasions, but fears a solution is out of reach, and is considering selling the land out of frustration and financial circumstances.

“It’s very frustrating. The amount of money I’ve spent, every time, to do a report is $20,00030,000. Traffic engineers, waste, we need a report for each one of them. Do you think that every time they want me to make a change that I don’t have to pay money?

“I’m probably going to lose (money) in the end because I’ve probably spent a million on planning over the years.

“I’m trying to find every opportunity to build something there.

“I can’t afford to spend another year doing all this work for the council to reject it.”

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STAR NEWS 17

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By Marcus

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There’s a new staff Primary member School this year, at Cranbourne portfolio with a of special and traum engagement, connectiv a support. eness But unlik doesn’t teache many of his colle any class or hand es, write agues, he out grade report cards s.

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Thursday, 12 January, 2023

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STAR NEWS 19

2022 - THE YEAR THAT WAS ...

NEWSMAKERS

Dogs find their way home

By Eleanor Wilson A Narre Warren woman had the local community to thank for the safe return of her two dogs from the Princes Highway on-ramp at Narre Warren in April this year.

Abbey Keys’ two rescue dogs Zues and Zena went missing in the early hours of Sunday 3 April; escaping after the back gate to her property was left open.

Ms Keys said she immediately launched a call-out on her social media pages, hoping locals may be able to help locate the dogs.

Thanks to the Facebook and Instagram posts, locals found Zues about 7am the same day, at the on-ramp to the Princes Highway inbound at Narre Warren, near the Mercedes Benz Berwick dealership.

“It was a relief to get Zues back, but I was also frantic because I had hoped they would have stayed together,” Ms Keys said.

Zena remained lost for the next seven days, but Ms Keys said online support continued to grow, giving her hope she would be reunited with the Rhodesion Ridgeback.

“I found all through the week [the posts] kept getting shared more and more.

“On Facebook every morning and night I’d comment a massive update about where I’d been looking and any sightings of her, and by the Monday or Tuesday we’d put out flyers around the neighbourhood,“ she said.

“By that point complete strangers were sharing my posts and I actually met someone who had seen my post and was also out looking for Zena.

“He suggested making a group chat so I could put out instant updates about the search,” she said.

Ms Keys the group chat grew to about 80 group members, all actively searching for her missing dog.

“Throughout the week we actually ended up finding about six or seven dogs that weren’t Zena but were also lost,” she said.

After several sightings, Zena was eventually reunited with her emotional owner on the morning of Sunday 10 April.

“All morning from 5am until 9:30am we were in the area Zues was found, on car and on foot and eventually we just thought let’s just sit here and hope for the best,” she said.

“Zeus’ ears pricked up at around 10am and I heard some movement and I looked to my left and I called ‘Zena’ really softly and she just naturally came toward me.”

Ms Keys said she was “overwhelmed with relief” to be reunited with her canine friend, after spending over 12 hours each day for the last week looking for her.

“The week has just been a blur and I’ve just been in adrenaline mode so the relief to see her and have her in my arms, you can’t put a price on it,” she said.

With both dogs’ health given the tick of approval from vets, Ms Keys said she hopes to organise a meet and greet to thank community members who helped over the seven day search.

“I’ve had hundreds of messages from people who have been searching for Zena, or just wishing us well, it’s been really heart warming,” she said.

“We want to do a little picnic so the people who have been so dedicated to finding Zena can actually meet her. It’s the least I can do, there’s nothing I can do or say to repay them.”

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SPORT

Brilliant Bellasario

By Michael Floyd Jayne Davies has capped off her first season training at the Cranbourne Harness Racing centre in the best way possible – winning at Group 1 level.

Her four-year-old pacer Captain Bellasario was rated a $16 chance to claim the season ending $130,000 Vicbred Super Series at Melton on New Year’s eve and was given the perfect drive from Jack Laugher settling one out one back from barrier four.

Shuffled back a place in the running line following a mid-race move by second favourite Act Now, Laugher timed his run to perfection to win by a half neck.

“It’s a great thrill, a really good surprise,” said Davies.

“From the draw he was a little bit of chance.

“We were going to run the gate and see if we could get across, but if not we were going to slot in pretty quickly.

“He was probably going to be up nice and handy, and he’s got great closing sectionals so we thought he was a little bit of an each way chance.”

It was the 14th Group 1 win of Davies’ decorated career and first for many seasons.

Davies is bullish about Captain Bellasario’s future prospects, though she plans on remaining patient with him.

“You do miss not getting those Group 1s… that’s for sure,” she said.

“It’s taken a little while, but this horse I think can go pretty far.

“He’s just got great speed and he’s really matured in the last six months.

“He has strengthened up a fair bit, he was a little bit weak as a two and three year old but now he’s really started to develop and fill out.

“If he settles in his races I think he can go a fair way, (But) we’ll just work through our classes.

“He’s still on a pretty low mark so there’s still a couple of races he can win in town before he has to take on the big boys so we’ll just take him along and introduce him to the real top liners slowly and see how he goes.”

It was a spectacular finish to Davies’ first season operating at the Cranbourne Harness Training Complex, winning 18 races from just 61 starters with another 20 filling the minor placings.

“The facilities here are good, you’ve got the treadmill, the pool, a couple of tracks, so maybe it’s the change in scenery,” she explained.

“They had a good break before they came back into work and they’ve all fired up a bit.”

By Jonty Ralphsmith

Cranbourne trained Captain Bellasario digs deep to claim the $130,000 Vicbred Super Series at Pictures: STUART MCCORMICK Melton on New Year’s Eve. 314777

Driver Jack Laugher and trainer Jayne Davies, middle right, celebrate their Group-1 victory at Melton. 314777

Cobras set to strike as run home begins

By David Nagel The top four take on the bottom four in oneday action this week as the Casey Cardinia Cricket Association (CCCA) Premier Division returns from a holiday hiatus…beginning the run home to finals.

But, despite the disparity on the ladder, all four matches have the potential to be absolute rippers.

The most intriguing match takes place at Donnelly Reserve where last-start winner Merinda Park will look to dislodge an out-of-form Cardinia from the top four.

The Cobras rode the brilliant form of their best player of the last decade, Dan McCalman, to victory over Carlisle Park just prior to Christmas, while the Bulls continued a worrying trend against Kooweerup.

After winning their first two games, the Bulls have now won just one of their last six to sit tenuously inside the top four.

The Bulls have a pretty good run home, playing the bottom-four in their last five games, but lose this one and they’ll potentially be playing an unwanted catch-up game for the remainder of the season.

While McCalman, the second highest runscorer this season, has held the Cobras together, the Bulls have had no-one put their hand up as a consistent performer.

Bradey Welsh has been the Bulls’ best with cranbournenews.starcommunity.com.au

Swannies start new year in style Casey-South Melbourne has kicked off 2023 with an easy eight-wicket win over lowly Frankston-Peninsula.

Nicholas Taranto and Vishesh Bansal gave Frankston-Peninsula a sturdy base with a 97-run opening stand after being sent in to bat.

The Swannies were able to stem the tide once part-time spinner Lachie Sperling broke through for the first wicket.

Luke Shelton led the way with three wickets, while opening bowlers Jackson Fry and Nathan Lambden got among the wickets in their later spells.

Set 243 for victory, Luke Manders passed 50 for the third consecutive match, playing at his free-flowing best, hitting 12 boundaries in his knock of 68 off 40.

Victorian representative Ash Chandrasinghe was back amongst the runs for his home club, building his innings sturdily and remaining unbeaten on 91 off 142 when his team chased down the total in the 47th over.

It was a well-controlled run-chase to kick off 2023 for the Swannies, with Ruwantha Kellapotha again batting at three and going at a good clip in his innings of 33, before Harrish Kannan finished unbeaten on 41.

Will Carr’s men next week have a tantalising clash with Prahran, which this week was too good for Dandenong.

Stalwart Brett Forsyth combined with Sahn Perera for an important top-order partnership but both were dismissed before they could capitalise on their hard early work.

Joshua Slater’s 34 off 42 balls, late in the innings, kept the scoreboard ticking along, getting the Panthers to 5/256.

Needing 23 off the last 24 with four wickets in hand, Dandenong still had a sniff but Prahran soon had control of the run-chase winning with seven balls to spare.

Ben Allison and Matthew Wilson were the picks of the bowlers; both picked up two scalps, with Allison nabbing the big wicket of Damon Egan for 92, while Matthew Wilson’s last two overs yielded figures of 1/6 to open it up for Dandenong.

Their loss keeps them at the bottom of the table ahead of a clash with Geelong next week.

Dandenong’s women, meanwhile, fared batter, beating Ringwood for the second time in a month.

Linsey Smith got her time off to a solid start after opting to bat first before Melbourne Stars listed player Lucy Cripps came in at five and played a busy 70 off 81.

An 87-run partnership between Cripps and Jemma Reynolds closed out the hosts’ innings ang got them to a score of 6/243, which was easily defended.

Poppy Gardiner opened the bowling and claimed three wickets, while Hannah Merrett, Emma Gallagher and Grace Wrigglesworth picked up two apiece as Ringwood was bowled out for 102.

Up and about! The Cobras are just one win away from the top four. 311881 Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS 204 runs to his name.

This one could come down to a battle of the off-spinners, with Cobras’ lefty Sasindu Perera (16 wickets) and talented Bulls’ all-rounder Trav Wheller (15 wickets) both in terrific form.

The Cobras prevailed the last time the teams met in round five…and expect them to salute again and move into fourth place.

In other games this week, Officer host neighbours Pakenham in what is sure to be a

robust contest at Starling Road, while reigning champion Tooradin should bolster its top-two credentials on an away trip to Carlisle Park.

And Clyde, last start winners against Pakenham, will look to claim its second huge scalp in a row when the Cougars host Kooweerup at Ramlegh Reserve.

TIPS (In Capitals): Clyde v KOOWEERUP, MERINDA PARK v Cardinia, Officer v PAKENHAM, Carlisle Park v TOORADIN.

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Ash Chandrasinghe played a graceful innings for Casey South Melbourne on Picture: ROB CAREW Saturday. 266416 Thursday, 12 January, 2023

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STAR NEWS 21

SPORT

Summer stars shine bright With half of the Dandenong District Cricket Association season already under the belt, Star News journalist JONTY RALPHSMITH names his best XI from the Turf 2 competition.

Tyler Clark 1 (Beaconsfield): Has formed an ultra-sturdy righthand, left-hand opening combination with skipper Mark Cooper at the top of the order, putting a high price on his wicket which has him as the top Turf Two run-scorer to date. Is yet to be dismissed cheaply, with a century and three scores above 40 to his name already this season. Not only has he himself scored runs, but his untroubled defence and unflappable nature has helped Beaconsfield bat big this season, others often cashing in on a fatiguing bowling line-up.

Dishan Malalasekera 2 (Parkfield): The sole player who has scored 50+ on three occasions makes Malalasekera a lock - despite also getting out for less than five in his other three hits. A calm strike rotator, it’s no coincidence that two of those half-centuries have led to Parkfield’s only wins of the season to date. Against a strong Cranbourne attack, he played an important hand either side of a frustrating rain delay, and in his final dig of 2022, Malalasekera guided the Bears’ run chase against Keysborough to lift Parkfield off the bottom of the table.

Brent Patterson (Heinz 3 Southern Districts): Like when AFL All-Australian selectors put midfielders on the wing, or when national cricketing selectors bulk Australia’s middle order up with top order BBL hitters, the perennial riddle when selecting these sorts of teams is getting players in their correct position. It’s true that Patterson opens for Heinz Southern Districts (HSD) but he fits in nicely at number three as a player that takes it up to the bowlers with more free-flowing scoring and boundary hitting than the top two. All five of his digs have yielded scores between 27 and 50, including two unbeaten knocks, underlining his consistency.

Ashan Madushanka 4 (Beaconsfield): Madushanka, said to be a quiet, unassuming character around the Beacy changerooms, he slots in nicely at first drop for his club and has multiple gears he’s able to go through. Doesn’t get many opportunities early given the strength of the opening partnership, but when he did against Keysborough on a quick outfield, he capitalised. Got 96, before getting royally barbecued, but he set up the game in the same way a century would. Loves a cover drive and is technically sound, which

Peter Sweeney has done it with both bat and ball this season. 225294 he showed in that knock and a couple of other cameos throughout the season.

Himesh Galhenage Don 5 (Lyndale): As much as for his statistical output, Galhenage Don earns a spot on the list for the fear factor he injects into opposition line-ups with his crisp ball-striking. All you need to do is listen to how high a price the other Turf Two teams place on his wicket. After a quickfire 77 against Cranbourne, the hard-hitter got a century off 29 balls against Keysborough, and for good measure got 32 at a strike rate of better than 200 against HSD to finish the year.

Doesn’t need long to take the game away from the opposition and if he doesn’t go big he goes home, so you know you’ll get entertainment if you watch him.

Peter Sweeney 6 (Cranbourne): This list wouldn’t be complete without at least one Sweeney. Seems ridiculous to have him so low in the batting order given his forceful reputation with the blade, but Sweeney is more so in this particular side because of his tight left-arm orthodox bowling. Leads the wickets tally in Turf Two with 19, nabbing multiple scalps and bowling essentially his full complement of overs in all but one game.

With the Cranbourne quicks under-delivering at times in the early rounds of the season, his ability to slow things up and get through the middle overs has taken on a new importance.

Perhaps the batting hasn’t had the consistency of some other years, yet he remains in the top

15 run scorers in the competition, demonstrating the high benchmark he sets.

Triyan De Silva (Heinz 7 Southern Districts): There was much intrigue about how Triyan would fare in 2022-23 after THAT game last season and although he’s yet to replicate that, De Silva has still been a picture of consistency for HSD – and he deserves extra points given his team is yet to play at home yet!

Whether with bat or ball, De Silva has always done what his team needs of him. Has 172 runs at 57 including a half-century and 10 wickets at 20 including a five-fa.

Matt 8 Collett(Cranbourne): Started as opener for Cranbourne before being utilised further down the order, to good affect against Lyndale and Narre Warren when he made 37 and an unbeaten 34 respectively. A dangerous striker, he deepens Cranbourne’s batting order but is this season yet to have that big score that he often threatens to get. Regardless, his impeccable keeping exceeds the level and in itself warrants selection.

He has six catches and two stumpings so far.

9

Ryan Hendy (Doveton):

Multiple opposition teams have highlighted that Doveton is a unique team to face and Hendy, a tweaker, opening the bowling is part of the reason why.

In a down-and-up first part of the season for Doveton, where players were in and out for various reasons, Hendy led Doveton’s resur-

Picture: STAR NEWS gence. He got 14 of his 15 wickets, including two five-wicket hauls in the last three games of 2022, and it’s no coincidence that is when Doveton started to look like a team capable of winning. 5/15 off 12 against Parkfield was the highlight and in the last game of the season, he got five wickets, and bowled 12 of the 30 overs, which nearly saw Doveton defend less than 100 against Lyndale.

Ryan Patterson (Heinz 10 Southern Districts): Started off the season in sensational fashion, albeit against an understrength Doveton, picking up five wickets, and he’s remained the leader of the bowling attack since then. Is captain Craig Hookey’s trusty first change bowler, picking up at least one wicket each game and multiple wickets on all but one occasion. His economy rate of 3.58 doesn’t jump off the page but it’s more than handy given he often bowls at the death. The ability to close down an innings late was on show in his last game of 2022 when he picked up three late wickets - and four in total - against Lyndale.

Jake Cutting 11 (Beaconsfield): A somewhat left-field selection given he has only five wickets, Cutting earns a spot for his dependability. His skipper knows he can lock the opening bowler in for seven economical overs – he’s yet to concede more than 25 runs in a spell – because he puts the ball in challenging areas. In a league dominated by spinners, Cutting’s seam-up options, although not express pace, are a crucial ingredient for Beaconsfield.

Cranbourne chasing momentum in run home to finals

By Jonty Ralphsmith Cranbourne will be desperate to inject some momentum into its spluttering season when Dandenong District Cricket Association (DDCA) play returns on the weekend.

Mick Sweeney’s men take on third-placed Heinz Southern Districts at Casey Fields on Saturday, and while Cranbourne need a win, HSD will also be searching for victory.

A positive result for Craig Hookey’s men would see them start the season 4-2 before they’ve even played a home game, and thus well-placed to make finals once again.

One-time England test player Darren Pattinson’s first DDCA game for Doveton will be at home against Keysborough.

There are expected to be more inclusions for Doveton, the club declaring they will be a better side after Christmas.

The match-up against Christo Otto and company will be an intriguing one: Keysy 22 STAR NEWS

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Thursday, 12 January, 2023

Keysborough will hope Yohan Arumadura and his teammates prove too strong for Doveton.

311886 Picture: ROB CAREW have shown they can score runs, and will be desperate to do so again so they can lift themselves off the bottom of the ladder.

But Doveton’s bowling line-up has surprised a few teams – they’re yet to score more than 114, have won two games, and

nearly upset Lyndale.

A win for Doveton well and truly primes them to make a fist of making finals, while a loss for Keysborough could see it lose touch with the rest of the competition.

A Keysborough loss would be particularly detrimental if Parkfield can get up against second-placed Lyndale at Barry Powell Reserve.

Lyndale will be looking to affirm its spot among the top teams of Turf Two while Parkfield will want to win to keep themselves closer to top four talks than relegation.

In particular, the imposing Matthew Goodier, who played just twice before Christmas, missing the early rounds, is one player to keep an eye on as he’ll look to contribute to a positive result for Parkfield.

Beaconsfield, meanwhile, will look to continue its unbeaten start to the season against Narre Warren at home. cranbournenews.starcommunity.com.au

SPORT

The ultimate Backyard XI

By Jonty Ralphsmith Light’s fading, the temperature’s cooling, your feet feel tight and crusty from the dried saltwater and the barbie is heating up. Dad’s knocking back a cold one, the kids are having water fights and Mark Howard’s voice is reverberating around the backyard as the Melbourne Renegades capitulate again. But you’re oblivious to all that because you’re smashing the worn backyard cricket bat into the ground poised to launch the half-taped tennis ball into the bushes for a boundary.

Nothing brings family and friends more fun under the gushing January sun than a juicy match of backyard cricket and - with plenty of battles sure to happen in holiday season - we’ve profiled the stereotypical backyard XI.

1

The Wannabe

This is the player that would have taken the first paragraph seriously and has zoned in for the day. He plays fourth XI club cricket and has brought out his Gray Nicholls Kaboom and gloves, undoing them and redoing them after every ball. Much like Ash Chandrasinghe at Casey South Melbourne, he wants to build an innings, play risk-averse cricket and not expand until he has his eye in an hour later. Might be technically sound but saps the life out of the fun.

2

Where did it all go wrong?

For this person, that is the perennial question. They’re convinced that if they didn’t get injured as a local junior, then overlooked as a clubbies senior player, it might just have been them in the test arena – and they don’t mind sharing their own anecdotes either. If South Africa had six good batters, they would have won the test series too, champ.

3

Shirt-optional operator

Often a teenager or someone in their early 20s, this guy, who himself might be an elite athlete in his own sport, hasn’t been putting in hours in the gym for nothing. They want your eyes and the camera lens on their chiselled body. Tis the season to show off. Hopefully they have cricket skills to boot.

4

The Lad

This is the guy we should aspire to be like. He’ll scull his drink between balls, scoff a banger when he’s fielding, and when he’s batting he’ll play high-risk, high-fun, high-tempo cricket to keep the game moving.

Who dominates the backyard cricket match at your place? 314951 He might even take a catch and allow someone else a hit. Realises that backyard cricket is about spirit, not a fierce battle between blade and ball.

5

Marnus Labuschagne

The bundle of energy who appeals for everything, initiates the banter, and puts his body on the line in the name of fun. It’s almost as entertaining watching them live their best life as it is playing the game itself.

6

So how do you play?

For this person, the annual backyard cricket match is their only interaction with the sport for the year. They hate the sport.

“I’d prefer to watch paint dry,” they’re heard saying when the workplace discussion turns to cricket a week later. It’s a drag to get them to play, and often they’re just occupying a fielding position to feel part of the camaraderie. They don’t really want to bat and there’s always the option not to go for a catch if it comes to them because they don’t know that brings about a wicket. What’s a wicket?

7

Mr Greedy This is the player that bathes in their

own self-importance; obsessed with being the protagonist. They’ll push to the front of the bowling queue. Push people out of potent positions so they can get the catch. Barbecue you when they’re batting. Refuse to get the ball they’ve recklessly smashed over the fence. And once their innings is over, expect them to get out of the baking heat and provide some armchair analysis for the BBL rather than remaining in their own family game.

8

Can I have a bowl?

Similar to number four but this person is here for a good time, not a long time. The bowling queue doesn’t apply to this person, often an older family member or younger sibling because they just want to bowl a couple of balls before the game proper resumes. It’s always controversial if they get a wicket with one of those deliveries, though – does it count?

9

Wicket-hunter

This is the player that is just desperate to have a bat. They come in two primary types: the one who keeps wicket as much as possible, selfishly wanting to take a

Picture: SUPPLIED catch and capitalise on the riches of someone else’s quality bowling; or they’ll bowl themselves, requesting an auto-wicky knowing that means they’ll get a bat if someone snicks off.

This is also the person who might pull out the Marlyebone Cricket Club rulebook to exploit a rule or clarify something in backyard cricket.

10

‘I’ve still got it’

11

The apprentice

After pulling off a one-handed blinder or clobbering a reverse sweep, they’re still bragging about it at the pub three hours later. They’ll use their achievement over the group forever and a day and reckons it entitles them to a free schooner. Cue a ding from the group chat next time a batter skies a ball or fielder drops a catch on tele: “I would have done better.”

The youngest member of the group, this player is just happy to be included in the fun. Sport is said to promote self-esteem and this person visibly comes out of their shell as the game goes on, providing positive vibes in their blissful youth.

Junior Sedans State title up for grabs at Nyora Raceway

By Dean Thompson A huge weekend of speedway action kicks off at Nyora Raceway on Saturday night with the Victorian title for Speedway Sedans Victoria Juniors up for grabs.

Junior Sedans is the co-main event alongside with the Miles Cup for Standard Saloons while the Compact Speedcar and Mini-Lightning Sprint classes will compete in points or series events also.

With the national titles for Junior Sedans just completed in Mount Gambier, South Australia, many of the star performers have turned their attention to the Victorian title this weekend.

Nominations include Harry Cecil, Nathan Miles, and Logan Mair, all Nyora club members, while Linken and River Paterson - who have been the standout drivers of the class at Alexandra and Nyora - are also entered.

Aidan Rigby from Queensland, the new national champion, is amongst the entrants as is Kurtis Peall whom finished in fifth place at Nationals.

Standard Saloon action for the Miles Cup, in recognition of the Miles family involvement with Nyora Raceway over many years, will attract a stout line-up of all of Nyora’s best drivers including the Miles brothers themselves Mark, Chris, Andrew, and Jay, while Brodie Ardley, Rhys Lansdown, Bradley Hill are other competitors that should be up cranbournenews.starcommunity.com.au

Recent winner Mike Conway will provide plenty of action in the Compact Speedcars at Nyora Raceway. 314873

Nathan Miles from Catani will be chasing a Victorian title in the Speedway Sedans Victoria Juniors at Nyora Raceway on Saturday night. 314873 Pictures: LOUISE NAPIER/NAPIER PHOTOGRAPHY front battling for victory.

Compact Speedcar racers are keen to get back on track and Michael Conway, after a recent victory at Swan Hill, is expected to figure at the front of the field up against the likes of Justin Paull the current national champion, his sister Tanya Hallett, Chris Curren and others.

Jason Alie from Kooweerup is expected to be ready to go this Saturday night in the Mini-Lightning Sprints after putting his race car back together after a rollover at Wangaratta in December.

Ally Moore, Maureen Sell, Andrew Burleigh and Harley and Luke Graham are all ready to go.

Ladies Standard Saloons complete the programming for Saturday night with Ally Moore the Victorian champion and Trish Dike going to battle once again.

Racing begins at 4pm at Grundy Avenue Nyora at the recreational reserve.

Admission is $25 for an adult ticket, cheaper price if you buy an online ticket following procedures on the club’s website or social media page. Cost is $15 for Aged and Disabled Pensioners, Teenagers 12 to 16 costs $15.

Also, and kids zero to the age of twelve are free. Two Adults and two teenagers can combine for a family ticket costing just $60.

Thursday, 12 January, 2023

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STAR NEWS 23

VISIT OUR VIRTUAL SCHOOL TOUR TODAY Our virtual school tour allows you to experience Berwick Lodge Primary School spaces as though you are physically there.

Using emerging technology, we have mapped spaces across the school to create 3D tours and 360-degree walkthroughs.

Immerse yourself in the spaces, move around, explore and look out for LODGIE BEAR along the way.

For more details visit: www.berwicklodgeeps.vic.edu.au Please call for your personal tour.

Berwick Lodge Primary School welcomes out of neighborhood enrolments.

Kevin Heinze Best School Garden Award 2018 P: 9709 6700 F: 9796 2198 E: berwick.lodge.ps@edumail.vic.gov.au Visit our website to check out the virtual tour www.berwicklodgeps.vic.edu.au 12562956-DL35-22

24 STAR NEWS

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Thursday, 12 January, 2023

cranbournenews.starcommunity.com.au