Star Weekly - Brimbank North West - 18th April 2023

DIGITAL EDITION

Let the good times roll on

Brimbank children have been making the most of school holiday programs. Several programs and fun activities were held across the municipality last week and there’s plenty more on this week to fill in the spare time.

Among the activities last week was some skating fun at Watergardens Shopping Centre, while ‘Pass-the-Parcel’ was a walk through creative experience providing cool ideas and assistance to local shoppers and their children in Deer Park.

■ For more photos from the two programs turn to page 10-11.

Premier mum on rail plan

By Tara Murray

The immediate future of the Melbourne Airport Rail is unclear with Premier Daniel Andrews refusing to say whether work on the project would be paused.

Reports emerged on Saturday, that the project along with the Geelong Fast Rail would be put on hold due to budget concerns.

The state and federal governments have both committed $5 billion to the project, with $700 allocated to the project in last year’s state budget for early works.

Aspartoftheraillink,therewillbeupgrades to the Sunshine train station precinct to make it a transport superhub, upgrades to Albion station, the construction of Keilor

East station and the construction of a station at Melbourne Airport.

Mr Andrews was questioned on Sunday about the reports and whether the project would be postponed.

“The budget will be delivered at the end of May and the federal budget in the intervening period and we will have much more to say on different infrastructure projects then,” he said.

“It’s clearly listed in the budget last year and the year before, I’ve got no announcements to make about airport rail to make today. If and when I have anything to say about airport rail or any other infrastructure project, then of course I’ll so that.“

A Victorian government spokesperson said that any decisions about federal government

fundingof infrastructure projects inVictoriais a matter for them.

“Just as all Victorians are facing cost of living challenges with rising interest rates and inflation, the Victorian budget will also take into account current economic conditions,” the spokesperson said Federal Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Minister, Catherine King said that the Australian government is continually working with the statesandterritoriesontheirprioritiesandthat decisions will be made in line with the usual budget processes.

Despite concerns about the project, work is continuing at SRL Airport sites.

John Holland, CPB, KBR and AECOM have

been selected as the preferred contractor to deliver the Sunshine Systems Alliance works package to transform Sunshine station, rebuild Albion station, and build twin tracks between Sunshine and the Albion-Jacana corridor, including the elevated rail bridge.

Moonee Valley mayor Pierce Tyson, said that cancelling this project would drive a knife through the heart of the local community and is calling for a meeting with the state government. As of 9am Monday, Brimbank council was yet to make any comment.

The delaying of the Geelong Fast Rail could potentially affect Brimbank commuters, with rail part of the larger Western Rail Plan, which includes the electrification of train lines out to Melbourne.

Kayla, Summer, Naya, Maddie, Natalie, Narej, Andreas and Charlotte enjoy the roller rink. (Jacob Pattison) 328488_08

Go FOGO and stop food going into landfill

Ordering a food organics and garden organics bin, also known as a FOGO bin, is one simple way you can help protect the environment.

Council’s organic processor collects Brimbank’s food waste and garden clippings, and converts it into nutrient rich compost for agriculture and gardens.

Join about 45,000 Brimbank households who are already using this opt-in service and reducing their waste to landfill.

They are helping us fight the biggest issue facing the world today – climate change.

The annual charge for this optional service is:

• $93.79 for a 140 litre FOGO bin, or

• $102 for a 240 litre FOGO bin. Sign up online and receive a kitchen caddy (while stocks last).

For more information visit brimbank.vic.gov.au/greenwaste or call 9249 4000

Mill stars in new film

A new film which documents the history of the Black Power Mill has been created.

The film was unveiled last week at the Sunshine library to members of the Friends of the Black Powder Mill and Sunshine District Historical Society.

Society who was part of the team that saved the mill, said they produced and circulated a brochure urging residents of Melbourne’s west to resist the demolition.

Brimbank residents, ratepayers and business owners are invited to join Brimbank Community Voice, to share their views and ideas with Council and help shape Brimbank’s future.

Brimbank Community Voice will be a group of community members and businesses who have registered to take part in Council surveys, workshops, focus groups, discussions and more. As a member, you’ll be the first to hear about upcoming consultations and opportunities to have your say, and most importantly, you’ll help us

Electrify everything for a healthy, safe future

Be part of a clean energy future by moving your home to all electric.

Heating, cooling, hot water, cooking, bicycles and cars – all electric is healthy, cheaper and cleaner to run.

Everyone can enjoy the performance leaps electric appliances have taken over the past few years. Visit brimbank.vic.gov.au/ events to learn about four online webinars in May offering great tips from experts.

All Electric Home Webinar by Renew 2May

Behind the Scenes Renewable Energy Tour of the Brimbank Aquatic and Wellness Centre 6May

Energy in the Community Webinar by Renew 20May

Home Energy Efficiency workshop at Sunshine Library 27May

Brimbank community voice

design and deliver services that meet community needs.

No special knowledge or experience is needed, and no minimum time commitment is required.

Registrations close at midnight on Friday 5 May 2023.

To learn more or join Brimbank Community Voice, visit yoursay. brimbank.vic.gov.au/brimbankcommunity-voice

People of Brimbank Podcast

Just like the name suggests – People of Brimbank is a series of community stories from local people living, studying or working in Brimbank.

In this podcast series, eight community members share their diverse life experiences, their community involvement and why community is so important to them. Visit brimbank.vic.gov.au/news-and-events/ podcast-people-brimbank to listen.

Business workshops

Council offers a variety of workshops and networking events at no charge for local businesses. Learn how to use social media platforms including Instagram, TikToK and LinkedIn to promote your business. Get advice on setting up an online store. These are just a few of the workshops available in the first half of 2023. Visit iharvestcoworking. com.au to learn more.

Film director Stefan Raabe told the documentary captured the spirit and story of the people who saved the mill, which is located in Cairnlea, from demolition.

Raabe said the storyline of the film is about a group of people who came together in 2000 to form Friends of the Black Power Mill and defended a physical memorial piece of the history of Melbourne’s west.

“The film is about the people who stopped thecouncilfromdemolishingthemill,”hesaid.

The mill survived demolition the friends group mobilised the community to pressurise Brimbank council to withdraw a demolition notice it had issued in 2000.

Olwen Ford, a member of the Historical

“When a demolition notice was issued, we produced a brochure about the story of the mill which made people to realise its importance and objected to the demolition,” said Ford, who also attended the show.

The Cairnlea mill worked overtime to provide gunpowder for the war effort from 1942 to 1944, and its tower is the last remaining of some 400 buildings demolished at the Albion site as it transformed into the modern day suburb of Cairnlea.

The mill ceased munitions operations after thewarbutcontinuedoperatingmanufacturing other products.

The building was recognised in 2017 as a heritage site.

Cr Jae Papalia 0437838710 CrPapalia@brimbank.vic.gov.au

Cr Ranka Rasic (Deputy Mayor) 0437861296 CrRasic@brimbank.vic.gov.au

Cr Virginia Tachos 0428915671 CrTachos@brimbank.vic.gov.au

Sibanengi Dube

Saving Black Powder Mill director Stefan Raabe with members from the Friends of the Black Powder Mill Group: Noel Tozer, Ian Rae and Olwen Ford. (Damjan Janevski) 328935_01

New ambulance station open

By Sibanengi Dube

A new ambulance station in Taylors Lakes is finally opened.

The station which was funded by the state government in 2016, was officially opened by Ambulance Services Minister Gabrielle Williams earlier this month.

The new 24-hour station includes a four-bay garage for ambulances, four areas for our hard-working paramedics to rest and recuperate, training facilities, a fully equipped kitchen and improved security and

car parking to make sure paramedics are safe.

The station is located on Eagle Terrace on a section of the property on the corner of Kings Road and Bellbird Avenue, with the entrance to be off Kings Road.

The station is next to St Luke’s Anglican Church, which is also located on the site.

“The Victorian Government is making sure paramedics in Taylors Lakes have the facilities that support them to do what they do best –save lives,” said Ms Williams.

The location of the new ambulance station on Kings Road allows ease of access to main

Ready to pay respect

On Tuesday, April 25 Caroline Springs RSL is hosting a dawn service and Anzac Day event at Lake Caroline.

The day will begin with a Dawn Service at the War Memorial on Lake Street in Caroline Springs at 5.45am, followed by a $5 Gunfire Breakfast at the Westwaters hotel, and games of Two Up.

The morning service is expected to attract around 2000 people, and will feature speeches from local school students from Christ The Priest Primary and Brookside College, and the 1st Caroline Springs Scouts Group.

Caroline Springs RSL president Peter Burquest said he’d love to see as many of the community along as we can to honour the day.

“It’s a time for everybody to reflect on all the conflicts that Australians have taken part in, it’s a time for the communities to get together,” he said. “It’s not just to honour people that died in the war, but everybody who has died since as well.

And It’s not just for servicepeople, we have Anzac Day everyday, we’re always thinking about other service people, so it’s a day about inviting the community to come and reflect.”

Appeals officer Murray Lewis expressed gratitude to all the schools and businesses who have assisted the RSL in the selling of Anzac Badges and poppies since the opening of the Caroline Springs RSL in 2014.

“Also a thank you to our many volunteers who year-in-year-out who assist all RSLs with raising of welfare funds for our large veteran community, along with a special mention to the Caroline Springs Scouts who have been with us since day one, and the general public who purchase an Anzac Badges or Poppies from all our selling points,” he said.

The Sunshine RSL will also hold its annual dawn service on Anzac Day.

Liam McNally

roads and major sites including schools, shopping precincts and community facilities.

The project was delivered by the Victorian Health Building Authority (VHBA) in partnership with Ambulance Victoria and builder, May Constructions.

Sydenham MP Natalie Hutchins said the modern and advanced ambulance stationslike what has been delivered in Taylors Lakeswill help ensure families in Taylors Lakes and growing communities in the west receive the best lifesaving emergency care, now and into the future.

Tyre & Auto Service

Pupils Addison, Inigo and Evie (front) with Scouts Hayden Pemblerton, Mebrie Mouser and veterans John Willis, Murray Lewis, Robert Matthewman and Peter Doody. (Damjan Janevski) 321781_01

Minister Gabrielle Williams, paramedics and officials at the opening.

Briefs

Clarification

On Tuesday 11 April the Brimbank and Northwest Star Weekly published an article ‘Ire flows over leaking water pipe’ about a leaking water pipe in Sunshine’s Monash Street. Greater Western Water (GWW) confirmed the leak was repaired on Thursday 30 March 2023. There have been no further issues at the site. GWW advised that all faults are assessed and prioritised according to strict criteria including impacts to the community, customer safety and severity of the fault. The repair on Monash Street was delayed due to safety concerns and the urgency of other faults in the service area. A GWW spokesperson said, “we understand the leak caused some concern for residents and apologise for the delay. We would like to reassure the community the leak had been repaired by Thursday 30 March, 12 days prior to the publishing of the article.”

Weapons found

Wellbeing through art

A12-weekprojectisgivingwomeninBrimbank the opportunity to work on their wellbeing.

The program that starts next month is being run by the Women’s Support Network and funded by a Brimbank council mental wellbeing grant.

It is aimed at addressing comparatively higher levels of mental ill health experienced by women in Brimbank. The network’s vice-president of internal affairs Ko Sonnoy said they offer a safe and friendly environment forwomenofallages,abilitiesandbackgrounds to access, explore and learn about themselves through movement, meditation and art.

“In this 12 week program we will explore

four themes relating to different aspects of our wellbeing using the nature metaphors of Root, Moss, Blossom, Feather,” she said.

“No art experience is required. We use art techniques for the purpose of uncovering meaningsuniquetoeachpersonandnotforthe purpose of creating a beautiful image, or good drawing. The end result will be interesting for insights it offers to the person who made it, and possibly others.”

Participants will be invited to include art works they created during the program in a group exhibition. Details: info@wsn.org.au or call Ko on 0458 947 507.

We’re building big near you and there will be transport disruptions

Police were called to Watergardens shopping centre on Wednesday evening 12 April, following reports of youths causing a disturbance. Police searched 12 youths and found them allegedly in possession of a machete and knife. A 15-year-old boy from Deer Park and a 14-year-old boy from St Albans were arrested and interviewed in connection with possession of prohibited weapons.

FOR BREAKING NEWS, VISIT Web: starweekly.com.au

Brimbank & North West Star Weekly @starweeklynews @star_weekly

Reeta Verma and Ko Sonnoy. (Jacob Pattison)328548_03

Builders hit by ‘a perfect storm’

The manager of a west Melbourne building company said that rising costs, COVID delays, and trade shortages have created a “perfect storm” of pressure in the building industry, but there is “light at the end of the tunnel”.

The Melbourne building industry has taken significant hits this year, with Porter Davis going into liquidation and leaving more than 1500 homes unfinished, and Hallbury Homes and Lloyds Group also entering into administration.

Keogh Homes is a family owned custom builder based in Hoppers Crossing that

servicesMelbourne’sCBD,west,north,andout to Geelong and Ballarat. Keogh Homes general managerPatrickKeoghsaid“buildersaregoing bust left, right and centre” due to fixed-price contracts being outpaced by inflation.

“I won’t sugar coat it, it’s affecting every builderinthestate,”hesaid.“[Thecosttobuild] a house with four bedrooms, two living areas, has gone up between $120,000 and $150,000 in the last four years.

“Working on fixed price contracts we’ve got nowiggleroomifthere’spriceincreasesthatget passed on from material suppliers or trades.”

Football offers refuge

Sunshine Heights Junior Soccer Club has given asoftlandingpadtotwoyoungUkrainiangirls who fled their war-torn country to seek refuge in Australia.

The twins’ involvement in sports is helping themtoassimilatefastintheirnewcommunity.

Although the 11 year old girls’s low English languageliteracylevelisslowingdownlearning attheirnewschool,butthesamecannotbesaid about their performance in the soccer pitch.

Thegradefivetwins,AnhelinaandViktonian Synytsia are staying in Brimbank with their motherMarthaandattendingschoolatMother of God Primary School in Ardeer.

Club coach Andrew Makohon said the girls found a home in his club where their integration into the community is going faster through soccer.

Toaddontotheircomfort,theclubprovided them with soccer sponsorship, which includes uniforms, registrations, training and match fees.

“Sporting is a wonderful unifier that doesn’t segregate. Their mother tells me that they girls are excited about going to play soccer,” said Makohon.

Added the coach: They are able to connect with other kids and run around in the soccer field enjoying fresh air.”

Makohon said soccer was taking away trauma from the girls who ducked and dived from missiles when Russia invaded of their country on 24 February 2022.

“You can just imagine what they went through including the infinite family separations and their father is still in Ukraine because men are not allowed to leave the country,” said Makohon.

Australia is a preferred destination for Ukrainians running away from the raging war at home, where Russia is militarily attempting to annex Ukraine. Brimbank suburbs, Sunshine and Ardeer are homes to more than 20 000 Ukrainians.

Mr Keogh said secondary issues were worker shortages and COVID-delays.

“There is just a lot of work out in the ground atthemoment,andnotenoughtradesoutthere to do it,“ he said.

“Thevolumebuildersrelyonsmallermargins but greater volume of work, and they rely on getting through jobs quicker… But because of all these delays on site that’s obviously pushed them out and they’ve felt the pain from that.”

Mr Keogh believes that with such large companiesgoingunder,theindustrywillbegin to correct itself.

“With what’s happened to the other builders who have gone bust recently there is going to be a bit more of an influx of trade availability so in the next few months that’s going to make things a lot easier and get jobs moving.

“And then obviously every contract that we’ve signed in the last six months has been based on current prices and inflated prices that we expect to come through in the next few months. Unfortunately that means increased prices that we have to pass on to the clients but obviously that’s what we need to do to remain viable.”

Sisters Anhelina and Viktonian Synytsia.

Nourishing the hungry

By Sibanengi Dube

A St Albans community kitchen on wheels has been serving the hungry hot, steaming meals every Tuesday since the COVID-19 lockdown period.

The council approved kitchen is run by Christian couple, Jane and David Pallot, who made it their business to feed the homeless and the hungry every Tuesday night at a park, opposite Sam’s Market Place.

The Paradise for Kids (P4k) kitchen is growing from strength to strength.

The quantity of food being consumed and number of beneficiaries are increasing every Tuesday.

“When we started, we were cooking 5 kg of meat, but last now we cook 25 kg every Tuesday and we dished over a hundred plates last night,” said Jane, who sounds so passionate about serving communities.

The couple is charming their way into the hearts and wallets of the local Greek and business community.

Volunteers and members of the business community who noticed the Pallots’ good community work are also coming on board to give a hand.

A giant grocery shop, IGA donated 15 kg of chicken last week to the kitchen to keep the cooking pots burning. A local chicken farmer’s wife was touched to see the couple feeding the unfortunate members of the society and added several kilograms of white meat.

Six other people are also volunteering their time and labour to assist with cooking, serving meals and pulling the trailer to the feeding site.

When asked to explain the motivation behind the community project, Jane said they was powered by God

“I can’t explain how we are managing to feed so many people every Tuesday and this must be the work of God. And we have never failed to turn up with food every Tuesday since 2021,” Jane said.

The couple was motivated into action the by sorry plight of homeless people sleeping in the streets.

“During COVID-19, a lot of homeless

Police want feedback

Brimbank residents have the chance to have their say on the policing in the local area.

Victoria Police have released the annual Community Sentiment Survey which will be open online until the end of this month.

Brimbank Neighbourhood Policing Co-ordinator Leading Senior Constable Matt Mudie said they wanted to get as much feedback as possible.

“The annual survey provides an opportunity for Victorians to share with us their safety concerns, how they would like to interact with police, and where we can focus our efforts to prevent and deter crime,” he said. “Everyone who lives, works, studies or socialises in Victoria is encouraged to complete the survey.

“Responses are anonymous, and the survey does not ask participants for their names or contact details.”

The survey covers, how safe you feel, your ideas to improve safety, how you want to engage with police and how comfortable you feel approaching police and PSOs.

Victoria Police will use the responses to inform local safety plans and organisational priorities.

people were sleeping outside and we had to do something to help them.

“Helping people is something that we always wanted to do, but COVID-19 pushed us into immediate action,” Jane said.

Donors and well-wishers willing to join hands with P4ks in feeding the hungry can contact Jane on 0404 040 578 or email her on jane@pallot.tv.

PLAY-BASED LEARNING PROGRAM

The Kinder Tick recognises kinder programs that are led by a qualified teacher.

It highlights kindergartens and long day care centres that offer play-based programs to help children learn and grow, before they start school.

Local police will provide updates about the various safety issues raised and neighbourhood policing activities undertaken through media and social media.

ThesurveyispartoftheNeighbourhood Policing Framework and administered by Engage Victoria, the official Victorian government consultation site.

It also identifies services that are approved for Victorian Government funding.

The Victorian Government is making it easier for families to find a three and four-year old kinder learning program they can count on.

P4K feeding the homeless and hungry. (Supplied)

Athletics stalwart’s OAM honour

By Sibanengi Dube

After a lifetime of work with the Keilor St Bernard’s Athletics Club, Ronald Stobaus has walked away with a Medal of the Order of Australia for a life dedicated to Australian athletics.

Stobaus dusted himself from retirement last weektoreceiveaprestigiousawardfromVictoria Governor, Linda Dessau at the Government House in Melbourne after being acknowledged in the Australia Day honours.

ThemedalrecognisesRon’sexceptionalcareer in athletics, from his coaching longevity to his roleinintroducingyoungathletesinMelbourne’s north-westtotheathleticdisciplinesofrunning, walking, jumping and throwing.

Stobaus could not hide his excitement as he took Star Weekly through his more than half a century journey as an athletics administrator.

He said he noticed the immediate need of a community athletics club when his school athletics team kept on failing to win races.

“[The] desire to equip children with athletics knowledge and skills propelled us into starting an athletics club in East Keilor in 1965,” Stobaus said.

Stobaus then helped set up multiple athletes clubs in the area.

Together with fellow sports enthusiasts, Peter Fawkner and Brian Mihoney, Stobaus started Keilor Little Athletics Club.

He was a co-founding member of St Bernard’s Old Collegians Athletic Club and also assisted in establishing the Keilor Heights Women’s Athletic Club.

The two senior clubs merged in 1982 and become the Keilor St Bernard’s Club, which is credited for jump-starting bright sporting careers of countless athletes including current star Mitchel Langborne.

Stobaus’ sporting activities in area have

immeasurably contributed to the health and well-being of the community.

His coaching role with Keilor St Bernard Athletics Club is unparalleled in Australian athletics history. Not only did Ron help form the club, but remained head coach until today.

“I retired in 1996, but I am still coaching,” he said.

Stobaus’ athletics career was not limited to his club only but spilled into other sporting organisations where he championed the development of games.

He served as president of Track and Athletics Australia Association for two years but stepped down in 1985 due to ill health. Prior to this role, he had also served the same association as the secretary from 1978 to 1984.

The association was responsible for coaching development by providing training support to more than 200 coaches from different clubs.

“I was basically looking after coaches and athletes by providing training support and development,“ he said. “We did our best to promote athletics. We brought professionalism to the sport and got a lot of young people involved in athletics.”

The 84-year-old athletics coach’s love for the sport knows no bounds.

His passion for the sport compelled him to volunteer at Sydney Olympics in 2000 where he supported the athletes both on and off track.

“I did the same here in Melbourne during the Commonwealth Games when I looked after athletes on behalf of Athletics Australia,” recounts Stobaus.

Outside of the track, Stobaus was the chairman of the Catholic Church’s East Keilor Parish when St. Peters School was established 52 years ago.

He was also part of a parish committee of Airport West that established St. Christopher’s School.

Ronald Stobaus holding his certificate of recognition. (Supplied)

Rolling into school holiday fun

Children on school holidays laced up skates and enjoyed retro, 70s themed roller skating at Watergardens last week. The retro fun rolls on through until Sunday 23 April with a DJ is spinning 70s and other era classics. Star Weekly photographer Jacob Pattinson was on hand for the spills and thrills.

Kayla, Summer, Naya, Maddie, Natalie, Narej, Andreas and Charlotte. (Pictures: Jacob Pattinson) 328488

Colourful fun at Deer Park

Deer Park locals of all ages visited the town centre on Tuesday, April 11 as part of a town activation event. The Pass-theParcel team provided children’s entertainment throughout the afternoon, including face painting and sing-alongs. Star Weekly photographer Jacob Pattison attended the event to capture all of the fun and games.

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Atticus, 6 and Nicole.

The Pass-the-Parcel team provided musical entertainment and much more throughout the day.

Above: Ling and Teresa, 4. Top right: Christian, 4, got his face painted. Right: Ryan, 9. (Pictures: Jacob Pattison) 328443

Hoping for a place to call home

Anne Margaret lives at the St Albans Youth Residential Recovery (YRR) centre after experiencing homelessness. This is the first time the 23-year-old has fully lived away from her family home.

Ms Margaret said she is hopeful that with support she can still achieve her goals, despite the uncertainty of her current predicament.

“It’s the best thing, just to have a place that feels like home,” she said.

“I feel good living here and I hope that things work out for me.”

Across three locations, including a site in St Albans,cohealth’sYouthResidentialRecovery (YRR) program is providing a home for young people where they can be themselves and work on their recovery goals in a supported, inclusive environment.

The nine-bedroom St Albans site provides a safe space for people aged 16 to 25 years to pursue their mental health recovery.

With their own room, shared spaces and the opportunity to take part in all kinds of activities and group events, the residents work side by side with their mental health and wellbeing coaches to set and meet their personal goals.

Residents are required to pay a service fee of $80 per fortnight for program costs.

Ms Margaret said walking into the unit is like walking into someone’s house.

“You have your personal space and your freedom,” she said.

“It’s helping me not rely so much on other people but to be more independent and to be the best version of myself.”

Ms Margaret recommends the YRR program to other young people in the area.

“If you’re not social, it will help you be more social and more active in the community,” she said.

“It will help you be positive about life.”

Fellow YRR client Cass (they/them) said they feel “relaxed and safe and included” by the YRR team.

St Albans YRR youth mental health and wellbeing coach Maya Sheppard said the program welcomes people of all backgrounds.

“We at YRR welcome young people into the

program from all walks of life and I am really proud of this commitment,” she said.

“I feel really proud of the way our staff can support young people to make their houses feel more like their own.”

Ms Sheppard said having a good orientation process allows young people to feel comfortable while they are transitioning out of homelessness or insecure housing.

“Our approach is client driven and collaborative,wherebystaffwilloftenorganise careteamsmeetingswiththeirothersupports, to make sure we are collaboratively working together to better outcomes and support the young person through orientation,” she said.

YRR youth mental health and wellbeing coach Aidan Rossiter said the focus of the program was valuing clients’ capabilities first.

“We take young people as they are,” he said.

“We accept and value all the young people who enter the YRR program.”

The Salvation Army north west metro youth services manager Ralph Salera said the Salvos are actively supporting about 150 young people who are experiencing homelessness across the northern and western suburbs of Melbourne.

“I’ve worked in the sector for over 16 years and certainly today’s housing crisis is the most difficult we have encountered,” he said.

“Lack of options and cost of living is contributing to family stresses and impacting young people.

“Theyoungpeopleareeithersleepingrough, in crisis accommodation, couch surfing or in temporary supported housing.”

Young people aged 12 to 24 make up 23 per cent of all homeless people across the country. On Wednesday, April 19, Youth Homelssness Matters Day is encouraging discussion and awareness of issues relating to youth homelessness. Matthew Sims spoke to a number of people experiencing youth homelessness and those supporting them.

‘‘ It’s helping me ... be more independent and to be the best version of myself ’’ - Anne Margaret

Resident Anne Margaret with youth engagement worker Jarryd Cooper. (Supplied)

Mr Salera said services were currently stretched across the western and northern suburbs of Melbourne.

“We are seeing wait lists for support increasing,” he said. “In Brimbank alone, we have 20 plus young people waiting for allocation to support services.”

About 40,000 young people aged 15 to 24 years presented to a homelessness service across Australia in 2021-22, with about half experiencing mental ill-health and more than one third experiencing domestic and family violence.

28,804 in 2021.

The 2021 rate of homelessness was highest within the 19 to 24 age group, with 91 out of 10,000 respondents indicating they were experiencing homelessness.

HopeStreetYouthandFamilyServicesoffers the Hope Street in Melton program, which supports transitional housing for young people and young families who are provided with safe, secure and affordable accommodation for 12 months to two years.

Hope Street supported 255 young people and young families in the Melton area in

- Ralph Salera

Refuge in Melton supported two siblings, Ade andPals,whoarrivedinAustraliainNovember 2021.

They came from Ethiopia with no English language skills.

Hope Street supported them to access educational courses to assist with their language development, link them both into the local Ethiopian community, supported them with cooking, living skills and using public transport.

They are now both able to converse in English and have successfully obtained a property where they are thriving and continue to develop their English and adapt to life in

IPC Health Homeless and at Risk of

Homelessness Response (HaRH) team manager Eliza Mead said the team provided assertive outreach strategies, providing holistic health and wellbeing assessments, facilitating and supporting referrals into IPC Health’s services and/or into external services, such as MelbourneCityMissionortheSalvationArmy.

“There is a collaborative and co-ordinated service response,” she said. “We work really closely with those organisations.”

Ms Mead said a number of factors led to people experiencing homelessness, including extreme financial disadvantage, lack of immediate response to critical needs, a lack of local and accessible services and limited technical literacy.

“Since July to March, we had 53 rough sleepers,” she said.

“We do know there are likely a number of other health and wellbeing needs for them.

“We have built some very solid relationships within that community.”

The HaRH program has been successful in registering 280 clients between July 2022 through to March 2023 and in collaboration with TenantsVictoria,IPCHealthhasdoor-knocked 96 rooming house properties and engaged with 75 tenants. IPC Health has also held outreach engagement and support activities at Rockbank Caravan Park, the Tin Shed in St Albans, Melton South Community Centre and Salvation Army Social Housing Service in Sunshine.

Details: www.yfoundations.org.au/ yhmd-2023

(Shutterstock)

‘‘ We are seeing wait lists for support increasing ’’

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

Library volunteers

Brimbank Council is inviting members of the public to a question and answer session on how to become a volunteer at Brimbank libraries. This is a 4 May event and time is 1pm to 2pm. Venue is Keilor Library 704B

Old Calder Highway, Keilor

■ 9249 4670

Black Powder Mill open day

An open day will be held at the Black Powder Mill on April 29. The event will empower attendees with a general understanding of the history of the mill. Event runs from 10.30am -3.30pm There will be presentations at 11am and 1.30pm. The mill is at the corner of Parklea Avenue and Grassy Point Road, Cairnlea.

■ 0417 519 043, or Shauncrosbie@hotmail.com

Applying for energy saving rebate

St Albans Library is holding a workshop on how to apply for a $250 energy saving rebate. The workshop is scheduled for 26 May, venue is 71A Alfrieda Street, St Albans. Time is 1pm to 2pm. Attendants must bring copies of their recent energy bills.

■ 9249 4650

Women’s Wellbeing Program

Women’s Support Network is inviting women to join a 12 week program that will run in Sunshine. The program, Root, Moss, Blossom, Feather, includes gentle movement, short meditation and art for wellbeing activities. No art experience required. The program starts on May 4.

■ info@wsn.org.au or Ko, 0458 947 507

Vaccine hub

A new Sunday vaccine service will run at IPC Health’s Deer Park GP clinic. The clinic will be open every Sunday as a walk-in vaccination hub from 10am - 2pm. No appointments are needed and clients without Medicare cards are welcome. COVID-19 booster vaccines, Novavax, Pfizer first does for children older than five and MPox for monkeypox are available.

■ 0490 745 436 or vaccinations@ipchealth.com.au

Keilor Evening View Club

The Keilor Evening View Club meets at 6.30pm on the first Tuesday of each month at The Atrium at Taylors Lakes Hotel. Come along and enjoy a meal and fun night with friendly group of ladies.

■ Robyn, 0425 387 880

Meredith Thomas exhibition

BAY is a selection of themed works from Port Phillip Bay. The larger studio works consider colour, surface reflection and depth in a more leisurely fashion, and are richer and more textural. The exhibition is on show at the Brimbank Community and Civic Centre until Thursday, April 20.

■ artspaces@brimbank.vic.gov.au or 9249 4600

Deer Park Lions Club

Deer Park Lions Club is looking for new members. It holds dinner meetings on the first Wednesday of every month at the Deer Park Senior Citizens Club, 119 Station Road, Deer Park.

■ Michael, 0417 307 572

Sunshine Community Brass

Sunshine Community Brass is looking for trumpet and percussion players to join its vibrant band of musicians. With more than 90 years of history, the band rehearses at 45 Furlong Road, North Sunshine, on Tuesdays from 7.30pm.

■ Andrew, 0419 444 620

Palliative volunteers needed Mercy Palliative Care is looking for volunteers to visit palliative care patients in their homes to offer social support.

■ 9313 5700 or MPCVolunteerCoordinators@mercy.com.au

St Albans senior citizens

St Albans Senior Citizens group meet at the centre at the corner of Alfrieda and William streets, St Albans, on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, from 9am-1.30pm. Annual membership: $10. Cost: $1 entry on attendance day.

■ Roma, 0435 991 064

Sunrise Social Groups

GenWest Sunrise Social Groups are currently seeking new members for their Melton, Brimbank and Wyndham programs. The free groups are organised by Genwest and provide a social space for women, gender diverse and nonbinary people, who have a disability, chronic health issues and/ or mental health challenges.

■ https://genwest.org.au/what-we-do/ health-wellbeing-programs/

The Gap on Graham

The Gap provides a place for Melton youth to hang out, socialise, play games and learn new skills. The centre holds a night for girls aged 10 to 18 years at 5 Graham Street, Melton, on Wednesday evenings. There is also a drop-in night for anyone aged 12 to 25 years old.

■ Val, 0414 769 605

Melton Men’s Group

Melton Men’s Group meet every Thursday from 5pm to 8pm at Arnolds Creek Children’s and Community Centre, 19 Claret Ash Boulevard, Harkness. Focusing on Senior Men’s mental and physical wellbeing. Join the group for a cuppa and a chat, listen to guest speakers and participate in activities including carpet bowls, pool or table tennis.

■ meltonmensgroup.home.blog

Sunrise Social Groups GenWest Sunrise Social Groups are currently seeking new members for their

Melton, Brimbank and Wyndham programs. The free groups are organised by Genwest and provide a social space for women, gender diverse and nonbinary people, who have a disability, chronic health issues and/ or mental health challenges.

■ https://genwest.org.au/what-we-do/ health-wellbeing-programs/

Bacchus Marsh Market

Bacchus Marsh rejoice! There will be a monthly market at Maddingley Park. On the second Saturday of every month there will be a variety of stallholders and food trucks. Bring a picnic blanket and invite your friends and family for a lovely market day out.

Take weight off naturally

Struggling to lose weight? Struggling to get motivated? Want to try and do it in a friendly and less stressful atmosphere? Come and join TOWN (Take Weight Off Naturally) every Tuesday at 6pm at the Darlingsford Barn, Darlingsford Boulevard, Melton.

■ Catherine, 0416 612 517, or Bob, 0411 824 739

Parkinson’s support group

The Melton Parkinson’s Support Group meets on the second Thursday of the month 10.30am–12.30pm at Kurunjang Community Centre, 33-35 Mowbray Crescent, Kurunjang. New members and carers welcome.

■ Helen, 0409 186 576

Melton Bridge Club

The Melton Bridge Club has recommenced weekly social Bridge sessions at the Melton Library on Fridays from 10am-noon. Come along to play an exciting, social card game and have loads of fun. Bridge offers the suspense of poker, the cerebral qualities of chess and the excitement of athletic sports, all in a relaxed and social setting. If you like playing cards this is for you.

■ Rosemary, 0407 894 817

Melton Friendship Group

Join the Melton Friendship Group for singles 55 and older. Meet fortnightly

for coffee and chat nights and organised affordable outings and events.

■ 0406 493 734

Melton Ladies Probus Club

The Melton Ladies Probus Club meet at 10am on the second Wednesday of each month, at the Melton Country Club and are welcoming new members. Contact Diane.

■ 0438 611 552

Melton South Knit & Natter

All are welcome to join this social crafting group, running at the Melton South Community Centre each Monday from 10am-noon. Bring along any knitting or crochet projects and work on them while sharing tips, learning skills and catching up over a cuppa.

■ 9747 8576

Zonta club meets

Zonta is an international organisation bringing women together to support other women. The Zonta Club of Melton meets on the first Monday of each month at Melton Country Club, Reserve Road, Melton.

■ Suzanne, 0417 512 420

U3A Melton

U3A Melton offers among its activities a book group, Australian history and a gentle exercise class for those 55 and over who are retired or semi-retired who wish to stay mentally and physically active.

■ 0419 563 016

Melton Combined Probus Club

The Melton Probus Club meets on the first Tuesday of each month at the Melton Dart Club, 63a Reserve Road, from 9.45am.

■ 9746 0271

Rose Carers Of Maddingley Park

The Rose Carers meet Wednesdays from 10am-noon at Maddingley Park, corner of Grant and Taverner streets, Bacchus Marsh, to maintain two beautiful rose gardens. New volunteers are always welcome – with or without experience.

■ Elaine Greenhall, 0418 171 119, or 0400 052 857

YOUR EVENT LISTED? Community Calendar is made available free of charge to not-for-profit organisations to keep the public informed of special events and activities. Send item details to Star Weekly Community Calendar, Corner Thomsons Road and Keilor Park Drive, Keilor Park, 3042, or email to westeditorial@starweekly.com.au by 9am Wednesday the week prior to publication

This week’s photographer’s choice picture is of Bill Marshall as ‘Captain Fish’, who is a producer of a surrealist festival. (Damjan Janevski) 328234_01

PUZZLES

No.

To solve a Sudoku puzzle, every number from 1 to 9 must appear in: each of the nine vertical columns, each of the nine horizontal rows and each of the nine 3 x 3 boxes. Remember, no number can occur more than once in any row, column or box.

QUICK CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 Drafted Russian cavalry soldier (7)

5 Windfall (7)

9 Inherited from one’s family (9)

10 Exactitude (5)

11 Pick (6)

12 Going in (8)

14 Greek oracle (6)

15 Nasty (4)

19 Paradise (4)

20 Type of brandy (6)

24 Relating to cultivated land (8)

25 Maximum (6)

27 River flowing from Tibet to the Arabian Sea (5)

28 Incapable of being seen (9)

29 Vote in again (2-5)

30 Gnawing animals (7) DOWN

1 Opportunity (6)

2 Aid (6)

No. 129

3 Appraised (8)

4 Grunge musician Cobain (4)

5 Personal items (10)

6 Medical professionals (6)

7 Nightwear (8)

8 Haughty (8)

13 Expert (10)

16 The way one acts (8)

17 Resent someone’s pleasure or good fortune (8)

18 Being admitted to a church (8)

21 Fictional castaway (6)

22 Spindle for thread (6)

23 City of the 2004 Olympic Games (6)

26 Declare (4)

DECODER WORDFIT

9-LETTER WORD

Using the nine letters in the grid, how many words of four letters or more can you list? The centre letter must be included and each letter may only be used once. No colloquial or foreign words. No capitalised nouns, apostrophes or plural words ending in “s”. T

coned, conic, decent, denote, dent, dine, dint, docent, done, donee, encode, entice, enticed, icon, into, need, nice, niece, node, note, noted, notice, noticed, occident, once, tend, tine, tone, toned, tonic

cent, codeine, coin, coined, concede, conceit, CONCEITED, cone,

No. 129

QUICK QUIZ

1 An acre is how many square metres: 4047, 4247 or 4447?

2 Video game storefront Steam is owned by what company?

3 The ‘evil Santa’ Krampus has the horns of what animal?

4 What is the title of Susanna Clarke’s 2020 fantasy novel?

5 What is the heaviest organ in the human body?

6 The world’s oldest tree, a bristlecone pine, is located in which US state?

7 The condor is the common name for which two species of bird?

8 Which of the following authors does not have a Nobel Prize: Alice Munro, Peter Carey, Albert Camus or Gabriel García Márquez?

9 Justice Smith and Herizen F. Guardiola (pictured) starred in which musical drama Netflix series?

10 Which former Hawthorn player has the most AFL Premierships?

No. 129

No. 129

SPORTS QUIZ

1. Which netball team remains unbeaten in the Suncorp Super Netball competition?

2. The Central Coast Rhinos are a team in which Australian league?

3. How many goals did Jeremy Cameron kick for the Geelong Football Club in Round 4?

4. Which Minnesota Timberwolves player has been suspended for one match after throwing a punch at a teammate?

5. In what year did Roger Federer last win the French Open?

6. How many Australian men’s cricket players are currently playing in the IPL?

7. Which AFL club does Lloyd Meek play for? Archery was added to the Olympic Games in

Who directed the Air, about Michael Jordan's partnership with Nike?

True or false: Norwood Oval will be part of the AFL’s Gather Round?

What milestone did St Kilda football club celebrate in Round 4 against Essendon?

What are the team colours of the Washington Wizards NBA team?

How old was US golfing legend Tiger Woods when he won his first masters title?

14. Which former cricket star faced backlash online after he posted an ‘awkward’ video to social media?

15. To date, how many games has Port Adelaide won in the 2023 season?

16. What did F1 racer Fernando Alonso place at the 2023 Australian Grand Prix?

17. And which team did he race for?

18. Which tennis star, known widely as ‘The King of Clay', will miss out on the court at Monte Carlo Masters due to injury?

19. Which AFLW team does netballer Ashley Brazil play for?

20. The Netflix film The Swimmers tells the true story of which Syrian sisters in their journey to the Olympics?

21. Which six-team women’s rugby union competition includes the Fijiana Drua?

22. Former Brisbane Lions footballer Jack Crisp last played for which AFL club?

23. Which college basketball team did the Connecticut Huskies defeat to win the 2023 NCAA Division I men's championship?

24. The parent company of the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Chmpionship) recently announced a merger with which professional wrestling company?

25. Play was suspended during the 2023 Masters after heavy winds brought down several trees near which hole?

26. Which top US professional league features teams including Houston Dash, Orlando Pride and Portland Thorns?

27. Actor and former professional wrestler Dwayne Johnson played college football for which university?

28. NBA player Kyrie Irving has played for how many NBA teams?

29. Which Nigeria-born, New Zealand-residing professional mixed martial artist defeated Alex Pereira at UFC 287?

30. Which Spanish professional golfer won the 2023 Masters?

DISCRIMINATION IN ADVERTISING IS UNLAWFUL

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Weighbridge Operator Adminandadhoc duties,fulltime position,computer knowledgeisessential. Saturdaysrequired. Contact Norm after 5pm for further details: 0428 568 004

The Victorian Equal Opportunity Act 1995 makes it unlawful for an advertiser to show any intention to discriminate on the basis of sex, pregnancy, race, age, marital status, political or religious belief or physical features, disability, lawful sexual activity/sexual orientation, HIV/AIDS status or on the basis of being associated with a person with one of the above characteristics, unless covered by an exception under the Act. As Network Classifieds could be legally liable if an unlawful advertisement is printed, Network Classifieds will not accept advertisements that appear to break the law. For more information about discrimination in advertising, contact your legal advisers or the Equal Opportunity Commission.

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•After your advertisement has run for 13 weeks you must call us each fortnight to renew it for a further 2 week period AND reduce the price of your item by a minimum 5% for items in the “For Sale” section or 3% for items in the “Motoring” section. This process may continue until you have sold your item. If we do not hear from you we will assume you have sold your item and your advertisement will not appear.

BMW X1 is sporty, self-assured

By Ewan Kennedy, Marque Motoring

TheBMWX1xDrive2.0iisanimpressivepiece of machinery from the upmarket German company that has been at the forefront of automotive engineering for many decades. TheX1isthesmallestmodelinBMW’sSUV range with five larger models on offer. Some of these are what we would call SUV bodies, others are coupe-like in their shape. It’s quite large, indeed being it’s almost the size of the BMW X3 of a few generations back.

Styling

It’sanattractivevehicle,withaverylargefront grille that’s split vertically down the centre to follow the design theme that has been used for many BMW generations. On either side of this grille are headlights that run well back beside the bonnet, gradually increasing height as they get closer to the windscreen.

The roof is almost flat from the top of the windscreen to the rear of the X1 and the rear window is close to being vertical, hence our placing it into the SUV class rather than the coupe class.

Below the upper grille is a large black lower section that’s a little wider than the upper grille. Outside of this lower area the colour of the rest of the body is used. It all ties in very nicely.

Interior

Styling inside the X1 is excellent, with a standout dash area that extends almost two thirds of the way across the front. This looks great and was praised by all who rode with us during our test week.

The front seats have side supports designed to provide hold the driver and front passenger nicely when the X1’s taken for spirted driving in twisty roads. Okay so it’s not a sports machine, but it comes pretty close so these seats make a lot of sense.

There is seating for five, with the rear seats in a 40:20:40 setup. Seating for three average sized adults in the rear is fine, but if there are five largish people back there it’s a bit tight.

The backrests of the three rear seats can be folded down individually to give a choice

of passenger / luggage space. They backrests don’t fold completely flat, which would rule it out for us because we have dog and he could not lie on a flat floor.

Infotainment

Display is through what BMW calls its Live Cockpit Professional using a combination of a 10.25-inch instrument display in front of the driver and a 10.7-inch high-resolution curved touchscreen in the centre of the dashboard.

Satellite navigation is standard and can be set either through the touchscreen or via the My BMW app.

There are four USB-C ports, two in the front centre console and two in the rear centre console.

There’s a smartphone wireless charging pad in the front console while both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are wireless.

Engines / transmissions

The BMW X1 xDrive20i is powered by a four-cylinder TwinPower Turbo engine generating 150 kW and 300 Nm.

The X1 sDrive18i has a three-cylinder 1.5-litre engine with outputs of 115 kW and 230 Nm. We’re booked into a road test of the

18i shortly and will provide a full report at that time.

Transmission in the 20i is through a seven-speed double clutch automatic with power being is sent to all four wheels via BMW’s intelligent all-wheel-drive xDrive system.

Safety

Active protection features include front, side and head airbags, inner-vented front and rear disc brakes with brake-wear sensors, central locking with electronic immobiliser and crash sensor, dynamic braking lights, braking assistant, cornering brake control and dynamic traction control.

Driver assistant safety features add active cruise control with Stop&Go function, head-up display. Driving Assistant Plus adds blind spot monitoring, lane departure warning, lane change warning, front collision warningwithbrakeintervention,rearcrossing traffic warning and rear collision prevention.

There’s also parking assistant with front and rear active park distance control, reversing assistant and surround view camera.

The BMW Drive Recorder system films the vehicle’s surrounding for up to 40 seconds to

Note: These prices do not include government or dealer delivery charges. Contact your local BMW dealer for drive-away prices.

document dangerous driving situations in road traffic

Driving Ahh, It’s a BMW and I’ve always enjoyed driving them. The engine is good, though a slightly faster response would have been nice at times. Perhaps that’s because I’ve been driving a lot of electric or hybrid vehicles lately and have become accustomed to the instant response they provide when you push that pedal on the right.

On the other hand, I’ve been driving a lot of non-BMW vehicles and their handling is simply not in the same class as that of the BMW.

The BMW X1 xDrive 2.0i is a smallish SUV rather than a sports sedan but has handling that’s delightful. It answers virtually instantly to movements of the steering wheel and sends feedback through the wheel to immediately let you know what’s happening.

It holds the road at speeds well above the speeds most drivers would attempt and simply carries on around the bends almost as though they weren’t there.

Ride comfort is very good, which is something you seldom get in cars with the sporty handling it provides.

Summary

The BMW X1 xDrive 2.0i is an exceptional vehicle with the sort of features that appeal to those who love driving but at the same time need the convenience of practicality that suits them.

The very large front grille is split vertically down the centre and looks great. (Pictures: Supplied)

Bears hold off Kangaroos to claim the points

Burnside Heights snuck home against the Sunbury Kangaroos in the opening round of the Essendon District Football League division 2 season.

With the Kangaroos coming back to division 2 this season, the two sides faced each other for the first time since 2019.

The Bears were able to hold their nerve late as the Kangaroos came home late with the breeze, winning 12.11 (83)-11.14 (80).

Speaking before the game, Bears coach Cole Harvey said they didn’t know what to expect against the Kangaroos.

“They are young and fast,” he said. “There are a few unknowns, as we don’t know each other.

“It’s going to be a tough day in terms of not knowing what to expect. They have Rhys Magin, who is the best player in the competition by the mile.”

Matthew Romeo kicked three goals for the Bears, while Liam Mercieca, Jordan Hughes

and Dion Lawson kicked two goals apiece.

Hughes, last season’s competition best and fairest winner, was named the Bears best alongside Lawson.

Harvey said while they were coming off a finals appearance last season, this season was a big unknown with a lot of changes to a number of teams

He said his side would be a young one with eight or nine young players joining the club in the off season.

“We will have six kids debut off the back of strong pre-seasons and holding our own in practice matches,” he said before the game.

“Our demographic is 24 and under. We have five or six players who are over 25. Jordie is 30-years-old and one of our older players.

“He is coming off his best pre-season ever. Hopefully the older guys will stand up for us.”

The Bears have lost Anthony Fawcus from the group of experienced players, which is a blow.

The club though has continued to look to bring in pieces, signing players just weeks from the season beginning.

“We plucked a 196 centimetre ruck, who we signed last week,” Harvey said.

“Mason Bawden, who is going to be handy. He’ll start in the twos, but we were struggling a bit for a second ruck,

“He’ll be nice for us, having been a former Western Jet and playing at Vic Metro. He’ll add more flexibility as an extra tall.”

Another key signing for the Bears is Dion Lawson, an experienced inside mid.

The Bears will face Coburg Districts on Anzac Day eve, in a Monday night clash in round two.

Meanwhile, Hillside beat Rupertswood in division 1. After a slow start and trailing by 22 points, Hillside fought back to win 11.11 (77)-9.8 (62).

Lakers continue to build

By Tara Murray

Caroline Springs is hoping to build on last season’s success in the Western Region Football League women’s competition this season.

After winning their first women’s premiership last season and their reserves side finishing runners-up, the Lakers are going to go from strength to strength.

Lakers assistant coach Alex O’Shea said things had been going well during the pre-season.

“It is going really well and we’ve retained many of the players from last season,” she said. “We’ve also picked up some new recruits.

“We’re looking forward to round one against the Parkside Spurs.”

O’Shea, who was part of the club’s premiership side last season, has made the move into coaching this year.

With head coach Dean Ellis being ill, she has stepped up in the lead up to the start of the season.

She said that she was enjoying the challenge.

“We work really well as a team at Caroline Springs,” she said.

“We step in for one another, Dean, myself, Luke Baker, and Alisha Fowler and Terry Azzopardi in the reserves.

“There’s a good group of us and we work with the under-18s too. We are a whole senior women’s program.

O’Shea, who wasn’t going to play last season before changing her mind, said it was unlikely to happen again this year.

O’Shea said the group had come back in a really good mindset.

“It’sreallypositiveandweknowthatprevious success doesn’t mean future success,” she said.

“We have a really good culture going through the program, it’s one team, one club, “The seniors want to go back-to-back and reserves want to go that one step further and win it this year.”

O’Shea said the majority of last season’s group had recommitted for this season which was a massive boost.

She said a lot of players had stepped up after their first season of senior football and had already shown massive improvement.

The Lakers have added some new faces as well.

Ayyen Au, Lyla Griffin and Stephanie Thompson have provided extra depth in all lines across the ground.

The Lakers were set to start their division 1 season on Saturday against the new side in the competition, the Parkside Spurs, after deadline.

The Spurs, who were formerly known as the VU Western Spurs, join the competition from the Northern Football League.

“I played there before I played with Caroline

Sports shorts Bowls

Winston Brackley will join Deer Park for its Bowls Victorian weekend pennant premier division defence. The club announced his signing on social media saying he brings many years of experience competing. “Off the green, you won’t find a nicer and more respectful person than Winny so we are over the moon that he has decided to join our bowls family,” the club said in the announcement. The club has already announced the re-signing of Arron Sherriff.

Baseball

Sunshine Eagles’ Lily McKenner and Jessica Warwick have come home with bronze medals for the Baseball Australia national titles. The pair were part of the under-16 Victorian women’s team which finished third, after winning the bronze medal play off against Western Australia. McKenner was awarded the golden bat award for the tournament after putting in a starring performance.

A-League

Western United’s A-League Women’s grand final hopes were on the line on Sunday. United, which finished the regular season in second spot, was set to face Sydney FC on Sunday, after deadline, for a spot in the decider. The loser will face the winner of Melbourne City and Melbourne Victory. For all the details, head to www.starweekly.com. au.

NPLW

Calder United finds itself in an unusual position in the National Premier League Women’s competition. The reigning premiers are without a win after the first four rounds, as their new look side adjusts to playing together. Calder had a bye in round four and there was a competition wide bye on Saturday due to the Nike F.C Cup. Calder, which is also the defending champions in that competition, is set to face Southern United in the fourth round on Tuesday night.

FOR MORE SPORT, VISIT

Web: starweekly.com.au

Springs,” O’Shea said.

“We know they are a new team coming in and we don’t take them lightly. We’re looking forward to having them in the competition.

“It’s always good to have new teams in the

competition and it’s great for the women’s program and the WRFL.” In other matches, Spotswood was set to host the Yarraville Seddon Eagles and Point Cook Centrals were set to host Werribee Centrals.

Jordan Hughes (Shawn Smits)

Tara Murray

Sabrin Nyawela and Jordin Williamson in the ruck on Saturday. (Jacob Pattison) 328702_02

Maddern steps up to help guide the Brookers

Geoff Maddern was thrown into the coaching hot seat at Braybrook just weeks out from the Western Region Football League division 2 season.

John Mangos, who coached the side to a division 3 premiership as a caretaker coach last season, stepped down just weeks out from the season.

Maddern, who was working at the club as a specialist coach, was asked to put his hand up and the rest is history.

“It’s only been the last couple of weeks,” he said. “It’s probably not ideal.

“I’ve been in touch with [president] Anthony [Dunlop] the last few years after finishing up with Airport West in the EDFL [Essendon District Football League].

“I’ve got a lot of respect for Anthony and what he is trying to do at Braybrook.

“John’s work commitments took precedence and they offered for me to take the lead.”

While Maddern’s only previous experience in the WRFL dates back to coaching the Flemington Colts in under-10s and under-12s many years ago, he’s had a successful coaching career in the EDFL.

He coached at Essendon Doutta Stars, before coaching Airport West including to a premiership in 2018. Maddern said it had been a little bit of a

surprise to be a head coach again, but said that it was always in the back of his mind. Maddern said while it was still early in the piece, he’d seen some good signs on the track.

Cavaliers’ positive start

By Tara Murray

Green Gully is hoping to close the gap on the top three teams in the coming rounds in the National Premier League.

The Cavaliers sit fourth after eight rounds, and have shown some really positive signs in the early rounds.

Coach Stephen Downes said the side was getting better each week.

“When we played against the top teams, we challenged and weren’t getting the results,” he said. “When we’ve played against the teams around us, we have done well and got results.

“We need to take the next step and compete more against the three teams above us.”

Downes said the difference between them and the top few sides early on had been the experience of those sides.

He said they were still a really new side that was learning how to play together.

“I think the teams above us have got a lot more settled squad at the moment,” he said.

“We’re still getting used to our learning behaviours. We’ve got different combinations and we’re still learning things.

“They have selected some experienced squads above us.”

Downes said while they didn’t like to use age as a factor in the results, he did highlight that they are playing with four teenagers in the squad.

“If you’re good enough, you will play no matter your age,” he said.

“Justin Spiteri, Mitchell Graham and Tyler Vecchio are all 21 and under and it’s pleasing to see them step up. They are in the squad for a reason.

“We know they have good ability and when you put them into the game they have been able to stand up.

“It’s next man up and they have been able to stand up.”

After a strong start, Downes said they continue to take it one week at a time. He said every team is beatable and they have to be on

their game.

“We’re eight rounds in and the lads are still getting to know each other,” he said. “We are improving week in, week out.

“Another eight rounds from now, we will look for things to be better as a collective than they are now.”

While the Cavaliers have had strong NPL form, the side was knocked out of the Australia Cup.

Last year they made the national stage of the competition

“We were knocked out by the Eastern Lions,” he said. “That was disappointing, but it clarifies where our concentration is at.

“We only have one league to go for and we can purely focus on that.

“It does help not having the mid week games like last year, but you always want to play in every game you can.”

The Cavaliers were set to face Hume City on Friday night, after deadline.

Hume entered the match eighth on the table.

“I had a few weeks with the players to go through some things John had wanted to to work on,” he said. “The boys are working really hard and have worked hard from November. There’s a good size of the group, really well and learning and listening.

“It’s always a big challenge going up a division, we’ll see how we go.”

Maddern said he was still unsure of a lot of the players’ playing history, but said the group they’ve got is really tight knit.

The Brookers were set to start their season on Saturday against Parkside, which finished runners up in division 2 last season.

Maddern said he didn’t know much about the other sides and was relying on others at the club to help him.

He said at this stage, it would be too early for him to set expectations.

“As with any one who is coming up, we hope tobecompetitiveagainstthetopsides,”hesaid.

“Hopefully we can pick up a couple of wins throughout the year and consolidate our spot in division 2.”

Tara Murray

State league sides face NPL teams

Westvale Olympic and Westgate will take on National Premier League sides in the next round of the Australia Cup.

The draw was revealed on Tuesday, with state league 2 north-west side Westvale drawn to face Northcote City in the fifth round of the competition. Westgate, which has had a strong start to the state league 1 north-west season, will face the Bentleigh Greens in the next round.

North Sunshine Eagles won through to the next round of the Australia Cup after a good win against Williamstown on Tuesday night.

The Eagles opened the scoring in the 24th minute, before doubling the score in the 83rd minute.

The two goals were enough for the Eagles to get the win 2-0.

The Eagles have now been drawn to face state league side Brandon Park in the next round.

Melbourne Knights will play Box Hill in the next round, while St Albans Saints will face state league 1 north-west side Whittlesea United.

Two more Brimbank teams are hoping to join the five already through to the next round.

Brimbank Stallions’ match with Gippsland United was postponed due to light issues. The Stallions had made the trek down to Gippsland for the match before is was called off.

The winner of that game will face Altona Magic in the next round.

Keilor Wolves match with Ashburton was headed to penalties when the lights went out, after finishing regular time at 1-1.

The two teams will start again this week to finally get a result.

The winner of that match will face NPL Hume City.

In other matches, Upfield will play Dandenong City in round five, while state league 2 north-west side Lalor United will face the Goulburn Valley Suns

The Whittlesea Ranges will host Ballarat City in the fifth round.

Tara Murray

Geoff Maddern. (Supplied)

Green Gully has had a strong start to the season. (Mark Avellino)

Wolves ticking boxes as everything goes to plan

Just about everything is going to plan so far for the Keilor Wolves.

The Wolves were undefeated after the first three rounds of the FV state league 4 west season and are still alive in the Australia Cup, as one of the lowest ranked teams.

Coach Sofiane Soufi said they were pretty happy with how things were going so far.

“We started the season really good, with three games and three wins,” he said.

“We have a really strong squad and have depth on the bench, that is where we lacked last year.

“We’re very happy with the group. The main focus is to keep going every week and for us every week is a final.”

Soufi said they had about 20 players up from 15 or 16 last season to ensure they have

enough players throughout the season.

He said with injuries and suspensions, that everyone will be called upon at some stage.

The extra depth is set to come in handy with the club’s Australia Cup run.

The lights going out during the club’s round four match with Ashburton, meaning the two teams have to play the match again this week.

“We are still overachieving,” he said.

“On Thursday night against Ashburton there was extra time and it was 1-1 when the penalty kicks were about to start and the lights went out.

“I don’t think they expected extra time as we were one division lower and the lights were on a timer.

“The game now has to be replayed. We

have to redo it, which is very costly in terms of energy.”

A win would set up a clash with National Premier League side Hume City.

Soufi said he didn’t think that they had played a club of that level before and it would be special for the club if it happens.

Off field, he said things were also going well.

“The vibe around the club is fantastic,” he said. “The junior kids are watching games and the parents are watching the games.

“We’ve got senior players coaching juniors, that is what community football should be.”

The Wolves were set to face Melbourne City on Saturday after deadline.

Soufi said this match was a pretty important one for them.

Thunder need to step up

By Tara Murray

Defence will be the key for the Keilor Thunder early in the National Basketball League 1 South season.

The Thunder, which has had a disjointed off season, started its season with an 88-73 loss to the Knox Raiders.

CoachLiamGlascottsaidthattheywerehurt for not coming to play for a full 40 minutes of basketball.

“It was good to be back, but it was not the result we were hoping for,” he said.

“The group is slowly coming together. The off court chemistry is good, but on court it will take some time.

“Our ability to defend the pick and roll and some Spanish action, was what they wanted to do and we didn’t rotate.

“They pushed things in the third quarter and we weren’t able to execute.”

Zac Triplett top scored with 23 points for the Thunder in the loss as the starters did a lot of the heavy lifting.

Glascott said they believed they had a lot of scoring power, but it was about making sure they defended well and executed the scout.

The Thunder weren’t at full strength for the season opening, with only 12 of their 15 man squad available, with some of those on minute restrictions.

Glascott said it had been tough, but a lot of other teams were in similar positions of the team coming together late.

“We still have one more piece to add to the group,” he said. “One player we haven’t announced.

“We only had two and half weeks as a team before game one.

“We didn’t get everyone together as quick as we would have liked.

“There were NBL commitments, holidays, visa issues and some niggles. It means some of the young guys have got an opportunity to see where they are at.“

Glascott said Cruz Beasley was the most impressive of the young guys in game one, playing nearly 10 minutes.

Beasley is returning from elbow surgery, with Glascott saying he and some of the other younger players had the opportunity to seal their spots in the program.

The Thunder were set to be back in action on Friday night in the first of two matches for the weekend, both after deadline.

The Thunder were set to host the Ballarat Miners on Friday night before facing the Melbourne Tigers on Saturday night.

Glascott said with the season more condensed they were going to see a lot more double headers.

“We were lucky that we didn’t get any mid weekgames,butthere’salotmoreback-to-back matches,” he said.

“Of the 14 rounds, eight of them we have back-to-back matches. Hopefully we can get the win on Friday night and then back it up on

Saturday.”

The Thunder’s women’s team was also set to face the Miners and Tigers on the weekend.

“We drew with them last year and it cost us the season [promotion]. We want the three points and are very hungry.”

In other matches that were scheduled for the Saturday, Spring Hills was set to face Melbourne City.

Instateleague1north-westKeilorParkwas set to face Upfield on Friday night, Sydenham Park was set to face Whittlesea United and Westgate was to play the Brimbank Stallions.

In state league 2 north-west, Albion Rovers was set to be in action on Friday night against Lalor United , while Westvale Olympic was on the road on Saturday against Hoppers Crossing and Western Suburbs was due to face Hume United.

Tara Murray

Under-16 girls teams named

The next generation of female footballers will be on show during the AFL under-16 National Development Championships. The championships, which started last week involve 10 teams from across the country, each playing two games each.

The sides have been split into two different pools, and the teams who finish atop their pool’s ladder will be named title winners.

Both Victoria Metro and Victoria CountrywereinpoolAalongwithSouth Australia and Western Australia.

Western Jets coach Hayley Gossow is the coach the Victoria Metro team.

Two of her Jets players Jazmine Dalli and Caitlyn Volpe have been named in the squad as well.

Chloe Baker-West, Lara Churchill, Taylah Gilchrist and Jade McLay from the Calder Cannons have been named in the team, with Matt O’Connor part of the coaching team.

Five Northern Knights players have also been named in the squad.

Marlo Graham, Phoebe Hargreaves, Olivia Jesser, Scarlett Johnson and Teresia Koliavu are part of the squad.

The teams meet at Shepparton’s Deakin Reserve on Thursday, with the first bounce scheduled for 12:00pm.

The two Victorian teams were set to face on Thursday, after deadline.

They will each play their second match at Arden Street Oval on Sunday, April 23, with Victoria Country to take on Western Australia at 10.45am, before Victoria Metro plays South Australia at 12.45pm.

For the first time, the championsships is being played as an interstate carnival, with matches scheduled across four states.

Three of the Calder Cannons girls in the under-16 squad and Matt O’Connor. (Supplied)

Keilor Thunder. (@pics.by.tre)

ROUND 6

SUNDAY APRIL 23

Hawthorn V Adelaide (UTAS)

Carlton V St Kilda (MRVL)

Gold Coast V North Melbourne (HBS)

MONDAY APRIL 24

Melbourne V Richmond (MCG)

TUESDAY APRIL 25

Collingwood V Essendon (MCG)