Star Weekly - Hobsons Bay Maribyrnong - 3rd May 2023

Plea to save charity shop

By Jennifer Pittorino

The West Footscray Op Shop is pleading with the community to save it.

Since its opening a short nine months ago, in July 2022, the store has suffered three break-ins and another two attempted break-ins,worseningthestore’sconditioneach time.

In addition to the break-ins, the store has suffered from vandalism and theft, consisting of the thousands of dollars worth of security cameras as well as high quality goods that have been generously donated to the store.

Store owner and Footscray Traders Association president Pradeep Tiwari is at a loss for what to do next.

HehascreatedaGoFundMetoraiseasmuch money as possible to cover the installation of new cameras and money to pay rent.

“Ithasbecomeextremelystressfulfinancially, myself as well as the volunteers have had to put in money from our own pockets to pay the monthly rent,” he said.

“We are hoping to raise awareness and reach out to the people who keep coming back to our shop.”

Two months ago Mr Tiwari installed a 16-camera system, now there are only six cameras remaining on the inside.

Mr Tiwari is hoping to install a camera that is sturdy enough it can’t be ripped out of the storefront.

“The message to the people who continue

to break in is, if you need help we would be more than happy to give you anything during business hours through the front doors,” he said.

“The op shop was created to be a community hub,forthecommunity,runbythecommunity.

Mr Tiwari said the store has reached the point where further break-ins will mean closure of the community shop.

“Any donation big or small would be greatly appreciated,” he said.

Details: https://www.gofundme.com/f/ help-our-op-shop-in-west-footscrayrecover?member=261

Pradeep Tiwari, manager of the Op Shop in West Footscray, has started a fundraising campaign to help stay open following a spree of ongoing attacks. (Damjan Janevski) 330857_01

‘‘

The op shop was created to be a community hub, for the community, run by the community ’’ - Pradeep Tiwari

Citynews

A MESSAGE FROM THE MAYOR

Our community is set to welcome the new Randall Street Kindergarten, a fantastic addition to the Maribyrnong Community Centre.

This $2 million project will provide 66 new three-and four-year-old kindergarten places and address our municipality’s increasing need for more spaces. We are grateful for the State Government’s $1.8 million funding boost that significantly contributes to this project.

With two new playrooms, children’s amenities, office space, and an outdoor play area, our youngest residents will have a nurturing environment to begin their educational journey.

The much-loved community centre will also benefit from refurbishing the existing multi-purpose room and amenities while remaining open throughout the works.

As your Mayor, I take pride in our City’s commitment to supporting the education of all children.

The recent Maribyrnong Young Writer’s Awards exemplify this commitment, with talented local creatives aged 6-16 showcasing their literary skills. The ninth annual competition, held in partnership with the Rotary Club of Yarraville, received an impressive 102 entries.

The inner west has been home to many great writers over the years, and this competition is a sign that the next generation is just as talented.

Both the Randall Street Kindergarten and the Young Writer’s Awards highlight the importance of fostering creativity and education within our community. Together, let’s continue supporting and celebrating the growth of our City’s young minds.

Mayor Cr Sarah Carter

MAY COUNCIL MEETINGS

Tue 16 – 6.30pm Council

Tue 23 – 6.30pm City Development Delegated Committee

These meetings will be held at the Braybrook Community Hub and livestreamed via Council’s YouTube channel. Community members can submit questions for public question time online on the day of the meeting. Visit maribyrnong.vic.gov.au/meetings or phone 9688 0200 for more information.

Maribyrnong City Council

Postal Address: PO Box 58, West Footscray, VIC 3012

OUT AND ABOUT

City of Maribyrnong Councillors have been busy.

1. Mayor, Cr Sarah Carter and Member for Footscray, Katie Hall MP, visiting Maribyrnong Community Centre soon to be home to co-located Randall Street Kindergarten

2. Mayor, Cr Sarah Carter with a special guest at the Butterfly Kidz school holiday program at Yarraville Library

3. Mayor, Cr Sarah Carter and Deputy Mayor, Cr Cuc Lam turning the sod for the new Civic Precinct and

MY VIEW

Bike riding is critical for the health and wellbeing of our residents, but our priority, first and foremost, must also be safety.

In conversations with our community on proposed improvements to cycling infrastructure on Melon Street, you told us, while you supported safer cycling and walking connections, you raised concerns around nearby Ashley Street and asked us to focus our attention there.

We have listened and will be working with government agencies to improve cycling infrastructure there, including a signalised crossing at the intersection with Ballarat Road, which is a critical element to creating a safe environment for cyclists.

As ward councillor, I was pleased to represent the wishes of local residents on this issue and remain committed to continuing to engage with the community to create a safe, accessible cycling network, and make Maribyrnong a sustainable city for all residents.

Deputy Mayor, Cr Cuc Lam Stony Creek Ward

NRS: 133 677 or 1300 555 727 www.relayservice.com.au

P: (03) 9688 0200

F: (03) 9687 7793

email@maribyrnong.vic.gov.au

www.maribyrnong.vic.gov.au

TIS: 131 450

Community Hub

4. Mayor, Cr Sarah Carter and owner of Seddon Deadly Sins, Chris Gooden, celebrating his cafe’s 20th birthday

5. Cr Michael Clarke and Mayor, Cr Sarah Carter receiving a wreath from Lola Anderson, former Maribyrnong Citizen of the Year, for Council’s Anzac Day commemoration event

6. Deputy Mayor, Cr Cuc Lam meeting with the LGBTIQA+ Advisory Group

Paid parking infuriates traders

By Jennifer Pittorino

Altona residents have expressed their deep disapproval of new parking meters that have come to the Altona Esplanade.

Altona Traders Village Association president Ilch Mickovski said the group has struggled to see any benefits that can come from asking beachgoers to pay for their visits.

“We can’t understand or justify the parking meters , the Hobsons Bay community will not thrive or benefit from the introduction of paid parking on a beach that has previously been free,” he said.

Hobsons Bay council approved the introduction of paid parking in the Esplanade

in December 2022, announcing last week that the meters would come into effect on Monday, May 1. Visitors parking in the 129 paid parking spots will be required to pay $4.80 per hour. Residents are eligible to apply for parking permits which will allow residents to park for free in ticket machine areas and residents are also entitled to one visitor permit per household, time restrictions will still apply.

As a resident of Hobsons Bay, Mr Mickovski said traders and the general community never agreed to the parking metres

“There was a petition created which had over 500 signatures on it expressing that the communitydidnotwanttheseparkingmetres

enforced,” he said.

Councillor Daria Kellander was the only councillor who voted against the parking metres.

“Feedback from ratepayers indicated a lack of support for the proposal to install parking metres, the role of a Councillor is to represent the interests of ratepayers, and in doing so I voted against installing the parking metres,” she said.

Mr Mickovski said that a turnover of cars would always be governed by the dedicated time displayed on signage without the need for car park meters.

“What we will see is that the parking meters will hurt potential revenue coming into in our

The art of belief systems that unite

The beliefs of hundreds of Melburnians will be on display as part of a large-scale sound and visual installation coming to The Substation in Newport in May.

The world premiere of Belief System from Ranters Theatre will be held at The Substation on Thursday, May 4, from 6pm to 8pm, with the free installation then running until Saturday, May 13.

Ranters Theatre artistic director Adriano Cortese said the installation includes recordings from about 400 people sharing more than 5000 beliefs throughout the installation

“I wanted to make sure I knew everyone,” he said.

“I wanted to have some kind of connection.”

Created alongside Ranters Theatre’s Anna Tregloan during a number of months, each recording is treated as anonymous and arranged into thematic groupings, with each recording then travelling though the installation’s 120 speakers.

Cortese said the participants range from a four-year-old to locals 80 and above, with the installation features a range of beliefs covering spiritual, social, personal and future-based beliefs.

“I didn’t have any input into what they should be,” he said.

A small weather station fixed to The Substation’s roof will trigger the direction of the recordings through the space, with wind speed, direction and barometric pressure

building different rhythms and intersections. Cortese said the experience of listening and interpreting the participants’ beliefs for the installation is “very special”.

“It was a kind of privilege,” he said.

“Hopefully, the audience will feel a little bit of that.

“It’s our differences that unite us in some weird way.”

Ranters Theatre is a group of Melbourne based artists that have been making work together since 1994.

Details: thesubstation.org.au/program/ belief-system-ranters-theatre

Matthew Sims

local community,” he said.

Announcing the introduction of parking meters last week, mayor Tony Briffa said fees received from visitors would be put back into the community.

“The introduction of parking meters and parking restrictions in Altona will be of benefit to the Hobsons Bay community,” she said.

“For traders, the changes will help provide a turnover of visitors to the beach resulting in more customers,” she said.

To apply for a permit, visit https://www. hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au/parking

Join VIEW and help a child

The Altona Day VIEW Club is calling out to Hobsons Bay ladies to join the growing club.

The 53 women meet monthly to run through upcoming events and host a variety of speakers.

The 24-year-old club is affiliated with The Smith Family, whose goal is to create opportunities for disadvantaged Australian children.

Club president Jessie Rayner said the VIEW Club hosts a number of events and fundraisers throughout the year, all profits go towards the children they sponsor.

“The funds go directly to the six students we currently sponsor through the learning for life program,” she said.

“TheVIEWClubisTheSmithFamily’s largest community sponsor, together the 2940 Victorian members sponsor 378 students.“

Club secretary Julie Cummings said members can expect to discuss matters of the club, listen to a guest speaker and enjoy lunch and refreshments at the monthly meetings.

In addition to meetings, throughout the year the View Club goes out for luncheons and other outings, last month the ladies went on a bus trip to Mount Macedon.

The VIEW Club is hosting one of their four fundraisers next week, a fashion show with Cliche Fashion.

The VIEW Club meets at the Altona R.S.L on the third Wednesday of each month at 11am.

Details : Julie, 9394 6710 or 0421 315 846.

WIN WIN TICKETS to the 46th Historic Winton Races...

Australia’s longest-running and most popular all-historic motorsport event, Historic Winton, will be held on 27th and 28th May 2023 at Winton Motor Raceway, near Benalla. Spectators will see more than 40 historic car, motorcycle and sidecar races and the traditional Sunday Parade Lap of selected display vehicles.

The 46th Historic Winton invites spectators to bring their historic cars, bikes, trucks, buses, caravans and other vehicles for a massive car park display. Organiser, Austin 7 Club President, Len Kerwood said that visitors will be amazed by the impressive array of vehicles celebrating anniversaries as old as 120 years, alongside the two-days of historic motorsport action that people travel far and wide to see.

Tickets are now available online from ticketebo.com.au/historicwinton

Wehave20weekend doublepassesupforgrabs!

Pictured are artists Adriano Cortese, Bob Jarvis and Anna Tregloan who have working together on the Substation installation. 329047 (Damjan Janevski)

Council seeking flood answers

By Jennifer Pittorino

Maribyrnong council has endorsed an inquiry submission to state Parliament regarding the 2022 floods.

In its meeting on Wednesday, April 27, council unanimously approved the submission to investigate what caused the devastating floods.

The submission provides an overview of the flood event as a whole and the impact the floods have had on the community.

Also provided is an overview of a number of areas that should be reviewed to understand

which current processes can be improved or changed. The submission also calls for increased future planning to ensure that flood hazards and the impacts of future events can be minimised.

Mayor Sarah Carter said based on current climate change information, the natural disasters being described as one in 100 events are not as rare as they are made to seem.

“As we are heading into winter now , for those residents that are building , rebuilding and moving back into their homes, every time there is heavy rain major concerns are front of mind,” she said.

Hockey dream realised

The Altona Hockey Club (AHC) is likely to receive a long-awaited $250,000 for a complete refurbishment of the centre.

Hobsons Bay council’s proposed capital works program for 2023-24 proposes to providetheAltonaHockeyClubwithaninitial amount of $280,000 for the ‘initial design phase’ which comprises major upgrades to the sports pavillion.

Councils’s proposed budget states the refurbishment will include a complete redevelopment of the Altona Hockey Pavilion and construction of a junior hockey pitch, to support hockey participation within the municipality.

For over 15 years, president Alex Tyrell, along with other members of the AHC, has been actively engaged with the council on the development of plans and sport strategy documents.

The centre is over 40 years old and has been

requiring renovations since at least 2007.

In 2007 the AHC identified the redevelopment of the pavilion as a serious issue and commissioned an architect to design a potential new facility.

Mr Tyrell said the proposed plans included a refurbishment of both the male and female club rooms, the training rooms, an additional hockey training pitch and other general upgrades.

“We are after an internal renovation, a pitch replacement, new concreting pitch surrounds and electrical work like new lighting,” he said.

“An additional hockey pitch will allow us to have more people training at once plus the opportunity for more kids to join our club,” he said.

The next community consultation will be on Sunday, May 14, where any changes will be locked in and finalised.

Jennifer Pittorino

“What we are hearing from residents and the community is that their trauma is being compounded by the fact there has been no real talk, particularly when it came to Melbourne Water mitigation measures.

Cr Bernadette Thomas said there is a lot to learn and be educated on because the floods will keep occurring.

“We know floods are going to become more regular, the predictions show there will be more climate disasters of this type in the future , and we want to be able to assist our residents when they happen again,” she said.

On Friday, October 14, 2022, 525 properties

On Wednesday, May 26, Maribyrnong council has endorsed an Inquiry submission to the Parliament, regarding the 2022 floods.

in Maribyrnong were impacted by the flooding of the Maribyrnong River, the extent of the health, social and economic impacts are still not fully understood.

Milestone for film festival

TheSettingSunFilmFestivaliscelebratingthe 10th anniversary of the community festival.

On Thursday, May 11, the opening night will be held at the Sun Theatre where it all began, for a night of champagne, awards and hosting.

The festival will be running for one week until Sunday, May 21, followed by the beginning of the online portion of the festival on Friday, May 19- Friday, May 26.

This year the festival is showing over 200 independent films , running eight physical sessions over the course of the first week.

Event organiser Anna Bourozikas started the festival after she had just completed her Screenwriting studies at RMIT.

“I had been a judge in other festivals and I became aware we didn’t have one in this area, so I approached the Sun Theatre and that was the beginning of the journey,” she said.

“It was around the same time that council started the Festival City Funding Program, so

everything seemed to align for me.”

In honour of the 10th anniversary , the festival has partnered with a group called Filmonik Kabaret to run a four day filmmaking lab.

“Filmmakers will be challenged to make a film in 72 hours from the Friday to the Monday, they will be meeting at Kindred Studios to make as many films as they can, they will then be shown on Monday night,” she said.

Ms Bourozikas has been running her festival solo for the last ten years and has hopes to continue the festival for many years to come.

“I take each year as it comes and just try to enjoy it with the rest of the community,” she said.

Details: https://settingsunshortfilmfestival. com.au/festival-programs-tickets

Jennifer Pittorino

Pictured are opening night film makers, Jackson Hayat, Will Calleja and Claudine Ocampo. (Damjan Janevski) 331784_01

Pictured is Andrew Meiers, Vice President Taylah Brennanand and President Alex Tyrrell at the Altona Hockey Club. (Photo Damjan Janevski) 331065_01

Council holds off on cycle path

By Jennifer Pittorino

Maribyrnong council has proposed that no cycling infrastructure shoud be built on the popular Footscray cycling path until the state government improves nearby infrastructure.

In its meeting on Wednesday, May 26, in a division, councillors proposed to not proceed with any improvement on cycling infrastructure on Melon Street until the state government improves cycling infrastructure

on Ashley Street and the inclusion of a signalised crossing.

Council officers had recommended a physically separated bi-direction bicycle lane on the east side of Melon Street, parking on the west side and single shared use two-way traffic lane in addition to other corrections

Cr Cuc Lam said bike riding is critical for the health and wellbeing of residents, but more so is their safety.

“The provision of the signalised crossing at

Giant snail on the trail

The Kinetic Theatre Company is hosting an interactive performance, spanning the duration of five days along the Hobsons Bay coastal trail.

Starting on Wednesday, May 10, ‘The Snail Trail’ will follow Yitsak the snail, Yenna the snail rider and Harold the old man companion, on their journey along the coast.

Yitsak will embark for the trip at Greenwich Reserve, Newport, and end at Truganina Park, Altona on Sunday, May 14.

Kinetic Theatre Company artistic director Miriam Che said the performance aims to highlight the extraordinary coastal narratives of Hobsons Bay.

“The snail wrangler will provide a narrative on the historical sites it visits giving people the chance to interact with the two performers,” she said.

“It is going to be very interactive, it is all free and outdoors so people will be very welcome to come and visit the snail,” she said.

Fromroughly10am-3pmeachday,thesnail will travel a three-five kilometre distance each day, stopping for lunch breaks and photo ops.

There will be regular online updates on Instagram and Facebook throughout the day, plus a nightly recap at the end of each day detailing the snail’s journey.

Ms Che says the snail is a real mystical snail who found its way to them many years ago.

“The snail came from far away a very long time ago, it has been with our company for almost 20 years,” she said.

“Usually the snail only performs at events or festivals but this is the first journey of its kind.”

The current itinerary for the snail follows Yitsak in Williamstown on Wednesday and Thursday and the three remaining days in Altona.

Details: https://www.hobsonsbay.vic.gov. au/Community/Arts-Culture-Heritage/ Creative-Opportunities/New-Art/KineticTheatre-The-Snail-Trail

Kinetic Theatre Company artistic director Miriam Ceh with Yitsak the Snail, before it embarks on its journey. (Damjan Janveski) 331121

Edition FREE

Ballarat Road is critical to ensure the safety crossing for cyclists, advocacy for the state government to deliver this important crossing is a priority,” she said.

Mayor Sarah Carter said the best plan for cyclists needs to be a combination of state owned roads and council roads.

“I have been told by residents that changing Ashley Street is the best outcome because it will be used the most by cyclists,” she said.

Cr Simon Crawford, Cr Jorge Jorquera and

Cr Bernadette Thomas all voted against the motion saying it is not a positive outcome to not proceed with any improvements at all.

“Intheabsenceofanyconcretecommitment from the state government we could be waiting a long time, we need a timeline,” said Cr Thomas.

Cr Lam said there is no timeline however the council always needs to be advocating for what’s best for the community regardless of if it is a long term or short term plan.

Volunteers are absolutely vital

By Councillor Pamela Sutton-Legaud

Volunteers are the lifeblood of a community.

I’ve been fortunate throughout my professional and personal life to work with and alongside some incredible volunteers that have made enormous contributions to the people and world around them.

I’m sure you’ve come across plenty of them too. Whether it’s helping out at your local club or community group, they are the people that keep the place running and they are absolutely vital to our community.

Attracting new volunteers can also be a difficult task. That’s why I’m so excited about the upcoming Volunteer Expo.

I think this is a great way for all our community groups, clubs and organisations to bring new members into their fold and to show off what it is they do and bring to our community. But it’s also a fantastic chance for people who might be looking for a way to get more involved in their community to find out about the opportunities.

Volunteering is such a rewarding activity. There are so many great people in our community who have skills and expertise that would be of incredible value to a community organisation. It’s also great for you physically and socially.

The Hobsons Bay Volunteer Expo will be on at the Hobsons Bay Civic Centre on Saturday, May 20, between 11am-2pm.

Finally, I want to mention that there is still time for you to have your say on Council’s proposed budget for 2023-24. This is a great chance to get involved in the process and have

Briefs

Altona gym theft

Hobsons Bay Crime Investigation

Unit detectives are appealing for information following a theft at an Altona North gym last month. It is understood a man entered the locker area at a gym on Millers Road and stole two sets of keys roughly at 8.20pm on Monday, March 27. Police were told the man was confronted by a gym user and dropped one set of keys, before fleeing the scene in a dark grey SUV. Investigators have released CCTV images of a man they believe can assist with their inquiries. For the CCTV images, visit the Victoria Police website: https://www.police.vic.gov.au/ theft-altona-north-gym. Details: Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or make a report online at www.crimestoppersvic. com.au.

Renewable energy workshops

Maribyrnong council has introduced a series of renewable energy workshops to help residents save on energy expenses. The series of 10 workshops will be held throughout the year covering electrical topics. The workshops will be run beginning Tuesday, May 2 and ending Saturday, December 9. Online registrations for the workshops are essential. All recordings can be found here on the council website once available.

Cr Pamela Sutton-Legaud. (Supplied)

your voice heard about how your rates money should be spent. Go to participate.hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au/ budget2023-24 to view the budget and share your thoughts by Sunday, May 14.

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

Maribyrnong & Hobsons Bay Star Weekly @starweeklynews @star_weekly

From 10 pm Friday 5 May5am Monday 5 J une

• During this time, we will also close the Princes Freeway citybound ramp to Geelong Road and Princes Freeway citybound ramp to the West Gate Freeway overnight. Detours will be in place. For exact dates and times, go to bigbuild.vic.gov.au/disruptions

As we continue to build new ramps and re-build lanes along the West Gate Freeway and at the M80 interchange, we need to close some ramps and lanes at the interchange to make room for ongoing works.

TreeHaus

TreeHaus is a medical and allied holistic health clinic providing specialised therapies for mind, body and movement to children, adolescents, adults and families.

Focusedpsychologicalstrategiesaredelivered at TreeHaus by the team of psychologists and mental health social workers. In addition, the practice offers psychotherapy, family therapy and couples counselling.

TreeHaus offers formal psychological assessments, including ASD - consultations with our Paediatrician, Speech Pathologist and Occupational Therapists.

With such a varied and multi-disciplinary team, TreeHaus offers an increased range of services across two sites in Williamstownadult and paediatric services, nutrition and group therapy in the Lucia Studio including Yoga and Pilates.

We are very excited to announcement the commencement of Pilates and Aromatherapy Massage in May!

■ Please visit the website for details www. treehauswilliamstown.com.au or call 9397 4499.

Seagulls Dry Cleaners

Seagulls Laundromat. For all your daily toxic free dry cleaning and wash/fold/iron needs. Free pick up and drop off.

■ Stores at Williamstown and Altona North (next to Bunnings).

■ Seagulls Laundry cafe now open 93 Buckley Street Seddon.

Thirty 16 Williamstown

Thirty 16 Williamstown is a young vibrant business set up with the desire to deliver the perfect gift. Whether you are treating yourself or someone special, we have gifts for her, for him, for the home or for the baby.

Staff are committed to offering high quality and beautiful products at affordable prices. A lot of care is taken in ensuring that stock fits our style and will meet customers’ needs. Retaining and growing the range of customer favouriteswhilstalwayslookingtoaddexciting new ideas and options.

Stock is sourced from all across Australia as well as overseas.

We are particularly proud of our connection toourcommunityandtherelationshipwehave with our customers. Continuously working at ensuring exceptional customer service and extending our circle of loyal and satisfied customers.

We warmly welcome you to our store and hope that you have a wonderful experience.

Williamstown Specialist Centre

OurCentreislocatedinthelovelyseasidesuburb of Williamstown, which is approximately 10 Kilometres south west of the Melbourne CBD. We are surrounded by free parking spaces both on the main and adjoining streets. All-day parking spots can sometimes be found on Lyon Street or Electra Streets.

Specialists include - Ear Nose and Throat, Cardiologist, Endocrinologist, General Paediatrician, Orthopaedic Surgeon, Respiratory Physician, Sleep Physician, Vascular Specialist & Endovascular Specialist, Urologist & Musculoskeletal Sports Podiatrist. If you are considering renting one of our spacious rooms, we have rooms available on a sessional basis.

Saigon Green – Vietnamese Soul Food

Established in 2020, the business is rapidly growing on Williamstown locals and visitors. Serving delicious fresh Vietnamese favourite dishes choices include pho, BBH, chicken rice, egg noodles and many other specialty seafood dishes ■ Fullylicensed,therestaurantisopen11.30am

- Late Tuesday - Saturday. Phone 93999 9992 to reserve seating.

Taking Shape

Taking Shape is your destination for new seasonstylewithtoptotoeoutfits,readytotake you from the office to the weekend, to exciting getaways and everything in between.

The outfit options are endless with so many layering pieces ready to be paired back with all the basics that form the building blocks of your wardrobe. From cosy coats to snug knits, new shoes, a range of accessories, fresh denim looks and so much more. Whatever new season styleyou’reafter,we’llhelpyoufinditatTaking Shape.

Not sure what suits you? Book a free one-on-one personal styling experience and discover your style.

■ FindTakingShapeatshop3,4-18Ferguson St, Williamstown.

Williamstown’s Ferguson Street. (Pictures: Damjan Janevski) 245787

Seaworks in Williamstown is drawcard.

Williamstown beach is popular with locals and tourists alike.

Beloved former councillor dies

ThefirstfemaleelectedcouncillorofFootscray CityCouncil,SikaKerryOAMdiedpeacefully at age 85.

Ms Kerry died on Tuesday, April 18, leaving behind a lasting legacy. In 1972, Ms Kerry’s election was a first in the 113-year history of the Footscray City Council.

At age 11, Ms Kerry arrived in Melbourne on June 26, 1949 as part of the post-war migration to Australia.

Her interest in the local community began after attending her first council meeting following the difficulty she faced getting them to respond to flooding in her street.

Her election marked the beginning of more than 30 years of community service for the western suburbs of Melbourne.

Her work primarily focused on women and migrants, helping them to straddle two cultures, paving the way for women to enter local government.

Amongst many other achievements, she helped establish the first Footscray Migrant Resource Centre in 1981, now known as the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre. She worked at Keilor City Council in aged care services, became a life governor of the Western General Hospital and spent many years on the ethics

Beauty among concrete

‘Nature In Concrete’ is the latest art exhibition being shown at the Newport Community Hub.

This exhibition will be artist Ariel De Ramos’s first solo exhibition. His paintings depict urban landscapes in Melbourne and landscapes from around Victoria. The collection featuring 30 acrylic paintings of all sizes that were mostly painted in 2022-23. As a former horticulturist and environmental officer,mostofhispaintingsareanexploration and discovery of nature and environment, created to bring awareness to environmental issues while exploring the beauty of nature.

“My paintings should encourage people to appreciate the environment, especially in the city because those areas are really important to me,” he said.

De Ramos started his painting journey in Spain where he lived for the majority of his life, he moved to Melbourne five years ago

and fell into his craft deeper during COVID lockdowns.

“It was during my down time that I started to dedicate more time to painting, and it took off from there,” he said.

De Ramos has previously been featured in other art exhibitions and markets in Spain, UK, and Australia, where he displayed works of up to 10 pieces at a time. “I hope these paintings can encourage people to use less plastic while giving people a new outlook on appreciating the environment,” he said.

De Ramos used to work in Hobsons Bay and felt the Hub would be a perfect spot to display the works. The exhibition is running until Saturday, May 27 at the Newport community hub at 13/15 Mason Street, Newport.

Details: arielpaintingsgallery@gmail.com or @arielpaintingsgallery on Instagram.

Jennifer Pittorino

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committee of Victoria University.

She was the first woman on the Western Region Council of Technical Education and a councillor at the Western Centre Against Sexual Assault.She has made major contributions to both, the Australian Local Government Women’s Association, and the welfare of the local Russian community through the Russian Ethnic Representative Council and numerous aged care, welfare and education services.

In 1991 she received the Medal of the Order of Australia in recognition of her contribution to local government and multiculturalism.

Ariel De Ramos with some of his work on display at the Newport Community Hub. (Damjan Janevski) 331588_02

Sika Kerry. (Maribyrnong City Council)

Rely on an expert to choose to the right hearing aid

Marina Opacak, an audiologist who works with Cris Ivanidis, owner of Active Audiology, says hearing loss is a difficult condition to treat as many sufferers are not ready to take action, or feel confused about what to do.

“Finding the right hearing aid is only half the solution. The other half is finding the right professional,onewhoputspeopleatease,aswell as being technically competent with finetuning the aid. If tuning isn’t done correctly, a hearing aid can feel uncomfortable or, even worse, be completely useless.”

Marina helps many people who have been fitted at other clinics with supposedly “the best” hearing aids, only for them to leave the aid in their bedside drawer.

“After a 60-minute appointment, I’m able to re-tune the settings and make the aid feel comfortable and functional. Finding the right audiologist is as important as finding the right aid,” Marina says.

How is Active Audiology different to the “big” clinics?

Active Audiology is an independent clinic which these days is becoming rarer and rarer – just one in five clinics in Victoria is now independent. This means Cris and Marina are not tied to prescribing particular brands of hearing aids – which is what happens with corporate clinics. They use their own expertise and research to select the correct brand for theirclients–andcanchoosefromeverybrand on the market.

Active Audiology is offering a no-obligation 14-day trial of the latest technology released in Australia. They are the latest technology from Denmark and the USA. Take them home for two weeks and experience them in your daily social environment.

Active Audiology, 17 Harrington Square, Altona. Opens 9am-5pm weekdays. Inquiries: 9398 3331 or visit activeaudiology. com.au

Marina Opacak and Cris Ivanidis. (Supplied)

Renters left feeling ‘let down’

Sharon Garrity said she was already living on just $10 a fortnight after rent and bills when her landlord increased the rent for her West Melton unit by $90 a fortnight.

Unable to pay the extra rent, Ms Garrity decided she needed to move but was unable to find any rentals she could afford on her disability pension.

“I suffer with bipolar, and there was many a night when I’d just cry myself to sleep at night wondering how the hell I’m going to get through life,” she said.

Ms Garrity’s story is not isolated, according to Anglicare’s Rental Affordability Snapshot, median weekly rents in Metropolitan Melbourne have increased $75 per week since 2019.

The report showed on March 18 there was only one rental in Victoria considered suitable for a single person on the disability pension to rent out of the 11,687 rentals listed, and the figure dropped to zero for people on Jobseeker or Youth Allowance payments.

In Melbourne’s west, CoreLogic data reveals rental prices in Melbourne’s west have increased 8.6 per cent in the year to March.

CoreLogiceconomistKaytlinEzzypredicted an imbalance of supply and demand will increase rents further.

“The reacceleration of Australia’s rental market won’t be welcome news for those tenants already struggling to find affordable accommodation in our capital cities,” she said.

“There’s already a chronic undersupply of advertised rental stock in many parts of the country that’s translated into record low vacancy rates across most capitals.”

Ms Garrity said she was on the priority wait list for government housing, but was told the wait time is 20 years.

She found herself relying on private charities for help, utilising local food banks,

and eventually getting into a new rental with support from the Salvation Army.

“If it wasn’t for the Salvation Army, I don’t know where I’d be today … I’d probably be homeless now,” she said.

“The rents are just ridiculous, people can’t survive with the rents going up and up all the time.

“There’s a couple down the road sleeping in the park. There were about three different families there at one stage.”

Salvation Army western metro private rental assistance program senior case manager Jessica Grace said has noticed the effect of rent increases in the western suburbs.

“In particular, more ‘affordable’ suburbs like Werribee and Melton have seen rental prices change quite rapidly … more households are presenting to our service seeking assistance to findalternativeor’cheaper’propertieswith$50 per week increases becoming the new normal,” she said.

“Low-income earners have always struggled to make ends meet in the private market and it’s common for clients to tell me that they have skipped meals or went without medicine to pay bills or rent.

“The current economic challenges and lack of affordable housing means there has been an increased number of people on the disability and aged pensions seeking support to sustain and establish tenancies.”

From Wednesday, April 22, Community Housing Industry Association Victoria (CHIA Vic) held a two-day conference in Melbourne to unpack the housing demand in Victoria.

Analysis by CHIA Vic shows by early next year, tenants in Melbourne could be spending an extra $64 per week, or $3800 extra in a year.

CHIA Vic acting chief executive Jason Perdriau said social and affordable housing should be central to the state government’s

planning reforms.

“It’sclearVictorianrentersarebeingletdown by the private market. Right now, Victorians have limited affordable housing options with the state having the lowest proportion of social housing in the country. This is unacceptable,” Mr Perdriau said.

A state government spokesperson said there is high demand for social and affordable housing options across Victoria and Australia and “we are using all the levers within our control to house as many people as possible as quickly as possible”.

“The Andrews Labor Government is investing record amounts to increase the supplyofsocialhousingacrossthestate–under the historic $5.3 billion Big Housing Build, we are on track to deliver more than 12,000 new social and affordable homes for Victorians to house applicants from the Victorian Housing Register,” they said.

“Melbourne’s west is a key area for the Big Housing Build, with a combined $386 million in funding for homes across Melton, Maribyrnong, Wyndham, Brimbank, and Hobsons Bay local government areas. This will fund a total 865 new homes, of which 225 are already complete.”

Mr Perdriau said that while he is supportive of the Big Housing Build, more work is needed.

“TheBigHousingBuildhasandwillcontinue to be life changing for many Victorians but funding is drying up,” he said.

“The Victorian Government can continue the momentum of this historic investment by investing $6 billion in a Social Housing Investment Fund to deliver 20,000 social homes over the next decade.”

Along with more affordable and government housing,Anglicareareadvocatingforincreases to income support payments, including for Jobseeker to be raised above the poverty line.

Federal social services Minister Amanda Rishworth said the government is assessing income payment supports before the budget, which will be made public on May 9.

“We know that people are doing it tough. Inflation has driven up costs for a range of reasons and people are feeling it at the supermarket and in their bills and services,” she said.

“We will ensure that every budget we hand down is developed in consideration of the measures we can take to support people in Australia who are doing it tough. This will include energy bill price relief that prioritises those on payments and pensions.

“IntheMaybudgetandbeyond,theAlbanese Government will continue its work to build a stronger, fairer and more inclusive society where more Australians have the chance to contribute and share in our economic success.”

With the rental market tightening across Australia, Liam McNally spoke to residents and community groups in Melbourne’s west to see how it is affecting people on the ground and what is being done to address the issue.

Sharon Garrity reached out to the Salvation Army when her rent increased by 90 dollars a fortnight. (Jacob Pattison) 329706_01

‘‘ If it wasn’t for the Salvation Army, I don’t know where I’d be today … I’d probably be homeless now ’’

- Sharon Garrity

CHIA Vic acting chief executive Jason Perdriau at the organisations housing conference on Wednesday, April 26. (CHIA Vic)

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

WANT YOUR EVENT LISTED?

Carers’ walk and talk

Pathways for Carers is running free walking events in Footscray. A collaboration between the state government, Interchange Outer East and Brotherhood of St. Laurence (BSL), the Pathways for Carers program is launching a monthly walk in Footscray on the third Thursday of each month. Participants are encouraged to arrive at 9.15am for a 9.30am start, with a complimentary morning tea available at Myrtle Wine Cafe in Footscray from 10.15am. The goal of each group is to provide carers with peer-based support, information, services and resources, opportunities to be active and connect with other carers, connect with nature and connect with their local community. ■ lauren.mcalpine@bsl.org.au or www.pathwaysforcarers.com.au

Choir leader needed

The Laverton Community Choir is seeking a relaxed, fun and community minded musical director volunteer to guide the choir in song. The not for profit, non-audition all-abilities choir has been singing for many years and enjoy a handful of performances a year within the local and surrounding community areas. With full support from the committee and members, the successful applicant will have sound musical experience (competent pianist, ability to read, interpret and arrange music), an inclusive and open leadership style, with a commitment to having a positive relationship with all members and a desire to work with the committee to develop and implement a

long-term plan for the choir. The choir rehearses on Thursday evenings from 7pm to 9pm (with a 15-minute supper break at 8pm) during the school terms. The position will be effective from term 3, 2023. However, earlier involvement from June with the outgoing musical director would be encouraged.

■ samgerc@bigpond.net.au

New choir launch

A new community choir in Melbourne’s west was launched on Friday, April 28. With One Voice – Hobsons Bay will meet at the Louis Joel Arts and Community

Centre at 5 Sargood Street in Altona each Friday afternoon from 1.30pm to 2.30pm, followed by tea and coffee and a chat. The choir is open to people of all abilities, cultures, backgrounds, vocal ranges, ages and genders. No auditions and no sheet music.

■ www.withonevoice.org.au/choirs/ hobsonsbay/

Food relief markets

Yarraville Community Centre will be hosting a food relief market for those in need of assistance with food and essentials. The market will be held in the

car park located at 59 Francis Street in Yarraville between 10am and 12.30pm on Wednesday, May 17. Visitors can select their own food including fresh fruit and vegetables as well as pantry staples, use family and individual support services, select clothing, toys and homewares from West Welcome Wagon, access health advice. Children’s activities are also on offer.

■ Bettina, 0411 954 774 or btwyman@ycc.net.au.

Flower workshops

Want to learn how to do professional flower arrangements in a fun and relaxed program? Flowers, vase and snacks included. Joan Kirner House, 14 Thompson Street, Williamstown.

■ Liza, 0416 268 959

Seeking stories

Award-winning local author Dr Dominique Hes is writing a book on Newport Lakes, tracing its history, its impact and its contribution. The book will outline the story of its development, highlighting the role of consensus, courage, vision and working with nature to create a beautiful ecological and social place. Weaving in theories of biophilia, regenerative development and placemaking with local stories, it aims to provide inspiration for other communities looking at what they can do in their neighbourhoods. Locals are asked to come forward with any stories, photos, memories to be included in the book.

■ NPLbook22@gmail.com

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 Joyce and Douglas Wood who recently celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary. (Damjan Janevski) 330779_01

Tenants urged to consider sharing houses to cut costs

More people prefer to share houses in Brimbank than in most municipal areas of Australia.

This was revealed by a report produced by property company, Rent.com.au which released a national list of 20 suburbs, where sharing of homes is more prevalent.

Four Brimbank suburbs, Sunshine West, Caroline Springs, Braybrook and Sydenham appeared on the list. Werribee also made it to the list.

Rent.com.au also said renters cut their weekly rent by up to 50 per cent by choosing to share a house instead of renting an entire apartment.

The report also said renters enjoy more affordable housing option by splitting the rent and utilities with housemates.

“We’ve seen house sharing go through several cycles over the last couple of years. It saw a substantial drop during COVID as people began working from home and prioritised having their own space. But in 2023, we’ve seen a real lift in the number of people sharing houses, driven largely by record low property availability and the resulting rental increases that come with low vacancy rates,” Rent.com.au CEO Greg Bader,

Sharing a house is also a cost-effective way to help ease the national rental crisis. Filling vacant rooms reduces the demand for new housing construction, which can potentially lower housing costs in high-demand, low-vacancy areas. Plus, sharing a house gives you a chance to connect with your housemates, fostering a sense of community and support that’s especially valuable for newcomers to an area.

“The savings on rent and utilities are self-evident, but there are other soft

advantages too. If you’re new to an area, living with housemates can be a great way to expand your social circle and discover hidden gems in your community,” said Mr Bader.

He however said renters opting to share houses must be prepared to compromise.

“However, it’s important to approach sharing with the right mindset and be prepared to compromise. Splitting rooms, parking, and chores can be a challenge, but with the right approach, you could

save money on rent and make lasting friendships. Remember, sharing isn’t for everyone, but it’s worth considering for those looking to cut costs and build connections,” said Bader.

Director of Community Engagement, Tenants Victoria Farah Farouque said the trend was due to intense pressure in the rental market which is making solo living harder than ever for people on low and middle incomes.

Ms Farougue said recent census

confirmed that young Australians were staying longer in the family home adding share houses arrangements which were initially broken by Covid 19 lockdown were manifesting again.

“Now, anecdotally, we appear to be seeing more people steadily returning to share houses because of economic necessity. Research shows people living in share houses tend to be younger, working casual jobs and this group includes international students,” she said.

Williamstown honours Anzacs

By Jennifer Pittorino

Over 2000 people gathered for the Anzac Day dawn service at Williamstown’s cenotaph on Tuesday, April 25, to pay their respects. Those in attendance included notable members of thelocalcommunity,pastandcurrentserving members and cadets of the Australian

Mega day for MS at Altona Badminton Centre

Melbournians gathered at the Altona Badminton Centre at the weekend to participate in the 2023 annual fundraising event for Multiple Sclerosis(MS).

Across 12 hours on Saturday, April 29, 99 participants came together to raise vital funds that directly benefit people living with MS. Event organiser Ben Pritchard said the fantastic turnout this year, along with the 20 team members at the badminton centre helped them smash their donation goal.

“We had hoped to raise $10,000 but in the end we raised over $16,000. It was amazing” he said.

The event was held at the Altona Badminton Centre on Saturday, April 29.

Event organiser Ben Pritchard said it was a great day with a fantastic turnourt

99 participants took part in the fight against MS in the 2023 Melbourne MS Mega Badminton event. (Supplied)

The day was a major success , raising over $16,000 for MS.

The event ran for 12 hours, where the 99 participants played across seven teams.

armed forces.

Current serving members and notable members of the community gathered at the Cenotaph. (Pictures: Jennifer Pittorino)

Wreaths laid at the Cenotaph.

Students from Williamstown North Primary school preparing to lay their wreath.

Councillor Jonathon Marsden delivering the Anzac Day address.

Residents gathering around the Cenotaph to place poppies.

Hobsons Bay residents paying their respects.

PUZZLES

SUDOKU

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

1 Hand-held curved blade for reaping (6)

5 Having impaired vision (arch.) (8) 6 Taking something by force (10)

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”.

annex, aping, axing, dean, deign, dine, ding, ending, expand, EXPANDING, gain, gained, ginned, inane, index, nape, neap, nine, pain, pained, pane, pang, panned, pend, pending, pine, pined, ping, pinged, pinned

No. 131

QUICK

1 Is a monteith a type of bowl, cape or curtain?

2 The tangelo is a hybrid of which two fruits?

3 Who played Susan in the 1980s film Desperately SeekingSusan?

4 In which country would you find the Hôtel de Glace?

5 What does the Latin phrase caveatemptor mean?

6 What is the capital of Saudi Arabia?

7 What is a farthingale?

8 The emblem of which Australian state or territory belongs to the same genus as cotton?

9 In which year did the Berlin Wall (pictured) fall?

10 In terms of carbon dating, what does BP stand for?

No. 131

No. 131

No.

63 The Circle

• Braybook Central West Plaza Management 65-67

Ashley Street

• Braybook West Central Properties Shop D2, 67

Ashley Street

• Braybook Braybook Hotel 353 Ballarat Road

Division over sports plan

• Braybook Braybook Library 107-139 Churchill Avenue

• Deep Park Deep Park Newsagency 823 Ballarat Road

• Footscray Trimson & Partner Real Estate 169 Barkly Street

• Footscray French Baguette Cafe 181 Barkly Street

• Footscray Whitten Oval 417 Barkly Street

• Footscray Footscray Community Arts Centre 45 Moreland Street

• Footscray Phoenix Youth Centre 72 Barkly Street

• Footscray Di Natale Real Estate 225 Barkly Street

• Footscray Mig Real Estate 329 Barkly Street

• Footscray Nguyen Real Estate 11/158 Barkly Street

• Footscray Greg Hocking Real Estate 145-147 Geelong Road

• Footscray Footscray Hospital 160 Gordon Street

• Footscray Caltex Petrol Station 62-68 Gordon Street

• Footscray Maribyrnong City Council 61 Napier Street (Cnr Napier & Hyde Streets)

• Footscray TattsLotto 81 Nicholson Street

• Footscray Victoria University at MetroWest 138 Nicholson Street

• Footscray Wards Newsagency 100 Nicholson Street

• Footscray Health Works 215 Nicholson Street

• Footscray Footscray Library 56 Paisley Street

• Footscray Paisley Clinic Pharmacy 85 Paisley Street

• Footscray National Hearing Care 123-125

• Paisley Street

• Footscray Coles Supermarket Albert Street (Footscray Plaza Shopping Centre)

• Footscray West IGA West Footscray 511 Barkly Street

• Footscray West Neighbourhood House Level 1, 539 Barkly Street

• Footscray West Compton Green Real Estate 1/240 Geelong Road

• Footscray West Kingsville Newsagency 339 Somerville Road

• Keilor Park Star Weekly Office Unit 6/1-9 Thomson Road (Cnr Keilor Park Drive)

• Kingsville BP Petrol 88 Williamstown Road

• Laverton Laverton Newsagency Shop 12-14 Aviation Road

• Laverton Bendigo Bank Shop 3/28 Aviation Road

• Laverton Ace Real Estate Shop 4/4 Neville Avenue

• Laverton Laverton Community Hub 95-105 Railway Street

• Maidstone MJs Café Unit 9/72 Hampstead Road

• Maidstone Fix at Mick’s Motors Petrol Station 95 Rosamond Road

• Maidstone Maidstone Milk Bar 154 Ballarat Road

• Maribyrnong Maribyrnong Aquatic Centre 1 Aquatic Drive

• Maribyrnong Maribyrnong Community Centre 9 Randall Street

• Maribyrnong Supanews Lotto Shop 2138/120-200 Rosamond Road (Highpoint Shopping Centre)

• Maribyrnong Gloria Jeans Shop 3/120-200 Rosamond Road (Highpoint Shopping Centre)

• Maribyrnong Plush Think Sofas Shop 3 / 179

Rosamond Road, Highpoint Homemaker Centre

• Maribyrnong Forty Winks Shop 4 / 179 Rosamond Road, Highpoint Homemaker Centre

• Maribyrnong Focus On Furniture Shop 5 / 179

Rosamond Road, Highpoint Homemaker Centre

• Maribyrnong Adriatic Furniture Shop 6 / 179

Rosamond Road, Highpoint Homemaker Centre

• Maribyrnong Snooze Shop 7 / 179 Rosamond Road, Highpoint Homemaker Centre

• Maribyrnong Suave Furniture Shop 8 / 179

Rosamond Road, Highpoint Homemaker Centre

• Maribyrnong Spotlight Shop 9-10 / 179 Rosamond Road, Highpoint Homemaker Centre

• Maribyrnong Alex’s Furniture Shop 11 / 179 Rosamond Road, Highpoint Homemaker Centre

• Maribyrnong Koala Living Shop 12 / 179 Rosamond Road, Highpoint Homemaker Centre

• Maribyrnong Bev Marks Shop 13 / 179 Rosamond Road, Highpoint Homemaker Centre

• Maribyrnong Bedshed Shop 14 / 179 Rosamond Road, Highpoint Homemaker Centre

• Maribyrnong James Lane Shop 15 / 179 Rosamond Road, Highpoint Homemaker Centre

• Maribyrnong Pet Barn Shop 16A / 179 Rosamond Road, Highpoint Homemaker Centre

• Maribyrnong Barbecues Galore Shop 16A/B / 179

Rosamond Road, Highpoint Homemaker Centre

• Maribyrnong Beds N Dreams Shop 16A/C / 179

Rosamond Road, Highpoint Homemaker Centre

• Maribyrnong Carpet Call Shop 17 / 179 Rosamond Road, Highpoint Homemaker Centre

• Newport Newport Newsagency 48 Challis Street

• Newport The Substation 1 Market Street

• Newport Newport Library 13 Mason Street

• Newport Seagulls Nest Club 1 Mason Street

• Newport IGA Newport Plus Liquor 2 Mason Street

• Newport Cellarbrations 25 Mason Street

• Newport Newport Community Centre 43 Mason Street

• Newport Newport Newsagency 6 Hall Street

• Newport Newport General Store 10 Hall Street

• Newport Barlow McEwan Tribe 344-346 Melbourne Road

• Seddon Seddon Newsagency 74 Charles Street

• Seddon ALFA Café 97 Victoria Street

• Seddon The Happy Apple Supermarket 176-178 Victoria Street

• Seddon The Vin

Development Licence Application

copy of this application and related documentation, can be downloaded from engage.vic.gov.au/epa-development-licence-applications Anyone may, within 15 business days of the date of advertisement, comment in writing on the application. Each person who makes a submission about the application for the development licence will be notified within five business days if EPA decides to issue a development licence. All comments must be made at the website above, or by mail to EPA Victoria GPO Box 4395 Melbourne Victoria 3001. Please note that any comments received will usually be made publicly available. Further details please contact 1300 372 842. For our translation service, call Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS National) on 131 450 and ask them to call EPA Victoria on 1300 372 842 epa.vic.gov.au

General Classifieds

WELSH Margot Ann

DOB – 23/09/1937

We are very sad to announce the passing of Margot Welsh who died in her home on Monday 24th April 2023. Beloved wife to Jim for the past 60 years. Much loved Mum of Belinda, Jane and Emma and Grandma to Georgia, Emma, Jackson, Max, Tom, Isobel, Angus and Kate. Her kindness and care will live in our hearts forever more. Funeral arrangements are underway and will be available at www.tobinbrothers.com.au

Farewell tour for Mazda’s CX-9

By Alistair Kennedy

A luxury seven-seat family SUV, the CX-9 has been Mazda’s flagship model since it arrived here in 2007.

With seven seats standard across its range, vehicles such as the CX-9 have effectively replaced people movers especially when they come, as the CX-9 does, with the choice of front- or all-wheel drive.

The former contributes to better performance, lower fuel consumption and reduced emissions -- the latter providing extra traction for towing or mild off-road capability.

The current, second generation CX-9 has been around since 2016 and is due to be replaced in August by the all-new and significantly more expensive, CX-90.

Mazda Australia has indicated that the CX-9 will remain on sale until at least the end of this year. As such, we thought a final review worthwhile.

CX-9 is offered in Sport, Touring, GT, GT SP, Azami and Azami LE variants. All but the Azami LE are available with the choice of front- or all-wheel drive – LE is AWD only. Our test vehicle was the entry-level Sport FWD.

Interior

Mazda CX-9 is just over five metres in length and even third row legroom is almost okay for adults with access via a witch on the side of the seat cushion that tilts the seat forward.

The front seats are soft and wide, while the second row of a double bench layout has generous head and leg room.

The window line is quite high and could restrict the vision of young children.

Cargo capacity is better than many in the seven-seat class, with a reasonable 230 litres available with all seven seats in use or 810 litres with the third-row seats folded. The loading height of the floor is a comfortable 805mm.

Engines / transmissions

In contrast to the wide range of grades, there’s just the one powertrain. The Skyactiv-G2.5T turbocharged four-cylinder engine produces 170kW of peak power at 5000 rpm and 420Nm of maximum torque from a low 2000 revs.

The engine is mated to Mazda’s SkyActiv-Drive six-speed automatic transmission.

The powertrain features Mazda’s stop-and-go function, designed to maximise fuel efficiency. It works by cutting the motor when the vehicle comes to rest, restarting it once brake pedal pressure is relaxed.

Safety

Mazdahasneverbeenacompanytocutcorners on safety equipment and all CX-9 variants come with a wide range of driver support systems, including Mazda’s i-Activsense that usesradarsandcamerastorecognisepotential hazards. There is pre-crash safety technology to prevent or reduce the severity of impacts.

There’s also smart city forward and rear brake support, autonomous emergency braking including night time pedestrian detection, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, driver inattention alert and radar cruise control with stop/go function.

Lane departure warning is also fitted, with lane-keep assist, traffic sign recognition, high beam headlight control, Isofix child seat anchors in the outer second-row seats, and head-up display.

The only safety features missing from the CX-9 Sport are front parking sensors (Touring and above) and a 360-degree camera (Azami and Azami LE).

Italmostgoeswithoutsayingthesedays,but the big Mazda cruiser has a five-star ANCAP rating.

Infotainment

The 7.0-inch screen in the Sport lookstiny inside the CX-9’s large front console. Touring steps up to a 9.0-inch screen while all from GT upwards expand the screen to 10.25 inches.

The Mazda MZD Connect system provides access to the internet, social media, email, Pandora, Stitcher and Aha as well as hands-free voice and text messaging through Bluetooth.

Although it is a touchscreen, we quickly switched over to using the traditional Mazda Command Control knob and buttons on the centre console which are much easier to reach and use.

Satellite navigation is standard across the range as is wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. A wireless smartphone charging pad is located at the bottom of the front console in GT and higher variants.

Driving

The large dimensions of the CX-9 make for easy access. The front seats are relatively narrow but supportive and comfortable. In the entry-level Sport that we tested they lack power adjustment.

Sport does have a reversing camera, but not front parking sensors or 360-degree camera which are available in higher-spec variants.

This Mazda has good low-down torque that makes it pleasant to drive on a day-to-day basis,thoughit’sobviouslynosportsmachine. An 11.8 metre turning circle can make parking a hassle in tight spaces, particularly in underground carparks.

Out of town it’s like a luxury cruising sedan

AT A GLANCE MODEL RANGE

Sport FWD: $47,600

Touring FWD: $55,200

GT FWD: $64,700

GT SP FWD: $65,200

Azami FWD: $67,900

Sport AWD: $51,600

Touring AWD: $59,200

GT AWD: $68,700

GT SP AWD: $69,200

Azami AWD: $71,915

Azami LE AWD: $75,165

SPECIFICATIONS

with sound deadening material added as part of upgrades, meaning the cabin is lovely and quiet.

Steering is relatively light, but responsive and predicable. The ride is smooth with low levels of noise, vibration and harshness.

Sport Mode can be activated through a switch on the centre console. This increases throttle response, while moving auto transmission shift points for improved acceleration, for example when looking to overtake, or filtering on to a motorway.

Fuel consumption is listed at a combined 8.4L/100km. We were initially sceptical about what is a low number for such a large vehicle, but were pleasantly surprised when we averaged an 8.6L/100 km during our week-long test, albeit predominantly in motorway and rural conditions.

Summing up

The CX-9’s spacious and comfortable cabin, refinedrideandhandlingandverycompetitive pricing combine to make for a very attractive package. It’s an excellent long-distance cruiser and almost falls into the luxury saloon class. But … it’s nearly seven years old and that shows mainly in the tech features that lag behind most competitors as well as its upcoming CX-90 successor which also brings new petrol and diesel engines.

We’ll be testing the CX-90 when it arrives around August and let you know whether the significant price increases (at least 25 percent) are justified.

All Mazdas come with a five-year unlimited kilometre warranty. Service intervals are 12 months or 10,000km.

The Mazda CX-9 is an attractive, comfortable and affordable family SUV. (Pictures: Supplied)

Mazda CX-9 Sport 2.5-litre five-speed wagon

Not quite a fairy tale for United

By Tara Murray

Western United’s amazing debut A-League Women’s season didn’t get the fairy tale ending the club and its supporters had hoped for.

After exceeding all expectations and making a grand final in its first season, United’s first grand final appearance ended in tears on Sunday.

Sydney FC, a side that had suffered grand final heartache the previous three seasons, scored twice early on from set pieces to put the pressure back on United.

United then had its chances, but weren’t able to convert.

A controversial penalty in the 63rd minute was the dagger in the heart for United fans and players.

While United played out the game well, Sydney found a fourth goal in the first minute of injury time to seal a 4-0 win.

United coach Mark Torcaso said he was so proud of the group and what they had been able to do.

“I spoke to them right after and literally said this has been a remarkable season,” he said in the post game press conference.

“In our first year to be in a grand final, you should be extremely proud to be out there, your families should be proud and the whole club should be proud of them. Their spirits are quite high and they’ve said they’ll be back and back even better.

“We’ve already signed up 13 of that group which is really good. We’ll look at bringing in oneortwomoreifthere’sothergirlslookingto move onto other clubs or situations overseas.

“We’re happy and satisfied with our group of players and we’ve got a pathway and we’ve got some good players coming through in our feeder as well.”

Torcaso said going down 2-0 wasn’t ideal and meant they were always on the back foot. He said after being so good at defending set pieces, it was disappointing to let two go through in the decider.

He said the group continued to have belief in what they were doing in front of a record A-League Women’s grand final crowd.

“We actually came into half time and girls absolutely believed we could get something out of it, especially the last 20 minutes,” he said.

“The way we played in that first half, we gave a little bit of hope in the way that we approached that last little bit and the girls worked really hard.

“We showed some fight and showed some character and I guess that is what we’ve pretty much done all season, really proud of the girls, can’t fault them.”

Torcaso said the third goal via the penalty was a bit tight and in other games that

wouldn’t have been called.

He said it was the final straw for them.

Torcaso said the playing group was okay after the result, with the likes of Jess McDonald, Chloe Logarzo and Angie Beard consoling them.

McDonald, who played for United early in the season, flew out from America to watch the game.

Torcaso said not having those three out there wasn’t ideal, but said the rest of the group had stood up.

He admits Logarzo was close to getting picked.

“Chloe trained yesterday [Saturday], she has a World Cup to play for,” he said.

“Idon’t’thinkit’sfairtoputherinaposition that might jeopardise that. We had a really long discussion about that, just proud to have her part of our change room, be involved

“Yesterday and this morning I thought I was going to push her, but thought I probably shouldn’t.”

While United didn’t come away with the trophy, the group are still winners in a lot of ways this season.

Torcaso said the United program was more than just about the group of players on the pitch.

“It’s been unbelievable,” he said. “It’s been a brilliant ride, some girls up there had never been exposed to an A-League environment.

“I take a huge amount of enthusiasm going into next season, some of these girls outshone what I believed that they could do they’ve been amazing,

“It’s something quite emotional for me, I’ve had an attachment to some of these girls for many, many years, ever since some of them were 14.

“One message from the start [for us] was to set the tone for the next player that wants to play the game or wants to wear a Western United top. I think we’ve done that.

“Being located out in the west, it’s a growing area and there’s a lot of young people for us.

It’s about creating the next young girl who wants to put on a Western United shirt or a Matildas shirt and that’s the exciting part for us.”

Torcaso said he would have a break now, after he and many of the group came straight out of a National Premier League Women’s season into the A-League season.

He said some of the girls would play some NPLW in the off season and he would spend plenty of time watching that competition.

Then it would be time to go again next season.

“I think they’ve got enough belief in each other to come back next year and have a really good year,” he said.

“I don’t want to be the team that comes out in the following season after having a good season and not performing. That is my expectation and my players will also feel that way, we’ll make sure we put the right belief in them to come out in the right way next year.”

Hannah Keane and Natalie Tobin fight for the ball in the A-League Women’s grand final. (AAP Image/James Gourley)

Western United’s starting line up (AAP Image/James Gourley)

Alana Cerne and Madison Haley during the A-League Women’s grand final (AAP Image/James Gourley)

Diamanti to hang up his Western United boots

Western United skipper Alessandro Diamanti’s professional career will come to an end at the end of the A-League Men’s season.

The mercurial attacking midfielder will call time on a decorated career spanning four countries, 23 years and more than 550 professional matches for club and country.

Diamant paid tribute to his fans, teammates and coaches over the years in the announcement.

“I am a happy man,” he said. “I have always tried to be a footballer of the people, for the people. I have always followed the true values of football.

“I haven’t been a 100 trophy player, but I have been a player who felt loved, by my loved ones first and by all the thousands of people who have been following me for more than 20 years. The love that you fans have constantly always given me has been and is my greatest victory.”

DiamantiarrivedatWesternUnitedin2019,

becoming the club’s inaugural captain and immediately endearing himself to Australian football.

His magical displays earned him a clean sweep of individual awards in the club’s inaugural season, winning the Johnny Warren Medal, the Alex Tobin Medal and the Western United player of the season.

He was nominated for the Johnny Warren Medal again in season two before his third season was cruelly ended early due to a knee injury.

Diamanti’s leadership and influence remained pivotal, though, as Western United went on to win its first ever A-League Men championship, with the captain raising the trophy aloft alongside Josh Risdon.

In total, Diamanti has played 81 times for Western United, scoring 11 goals and registering 18 assists over that time.

Western United football general manager

Mal Impiombato hailed the impact Diamanti had on the Club and celebrated the Italian’s remarkable career.

“Alessandro has had an incredible career as a footballer and will be deserving of all the applause and recognition that he receives,” he said. “For us as a football club, Dia has been the catalyst for so much of our growth both on and off the pitch and has contributed to each of our most special memories.

“As the inaugural captain of our club, Dia helped create the successful foundations here and will go down as a Western United legend and one of the greatest players to grace the A-Leagues.”

Diamanti was a fan favourite just about everywhere he went, particularly endearing himself to the West Ham United faithful after one spectacular season in the English Premier League.

Falcons shine at home

By Tara Murray

City West Falcons enjoyed the opportunity to play in front of their home crowd in the Victorian Netball League on Wednesday night.

Instead of making the trek to the State Netball and Hockey Centre, the Falcons played their first of three games this season at Altona.

Falcons coach Marg Lind said it was nice to see a big crowd to watch them, including the next generation from Melbourne’s west.

“We’re all involved in the 11s, 13s and 15s rep sides at Altona,” she said.

“There was a great turnout of the kids that are the future and looking to come through the pathways.

“Ideally we would have preferred the school holidays, but nationals were on.

“It’s a good start and we’re got another two there and hopefully we can build on it.”

On court, the Falcons continued on their winning ways with three wins across the board against the Ariels.

In championship division, the Falcons had no trouble at all in the 82-35 win.

Lind said it was a good solid win.

“We rolled the team around a bit and we were able to see a few different combinations,” she said.

“We were way more solid than Ariels. They weren’t as experienced and that showed.”

Jane Cook shot 26 goals for the Falcons, while Maddy Gray scored 20.

Kim Borger made her debut for the Falcons scoring 16 goals.

Lind said they had signed Borger as a replacement player for Uneeq Palavi who is set to miss games later in the season with the world cup.

“Kim came in and played, which is always a challenge when someone has never played before comes in.

“When we signed her as cover for championship, we didn’t see her being picked up by the Melbourne Vixens.

“It means she hasn’t trained with us and never met some of the girls. She showed something different to what we have, with both Jane and Maddy.”

Lind said they were happy with the performance across the board.

“I’mpleasedwiththeworkSienna[Allen]has done and her willingness to improve,” she said.

“She was a sign on with SSN [Suncorp Super Netball] last year and the year before that. She had a lot of injuries, but her progress is really pleasing and the hard work is showing off.

“Maggie [Lind] and Montana [Holmes] were good. The whole attack end was good. Scoring 82 is not easy.

Molly Kennedy, a scholarship player, played for a second straight week which was another positive.

Lind said Kennedy is another option later in the season, when they could have three players

Sports shorts

A-League

Western United finished its season on a winning note in the A-League Men’s competition on Saturday night. On the road against Perth Glory, United took an early lead when Ben Garuccio scored in the 25th minute. Glory got one back just on half time. Noah Botic gave United the lead back and United were soon a man up when Mark Beevers received a red card. United had done enough to get a 2-1 win. United finished the season in seventh spot.

Premier Cricket

The seasons of two Footscray players were recognised in the Victorian Premier Cricket awards. Dylan Brasher and Umair Butt were both named in the men’s team of the season for their seasons with the bat and ball respectively. Another Bulldog James Doherty shared the seconds player of the season award with Dhruval Parikh.

Hockey

Altona fell short against last season’s minor premiers in the Hockey Victoria Premier League men’s competition on Saturday. The Seagulls suffered their first loss of the season, going down 3-2. Cooper Burns scored both goals for the Seagulls. The Seagulls women’s side continued their good form with a 2-0 win against Waverley. The women’s side sits fourth on the ladder.

VAFA

Williamstown CYMS is still without a win in the Victorian Amateur Football Association premier B competition after losing to St Bedes-Mentone Tigers on Saturday. The Tigers led throughout the match and were able to hold the CYs at bay throughout, winning 16.15 (111)-11.15 (81). Liam Conway and Jack Noonan were the CYs best. The CYs women’s side got the four points after Therry Penola forfeited in division 2. The CYs are undefeated after three rounds and sit second on the table.

at the world cup.

The Falcons sit on top the ladder after three rounds, one of three teams with a 3-1 record.

The Falcons under-19s are also on top and undefeated, while the division 1 side has moved into the top four.

Lind said they were now getting a better idea of where everyone sits in the competition.

The Falcons this week face Melbourne University.

Lind said they were looking forward to the challenge. “It will be tough. I think MU and Casey are teams that are on the rise. We’ve got some hard tests the next three weeks.

“We are due for a hard test.”

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Tara Murray Alessandro Diamanti. (Supplied)

Kim Borger stepped out for the City West Falcons for the first time. (Robbab Photography)

Agonising loss for Newport beaten late by Albion

Newport fell agonisingly short against Albion in the Western Region Football League division 2 competition on Saturday.

A goal in the final minute proved to be the difference between the two sides, with the Cats winning 10.13 (73)-10.11 (71).

The loss leaves the Panthers sitting 0-2 after having a bye in the opening round.

Panthers coach Josh Russo said it was disappointing to lose, especially in that manner.

“It’salittledisappointingandlosingisnever good,” he said.

“It’s been a couple of tough weeks, with few more to come. We need to be a little bit smarter and make better decisions.

“To lose a game in the last 30 seconds hurts. We have to control the ball a bit better and make the most of opportunities.”

The match was heavily defensive focused, with nothing between the two teams all day. Scores were locked at the final break. The last 10 minutes, the Cats were able to take control to win the game.

Hussien Kadour was the only multiple goal kicker for the Panthers, kicking two.

Russo said Kamal Badra and Malek El-Hassan stood out in the midfield, while Youssef El Hawll and Belal Abou-Eid were

other standouts.

Despite being without a win, Russo said there were plenty of positives and learnings to

come out of the season so far. Russo is in his first season as coach, having been an assistant coach last season.

Wolves women building

By Tara Murray

Spotswood is aiming to continue to build its women’s program in the Western Region Football League.

After having played off in the last two grand finals, the Wolves have become the second club to field two women’s sides in the WRFL.

For Wolves co-coach Ian Allen it’s pretty exciting to have the opportunity to have two sides. He said the girls had build a really strong culture at the club and it was a place people wanted to be.

“We’ve got two sides now, it was a slow burn to get there,” he said.

“It’s something that we aimed to do. As we know girls fall out of trees close to the season and it started to gain momentum and we were able to grow to two sides.

“We want to make sure girls in both sides are feeling conformable and that we had the right amount of numbers.”

The Wolves division 1 team is undefeated after three rounds.

Allen said the biggest thing for the side was they were starting to see the players take some more responsibility for what they are doing.

“We play a pretty good brand of footy,” he said. “The thing for Chris [Grant] and me, the girls are really taking ownership now of what Chris and myself have developed over a few years now.

“That is what it is about with us coaches, the girls have confidence in what they are looking to do and want to take their footy to another level.”

On Saturday, the Wolves were too strong for Parkside Spurs. It was a new challenge for the Wolves, with the Spurs switching to the competition in the off season.

“They came from the Northern League,” he said. “They had a great game against Caroline Springs a couple of weeks ago, beaten by a point.

“Our girls played four good quarters of footy. We jumped them a bit. We’re expecting a bigger challenge next time we play them.”

The final margin was 18.17 (125)-0.3 (3).

Maddison Cooper kicked six goals for the Wolves and was named best on ground. Jacinta Reid kicked four goals.

Having started the season well, Allen said it was now about maintaining that level throughout the rest of the year.

“Every week is a challenge,” he said. “We’ll have a slow build as these girls start to gel a bit more and get stronger as the weeks go on.

“Our main focus is the girls are together and really comfortable that effort each week will be completely different.

“They will learn things as they go. The main thing is to make sure when we get to finals this year, we know what they are about.”

The Wolves division 2 side had a 3.5 (24)-3.5 (23) against West Footscray.

In other women’s results, Werribee Centrals upset Caroline Springs, 8.9 (57)-2.5 (17), while Yarraville Seddon Eagles, was too good for Point Cook Centrals, 7.11 (53)-3.1 (19).

In division 2, Caroline Springs beat Point Cook, Braybrook accounted for North Sunshine and Wyndhamvale beat Laverton.

“We’re just not good enough for long enough,” he said. “We have to improve our execution and our decisions.

“It’ll turn around if we keep working hard. It’s disappointing as you would love to be 2-0. We’ll look to improve and keep getting better. Sometimes you’re a better winner, when you lose hard.”

Russo said they would look through the footage and go through the stats this week to see where they can get better.

This week the Panthers face Braybrook. The Brookers have struggled so far since coming up from division 2.

On Saturday, the Brookers lost to Sunshine 18.21 (129)-6.4 (40).

“Braybrook is doing it tough, but you still have to go there and win,” Russo said.

In the other division 2 match, Parkside beat North Footscray 11.17 (83)-4.5 (29).

In division 1, Altona beat Point Cook with a goal after the season, winning 9.6 (60)-8.7 (55).

Yarraville Seddon Eagles lost to Caroline Springs, while Spotswood lost to Hoppers Crossing.

Gators score mixed results

It was contrasting results for the Altona Gators against the Craigieburn Eagles in the Big V competition on Sunday.

Despite being in different divisions, both Gators sides faced the Eagles at Altona Sports Centre on Sunday in a big day.

In the men’s division 2 competition, it was the Gators that came away with a 114-74 win after taking control of the game in the second half.

The Gators led by seven points at quarter time before increasing that to 10 points at half time.

The second half was all the Gators.

A 39-16 third quarter blew the game open in the favour of the Gators, They finished it off with a 21-14 final quarter to seal the win.

Samson Rocker top scored for the Gators with 29 points in just 24 minutes of action.

Every Gators player played at least seven minutes on the court, with everyone but captain Jordan Lino hitting the scoreboard.

The win has the Gators sitting second on the ladder, with only a loss to the undefeated Whittlesea Pacers.

The Gators this week face the Wallan Panthers.

The Gators women found the going a lot tougher on Sunday against the Eagles, losing 99-51.

The Eagles took control early with a 28-11 first quarter and backed it up with a 26-10 second quarter.

The Eagle continued to push in the third quarter and pushed the lead out to 44 points at the last break.

With the game over, both sides used their benches and it was a more even final quarter, but it mattered little.

Monique Marcetic-Vaotangi top scored with 15 points off the bench, as just two players reached double figures.

All the starters struggled, with not one hitting double figures.

The Gators sit eighth with three wins so far.

They this week face the Chelsea Gulls on Saturday night.

Tara Murray

Tara Murray

Belal Mesto (Jacob Pattison) 331332_01

Brianna Herman (Jacob Pattison) 331337_09

Seagulls take it right up to the reigning premiers

Williamstown continues to show good signs in the Victorian Football League Women’s competition despite not getting the win on the weekend. The Seagulls have been one of the bigger improvers this season and for three quarters played some really good football against the reigning premiers Essendon.

The Bombers were able to find another level in the final quarter, kicking three goals to one, to seal a 4.6 (30)-3.3 (21).

Seagulls coach Liam Cavanagh said they missed some chances early in the game to take the match away from the Bombers.

“I’m watching it back and it’s less about the final quarter,” he said.

“It was more about the first three quarters when we had a lot of chances. They kicked three goals to one in the last quarter, but it should not have been the game.

“We had a lot of chances to score, but Essendon kept coming.”

Cavanagh said this was part of the learning process the squad was trying to build on every

week. He said they were getting good periods of play where they were nailing everything, but were still learning how to handle other scenarios on field.

“The one thing is that we have been in every game,” he said.

“We have one of the best percentages outside the top six and had we won yesterday and kicked two more goals we would have been in the top six.

“That’s not something we’ve had before, being relevant at this point of the season. There’s lots to be excited about.”

Cavanagh said with the improvement they’re expecting to come they are nowhere out of the finals race.

Sarah Cameron continued her good form up forward for the Seagulls, kicking two goals. Cavanagh said she continued to be a target for the side.

Nicole Julian, playing against her former side,ledthewaywith23possessionsproviding plenty of run off half back.

The match also saw the debut of Eloise Freeman.

Cavanagh said she did really well for her first outing.

“El had 11 tackles and 10 touches, it was massive for her. It’s a fantastic reward for her.

“The VFLW has been a steep learning curve for her, but she has really attacked it.”

The Seagulls this week face the Western Bulldogs.

The Bulldogs have one win from their first six matches.

Cavanagh said it would be an interesting battle.

“We played them in a practice match just before the season started,” he said. “There were a couple of goals in it.

“They are a better side than what the results suggest. It will be really challenging and it will take four quarters to get it done.

The Seagulls men’s side had a bye.

Laverton continues momentum

Laverton continued its good form in the FV state league 4 west competition, with a big win against Surf Coast on Saturday.

Laverton took the lead through Alejandro Martinez in the 19th minute before doubling the score through MarceloDeLaPlaza inthe27thminute.

Surf Coast got one back just before half time through a penalty.

It seemed like 2-1 was going to be the final score line, before Hao Tran iced the win with a goal in the 85th minute.

After six rounds, Laverton sits on top of the table with five wins. It has scored 23 goals, only one behind Surf Coast, which has scored the most.

Melbourne City also has five wins after the first six rounds after victory against Barwon on Saturday.

City scored three times in the first to take control of the game, including two from Pablo Soto.

Russ hangs up his bat

By Tara Murray

He may have still made plenty of runs last Victorian Premier Cricket season, but Footscray’s Dean Russ has decided to hang up the bat. Just the 14th player to play 300 first XI premier games late last year, Russ has decided now is the time to step away from playing cricket at that level.

“It’s the time factor,” he said. “The time that premier cricket takes.

“We are time poor as cricketers and it’s the amount of time that we have away from our families.

“The time is right to step away and let the next generation at Footscray succeed.”

Russ said he came back for one last season with Footscray to try and get a second premiership.

The side would ultimately fall short after a strong regular season.

“We made no bones about it, I played another year to win a premiership,” he said.

“We had success in the home and away season, but weren’t able to finish it off.

“The club is in a good place and hopefully I helped develop that culture. I tried my best.”

Russ said the premiership win is the most special moment he holds from his time at the club. He said with the club not having a lot of success it was a pretty special thing to be part of it.

“Being part of the premiership, I’ll always hold that dear to my heart,” he said.

“It’s a special moment for so many people at the club. Being part of that team is my most special and memorable moment at Footscray.”

While the premiership is the most special moment, Russ takes plenty of friends and relationships away from his time at the club.

Having started at the Bulldogs when he was 16, Russ has spent a lot of his life in the rooms at Mervyn Hughes Oval.

“Friends and relationships, you spent so much time with them,” he said. “There’s a lot of slow periods in the game.

“You get to know them on a deeper level and you get some valuable things out of the friendships and mates.

“You still catch up and reflect on the good times. It’s been one of the constants in my life, Footscray Cricket Club, since I was 16, it holds a special place in my life.”

Russ said even though he didn’t play for milestones, it was nice to reach the 300 game milestone and celebrate it with his family.

He sees the funny side of the match, going out for a golden duck as part of a hat-trick.

Russ said for him it was nice to go out on his terms.

He won the Ryder Medal for the competition’s best player in 2021-22 and followed up averaging 54.11 with the bat in his last season.

“It’s nice to know that I can still play at this level and I’m not limping out.

“I was able to help win important games with Footscay and help the young players develop. It was nice to finish off and still perform.”

While his premier cricket days are over, Russ didn’t rule out the possibility of playing local cricket.

“We’ll see.”

Barwon got a consolation goal in the 85th minute, before City got its fourth three minutes later to seal a 4-1 win.

In state league 1 north-west, Altona City had a 2-1 win against Strathmore on Friday night. The result moves Altona up to second on the table.

Elsewhereinstateleague1north-west, Yarraville had a 0-0 draw with Keilor Park. Yarraville has a 2-2-2 record after the first six rounds.

In state league 2 north-west, Altona East Phoenix and Westvale Olympic had a 1-1 draw.

The Phoenix opened the scoring in the 11th minute through Sam Ohalleron before Westvale levelled the scores in the 26th minute through penalty.

Neither team could find a winner in the season half. Altona North suffered a 3-1 loss to Hume United.

Hume scored in the 40th minute, before Altona North levelled the scores in injury time before half time through Zoran Petrevski.

In state league 3, Williamstown was set to play Monday night against Fawkner, which was after deadline.

Tara Murray

Tara Murray Eloise Freeman made her debut on the weekend. (Supplied)

Dean Russ cuts behind point (Ivan Kemp) 322163_02

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