Deer Park’s move into the Essendon District Football League has proven a successful one, with the Lions claiming the division1 premiership on Saturday afternoon.
After hitting their straps come finals time, the Lions proved no match for West Coburg in the decider at Windy Hill, winning by 21.14 (140)-6.8 (44).
■ For more on that match and the Western Region Football League division 3 premiership, turn to page 22 and 23.
Local residents have aired their frustrations about a lack of accessibility at Sunshine Station, with commuters expected to wait weeks for repairs.
Metro Trains said the elevator located on the Station Place side of the station will be out of operation until the end of September.
Commuter Maggie Ralph said the only alternative to access the station is via a ramp which does not cater to her accessibility needs.
Ms Ralph said she suffers from issues with her knees and ankles, and walking on any surface that is not completely flat poses a risk of her rolling an ankle and falling over.
“I’m so worried about reinjuring myself every morning and night on my commute to work,” she said.
“... I have rolled my ankle on slightly angled pavement many times and if I fall it can be really difficult to get up by myself. I also recently tore my ACL, so walking up stairs is a huge amount of pain, and in the last few days I have found myself shaking and crying from the pain.”
Metro Trains said the repairs cannot be made until a replacement part for the elevator arrives but said that the team will work to get the elevator back up and running as soon as possible.
Ms Ralph said it was ‘frustrating’ that such
a significant station had no alternative options in the case of an elevator breaking down. She said the addition of escalators at the station would benefit local commuters.
“I’m not sure what I should do about this rightnow.Ifeellikemyoptionsaretocontinue at Sunshine [station], either with the fall risk on the ramp or the pain of the stairs. Or to get a bus to another station that I can access, probably Footscray, but that would double my 40 minute commute,” she said.
Ms Ralph said the second elevator, located on the City Place side of the station, has also been consistently malfunctioning.
She said both elevators at the station were recently upgraded to have automatic
sensors, but have proved to be more of an inconvenience than an enhancement.
“Often there are two or three loads of lift users on a peak train and so if the lift is full but there are still people waiting outside, the automatic sensor keeps opening the doors at the level it’s on rather than taking the full lift up and coming back. This causes delays for anyone trying to use the lift and is really frustrating,” she said.
Metro Trains said it was made aware of two elevator faults at Sunshine Station on September 4 and had both elevators inspected on the day the faults were reported, with the elevator on the City Place side of the station returned to service on the same day.
World Suicide Prevention day took place on September 10, and a local mental health worker is urging Australians to keep the conversation going.
Suicide is the leading cause of death for people aged between 15-24 in Australia. Suicide Prevention Australia reports that more than 350 young people take their own lives every year. For every youth suicide, there are approximately 100 to 200 more attempts.
Peter Shortis is a youth mental health and wellbeing coach working in St Albans. He said
when speaking about suicide, it is important to be direct and clear when tackling these difficult conversations.
“The best way to help is to keep it in conversations,” he said.
“We often think suicide can be a taboo subject, and it’s great to see awareness come up in times like suicide prevention week, but the number one priority is to keep the conversation going, and to name what it is you’re speaking about.
“Sometimes we try to go around the topic, but when asking someone who you think may be having feelings of suicide it is so important
to be direct. The best way to find out if someone issuicidalistosimplyaskthem-areyouhaving thoughts of suicide?“
Mr Shortis said being direct in the conversation lets the other person know that you are both on the same page, and there is a mutualunderstandingofwhattheconversation is about.
“It’s also ok to get it wrong, if you ask them and their answer is no, then that’s great,” he said.
“If they say yes, the next step is listening and letting them explain what it is they’re going though. It is important to validate their
“R U OK?” was the question on everyone’s lips at Brookside P-9 College last week, with the school holding a range of events on the theme and launching a new mural.
Throughout the week the school held Circle Time activities, held mental health presentations with Australian Institute of Sport, Batyr Mental Health and Brainstorm Productions,aswellaspeerteachingworkshops lead by year nine students for year six students.
On of R U Ok? Day, Thursday September 14, the school held a celebration which began with student ambassadors asking R U Ok? to students and families arriving at the school
gates followed by activities including arts and crafts, bean bag toss, yellow hair spray, a photobooth, planting, and chalk drawings.
There was also music by the No Bull youth group, and prize giveaways for students and a specialperformancebyGamilaraaymanMitch Tambo who will delivered a presentation to promote awareness of history and culture of First Nations people that included songs and spoken word.
Brookside P-9 College school counsellor
Kristienne Martin said the mission was to create awareness, inspire and empower young people to support anyone who is struggling
with their mental health.
“We want to enhance connection within our school community as an early prevention to mental health issues and suicide,” she said.
“Our goals for the event are to boost student confidence to seek help early, facilitate connection to others and to build support systems, strengthen the sense of belonging by creating a supportive school environment that is open to conversations around mental health and provide students with a sense of leadership and responsibility by taking active roles in the delivery of mental health awareness at the school.”
feelings and follow it on with supporting them togethelp.Thatmaybecallingahotline,seeing a school counsellor or even just accessing your GP.”
Mr Shortis said normalising these conversations can help strip the taboo label from the topic of suicide.
“Itcanletpeopleknowthatfeelingsofsuicide can be a common thing for people to have, and by hopefully talking about it and accessing help, people can understand that they are not alone and there is help out there,” he said. Ifyouoranyoneyouknowneedssupportcall Lifeline 131 114, or Beyond Blue 1300 224 636.
School holiday fun has well and truly kicked off across Brimbank, with a range of creative and educational activities on offer for local kids.
Brimbank mayor Bruce Lancashire said there is an array of things to do during the break, and is encouraging families to check out the Events page on council’s website for more details.
“The September school holidays is a great time for children and young people to have some fun, unwind from the school routine, and enjoy new activities or programs that Brimbank council is offering this spring,” he said.
“At Brimbank Libraries, we have a number of fun activities for Primary school aged children, from special holiday movie screenings to workshops on using slime, arts and crafts activities, and even fun events for fans of comics and Manga. For older kids and teenagers, there’s sporting activities such as netball, volleyball and basketball. There’s even a Clothing Swap and a fun House Party for young people, as part of Youth Fest in the West.”
There is a diverse range of activities across all Brimbank library locations, including Deer Park, Keilor, St Albans, Sunshine and Sydenham.
Spring school holidays began on Saturday, September 16, and will run until Sunday, October 1.
Details: https://www.brimbank.vic. gov.au/events
Mercy Palliative Care, the provider of community end-of-life care services across Melbourne’s west and in Sunshine, has won a national Good Samaritan Mission Award.
The award, for the ‘I Am Living’ public awareness initiative involving Mercy Health, Calvary Health Care and other Catholic health providers, was announced at the recent CatholicHealthAustraliannationalconference in Perth.
The I Am Living program, which centres on a series of short documentaries featuring palliative care patients, is designed to expand understanding of palliative care and address community anxiety around the deterioration of health, dying, death, loss and grief.
Patients featured in the videos speak about the things that matter to them as they face
their own mortality and that hope-filled and positive experiences are possible, even in a hospital bed.
Mercy Palliative Care manager, Deanne Layton, said Mercy Health was quick to recognisethevalueoftheIAmLivinginitiative.
“Programs such as these which raise the public awareness of palliative care and the conversations that people can have at the end of life are valuable,” she said.
“The video stories bring real life accounts of peoplereceivingpalliativecareandthemessage of living until we die. These stories show there is much more to palliative care than just end of life care. Raising community awareness and encouraging people to talk is an important message from this campaign,” Ms Layton said.
Along with the Werribee Mercy Hospital,
Mercy Palliative Care’s community-based service covers Wyndham, Brimbank, Maribyrnong, Hobsons Bay, Melton, Moonee Valley and Melbourne .
Its specialist teams include doctors, nurses, social workers and grief and bereavement counsellors.
The team also provides care to relieve psychological, financial and emotional burdens, with a particular focus on family care and support.
“I Am Living instills a deep reverence for each and every person as they matter to the last moment of their life,” said Calvary Health Care’s director of mission, Mark Green.
“Theprogramdignifiestheperson’ssuffering and demonstrates how, with care and support, a life is enhanced even as it draws to a close.”
Brimbank Council’s Be Bold Festival returns with a fun-filled day of arts, culture and creativity on Saturday 7 October, 11am-5pm
There will be music from Brimbank Multicultural Community Choir, the Mexican sounds of the Sin Frontera Band, or dance to the beat with Burundian Drumming Group
Vietnamese culture is celebrated with a large scale interactive art installation on Errington Reserve oval, and you can see some amazing art exhibitions in the Bowery Gallery.
Enjoy cooking demos that champion food from all over the world in our Cultural Kitchen. Renowned chef Shane Delia (Maha) will be cooking up Middle Eastern favourites, plus local cooks will bring you Malaysian,
Cameroonian, Vietnamese and Indian dishes. There’ll also be a range of food trucks and food tours showcasing the tastes of St Albans, or find something special at the Arts and Craft Market
There’ll be creative workshops and activities for the whole family. Flex your creative muscle with our Paint in the Dark drop-in sessions, try Boomerang throwing with Uncle Ian Hunter, have a go at the Kooky Karnival games and fun, meet the mischievous Seagulls by Snuff Puppets
The no-charge event will be held at the Bowery Theatre & Gallery and St Albans Community Centre, 33 Princess Street, St Albans. For more information visit creativebrimbank. com.au/bbf
More than 2000 students across Victoria took tothestageunderthebrightlightsofJohnCain Arena for this year’s Victoria State Schools Spectacular (VSSS).
Among some of the talented students who took part in the showcase was a dedicated backstage crew including year 9 Taylors Lakes Secondary College student, Frank.
Frank has been a part of the VSSS lighting crew since year 5. His role focuses on assisting with the setup of the lighting system of the show.
“This involves learning how to use the lighting equipment effectively during the performances,” he said.
“The best part of my role is the actual work itself. I enjoy tackling tasks and contributing to the team’s goals. The most challenging part for me is having to stay in one area on show day and also saying goodbye to the crew each year.”
Frank said the connections he has made with other students and people through the VSSS is what keeps him coming back each year.
“I also really enjoyed the hands-on learning I waspartofduringeachsessionintheleadupto the production. Once at the arena, I was treated like a part of the crew, not just a student,” he said.
Visit yoursay.brimbank.vic.gov.au to share your ideas and feedback on issues and projects that matter to you. Learn more about projects that are open for comment including:
• Draft Brimbank Lifelong Learning Strategy 2023-2029 – Share your feedback
• Development Contributions Plan 2022 and Planning Scheme Amendment C214 – tell us what you think
Heroes and villains
school holiday fun
Starting from 18 September 2023, Brimbank Libraries are hosting a superheroes themed school holiday program. Enjoy movie screenings, comic strip and badge making workshops, craft activities, and a karaoke party. Visit brimbanklibraries.vic. gov.au to register or check out the activities at your nearest library.
Introduce chooks to your backyard
Learn about the benefits of keeping chooks in your backyard at this My Smart Garden event on 23 September 2023, 10am12noon. This no-charge event provides an introduction to the fundamentals of keeping chooks. It will be held at the Keilor Community Hub, 704B Old Calder Highway. Visit brimbank.vic.gov.au/events to learn more.
Open to all young people aged 10 to 25, the Youth Fest Clothes Swap event will be held at the Visy Cares Hub in Sunshine on Tuesday 26 September, 11am-12noon
Drop off your items between 11am and 12pm. Swapping will start at 12pm. You can also stay for a BBQ lunch. Visit brimbank. vic.gov.au/events for more information.
Celebrate Seniors Festival
Try your hand at golf at the Keilor Golf Course as part of the Seniors Festival in Brimbank. On Tuesday 3 October you can join a Come and Try Golf Clinic with PGA Professional Scott Wearne. There are limited spots for the two sessions from 10-11am and 11am-12noon. There are also two sessions on Thursday 5 October, 10-11am and 11am-12noon Bookings required. Visit brimbank.vic. gov.au/events to learn more.
Your Councillors are always happy to hear from you
Cr Victoria Borg 0429365527 CrBorg@brimbank.vic.gov.au
Cr Sarah Branton 0407836064 CrBranton@brimbank.vic.gov.au
Cr Thuy Dang 0437744803 CrDang@brimbank.vic.gov.au
Cr Sam David JP 0429355239 CrDavid@brimbank.vic.gov.au
Cr Maria Kerr 0437796630 CrKerr@brimbank.vic.gov.au
Cr Bruce Lancashire (Mayor) 0429637689 CrLancashire@brimbank.vic.gov.au
Cr Jasmine Nguyen 0437740042 CrNguyen@brimbank.vic.gov.au
Cr Thomas O’Reilly 0409210431 CrOReilly@brimbank.vic.gov.au
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
time of printing.
“Additionally, there are workshops throughout the year to prepare for the show, so that we are well-prepared to create the desired lightingeffects.Ialsohelpintaskslikechecking and preparing the lighting setup in the arena before the cast arrives, ensuring everything runs smoothly.
Frank said this year’s event was an unforgettable experience with an amazing atmosphere, and he encourages students across the state to give it a go themselves.
“There are lots of different opportunities that you can apply for that you may find really fun,” he said.
Hannah Hammoud
With Victoria’s Labour Hire Authority (LHA) increasing its compliance and enforcement activities, it’s increasingly important for businesses to understand their obligations under Victoria’s labour hire licensing scheme.
LHA is holding a free information session for businesses that provide or use labour hire services at the St Albans Community Centre at 11am on Friday, 22 September.
Labour hire licensing acts to protect workers and improve transparency and integrity in the labour hire industry.
Under the Labour Hire Licensing Act 2018 (Vic), businesses that provide labour hire services must be licensed. If they operate unlicensed, these businesses - and any business that uses their services - may face significant penalties.
Information session
For businesses providing or using labour hire services in all industries, including:
Commercial cleaning
• Security
Key topics
• Horticulture
• Meat and poultry processing
• Legal obligations under the labour hire licensing scheme
• LHA’s recent and upcoming compliance and enforcement activities
• Recent legal and regulatory changes in labour hire
• New resources to support compliance
• Engage with the Labour Hire Licensing Commissioner and ask questions
Register to attend this free session at: labourhireauthority.vic.gov.au/events
Date and timeVenue
How to attend 11am – 12pm Friday, 22 September 2023
St Albans Community Centre (Function Room 2) 33 Princess Street St Albans, 3021
Students from the former Sunshine West High School (SWHS) are still finding a way to catch up with their classmates all these years later.
The Thistle Club group has been together for 15 years. It was formed in 2008 by a small group of past students and teachers from the 1960’s 70’s and early 80’s.
Vice president of the Thistle Club, Clive Pattie, said the group has reunited as a student body for fellowship and to ensure the wellbeing of former alumni by keeping in regular contact.
“Some members travel quite long distances, monthly from eastern suburbs, regional Victoria, together with irregular visits by some from interstate and even overseas,” he said. “A few of our former teacher members are now in their 80s, one of them is 94 and our majority
student members are in their 60s and 70s.”
“The club is a support network that is really incredible. We enjoy the frivolity of it and we reminisce. We feel like 20-year-olds in wrinkled, old bodies”
Most recently, the group came together to give away $50 vouchers that will be handed out to 1000 Sunshine College students in need.
MrPattiesaidSWHSwastruly‘multicultural’ in his time, and in the early years had many students from diverse nationalities migrating from all over Europe.
“The college now has newcomers from the Middle East, Africa, the Sub-Continent and Asia,” he said.
The Australian Red Cross Lifeblood is popping by to Sunshine in October. Locals are encouraged to roll up their sleeves and make a critical blood donation. The blood donor centre will be open from October 10-14 at the Croatian Catholic Centre, 22 Fitzgerald Road, Sunshine West. Details: www.lifeblood.com.au or at 13 14 95.
Youth Fest Clothing Swap
Brimbank council is inviting young locals aged between 10 and 25 to attend the Youth Fest Clothing Swap event and revamp their wardrobes in a sustainable way. The clothing swap will take place at the Visy Cares Hub on Tuesday, September 26, from 11am. Registration is required. Details: https://bit.ly/3Psw2Vd.
Landfill community session
The Environment Protection Authority (EPA) is inviting the community to attend an information session on the Sunshine landfill issue. The community session will run on Thursday, September 21 from 5-7pm at the Kealba Hall located at 24 McShane Drive, Kealba. Details: https://shorturl.at/eBJXZ
FOR BREAKING NEWS, VISIT
Web: starweekly.com.au
Brimbank & North West Star Weekly @starweeklynews @star_weekly
The response of the insurance industry to major flood events across Australia in 2022 will be the focus of a new inquiry by the federal House Standing Committee on Economics, beginning with an online survey.
The inquiry will take a whole-of-economy view of the ongoing challenges caused by intense and frequent flood events.
In particular, the inquiry will look at insurers’ responses to the 2022 flood events across the country including the October floods in Victoria.
The inquiry will focus on a range of issues, including time frames for resolving
claims, obstacles to resolving claims, and communication with people lodging claims. Also under review will be the effectiveness of internal dispute resolution processes, the accessibility and affordability of hydrology reports and assessments, the affordability of insurance cover, and the preparedness of insurance companies for future major floods.
Committee chair Fraser MP Dr Daniel Mulino said the aftermath of intense natural disasters continues to have a huge impact on the lives of Australians, in rural and regional communities and in metropolitan areas.
“People in my electorate of Fraser were
GenZine, a gender equity art and discussion group run by and for young people in the west, is set to host its fifth issue magazine launch.
GenZine is run by Hannah Veljanovska, Charlotte Cameron and Emily Bartush, who are all based in Melbourne’s west. Hannah said GenZine began in 2020 following the completion of a program with cohealth: “It wasagenderequityandpreventionofviolence against women program, where we learned a lot of statistics and other information. Once the program ended we were trying to find a way to share and integrate this learning, so we decided as a group to make a small magazine.”
Hannah said the core of GenZine is social justice, community and activism: “We see the magazine as a celebration and manifestation of all the connections and relationships that we’ve been building up until now.”
Hannah said people can expect this issue to
be the thickest and juiciest one yet.
“The theme for this issue is growing pains, we had more than 25 contributors, which is the most that we’ve ever had. There will be artwork exploring growing pains, in terms of self development, which will be done through a number of mediums, including embroidery, poems, paintings and graffiti,” she said.
The magazine will be free and funded through the West Gate Neighbourhood Fund. The team are celebrating the magazine with a launch on Friday, September 22, at the Louis Joel Arts & Community Centre.
“Expect wholesome times, great chats, lovely people, live music as well as seeing all of the lovely artwork. The featured art will be on exhibition for a few weeks after, so if people can’t make it to the launch they can come down to Louis Joel afterwards.”
devastated when the Maribyrnong River flooded in October,” he said.
“I spent the following days door knocking, making sure residents were safe and that they had been able to claim disaster payments from Services Australia.
“I will never forget the despair of the families andlocalbusinessownerswholosteverything.”
Mr Mulino said his staff are still advocating for affected residents who have outstanding claims with their insurance companies.
“Meanwhile, they are also trying to rebuild their lives, which is difficult when claims haven’t been settled.”
The online survey has been launched to hear from people who were affected by the major floods.
“It is really important that people participate in the survey,” he said.
“Committee members need to have a good understanding of people’s experiences with their insurance companies.
“Their evidence will inform our discussions throughout the inquiry and help guide our recommendations.”
The survey cut off date is October 31.
Details: https://www.aph.gov.au/ floodinsurance
By Hannah Hammoud
Brimbank council has launched strong opposition against plans from the state government to strip local councils of some planning powers.
The state government’s position follows the Operation Sandon report handed down in late July by the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC), which revealed instances of corrupt conduct involving councillors and property developers within the City of Casey.
In a statement issued by Premier Daniel Andrews, the state government said it intends
to strip councils of some planning powers in ordertocombatlinksbetweensomedevelopers and councillors.
“TheIBACreport’s34recommendationswill be given appropriate consideration, but it is the clearpositionofthegovernmentthattheroleof local councils in significant planning decisions should be reduced and we will have more to say on this matter,” read part of the statement.
Brimbank mayor Bruce Lancashire said that while he agreed the behaviour described in the report was ‘unacceptable’, it should not be seen as a reflection of the conduct of all elected representatives.
“Brimbank strongly opposes any attempts to
Some of Ardeer’s youngest residents are connectingwithsomeofitsoldest,tohelpretell the old stories of the suburb.
Ardeer Primary School and Mother of God Primary School are on the lookout for short stories from people who lived and worked in Ardeer in the early days of the suburb. The short snippets of history will be passed over to theprimaryschoolstudentstocreateshort-stop animations that will go alongside the stories.
Mother of God Primary School art teacher, Debbe Qadri, is co-leading the project with Ardeer Primary’s art teacher, Rhiannon Thomas. Ms Qadri said every story is valuable and helps to share the special charm of Ardeer.
“The first story we received was from a lady who came to our school as a young woman for a teaching placement. She said she had to walk across paddocks to get to the school and on the way she got lost. By the time she got to the
school she was completely wet except for her hair because she had a pink umbrella with her.
“Sharingstorieslikethesegiveslocalchildren an idea of what Ardeer was like in the past, and it gets them to reimagine it and understand how life has changed, and just how much the suburb had changed over time.”
Ms Qadri said the schools have come together to create a joint project for the Ardeer community: “The suburb has changed so much over the years and we really want to capture some of those stories that are still around.”
Older residents are encouraged to make a voice recording or email in their story to either school by October 1. Ardeer Primary School: ardeer.ps@education.vic.gov.au or, Mother of God School: dqadri@mogardeer.catholic.edu.
au
use IBAC’s findings of one council’s conduct to water down the role of all 79 councils in planning processes,” he said.
“Greater local government involvement in major planning decisions remains in the best interest of local communities.”
Cr Lancashire cited particular concerns with IBAC’s recommendation to remove statutory planning responsibilities from councillors.
“The report recommends councillors are removed from the decision-making process in determining planning permits – a responsibility that has been entrusted upon us by the communities who have elected us to represent them,” he said.
CrLancashiresaidafurtherrecommendation from IBAC which advises that an independent decision-making panel be implemented for defined planning permit applications will have negative ramifications.
“This [recommendation] is also proposed to apply to the Minister for Planning. For local government, the consequence is that council officers would process applications as normal, would have delegations for most applications, and use an independent panel for defined decisions. In reality this will likely mean delays to the decision-making process affecting the efficient administration of statutory planning functions,” he said.
By Hannah Hammoud
There is a new friendly neighbour in town looking to meet Cairnlea residents.
Local green thumbs have banded together to help create a podolepis plant parade on the streets surrounding each of their three native grasslands, and they want the neighbouring residents in Cairnlea to be part of it.
Each house facing the reserves will be given a basalt podolepis plant – a native grassland wildflower that provides nectar for butterflies and small birds.
The project is a collective effort from the Cairnlea Conservation Reserves Committee of Management, the Friends of Iramoo and the Iramoo Native Plant Nursery.
The team encourages residents to plant their podolepis on their nature strip or front garden, or keep it as a pot plant near their doorstep.
Cairnlea Conservation Reserves Committee member Megan O’Shea said she hopes the plant parade helps to build neighbourliness in the area as well as to extend the grasslands beyond its official boundaries.
“I live locally and we are so lucky to have these native grasslands in our neighbourhood. This parade will allow residents to have a piece of it in their home and help us to build a relationship with the people who neighbour onto the grassland reserves,” she said.
Ms O’Shea said the podolepis parade will serve as a stepping stone for butterflies and other pollinators travelling between the Cairnlea grasslands.
“The grasslands protect threatened species and we hope that by planting a parade of podolepis it will give pollinators a chance to live a bit further beyond the grasslands.”
By increasing the number of podolepis plants around the reserves, residents will be helping increase the food resources available
for small grassland animals. Ms O’Shea said the parade serves as an ‘insurance policy’ for local pollinators.
“If pollinators are able to have these stepping stones between the three grasslands then we canmaintainthosepopulationsaspollinators,” she said.
Surfing Victoria and WorkSafe Victoria have announced the return of the WorkSafe Tradies Surf Challenge at URBNSURF this October.
TheeventwilltakeplaceonOctober29, andaimstobringtogethersurfingtradies from around the state to Australia’s first wave park for a fun and relaxing surfing competition.
WorkSafeexecutivedirectorofexternal affairs Sam Jenkin said the competition is a fantastic way for tradies to connect and strengthen bonds, which can in turn contribute to safer workplaces.
“The camaraderie and conversations thatcomefromeventssuchasthishelpto increase awareness and concern for each other’s safety on the worksite,” he said.
The event features Open Mens, Open Womens, Masters Open and Bodyboard Open divisions with a huge raft of prizes from WorkSafe, Heaps Normal and Milwaukee Tools.
Surfing Victoria chief executive Adam Robertson said the organization is ‘stoked’ to be heading back to URBNSURF for the WorkSafe Tradies Challenge.
“Weknowthattherearealotofsurfing tradies out there across the state and this is a great way for them to catch up and get involved in a fun day of waves at URBNSURF,” he said.
“The more resources there are, the more likely these populations can persist, and if we don’t lose a population at one of the three grasslands, then hopefully these resources will entice them to populate and move back in.”
Podolepis parade packs will be delivered to residents on the weekend of September 23-24.
All competitors will receive free-surfing time in the URBNSURF lagoon separate to their competition heats.
Limitedentriesarenowopenviawww. surfingvic.com
By Christopher Carter, CEO of North Western Melbourne Primary Health Network
You may remember that earlier this year there was an advertising campaign on television and radio and online urging us to get a booster vaccination against COVID-19.
If you hadn’t had a jab, or a case of coronavirus, for at least 6 months, the adverts said, it was time to “top up”, “pump up” and “keep your guard up”. It was useful and timely advice - resulting in just shy of 4 million booster doses being administered around the country between January and August.
You know what? It’s now more than 6 months since that advertising campaign started running - so is it time to go and get the needle again?
Well, on September 1, 2023, the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI), the body that makes these decisions, updated its advice and the answer to that question is a very definite “maybe”.
ATAGI reported that COVID-19 case numbers have gone up and down this year, declining substantially in the second half of the year. Despite the dip, the group notes that infections continue to occur - and that this bug isn’t going to disappear any time soon (if ever).
Most cases of severe illness - where people needed to go to hospital - happened in older adults, especially those 75 and over. The new advice for this age group is if it’s been 6 months or more since you’ve had a booster it is strongly recommended that you get another jab.
The advice for the next group of not-quite-so-old adults - those between 65 and 74 - is to “consider” getting a booster if you haven’t had one lately. It’s up to you and
your GP, but it might be better to be safe than sorry - especially if you also have any chronic conditions, such as lung issues.
For other adults, ATAGI suggests an additional booster only for people who are severely immunocompromised. For all others, and all children and teens, another jab isn’t recommended at all.
You might wonder why. The experts say that younger people have lower rates of severe illness, hospitalisation and death from
COVID-19comparedtoolderfolk.Thisismore so these days because much of the population is currently well protected because of previous vaccinations - including this year’s boostersand immunity built up from past infections.
Here’s a sobering bit of information, reported by ATAGI. Testing at the end of last year indicated that about 70 per cent of adults and 64 per cent of children had been infected by coronavirus.
So, the gist of it all? If you are in a priority
group identified by the experts, think about getting another booster. If not, just continue to take care - wearing masks in crowded places, gathering outdoors or in well-ventilated spaces, doing a RAT and staying home if you’re sick, all that sort of thing.
ATAGI continues to monitor the COVID-19 pandemichereandaroundtheworld,including keeping an eye on new variants being found. If the situation changes, so will the vaccination advice.
Students from Keilor Primary school opened their classroom doors for their families to join in on a Maths Open Afternoon.
Keilor Primary School numeracy leading teacher, Josie Pacifico said the open afternoon is an opportunity to help strengthen the relationshipsbetweenhomeandschool,aswell as families and teachers.
“It allows parents to see what is being taught in class and gives them the opportunity to see how their children use various strategies to helpwiththelearningofvariousmathematical concepts,” she said.
Ms Pacifico said it was ‘fabulous’ to see both adults and children engaging in mathematics, and allowed for families to observe their children learning mathematics through classroom experiences.
“Classroom visits also help parents understand classroom instruction and expectations, also building their knowledge of the curriculum. It allows for the strengthening of social and emotional wellbeing of children when students see their parents, carers and grandparents taking an interest in their learning,” she said.
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Brimbank council will raise three critical matters for consideration at the upcoming Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) state council meeting on October 13.
Council has endorsed three draft motions that will be submitted to the meeting, each highlighting urgent matters of concern, including the construction of the Melbourne Airport Rail, upgrading the Calder Freeway, as well as housing affordability and homelessness in the municipality.
The upcoming meeting is an opportunity
for council to help influence state government investment and policy on its advocacy priorities.
Council is calling on the state government to deliver the Melbourne Airport Rail in a “timely manner”, and has said the current road network servicing the airport is insufficient to sustain its long term growth.
Council said any delay, or withdrawal of funding, will require substantial investment to increase the road capacity to cater for the forecast growth of Melbourne Airport, which is set to double to more than 76 million passengers by 2042.
Football clubs throughout the Melbourne’s north-west will receive an $8 million boost over the next four years.
A pool of $2 million will be distributed each year starting in 2024, under which eligible metro footy clubs will be able to apply for grants up to $20,000.
The AFL in collaboration with Telstra announced its footy country grants program on Thursday, September 14.
The aim of the program is to help strengthen, sustainandgrowlocalfootythroughupgrading facilities or services the club needs.
Caroline Springs’ coach and AFL great Brian Lake said these grants will have lasting effects on clubs like his, Caroline Springs.
“It’s fantastic… we’re a lucky club,“ the three-time premiership Hawk said. “We have 23 teams at the moment, but what happens is you outgrow your facilities very quickly.
“We are probably in desperate need for an
upgrade in our lights, so we can play a lot more Friday nights, Sunday twilight as well, to fit in all these sides that we’ve got.
“It’s been amazing… we probably have six or seven sides of women playing football so it’s about putting them in the right time slots.
“That’s been the hardest thing, sometimes they’re playing at 10 o’clock on a Saturday morning, when the senior men and under-18s are playing, so to have enough people helping out, is tough. So to open up some more time slots like a Friday night or a twilight, even if it’s the under 18’s playing then, is crucial.”
AFL chief executive Gillion McLachlan said this initiative follows the league’s commitment to increase investment in local footy: “Targeted directly at clubs to make volunteering easier, diversify and broaden participation and ensure our game is truly welcoming and inclusive.”
Harper SercombeCouncil is also imploring the state government to release the findings of the businesscaseundertakentoimprovetheCalder Freeway, and to no longer stall in delivering its commitments.
Brimbank councillor Ranka Rasic said the Calder Freeway needs to be fixed ‘urgently’.
“Earlier this year RACV launched the ‘My Melbourne Road Survey’ giving road users the opportunitytohavetheirsayonsafetyconcerns on Melbourne’s transport network. The Calder Park Drive and Calder Freeway intersection was identified amongst the top 10 in Brimbank. This stretch of road is dangerous and it should
have been fixed years ago,” she said.
The upgrades detailed in council’s motion include creating additional lanes from Keilor Park Drive to Melton Highway and widening the Maribyrnong River Bridge, constructing a full diamond interchange at the intersection of the Calder Freeway and Calder Park Drive and duplicating Calder Park Drive between the Calder Freeway and the Melton Highway.
Brimbank council will also band together with other supporting councils to call on the state government to provide direct support for local government to respond to homelessness concerns.
Nestled within the charming suburb of Delahey, 10 McNicholl Way offers the potential for a comfortable and convenient lifestyle. This 3-bedroom house with 2 bathrooms presents an opportunity to create a warm and welcoming home.
The property features a double garage, ensuring ample space for parking and storage.
The open plan living area provides a versatile space for family gatherings and entertainment, allowing for a seamless flow between the kitchen, dining, and living areas.
While the house may be in need of some tender care, its potential shines through. With a bit of loving attention, this property can be transformed into a haven of comfort and personal style.
Conveniently situated near the Watergardens Shopping Centre, residents can easily access a range of shopping, dining, and entertainment options. The location also provides proximity to essential amenities and transport connections, making daily life more convenient.
WANT 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
Art meet-up
Come and work on your art with fellow artists, stay for a cuppa and a chat afterwards, with all abilities welcome in this untutored space. BYO materials. The meet ups will run Wednesdays until September 27, 12.30-2.30pm.
■ www.trybooking.com/CJEOM
Lighting up Errington
Errington sports oval and multipurpose courts will be lit up from sundown to 9pm on Wednesday and Saturdays up until the end of September as part of the Youth Fest in the West 2023 for people to make the most of the sporting facilities.
■ Sport@brimbank.vic.gov.au
VCE drop-in study spaces
Dedicated study spaces for VCE students are available across neighbourhood houses and community centres between various times between September 18 and 30. You can do group revision sessions or study by yourself for your upcoming exams.
■ https://bit.ly/brimbank-study
Mario Kart Championship
Come and race Rainbow Road for fun, prizes and bragging rights at Sunshine library on September 21. The L2P team presents a Mario Kart Championship with a competition for ages 12-16 and 16-25. There will be food and drink provided. Registering is necessary.
■ https://bit.ly/brimbank-mario-kart
Drop-in volleyball
Drop-in volleyball will be held at Keilor Basketball Netball Stadium on September 21. Two sessions will be held, one for 13-18-year-olds and one of 18-plus. No previous experience is required. Make sure you register your interest.
■ https;//bit.ly/brimbank-snr-volley
Clothing swap
Are you wanting to get some new clothes while getting rid of some of your old ones?
As part of the Youth Fest in the West 2023, a clothing swap is being held at the Brimbank Learning Futures centre on September 26. Bookings are essential.
■ https://bit.ly/brimbank-swap
Sunshine Halloween Street Party
The Sunshine Halloween Street Party will return this year on Tuesday, October 31. The event will take place along Hampshire Road from 4-7pm. The family-fun day will feature trick or treating, face painting, costume parade and street performers.
■ https://shorturl.at/dknIW
Sunshine Repair Cafe
Do you enjoy fixing things or have skills in mending clothing and textiles? Kororoit Neighbourhood House is looking for volunteer repairers for the newly launched Repair Cafe in Brimbank. Events happen once a month and are an opportunity to meet others in the community and share your skills while helping fix broken household items.
■ sunshinerepaircafe@kcnh.org.au, or 0413 434 082
Casual basketball shooting
The Keilor Basketball Netball Stadium is hosting free open shoot-around sessions every Monday from 1-3pm in September. Participants can bring their own basketball, have fun and improve their game.
■ https://shorturl.at/bsEY0
Al-Anon Family Groups
Al-Anon Family Groups is offering help and hope to anyone living in an unhappy home because a loved one drinks too much. There are no contracts to sign, just
a voluntary donation to cover room rental. Confidentiality is protected. The group meets every Wednesday at Sydenham Neighbourhood House from 1-2:30pm. New members are welcome.
Card games
Love playing the card game 500? Card games are played every Monday from 7-10pm at the Sunshine RSL offices, 99 Dickson Street, Sunshine.
■ Leisa, 0425768808
Keilor Day View Club
The Keilor Day View Club meets at 11am on the first Thursday of each month at Green Gully Soccer Club, Green Gully Reserve, Club House Place, Keilor Downs. The club is inviting locals to come along and enjoy a meal and fun with a friendly group of ladies.
■ Robyn, 0425 387 880
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
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
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-2pm. Annual membership: $10. Cost: $1 entry on attendance day.
■ Roma, 0435 991 064
Caroline Springs Rotary
The Rotary Club of Caroline Springs is inviting new guests to join its meetings in person or via zoom. Meetings are held every Wednesday at the Western Emergency Relief Network in Ravenhall from 7pm. ■ rotarycarolinesprings@gmail.com
Melton Ladies Probus
Meets from 10am on the second Wednesday of each month at Melton Country Club on Reserve Road, Melton. All visitors are welcome.
■ Dianne, 9743 7446
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 meets 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
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 Valley Ladies Probus Club
The Melton Valley Ladies Probus Club meets on the second Tuesday of each month at 10am at Melton Country Club. New members welcome.
■ Ann, 0425 705 150
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 older who are retired or semi-retired who wish to stay mentally and physically active.
■ 0419 563 016
SUDOKU
No. 72 469 24 9 91
1 Commend (6)
4 Well-known (6)
10 Picture puzzle (5)
1
13 29 6 894 52
81 3 2136 5 7
easy 62 81 4 9572 1
7 51 92 3 51 6
medium 41 79 19
hard
2 7 813 2 93 71 5
2356 4 2 853 7 3
Today’s Aim:
14 words: Good 21 words: Very good 29 words: Excellent
S R N
D C
I N N I T G
rings, rinsing, rising, sign, signing, sing, singing, siring, siting, sting, stinging, stir, string, STRINGING, tiring, trig
gins, girt, gist, grin, grins, grist, grit, iris, nisi, rigs, ring, ringgit, ringing,
No. 151
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”. G R L E S
S E S L E E K S A R E N A C O R A L E D I C T S E E K S
1 In which sport was the first national Australian team formed in 1922?
3 In which year was the Gregorian calendar adopted in Soviet Russia: 1917, 1918 or 1919?
4 Dan Levy (pictured) stars as John in which 2020 Christmas film?
5 True or false: the Earth has an axial tilt of approximately 13.4 degrees?
6 What was the pen name of British author David Cornwell?
7 Which two states or territories do not observe the King’s Birthday on the second Monday in June?
8 Which Australian capital city is on the traditional lands of the Kulin nation?
9 Mo Dao Zu Shi is a Chinese xianxia novel that was adapted into which Netflix fantasy series?
10 What type of instrument is a xiao?
LETTERS ACE ACT AIM ALE ASK ERA ERR GET GOT HEY HOE HUG INN ITS NAG ONE RIP ROE SAT SHE SUE TIP 4 LETTERS CALM DART DYES EPIC KIDS ODDS RODS SPEW TRIO TUNE 5 LETTERS ABBOT AMISS ANGER APING AREAS ASHED BREAD BURRO COMES COPED CRUDE DEEDS DOGMA EDGES ELDER ENDED GENRE GONER HOSED HOUSE HYENA IDIOT IGLOO INERT METRE MIGHT MINCE MOTHS NASAL ODOUR OVARY PAINT PERIL RETRY SEEDS SEEMS SHAMS SHOAL SLATS SMOTE STAVE STEEL STRIP TIMED TINGE USHER VENUE WEEDY 6 LETTERS ARISES CEASES GEEING SERIAL SPHERE STATER 7 LETTERS ERASERS GREENIE HAGGLES INDULGE PATTERN SEASIDE 8 LETTERS HANDSOME HASTENED NURTURES OVERSEES 10 LETTERS MATRIARCHS TRESPASSED 12 345678910111213 1415 1617181920212223242526 O L P E R V Q S K N J X F I U Y A W Z G C D T M B H Insert the missing letters to make 10 words – five reading across the grid and five reading down. NOTE: more than one solution may be possible 22-09-23 Puzzles and pagination © Pagemasters | pagemasters.com 632871459 943725618 369547281 194253867 586419723 451982376 875694132 217368945 728136594 easy medium hard 934256718 473985261 625178934 752814693 516732849 347529186 861397425 298641357 189463572 854237619 345729861 517682943 123956784 291865437 438591276 679418325 786143592 962374158 1 14 7 20 2 15 8 21 3 16 9 22 4 17 10 23 5 18 11 24 6 19 12 25 13 26 MH ANSWERS: 1. Soccer 2. Richard Flanagan 3. 1918 4. SeasonHappiest 5. False 6. John le Carré 7. Queensland and Western Australia 8. Melbourne 9. The Untamed 10. Flute
Sadie Black Cafe Albion
Sunshine City Club Albion
Coles Supermarket Braybrook
Central West Shopping Centre Braybrook
Braybrook Hotel Braybrook
Braybrook Community Centre Braybrook
Braybrook News & Lotto Braybrook
Burnside Hub Shopping Centre Burnside
Burnside News and Lotto Burnside
Milkbar Burnside Heights
Cairnlea Town Centre Cairnlea
The Club Caroline Springs
Caroline Springs Civic Centre/Library Caroline Springs
CS Square Centre Caroline Springs
Smart Smile Dental Deer Park
Deer Park Club Deer Park
Community Neighbourhood Centre Deer Park
Foodworks Deer Park
Cellarbrations Liquor Store Deer Park
Australia Post Deer Park
Deer Park IGA Deer Park
Brimbank Shopping Centre Deer Park
Derrimut Village Shopping Centre Deer Park
Coles Supermarket Deer Park
Deer Park Library Deer Park
IGA Delahey Delahey
Delahey Community Centre Delahey
Sunshine Golf Club Derrimut
Wards Newsagency Footscray
Foodworks Hillside
Parkwood Green Community Centre Hillside
Hillside Neighbourhood House Hillside
Keilor Community Hub Keilor
Keilor Newsagent Keilor
Centro Shopping Centre Keilor Downs
Frank's Supermarket Keilor Park
Fergusson Plairre Bakehouse Keilor Park
Westvale Community Centre Kings Park
Melton Shire Offices Melton
St Albans Library St Albans
St Albans Senior Citizens St Albans
IGA St Albans St Albans
Sunshine Hospital St Albans
Joan Kirner Women's & Childrens Hospital St Albans
Club Italia Sporting Club St Albans
St Albans Newsagency St Albans
Brimbank Community Centre St Albans
St Albans Sports Club St Albans
Speedway Sunshine Petroleum Sunshine
The Youth Junction Sunshine
Brotherhood of St Laurence Sunshine
Sunshine RSL Sunshine
The Glengala Hotel Sunshine
Sunshine Library Sunshine
Brimbank City Council Sunshine
Sunshine Plaza Sunshine
Sunshine Marketplace Sunshine
Woolworths Supermarket Sunshine
North Sunshine Post, News and Lotto Sunshine North
Morgan's Super IGA Supermarket Sunshine West
Bottler Sunshine West Drive in Liquor Sunshine West
West Sunshine Community Centre Sunshine West
Coles Supermarket Sunshine West
Watervale Shopping Centre Taylors Hill
Taylors Lakes Lotto Taylors Lakes
Watergardens Hotel Taylors Lakes
Watergardens Shopping Centre Taylors Lakes
Centrelink Watergardens Taylors Lakes
Where has the time gone?
It’s been five years since we last drove the Civic Type-R.
It was incredible then and it’s still an amazing car to drive, engineered to deliver a thrilling driving experience and without doubt one of the best hot hatches in the world.
Even so the Type-R’s days are probably numbered as the world moves with increasing speed towards an electric future where all cars will be lightning quick.
Think about that for a moment.
Styling
Type-R is priced from $72,600. That’s a national driveaway price and Honda says no negotiations will be entered into. It’s also $12,000 or so more than the previous Type-R by the time you add in on-road costs.
You can place your order now, but there’s just one hitch. Even at this price, you could find yourself at the end of a rather long waiting list that now stretches out to more than two years. As such we count ourselves lucky to be getting a drive now.
Remarkably, our test vehicle is finished in the same Sonic Grey colour as the previous Type-R that we drove. But if that sounds a bit drab there’s also Rally Red, Crystal Black and Championship White from which to choose.
A colleague prefers the black, but we reckon grey is the perfect foil for the red and black highlights, of which there are many.
At 4606mm new Type-R is 37mm longer, 15mm wider and 13mm lower than the car it replaces, while the wheelbase is 35mm longer.
Andatakerbweightof1429kgweight-saving devices include an aluminium bonnet which is 43percentlighter,aresinbootlidis20percent lighter and smaller wheels reduce unsprung mass by a significant 2.8kg at each corner.
At first sight the latest Type-R looks similar yet different to the model it replaces, with seating for four, a good-sized boot and tyre repair kit in lieu of a spare.
A couple of cupholders are built into the centre of the back seat and while it is quite roomy, rear seat passengers could find it a little claustrophobic, especially with no air vents.
The tail lights are first point of difference, in keeping with the styling of the latest Civic and while the triple signature exhausts remain, the rear spoiler is perhaps a trifle smaller.
Down the front the fascia is similar but different, while the air intake has moved further forward on the bonnet.
The black wheels look pretty much the same, but the pinstripe has gone and if you look closely, you’ll see they are now 19s instead of 20s, but wear wider tyres.
MichelinPilotSports,theyareanimpressive 265 x 30 in dimension, increasing the car’s footprint on the road (and presumably grip).
Last time around they were Continentals.
The brakes are from Brembo again, ventilated at front and solid at the rear.
The 350mm front discs are equipped with Brembo four-piston aluminium calipers.
The rears are 305mm in size.
Moving inside, the cabin is at once familiar but different too.
The deep sports buckets would do a Ferrari proud, finished in bright vermilion red, with red seatbelts and foot well trim and other red highlights to match, including red ambient lighting.
The chunky steering wheel has lost some of its red, but is now trimmed in suede leather.
Still not sure whether we like the feel and worry it might stick to some driving gloves.
A metal shifter and foot pedals complete the picture.
Technology has of course moved on and a touchscreen now perches atop the dash, with a digital display replacing the previous analogue instrument cluster.
Standard equipment includes ’suede-style’ fabric (ie fake), two-zone climate air, manual seat adjustment, LED head and tail lights, auto lights and wipers, auto dimming mirror, front and rear parking sensors, radar cruise control,
adaptive suspension and a limited slip front diff.
There’s also a comprehensive data logging system for tracking the car, with expanded capability that displays all sorts of info like cornering G-force.
Civic Type-R is covered by a five-year warranty, five-year roadside assistance and five-year capped price servicing, with free map updates for five years and a five-year subscription to on-line services.
Service is due every 12 months or 10,000km.
Infotainment
A 9.0-inch Advanced Display Audio touchscreen has been designed to minimise driver distraction, with hard buttons and customisable shortcuts to use functions and audio sources more often.
The system features Bluetooth, AM/FM and DAB+ digital radio, satellite navigation, wireless Apple CarPlay, wired Android Auto, wireless phone charger, plus 12 volt and 2 x USB-A ports.
No mention of a brand or power output for the eight-speaker audio, suggesting it is not worth talking about.
The previous one put out 160 watts.
The previous model produced 228kW of power at 6500 rpm and 400Nm of torque from 2500 rpm, accelerating from 0-100km/h in 5.7 seconds and using 8.8L/100km.
Changes to the 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine up those figures to 235kW of power and 420Nm of torque, the latter from 2600 revs this time.
They’re not huge gains but combined with a long list of refinements, promise even higher levels of performance than before.
Thedashfrom0-100km/hhasbeentrimmed to just 5.2 seconds and it uses 9.8L/100km, but seriously who cares?
The turbocharged engine is paired with a smooth, easy-to-use, quick-shifting six-speed manual transmission with automatic rev-matching.
Topped with a solid aluminium shift knob,
it has been engineered to deliver a crisp change action with very low internal friction. Driveistothefrontwheelsthroughalimited slip diff.
Although the car has not been tested for safety, the safety fit out is extensive, with 10 airbags, a 360-degree reverse camera, two child seat anchor points and a body structure that has been optimised for safety.
The Honda Sensing safety system includes Blind Spot Monitor, Drive Attention Monitor, Forward Collision Warning (FCW), Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS), Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Lane Keep Assist System (LKAS), Road Departure Mitigation System (RDM), Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), High Beam Support System (HBSS) and Traffic Sign Recognition System (TSR).
It’s difficult to award points for safety without a means of quantifying them.
You can see from the figures that the latest Civic Type-R offers a little more power and torque, but this is only a small part of the story.
The big improvement is in the body which is significantly more rigid, delivering improved dynamics and refinement.
A helical-type limited-slip diff minimises wheel spin, allowing the vehicle to accelerate harder on surfaces with uneven traction.
There are four drive modes as well as with adjustable suspension: Comfort, Sport, +R and a new Individual mode.
An active exhaust valve changes the pitch of the engine depending on mode, but is not loud enough.
The digital instrument cluster reflects the drive mode you chose, with a race style look in +R that prioritises revs and the current gear, with a string of LEDs allowing the driver to time the change up as you near the 7000 redline.
Talk about torque.
In most sports models you spend the time changing from second to third and back again in corner-to-corner twisties, but in the Type-R
Honda Civic Type-R, $72,600 SPECIFICATIONS
Honda Civic Type-R four-seat hatch, 2.0L 4-cylinder turbo petrol,
the zone moves up to third and fourth, even reaching fifth on longer straights.
An upgraded Electric Power Steering (EPS) system delivers pin-sharp steering, with a stiffer torsion bar and improved software control resolution to enhance steering feel and control.
Steering weight is adjustable too in settings.
The trick for getting the most comfortable, satisfying result is to put it in the new Individual mode, tick all the +R settings then switch the suspension to Comfort which stops the car from crashing through potholes.
And here’s the good bit, the car remembers and retains the drive mode settings between starts.
Grip is phenomenal and the car remains remarkably settled over undulations.
At one point we thought we’d blown a tyre after it crashed through a large pothole, but it survived unscathed.
On the downside tyre noise ramps up quickly when moving from smooth to coarse bitumen.
The Brembos are exceptional and will stand the car on its front wheels if asked to.
All in all, the Type-R is a fantastic car to drive.
Rated at 8.9L/100km, we were getting 9.3L/100km after close to 400km.
Butthisdroppedtojust6.5Lonaneasy,sixth gear run down the motorway which suggests it will be economical over longer distances.
Sure, it’s expensive, but as they say - you get what you pay for.
The Civic Type-R has been refined in every possible way, a work of love that is a testament to Honda’s savvy engineers.
It’s a rip snorter of a car to drive, just as happy to go shopping as it is to blast around a race track, a genuinely thrilling car to drive that is well worth the wait.
The competitors could be faster on paper, but remember this is the car that holds the record for a front-wheel drive production vehicleatthefamousNurburgringracecircuit. Enough said?
CricketseasonisuponusandthenewSunshine United coach is ready to take the Tigers back into Victorian Turf Cricket Association senior division finals.
MichaelGlowackiwillleadtheclubheplayed his whole career at barring a two year stint with Footscray in Victorian Premier Cricket.
The Tigers finished in sixth last season and are hoping to roar back into the top four.
“I’m very excited, it’s been a good preseason so far,” Glowacki said. “We’ve had some good numbers and a few new ins to the team, but the boys seem really pumped and keen for the year.
Glowacki said the Tigers have added three gun players to the squad that are sure to bolster on field performances.
“Dilum (Weerarathna) has come over from Craigieburn,he’sreallyhandywiththeballand dangerous with the bat too, he’ll fill a gap for us nicely,” he said.
“Buddhika (Madhushanka) from Mulgrave, he’s an opening bowler and looks really sharp and looks like a bit of a demon quick and has fit in real well.
“We’ve also got Lahiru (Kumara) from Footscray United, he’s come over after winning a couple of premierships with them and he’s a real handy left arm orthodox all rounder.”
Being so close to reaching finals last year has Glowacki’s players extra determined to climb back up the mountain in the 2023-24 season. The Tigers were in finals contention up until the final round.
“That’sbeenabitofmotivationforuscoming through this pre-season,” he said.
“Being so close, but just missing out, but knowing that we’ve filled the gaps and we’re really big on squeezing out the extra 10 per cent of our group from last year to make that jump and really cement ourselves within the finals.”
Other than just reaching finals the Tigers have set themselves other goals and key performance indicators to make sure they are on the right track.
“We’re really big on assessing ourselves as performers, and really using stats,” Glowacki said. “But I think it’s just really about getting the group together and making sure that we enjoy cricket whilst also balancing that high performance aspect of it.
“We’ve already had a few sessions away from the ground, so we’ve had a bit of fun and it’s been really good buy-in from the boys.
“We want to create a strong culture, not just a winning culture, but a culture of fun and enjoyment.”
The VTCA season is set to get underway on October 8.
Deer Park has led the way with five players named in the Essendon District Football League men’s division 1 team of the year.
The league last released the team of the year, with the captain and coach to be named at the league’s best and fairest awards night on September 29.
Five Lions players have made the team in the club’s first season in the competition, equal most in the team with fellow grand finalist, West Coburg Bailey Morrish and Timothy Quick were both named in the back line, while Lachlan Smart was named in the forward pocket.
Morrish was named in the Western Region Football League division 1 team of the year last year as well.
Ruck Scott Greenhough was named on the bench, along with key forward Todd Elton.
St Albans star Victor Micallef was named on the wing, with his Saints teammate Matthew Grundy named on the other wing.
While in the wake of a grand final loss Albion’s season may have seemed a failure, in reflection it was a roaring success.
Jy Lambley’s goal to give Parkside the Western Region Football League division 2 premiership with just 15 seconds to play was no doubt a heartbreaking blow to Albion.
However, the club got back on track both on and off the field, jumping back into the finals for the first time in 11 years in coach Blake Richards’ first year at the helm.
Richards returned to the club during the off season, after having played more than 300 games at the Cats and was part of the 2012 premiership team, his father also played for the club and his mother is a life member.
“It was a pretty successful year, not quite there but pretty successful,” Richards said. “The club’s been about survival for the last four or five years.
“This is probably the first year where we actually put the football program first and not just about getting players on the park.
“Putting time into defensive structures and things like that led to better results.”
Theofffieldstrengthwasevidentatthegrand final with Cats supporters arriving in droves.
The club’s reserves were also in the earlier grand final, taking away premiership glory.
“When I did look around the boundary and I’ve seen an Albion crowd 10 deep, maybe a couple of thousand people there in our colours, I was pretty proud of that,” Richards said.
The Cats reserves winning the premiership showed the depth and sustainability of the Cats current and future successes.
“We play on about 30 [player] points every week (of a maximum 46), so there’s a bit of growth there,” Richards said.
“We don’t have any superstars that we pay a lot of money to, a lot of the guys do play for the football club which is a bit rare these days.
“The celebrations after we lost were pretty good, they’re a really close knit group, so it’s a good place to be at the moment.”
With Parkside moving up to division 1 for 2024,theCatswillbetheteamtobeat,although thereisstillplentyofroomforgrowthRichards said. “Pre-season will probably have to be bigger again this year, we probably still lack a little bit of fitness,” he said.
“We’ve got a pretty young group, a lot of our guns are between 19 and 24, that’s the age group we target with our recruits.
“So we just have to top up with some more top end players and hopefully get some prime
movers in there to help these boys succeed.
“I think leg speed [is an area we’re looking to recruit in].
“We’d like to get a centre half forward, a centre half back and a couple of mids to add depth in those areas.”
Twenty-one year old key forward Ben Doll booted 41 majors for the year and led the competition’s goal scoring stood out for the Cats this season.
“Ben is a rare talent for someone his size to snap the footy and be as crafty as he is around goal, is something that doesn’t come along every day,” he said. “He just needs to train a little bit harder, get a little bit fitter… but he can be a superstar of the competition if he puts his head down and works pretty hard.”
Skipper Caleb McPherson is one of four McPherson brothers who played in the grand final and was also fantastic all season.
“They’ve got some strong genes in that family,” Richards said.
“Theirwillandwanttowinissecondtonone, they play for the jumper, they’re very tough and hard and don’t give up.
“They’re all sticking around, I believe, so they’ll continue to lead the club which is good.”
Richards and the Cats are ready to have a crack at redemption in 2024.
Hillside forward Bailey Ryan was named on a half forward flank, despite missing several games due to Victorian Football League commitments, while Mitchell Hearne was named on the bench.
In the women’s division 1 team of the year, four Burnside Springs players had the 24 player squad.
Ebony Stevens was named at half back, while Kayla Ravanello was named on a half forward flank.
Krissy Trang was named as a rover and Holly McGregor was named on the bench.
Melbourne Knights are through to a historic Australia Cup semi final.
The Knights found themselves two goals down at the 25th minute mark of the match following scores from Heidelberg United’s Adrian Zahra and Kaine Sheppard.
Just four minutes after United’s second goal, the Knights found the back of the net with Gian Albano halving the deficit half an hour in, to give the side some hope as they went into the break.
The Knights continued their search for an equalising goal throughout the second half when Anthony Lesiotis was sent off for Heidelberg in the 80th minute.
Pressure finally paid off for Melbourne Knights in the 91st minute with Anton Kinnander scoring from close range, equaling the tally.
The hosts didn’t give up on their serge managing to grab the winning goal in the sixth minute of stoppage time through Mitchell Hore.
Giving the Knights a 3-2 win in one of the most epic games of the tournament.
Knight’s coach Ben Cahn said it was a fantastic win for his side.
“Iwouldhavepreferredtohaveacomfortable three nil win,” he said with a laugh.
“But for the neutral and for everybody at the game and interested in the game I think the finish was incredible and we were obviously happy to be at the right end of it.”
With the 90 minute mark hitting, and into injury time Cahn was well within his rights to begin feeling nervous, but the first season Knights coach said he was actually the opposite.
“I was actually very calm,” he said.
“The boys had good momentum, they had a player down, and we had a good feeling.
“I knew we’d have a fair bit of time added on, given the time that they tried to waste and a couple of injuries, so I knew there would be time and we’d probably get one more chance to get ourselves back in it.
“I probably didn’t imagine at that point that we’d get two chances and winning it.”
Now the Knights are the last remaining National Premier League side in the cup,
amongst three A-League sides, which is much to the delight of Cahn.
“To be where we are and to be the only club standing is a huge achievement and it’s certainly not lost on us how lucky we are to be where we are and hopefully we can go on and make the most of it.”
Harper Sercombe
By Tara Murray
North Sunshine Eagles’ Redouane Sarakh was quick to turn the attention to his teammates after claiming the National Premier League 3 best and fairest award.
In his second season at the club, Sarakh was named the best player in the competition for this year.
Healsosharedthegoldenboot,withCaroline Springs George Cross’ Joshua Whiteley and Goulburn Valley Suns’ Russell Currie having scored 16 goals for the season.
Sarakh wasn’t at the awards night, as he’s back home in Europe.
“I knew that I won the trophy because members of the club were at the event and messaged me via WhatsApp,“ he said.
“I was very happy to hear this news but I would like to thank my teammates because even if it is a personal victory, football is a team sport and without them I would never have won.”
Sarakh said he thought he had a good season in general, but when you look at the statistics that he knows he can do more.
While it was his second season at the club, he said it was only really his first proper season having played just eight games the season before.
“Last year I arrived during the season so I had to get used to a new style of games and especially a different football compared to France, but with the coach and the staff we did a lot of video sessions to quickly adapt and thanks to them this season was better than last year,“ he said.
The Eagles started the year strongly before slipping a little bit later in the season. They still finished in third spot, just four points behind second placed Melbourne Victory which earned promotion.
“Like most teams in the championship we all want to be in NPL2,” Sarakh said.
“We worked hard throughout the year but unfortunately we finished third in the
championship.
“We do not have a failure because we did better than the year last. We can be proud of the work accomplished by everyone, even if we would have liked to have been promoted into NPL2.”
Back home in the off season, Sarakh said he wasn’t sure what his future held. He didn’t rule out coming back to the Eagles.
“It’s a very good question,” he said. “I left before the last game to carry out a test in a professional team abroad.
“Am I going to stay at NSE? The option remains open. We will see next year even if the objective of a footballer is to play at the best level, in any case I would like to thank the club which welcomed me and respected me from the start.
“I am very grateful that I signed with NSE, it’s one of the best decisions I’ve made in my life.
“Thank you to the coaches, the staff, the players and the supporters.”
AFL
Keilor’s Lucca Grego is among those who will play on the MCG on AFL grand final day. The Western Jets star was among 46 players who have been announced as part of the 2023 AFL Futures match. The match features the most talented under-17 footballers from across the country.
AFL
Former Caroline Springs player Cody Raak has been delisted by the Western Bulldogs. Raak, 20, was pre-selected as a Category B rookie in 2021, becoming the third Bulldog to graduate from the Next Generation Academy program. The Western Jets product played in all 11 consecutive victories during Footscray’s finals tilt this season, but failed to play an AFL game.
VTCA
Caroline Springs bowling stocks have received a boost ahead of the Victorian Turf Cricket Association division 3 season. The Falcons have announced the return of Lucas Blackman for this season. “Following 12 months off through injury, Lucas is fit and firing and ready to add to an already impressive wicket-taking tally in Falcons colours,” the club said on social media. ‘A premiership-winning junior captain at the Falcons, Lucas embodies everything that we’re about as a club and we couldn’t be happier to have him back on Town Centre Oval this summer.”
WRFL
Five Albanvale players and three Sunshine Heights players have been named in the Western Region Football League division 3 team of the year. Minor premiers, the Suns, led the way with six players named followed by the Cobras. The Cobras Jacob Maschewski was named captain of the team of the year, while Darren Borg, Reece Field, Nathan Johnson and Reece Duffield were also named in the team. The Dragons Colby Blyth, Kyall Parker and James Valla were also named in the team of the year.
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The Suns have survived a massive scare late to take out the Western Region Football League division 3 grand final.
The Suns got off to a flying start, kicking with the wind, to the clubrooms end of Hansen Reserve against Albanvale on Saturday afternoon.
Kicking 5.4 with the breeze to the Cobras’ one straight, it was ominous signs early.
When the ball was bounced for the second term, the Suns picked up where they left off, and looked to take the game away from the Cobras just as they had done multiple times throughout the regular season and the first week of the finals.
However, the Cobras rallied, kicking five goals and missing two gettable ones to cut the lead to just 11 points at the main break.
In the third term, the Suns were back kicking with the wind, yet struggled to make the most of it early, and Albanvale maintained within striking distance.
However, the class of the Suns managed to boot a few goals late to stretch their lead back out to 27 points at three quarter time.
As the wind began to pick up and the crowd started to get more involved, the game went to new heights in the last term, when everything was on the line. The Suns through coach Dean Cachia seemed to put the game away early in the last term as the lead went over thirty points.
Yet, the Cobras were not going to die wondering, coming home with a wet sail, the wind to their backs.
Reece Field for the Cobras was enormous in the last term kicking three of his five majors of the day trying to will his side over the line.
A goal from the Cobras’ Tito Nyawela in the last term edged the Cobras closer to victory.
Although contest after contest from the Suns’ coach, down the line, forced repeat stoppages and milked enough time off the clock to give the Suns the win they were so desperate to achieve.
The Suns defeating the Cobras 14.11 (95)-14.9 (93).
Goal kickers were spread thin for the Suns with 11 players getting their name on the score sheet.
Pat Hynes, Blake Jago and Cameron Joyce all booted two goals. While, Paul Tomelty,
Brendan, Wilson, Jarrod Vella, Luke Cachia, Jack Burgess, Nathan Halapio and goal kicking superstars Daniel Hovey and Dean Cachia all kicked the one.
Joyce, Paul Tomelty and Halapio were named their best.
Albanvale’s Reece Duffield was awarded the Henry Turner for the player adjudged best on ground by the umpires.
After last years heartbreaking grand final loss to Braybrook, the Suns’ coach could not have been prouder of what his side had achieved and accomplished.
“It’s unbelievable,” he said.
“It’s the exact margin we had last year, but
two points the other way.
“I just thought to myself how do you pick yourself up and they were coming like the wind in the last quarter, they’re a really good footy side.
“I was worried, but the boys batted deep.
“I can’t put it into words but last year, the way it felt, was the worst feeling in the world and now it’s just completely overwhelming.
“I love this club, I’ve put five years of effort in here, so I’m just really proud and happy that we’ve got the job done.
“It’s just relief off my shoulders.”
It was the Suns second premiership of the day with their reserves also taking out victory
over the Cobras to add to the festivities.
Speaking before the match, Suns’ president Graeme Clark said after the uncertainty of last year’s grand final loss he was ecstatic with where the club had got themselves too.
“After last year’s grand final we had a couple of guys drive back to the club not knowing what was going to happen,” he said.
“[Some of the players said] we let the club down, we want to make amends, so this is all driven by this great group of guys that we’ve got out here playing.”
Make amends they have with the Suns claiming their first ever WRFL senior premiership.
Albanvale did all it could to steal the Western Region Football League division 3 premiership off the Suns, but left all too much to do too late.
The Cobras found themselves with more than five goals to make up against the Suns well into the last quarter on Saturday afternoon, and almost pulled off the unthinkable.
When the Suns booted a goal in the last term to push the lead over 30 points a general consensus of ‘game over’ flurried amongst the strong crowd at Hansen Reserve, however the full-of-belief Cobras never stopped coming.
Thanks to Reece Field’s massive effort of three last term goals the Cobras came within just two points of victory late into the last.
However, the seven goal last term was not enough to bring the Cobras to premiership success losing 14.11 (95)-14.9 (93).
Amongst the goal kickers for the Cobras was Field with five, Liam Montrose with four, Daniel Bartolo booted two, and Corey Hall, Tito Nyawela and Reece Duffield all had just the one each.
Duffield was awarded the Henry Turner Smith medal as the player adjudged best on ground by the umpires.
At three quarter time Cobras’ coach Nick Smith’s message was all about making themselves proud in the last quarter of the match.
As he said, regardless of the result he
wanted his side to walk off the ground proud that they left it all out there, which they can say they well and truly did.
“I felt like we didn’t leave anything out there,” Smith said after the game.
“We really had them worried but we just knew we just had to get ahead, and we couldn’t quite get it.
“I thought our last [shot on goal] was in, so for a brief moment I thought we’d done it and then it got taken away.
“It was a crazy ride, we just couldn’t get ahead of them.”
Following the grand final loss Smith, who is in his first season as coach of the club, said it is hard to reflect on the season in terms of it being an overall positive or negative due to the dramatic finish of the match.
“It was all about winning,” he said.
“I’m proud of the fact that we’ve got here but you want to win it so desperately.
“It’s a pretty horrible feeling now, but I think when we reflect we were a bit off the pace with them for the whole year and didn’t quite get there.
“And two points, I don’t know if it’s great or just heartbreaking. I don’t know which way to take it.
“I never make any decisions about next year until you let this year settle, the hurt’s going to be there for a fair.”
Harper Sercombe Corey Hall (Jacob Pattison)360910_01Deer Park was the hunted all year and it stood up big time when it counted to claim the Essendon District Football League division 1 premiership.
Entering the EDFL this season, the Lions were seen as the team to beat early on.
While West Coburg proved to be the premier team throughout the regular season going through undefeated, but the Lions had another gear to go.
After successive big finals wins, Deer Park came up against West Coburg for the second time in three weeks in the decider on Saturday at Windy Hill.
The Lions came out the better of the two teams, leading 22-0 at quarter time. The Burgers came out aggressive and at times proved costly.
Thomas Mcrostie was taken out by his own teammate in a contest where they gave away the free kick in the first quarter.
Jordan Gloury’s day was done in the second quarter after a brain fade which saw him throw a punch, resulting in a red card.
The margin would extend by one point in the second quarter.
The Lions continued on their way in the third quarter to extend the lead to 39 points at the last break.
It was party time in the final quarter for the Lions, who ran away with the premiership, winning 21.14 (140)-6.8 (44).
Lions coach Heath Scotland said there’s no better feeling than winning the premiership.
“All the hard work and all the issues and all the stuff you deal with on a yearly basis, week to week at a footy club, that’s what it is for,” he said.
“A group of guys getting together, being challenged and coming out successful, we’ll really saviour it.
“I’m extremely proud.”
Scotland said they always knew that it would take some time for them to settle this season with a new coach, new players and in
a new competition.
He said they were always confident that they could get the job done.
“We didn’t really settle with our best side for most of the year,” he said. “We knew every team rose to play us during the year. For us getting the runs on the board and getting a system, the confidence come that pointy end of the season that our game style matches and stands up.
“I’m just pleased for the boys that they executed what we were rehearsing all year and extremely disappointed for some of those guys who have got us here and we couldn’t fit in the side.”
Scotland said they expected West Coburg to throw something different at them in the grand final, and on this occasion it was a bit of aggression.
He said while it rattled the group early, they were able to hold their nerve and hit the Burgers where it hurt most, on the
“As Tom Brady says, the next ring is the best one,” was the feeling of Deer Park defender Tim Quick after helping his side claim the Essendon District Football League division 1 premiership.
Quick himself knows a thing or two about winning premierships, on Saturday winning his seventh one with the club.
He missed the first one of Deer Park’s run of seven in a row in the Western Region Football League division 1, before playing a key role in the next six.
On Saturday, he made it number seven helping the Lions claim the EDFL division 1 premiership in their first season in the competition.
“I really enjoyed it,” he said.
“It was a change for the whole group, not just moving divisions but we obviously had a new coach and new panel, new players.
“It took time to gel and cream rises to the top and by the end of the year, we sort of got it right, rapt with the win.”
Quick said while there was confidence rising in the group in the back part of the season, they were still wary of what West Coburg could do.
The Burgers had gone through the regular season undefeated, but the Lions easily accounted for them in the first week of finals.
“We knew West Coburg were the best outfit throughout the year,” he said. “We knew it would take a lot of work to knock them off the mantelpiece.
“I think after that first final we had a lot of confidence but even up until half time today we had no idea that we would come away with it, and here we are.”
Quick and his defensive partners did their job, making it hard for the Burgers to score.
In the end, the Lions put out a dominant performance, winning 21.14 (140)-6.8 (44).
Even though they were in control for the whole match, it wasn’t until late that Quick felt that had done enough to win the premiership.
“You still don’t think you’ve won it until there is five minutes left,” he said. “Even 70 points up I didn’t think we had it in the bag completely.”
Now with seven premierships in this incredible run, Quick joins Chris Stewart and Kwame McHarg as seven-time premiership winners, with those two playing in all seven in the WRFL run.
“I’m very respectful of it,” he said. “I’m very gratefultobepartofareallygoodorganisation at a really good time. I’m grateful for each one of them and I’ll reflect back on it one day, I’m reflecting today as well.”
While the premiership celebrations were only just beginning, Quick and the rest of the group were already thinking of the challenge of being in premier division next season.
“They [Keilor] are the standard and they are an amazing outfit and I have so much respect for the boys there. “A lot of healthy rivalry, hopefully between a few of us in premier division.”
scoreboard.
Scotland said he felt at half time that they had the game in the bag.
“We knew West Coburg has some dangerous players,” he said. “The difference between the year and come finals time, [we were able to] strangle and stop them scoring.
“We kept them to a goal or two goals in a half in the [semi] final, and today [Saturday] was pretty similar. We knew they would have trouble stopping our better players.”
The Lions had six players left from their last premiership in 2019, with Scotland saying that the experience they brought was invaluable to the rest of the group.
Nash Holmes was awarded the David McWilliam medal as the best player on the ground, with the Lions having winners across all the lines.
Luke Goater kicked six goals, while Todd Elton chipped in with four goals.
Bailey Morrish led the back line while Kier
Bol kept Omar Saad goalless. Wade Lees had the job on Thomas Barvari and shut down the Burgers key man.
The list went on for the Lions.
Scotland said it was nice with the margin blowing out that some of the guys who don’t get many minutes were able to get their opportunity once the game blew out.
While the celebrations will continue on for a few days, the club will quickly turn its attention to next season when it will be in premier division.
“Certainly the administration were keen to get us straight across to premier,” Scotland said. “[We went into] division 1 and we were happy, bide our time.
“We’ll get over the celebrations and try and maintain our playing list. “Hopefully all those will go down a point or two and we can target and recruit. “We have to build from grassroots. We can’t keep adding players in and be on the points threshold every year.”
