Star Weekly - Brimbank North West - 9th January 2024 by Star Weekly

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YEAR IN REVIEW... STORIES OF THE YEAR The Leafy Home co gave away free sunflower seeds for residents to grow sunflowers. Evie (5) enjoyed some of the sunflowers. (Damjan Janevski) 362972_01

A year of pains and gains As another year ticks over for Brimbank residents, Star Weekly looks back on a year of community gains as well frustration and growing pains. Some of the wins for the municipality include confirmation of funding for the Melbourne Airport Rail, the Environment Protection Authority announcing it would revoke the Barro Group’s licence at the Kealba landfill, as well as the arrival of long-awaited gambling reforms to help address record losses. But with COVID-19 well and truly in the rear view mirror, residents grappled with the cost of living crisis, infrastructure cuts, transportation pains, and council tension.

Brimbank council hit the front page with its decision to no longer hold citizenship ceremonies on January 26, in acknowledgement that the date represents a day of ‘mourning and sadness’. Council dealt with a number of community concerns, with frequent demands to take action against a Sunshine West gym allegedly associated with alleged Fascist activity, and calls to address rising concerns of youth crime in the municipality. The state government made its own impact on Brimbank, with its refusal to confirm whether its $50 million investment for Calder Freeway upgrades will go ahead after the federal government backflipped on its own $50

million promise. Despite these events, residents rallied to support each other with two Ravenhall dance group’s, Phoenix Dance Company and Dance Effects joining a dozen dance schools from across the north-west for a charity gala to raise money for Exford Primary School following its school bus crash in May. Residents continued to bat for better health outcomes in Brimbank, with locals rejoicing in AkzoNobel’s decision to close the resin plant in Sunshine North, as well as continuing their advocacy against Melbourne Airport’s proposed third runway. The transport woes of the western suburbs continued to dominate the news in Brimbank,

with residents coming together to rally for an improved bus network in the west. The stories of local struggles crossed borders this year, when a mother of three from St Albans led the march of 22 refugee women, many from Brimbank, who each took on a gruelling 640 kilometre walk from Melbourne to Canberra, calling on the federal government to grant permanent protection visas for 10,000 refugees who have been living in limbo in Australia for 10 years. Looking ahead this year, following the electoral structure review, Brimbank residents will prepare to vote with the next council election to be held in 2024.

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Cuts to Calder funding November 21 A federal government backflip on previously promised funding for Calder Freeway upgrades has been described as a “travesty”. The federal government released its long-awaited national infrastructure review on November 16, detailing that the Calder Freeway would not be receiving the multi-million dollar funding that was promised. It was one of 50 projects across Australia to have funding withdrawn. The government had allocated $50 million in funding in 2019 with the state government announcing it would

also allocate $50 million to the project in 2021. The future of the whole upgrade is unclear, with the state government yet to make any announcements on whether there would be changes to its funding allocation. Major Roads Projects Victoria (MRPV) Authority had previously begun investigations and planning to inform a business case for the Calder Freeway and Calder Park Drive interchange as part of the upgrades. The Calder Freeway has been the subject of widespread community concern for more than a decade and was named as one of Victoria’s top 10 deadliest roads in 2021, with Brimbank

council launching a ‘Fix the Calder Campaign’ the same year. Calder Action Group president Russell Mowatt described the federal government’s decision to cut funding as a “travesty” for the local community. The group has long campaigned for improvements to this part of the freeway. “It’s an injustice for the local community, we’ve been working very hard for over a decade to get some investment,” he said. Mr Mowatt said the rug has been pulled out from under the feet of many who have worked tirelessly to advocate for investment.

“The accidents still continue, the congestion still continues, and the frustration from motorists still continues. It’s a great disappointment.” Mr Mowatt said Melbourne’s west is anticipating an influx of people over the coming years, however the infrastructure is not prepared for the forecast population growth. “Everything is growing, but they’re not investing in Brimbank. This was a priority from the wider community and now this is going to set us back years,” he said. “I don’t know who they are listening to, to pull this money back, I’m just bemused.”

Abandoning January 26 September 26

Geetha Ramachandran is marching towards Canberra in a fight towards freedom. (Supplied)

Women’s walk for freedom October 10 A mother of three from St Albans is leading a march of 22 refugee women from Iran and Sri Lanka who are walking to Canberra in a fight for security. The refugee women from Iran and Sri Lanka are walking the 640 kilometres from Melbourne to Canberra calling for permanent protection visas for 10,000 refugees who have been living in limbo in Australia for 10 years. They set out from Melbourne on Friday, September 22, from the Immigration Minister Andrew Giles’ office. These refugees and asylum seekers were left out of the February 2023 announcement from

the federal government that allowed for 19,000 refugees who arrived over a similar period to apply for permanent residency. At the time, Minister Giles said it made “no sense“ to keep people who were working and paying taxes in limbo. St Albans’ Geetha Ramachandran is one of the women leading the march. “Like tens of thousands of other women, I grew up surrounded by the violence of the civil war in Sri Lanka,” she said. “My parents were refugees, I am a refugee, my children are refugees. I am marching to bring this to an end – not just for me and my family, but for all people condemned to uncertainty.” The women have garnered more than 3000

signatures through an online petition. Samira Turkian Zadeh, an asylum seeker from Iran, said she sought refuge in Australia with her three young kids, ‘yearning’ for the safety she never knew back home. “We are women, resilient and determined, marching to Canberra to claim our right to permanent visas. We deserve to live like everyone else, focusing on rebuilding our lives and offering our children who were born here the opportunities other children have,” she said. The women are asking the federal government for permanent protection visas for all refugees left in limbo in Australia, work and study rights for all refugees and the abolishment of the fast track system.

Brimbank council will no longer hold citizenship ceremonies on January 26, in acknowledgement that the date represents a day of ‘mourning and sadness’. At the council meeting on September 19, councillors voted to shift the Australia Day citizenship ceremony from January 26, to three days earlier on January 23 from next year. The decision follows on from a notice of motion raised in February by councillor Jae Papalia who called for a report to be presented to council with options and recommendations on how to acknowledge the date going forward. “January 26 has long been positioned as a day of celebration and unity but for many Australians, this is a day that divides us,” Cr Papalia said at the time. The council was presented the report last week, which reflected on the community engagement process undertaken with local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and Traditional Owner organisations to understand community sentiment around January 26. The report noted support from Wurundjeri and Bunurong Traditional Owners, and the Brimbank Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Consultative Committee (BATSICC) to move Brimbank’s Australia Day citizenship ceremony to January 23. Each year, the council has traditionally hosted a citizenship ceremony and barbecue on January 26, in line with previous requirements under the Australian citizen ceremonies code. The decision to shift the ceremony date was a bone of contention across the council chamber, particularly for councillor Maria Kerr who said she was ‘disappointed’ that the entire community was not consulted. Councillor Jasmine Nguyen said she saw no problem with moving the citizenship ceremony to a new date.

Residents joy as lid closes on Sunshine North resin plant October 3 Members of the Stop AkzoNobel Community Action Group (SANPAG) said the decision to close the resin plant in Sunshine North will help ease their ‘suffering’. AkzoNobel announced that it has made the ‘difficult’ decision to permanently close the resin plant operations at the Sunshine North facility. The company said the resin plant will cease operating within the next nine months, and there will be some impacts on jobs at the

Sunshine North site. “Unfortunately, rising input and operating costs, along with necessary investments and maintenance, have meant the plant cannot compete long term in the global resin market,” a spokesperson for AkzoNobel Australia said. “Paint and powder manufacturing at the site will continue as normal and we will continue to be a positive contributor to the Sunshine North community.” Founding member of SANPAG, Sarah Haar said local residents were pleased with the announcement that the site will close.

“While we understand that there have been some challenges at the site, and AkzoNobel has tried to implement a number of different procedures and upgrade equipment - the reality is, we are still suffering from the effect of the air pollution from the resin plant,” she said. “Fumes arising from the resin plant were incredibly strong, paint-like smells that would cause your eyes to water, cause you to have a sore throat … at times you could taste it. “The odour causes a loss of appetite, brings on migraines, exacerbates asthma symptoms, causes dizziness along with many

other symptoms. “We are living in a country like Australia, and in an inner metro suburb where people have lived for many, many decades. It is not an industrialised suburb and it is totally unacceptable to be exposed to these fumes day in, day out.” Ms Haar said that whilst AkzoNobel had been consulting with the community for years, and taken steps in the right direction, the community would like to see more positive progress from the company with regard to air and noise pollution.

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Health champs honoured on King’s Birthday list June 13 During some of Melbourne’s toughest weeks in lockdown, checking for the daily COVID-19 case numbers became a routine part of people’s day to day lives. Brimbank local Anthony Macali is the founder of the CovidLive.com.au website which quickly became a trusted point of call for data and information relating to COVID-19 in Australia. Marking the King’s Birthday celebrations, Mr Macali has been honoured for his contribution to community health and awarded a medal for the Order of Australia (OAM). Landing a spot on the COVID-19 honour

Anthony Macali. (Jacob Pattison) 339498_02

roll, Mr Macali was awarded the title for his contributions during the long-haul course of the pandemic, compiling storms of data from across the country into easy to digest numbers. As shops closed and many Melburnians were sent off to work from home, Mr Macali

put his skills as a career data analyst to work. “I was worried about what was going on and just wanted to find out what the case numbers were and look for any other data that was out there,” he said. “What I found wasn’t very much and it was really difficult to get information. All you could find was a report that came out once a day and when it was published it was already a few hours behind. Mr Macali took things into his own hands and tuned in to the press conferences from each state and territory everyday, tracking the COVID statistics for the country for three long years. At its peak, Mr Macali’s website had more than 200,000 visitors a day. His advocacy for vaccination rates to be made

publicly available resulted in a commitment from the federal government to publish the data at the earliest opportunity available. Mr Macali said the website served as an outlet for people to gain a sense of control in a time of great uncertainty. Despite his dedicated efforts, he said that news of his award still came as a “big surprise” to him. “I have always received positive feedback from users of the website, but it is nice to be recognised officially,” he said. “We’ve all gone into a new phase of returning back to normal after the pandemic and we’ve quickly forgotten about it, but it is nice to have those difficult times acknowledged, it’s a small reminder of how tough it was and how we all pooled together to help each other.”

‘Blessed’ by OAM honour January 31

Professor Tissa Wijeratne. (Supplied)

OAM was a ‘surprise’ January 31 Western Health professor Tissa Wijeratne thought someone was playing a joke on him when he was told that he had been awarded a medal of the Order of Australia (OAM). Having only moved to Australia in 2005 from Sri Lanka, via New Zealand, Professor Wijeratne thought there were much more deserving people to be awarded the medal. The mountain of work he had done was recognised as he was awarded the medal for service to medicine as a neurologist. “I still can’t believe it, it has come as a complete surprise,” he said. “When I got the phone call I thought it was a prank call and I was not really expecting anything. “I told them to send me the email and I would check that. I told my register it was most likely a prank and thought nothing of it. “I’m very humbled and satisfied with it. Hopefully we can keep doing good things in the west.“ Professor Wijeratne has done a lot in his short time in Australia. He’s been a neurology and clinical associate professor in Mmedicine at Western Health

Clinical School since 2013 and been the director of the department of neurology and stroke services neuroscience research unit at the hospital since 2006. Among his other roles, he’s the chair of the global police and advocacy committee, former president of the Asia Pacific Association of Young Neurologist and Trainees, chair of the World Federation of Neurorehabilitation special interest group for headaches and migraines and founding member of the Australian and New Zealand Headache Society. He set up a National Migraine Foundation in Keilor East. While Professor Wijeratne has made his mark in the medical world, it nearly didn’t happen. A job in journalism once beckoned as unrest in Sri Lankan meant that he couldn’t attend medical school. Then came the decision, to stay with journalism or study medicine and start a new career. “In 1989 the youth movement was crushed,” he said. “I could choose to live as a journalist or get back into medicine. “I felt that it was more cut throat in

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journalism. I saw there was a gap in the medical industry and I decided to combine the two. Professor Wijeratne is the author of more than 200 peer reviewed publications and published more than 3000 media segments as a medical journalist. He met his wife when she was studying in Sri Lankan and he eventually made the decision to move out to New Zealand. While he questioned his decision, due to having to retrain, he stuck with it and moved to Australia. Western Health has been home even since, with Professor Wijeratne saying he couldn’t have done what he has if he was elsewhere. “Melbourne’s west is a magic place,” he said. “Western Health is unique and has 166 languages that we cater for. I really enjoy being able to help those from diverse backgrounds. “I’ve had the opportunity to do research during stroke, headaches, and multiple sclerosis. Western Health has given me the opportunity to be good at multiple things. “I don’t think I would work in with any other organisation. Western Health has given me so much.”

Having lived in Australia for 30 years, Sydenham resident Yasseen Musa has been an integral support for African communities across the north-western suburbs of Melbourne. He has been awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia in the General Division (OAM) as part of this year’s Australia Day honours list. Mr Musa said he was “blessed” and “very happy“ to receive the honour. “I am very proud as an African who is involved to mediate between my people and the government,” he said. A member of the Jeberti people within the Eastern African country of Eritrea, Mr Musa said when he came to Australia three decades ago, there was a limited number of Eritrean immigrants and a limited amount of support for the broader African communities. He said he quickly discovered a need to volunteer to create support for those in need, particularly young African individuals. “There was a big problem with the youth,” Mr Musa said. “We have to get them help to settle smoothly. “They have very positive ideas.” Coming to Australia with limited knowledge of work opportunities, Mr Musa started working as a welder and then started work as a driving instructor and created his own driving school business 20 years ago. He has since become a board member and assistant treasurer at the Footscray-based African-Australian support organisation Africause. He has also been involved with volunteer work within the Australian Football League (AFL), including as a North Melbourne Football Club’s multicultural community ambassador in 2020, a key volunteer involved in the creation of the Team Africa football team and a member of the Multicultural Australian Football League Committee. Mr Musa said he was also proud of his volunteer work as part of the reaction to the lockdown of North Melbourne and Flemington public housing towers on July 4, 2020. “They blocked all the roads and everything,” he said. “We started to communicate with the police.” Mr Musa said his work involved communicating what the residents needed, including culturally-appropriate food, to police and other authorities. “The government brought a lot of food, but they were not going to eat them,” he said. Mr Musa said the work he has supported had made a “big difference“ on the lives of African-Australian citizens.

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Sports club budget success June 21 The hard work of the Keilor Sports Club (KSC) community has paid off in the form of an extra $550,000 funding allocation in Brimbank council’s 2023-24 budget. It has been a long road for those lobbying to council for more funding to upgrade the outdated facilities at the Keilor Sports Club. Club president Hayden Kelly said the funding decision made at the council meeting on June 20 was a “big step” for the sports club community.

“We’re really happy with the decision and we can now adequately cater for our member base of more than 1400 people,” he said. “... I want to thank Virginia Tachos who represents the Horseshoe Bend Ward and spoke to the motion at the meeting, she’s a fantastic councillor to the Keilor community. Thanks as well to the guidance from the mayor Bruce Lancashire.” A round of applause echoed across the public gallery as Cr Tachos moved a motion to add an additional $550,000 in funding for the KSC to the budget.

The extra funding follows from the allocation of $150,000 from council, along with contribution from the state government to upgrade the kitchen at the KSC social rooms. Cr Tachos noted the extra funding would be subject to a further report to council detailing the available budget, funding, procurement, project supervision, final project staging, risk management plan, proposed legal agreement with the club and clarification that the project can be delivered. Cr Lancashire said there was certainly

money in the budget to make this project happen. “We have been very diligent in how we’ve approached this matter,” he said. “The staff, community, club, councillors have all worked very hard to make sure the checks and balances are in place to see that this project will go ahead and will be successful.” Brimbank’s 2023-2024 budget was adopted with a further change that included an additional $10,000 of operating budget for arts and culture programming for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Changing of the guard June 6 There’s no Sunshine West without ‘Andy’s Servo.’ While the iconic service station has passed the reins over to new tenants, brothers Alexander and James Ibrahim, the legacy of ‘Andy’s Servo’ will still live on. The sign that has looked over locals for more than 50 years has been refurbished and will remain at home at the site on Anderson Street. Andrew (Andy) Michael owned the service station for over 50 years, one of the last existing independently owned service stations in the West. The baton has now landed in the hands of Alexander and James, who were handpicked by Andy himself. Andy said it was important for him that honest people took over the service station, describing the two brothers as “gentlemen.”

Co-owner, James Ibrahim said the handover from Andy has been instrumental in helping the brothers to not only reach their own goals, but also maintain the legacy of ’Andy’s Servo.’ “Andy and his whole family have become like a second family to us now,” he said. “We’re so happy that we kept the sign. We’ve seen within the community just how much it resonates with people, the sign is kind of like a lighthouse for people.” Major renovations to the site have wrapped up and this week the Ibrahim brothers reopened the service station. Andy’s daughter, Kathy said it was comforting to see the site being run by another family business. “Dad saw it as a way to keep the family identity of his business,” she said. “He could’ve sold the site to a big chain but we would’ve lost what we built as a family.”

There are some new faces at the iconic, ’Andy’s Servo.’ Brothers Alexander and James Ibrahim stand beside former owner Andrew Michael (middle). (Damjan Janevski) 338325_01

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The passing of a pioneer November 21 Last week locals bid their farewells to the legend that was Judy Ingram, a loss to the community that has been described as leaving a ‘void’ in the blanket of the Brimbank community. Tributes flowed from across Melbourne’s west, a fitting reflection of the lasting legacy Judy has left right throughout the community. Speaking on the passing of their president, volunteers with the The Friends of Maribyrnong Valley expressed admiration for Judy’s fearlessness as she pushed through all levels of government bureaucracy to fiercely advocate for the environment. The Victorian Environment Friends Network described Judy as a “true environmental champion”, an advocate for her community and far beyond.

Speaking with Sam Muscat on Wynfm, Brimbank councillor Virginia Tachos held back tears as she spoke of Judy describing her as “a selfless volunteer who basically dedicated her life in the west“. There was very little Judy couldn’t do. Her volunteer work stretched across all corners of the community. Along with being a skilled grant writer, Judy was an active member of the Brimbank council disability network as well as the regular coordinator of tree planting and native vegetation programs through the Friends of the Maribyrnong Valley. Cr Tachos said her friendship with Judy, spanning more than a decade, first began at a tree planting day at the Organ Pipes National Park. “It wasn’t a case of what you can’t do, it’s what

you can do. Even if you just managed to plant one seedling or had one conversation with someone … it was a place where she brought people together and formed a lot of really good friendships.” Cr Tachos touched on the tradition of the morning tea ‘Boot Banquets’ that Judy ran across her many community planting days, a legacy that was first developed by Judy’s father. Cr Tachos said the ‘Boot Banquets’ were “treasured” by everyone who had the privilege of attending Judy’s planting events. “Judy had a disability and wasn’t able to work on uneven ground, but she was able to provide people with these amazing assortment of baked biscuits and cakes,” she said. “The best part of it was sharing a cuppa after some hard yakka.”

Judy Ingram was sense of inspiration for many across the community. (Supplied)

Drive to improve literacy September 5 University Park Primary School in St Albans has rallied the community to donate more than 300 books to the Aboriginal Literacy Foundation (ALF). The initiative involves collecting books to support the ALF, an organisation dedicated to closing the gap and improving literacy outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children across Australia. Assistant principal Linda Bekhet said the donation drive has been a school-wide effort, with books being collected from students, parents, and teachers, as well as from within the local community. Ms Bekhet said this initiative has enabled

students to develop their leadership skills and extend their community awareness to learn about disadvantage in remote and rural areas. “Students also learned how small actions can make a big difference in the lives of other young people, and inspire others around them to contribute to worthwhile causes,” she said. The school will be collecting books up until the end of term 3, before they are donated to the ALF which will then distribute them to schools, libraries, and community centres in Aboriginal communities. Ms Bekhet said the school has been “heart-warmed” by all the contributions, and are excited to donate to communities where they will play a vital role in promoting literacy development and a love for reading among young learners.

University Park Primary School students, Khan, Aldric, Tan, Numera, Tyler, Fina and Alara. (Damjan Janevski) 356478_01

A day for writing

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June 27 Taylors Lakes Secondary College students put their creative thinking skills to the test as they participated in a 12-hour writing marathon to raise money for kids with cancer. Huddled into four groups, each group of students were tasked with writing an entire book in one day to raise money for The Kids’ Cancer Project, an independent national charity which supports childhood cancer research. English teacher Stephanie Burrafato said the students were excited to put together their unique ideas to write something that may engage other children their age. “This is for a good cause, where the students can learn about how the work they do can impact their community in a positive way,” she said. The four groups were each given different topics to write on and given the parameter to

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include a unique Australian identity or culture to their stories. Each of the four stories dives into a separate story plot ranging from, finding buried treasure, a gift of kindness, a journey to another planet and a roof caved in. Working together to write from 8am to 8pm, Ms Burrafato said she enjoyed watching students buzz with excitement in the morning when they first got to see their topics. “… It is great watching them identify the strengths in each of their group members and using their strengths to work on perfecting different parts of their book. They recognise who is a strong illustrator, writer and even editor,” she said. “At the end of the day, it is great watching them walk out of the library with great grins on their faces, excitedly telling their parents or guardians how much fun they had with their friends throughout the day.”

Alannah brainstorms ideas. (Damjan Janevski) 342513_01 8 BRIMBANK & NORTHWEST STAR WEEKLY Tuesday, 9 January, 2024

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Briefs

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Road safety crackdown Police detected more than 220 traffic offences in Brimbank during an 18-day road safety operation during the Christmas and New Year period. In Brimbank, police detected a total of 224 traffic offences including 94 speeding offences. With many Victorians expected to take extended holidays over the January period, police are warning motorists not to be complacent on the roads.

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Clean Up Australia Day Registrations are now open for community groups, schools and businesses to hold a litter clean up event as part of Clean Up Australia Day 2024. Registration for Clean Up Australia Day is free for communities and schools (businesses pay a small fee). Participating groups will each receive a free Clean Up Australia kit. Register: https://register.cleanup.org. au/.

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EDITORIAL

Alfrieda Street came to life last year for the annual Lunar New Year festival. (Perm Temp)

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Embracing the dragon

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As the Lunar New Year approaches, Southeast Asian communities around the globe are preparing to usher in the year of the dragon. Taking centre stage this year on Sunday, January 21, the St Albans Lunar New Year Festival is set to attract tens of thousands of people. Held annually on Alfrieda Street, the festival has earned its reputation as one of the largest Lunar New Year celebrations in Australia. St Albans Business Association secretary Ross Morfea said the upcoming 26th edition of the festival promises to be filled with a vibrant atmosphere, featuring plenty of food stalls, rides, live entertainment and a 20-minute signature fireworks display. “The festival is something for everybody to enjoy. It is a way for us to bring the community together and showcase St Albans. All the

shopkeepers do tremendously well on that day and they look forward to it every year,” he said. “We get people of all different nationalities come down and enjoy the day, it’s a family-friendly event that is absolutely free.” Mr Morfea said the event has firmly established itself as a symbol of community unity, describing St Albans as a benchmark for Lunar New Year celebrations, alongside other locations including Sunshine, Springvale and Richmond. The St Albans Lunar New Year festival will run from 10am-1pm on January 21 along Alfrieda Street. Details: https://www.stalbanstowncentre. com.au/lunarfestival

Brimbank Youth Council Applications are now open for Brimbank Youth Council. All young people aged 12 to 25 who live, work, study or have a strong connection to Brimbank are welcome to apply. Applications are open until February 4, 2024. Details: https://www. surveymonkey.com/r/BYC2024

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Barro licence cancelled January 17 The Barro Group’s licence to operate the Sunshine Landfill has been cancelled by the Environment Protection Authority (EPA). The EPA announced its decision to cancel the licence in a statement to residents on Wednesday, January 11. The statement said the licence would be formally cancelled on February 1. The decision means Barro can no longer accept waste at the landfill. The licence cancellation follows the EPA’s decision to suspend Barro’s licence on September 13, 2021. The EPA said the decision to cancel the licence followed assessment of information Barro Group provided in response to a show cause notice issued by EPA on October 28, 2022. The EPA said it received a preliminary report from lawyers acting for Barro in late December

which stated that an additional 90,000 – 100,000 cubic metres of material may need to be excavated to extinguish the final hotspot, which could take an additional 12 – 18 months. “This new information from Barro Group contradicts earlier advice given in October 2022 to EPA, you and your community that works to extinguish the remaining hotspot was about 90 per cent done, with completion expected by the end of 2022,” the EPA statement read. “EPA has issued a notice to investigate to the company to get more information about this latest development. We expect Barro Group to explain itself to the local community and have made this clear to them. We are also examining what legal options and avenues are available to us given this latest information.” The community has been calling for action to

be taken since four underground fires started in November 2019. Resident Nicole Power welcomed the licence cancellation but said she was disappointed the fires would not be extinguished any time soon. Brimbank councillor Virginia Tachos, who lives in the area, said the community had suffered mentally and physically from the fires. The licence cancellation has also been welcomed by Brimbank council. “At last, there has been decisive action on this issue. This is a win for the environment, local residents and the broader Victorian community, although the cost to the environment and the health of local residents is profound. Recovery will however, take significant time and resources,” mayor Bruce Lancashire said. Barro Group was contacted for comment.

The better buses rally was held on Parliament steps on Wednesday, May 17. (Supplied)

Battle for better buses in the west May 30 The release of the state budget included the Victorian government maintaining its commitment to improving the bus network, but many in the west believe that they’ve been stamped as low priority. Leading up to the budget being handed down, community members from Melbourne’s western suburbs were joined by Friends of the Earth Melbourne’s Sustainable Cities collective at a rally held on Parliament’s steps to save the bus reform. The 2023-24 financial year will include just $1.9 million in funding to deliver the state wide bus plan.

Better buses campaign co-ordinator Elyse Cunningham said while the budget included continued commitment to bus reform, it was disappointing to see a lack of prioritisation for the west. “The amount of money that is up is nowhere near enough to achieve what it is that we are asking for. We want an overall route transformation,” Ms Cunningham said. “This incremental reform isn’t going to make a difference, the issue with the bus network is that it is unreliable and people don’t trust it. “We are going to continue organising with communities in the west to share peoples stories of their experience with the bus network and put pressure on the government

to give the west the buses they deserve.” Shannon Meilak has been living in Brimbank for most of her life and is a strong advocate of better buses for the west. She said that her nearest bus stop is two kilometres away. “It’s really not good enough,” Ms Meilak said. “We’ve been left high and dry which seems to be the theme of the west, we are forgotten about and we are always left underfunded. “Everytime there are public transport reforms, Brimbank gets the short stick,” Ms Meilak said. “We need good quality bus transportation, more direct routes and better access.”

O’Reilly joins Brimbank council January 31 Thomas O’Reilly is Brimbank council’s newest councillor after being elected last week. The Victorian Electoral Commission last week conducted a countback to fill a vacancy after former councillor Trung Luu was successful in being elected to the state parliament upper house at last November’s election. “Thomas O’Reilly has been elected as a councillor for Harvester Ward within Brimbank City Council, after the Victorian Electoral Commission conducted a countback of votes at 10 am on Monday 23 January,” the VEC said in a statement. “Only those candidates who were unsuccessful at the general election and who were still eligible to be elected were included in the countback process.” O’Reilly, a life long Brimbank resident, stood on a platform of people, places and communities, environment and sustainability, and infrastructure and services for the last council election in 2020. “I’m a passionate volunteer, educator and have served as a Brimbank youth councillor, where I have collaborated with like minded people to promote initiatives around mental health and sustainability,” he said leading up to the last council election. “I’m standing for council because I want to play a part in creating a future that people are going to enjoy living in. “I want to see an inclusive and transparent council that is community first; valuing amenities, services, sustainable developments and more open green spaces.” “I will advocate to upgrade our parks and trails with new equipment; and promote safety through extra CCTV and lighting.” O’Reilly said he wanted to increase the amount of green spaces in the community and push for sustainable developments. O’Reilly will serve on council until late 2024 when the next council elections are held.

High Stakes for Sunshine sporting club November 14 The state government’s sweeping gambling reforms are threating the future of a popular soccer program, warns a local Sunshine sporting club. Sunshine’s Club Italia sporting club is calling for urgent action to save its beloved soccer program as it faces significant cuts to revenue following the state government’s gambling changes. Earlier this year, the state government announced a package of reforms to minimise gambling harm including mandatory pre-commitment limits, carded play, mandatory closing hours and slower spin times. Club Italia receives no government funding and instead relies on revenue from its 60 gaming machines to sustain the Brimbank

Stallions and its headquarters, utilised by 400 playing families. General manager Kon Monos said the future of the soccer program hangs in the balance as the club struggles to make up for the expected shortfall in revenue when the gambling reforms begin in mid-2024. “The reforms were announced with zero consultation with clubs or the industry. It has frightened all of us, no one can anticipate the expected downturn in revenue,” he said. Mr Monos said the Brimbank Stallions women’s program supports three teams, with a plan to expand to six by 2024. The club also subsidies membership fees for its women’s clubs. “Over the past 30 years the club has become more than a place to play sport, it has been a place for the community and families to

10 BRIMBANK & NORTHWEST STAR WEEKLY Tuesday, 9 January, 2024

come together and celebrate connection. It’s incredibly painful to say that we’re now at a real loss as to whether we can keep that going into the future,” he said. “Gaming is just one small component of the club’s offering, but the fact is that it is the mechanism that allows us to offer a low-cost model for young people – and girls especially – to join the club, develop their skills, make new friends, and build connections. “The future of this vital program, and several other community initiatives we run, is now uncertain because of a decision that was made without consulting clubs on the devastating impact it will have or any sort of plan to fill that gap in revenue.” Gambling losses have been a hotbed of concern in Brimbank, with the municipality recording the highest losses to electronic

gaming machines of any Victorian local government area in 2022-23, totalling $172.8 million. Mr Monos said sporting clubs deserve to have a seat at the table to discuss the impacts of the reforms and be part of the conversation in finding at solutions to tackle gambling harm. Community Clubs Victoria chief executive Andrew Lloyd described the state government’s reform package as a “blunt, one size fits all instrument”. “To see an organisation like Club Italia, which is doing so much good for its members and the broader community, considering pairing back programs, cutting services and reducing staff shows that this issue needs a nuanced solution that we’re just not seeing from the Victorian government,” he said.

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Airport Rail survives November 21 After months of finger pointing, the future of the Melbourne Airport Rail Link is clearer with the federal government confirming it would provide funding for the project. The federal government released its long-awaited national infrastructure review on November 16, of major projects for the next 10 years which had previously received funding commitments, with 50 projects across the country to lose funding. The airport rail project which will build a train line from Sunshine to Melbourne Airport will be built, with the federal government commitment of $5 billion remaining. Two new stations, Keilor East and an airport station, and upgrades to Sunshine and Albion stations are part of the rail link project. Outgoing Brimbank mayor Bruce Lancashire said the announcement is a welcome step towards further action and solid commitments to realising important infrastructure in Melbourne’s west.

“Our community expects these projects to be delivered and continued delays cause frustration and uncertainty with community and stakeholders,” he said. “Done right, major transport infrastructure investment coming to Brimbank will transform Sunshine into the CBD of Melbourne’s west.

This is a once in a generation opportunity to deliver much needed local jobs and affordable housing, to improve lives and livelihoods and create positive lasting change.” Earlier this year, then deputy premier and Transport Minister Jacinta Allan announced in April that the Melbourne Airport Rail

Pledging to ’Break it Down’ October 10 Student leaders from Sunshine Heights Primary School are on a mission to raise awareness about stereotyping and bias. The young leaders are creating a documentary to explore the negative impact of stereotyping and bias on the mental health of young communities. School wellbeing and inclusion leader Francine Sculli said the idea was first brainstormed with last year’s grade 6 cohort as part of Brimbank council’s Dynamic Young Citizens Program. “Through the program, students learnt about how council works and how they can have a voice themselves in their community,” she said. “The students identified that stereotyping and bias was a problem within their cohort and they wanted to address it within their community. They applied for a grant from council and came up with the idea to create a magazine and a documentary.” Ms Sculli said the grant was successful and the idea was passed onto the next set of grade 6 students to bring the vision to life. Recently the students spent the day at the Visy Cares Hub in Sunshine interviewing local community organisations and professionals for the ‘Break it Down’ documentary. “It has been a really powerful journey for our students,” Ms Sculli said. “Some of them have a strong understanding and their own experiences of stereotyping and bias, and others are learning about it for the first time.”

Police are examining links to organised crime as they investigate a fatal shooting in Keilor on Saturday. Gangland identity Gavin “Capable” Preston, 50, was killed and another man he was dining with was critically injured after shots were fired outside Sweet Lulus cafe in Keilor Village on Saturday morning. The village was packed being a Saturday morning and football finals being held just down the road from the cafe. Security camera footage shows the moment Preston and the other man, aged in his 20s, were peppered with bullets. A hooded gunman dressed in black runs from the passenger side door of a black SUV and fires several shots from a handgun at

Reforms a ‘long time coming’ July 25

Ella, 12, filming with the help of Ralph Barba from Making Media. (Jacob Pattison) 354496_04

Ms Sculli said it was essential that the idea for the project came directly from students, and encouraged them to realise the importance of their voice. “They are natural-born leaders and they hold so much knowledge. We need to continue to create opportunities for them to share their voice and take action.”

The school is leading the charge to change by starting an annual ’Break It Down’ day on October 13, where schools can pledge their commitment to promote true inclusion and belonging. Ms Sculli said she hopes the ‘Break it Down’ day gains momentum with more schools jumping on board to mark the day.

Man shot dead in ‘targeted’ attack at cafe September 12

project would not be completed by 2029. Ms Allan told media on Thursday that “stalling tactics” from Melbourne Airport have caused delay to the project. “For three years we have been attempting to negotiate with the airport on how we can best deliver the rail line and the station in that airport footprint, and those negotiations have been incredibly frustrating,” she said. “In welcoming the federal government’s commitment to the project, we also welcome the airport to see how we can best deliver this project on behalf of the Victorian community.” A Melbourne Airport spokesperson said the airport welcomes the release of the Commonwealth infrastructure review. “Our preference has always been, and remains, for an underground station. The airport station must be fit for purpose and future proof, to ensure that passengers are well served and so that neither the airport precinct or rail line are constrained as Melbourne continues to grow.”

Preston, who falls to the ground as smoke lingers in the air. The other victim appears to see the gunman just before he fires his first shot and begins to run away as other diners also flee and hit the deck. The shooter then runs back to the getaway car before it speeds away, with the attack over in less than 20 seconds. While Preston died at the scene, another man in his 20s was transported to hospital in a critical condition. Acting Superintendent Mark Hatt told reporters on Saturday, the younger man was undergoing emergency surgery for gunshot wounds to his stomach. He said the two offenders then fled in a black SUV, which was found dumped in nearby Blair Court.

12 BRIMBANK & NORTHWEST STAR WEEKLY Tuesday, 9 January, 2024

“Given the circumstances, we believe it is linked to organised crime,” he said. We’re in the early stages of the investigation. A number of searches are underway, including at the scene.” He said multiple shots were fired into the upper bodies of both men in front of shocked diners. “The incident took place outside the cafe, there were a number of other people dining at the time. It’s unfortunate it has taken place in such a public manner,” he said. Premier Daniel Andrews attempted to quell fears of an escalating Melbourne gang war following the shooting, saying he had no advice that there should be concerns about a possible gang war escalation.

Reforms for stronger gambling harm protections in Victoria have been welcomed by Brimbank, but council is continuing to push for further changes. Brimbank has the highest losses to electronic gaming machines of any Victorian local government area, recording losses of $128 million in 2021-22. The state government announced sweeping reforms on July 16, designed to prevent gambling harm and anti-money laundering with the changes expected to be in place by the end of the year. The changes will introduce pre-commitment limits and mandatory carded play, as well as reducing load-up limits to $100, down from $1000. It will also be mandatory for all new electronic gaming machines to be slowed down to a spin rate of three seconds a game. All venues in Brimbank with poker machines will be required to close gaming areas between the hours of 4am and 10am. Councillor Virginia Tachos said whilst she welcomes the long-awaited reforms, they are simply not enough, with fears that funding for the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation (VRGF) will be cut. “The LGA of Brimbank has haemorrhage gambling losses and remains to be the highest losers in gambling losses and the second most disadvantaged with the greatest losses recorded for the last decade,” she said. “Whilst these reforms look really positive on paper, the government is not actually saying whether they are going to continue funding the VRGF beyond 2023.” Council is urging the state government to consider extending the reforms to include 12am closing, a lower daily EFTPOS withdrawal limit of $200, decreased maximum bets of $1 per spin, and the introduction of a ‘sinking cap’, where gaming machines are not replaced once entitlements have been forfeited.

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New breast cancer tech Hospital October 24

Women living in Melbourne’s western suburbs now have access to a new, ‘game-changing’ surgical technique used in the treatment of breast cancer. Earlier this month, Kathleen Carlisle became the first Victorian in the public healthcare system to benefit from a new radar localisation technology used in breast cancer surgery. Called SCOUT, the new technology allows surgeons to operate with unprecedented precision, resulting in more successful surgeries, optimising breast conservation strategies and enhancing outcomes for women. Kathleen, 70, retired dancer and gym instructor, underwent breast cancer surgery at Sunshine Hospital on October 6, using the new technique. “When I heard about this new technology from my surgeon I jumped at the chance,” she said. “The old way of doing things sounded really uncomfortable and I’m so grateful to Western Health and my surgical team at Sunshine Hospital for giving me the chance to try this new procedure”. The traditional method of locating a tumour in breast cancer surgery is for a radiologist to insert a wire into the tumour on the morning of breast cancer surgery, with the surgeon then using the wire to locate and remove the tumour. For the patient, this effectively means two procedures in one day and sometimes an uncomfortable and stressful overnight stay. Kathleen’s surgeon, Dr Sophie Nightingale, described the new technology as “game-changing”. “This technology is amazing. It’s much less invasive, and less stressful for patients,” she said.

opens April 4

Kathleen Carlisle and Dr Sophie Nightingale at the Sunshine Hospital. (Damjan Janevski) 365970_04

“It allows us to be more accurate, and patients lose less breast tissue during their surgery compared to the wire method.” The SCOUT Reflector can be implanted ahead of the day of surgery and allows real-time radar detection of the location of the tumour with millimetre accuracy. The technology works by implanting a small

“reflector”, the size of a grain of rice, into the breast tissue. This can be done days or weeks before surgery and can potentially be combined with a breast tissue biopsy, to further reduce the number of procedures for a patient. Western Health acting head of surgery Dr Bernard Allard said the team is excited to have the technology at Sunshine Hospital.

Sunshine Private Hospital officially opened last week. The quality of health services that will be enjoyed by Sunshine residents will never be the same after the unveiling of the $140 million state of the art health institution. The hospital’s facilities include four operating theatres, an endoscopy suite a 30-bed medical and surgical ward including four high dependency beds, 24 day surgery beds, a 21-bed women’s mental health inpatient unit, consulting suites and sleep study facilities. The glittering opening event was attended by high profile personalities who include former footballer, Bachar Houli, Brimbank mayor Bruce Lancashire, hospital chief executive, Dr Malak Sukkar and Veterans, St Albans MP Natalie Suleyman, who cut the ribbon. Speaking during the opening ceremony Ms Suleyman said the hospital services were not limited to Sunshine residents. “While the hospital is at the door steps of Sunshine residents, but other people from different parts of Melbourne will benefit from the services,” she said. Cr Lancashire hailed the new development as a step in the right direction of bringing top class health services closer to the people. The 75-beds private hospital is owned by Australian Unity Healthcare Property Trust but operated by Unitas Healthcare.

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Bill Marshall as ’Captain Fish’, who is a producer of a surrealist festival.

Scotty So was part of an exhibition in Footscray.

Sunflowers were coming into bloom at Bolwarrah Springs which were enjoyed by Kiara, 10, and Bridie, 8.

2023 through Star Weekly’s lens Star Weekly photographer Damjan Janveski shares his favourite pictures from 2023. Meditation teacher Ananya Tomar.

Five-year-old Liahona, and organisers Tonya Toi, Vicki Kinai and Jone Temo at the Tarneit community garden. Patrick Blume in front of his Halloween decorated house.

‘Princess on Skates’ Belle Hadiwidjaja ahead of the Winter Community Festival in Yarraville.

Point Cook personal trainer Chevy Lowndes who collects sneakers and gives them to homeless people.

Hume Anglican Grammar is putting on a production of the Addams Family. Students Treesha, Aria, Freddie, Logan, Stephanie, Harriet and Gurleen. 14 BRIMBANK & NORTHWEST STAR WEEKLY Tuesday, 9 January, 2024

Max Augoustakis and Zac Main at the radio station where they do a weekly segment called ’Self-Titled’ and they play ‘underground’ music.

Matilda, 8, and Mia, 4, at the Werribee ward set up at Pacific Werribee.

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COMMUNITY STARWEEKLY.COM.AU

COMMUNITY CALENDAR 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

Paper Stories collage workshops Paper stories encourages and inspires community members to create new stories by weaving together existing images from books and magazines. Participants will be guided through collage techniques by Augustine, a collage artist and masters of therapeutic arts student. Suitable for people of all ages, and anyone who has an interest in exploring art making through paper. The workshop is free and will run on January 20, from 1.30-4.30pm at the Sunshine Library. Registration is required. ■ https://shorturl.at/bK089

St Albans Lunar New Year The St Albans Business Association is inviting locals to celebrate the 2024 Lunar New Year on Sunday, January 21. The festival will have a large variety of stalls, food, entertainment, community information, performances, rides, fireworks and dancing. The festival will take place at Alfrieda Street, St Albans from 10am-10pm. Entry is free. ■ https://www.stalbanstowncentre.com.au/ lunarfestival

Sunshine Lunar New Year The Sunshine Business Association is hosting the Sunshine Lunar New Year Festival on January 28. The festival is a free multicultural community event taking place in the busy Sunshine shopping precinct along Hampshire Road, Sunshine on Sunday, January 28, from noon-10pm. The day will feature free family fun, live entertainment, children’s rides, street performers, music, dancing, street food, face-painting, magical Lion and Dragon dancing, red-pockets and firecrackers ending with spectacular fireworks. ■ https://shorturl.at/hHNP4

15th annual Show Off Locals are invited to enjoy the 15th annual Show Off, a bicycle and car show in conjunction with the Brimbank Bicycle Education centre to provide a family day out, and also promote bicycling, upcycling bicycles and bike maintenance, with music by DJ Rod G, food and entertainment. The event will take place on February 4, from noon-6pm at the Bicycle Education Centre, 7 Clubhouse Place, Keilor Downs. ■ https://www.saintside.com/

This week’s photographer’s choice photo is of sisters Emily and Sally Anglin getting their car ready for shitbox rally this year. (Damjan Janevski) 371717_01

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, 0425 768 808

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

Girl Guides Brimbank District Girl Guides is inviting locals to come and try guides before committing to join. Girls aged 5-18 and adults are invited to enjoy the fun and friendship of guiding. ■ Carolyn 0418 536 084

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 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

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. Confidential meetings held at the Sydenham Neighbourhood Centre (rear of library) every Wednesday from 1-2:30pm. New members welcome. No appointment necessary.

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

Relief Network in Ravenhall from 7pm. ■ rotarycarolinesprings@gmail.com

Sunrise Social Groups GenWest Sunrise Social Groups are currently seeking new members for their Melton, Brimbank and Wyndham programs. The free groups are organised by Genwest and provide a social space for women, gender diverse and nonbinary people, who have a disability, chronic health issues and/ or mental health challenges. ■ https://genwest.org.au/what-we-do/ health-wellbeing-programs/ Deer Park Branch of National Seniors Australia hosts a lunch on the third Friday of each month at different venues. The group also arrange activities each month, sometimes to the theatre, morning melodies, train or bus trip. The group also holds a general meeting at The Club in Caroline Springs on the first Wednesday of every month at 1.30pm. Locals are invited to join in for lunch or just attend the meeting and make new friends. ■ Pamela, pcostello46@hotmail.com

BusyFeet Hillside BusyFeet is a dance and movement class for children with intellectual and physical disabilities. Classes create a fun and inclusive environment for kids aged six to 16 to try new things and build social skills, as well as giving a chance for parents’ respite. It’s held from 11-11.45am Saturday. ■ Ross, 0411 228 311

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

Are you feeling lonely, isolated or just wanting to make some new friends? If so, Chatty Cafe is for you. The group meets on Friday mornings at 10am for delicious free coffee from Latin foods and wines at 10 Wallace Square, Melton. ■ https://www.facebook.com/ groups/352071857283331

Caroline Springs Rotary

Women’s Support Group

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

Women’s Support Group Melton is for any women who feel they would like to attend a peer support group which is relaxed, friendly and non-judgemental. The

16 BRIMBANK & NORTHWEST STAR WEEKLY Tuesday, 9 January, 2024

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 Seniors lunch

Chatty Cafe Melton St Albans senior citizens

group meets weekly at 1pm on Mondays (except for public holidays) at Djerriwarrh Neighbourhood House, 239 Station Road, Melton. The group can discuss most subjects that may be of help ■ https://ow.ly/QVwJ50Q5g42

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 12-25 years old. ■ Val, 0414 769 605.

Melton Men’s Group Melton Men’s Group meets every Thursday from 5-8pm 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

Mens Fella-ship Men from all walks of life are invited to connect with their community and catch up over a cuppa at the weekly Fella-ship social group, meeting on Wednesday afternoons between 1-3pm at the Melton South Community Centre. The catch ups are free and no bookings are required. ■ 9747 8576

PUZZLES No. 167

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.

easy

3 7 8 9

8 4 3

5 4 5 1

8 2

2 4

3 4 9

5 6

2 6 8

2 3 8

9 5 5 7

9 3 7 2 1 5 8 4 4 2

1 6 3 9

8 7 5 6 9 8 7 4

DOWN

26 27

Courier (9) North African country (7) Delete (5) Approximately (10) Blemishes (4) Sudden violent invasion (9) Fantasise (7) Sibling’s daughter (5) Process of turning on (10) Specify (9) Athlete (9) Cyclone (7) An addition (7) Crawl (5) EU currency units (5) Historical alcoholic drink (4)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 13 15 16 18 19 20 22 23

Mother (3) Deportation (11) Family name (7) Deliver commentary (7) Abstained from (8) Positive aspect (6) Earth (prefix) (3) Members (11) Punishment (10) State of agitation (3) Body (6) Shoeless (8) Exude (7) Arabic derivative of Abraham (7) Series of events (11) Sprinted (3)

9 medium

ACROSS 1 3 9 10 11 12 14 15 17 19 20 21 24 25

No. 167

DECODER

No. 167

7 hard

7 4

3 9

9 1 6 3

6 7

10 11 12 13

14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

W L

3 LETTERS AGE ANT AWE DOE EBB ERA FBI FUN ILL INN IRE LEE LEG NOD OKS ONE PEN RAT SOB TEN UPS UTE

ARMED AROMA AVAIL BELOW CIDER CREPE DETER DITTO DOONA ENVOY ERODE GLOVE HERDS INERT LOCAL MACED MESSY NOBLE NOOSE OATHS OMEGA

Today’s Aim: 12 words: Good 18 words: Very good

No. 167 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

L O S

B A R D S A W A R E S A L O N

5 LETTERS ADORE AFOOT ALIBI ALONE ALTER

QUICK QUIZ

Marmosets are native to which continent?

WOMEN 6 LETTERS BAMBOO CAGIER INHALE KOALAS RELAYS SILENT 7 LETTERS AMMONIA ATLASES BLISTER

BRITTLE LIAISON RENEWAL 8 LETTERS CLEAVERS CLENCHED CRITERIA TORTILLA 10 LETTERS DISPENSING HINTERLAND

True or false: Kevin Costner (pictured) has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame?

Which country led the medal tally at the 2012 London Olympic Games?

Walt Whitman died during which century?

Harissa is what type of food?

The mausoleum of Madghacen is located in which African country?

Actor Andy Griffith received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from which US president?

Does Ben or Fred Savage play Cory Matthews in Boy Meets World?

Manama is the capital of which country?

4 LETTERS BEEF ENDS GAIT GOSH MOTH PEWS SLAP STEM THUS TRIM

PASTY PIANO PLATE PURSE REAPS REEDS RINSE ROSES SCENE SCRAP SCRUB SLAIN SNEER STABS STALE SWATS SWEET TAPED TASTE TESTS WADES

12-01-24

T Y L

clod, coal, coda, coil, cola, cold, coma, domicil, halo, hold, holm, HOMICIDAL, idiom, idol, lido, load, loam, loch, loci, macho, milo, mocha, modal, moil

2 6 9 3 7 1 8 4 5 5 3 8 6 4 2 9 7 1 7 4 1 9 5 8 6 3 2 9 2 6 7 8 4 1 5 3 4 1 5 2 6 3 7 8 9 8 7 3 1 9 5 2 6 4 3 8 7 5 1 9 4 2 6 1 5 4 8 2 6 3 9 7 6 9 2 4 3 7 5 1 8

9 1 3 7 4 6 2 8 5 6 7 8 9 5 2 1 4 3 5 4 2 8 1 3 6 9 7 7 9 5 1 2 4 8 3 6 8 6 1 3 9 7 4 5 2 3 2 4 5 6 8 9 7 1 4 5 9 2 7 1 3 6 8 2 3 7 6 8 9 5 1 4 1 8 6 4 3 5 7 2 9

2 6 3 1 7 8 5 4 9 4 8 1 5 9 3 7 6 2 9 5 7 4 6 2 8 3 1 3 9 6 7 2 5 1 8 4 1 2 5 3 8 4 9 7 6 8 7 4 9 1 6 2 5 3 5 1 2 6 3 7 4 9 8 6 4 9 8 5 1 3 2 7 7 3 8 2 4 9 6 1 5

Puzzles and pagination © Pagemasters | pagemasters.com

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”.

24 words: Excellent

hard

medium

9-LETTER WORD

No. 167

* $ , 7

T O R XN P CMF DH E Z

2 3 easy

5x5

8 7 1 4

5 2

Y V B G J K U Q S I AW L

WORDFIT

10 A coati is what type of animal?

ANSWERS: 1. South America 2. True 3. Chilli paste 4. Algeria 5. Ben 6. Bahrain 7. The US 8. 19th 9. George W. Bush 10. Mammal

QUICK CROSSWORD

7 $ 3 ( ' 6 & 5 8 % & , ' ( 5 & 5 ( 3 ( $ / 2 1 ( $ / , % , 6 7 $ % 6 5 , 1 6 ( * / 2 9 ( 7 ( 1 3 / $ 7 ( ) % , 1 2 ' 3 ( : 6 5 ( / $ < 6 ( 5 2 ' ( , 1 1 5 $ 7 , 5 ( 6 : $ 7 6 6 , / ( 1 7 * 2 6 + 7 2 5 7 , / / $ 0 2 7 + $: ( % / , 6 7 ( 5 $ 0 0 2 1 , $ / ( ( * $ , 7 & / ( 1 & + ( ' ( 1 ' 6 , 1 + $ / ( 7 ( 6 7 6 2 . 6 8 7 ( 3 ( 1 % $ 0 % 2 2 6 / $ 3 5 ( $ 3 6 $ 1 7 $ 9 $ , / ) 8 1 ( 5 $ / 2 & $ / 5 2 6 ( 6 $ ' 2 5 ( , 1 ( 5 7 1 2 2 6 ( 2 0 ( * $ 0 ( 6 6 < ' ( 7 ( 5 : $ ' ( 6

SUDOKU

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SPORTS QUIZ 1. How many Grand Slam singles titles has former world No.1 Boris Becker won?

4. Which basketball legend might be making a career return to the Opals at the Paris Olympics?

2. How many NBA teams currently don't have a team mascot?

5. Which Melbourne venue is set to host an AFC Champions League game?

3. Brisbane AFLW star Ally Anderson won which accolade for the third time?

Jessica Fox

13. Who is the current captain of the England Test cricket team? 14. The Barton Oval is the home of which AFL team?

6. The terms gutter, frame and foul line can be applied to which sport? 7. In which Australian state does the annual Santos Tour Down Under take place? 8. Renowned springboard diver Greg Louganis represented which country in competition? 9. Which arena in Melbourne Park was formerly known as Hisense Arena and Vodafone Arena?

15. How many legs are there in a darts set? 16. In which year did canoeist Jessica Fox make her Olympics debut? 17. And how old was she? 18. In which sport would you find a Michigan goal? 19. What is the nickname of the team that plays NFL out of Tennessee? 20. How many AFL games did Brent Harvey play for North Melbourne?

10. What is the national sport of Germany? 11. The Stoke Mandeville Games were a precursor to which event?

David Warner

12. The Sharks play which sport for Australia?

21. What is the only NRL team nickname not to end with an S?

24. Who won Man of the Match in the second test in the current Australia v Pakistan series? 25. In what year did David Warner make his international cricketing debut for Australia?

29. The 2024 Dakar Rally will be held in which country? 30. What famous Australian yacht race was first held in 1945?

26. AFLW player Monique Conti also plays in what other major Australian sporting league?

22. Which US city’s four major sporting teams all use the same colours?

27. Kelly Ryan resigned as chief executive of which sporting body in December?

23. What was the nickname of the NBL team that was based on the Gold Coast in the 1990s?

28. What sport will make a return to the Olympics after only previously featuring once in 1900?

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Taskmaster of huge proportions By Derek Ogden, Marque Motoring Question: does the Navara PRO-4X Warrior, a latecomer to the ranks, have enough to take on the army of talent in one of the most closely fought contests in the Aussie automobile market? With fully armed dual cab pick-ups the likes of the Ford Ranger, Mitsubishi Triton, Toyota HiLux Rugged, Mazda BT50 Thunder, Isuzu’s D-Max and the US Ram holding the line, the Navara Warrior has its work cut out. Not that Nissan isn’t out to giving things a shake, calling on input from local specialist engineer Premcar, to light the fuse. The result is the range topping Navara PRO-4X Warrior by Premcar, tipping the scales at $68,265, plus on-road costs. Premcar has put in its bob’s worth with up-specced suspension, wider track and greater ground clearance, plus a 100kg addition to gross vehicle mass and aggressive new exterior. All were tested in Victoria to meet demands of real off-roading in varied bush, beach, desert and mountain terrain. Premcar has also matched Nissan’s five-year warranty, the latter featuring capped price servicing at 12-month 20,000 kilometre intervals, whichever comes first. Styling Tough guy trappings are not only for show. They are worn to take on the harshest driving conditions, featuring unique Warrior 17-inch alloy wheels wrapped in larger, wider Cooper Discoverer All Terrain tyres. A redesigned towbar is built to carry a full-size spare, and a premium body coloured bulbar with integrated LED light bar, plus tub liner go beyond their good looks with premium practicality.

The Nissan Navara PRO-4X Warrior by Premcar has had the benefit of input by some of the best Aussie engineers in the business.

Interior With upgrades to chassis and suspension weighing in with ride comfort in the toughest going, it’s only natural to complement this with an eight-way power driver’s seat, with lumbar support, and heated front seats. With space for five adults, premium leather accented PRO-4X seats sport Warrior stitching on the front headrests. Dual zone climate control incorporates rear air vents. The back seat base folds up to expose storage spaces underneath. The Navara is well-equipped to carry loads up the back, with four robust tie-down loops low in each corner of the tub and adjustable Utili-Tracks running lengthways along the upper tray. A plastic tub liner completes the cargo carrying set-up. Infotainment The Navara PRO-4X Warrior by Premcar is equipped with an 8-inch colour touchscreen, with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in situ for connectivity to a smartphone. Bluetooth hands free is on tap too via steering wheel controls. AM/FM radio with AUX and USB connectivity is run through a six-speaker sound system. There’s one USB-A in console tray, one USB-A and USB-C in the centre console, one USB-A in the rear of the centre console, which is charge Only, plus two 12V Outlets in the console tray and centre console. A 7-inch instrument cluster display includes instant and average fuel economy, distance to empty and average speed. Engines/transmissions Under the bonnet of the PRO-4X Warrior is the 2.3-litre twin-turbo diesel engine found in all 4x4 models in the Navara range, producing 140 kW of power at 3750 rpm and 450 Nm of torque between 1500 and 2500 rpm. The Renault common-rail motor is mated either with a six-speed manual transmission or a seven-speed automatic, driving through a part-time four-wheel drive system with low-range gearing and a locking rear differential. Our test was the latter.

Safety There’s a full suite of Nissan Intelligent Mobility technology with off-road innovation creating a 360-degree ‘shield’ that detects, warns, and intervenes in potential danger in varied driving conditions. Advanced safety systems include blind spot warning and Intelligent blind spot intervention, which alerts of any detected vehicles and actively guides the Navara back into its lane to help prevent a collision. An all-round view monitor with moving object detection presents a 360-degree view of the vehicle when reversing and rear parking sensors pick up any problems in tight spots. Seven airbags - front side seat, curtain and driver’s knee - are fitted. Driving Remote keyless entry and practically placed grab handles make access to the cabin comfortable, while cruise control, high beam assist, rain sensing wipers and a UV and heat rejecting windscreen ease the stress of everyday driving. Needless to say, the performance of the 2.3-litre, four-cylinder twin turbo-diesel motor mated with its seven-speed automatic transmission was more than able to carry the ute’s aggressive appearance, turning heads

20 BRIMBANK & NORTHWEST STAR WEEKLY Tuesday, 9 January, 2024

AT A GLANCE MODEL RANGE Nissan Navara 2.3 SL $47,350 Nissan Navara 2.3 ST $52,455 Nissan Navara 2.3 ST-X $55,945 Nissan Navara SL Warrior $58,750 Nissan Navara PRO-4X $58,905 Nissan Navara PRO-4X Warrior $68,265

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

time and time again. The maker’s fuel consumption claim is 8.1 litres per 100 kilometres in the combined urban/highway cycle. Over a week of non-stressed testing on the bitumen the PRO-4X Warrior averaged 10.6 litres per 100 kilometres. It’s not the best in class, but it’s worth remembering the vehicle’s raised ride height and larger, heavier light truck tyres fitted to improve off-road performance, will be detrimental to fuel consumption. A Drive Mode selector allows easy

switching between four modes – normal, sport, off road and towing, while off road, hill descent control and hill start assist adjusts speed on steep inclines, the rear diff lock provides extra traction in challenging going. The innovative Off-Road Monitor presents a clear view of each wheel when taking on tough terrain. The Warrior turns in a towing capacity of 3500kg braked and 750kg unbraked. Off-road stats include 260mm ground clearance and a wading depth of 600mm. Summary The Nissan Navara PRO-4X Warrior by Premcar puts me in mind of HSV and Tickford who raised the popular Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon, respectively, to iconic status. Say no more. Ratings ■ Looks: 8/10 ■ Performance: 6/10 ■ Safety: 8/10 ■ Thirst: 5/10 ■ Practicality: 8/10 ■ Comfort: 7/10 ■ Tech: 8/10 ■ Value: 5/10

YEAR IN REVIEW ... SPORT

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Deer Park scores a rolling victory in grand final March 21 Deer Park made history last Sunday winning its first Bowls Victoria weekend pennant premier division championship. The Parkers proved too strong for Clayton in the grand final at Dandenong Club, winning 86 (16)-66 (2). Aron Sheriff’s rink won 27-18, Ryan Tainton’s rink won 24-10 and James Pearce’s rink won 21-18. Ryan Bester’s rink lost to Blake Nairn 20-14. The premiership caps off a remarkable run by the Parkers, who last lost a game all the way back in round four. Parkers head of bowls operations and player Mark Casey said winning the premiership was so special for everyone. “This has been a work in progress for many years so to get the result this year was an incredible feeling,” he said. “It’s a reward for effort, that’s for sure. “It was an excellent final, both teams played exceptional bowls and there wasn’t much in it

for most of the game. “We always held the advantage but it wasn’t until the last part of the game where we really kicked clear. “Clayton are a very good, even side so to get over the top of them was a great feeling.” Casey said there were too many standouts on the day to single out individual efforts. He said everyone played their roles and he couldn’t be prouder of them. Overall for the season, Casey finished fourth on the player ladder behind a trio of three MCC players who all had the same score. Koby Cromie finished in fifth and Tom Hicks finished in sixth, Casey and Cromie spent most of the year in the same rink, while Hicks finished the season in a different rink. Casey said the premiership isn’t just for the group of players who played in the grand final, but for the whole club. “This was the club’s first premier league title, so the 16 players who were out there created some history for the club, but it’s more about the members who have been at the club

Deer Park bowls champions. (Bowls Victoria)

for decades,” he said. “Deer Park Club president John Berry has been at the helm for over 20 years, he’s always wanted to win this title so it’s incredible that we could do it for people like that. “It’s very special.”

Next up is the state pennant finals in May. Casey said they were keen to add more silverware to the cabinet. “We will celebrate this win for a while but soon the focus will go to this and we will be going after the state title.”

Knights fairy tale over October 3

Grand United premiers. (Supplied)

Premiership for United March 21 The hard work has paid off for Grand United as it was crowned Victorian Turf Cricket Association division 3 premiers. Having fallen short in last season’s grand final series, the Gorillas have been determined to go one better this season. They only needed one day of the grand final against Sunbury to get the job done, hitting the winning runs late on day one on Saturday. President Alan Hale said it was a fantastic day for the club “It was fantastic not just for the 11 guys that played, but the whole club,” he said. “Everyone has their own stories and there’s so many good stories in that time. Whether it’s their first A-turf premiers or they’ve won multiple flags, everyone is stoked.” Sunbury won the toss and decided to bat at JR Parsons Reserve. The Roar was quickly in trouble at 2-5 before it steadied. The wickets continued to fall for the Roar from that point as the side was bowled out for just 120 in the 42nd over.

Hale said they just stuck to the plan they had taken into the game. “We executed exceptionally well with the ball,” he said. “Sunbury have some really good bats in their line up, especially Kevin Barker, who played really well. “We wanted to choke the opposition and didn’t give them any opportunities. Ben Doll and Sam Crea bowled well opening up and then the spinners come on. “We got three run outs as well, that changed the game.” Doll and Crea took three wickets each for the Gorillas. With plenty of time left on day one, Hale said the group was keen to get the runs needed for first innings points and then see what happened. “Like the week before we thought we could get the runs on the day,” he said. “Jayden White-Powell started really well. We wanted to play positive cricket as we have and we learned some things from the last time we played them. “We were scoring five runs an over for the

first 15 overs, which didn’t allow Sunbury to make a run at it.” The Gorillas were 4-149 off 35 overs at stumps. White-Powell had top scored with 47. The Roar made the call to end the game at that stage instead of the two teams coming back for day two. Hale said with a number of good batters still in the shed, the result was only going to go one way even if they played on. White-Powell was named player of the match. Hale said a lot of hard work has gone on behind the scenes the last couple of years to get the club back to where it is. The Gorillas will play in division 2 next season. “We have plans to get higher than division 2, that is for sure,” he said. “We lost a lot of players a few years back and our mindset was to continually improve. “We’ve done a lot of hard work and there’s a lot of good people to get us back to where we were yesterday. [Saturday].”

Melbourne Knights’ dream Australia Cup run has come to an end. The campaign that will now live in Knights folk law was ended by A-League side Brisbane Roar last weekend. The Knights were the last National Premier League club remaining in the final four, marking a truly special season for the Brimbank-based club, reaching semi finals in the NPL, Dockerty Cup and Australia Cup. While the Roar were eventual 1-0 winners, with Thomas Waddingham scoring in the 18th minute, the Knights were more than competitive, holding possession for 48 per cent of the time. More than 5100 fans packed into Knights Stadium to watch the Knights take on the Roar, and did not leave disappointed with the effort put up by the home side. Knights’ star attacker Gian Albano, who has scored four goals across in the Australia Cup campaign, was blown away with the support shown to his side. “Very special night, I mean look at the attendance, it’s brilliant for the fans to come out, it’s definitely a 12th man for us,” he said on the post game broadcast. “Unfortunately we couldn’t get the win, but it’s amazing the crowd that came out. “It’s everything … it gives you that extra boost in the 90th minute, it’s amazing.” Albano has been at the club since January 2019, with this match marking the end to his fifth season at the Knights, with a moment like this something he has been long anticipating. “[It means] absolutely everything, I’ve been waiting for this for years, through COVID and all that which disrupted a couple of seasons,” he said. Coach Ben Cahn has been fantastic for the club in his first season at the helm, winning the NPL Victoria coach of the year award in early September. Cahn has spent time around the country applying his trade and has recently been linked to a number of A-League coaching positions. Albano said he is ready to make the leap.

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Blues complete perfect season September 26 Keilor capped off one of the more dominant Essendon District Football League premier division seasons, with a well deserved premiership on Saturday afternoon. Undefeated throughout the regular season, the Blues had an average winning margin of more than 50 points. They smashed Pascoe Vale in the semi final, with Strathmore doing the same thing to the Panthers in the preliminary final. Come Saturday, the Mores were full of confidence having had a strong second half of the season in their quest for back-to-back titles. The Blues hit the scoreboard early as they made the most of their forward entries. The margin was 11 points at quarter time and three goals at half time in the favour of the Blues. The second half would be all the Blues. They led by five goals at three quarter time, before their running ability came to the fore in the last. The margin blew out to 61 points, before the Mores kicked a couple late. The final score was 20.7 (127)-11.9 (75) showing the difference between the Blues and the other teams this year. Blues coach Mick McGuane said what they had achieved this year was pretty significant. “They’re a great bunch of boys,” he said. “I don’t think a lot of people in the footy industry realise how difficult it is to go through undefeated. “I thought our back half of the year was really strong and solid. Today [Saturday] we had to step up against a team that was in fantastic form and match hardened. We had one game in about 28 days, I think. “It was a testament to the players’ discipline, the way we worked and what we worked on in that period, without playing games.” McGuane said both sides had periods of control in the grand final and he felt it was the third quarter that would prove to be the difference in the end. “I thought we cracked them and I thought it would take a very good team to beat this team, playing the hard contested brand we play. “We are a very good running side. When you have high octane type performances like

Jack Brown. (Ljubica Vrankovic) 362605_12

we have, we want to play chaos, play quick, if the ball is alive a lot you have to get from contest to contest which we are good at. “We outnumbered spread and we used the

ball and we sort of did that. “I thought we had a number of winners right across the board which is why we ran out quite comprehensive winners at game’s end. ”

Matthew Clark kicked five goals for the winners, while Kane Barbuto kicked four and Christos Kosmas and Nathan Colenso kicked three each. Barbuto won his second Reg Rose Medal for the best player in the grand final, after winning it in 2019. McGuane said it could have gone to a number of players. “I thought [Nick] O’Kearney was stiff,” he said. “I loved the way that Kane went about it, we isolated him with the right match up early. “O’Kearney finished with close to 40, Clark kicked five. Colenso replaced [Damien] Cavka and kicked three and did what he did in front of the ball. “Kosmas, is the brother in law of Cavka, and he had a lot to play for.” The result is a long way from the start of pre-season when the Blues had a number of more experienced players either retire or go to lower levels. McGuane said it would have been easy to sit back and look at who they lost, instead of making change. “You get to work with the group at your disposal,“ he said. “This is the way you should train, quick entry, embracing imperfections and the group we had in front of the ball. “We kept kicking winnings scores. We averaged 133 throughout the year for that to stand true in a final, it does get tough and it does get hard to hit the scoreboard, goes to show what we put in 10 months ago.“ For nine of the group, it’s the second time they have been part of the premiership that capped off a perfect season. For Barbuto, it was premiership number three for the Blues. For McGuane, number four. “You don’t go down that path of how many you can get,” McGuane said. “A person reminded me today, post game, that you’ve been to Tassie and coached premiers and championship [undefeated] team and you’ve done it twice in the space of four years [at Keilor]. “It’s something we couldn’t do in 137 year history, doing a lot right and we believe in what we know and what we do, to give these young boys a taste of what victory is like at the pointy end of the season, pretty proud the work we’ve put in.”

Lions complete stunning first EDFL season September 19 Deer 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

Deer Park celebrates a goal. (Jacob Pattison) 360908_10

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

22 BRIMBANK & NORTHWEST STAR WEEKLY Tuesday, 9 January, 2024

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 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.

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Not quite a fairy tale for United May 5 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 one or two more if there’s other girls looking to 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

Main: Hannah Keane and Natalie Tobin fight for the ball in the A-League Women’s grand final. Left: Western United’s starting line up. Right: Alana Cerne and Madison Haley during the A-League Women’s grand final. (Pictures: AAP Image/James Gourley)

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. “I don’t’ think it’s fair to put her in a position 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.”

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