Star Weekly - Wyndham - 24th January 2024 by Star Weekly

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24 JANUARY, 2024

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New year celebrations

Performers (from left) Rithvika (9), Lasya (10), Sophie (16), Becky Cui, Lizzy (17) and Anjana (11) will appear at the Wyndham Multicultural Lunar Festival on February 18. (Damjan Janevski) 383386_01

Point Cook will be transformed into a kaleidoscope of colours, costumes, tastes and sounds next month when it hosts the 7th annual Wyndham Multicultural Lunar Festival. Organised by the Point Cook Cultural Community, this year’s festival will be held on Saturday February 18 and marks the start of the Lunar New Year. “We originally started off as a lunar festival which included the dragon and lion dances, but we’ve now extended it to a wide range of multicultural groups including the Indian community, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Japan, reflecting the multicultural community that Point Cook is,” said Point Cook Cultural Committee president, Bob Fairclough “We’ve got over 80 individual performances from a wide range of cultural groups from Wyndham. Singing, dancing, theatre, martial arts, a fashion parade and a traditional costume parade. We’ve also got childrens entertainment including slides, a tea cups roundabout, mini golf and more.”

Private security on duty By Cade Lucas The operator of a private security firm employed by residents of a Wyndham Vale housing estate, says there’s increasing demand for the service. Grant Burton’s company YPG Risk has been conducting nightly patrols at Wyndham Vale’s Jubilee Estate for the past two years, in a service paid for by its body corporate. So far, Jubilee Estate is the only estate YPG Risk has taken on, but Mr Burton said that’s not due to a lack of interest. “We always have a list of clients wanting to come on board. We talk to three housing estates a week already,” he said. Jubilee Estate resident Matthew Mannix pays $300 dollars per quarter for the service and said it was good value.

“I feel like it’s assisted in deterring crime and making residents feel safer,” said Mr Mannix who has lived in the estate with his wife for past three years. Jubilee Estate is located about 11 kilometers from the nearest police station in Werribee and recent media reports of the arrangement raised concerns about the ability of police to patrol new housing estates on Wyndham’s western fringe. However, Mr Burton said this wasn’t the case and that his staff weren’t there to cover for police. “There was no shortage of police that we’ve noticed, we see plenty of police out there,” he said. “Police do a great job, we have a lot of confidence in them.” A spokesperson for Victoria Police said its

officers patrolled the area around Jubilee Estate 24-7 and that crime rates there had recently fallen. “Residential break-ins in Wyndham Vale have in fact dropped by 19 per cent since pre-pandemic,” the spokesperson said. “Only last week police conducted a three-day operation in the Wyndham area to target people wanted for burglary and theft of motor vehicle offences. During the operation local police checked more than 345 vehicles, recovered two stolen vehicles and arrested 16 people wanted for a range of offences.” Mr Burton said it was the pace of growth in the area, not a lack of police resources or distance, that meant private security firms like his were being called on. “ We don’t see a shortfall in police, but it’s a

growing area and growing population so the need for more police is evident.” Mr Burton said increased red tape had also changed the nature of policing. “Police attend one job, it’s an hour off the road for that car. It used to be a lot faster but now there’s a lot of procedures in place that have to follow”. Providing security in the meantime forms a large part of YPG’s role, with its patrol vehicle able to respond to calls within three minutes and its staff, many of whom are ex-police, equipped with bulletproof vests, body cameras, batons and handcuffs and able to restrain people if need be. Star Weekly understands similar arrangements are common in housing estates across Wyndham.

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Wyndham council scam warning By Cade Lucas Wyndham council has warned residents to be on the lookout for people pretending to conduct questionnaires and surveys on its behalf. The incidents, which are believed to have begun in the second half of 2023 and have increased in regularity since the new year, involve door knockers approaching random homes and claiming to representing Wyndham council. Residents are then asked to complete a series of questions about their level of satisfaction with council services and performance. In recent weeks the door knockers appear

to have targeted homes in Tarneit and after being contacted by a number of residents from the suburb, Wyndham council was forced to distance itself from the practice. “Wyndham City has advised residents that council is currently not conducting any surveys or questionnaires and residents should not allow anyone they do not know into their homes,” said a council spokesperson. “Residents are advised to contact police if they have any concerns.” Wyndham police say they have not yet received any complaints about the fake surveys, but comments below Wyndham council’s statement posted on its Facebook page show plenty of locals have encountered

them. Among them is Werribee resident Lisa Heinrichs. “It was late on a Sunday afternoon” said Ms Heinrichs of when one of the door knockers arrived at her home in October. “The guy came walking up to my front door, knocked on the door. He was just dressed like a regular guy with a backpack and he said that he worked for council and wanted to ask questions for a survey.” He didn’t get the chance. Thinking it an odd time for a council survey and noticing he had no uniform, name tag, lanyard or anything official, Ms Heinrichs asked the door knocker for ID .

“He looked at me like I’d asked some stupid question and fidgeted around. He didn’t have any so I told him to leave,” she said. “He sort of mumbled a little bit and then just left.” Ms Heinrichs reported the incident to both council and police, though didn’t receive a response from the latter. She said the incident didn’t bother her, but did leave her concerned for others. “I was worried about other people in the street that he might get inside their house or they would give him personal information. There’s an elderly lady who lives on her own and doesn’t speak a lot of English so she could’ve been vulnerable.”

Werribee man remanded

Bënish Chaudhry, founder of The Point Cook Library of Things, a not-for-profit organisation that provides the local community with access to a collection of useful tools. (Damjan Janevski) 383968_02

A library with a point of difference Public libraries are great community resources, but are mostly limited to lending books. When it comes to being able to borrow other items, the options are more limited. Unless you live in Point Cook. The Point Cook Library of Things allows members to borrow all manner of things in much the same way they’re used to doing with books. “We’ve got gardening tools, accessibility equipment such as wheelchairs and walkers, household equipment, heaters, party supplies,” said library founder Benish Chaudhry listing the items they have on offer. Based at the Jamieson Way Community

Centre, the Point Cook Library of Things came about after Ms Chaudhry read about a similar service in Sydney during lockdown. At the same time she noticed a number of local Facebook groups where people were giving stuff away stuff for free. “I noticed these groups were very active, but there’s still a section of the population who are too shy to ask for free stuff that people are giving away,” she said. “I just thought that for those people there should be some formal library where people can borrow stuff without it being public knowledge.” The Point Cook Library of Things began in 2022, but now Ms Chaudhry is hoping to

spread the word further by offering to waive the usual $50 membership fee. “We are giving away free memberships for six months to the first 50 people that contact us through the Facebook page,” she said. “You can borrow as many items as you like for a maximum period of two weeks during that 6 months.” It’s a great offer, but like all great offers it comes with a catch: you must live in Point Cook. To take up a free membership or to donate items to the library, visit @pclibraryofthings on Facebook or pointcooklibraryofthings.org. au Cade Lucas

A Werribee man charged with a variety of drug and burglary offences after police raids, will remain in custody until another court hearing next month. The 50-year-old was arrested along with two men, a 32-year-old and 34-year-old both of Shepparton, when police executed search warrants on properties in Werribee and Shepparton on January 15. Police executed the search warrants following an extensive investigation into a series of burglaries at residential and commercial properties. During the warrants police located an assortment of power tools valued in excess of $100,000, an allegedly stolen trailer, an allegedly stolen motorcycle, home appliances, building supplies, 80 grams of methylamphetamine, three litres of GHB and $48,000. The three men were charged with trafficking a drug of dependence, possessing a drug of dependence, handling stolen goods, burglary and theft. The Werribee man appeared in the Werribee Magistrates’ Court on January 22 where his case was adjourned until February 15. No application for bail was made. Anyone who believes the property may be theirs can contact Shepparton crime investigation unit on 5820 5800. Anyone with information can contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.

Journalist reminisces about meeting rock ‘n’ roll royalty Journalism wasn’t always a part of Ian Dougall’s plan – in fact, the Werribee resident had originally planned on becoming an attorney. Instead, an unexpected opportunity changed his life and took him all around the world, interviewing some of music’s biggest names. At 18, Ian - who now lives at Werribee’s Glendale aged care home - was awarded a cadetship at Truth newspaper and says his interest was piqued. “It was an honour because I was only 18 when I got the cadetship and all the reportersworking at Truth were in their 50’s,” he recalled. “I did a lot of general reporting during my time there, and interviewed all the Prime Ministers including Gough Whitlam.” 2 WYNDHAM STAR WEEKLY Wednesday, 24 January, 2024

As Truth came to a close, Ian’s editors, who liked his work, moved him across to the popular TV Week magazine, catapulting him into the glamorous world of international celebrity. Ian said his favourite part of the job was interviewing celebrities and travelling the world, leaving him with a long laundry list of famous names and encounters with the stars. “I met lots of people like Elton John, Skyhooks, ACDC, John Farnham, INXS, Jimmy Barnes and John Paul Young,” he said. “Molly Meldrum was a good friend of mine and I did many interviews with him. I travelled overseas a lot - that’s how I met Elton John.” Also on the list of his notable interviewees are Australian politicians including former Victorian Premiers Sir Rupert James Hamer,

who served in the role from 1972 to 1981, and Henry Bolte. “I wrote an article about Henry Bolte joking about him using a Government car and he found it very funny,” Ian remembered. “But as for my standout memories, meeting and interviewing all of the Aussie bands was fantastic.”

Ian Dougall (right) interviewing Elton John in the 1970’s. (supplied)

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School ready to teach

Clothing swap combats waste

By Cade Lucas The start of every school year is always a time of new beginnings, for students and staff alike. However, it’s not often that a school gets to record the list of firsts that Laa Yulta Primary School in Mambourin will when term one of 2024 begins on January 31. Not only will its students be starting school or starting at a new school and its teachers all starting new jobs, but the whole institution will be opening for the first time. Laa Yulta is one of a host of new public schools set to open in Wyndham, but even among these, its status as the first in its home suburb of Mambourin, sets it apart. “It’s exciting but also fairly humbling,” said Laa Yulta’s inaugural principal Mark Zhara. “We’ve got an opportunity to create a culture from the start.” Mambourin, a fledgling suburb situated just to the west of Wyndham Vale, already has plenty of new homes, some shops and businesses and plenty more planned, but Mr Zhara said Laa Yulta represents more to the local community than just a new primary school. “We’re the first school in Mambourin, but also one of the first community hubs.” Like the suburb around them, it’s one that is set to grow. The P-6 school will open with 200 students, but is built to accommodate 650. There are already 21 staff members including teachers, classroom assistants and office employees and all classrooms are finished and fully equipped, including those to be used for science, music, art and PE. “We are ready to go,” said Mr Zhara, who was employed as principal a year ago. “I was employed at the end of term 1 in 2023

When people think of waste and litter it’s usually bottles, cans, and plastic bags that spring to mind, but clothing waste is becoming a growing problem too. To combat this, the Wyndham Waste Alliance is holding a clothing swap on Thursday January 25 where unwanted fashion can be exchanged rather than just chucked into the bin. Both the clothing swap and the Wyndham Waste Alliance are the brain-child of Jess Fairfax, Sustainability Project Officer at the Werribee River Association. “As part of my role at Werribee River Association, I’ve created the Wyndham Waste Alliance which is a monthly get together for locals that are concerned about pollution and rubbish,” Ms Fairfax explained. “People can bring along clothing that is still good quality, it can’t be ripped or smelly or dirty,” said Ms Fairfax, explaining how the swap works. “You bring them along and then you can swap them for things that are there.” There’s a maximum of ten items per person and Ms Fairfax said it’s up to the participants to determine their value. “As long as people are respectful. It’s about community, making friends and having a bit of fun as well as reducing the amount of clothes in landfill which is a huge waste issue.” Doors open at 6.30pm and participants are encouraged to drop off their unwanted clothes as early as possible so they can be sorted before the swap begins at 7.15pm.

Laa Yulta Primary School principal Mark Zhara (left), students Ruby and Ethan and assistant principal Lori Pereira are excited to become the first school in Mambourin. (Damjan Janevski) 383994_01

and preparations have been ongoing since then,” he said, adding that his job at Laa Yulta couldn’t be more different from his last role. “My previous school that I came from just celebrated their 100 year anniversary, so it’s a bit of a change. I’ve done new builds before but not a whole new school.”

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Other new public schools preparing to open in Wyndham are Wimba Primary School and Brinbeal Secondary College in Tarneit, Warreen Primary School and Bemin Secondary College in Truganina and Walcom Ngarrwa Secondary College and Nganboo Borron School in Werribee.

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Wednesday, 24 January, 2024 WYNDHAM STAR WEEKLY 3

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House price surge in Little River By Cade Lucas Houses prices in Little River surged by almost 30 per cent in the year to December according to the latest quarterly results from the Real Estate Institute of Victoria. Little River’s quarterly price change of 28.8 per cent, by far the most in Wyndham and one of the largest in the entire state, was a staggering 27 per cent above the regional Victorian average of 1.7 per cent. The median house price in Little River now sits at $1.5 million, more than double anywhere else in Wyndham. While the results are eye catching, Rob

Westwood, director of Werribee estate agents First National Westwood, said they were probably the result of one or two big sales in a small town. “There’s also a shortage of good quality properties down there so the better ones will generally sell above expectation,” said Mr Westwood who sells properties across Wyndham including Little River. While inflated, he said the results still reflect the appeal Little River and other regional towns have for buyers looking to leave the city. “People who are looking for lifestyle properties, properties where they can have horses and space and get their children out

of the suburbs. They’re boosting the market down there,” Mr Westwood said. Wyndham’s outer western fringe led the way in the REIV results, with Manor Lakes recording the second highest rise of 10 per cent, ahead of neighbouring Wyndham Vale on 5.3 per cent and Mambourin on 3.8 per cent. Mr Westwood said the popularity of this part of Wyndham would only continue to grow. “Manor Lakes is a bit of hidden gem and with the eventual completion of the ring road around Werribee, that will just open up those areas even more,” he said.

“When you can buy a good quality 4 bedroom home under 600k, it brings in a lot of buyers” Other parts of Wyndham recorded either marginal increases or small reductions, with prices in Truganina (-2.2) and Hoppers Crossing (-2.4) dropping the most. Rob Westwood said these results were actually a positive. “Werribee, Tarneit, Truganina, Hoppers Crossing, that’s where all the first home buyers are at the moment, it’s the entry level of the home market,” he said. “While the market in Wyndham is flat, it’s still good and offers a lot of value for sellers and buyers.”

Police briefs Tobacco shop fire A fire at a tobacco shop in Point Cook on Friday morning is being treated as suspicious. Emergency services responded to the fire at the shop on Murnong Street in the Point Cook Town Centre just before 6am on January 19. Fire fighters arrived on the scene to find a broken window and a small fire in the front of a tobacco shop. The building sustained minor damage and there were no injuries. Detectives from Taskforce Lunar, established to combat organised crime involvement in the illicit tobacco trade, are investigating the incident which is the latest in a string fires at tobacco outlets in Victoria.

Tarneit teens arrested

Glendale aged care residents Ida Celeste (left) and Maria Masutti are members of the home’s weekly European coffee group. (Supplied)

Glendale residents say ‘Cin Cin’ A weekly European coffee group is bringing residents from countries across Europe together at Glendale aged care in Werribee.. For an hour and a half every Saturday residents from Italy, Malta, Croatia, Germany, Spain and Argentina living at the home gather with their families in the dining room for coffee, cake and a chance to connect over their European heritage. Glendale’s Giovanna Grasso says the aim of the group is to bring residents from different

areas of the home together and says that when they do it’s like one big happy family. Having shared language and cultural backgrounds means some residents who previously were reluctant to join group events now eagerly look forward to the gathering every week. “The residents who come love it; they have such a wonderful time. Some of them can speak the same language, and some can’t, but when they come together it’s like one big happy family,” she says.

“Maria, who is 94 and comes from Italy, even waits for me every Saturday to pick her up from her room and hurries me along so she can get to the group.” Resident Nicola loves the chance to reminisce on his youth in Italy with people from a similar background. “I look forward to the get together so I can tell my stories of when I was young and show images of Italy to the other residents,” he says.

Two teenagers have been arrested after evading police in Truganina. Police observed a Jeep Cherokee on Hogans Road, Hoppers Crossing at about 10.30am on January 18 before the vehicle quickly took off. The driver allegedly sped off towards the Tullamarine Freeway, with the vehicle seen reaching speeds in excess of 150km/h. The police air wing observed the vehicle stop on Delias Road, Tarneit before a passenger got out of the car and fled the scene. The Jeep then continued driving towards Sunbury Road where officers successfully deployed stop sticks, bringing the car to a halt on the Tullamarine Freeway. The driver, a 17-year-old Tarneit boy and his 14-year-old male passenger also from Tarneit were arrested at the scene without incident. It is understood the vehicle may have links to other offences in the area. FOR BREAKING NEWS, VISIT Web: starweekly.com.au Wyndham Star Weekly @starweeklynews @star_weekly

Nature-loving refugee finds his place among the gum trees The steamy jungles of the Thai-Myanmar border are a world away from the manicured lawns and parterre gardens of Werribee Park Mansion. But for young refugee Nay Kaw, the pink flowering hibiscus in the mansion’s formal gardens are a link to his homeland. The 20 year old recently took up a traineeship with Parks Victoria at Werribee Park, putting him on a pathway to become just the second refugee park ranger in Victoria. ”It is a dream come true for me and a great opportunity. I love the outdoors and to be working in an amazing environment like Werribee Park is amazing,” Nay Kaw said. 4 WYNDHAM STAR WEEKLY Wednesday, 24 January, 2024

An ethnic Karen, Nay Kaw was born in the Mae La Refugee on the Thai-Myanmar border where his family fled after facing decades of persecution and ethnic cleansing at the hands of the Myanmar government. “Growing up in the camp was hard. We were not allowed out of the camp and we were not allowed to work. Sometimes there was not enough food,” he said. Nay Kaw’s time in the camp also saw tragedy strike. “My father went into the jungle near the camp to gather food but he stepped on a land mine and lost his leg,” he said. In another land mine incident near the camp, his uncle lost his eyesight.

Nay Kaw was 15 in 2019 when he and his mother, father and his four siblings arrived in Melbourne. After receiving support from refugee settlement agency AMES Australia, the family settled in Laverton. After finishing his studies at Laverton P-12 College last year, Nay Kaw was working casually in a factory when he heard about the opportunity with Parks Victoria from a local community leader. Now that he is a trainee, he’ll be taking guidance from another Karen community leader, Victoria’s first refugee park ranger Hsar Thein Ju. Like Nay Kaw, Hsar also grew up in the

Mae La camp and also did a traineeship with Parks Victoria. “My role will be to guide Nay Kaw along the path that I took and achieve what he wants to do into the future,” Hsar said. Werribee Park Chief Ranger James Brincat said employees like Nay Kaw and Hsar were a positive for both the park and the local community. “Traineeships and apprenticeships make these kinds of jobs accessible especially for people from our new and emerging communities and it goes some way to achieving diversity in our workforce so that we are able to interact with our increasingly diverse park visitor base,” he said.

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Controlling the scroll By Cade Lucas When students at Werribee’s Corpus Christi Primary School return to class later this month, refocusing their attention from summertime to studying will hopefully be easier than in the past. With the internet and mobile phones providing a constant source of distraction, Corpus Christi last year ran the Control the Scroll program aimed at regulating online use and avoiding internet addiction. “I started Corpus Christi in early 2023 teaching movement, mindfulness and mediation and facilitating conversation between children about internet addiction,” said Control the Scroll program instructor and yoga teacher Jane Johnston. “The science shows it shrinks the brain, but there’s also science which shows that meditation and movement help to create healthy neural pathways which in effect helps to grow the brain.” Corpus Christi principal Linda Roynic said parents had long been expressing concern about the amount of time their kids spent online, but that it was after a conversation with a friend that she came across Ms Johnston and Control the Scroll. “He connected me with Jane who was doing work in this space,” Ms Roynic said. “She’s a yoga teacher but the part I was interested in was the balanced kids part and balancing what kids do in life. I really like the focus on controlling the scroll and stopping the internet from becoming something that controls you and taking the control back.” To do this students were given guidelines to manage their internet use. “90 minutes a day maximum gaming for under 18’s and two 30 minute blocks a day for under 13’s, said Ms Johnston adding, “this is

Director of the ‘Control the Scroll’ program aimed at reducing internet addiction among children, Jane Johnston (left), and Corpus Christi Primary School principal Linda Roynic. (Damjan Janevski) 384234_01

for gaming and scrolling not for doing work on the internet.” Beyond guidelines, mediating and mindfulness, Ms Roynic said the value of Control the Scroll was just in starting a conversation over healthy internet use. “Some parents have said that even at home students will say ’oh dad you’ve been online too long’. It’s opening conversations about time spent online which is a real positive.”

Control the Scroll was held across all year levels in 2023, but with the Corpus Christi committed to other cyber safety programs for 2024 , the arrangements this year will be more sporadic. “We don’t want to lose what we’ve started,” said Ms Roynic. “They will have some contact this year again to review what was covered last year and deepen some of their learning.”

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Back-to-school photo warning The AFP-led Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) is urging parents and carers to take privacy precautions before posting back-to-school photos online. As the new school year begins many families take the opportunity to post happy snaps of their kids wearing their uniforms, at their school or with other identifying features. AFP Commander Helen Schneider acknowledged sharing photos and milestones online was important for families, but that they should take a moment to think about who could access their images and importantly, what information could be found in their images. “We have seen instances of otherwise innocent images being used in child exploitation material or offenders using information from photos, such as school uniforms, to identify and groom children,” she said. A privacy check-up should include checking your privacy settings and making sure your social media accounts are secure and set to private or ‘friends only’, checking the privacy settings on the device you are using, if another person is taking photos of your child, having a discussion around how the photos will be used and how they will be shared, ensuring the background doesn’t give away your address or location, don’t post your location or ‘check in’, keeping your child’s uniform logo hidden and keeping your child’s personal information including full name and age private.

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Wednesday, 24 January, 2024 WYNDHAM STAR WEEKLY 5

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Man facing jail over Nazi salute By Emily Woods AAP Prosecutors are pushing for a Point Cook man to be jailed for up to a year for performing a Nazi salute outside a Victorian court. In October Jacob Hersant, 24, became the first person charged under state laws that banned Victorians from performing or displaying Nazi symbols and gestures in public. The federal government has since implemented similar legislation, banning the display of Nazi symbols such as the swastika and the Sieg Heil salute on a national level. Hersant is charged with intentionally performing the Nazi salute outside the Melbourne County Court about six days after the state laws came into effect. He was leaving the court after being sentenced to time served for assaulting a group of bushwalkers. Hersant represented himself at Melbourne Magistrates Court on Tuesday January 16, where he asked for the hearing to be adjourned to give him time to again apply for legal aid

funding to get a lawyer. “They’ve refused me, but I’m trying to get a review of that,” he told the court. Magistrate Peter Reardon asked prosecutors what the penalty would be, if Hersant was to plead guilty or be found guilty of the new offence. The prosecutor said they were pushing for Hersant to be jailed, flagging the maximum penalty was one year in prison. “Ultimately the custodial sentence is within range, it is available, and ultimately that is the submission of the prosecution,” she said. Mr Reardon agreed to adjourn the matter for two weeks and advised Hersant to obtain legal representation. Outside court, Hersant told reporters he was knocked back from legal aid funding because “they didn’t think there was a chance” he would be jailed for the offence. “But the prosecutor made it clear there was a chance of imprisonment, so I presume I will get legal aid now,” he said. Hersant will next face court on February 2. Jacob Hersant outside Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday January 16. (Emily Woods, AAP)

Fruit netting causes harm

The polo school held on January 18 and 19, allowed children to try the sport for the first time or to hone their skills. (supplied)

School is in for Vic polo students Juniors from all over Victoria gathered at the Werribee Park National Equestrian Centre last week to take part in the annual Victorian Polo Association Junior Polo School. Held on January 18 and 19, the polo school was open to children aged between 10 and 19 who were keen to try the sport of polo or for existing junior players to fine tune their skills. Coaches at the clinic included Victoria’s highest rated player Ruki Baillieu, British professional player Jack Berner and local

professional Sam Stott. Clinic organiser Heleni Goodman said that they would like to grow the clinic year on year. “It’s no problem if you don’t have your own horse as we can find you one to rent, although previous riding experience is necessary,” she said. Participants at the clinic were also assessed for selection to represent Victoria in a state junior match next month. Werribee Park National Equestrian Centre

hosts polo matches every weekend from November through to April, with most free for the general public to attend and spectate. The fields run by the Victorian Polo Association are managed by resident coach Andrew Williams who regularly runs come and try days for those looking to give the sport a go. For more information visit www.vicpolo. com.au

Wyndham gardeners are being urged to ensure they’re using wildlife-friendly fruit netting when trying to protect their backyard crops, as wildlife carers and authorities report a spike in animal injuries and deaths from entanglements this summer. The Conservation Regulator is warning the community about the dangers illegal netting poses to native wildlife, such as birds, bats, and possums, and are reminding household growers that they must use safe, compliant fruit netting with mesh no bigger than 5mm x 5mm. In Victoria, it has been illegal to use or sell netting with a mesh size bigger than this since 1 September 2021, as larger mesh netting on fruiting trees or plants is more likely to entangle, distress, and fatally injure animals. Other tips for safer netting: *Try protecting selected branches with bags or sleeves, rather than netting the whole tree. * Never throw netting loosely over trees or let it lay on the ground. This can trap reptiles and other animals. * Fix netting tightly to the tree trunk to help stop rats and birds from reaching fruit. If you find entangled, injured, or distressed wildlife, you can find temporary care information and contact details for the closest wildlife services by calling DEECA on 136 186 or using the Help for Injured Wildlife tool: www.wildlife.vic.gov.au/injured-nativewildlife/help-for-injured-wildlife

New Truganina tennis mural featuring an Australian legend is a hit A 22-metre-long mural of Australian sporting legend and former world number one player, Lleyton Hewitt, has been unveiled on a tennis hit-up wall in Truganina. Grandview developer Stockland commissioned Melbourne artist Paink to create the mural which features two portraits of Lleyton Hewitt at the recently opened Highline Park Stockland development director Jackie Kent said the hit-up wall provides a dedicated space for tennis enthusiasts of all ages and skill levels to practise and enjoy the sport. “Recreational spaces like this encourage residents and the local community to lead an active and healthy lifestyle,” she said. 6 WYNDHAM STAR WEEKLY Wednesday, 24 January, 2024

“We’re excited to incorporate the talent and legacy of Lleyton Hewitt to Stockland Grandview, which I’m sure will inspire a new generation of tennis players. “The hit-up wall is a timely addition to the community with the Australian Open just around the corner, and we look forward to seeing families make great use of Highline Park this summer.” Located on the corner of Highline Boulevard and Altezze Drive, Highline Park also includes a large grassed area, a playground with a 10-metre-tall tower, and a multi-use sports court. Artist Paink said the mural took

approximately 100 hours to complete and was painted across 12 days. “It was an honour to be part of this project. Lleyton is an Australian icon and I wanted to capture his energy and celebrate his remarkable career,” he said. Melton mayor Kathy Majdlik commended Stockland for its ongoing effort to enhance community life. “We applaud Stockland for their commitment to community engagement and the development of facilities that enhance the quality of life for residents. The mural is a fantastic addition, inspiring locals to stay active and healthy,” she said.

Lleyton Hewitt unveiling the new mural with, Max (7), Charlie (9), Georgia (9) and artist Paink. (Provided)

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Win wins youth award

NEWS

Briefs Evade arrest

A former Karen refugee from Myanmar has been named Wyndham’s young person of the month for January. Win Moe Htet Aung came to Wyndham after spending more than five years living in a refugee camp as his family tried to escape persecution from Myanmar’s ruling military junta. Having overcome many challenges, Win has developed into a positive and enthusiastic leader since arriving in his adopted home and has become a role model for other Karen youth. Win volunteers in the Karen community and helps out in range of initiatives including organising the popular Melbourne Karen Buddhist Association’s Youth Sport Tournament, where he was awarded the best leadership performance award and has played an integral role in organising the build of the Karen Buddhist Temple project. He also helps organise youth activities for vulnerable young people in the Karen community including the Friday night drop-in program ‘Karuna’ and the ‘We Are One’ youth soccer team. Wyndham mayor Jennie Barrera said Win was a deserving recipient of the first youth of the month award for 2024. “Wyndham City appreciates Win’s dedication and commitment to the Wyndham community through his volunteering work in the Karen community,” Cr Barrera said. “Win is inspiring and a positive influence on his peers and his contribution has made a real difference.” Each month council selects a Wyndham resident aged between 12 and 25 as its young person of the month. Winners are awarded a $300 gift voucher of their choice and other prizes.

Police arrested a woman following an alleged evade in Tarneit on Saturday. Officers observed a vehicle driving erratically, before it allegedly evaded police on Leakes Road about 2.15pm on January 20. At about 4.40pm police spotted the vehicle again at traffic lights near the intersection of Hogans Road and Tarneit Road. After deploying stop sticks, the female driver was arrested and drugs were allegedly located in her vehicle. The 27-year-old Wangaratta woman was charged with possessing a drug of dependence, drug driving, breaching bail conditions and various driving offences.

Tobacco interview A Point Cook man has been interviewed after more than two tonnes of illicit tobacco and cigarettes were found in an Altona North warehouse. Police first arrived at the Altona North business on Thursday January 18 to probe a forced entry and theft of tobacco. When executing a search warrant they found more than two tonnes of illicit tobacco, more than 340,000 cigarettes, 75,000 cigarette packs and 160 vapes. A Point Cook man, 48, and an Altona man, 43, were interviewed by police and released pending further inquiries. The probe into the burglary that sparked the search continues.

Wyndham young person of the month for January Win Moe Htet Aung. (Supplied)

FOR BREAKING NEWS, VISIT Web: starweekly.com.au Wyndham Star Weekly @starweeklynews @star_weekly

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MY PLACE Connor Ovenden-Shaw, aka Foot, is a non-binary queer artist based in Werribee. On January 31 he’s hosting The Scrapatorium, an event centred around an exploration of waste, creativity and self-confidence at The Annex at Wyndham Cultural Centre. He tells Cade Lucas about his life in Wyndham. What’s your connection to Wyndham? I moved here in the middle of the pandemic and I chose it because it was like a regional/ metro hybrid. It has a regional feel but the accessibility of a metro suburb. And then I fell in love with the art scene here. The arts are thriving here. What do you like about where you live? I just think that in Wyndham you’re a stone’s throw away from every sort of experience. It’s a short drive to the beach and it’s easy to get out of Melbourne. I love to get out to little country towns so they’re easily accessible too. I also have a great relationship with Wyndham council and they’ve given me many opportunities as an artist that I may not have gotten anywhere else.” What, if anything, would you change about where you live? I think this happens in a lot of different places, but I’d love it if there was more acceptance of freedom of expression sometimes. There’s been steps that have been taken, but I think there’s still a bit of work to be done in that area. As a queer person I’ve had some experiences in Wyndham that are disappointing, though that’s not unique to Wyndham. Where is your favourite local place to spend time? There’s a new dog park called Levington Rise that’s between Bulban Road and Wyndham Val,e which I love taking my little dachshund, Biscuit, too. It’s nice and it’s new and there’s not that much there yet so I like going there

Connor Ovenden-Shaw, aka Foot, is a Werribee artist hosting ‘The Scrapatorium’ at Wyndham Cultural Centre on January 31. (supplied)

and seeing the progress of a suburb being made,. I think that’s really interesting. Tell us something people would be surprised

to know about you. I’ve never seen a Lord of Rings film all the way through. I feel like it’s a crime because

everyone just assumes you’ve seen the films, but I haven’t. I’ve just never got around to it to be honest.

Young soccer lovers hit the pitch for Western United school holiday fun Western United kept the community active and engaged during the school holidays. Holiday camps for kids kicked off last week providing children an excellent opportunity to refine their football skills and enjoy the sport during the summer break. JT Gray Reserve in Williamstown played host to two days of camp, as the next generation honed their skills.

Working on dribbling skills. 382965_05

Elizabeth (9), Coby (7), Charlotte (7) and Mekasha (7). (Jacob Pattison) 382965_01

Participants give the clinic the thumbs up. 382965_06 8 WYNDHAM STAR WEEKLY Wednesday, 24 January, 2024

Eager to get on the pitch. 382965_08

Practise makes perfect. 82965_11

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Meerkats enjoy their new digs It’s a new year and a new and improved home for meerkats at Werribee Open Range Zoo. A refurbished and specially-designed habitat is providing the zoo’s meerkat population with even more room to explore, chase, dig, and develop social bonds. African River Trail keeper Kieralie Braasch said the upgraded meerkat habitat is now equipped with a dedicated training space, larger areas to bask in the sunshine and new substrates to burrow into and investigate. “The habitat has lots of new substrates that encourage natural behaviours. Mulch provides opportunities for the meerkats to burrow through to find some tasty bugs and grubs, while refreshed sand encourages them to dig and build tunnels,” Ms Braasch said. “The healthcare training area we have created is equipped with five wooden stumps that are put in place for each individual meerkat to station on. “There are also some flat sandy areas that allow keepers to introduce different tools such as voluntary hand injection chutes for routine blood draws and immunisations. Once the meerkats have spent up all their energy, they can retreat to expanded open areas that encourage them to sunbathe together.” Ms Braasch said the meerkats’ new home is providing some wonderful opportunities for the social species. “We’ve seen that this enhanced space is creating additional opportunities for bonding

A meerkat enjoying its new habitat at Werribee Open Range Zoo. (Supplied)

and sharing. Overall, they are becoming a more cohesive group.” Meerkats are small mammals that are native to the arid regions of southern Africa including

Botswana, Namibia, Angola and South Africa. They are identified by their slender bodies and tails, dark patches around their eyes that act as natural sunglasses, and a distinctive

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striped pattern along their backs. Visitors can see the meerkats exploring their refurbished habitat through the viewing area at the Zoo’s Meerkat Bistro.

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10 WYNDHAM STAR WEEKLY Wednesday, 24 January, 2024

Wyndham Basketball Association’s dedication to helping the next generation of ballers take to the court, will be on show again in term one. The association’s Aussie Hoops program kicks off next month, with more players taking to the court than ever. Wyndham sits in the top three nationally for participation in the program, having grown by nine per cent in 2023. This year, the association will have 11 different Aussie Hoops programs at six venues on six different days in Wyndham, Participation coordinator James Welsh said they were excited to have the program back up and running this year and were looking forward to seeing what the kids can do. “Our junior programs are a fantastic opportunity for children of all abilities to develop their skills in a really fun and inclusive environment, “ he said. “Our sessions run every day excluding Sunday and can be found at seven different locations in Truganina, Manor Lakes, Point

Cook and everywhere in between so there’s something to suit everyone.” A parent of one of the Aussie Hoops children from last year said that the coach made her son feel included when he is usually overwhelmed and made sure that the coaching suited his ability. Wyndham Big V women’s state championship player Tanielle Knight said she wished there were these opportunities when she was growing up and going through the pathways. The Aussie Hoops program is one of a range ran by the association which continues to grow. The association’s development programs in general had 2964 registrations in 2023, with a 28 per cent increase in female registrations. Overall, it was a 25 per cent increase in registrations. The Aussie Hoops program starts on February 5 and will run for eight weeks and sessions run for 45 minutes. Details: wyndhambasketball.com/ aussie-hoops

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COMMUNITY

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

Live Well for Life Live Well for Life is a free five-week program that provides support and information to Wyndham residents 18 and older, on a number of issues including how to make healthy behaviour changes, heart disease, diabetes and stroke, healthy eating, physical activity and sleep. The program will run at IPC Health, 117-129 Warringa Court, Hoppers Crossing in April and May. Registration is essential and participants must be able to attend all sessions. ■ livingwell@ipchealth.com.au or 1300 472 432

Point Cook VIEW The Point Cook Day VIEW Club meets on the fourth Wednesday of the month at the Point Cook Library 1-21 Cheetham Street, Point Cook. New members welcome. ■ Catherine, 0407 726 852

Watton Group A support group providing a social space for carers to get together in a safe and compassionate environment. Gives carers an opportunity to connect, share their experiences and offers emotional and practical support. The group meets at the Eco-Living Centre at 10am every fourth Tuesday of the month. ■ Patricia, 0434 487 360 or wattongroup131@gmail.com.

This week’s photographer’s choice picture is of Dinosaur Doctor Shaun, and Laith, 8, with ‘Toby the T-Rex’. (Damjan Janevski) 383278_01

All Abilities Netball All Abilities Netball for 10 to 25-year-olds is run by Wyndham Netball Association every Saturday morning during school terms from 10.30am on outside court 14 at Eagle Stadium, Ballan Road, Werribee. Intellectual, physical and social disabilities are catered for in a fun and supported group. Come and try your first session for free, with stadium entry $2. ■ Phil, 0437 078 739

Seniors club

Western Budgerigar Club

■ Hannah Prouse, hbcityband@gmail.com

The Werribee Senior Citizens Club meets at 80 Lonsdale Circuit, Hoppers Crossing. The group is open to all people 55-plus and it runs on Wednesdays, 10am- noon. Entry: $2, includes morning tea. ■ 0403 041 499

The Western Suburbs Budgerigar Club meets at 7.30pm on the third Thursday of each month at Masonic Hall, 223 Watton Street, Werribee. Meet other members who are also passionate about breeding Budgerigars. ■ Don, 0414 975 862

or www.hbcb.org.au

Diabetes Support Group Walking Netball Walking Netball is a low impact, no running, no jumping version for those that love the fun, friendship and activity of a weekly game of netball. Sessions are run every Thursday during school terms from 8pm at Eagle Stadium, Ballan Road, Werribee. Come and try your first session for free, with stadium entry $2. ■ Phil, 0437 078 739

Wyndham Rotary Wyndham Rotary welcomes people interested in helping people in need in the community. Interested in finding out more, come to the Italian Sports Club each Wednesday at 6.30pm for a meal, to share ideas and to work for a common cause. ■ Julie, 0406 196 630

The Werribee Diabetes support provides an opportunity to hear from experts on how to manage your diabetes, to share information on diabetes and to engage with other diabetics Meetings are at the old council shire buildings at 10am every second Friday of the month. ■ Bob, 0409 252 872

Seniors House of Fun The Grange Community Centre invites seniors of Wyndham to its weekly Seniors House of Fun. This is a free program running every Friday from 11am-12.30pm, at The Grange Community Centre, 260-280 Hogans Road, Hoppers Crossing. ■ Vanessa, 8742 8000 or enquires@grangecommunity.org.au

U3A Werribee The Friends of Presidents Park meets from 10am-noon on the first Thursday of the month, to undertake Landcare activities along the Werribee River through the park and surrounding areas. Bring your own gloves and water. Morning tea provided. Meeting at the carpark near the Shaws Road Bridge, Heaths Road, near the fenced dog park. ■ admin@werribeeriver.org.au

The group is a not-for-profit community organisation for semi-retired and retired Wyndham residents. They hold a variety of classes-activities specifically designed for seniors, including, light physical and mental wellbeing sessions, arts, games and craft, and general classes such as current affairs, history and lunch groups. Most classes-activities are held at Wyndham community centres. ■ Rick, 0402 299 220.

Sunrise Social Groups

Lions Club

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/

Lions Club of Werribee meets at the RSL Club, 2a Synnot Street, Werribee on the first and third Wednesday of the month at 6.30pm. ■ Jorge, 0433 566 575

Friends of Presidents Park

Bingo for all The Werribee RSL hosts Bingo every Monday between 12.30-2.30pm. ■ 9741 5525

Wyndham Ladies Probus Are you recently retired or semi-retired? Looking for fun, fellowship and to increase your social networks. The Ladies Probus Club of Wyndham meets on the first Wednesday of each month at Hotel 520, Sayers Road, Tarneit, and normally has an outing or event on the third Wednesday of each month. ■ Rosa Sanderson, 0410 303 046

Wyn FM Wyn FM is Wyndham’s community radio station, broadcasting on 88.9 and online from its studios at the Victoria University campus in Werribee. It offers a wide range of programming including music, sport, news and lifestyle shows as well as broadcasts in languages other than English. New broadcasters, volunteers, members and sponsors are always welcome. ■ 9919 8089 or wynfm.org.au

Classic Car & Bike Show Preparations are well underway with the organisation of the 11th Annual Custom, Classic Car and Bike Show scheduled to be held on February 25 Apex Park, Altona. As well as featuring a wonderful collection of various cars and motorbikes, there will be coffee, drinks, food vans, live bands, as well as face painting and a petting zoo. ■ Lou Artz, 0417 531 670

Musicians welcome Hobsons Bay City Band is seeking musicians to join their community band. Rehearsals are held under the directorship of Wayne Bowden every Monday evening from 7.30pm at the Newport Lakes Primary School, Elizabeth Street, Newport. Visitors and interested musicians any age are most welcome.

Hoppers Crossing Ladies Probus The friendly and vibrant group meet at Hotel 520 on the second Wednesday of each month from 10am. They have a guest speaker each month as well as social lunches, outings and theatre trips. ■ 0408 123 669

Boxing Maribyrnong Boxing Club has reopened. New and former members of the Maribyrnong Community Youth Club are welcome to attend training sessions on Monday 6pm-8pm, Thursday 6.45-7.45pm and Sunday, 10-11am. Boxing for fitness classes, beginners, youth, adults and also competition available. The club premises are located under the Grandstand on Maribyrnong Reserve, on the corner of Hortense Street and Middle Road, Maribyrnong. ■ nugara.david@hotmail.com or 0413 495 836

Walking Football (soccer) This is a social activity for fun and a bit of exercise, no experience necessary for people aged 50 and older. Any fitness level is welcome with no running allowed. This is a social activity for fun and a bit of exercise, no experience necessary. This is a free activity each Wednesday between noon-1pm at the Sports Centre, Andrew Park Drive, Altona. ■ Mike, 0423 291 708

English lessons Want to learn English in a fun and relaxed setting? Build your English, digital and employability skills with the Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP). Williamstown. Laverton Community Education Centre now offers free AMEP classes to eligible clients at Joan Kirner House in Williamstown. Classes are on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9.30am-3pm. Childcare is available for children who are under school age. ■ 9369 2726 Wednesday, 24 January, 2024 WYNDHAM STAR WEEKLY 11

PUZZLES 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

7 1 2

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

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

QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS

DOWN

Sweet egg and milk creation (7) Burning beacon (7) Spotted feline (7) Wash (7) Tinge deeply (5) Australia’s capital (8) Using analysis (10) Unwrap (4) Finishes (4) Battle (10) Coffee (8) Stifle (5) One who flees for safety (7) Island in the North Atlantic (7) Mollusc (7) Cut (wool) (7)

1 5 9 10 11 12 14 16 18 19 22 25 27 28 29 30

No. 169

Grows (10) Used to slide downhill on snow (9) Professional school (7) Subtraction (9) Breakfast favourite (5) Family members (6) Part of a target (5) Parts of face (4) Not supervised (10) Comparisons based on similarities (9) Extinct flying reptile (9) Defecate (7) Economical; sparing (6) Female name (5) Woolly mammal (5) Limbs (4)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 13 15 17 20 21 23 24 26

DECODER

No. 169

hard

9 5 3

6 7

5 4 8

1 7 6

10 11 12 13

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

4 6

1 5 4 2 8 6 7 9 9 1 3

N O WMQ E K T C D U G P 16

Today’s Aim: 10 words: Good 15 words: Very good

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

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

S R

F R

defer, deform, feed, feme, ford, fore, form, formed, former, free, freed, freedom, freer, from, perform, PERFORMED, prefer, reef, refer, reform, reformed

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

3 LETTERS ACT ADO APT ARE ASH ATE AVO AYE EAR ERA GEL HER LAB MOB NET OIL PIE RAM SEA SET SOW SUM TAR UFO

ALIVE ARENA BRIDE CAPER CEASE CORGI COULD CRUSH DREAD DUCTS ELECT ENSUE ENTER EVENT EXTRA FATES FORTY HORDE INNER LATER LINER LYRES

4 LETTERS ARCS ARTS AURA BIDE CLAW CUTE DAFT FETE HEIR MARS MERE SEEP USER WEPT 5 LETTERS ABYSS AFOOT

No. 169 Insert the missing letters to make 10 words – five reading across the grid and five reading down.

QUICK QUIZ

2 3

NOTE: more than one solution may be possible

T Y

D G E D

P E C A N A R O S E W O R S E

12 WYNDHAM STAR WEEKLY Wednesday, 24 January, 2024

NESTS OASIS OWING PATTY PORTS REBUT RISEN SENSE STAGE STATE STEEP STEPS STOMP STUNT STYLE SUGAR TERSE THROB TONAL TORSO TOTED TOXIC

PARSNIP RENEGES UNICORN

ULTRA UNITE USAGE YEARS 6 LETTERS DEEPLY NEBULA PLASMA SCRAMS

8 LETTERS EGOTISTS EMERGENT LEVERAGE SCHEDULE

7 LETTERS ANTENNA ENCHANT OSMOSIS

26-01-24

No. 169

8 1 , & 2 5 1

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”.

21 words: Excellent

hard

A X J V L R I B S F Y H Z

medium

9-LETTER WORD

easy

5x5

WORDFIT

5 6

Aside from Australia, which other country has hosted the Australian Open? Brassy ringlets are a species group of which insect? Which actor starred alongside Adam Sandler (pictured) in I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry? What was the code name of the US program that produced the first atomic bomb during World War II? The Japanese condiment mirin is a wine made from what? What is the most populous city in Spain?

Who directed the 1978 film My Brilliant Career?

Yellowfin, southern bluefin and albacore are all types of what fish?

What is the name of celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal’s first restaurant?

10 Is the coping saw a type of hand saw or electric saw?

ANSWERS: 1. New Zealand 2. Butterfly 3. Kevin James 4. Manhattan Project 5. Rice 6. Madrid 7. Gillian Armstrong 8. Tuna 9. The Fat Duck 10. Hand saw

No. 169

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

SUDOKU

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SPORTS QUIZ 1. Tiger Woods recently announced he was ending a $500 million partnership with which major sporting brand?

4. How many losses did Heavyweight Champion Muhammad Ali concede in his career?

12. How many countries have been represented at every Olympic Games since their inception in 1896?

5. Which country is traditionally associated with caber toss?

2. Which NBA team does Aussie star Dante Exum play for?

13. And which countries are they? 14. Bree Walker recently won Australia’s first World Cup bronze medal in which sport?

6. In 2023, which US swimmer surpassed Michael Phelps’ record for the most individual gold medals in swimming World Championships?

3. Following a first round loss at Adelaide International, Thanasi Kokkinakis slammed the tennis balls and compared them to what fruit?

15. Which team won the inaugural Major League Cricket competition in 2023?

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17. In the Big Time Rush TV show, which sport were the band members previously involved in?

24. Which batsman was announced as the replacement test match opener for David Warner?

19. In what year did the Wallabies fail to make it past the group stage of a World Cup for the first time?

10. At which summer Olympics did US swimmer Michael Phelps set a historic record by winning eight gold medals in a single Games?

25. What day of the week did the 2024 Australian Open tennis tournament start on?

20. The BWF governs which sport internationally? 21. Which WNBL team is the only major women’s sporting team located in the northern half of Australia?

11. Alex Chidiac plays for which A-League side?

28. By what nickname is LeBron James’ son LeBron James Jr. better known?

23. Which Women’s Super League club does the Matildas' Mary Fowler play for?

18. Who won the Brownlow Medal in 2014?

9. In which decade did Mike Tyson became the youngest heavyweight champion in boxing history?

27. How many teams make up the South African Twenty20 tournament, the SA20?

22. How many years have passed since an Australian won the Men’s Singles title at the Australian Open?

16. Patrick Mahomes plays for which NFL team?

8. In skiing, what does the term ‘moguls’ refer to?

Thanasi Kokkinakis

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Place your VERITY Robert 28.08.1942 – 14.01.2024 Passed away aged 81 years. Dearly loved husband of Helen (Spike) (dec.). Loving father of Debra, Graham, Dean and Samantha. Father-in-law to Sharryn. Cherished grandfather to Ayden, Sharni, Corey, Ashlee, Sara and Joshua. Great grandfather to Lance, Hallie, Luke, Leo, Percy, Flynn, Maya and Coen. Greatly missed Memorial Service to be held at Winchelsea House Community Centre, Winchelsea at 10am on Monday, 5 February 2024.

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CX90 – the largest Mazda yet By Chris Riley, Marque Motoring I must be seeing double. Apart from the difference in size, the Mazda CX-60 and CX-90 could be twins. They look the same. They share the same chassis, the same engines and transmissions and their performance is very much the same. Everything is the same, same, same – or is it?

Styling At 5120mm and 2220kg CX-90 is the largest Mazda to date and is available in six- and seven-seat configuration, with a choice of petrol or diesel engines – both of them hybrids. That’s 38mm longer than the CX-60 we reviewed recently, 45mm longer than the CX-9, 195mm longer than CX-8 and a whopping 545mm longer than the best-selling CX-5. Get the picture. If CX-60 is targeted at the BMW X3, then that means CX-90 has X5 customers in its sights, and that’s a pretty tall order. It’s like trying to climb Mt Everest without the right amount of oxygen. Take too little and you’re not going to make it. For the time being, CX-90 replaces the CX-9 which is in run-out, priced from just over $50,000 through to $74,400. Coincidentally the latter figure is the starting point for the CX-90. It gets you the hybrid, 3.3-litre Touring entry model, which is followed by the GT at $85,335 and the Azami at $94,435 – all before on-road costs. You won’t get much change out of $100K for the Azami by the time you add in on-roads. Add one of the $5000 SP or Takumi option packs and the figure reaches $100,935 – again before on-roads. That’s a heck of a lot of folding money for a Mazda, you might be thinking? So, am I. Our test vehicle was the seven-seat petrol-powered version of the Azami finished in the crowd favourite Soul Red. Mazda says CX-90 offers more luggage capacity than CX-9, but does not offer comparative figures. In total, you get 608 litres with three rows in use or 2025 litres with the second and third row folded. This is measured to the top of the seat back rather than the roof and includes under-floor storage. While CX-90 is all-wheel drive and marketed as an SUV, no one in their right mind is going to take this car any further off road than a dirt shortcut. In reality it’s more of a people mover and as such a dedicated MPV would be more practical. Standard kit for the Azami includes 21-inch machined alloys, Nappa leather, three-zone climate air, heated and cooled front seats, power-adjust heated steering wheel, LED ambient lighting and a panoramic sunroof. There’s also head-up display, a fully digitised instrument cluster, adaptive LED headlights, auto high beam, keyless entry and start, auto dimming mirror, auto lights and wipers, plus front and rear parking sensors. Not to mention intelligent speed assist, traffic sign recognition and the much-vaunted driver personalisation system. CX-60 is covered by a five-year unlimited kilometre warranty with five-year roadside assistance, with service intervals of 15 months/15,000km. Braked towing capacity is a conservative 2500kg. It comes in a range of eight colours including the aforementioned Soul Red Crystal Metallic (but it’s an extra $995).

Infotainment Infotainment consists of a large, narrow 12.3-inch screen, but as is the norm with Mazda it is not a touchscreen and must be operated from a central control knob. It is frustrating in the extreme that Mazda persists with this approach and irritating that the car must be in park with the handbrake applied before some features are accessible. There’s Bluetooth, built-in navigation, AM/FM/DAB+ digital radio, Apple Carplay 16 WYNDHAM STAR WEEKLY Wednesday, 24 January, 2024

Shooting for the stars – Mazda’s flagship CX-90 SUV. (Supplied)

AT A GLANCE MODEL RANGE CX-90 Touring G50e M Hybrid: $74,400 CX-90 Touring D50e M Hybrid: $76,400 CX-90 GT G50e M Hybrid: $85,335 CX-90 GT D50e M Hybrid: $85,400 CX-90 Azami G50e M Hybrid: $94,435 CX-90 Azami D50e M Hybrid: $93,320 CX-90 Azami G50e SP M Hybrid: $100,935 CX-90 Azami D50e SP M Hybrid: $99,820

and Android Auto (wireless and wired, plus wireless phone charging. Audio is provided by a 12-speaker Bose audio system. There’s two USB-C ports for each of the three rows, plus a 12V/120W socket in the front, 150W AC socket in the back, plus another 12V/120W socket in the luggage area.

Engines/transmissions While the 3.3-litre six-cylinder mild hybrid in the CX-60 produces 209kW and 450Nm, the same engine in CX-90 has been tuned to produce 254kW and 500Nm, the latter over a wide band from 2000-4500 rpm - no doubt to compensate for the extra weight of the larger vehicle. The diesel in comparison produces 187kW and 550Nm between 1500 and 2400 rpm, and uses 5.4L/100km (and amazingly is cleaner producing 143g versus 189 g/km of CO2). M Hybrid Boost consists of a 0.33kWh lithium-ion battery, an inverter, a DC-to-DC converter and an electric motor/generator rated at 12kW and 153Nm integrated into the transmission. An eight-speed conventional auto transmits power to the wheels, but with a clutch in place of a torque converter that is supposed to allow more accurate control of the electric motor but it’s not the smoothest car to drive.

Safety Although it hasn’t been crash tested for safety yet, there’s 10 airbags - front, side and curtain airbags, as well as a driver knee airbag and centre airbag designed to stop front seat occupants bumping heads in a side impact. There’s a 360-degree camera, Smart Brake Support (SBS) with Turn-across traffic and Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM) with Vehicle Exit Warning. Autonomous emergency braking (Car-to-Car, Vulnerable Road User and Junction Assist) as well as a lane support system with lane keep assist (LKA), lane departure warning (LDW) and emergency lane keeping (ELK), and blind spot monitoring (BSM) are also standard.

There’s two Isofix and five top tether child seat anchor points.

Driving Apart from the same quirks as the CX-60, one needs to remember this hybrid is unlikely to deliver Prius-like levels of fuel consumption. That’s because it’s based on a larger capacity, six-cylinder engine and an in-line straight six at that, as favoured by the likes of BMW. With a 74-litre tank, Mazda claims 8.2L/100km, but bear in mind it takes premium 95 unleaded (it’s E10 compatible). During this period, fuel consumption ranged from a low of 8.6L up to more than 10.0L/100km over almost 1000km of mixed driving. Around town we’d expect to see about 9.8L/100km which is where it spent most of the time before making any longer excursions. The electric motor is designed to support the engine at low loads and low engine speeds, boosting efficiency over short distances. The battery is recharged by the engine or via regenerative braking. If it’s full, any surplus is used to power in-car electrical components. CX-90 like the CX-60 is all-wheel drive but with a rear-wheel bias, which gives it sportier handling and a tighter turning circle than you might expect. Torque vectoring has been joined by something Mazda calls Kinematic Posture Control (Mazda loves acronyms) to control the attitude when braking – a technology also found in the MX-5. There’s gear change paddles and four different switchable driving modes, ranging from Normal, Sport, Off-Road and Towing. The look of the dash changes with each drive mode but that is the extent of any customisation, and something of a missed opportunity, we might suggest. The gear selector is fiddly, there’s a lag when you plant the accelerator and it slumps into gear from time to time. The brakes can be abrupt too. Interestingly, when you back off and the engine is no longer under load, the tacho needle

CX-90 Azami G50e Takumi M Hybrid: $100,935 CX-90 Azami D50e Takumi M Hybrid: $99,820 SPECIFICATIONS Mazda CX-90 Azami G50e 3.3L turbo 6-cylinder petrol, 8sp automatic, AWD SUV

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

flat lines as the electric motor takes over. Once it gets going, acceleration in the CX-90 sounds and feels six cylinder strong. Belying its size and weight, the dash from 0-100km/h takes 6.9 seconds (same as CX-60). But it feels big and hefty, and this is confirmed by a frighteningly long profile. You need to keep this in mind when negotiating car parks and the like, as evidenced by the scuffed rims of our test vehicle (not us, just saying). The driver personalisation system is something of a disappointment. It uses facial recognition technology to store and automatically restore individual settings including the driver seat position. The problem is that the system doesn’t recognise you if you forget to take off your glasses or sunglasses after the initial setup. The ride quality is harsh at times, but likely to improve with some passengers aboard. There are air vents for all rows but the aircon in our test vehicle was a major disappointment. It seems to cycle down intermittently but generally takes too long to cool down the cabin, and even at the lowest setting is not very cold. I lost count of the number of times I banged my head on the tailgate. Try as I might, I couldn’t find a way of adjusting it. However, the big question and maybe the only one that really matters is does the CX-90 look and feel like the premium product Mazda believes it to be? It looks pretty good and it’s got that big sexy six, and if you close your eyes, you could pretend it’s a BMW. But in reality, it lacks the punch and sporty feel of a Beemer, and in the end, well it’s just a Mazda.

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The Sharks remain in the hunt for a finals berth Point Cook Centrals remain in the hunt for finals in the Victorian Turf Cricket Association division 4 season, despite a disappointing loss on the weekend. The Sharks played the second day of their match against Moonee Valley on Saturday and while they survived an out-right defeat, it was still a convincing loss. In the first innings the Sharks were sent in to bat and could only manage 67 before they were bowled out. In reply Moonee Valley were dismissed for 162. The Sharks then had another bat, and lost 10 wickets for 167 runs, leaving Moonee Valley 72 runs for the win. However, this was too much with the time remaining in the game, with Moonee Valley finishing their innings and the match on 2-20 from four overs. “On day one we just weren’t quite up for the challenge that we faced with Moonee Valley, they were a little bit better than us from the beginning,” captain Brett Talbot said. “They just got on a roll, they got a lot of wickets and put our top order under pressure.

Wade Kirkwood (Ljubica Vrankovic)

To be rolled for under 70 in a game to come back from is very difficult. I thought our bowlers did an admirable job, we were just

outplayed by a better team.” The Sharks now sit in fifth position, just six points out of the top four, and with games to

come Talbot said he remains positive in their finals hopes in their first season in division 4. “We’re still in the hunt, we’re just a little bit inconsistent at the moment,” he said. “We have good days and bad days and on our bad days we lose, so we need to have more good days. “We need to focus really hard on training this week to try and prepare ourselves for Footscray next week who are a very good team and try to give ourselves the best opportunity we can moving forward. Winning is all that we are focusing on at the moment.” Footscray Angliss sits just six points behind the Sharks, giving the two-day clash extra importance. The two teams were among four sides to be promoted this season. “Both teams are in a similar position now, vying for a top four position,” Talbot said. “It’s a game that both teams have to win, so I’m sure there will be plenty on the line. “They’ve had the wood over us in the last couple of games so we have to step up to their quality and we’ll certainly be doing everything we can to prepare accordingly.”

Sports shorts A-League Western United will once again bring elite men’s and women’s soccer to Tasmania, touring the Apple Isle for the fourth time in the A-League. John Aloisi’s men’s side will face Western Sydney Wanderers on Saturday, January 27 and Sydney FC on Saturday, February 3. The women’s squad will also be in Tasmania on the first Saturday of February as Kat Smith leads her side into a first-ever showdown against Central Coast Mariners.

VTCA Wyndhamvale got a consolation win against Werribee Centrals in the Victorian Turf Cricket Association T20 competition on Tuesday night. Werribee Centrals made 7-123 from their overs, with Nathan Griffiths and Jacob Carter taking two wickets each. Griffiths then made 85 not out off 52 balls to guide the Vales to 1-126. Point Cook Centrals had already won through to the finals from that pool.

VSDCA Sai Surapaneni (Ljubica Vrankovic)

Cats back to their best By Harper Sercombe Hoppers Crossing is back to its best in the Victorian Sub-District Cricket Association north-west Last week the Cats’ five game winning streak was cut by Yarraville, however, a strong performance with the bat against Cobutg on Saturday has meant a losing streak didn’t continue. After winning the toss and batting the Cats were away to a shaky start, finding themselves at 1-3. However, it was fairly smooth sailing from then on. An 139 run partnership between opener and captain-coach Simon Lambert and Shijit Chandran Poovathingal at three, really got the Cats’ innings moving. The Cats ended up on 6-273 from their 45 overs, with Lambert’s 91 the best score. With the ball, the Cats didn’t give Coburg a look in, with five early wickets. Coburg finished at 10-174 from 41.1 overs. “It was really pleasing yesterday to put a big score on the board after last week,” Lambert said.

“It was bitterly disappointing last week to not chase down 160 at Yarraville on a pretty good pitch, we were bitterly disappointed with how that went. So to hit back with a big score in the first innings yesterday was really pleasing and it was always going to be a tough task for Coburg to get close. “We’ve been very good with the ball all season and the games we’ve lost, our batting has let us down. We’ve struggled to put meaningful contributions consistently in the top six. “We’ve lost a lot of wickets quickly at times, so for everyone in that top six to put on a meaningful contribution yesterday, was really pleasing. It shows what we can do when we put it together, and hopefully we can find a bit more consistency in that top six because if we can we’ll be pretty hard to beat. “If we bat like that every week, the bowling side of the game becomes fairly irrelevant. So if we can do that every week, our bowling will take care of itself. “It was good for the seamers to take three or four early wickets and put them right on the

back foot. From there, they were never going to get the score. “We’re capable of batting teams out of games and that’s what we’ve got to keep doing. Hopefully guys can take some confidence from this and carry it into next week and the next few weeks.” Next week, the Cats return to two-ball cricket for a pivotal clash against Preston. The Cats sit just two points behind Preston on the ladder, in fifth and sixth spot. Just 13 points separates second and 10th, such the closeness of the competition. “We’ve got a two-day game coming up next week which should suit our batting line up with a bit more time,” Lambert said. “We’ve got a lot of guys who just like to bat, so that should suit them. “If you have two bad games, all of a sudden you’re a long way off. So we’ve just got to keep winning and hope the teams around you start losing. “At the moment it’s all to play for and you’ve just got to keep winning.”

Werribee and Hoppers Crossing both opened the Victorian Sub-District Cricket Association T20 season with wins. The Cats made 9-139 from its overs against Altona. The A’s were bowled out for 99. Brett Smith was the pick of the bowlers for the Cats, taking 4-8 off three overs. Werribee came out on top against Yarraville. The Tigers made 6-147 from its 20 overs. The Eagles finished 9-135.

VTCA Point Cook and Werribee both suffered losses in the Victorian Turf Cricket Association women’s competition on Sunday. Point Cook finished 6-73 in reply to Glenroy’s 1-154, while Werribee made 3-98 in reply to Caroline Springs’ 4-135. Werribee sits sixth on the ladder, while Point Cook sits bottom of the ladder. Point Cook plays the Altona Roosters this week, while Werribee faces Williamstown CYMS. FOR MORE SPORT, VISIT Web: starweekly.com.au Wyndham Star Weekly @starweeklynews @star_weekly Wednesday, 24 January, 2024 WYNDHAM STAR WEEKLY 17

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Giants fire on all cylinders for a crushing win Werribee Giants didn’t miss a beat in the Baseball Victoria state league firsts, crushing Essendon in its first game back from the break. The Giants worked their way into the game on Sunday and were firing on all cylinders during the sixth and seventh innings, collecting six runs in each. After losing to Essendon in the penultimate round before the break, coach Andrew Christou said it was good to win 19-1. “It was really good to bounce back and beat the team that beat us just before Christmas, so that was really good,” he said. “It was a really good day. It was actually a really windy day, and it was blowing in from the outfield so it was a tougher day to hit the ball up in the air, so we did well to get so many people on base and keep hitting the ball hard and score so many runs. “[To get six runs in the sixth and seventh] was really good, right in the middle of the game to kind of put the game to bed.” This match also marked the return of brothers, Addison and Cooper Bishop-Worn, who last week competed for Victoria in the

under-18s and under 16s respectively. “They’ve both been away playing in their state tournament and they both had a good showing in that,” Christou said. “They’ve come back pretty fresh and it was the first time for young Cooper to pitch in the ones team as well, he did really well. “He and his brother Addison pitched the whole game for us, so that was a cool little quirk to the game which was really good.” This is the last week of baseball until mid-week games return for the season, Christou said there is plenty to organise before the games come thick and fast again. “Getting the younger guys like Addison and Cooper a bit more experienced pitching because when we get to the mid-week games it gets pretty tough with the pitchers having to play so many games in such a short amount of time,” he said. “So we need the extra pitchers, so it was good to see them perform well and when we ask them to pitch, they’ll be ready to go.” On Saturday, the Giants are back at home against Pakenham which is sure to be

another tough test as Pakenham make a push for finals. “It’s nice to not have to travel out to Pakenham, it should be a good game,” Christou said. “They got pretty close the first few times, I think it’s only been two or three runs in each game, so it’s been a good contest so far and it should be another good one.”

Oliver Box (Shawn Smits)

Bees unlucky to miss points

Matthew Grimaldi with captain Josh Risdon. (Western United)

Grimaldi finds his feet By Harper Sercombe It’s been a whirlwind 18 months for Western United young winger Matthew Grimaldi, who for the first time started as a professional soccer player earlier this month. The 20-year-old joined United from Melbourne City at the beginning of the National Premier League 2 season and was soon given opportunities to train with the A-League side. After dominating the NPL season, scoring five goals and providing nine assists from midfield in 26 matches, he was awarded his first professional contract. signing with United on a two-year scholarship contract. “It’s gone so quickly, it only feels like yesterday that I was playing in the NPL with the ‘23s,” he said. “We had such an amazing year and just fell short of promotion, but I feel like that season really kick started the confidence and new way I’ve been playing. “At City it didn’t work out but I got to come over to the west and have a new opportunity and it’s all kind of working out now. “Coming to United with a new team and new 18 WYNDHAM STAR WEEKLY Wednesday, 24 January, 2024

coaches, it was a sense of falling in love with the game again, like I was a kid again. There was just something about Diogo (Ferreira, NPL coach and assistant men’s coach) and Dura (Andrew Durante, academy coach) and my new team and the way we played with expression. We are able to express ourselves on the pitch, and I think that was really evident in how we went last year.” Since being with United he has gone from strength to strength, with his career hitting its highest peak to date when he started in last Friday’s clash against Macarthur, assisting a goal just three minutes into the clash. He said it was an amazing feeling to step onto the pitch. “It was an amazing feeling,” he said. “It’s something that I’ve been working towards, everything has happened so quickly from being in the youth team last season to the first team now and to get an assist was a really good feeling. “It’s been a dream of mine to play professional football and now that it’s all coming together and I’m living that now I just want to take it to new heights, and try to start in more games and build off that and build more confidence.

“At the start of the year I set all these goals that have already happened, like making my debut, scoring a goal, getting an assist and making my starting debut. “Now I think it’s about just pushing new ones. “I want to start in even more games, score more goals. But I definitely want to play finals for Western United. With our recent form we definitely want to turn that around and make the top six. That’s one thing that’s definitely on my mind right now, I want to help the team and push up the ladder and make finals.” Despite having the weekend off, there is no slowing down for United or Grimaldi as they hope to turn their season around. United’s match with Adelaide United has been rescheduled. “We’ve got a bit of a bigger week of training and then an intra-club match on Saturday, and then we will rest and recover on Sunday,” Grimaldi said before the weekend. “We don’t want to slow down too much because we have a game next week against the Wanderers in Tasmania which should be a big test. We’re looking to get the result there and try to get some points on the board again.”

Werribee played out a thriller against Deer Park 2 in the restart of the Bowls Victorian weekend pennant, division 2, section 1 competition. In the first game back after the Christmas break, it was a top four clash between the Bees and Parkers. The two teams couldn’t be split as they finished on 68 shots apiece. The Parkers though came away with more points, 68 (10)-68 (8), after winning two rinks to one, with the other rink a draw. Mick O’Neil was the winning skip for the Bees, winning 21-18, while Brendan Barker’s rink finished 15 shots apiece. Robert Panton suffered a one shot loss, while Gavin Joyce’s rink lost by two shots. The Bees remain third on the ladder, but slip to nine points behind second placed Deer Park 2. Bacchus Marsh is the runaway leader, sitting 23 points clear on top after 10 rounds. In division 3, section 1, Palm Lake lost a thriller to Altona Sports. The two teams shared the rinks, but Altona Sports did just enough to win, 79 (14)-78 (4). Neil Nicholas’ rink won 23-26 and Desmond Tudor’s rink won 22-14, to claim points for Palm Lake. Palm Lake remains in seventh spot. Hoppers still remain without a win after losing to Werribee 2. The Bees claimed two rink wins in the 79 (15)-63 (3) win. Edward Szuszkiewicz was the winning skip for Hoppers, while Mark Colman’s rink finished 17-all. In division 4, section 1, Point Cook lost to Bacchus Marsh 2, 97 (12)-79 (6). Point Cook remains in second spot, behind Werribee which picked up another win on Saturday.

Rob Panton (Ljubica Vrankovic)

League on the look out for female umpires The Western Region Football League is on the hunt for umpires particularly for its women and girl’s football programs. In January and February the league’s umpiring department is running an academy exclusively for females who may be interested in working for the league throughout the 2024 season. The program is set to be led by the AFLW umpiring Rising star award 2023 recipient, boundary umpire Melissa Sambrooks, who will share her experiences officiating football. The academy will take place across three sessions, starting on January 24 at Saltwater Reserve in Point Cook from 11am-2.30pm. WRFL director of umpiring Steve Keating said the first session will include a lunch followed by a series of presentations led by Sambrooks to start the education and see if it’s something those in attendance are interested in.

“The first one won’t differ much to what a normal coaching session might look like,” he said. “But for us it will be more about finding out exactly what the girls would want and like and then to see if we would be able to deliver that to them. “The desired outcome is around growth in women’s and girl’s football so we can try to make women’s and girl’s football self-sustaining in relation to officiating.” All who attend the sessions over the summer could possibly be umpiring an official WRFL match in round one of the 2024 season. “We’ll help them get prepared and confident and offer them some mentorship to start out with,” Keting said. “It’s essentially important that we can sustain our officiating numbers but also grow them.

“Otherwise, it’s left up to the reluctant parents to officiate games, it’s better to have an enthusiastic, trained person to officiate the games, rather than a reluctant parent who gets given a whistle on the day and doesn’t actually know what laws are required at the different age groups. “This is designed to overcome that and make umpiring sustainable now and into the future. “Within our program we will also be looking to provide pathways through to VFLW and AFLW as well, so there will be an opportunity there.” While registrations are not vital, Keating said they are recommended as he would like to see 100 names on the list prior to the session. Details: https://www.facebook.com/ WesternRegionFL. Harper Sercombe

Melissa Sambrooks. (AFL Photos)

United into third on ladder

Clay Smith (Jacob Pattison)350020_27

Bulldogs ready to roar By Harper Sercombe On the back of Point Cook’s first ever Western Region Football League division 1 grand final appearance, the Bulldogs are hungry for more. Last season the Dogs were runners up to Werribee Districts, yet coach Clay Smith said while the loss hurt it has only provided the team with more motivation to climb the mountain again in 2024. “We probably didn’t expect to make the grand final last year, it’s always a hope but our expectation was probably to make finals,” he said. “We were able to do that and win a couple, it was really good to be able to get to where we got to. “We don’t want to set the standard too high but at the same time we want to get back there, and that’s our goal. That’s been a focus at the start of the preseason, everything that we are doing is with a little bit of our mind towards that, and making sure that you’re putting in the effort, because it stings when you lose them.

“You don’t really want to go through that again, so it’s making sure you do all the little things now that add up to that day in September, which has been a little driving point for us. “The loss hurts, but I said to the boys after the game, ‘really we won, from where we came from a year ago to where we’ve gotten to, that’s as good as winning for us. “Obviously winning it is just that little bit better, but from where we came from. Werribee has been a good side, made finals for the past 10 years, so for us to get there and compete and actually give ourselves a chance to win it. I was so proud of the boys.” The other thing on the Bulldogs’ side is their youth. Smith said that roughly 80 per cent of the list sits under 24 years old and homes some of the area’s best young talent. This includes 16-year-old Thomas Burton who made his senior debut for the club in the grand final. Burton was electric, showing off his pace, poise and skill. “There is a lot of growth from our younger

boys to come through which is exciting,” Smith said. “We’ve added a couple, we’ve lost a couple, but I’m just really looking forward to getting started back up again and getting back into it. “I think our youth is probably our biggest advantage.” However, it hasn’t been all positive throughout the off-season for the Dogs with experienced players Luke Dahlhaus and Sam Darley leaving the club. Smith said the loss of his Western Bulldogs’ teammates stings, but he is confident it won’t be a hindrance to the club’s on field successes. Last season Dahlhaus played only 12 games, while Darley managed just nine. “We actually did without them as well, which is exciting for the group, obviously they add a fair bit when they play, but to be able to win the games we did when they weren’t there was exciting,” Smith said. Point Cook will kick off its crusade back to September footy against the fresh division 1 team Parkside at Saltwater Reserve in round one.

Western United scored another important three points on home soil, defeating Adelaide United 1-0 in a tight contest at City Vista on Sunday evening in the A-League Women’s. United sought to set the tempo early and get the ball under control, looking to play forward and stretch Adelaide’s defence from the outset. A seemingly extra slick pitch made it slippery underfoot and had the ball zipping away from players in possession as United struggled to execute that fast-paced game plan. Adelaide finished the half the stronger of the two sides and Hillary Beall made an extraordinary save to keep it at 0-0 going into the break, sprawling to her left to tip Isabel Hodgson’s one-on-one effort around the post. Coach Kat Smith made two changes at the interval which prompted a tweak in the team shape. Natasha Dakic came on to form the centre of a back three, and Hannah Keane joined the action up front. That change and the wind behind the team’s collective back prompted a fast start to the second half as Analee Grove was kept busy in the Adelaide goal, making two excellent saves to deny Logarzo and another two to deny Melissa Taranto and Jaclyn Sawicki. Tyla Jay Vlajnic then fired inches wide from a free-kick delivered by Alana Cerne before the goal finally came to reward United’s electric restart. It was produced brilliantly from a throw-in on the left wing as the ball moved quickly from Logarzo to Sawicki to Hieda, who took an excellent touch to beat her defender, a second to set herself and a third to expertly blast her finish into the corner. It ended in a win that could have easily been more comfortable, but an important win nonetheless to shoot the Green and Black back up into third place on the table.

Wednesday, 24 January, 2024 WYNDHAM STAR WEEKLY 19

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