Star Weekly - Brimbank North West - 4th June 2024

More room for learning

Holy Eucharist Primary School in St Albans celebrated the opening of its new $4.7 million building on May 30.

Principal Michael Bonnici initiated the project back in January 2021, reaching out to St Albans MP Natalie Suleyman and then Education Minister James Merlino for support in securing funding.

“Our enrolments have grown from 372 students in 2015 to 565 students and 75 staff in 2024,“ Mr Bonnici said.

In 2021, Ms Suleyman called to announce that the school had successfully secured a $2 million grant. The school itself contributed an additional $2.7 million to fund the construction of a building featuring eight new classrooms. The new building also features maker spaces, a teacher planning room, a new toilet block, PE storage room, and a learning deck.

The official opening was attended by Ms Suleyman and Melbourne’s Auxiliary Bishop, Martin Ashe.

“We want our students to embrace the classrooms as their own where they are able to challenge themselves and grow as leaders for tomorrow. My vision is that all staff can use these rooms to attend to all the students’ learning needs and to achieve the best learning outcomes,” Mr Bonnici said.

Shock hospital closure

By Hannah Hammoud

Less than 15 months after the multi-million dollar Sunshine Private Hospital was officially unveiled, the hospital is now closed and has entered into voluntary administration.

ABC Radio Melbourne reported on May 28, that the Sunshine Private Hospital was cancelling surgeries and relocating patients as it was placed into voluntary administration. Health Worker Union (HWU) spokesperson Jake Mcguinness said it was disappointing that staff were given “such little notice” of the hospital’s closure.

“It’s very dissapointng that workers were only given a very short timeframe to make themselves aware of it,” he said.

Mr Mcguiness said the Sunshine Private Hospital was a project that was “a little overambitious” and was potentially delivered earlier than the demand for it was established.

“It is a state-of-the-art facility that cost $140 million to build. It’s in an area of Melbourne that is growing massively and is projected to grow massively over the next decade – I’m sure the site will be put to good use.”

Sunshine Private Hospital’s facilities includedfouroperatingtheatres,anendoscopy 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.

AglitteringopeningeventheldinMarchlast

year was attended by high profile personalities which included former AFL footballer Bachar Houli,thenBrimbankmayorBruceLancashire, hospital chief executive Dr Malak Sukkar and St Albans MP Natalie Suleyman. Speaking during the opening ceremony Ms Suleyman said the hospital services were not limited to Sunshine residents only, but extended to everyone living in Victoria.

“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 at the time.

EYAustraliahastakenonthereceivershipof the Sunshine Private Hospital following what it has described as a “challenging period for the hospital’s operator” and the appointment

of Andrew McCabe and Chris Johnson from Wexted Advisors as voluntary administrators on May 27. EY Australia said the receivers’ primary objective is to work with the landlord to identify a new operator for the Sunshine Private Hospital to secure its long-term future as part of the Sunshine Private Health Hub.

“The receivers’ appointment only extends to the Sunshine Private Hospital and not to the Sunshine Private Health Hub generally. There are other tenants operating from the Sunshine Private Health Hub and those businesses are continuing to provide valuable services to the community,” EY Australia said.

“The receivers are committed to transparent communication with all parties throughout the receivership process.”

ONE STOP SHOPPING CENTRE FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY

Our friendly centre has convenient parking and food for all tastes. A Bakery, Fresh Seafood, Butchery, a Continental deli and Indian Supermarket. Takeaway Fish and Chips, Pizza, Charcoal Chicken and Kebabs Cafe. Chemist and Medical centre and a large Woolworth Supermarket.

Cnr Taylor’s Road, Calder Park Drive, Taylor’s Hill

School captains Edison and Emma outside the new school building with deputy principal Ane-Marie Conte, and principal Michael Bonnici.

Blood linked to victim

By Holly Hales, AAP

Tracesofbloodfoundinthecanopyofmissing camper Russell Hill’s car have been linked by DNA to his mistress Carol Clay.

The evidence was revealed at Victoria’s Supreme Court on Thursday in the murder trial of Caroline Springs pilot Greg Lynn, who is accused of killing the elderly couple.

Lynn, 57, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Mr Hill, 74, and Mrs Clay, 73, in the state’s remote Wonnangatta Valley in March 2020.

He is accused of killing the pair while they were camping and then burning their remains in the bush months later.

Victoria Police forensic officer Mark Gellaty told the court he examined Mr Hill’s Toyota LandCruiser for the “possible presence“ of blood in February 2022.

These efforts discovered six small “apparent“ blood stains and a “clear, jelly-like“ fatty deposit.

Mr Gellaty said what was found “behaved like blood“ and gave a DNA profile but this couldn’t be officially confirmed.

However, further tests of both the stain and fatty deposit revealed “extremely strong support to that proposition“ it belonged to Mrs Clay.

MrGellatysaidfurtheranalysisoftheblood stains indicated “there was some sort of forceful event in that vicinity“ of the vehicle.

Defence barrister Dermot Dann previously told the jury a scuffle broke out at Bucks Camp after Mr Hill took a gun from Lynn’s vehicle.

He claimed Mrs Clay was accidentally shot by Mr Hill and the older man then came at Lynn with a knife, and was accidentally stabbed in the chest as Lynn defended himself.

Prosecutors dispute those claims, alleging

Police arrest boy over fire

A 15-year-old Keilor boy is the third child to have been arrested as part of the Taskforce Lunar investigation into two tobacco store fires in Glenroy earlier this month.

The 15-year-old Keilor boy was arrested Thursday morning by police and was subsequently interviewed. He has been charged with criminal damage by fire and theft of a motor vehicle, and willfaceachildren’scourtatalaterdate. Thearrestfollowstwofiresatseparate tobacco stores in Glenroy on May 17. Emergency services were initially called to a business on Morgan Court about 4.15am, with a second fire being reported at a Belair Avenue premises only minutes later.

A 17-year-old Deanside boy and a 16-year-old Hoppers Crossing boy were arrestedearlierinMayandchargedwith a range of offences including criminal damage by fire (arson), theft of a motor vehicle, possession of a prohibited weapon and possession of cannabis. They will both appear at a children’s court at a later date. Taskforce Lunar was established in October 2023 to investigate organised crime syndicates believed to be heavily involved in the illicit tobacco trade and an ongoing dispute for profit. This includes a series of more than 60 arsons at stores selling tobaccoacrossVictoria.Detectivesfrom TaskforceLunarhavearrested63people so far as a result of their investigations. Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or online at www.crimestoppersvic. com.au

SES pleads with government for funding lifeline

Victoria State Emergency Service (SES) volunteers have been left disappointed with the recent state budget, which delivered less money for the volunteer organisation than expected.

Fawkner unit deputy controller Michael Casha said although each unit receives a small subsidy from the state government, it always falls “drastically” short and is felt across the organisation, especially in the north-west.

“Within Melbourne’s north-west, there are units with no state government-provided vehicles meaning they simply wouldn’t be able to get out on the road if it weren’t for volunteers chasing donations and funding their vehicles,” he said.

In addition to receiving second-hand uniforms for new members and not having enough money for required truck licences and training, Mr Casha said the VICSES Hobsons Bay Unit in Altona is not fit for purpose.

“The Altona unit is within a shared council facility, they do not have dedicated parking for volunteers who sometimes have to park minutes down the road when responding to emergencies,” he said.

“Their building is not fit-for-purpose and even sustained storm damage while responding to the community.”

Although $7 million in funding for the SES was announced in the budget, Mr Casha said once broken down the funding is not what it seems.

“Nearly $5 million of this is simply a reallocation of existing funds within the SES budget,” he said.

“And an additional half-million is spread over four years for an existing training program.”

Mr Casha said this leaves a little over $1 million in new funding for VICSES in

2024-2025.

“While we appreciate any support, this falls short of what’s needed to address the ongoing strain on our volunteers and our infrastructure,” he said.

“Whilst our volunteers are the heart of VICSES, they shouldn’t have to be the wallet too.”

Mr Casha said the 4956 volunteers are coming off the biggest three years they have ever had and cannot rely on current fundraising methods.

“We are not asking for a handout, we are asking for a sustainable funding model that will immediately see a redirection of hours

currently spent chasing donations, into more training and increased operational response,” he said.

“VICSES relies heavily on volunteer-led fundraising to maintain equipment, facilities, and source and replace vehicles, something which is unsustainable.

“The forecasts show no signs of slowing, we need a sustainable funding model.”

Worried that the lack of funding will drive volunteers away, Mr Casha said hours which should be spent rescuing are being used for fundraising.

“Every volunteer has a set amount of hours that they are able to give to VICSES,” he said.

“But what we’re seeing more and more, is those hours being consumed by volunteers having to fundraise.

“We want volunteers to be able to hold chainsaws and rescue tools, not chase donations.”

A state government spokesperson said that the VICSES has been given $111 million in the last three years in terms of vital funding. The state government disputed the claim that only $1 million of the $7 million was new funding, but did not provide any further clarification.

Jennifer Pittorino

SES volunteers from the Hobsons Bay Unit. (Damjan Janevski) 409249_03

Lynn intentionally killed the couple after Mr Hill threatened to send drone footage to police of Lynn deer hunting near the camp. Lynn admits later dumping and burning

the couple’s bodies at Union Spur in what Mr Dann has described as a “series of terrible choices“.

A court sketch of Greg Lynn ( AAP Image/Paul Tyquin)

Call to renew disability contact

By Hannah Hammoud

Local disability advocate Despina Havelas has raised concerns over what she has described as Brimbank council’s lack of “dedicated disability contact”.

Ms Havelas has a 24-year-old son with Autism whom she said was in regular contact with council’s disability officer before they resigned in January. Since the resignation, Ms Havelas said council has not found a replacement for the position.

Ms Havelas has been advocating for clarity on council’s disability support, and said she has repeatedly sought answers but has been left dissatisfied with the responses.

“We don’t know who our contact is now. The currentnavigationofficerisnotprovidingclear guidance, especially for those not connected with the NDIS,” she said.

With first-hand experience through her son, Ms Havelas emphasised the importance of having a dedicated disability contact within the council to help residents navigate available programs and services.

“We used to be given a heads up about what was happening, but now we’re being sent in circles,“ she said.

Pointing to nearby councils such as Moonee Valleywhichhasanaccessandinclusionofficer, Ms Havelas said she fears Brimbank may not prioritise disability services moving forward.

Brimbank council community wellbeing director Lynley Dumble said council supports people with a disability across a range of services and programs.

“Information about the support available for people with a disability can be found on our website under ‘disability and care’,” Ms Dumble said.

“Individuals who would like additional help to access council services are encouraged to contact the service navigation officer. The disability action plan 2022-26 provides details aboutcouncil’sfocusandprioritiesinthisarea, and has been developed in partnership with people living with disability in Brimbank.”

Ms Havelas said council’s navigation officer

is simply not fulfilling the same role as a dedicated disability contact.

“The language is so poor. It feels like they’re just playing semantics with me. We need to have a specific person that is available to the community in that space - that’s all I want, nothing more,” she said.

“The navigation officer has limited disability knowledge. It is not the same as having a dedicated disability contact. Council’s first priority in their disability action plan is to improve communication. Well my English is good and my understanding is good and I’m still having trouble communicating. So how is my son, who has an intellectual disability, going to connect with council?”

Aust Post grant boosts T2KO and Ardeer Trotters

AustraliaPosthasawardedgrantstomorethan 150 grassroots community and not-for-profit groups across Australia, including local initiative T2KO (It’s Time To Know Osteosarcoma) and the Ardeer Trotters run club.

T2KO was established to raise awareness aboutosteosarcoma,aformofbonecancerthat can spread to vital organs.

The organisation holds a special place in the heart of its founder Zac Pettit, who lost his best friendtothediseasein2015atjust19-years-old.

“I got heavily involved with running about three years ago. I found it gave me mental clarity similar to the effects of medication,” he said.

This passion for running led to a close friendship with Brandon, who runs the

Ardeer Trotters. The Ardeer Trotters host events in collaboration with Movember to raise awareness for mental health, targeting both men and women. The run club aims to encourage people to step out of their comfort zones, improve their fitness, and connect with others.

“The run club helps people get out of their comfort zones and get their fitness up, it’s all about doing something new and meeting new people,” Zac said.

“Whileyou’rerunningyoucantalktopeople and get quite vulnerable. When you’re running you don’t have to stare at someone or look them in the eyes, you just run and look ahead. We notice that way people tend to talk more, especially on vulnerable topics, it’s a beautiful thing and we’re super grateful.”

New life-saving defibrillator

Brimbank’s community safety has taken a significant step forward with the installation of a life-saving defibrillator at the Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) Sunshine station.

This initiative is part of St John Ambulance Victoria’s Defib in Your Street Program, which launched in Sunshine last month.

St John Ambulance Victoria reports that every year, approximately 30,000 Australians suffer sudden cardiac arrests outside of hospitals, with a survival rate of less than 5 per centwithoutimmediateCPRanddefibrillation.

Last year, only 1.77 per cent of these patients received an early shock from a publicly accessible defibrillator before professional help arrived.

In Victoria alone, there were 7830 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in 2022-23, with 139 people receiving a shock from a public defibrillator. This represents a 20 per cent

increase from the 6519 recorded in 2018-19.

St John Ambulance Victoria chief executive GordonBotwrightsaidasmoreincidentsoccur annually, “tragically few are returning home”.

”But with more people performing CPR, and greater access to public defibrillators, we can significantlyturnaroundthesurvivalrate.Our goal is for 15 per cent survival in the next five years – a tripling of the current survival rate,”

Mr Botwright said.

The Sunshine fire station was chosen for its central location, ensuring the defibrillator is accessible to the public 24-7.

FRV acting commander Myles Hennessey said the new device can be accessed by the public if crews are out of station.

“Weareverypleasedtobeabletoprovideour local community with another opportunity for intervention in the chain of survival to help save lives,” he said.

With the grant from Australia Post, T2KO and the Ardeer Trotters plan to hold a charity event focused on osteosarcoma and mental health. The funding will be used to organise a community barbecue, event signage, and marketing materials, as well as potentially create merchandise to spread awareness within the run club.

the Ardeer Trotters at Selwyn Park at 8am every Sunday, or 7.30pm Wednesday nights. (Supplied)

L-R) Will Rich, Paul Bisazza, Thomas Greaney, Kieran Fitzgerald, and St John Ambulance Victoria volunteer Kayla Parker. (Sam O’Reilly/Ascent Media)

Brandon Lee and Zac Pettit welcome the community to join

Hannah Hammoud

Apply now for a Brimbank Community Grant

The Brimbank Community Grants Program for 2024-2025 is now open for applications.

The program offers one-off financial assistance to not-for-profit organisations and incorporated community groups, to deliver projects and activities that benefit our community. Grants are available in seven categories:

• Community Strengthening Grants - up to $10,000

• Climate Emergency Grants - up to $10,000

• Mental Health and Wellbeing Grants - up to $10,000

• Young People’s Ideas Grants - up to $10,000

• Community Festival and Event Grants - up to $10,000

• Major Festival and Event Grants - up to $25,000

• Seniors Operational Grants - up to $1,000

For information on how to apply and eligibility, visit brimbank.vic.gov.au/grants or call the Grants Hotline on 9249 4036 before applications close on 14 July 2024.

Empowering west migrants

Victoria University’s (VU) Change Makers Melbourne’s West (CMMW) project is revolutionising the landscape of Melbourne’s west to uplift migrants and refugees in the community.

Teaming up with Volunteer West, Welcoming Australia, Brimbank council, and Wyndham Basketball, the project delivers a range of transformative initiatives to positively affect the lives of hundreds of migrants and refugees.

VU reports that Melbourne’s west has a high proportion of migrants and refugees who are under-represented in sport and physical activity. Community sporting clubs often expressadesiretobemoreinclusive,butchange can be challenging due to barriers like racism, sexism, cost, and unwelcoming environments.

Former Volunteer West chief executive Thu-Trang Tran said her team benefited enormously from the collaboration.

“We were able to learn and incorporate inclusive practices and share knowledge between the partners. The partnerships we formed have endured and have positively impacted other ventures,” she said.

These leaders engaged directly with their communities to rethink problems, develop positive practices, and transform their environments.

The outcomes of this collaboration are significant and have included the implementation of strategies and institutional changes towards greater inclusivity, such as hosting ‘come and try’ days in collaboration with community groups and producing club information in a range of languages.

The project has already seen tangible success stories including the Footscray Hockey Club which set up a youth advisory committee and instituted a gender equity policy which led to 50 per cent of members being women and girls and 40 per cent of their board and coaches being female. As well as the Broadmeadows Basketball Association, which developed a diversity and inclusion action plan, which includescommitmentstoincreaseculturaland ethnic diversity among staff, coaches, players, and volunteers, and enforce a zero-tolerance policy towards racism.

Visit yoursay.brimbank.vic.gov.au to learn more about projects that are open for comment including:

• Cliff Harvey Lagoon Reserve Flagship Park Upgrade

Stand for Brimbank Council

Do you want to have a role in shaping the future of Brimbank? We are calling all potential candidates to get inspired through the Municipal Association of Victoria’s (MAV) Stand for Council campaign or the Victorian Local Government Association Local Government Elections 2024 Candidate Training. The next local government elections will be held on Saturday 26 October, 2024. For more information on the MAV Stand for Council campaign visit mav.asn.au/stand-for-council-2024 or visit brimbank.vic.gov.au/voterinformation to learn more about the Brimbank council elections.

Men’s Health Week

Celebrate International Men’s Health Week 2024 in Brimbank from 11-16 June Events include music therapy, men’s health story time, social sport, woodwork and more. Find the full program of events at brimbank.vic.gov.au

Green Gully Traffic School

We are undertaking an Expression of Interest process to identify the most suitable future tenant for Green Gully Traffic School located at 7 Clubhouse Place, Green Gully Reserve in Keilor Downs. Applications must be made on the official ‘Green Gully Traffic School Expression of Interest Application Form’ and submitted no later than 11.59pm Tuesday 11 June, 2024. Email facilities@brimbank.vic. gov.au to learn more.

Brimbank Business Breakfast

Award-winning former Sportsgirl CEO, Colleen Callander, is the guest speaker at the next Brimbank Business Breakfast on Friday 21 June, 7-9am, at Overnewton Castle, Keilor.

In 2021, Colleen became one of the World’s 10 Most Influential Business Leaders Making a Difference and inspires people to recognise their power and unlock their leadership potential. Tickets cost: $35. Visit events.brimbank.vic.gov.au to learn more.

Your Councillors are always happy to hear from you

Cr Victoria Borg 0429365527 CrBorg@brimbank.vic.gov.au

Cr Sarah Branton 0407836064 CrBranton@brimbank.vic.gov.au

Cr Thuy Dang 0437744803 CrDang@brimbank.vic.gov.au

Cr Sam David JP 0429355239 CrDavid@brimbank.vic.gov.au

Cr Maria Kerr 0437796630 CrKerr@brimbank.vic.gov.au

Cr Bruce Lancashire 0429637689 CrLancashire@brimbank.vic.gov.au

Cr Jasmine Nguyen 0437740042 CrNguyen@brimbank.vic.gov.au

Cr Thomas O’Reilly 0409210431 CrOReilly@brimbank.vic.gov.au

Cr Jae Papalia (Deputy Mayor) 0437838710 CrPapalia@brimbank.vic.gov.au

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

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

Led by VU’s professor Ramon Spaaij, professor Brent McDonald, associate professor Fiona McLachlan, and Dr Carla Luguetti, the CMMW research team collaborated with 66 leaders from 38 clubs across 12 sports.

“Withthesupportofourpartners,Volunteer West, Welcoming Australia, Brimbank council, Wyndham Basketball, local clubs, VU students, and community sport members, we havecreatedtangiblestrategiesthatarealready affecting positive change,” Professor Spaaij said.

Inside Southern Cross’s spooky new production

The Addams Family is coming to Caroline Springs this week.

Students from Southern Cross Grammar will present ‘The Addams Family’ in four shows in three days from June 6.

The three-hour long school production will take place in the school’s auditorium, found in the Centauri Centre.

Student Lexa, who is playing Morticia Addams, said she is particularly enthusiastic due to her special attachment to the character.

“IgrewupwatchingtheAddamsFamilyand I always admired Morticia, so when I heard the school was doing it I got really excited at the opportunity to play her,” she said.

Meanwhile, cast member Sienna has a different relationship with her role as Mal.

“I thought Mal would be fun because he is male and because the production is

American,” she said. “It was a good chance to challenge myself in a carefree manner.”

She said the production is not just an opportunity to sing and dance, but form new bonds with like-minded others.

“Whenever the school conducts a production,thepeoplebecomelikeatight-knit family and you develop friendship groups you wouldn’t have established otherwise,” she said.

Year 12 student Prapti , who plays grandma, said dressing up is a big highlight.

“Getting in your costume and hair and makeup is what I’m looking forward to most.”

Tickets: https://tinyurl.com/32vf8d24

Eddie Russell

Rehearsals for The Addams Family at Southern Cross Grammar, Caroline Springs. (Damjan Janevski)

VU staff protest for ‘fair pay’

Last week Victoria University (VU) staff launched a protest rally targeting university management over what they’ve described as a lack of a fair pay rise.

A petition expressing staff, student and alumni “outrage about Gaza” was also cited as driving the protest.

National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) members rallied outside a university council meetingchairedbyVUchancellorSteveBracks at the university’s Footscray campus from 8-9am on Tuesday, May 28.

NTEU said despite the university receiving the union’s claims more than a year ago, VU management has failed to make a “concrete

offer” on pay and working conditions.

NTEU said unmanageable workloads are a majorstickingpoint,withVU’steachingmodel and recent job cuts that resulted in almost 20 per cent of staff leaving putting enormous pressure on staff.

VU’s “block model” teaches students one semester-length subject in four weeks blocks rather than multiple units concurrently, compared to the majority of other university’s in Australia.

NTEU VU branch president Brandy Cochrane said Mr Bracks must bring senior management into line and ensure the university’s top decision makers “get serious

about a real pay offer”.

“Enough is enough,” Mr Cochrane said.

“Staff have endured hundreds of colleagues leaving, an unsafe teaching model and a cost-of-living crisis, yet management clearly thinks they don’t deserve to be paid fairly.

“Instead of trying to resolve the issues, management is playing for time and not sending anyone with real decision-making power to talk about staff’s reasonable claims.”

A Victoria University spokesperson said the university is committed to modernising the current agreement and it is negotiating with employee representatives in “good faith“ to achieve a further competitive salary increase

and new leave entitlements for staff.

“In March staff were given a 4 per cent salary increase in recognition of their contribution and ongoing commitment to putting our students at the heart of everything we do,“ the spokesperson said. “We are proud of our award-winning teaching model, which has become central to the success of our students.”

NTEU Victorian division secretary Sarah Robertssaidstaffneedafairpayrise,reasonable workloads and secure jobs.

“Under VU’s model, staff are being forced to work huge hours of unpaid overtime just to get marking and course administration done,” Ms Roberts said.

Melbourne Storm helps cultivate future stars

Melbourne Storm is extending its high-performance program to schools, including Victoria University Secondary College, in a bid to nurture the next generation of NRL player.

Storm’s full-time pathway coaches and staff will conduct weekly sessions at the school, led byacademycoachMattDuffie,pathwayscoach Mark Russell, pathways performance coach Nick Le Comte, dietician Georgia Walker, and wellbeing co-ordinator Dylan Wolfgramm.

These sessions will provide expert guidance in skill development, strength and conditioning, nutrition, and player welfare.

The club’s long-term vision of producing more Melbourne-born NRL players has led to Stormtodedicateitselftonurturinglocaltalent and fostering a strong rugby league culture in Victoria.

The program aims to bridge the gap between

school and elite-level rugby league. Other schools participating in the program include

The Grange P-12, Mt Ridley College and Hallam Secondary College. Coaches and staff will work closely with

schools to provide tailored training and support, ensuring that aspiring players receive the guidance and resources they need to succeed.

Pathways coach Mark Russell said the

program’s roll-out marks a significant step in Storm’s commitment to grassroots development.

“The program has been really good and the boys have been very responsive. They’re obviously pretty keen on playing rugby league and this just allows them to be exposed to a high-performance program,” he said.

“We’ve got a real big focus right now on making sure the next generation of Melbourne Storm footballers are coming from Melbourne, and our Melbourne-made schools play a big part in it.

“We’re really proud of what we’re doing. Melbourne Storm has been well noted as only producing four players that are actually Melbourne bred. We’ve identified that and want to double those numbers in the next five to 10 years.”

Hannah Hammoud

Tyre & Auto Service

Melbourne Storm nutritionist Georgia Walker delivers a session to the Mt Ridley College squad.

More funds for champion project

By Hannah Hammoud

GenWest will share in a pool of $1.2 million funding from the state government to help in promoting a culture that prevents violence against women and families.

Serving Melbounre’s western suburbs, GenWest provides services that help victim-survivors of family violence in Brimbank, Hobsons Bay, Maribyrnong, Melbourne, Melton, Moonee Valley and Wyndham.

For the past two years, GenWest has been partnering with the Western Bulldogs CommunityFoundationandWomen’sHealth Grampians to run a community awareness

campaign that champions respectful relationships and prevention of violence against women.

The recent funding boost will allow GenWest to continue with their ‘Champions of the West’ program for another year.

ChampionsoftheWestco-ordinatorTheresa Stewart-Moore said the program is all about harnessing the power of footy communities in the west to prevent gender-based violence.

“In the prevention of gender-based violence sector for a long time we’ve recognised the massive influence sports plays in our culture,” she said.

“Sportingclubsarecommittedtoultimately contributing to happier and healthier

communities and when you do that you are also preventing gender-based violence. The more equal and respectful the spaces can be then we can create culture as a community and work together to prevent gender-based violence.

“It has been a really tragic start to the year – 31 women have been murdered this year so far. It’s a tragic situation and one we know if we work together as a community we can work to prevent this.”

Ms Stewart-Moore said sporting clubs carry a social responsibility to tackle issues like this.

“We need to recognise the power sporting clubshaveincommunitiestopromoteapositive

Brimbank hosts Men’s Health Week

Marking its 30th anniversary, this year Men’s Health Week will be held from June 10-16. This global initiative is an annual worldwide call to action about the health and wellbeing needs of men and boys, urging action and awareness.

This year’s focus is on Men’s Health checks and on encouraging men and boys to build healthy habits by identifying small changes they can make that benefit their health and wellbeing.

Brimbank council will host a range of activities throughout the week, where residents can participate in events including cooking

classes, exercise sessions, social gatherings, family activities, and art workshops across various locations in Brimbank.

The highlight of the week is the main event on Thursday, June 13, at the Westvale Community Centre. This celebration features guestspeakerRobertDipierdomenico,aretired AFL player renowned for his 17-year career at Hawthorn. Robert will share his personal journey, focusing on overcoming the stigma of mental health and vulnerability among men, especially in professional settings.

“The stigma around mental health and vulnerability amongst males, let alone males

in a professional setting, is one that has been outdated for many years. It is an absolute honour that I am able to share my story with Westvale Community Centre and assist in breaking barriers, hopefully encouraging others to be more confident in speaking out too,“ Dipierdomenico said.

The event features health checks, hearing checks, health information stalls, council services, barber services, street art dance, boxercise, raffle, spinning wheel, and sausage sizzle.

Details: https://www.trybooking.com/ events/landing/1208835?

culture. We do this through workshopping issues such as the impact of rigid gender stereotypes in driving gender-based violence, how to harness the influence of football to share these messages, and just making sure sporting clubs are welcoming and safe spaces and asking different people to contribute to what it looks like.”

“For us as a prevention of gender-based violence organisation, being funded for this work and in particular in the sports sector in thisgrassrootsway,it’sthefirsttimewe’vehad funding for this specific work and that means we can enter into spaces that we haven’t previously had those links and connections made.”

Local student is a photo comp finalist

Ardeer South Primary School is celebrating a student’s nomination as a finalist in Sustainability Victoria’s ‘Sustainability Through Your Own Lens’ photography competition.

Sabowan entry, titled ‘Life’, was nominated in the primary school category of the competition and shows a mother bird feeding one of its young in a newly planted tree within the school’s courtyard.

The year 2 student was able to successfully capture the moment between the birds through a teachers’ camera, while students were looking at the courtyard trees from inside a nearby classroom.

Nine students from six schools are vying for the win in the ‘Sustainability Through Your Own Lens’ photography competition facilitated by the ResourceSmart Schools Program - one of several awards up for grabs at the 2024 ResourceSmart Schools Awards.

This year, Sustainability Victoria is marking 15 years of the ResourceSmart Schools Awards with the theme, ‘Legendary Legacies – what will you leave behind?’.

Sustainability Victoria regions and communityactiondirectorKatiePahlow said the photography competition offers an insight into students’ perspective on our environment.

“This competition celebrates the creativeexpressionofstudentsexploring the role that sustainability plays in both the built and natural environment. It’s fascinating to see sustainability ‘through the lens’ of students and understand what it means to them.”

Indigenous artefacts not found at Sunshine Energy Park

Brimbank council has clarified that there have been no Indigenous artefacts found on site at Sunshine Energy Park.

Last week, StarWeeklypublished an article following the council meeting held on May 21, whichsaidcouncildecidedtomoveaheadwith its vision for the Sunshine Energy Park (SEP) development, despite reports revealing the presence of Indigenous artefacts on site.

During the meeting, councillor Maria Kerr referenced a report that said Indigenous artefacts were found on site.

“I’d like to clarify … I had a read through the report and there were found to be some Indigenous artefacts found on that site, and

my concerns are with what happened at Green Gully recently. I don’t want to find ourselves eight years into the planning process and spending $2 million worth of rate payers’ money. What kind of guarantees can you give that we’re not going to be in this situation at [Sunshine] Energy Park?,” Cr Kerr asked.

Councilofficersdidnotdisputethereference to Indigenous artefacts found and said that while no guarantees could be made, due diligence would be carried out where required.

In a statement issued on council’s website, councilsaidindevelopingtheSunshineEnergy Park vision plan, it undertook a due diligence process led by an expert cultural heritage

consultant.

“This involved a review of the historic registers and lists, including national, commonwealthandinternationalheritagelists, the Victorian Heritage Register, the Victorian Heritage Inventory, the Brimbank council heritage overlay, the National Trust (Victoria) register, and the register of the National Estate,” the statement said. “The investigation included random in-ground probes to areas immediately surrounding the old quarry and landfill area on the proposed Park site.”

Council said as a result it was advised that there are four registered Aboriginal Places recorded within 200 metres of the Sunshine

Energy Park site. None of these sites are within the boundaries of Sunshine Energy Park.

“Council adheres to its legal obligations under the Aboriginal Heritage Regulations 2018 and requirements, which would include preparing a cultural heritage management planforanyfutureprojects,whichmayinclude further in-ground probes,” the statement continued.

“Cultural heritage management plans are a requirement for this site as it is located within anareaofAboriginalculturalsensitivitydueto its proximity to the local waterways.”

Hannah Hammoud

Hawthorn legend Robert Dipierdomenico is ready to celebrate Men’s Health Week in Brimbank. (Supplied)

Vandals strike gnomes

The ‘Gnome Village’ in Keilor Park has always held a place of pride on Harrick Road. However, this cherished community spot, known for its whimsical decorations and welcoming atmosphere, was recently ransacked.

Local resident Emanuel Borg had spent hours crafting an elaborate birdhouse, complete with solar panels and a fan switch, at the Taylors Hill Men’s Shed. He donated his creation to the beloved Gnome Village, pouring his efforts intoitsartisticdesignandfunctional features.

“My great-grandson and I decided to place it at Gnome Village around Christmas time. We put it there and used to admire it every time we got off the ramp at Keilor Park Drive,”Emanuelsaid.

Emanuelandhisgreat-grandson were devastated to learn that the birdhousehadbeenstolenshortly aftertheyplaceditatGnome Village. Despite its solid construction, with bricks added for stability against the wind,itwasgone.

“I thought to myself how sad it was that it was there tomakepeoplehappy, and now it’s gone,” he said.

Undeterred by the loss, Emanuel said he will take to the tools again, “I’ve promisedmyselftomakeanotherlittlehouse fortheGnomeVillage.”

Emanuel Borg’s birdhouse creation was recently stolen from Gnome Village. (Supplied)

Grant applications open

The Brimbank Community Grants Program for 2024-2025 is now open for applications. For information on how to apply and eligibility, visit brimbank.vic.gov.au/grants or call the grants hotline on 9249 4036 before applications close on July 14.

Money laundering charges

Police charged a Sunshine West man following an investigation into an international money laundering syndicate, with more than $200,000 worth of suspicious transfers identified. A 27-year-old Sunshine West man, who is also an Indian national, was arrested at a shopping centre on Harvester Road on May 28. His vehicle was then searched and police located mobile phones, EFTPOS terminals, a large number of banks cards and identity documents under various names, along with a large quantity of cash. Police then executed a warrant at his Sunshine West address and seized almost 250 bank cards and identity documents under a variety of names, mobile phones and cash. The man was interviewed by police and subsequently charged with 22 counts of knowingly dealing with proceeds of crime. Police will allege that the man had been using the false identification documents to receive stolen money and then send it via various transfer services to India.

FOR BREAKING NEWS, VISIT

Web: starweekly.com.au

Brimbank & North West Star Weekly @starweeklynews @star_weekly

Small acts make a big impact.

Putting recycling in the bin loose and not in plastic bags means more of it can be turned into new things.

Recycling in plastic bags cannot be sorted because the bags can damage equipment at sorting facilities and present a safety risk to staff.

What happened to Alana Cecil?

Almost 28 years ago, 16-year-old Alana Cecil was found dead in Melton. Her death was ruled to be the result of a drug overdose, but that finding has never sat right with her family. Now a new podcast series is taking a closer look at what might have happened to Alana, as Tara Murray reports.

Peter Cecil has been living a parent’s worst nightmare, every day, for nearly the last 28 years.

On November 10, 1996, his 16-year-old daughter Alana Cecil was found dead from an apparent drug overdose.

Police at the time said they didn’t think the death was suspicious, but that didn’t sit well with Peter.

Since the day Peter lost his beloved daughter, he has dedicated his life to find out what happened to his girl.

“I haven’t had a chance to grieve,” he said. “I go to the cemetery and talk to Alana.

“It’s been difficult and I’ve had to hold it in all of this time. I’ve missed out on a lot of things with Alana … To live with that and not share things that normal fathers do with their daughters.

“I was robbed of that and also the fact the worst part about it was that she was treated like an animal, dumped like an animal.”

Alana was found at a vacant house on the cornerofBarrysandStationsroadsinMelton. She had been out the night before with friends. Some reports said she was last seen in Brimbank, other people say they saw her at the Djerriwarrh Bonfire Festival.

‘‘ Hopefully I finally get a chance to grieve and have peace, I’ve never had peace ’’ - Peter Cecil

There were drugs in Alana’s system and needle marks in both arms.

The autopsy report showed she hadn’t had drugs for three months beforehand, having successfully been through rehab.

Peter claims the initial investigation was botched. He said evidence was missed and statements from key people weren’t taken until years later and some never at all.

DNAfoundinandonAlanawasn’tmatched to two men for six years and Peter said the autopsy report proved that she was raped. One of those people, who was much older, was known to police and gave a no comment interview.Theothersaidtherewasconsensual interaction between the two.

Her belongings that were with her were never found and she was found near the house of one of her friends.

There were two coroner’s inquests and others delayed and postponed, which left the family with no answers and feeling that the systemhadfailedthemagain.Thefirstinquest gave an open finding which remains today.

AVictoriapolicespokespersonsaidareport was prepared for the coroner who determined the cause of death was heroin toxicity in a young girl with acute asthma.

Peter said there’s never been a criminal investigation and police said at the last coronial inquest that they didn’t think they would find anything 13 years down the track.

Peter said he missed the chance to seek and appeal, as he sought help for his mental health, which had deteriorated.

“Once I saw what was in the autopsy and toxicology report I needed to know what happened to her pretty quickly,” he said.

“I ended up chasing a lot of people and doing the investigation [for the police] which I shouldn’t have been doing.

“I put myself in a lot of jeopardy. The system has failed the family and Alana.

“As a father and a normal person in the community,thecommunication[frompolice] was shocking.”

A Victoria Police spokesperson said the matterhasbeeninvestigatedbydetectivesand reviews of the investigation have found it was thorough. Theysaidallegationsofwrongdoing

by the detectives were unsubstantiated.

Peter has spent the past 28 years searching for answers, most of that alone.

But not anymore.

Earlier this year, podcaster Ryan Wolf was looking for a top for his next series of Guilt, which looks at unsolved crimes.

He received an email about Alana’s story and it stuck with him.

“I was struggling to find a case to pick up, for me personally I emotionally invest so much into a case,” Ryan said.

“People had sent through tons of cases to lookatandIknewIwantedtodoanAustralian case, for some reason this particular case … it just connected with me.

“It was such a young girl and clearly something wasn’t right here.”

Ryan quickly made the trip to Australia from New Zealand and headed to Melton, a place he had never heard before.

He said there was a lot that had surprised him as he started to investigate the case.

Ryan, like Peter, has found there are “definitely” holes in the work that the police have done.

He said that Peter has taken this all on his shoulders until now.

“He’s been amazing really, in a way it has ruined his life. He’s lost his daughter, he has just dedicated his life to trying to find out what happened.”

He said the podcast was an ongoing thing and dependent on what new information comes available, but at this stage expects it to be about 20 episodes.

“I want Australians and locals to have the podcast make their blood boil,” he said. “Think what if that was my daughter?”

For Peter, he’s hoping this podcast will finally give him the answers that he has been after.

And, he doesn’t want any other family to go through what he has.

“Hopefully I finally get a chance to grieve and have peace, I’ve never had peace,” an emotional Peter said. “It’s also for Alana getting her justice for that they did to her.

“Talking about it like this, is pretty hard for me. This is what has happened to me an my family, I don’t want it to happen to another family.

“How we’ve been treated by the system ... It’s been unfair, it should have been solved by now.”

Episodes of the podcast are released weekly, with the eighth episode becoming available for free on June 3.

Speaking after the first three episodes had been released, Ryan said there had been people forward with new information.

He has spoken with friends, family and those who spent time with Alana growing up. Some have never spoken before.

“It’s to give it a chance that there could be some justice for her after all these years,” he said. “It’s always good when people start coming forward, that is what I do this for, to make a difference, try and get a resolution.

“I have a new witness that they’ve never had before and it could change this entire case.

“It’s not just about making content for me, it’s about the investigation first, podcast second. There are some big revelations to come in this case and I hope more people come forward.

“I know there’s more people out there that know more of what happened.”

Ryan said he feels like he’s getting to know Alana even though he has never met her. He saw some video for the first time recently and it was incredible to put a voice to her.

He said he wants to be able to do her justice and get the truth whatever that truth is.

Ryan started the podcast in February and said Peter’s research had made it a lot easier for him.

The police spokesperson said if new evidence,orwitnesseswerelocated,detectives would make an assessment as to their value before considering next steps.

Tolistentothepodcast:https://open.spotify. com/show/3LxK0NL9Dz4wuW5xp4SMRa

Podcaster Ryan Wolf.

Alana Cecil, and inset, Alana as a child. (Pictures: Supplied)

Council cooks up dining safety

By Eddie Russell

Melton council is looking into stronger safety measures for the return of outdoor dining spaces on Caroline Springs Boulevard.

A range of potential measures, such as the installation of safety bollards and the deploymentofadditionaltrafficandpedestrian safety infrastructure, are being explored. This comes after a motion, raised by councillor Steve Abboushi, passed at the most recent Melton council meeting in May.

Cr Abboushi said the project will not only

bringafinancialboosttothestripbutreinforce the safety of the community.

“It helps facilitate more people spending locally,” he said.

“It’s going to bring more foot traffic, but more importantly it’s going to create safe access to local pedestrians, including the schoolkids from over the road to safely cross using the pedestrian access.”

The widening of footpaths is part of the CarolineSpringsBoulevardPedestrianSignals Project which aims to improve pedestrian connectivityandsafetywithinthetowncentre.

Grant promotes change

Sydenham-Hillside Cricket Club will receive $3100 to put towards its women’s cricket academy.

The club is among 119 community sport and active recreation organisations that will receive the state government’s Change Our Game Community Activation Grant.

President Bob Kunesevic said the money would have a dual purpose.

“Having dedicated resources to focus on our female and girls program will further encouragethemtodeveloptheirskills,”hesaid. “Wearealsolookingtoencourageparticipation around the area.”

Mr Kunesevic said the club will use the opportunity to further invest in its women’s team and hope it attracts more aspiring cricketers.

“There’s obviously a contribution that we will look to kick in to ensure that all the participants, regardless of what level they are, come and enjoy their time,” he said.

The money allocated will allow for more direct concentration on the women’s teams, with professional coaches to be brought in for one-on-one and structured sessions with players.

Sydenham-Hillside has two senior women’s sides as well as under-12s under-14s under-16 girls teams. They also have seven men’s sides and several boys junior teams.

“You can imagine how much traffic goes through training every week,” said Mr Kunesevic.

Mr Kunesevic said the club felt grateful to have people looking out for the club.

“We find a lot of support from our local government. We are very fortunate to have great leaders around … that really do support the local community.”

Two clubs in the Moorabool. Ballan Cricket Club and Bacchus Marsh Netball Club also received funding from the grant.

Eddie Russell

Take environmental action

In celebration of World Environment Day, people from more than 150 countries are joining forces to highlight environmental action and the collective power of governments, businesses, and individuals in fostering a sustainable world.

This year’s theme, “Our land. Our future. We are #GenerationRestoration,” emphasises land restoration, desertification, and drought resilience.

In alignment with this global initiative, Brimbank council is organising a community planting day on Saturday, June 8, starting at 10am. The event will take place at the stepping stones area along the Kororoit Creek Trail in Sunshine West. Residents are invited to join councilstaffandtheFriendsofKororoitCreek for a morning filled with planting activities and nature-themed fun.

Participants will have the chance to plant a variety of native groundcover plants, wildflowers, and shrubs, contributing to the

The works, which are set to commence in early June and take about three months, will take place between College Street and Lake Street.

Cr Abboushi said extending the pavement will allow businesses the space to have permanent outdoor dining.

“The boulevard has now become a destination in our municipality so we want to support our local businesses to continue to thrive,” he said.

“It creates further opportunity to look at beautifying [the area] … and work with

the traders to create a space that’s equally as vibrant as it was with the parklets.”

Temporary dining booths were installed at the front of restaurants in 2020 to help with COVID social distancing laws.

Enhancing the safety of outdoor dining areasinrelationtovehicletrafficisemphasised by the fact that more than 26,000 vehicles use Caroline Springs Boulevard every day.

Cr Abboushi said the investigation will conclude “very soon”, with the outcomes found to be presented at a future briefing of councillors.

YOUR NEW CAREER ... starts here

enhancement of the natural habitat for local birds, reptiles, and insects. In addition to planting, attendees can learn about the native animals inhabiting the creek and discover ways to support biodiversity at home.

Children can look forward to a special clay activity, where they will create a flock of Cockatoo tiles to be installed along the creek, adding a creative touch to the day’s environmental efforts.

Brimbank Mayor Ranka Rasic said the upcoming planting day event along the Kororoit Creek trail is one “great way“ that the local community can support World Environment Day.

“When our community takes part in these events, they are partnering with council to protect our environment and restore its ecosystems. Together we can make a real difference for our unique and precious environment and wildlife,“ she said.

Details: https://shorturl.at/xb7vZ

Star Weekly seeks an enthusiastic Full or Part Time sales executive to work across our print, digital, social and online platforms.

Star Weekly is an independently owned company which prides itself on its long history of community experience but also its investment in the future.

The successful applicant will need to possess good people skills to enable them to meet with local businesses to sell solutions through our advertising platforms to help promote their business.

Applicants will need their own reliable vehicle for which we will provide an allowance.

The position is salaried, plus we offer an open ended commission scheme.

Send your application letter and resume to: Advertising Sales Manager, Mandy Clark mandy.clark@starnewsgroup.com.au

Join Melbourne Mandir Derrimut members Priyank and Jignesh, as well Friends of Kororoit Creek assistant secretary Richard for the World Environment Day planting event (Supplied)

Sydenham-Hillside’s premiership winning team. (Supplied)

Mayor’s message

Cr Kathy Majdlik

Nominations are open for the 2024 City of Melton Business Excellence Awards.

Whether you are a sole trader, a big business or somewhere in between, the awards are a fantastic opportunity to highlight your success and what sets you apart.

Our businesses are part of the backbone of our local economy, and it is important we pay tribute to their contributions.

Businesses can nominate themselves, or other deserving local candidates.

Nominations can be submitted across nine categories and close at midnight on Friday, 12 July 2024. A judging panel will determine winners across all categories, including the prestigious Business of the Year Award.

Winners will be announced at an awards evening later this year. More information about the program is available on council’s website.

In other good community news, Melton’s Men’s Shed and other local businesses will be profiled in an upcoming episode of Australian travel show, Postcards.

Presenter Shane Delia and his team visited the Melton Men’s Shed at the Willows Historical Park to catch up with participants, have a cuppa and learn about a great local program.

Our Men’s Sheds in both Melton and Taylors Hill are wonderful places for men to come together, experience mateship and participate in a wide range of activities.

Council is proud to fund and support both local Men’s Sheds, which make such a big difference in our community.

Postcards’ Melton episode will air on Sunday, 16 June at at 5.30pm on Channel 9.

You’re welcome to contact me regarding Council matters at kathy.majdlik@melton.vic.gov.au or on 0412 584 058.

Genealogy help

Researching your family history?

Get support and help from the Melton Family History group.

Whether you’re a genealogy expert or just starting out, there’s always something new to learn.

Sessions are held at the Melton Library and Learning Hub from

Melton Recreation Reserve upgrade nears completion

Upgrades to the Melton Recreation Reserve are well underway, with the new community sports pavilion nearing completion.

The hub will serve local football, netball and cricket clubs, and is

10am-12pm every Wednesday throughout June.

Bookings are not required.

This program is presented in partnership with the Melton Family History Group.

FIND OUT MORE: libraryevents.melton.vic.gov.au

positioned for optimal viewing of the sports ground.

New umpires rooms, female changerooms, community and social meeting spaces, a kitchen and kiosk are also included in the upgrade.

Construction on the new pavilion kicked off in October, and will be finished in July 2024, weather permitting.

Watts Ward with Cr Justine Farrugia

I was pleased to see the State Government has scrapped the GP payroll tax for doctors who provide bulk-billing services.

The City of Melton has approximately half the number of doctors per 100,000 people compared to Greater Melbourne.

In October, a motion I put forward asking Council to write to the Health Minister about the tax and its anticipated impact on our City was passed.

We were concerned about the impacts the tax would have on GPs and our community’s health services, so we welcome the move.

Council understands some residents

are under pressure from the rising cost of living. If you are facing financial hardships, you can apply for assistance in paying your rates. Visit melton.vic.gov.au for information.

Council is also delivering a project funded by the Melton Suburban Revitalisation Board that addresses food insecurity in our community.

The Melton Food System Collective connects local food relief organisations, community organisations and Council to increase people’s access to affordable, nutritious food.

The project aims to decrease food insecurity, increase access to affordable, culturally appropriate and

Stand for Council information sessions

In partnership with local councils, the Municipal Association of Victoria is holding a series of information sessions aimed at people considering standing for council and the wider community throughout June and July.

Sessions can be attended online, or in person and will provide information about the role of local government, responsibilities of councillors, the election process, councillor training and what to expect after an election.

The next local council election will take place in October 2024.

FIND OUT MORE: mav.asn.au/stand-for-council-2024

healthy food and create sustainable, connected food systems.

Thank you to everyone who had their say on the Lake Caroline draft Masterplan and Activation Strategy and the new Plumpton Aquatic and Leisure Centre, which will be built on Beattys Road in Fraser Rise.

Your feedback will help guide how we develop these vitally important projects. Find out more about conversations.melton.vic.gov.au

Feel free to contact me about Watts Ward or Council related issues on 0475 907 616 or email at justine.farrugia@melton.vic.gov.au

Mayor Cr Kathy Majdlik

Deputy Mayor Cr Steve Abboushi

Cr Lara Carli Cr Justine Farrugia

Cr Goran Kesic

Cr Sophie Ramsey

Cr Julie Shannon Cr Bob Turner Cr Ashleigh Vandenberg

Get vaccinated to beat shingles

By Christopher Carter, chief executive, North Western Melbourne Primary Health Network

Here’s a bit of free health advice for older readers: you don’t want to develop shingles if you can avoid it.

Shinglesisthereactivationofthechickenpox virus. If you had chickenpox when you were young, the virus that caused it has been sitting in your system, asleep, ever since.

For about one in three of us that virus will wake up and make merry hell. Severity varies from person to person but even at its mildest shingles is decidedly unpleasant.

The disease can occur at any age, but it happens most commonly in older folk.

Thankfully,thereisatriedandtestedvaccine available which stops shingles developing. Called Shingrix, it is available free to anyone 65 or over, First Nations people 50 or over, and people 18 or over with some types of compromised immune system.

The vaccine is administered by your doctor in two doses, a couple of months apart.

Younger people can have the vaccine too, of course, but there are costs involved. It’s a good idea to talk to a GP about this.

The name of the vaccine – Shingrix – is important. A couple of years ago, this brand replaced a previous vaccine, called Zostavax. The old vaccine was safe and effective, but the newonecanbegiventoawiderrangeofpeople without making them feel a bit poorly.

The thing is, though, you can’t get a Shingrix vaccination for at least a year after receiving a Zostavax one – and you can’t get a free one for five. Your GP will be able to check this.

So, if you haven’t been vaccinated and you come down with shingles, how will you know and what should you do?

last for several weeks. It’s a good idea to go and see your doctor, though, just to make sure.

Very mild shingles can happen, too –althoughthathasnothingtodowithhowgood or bad your chickenpox was.

Mild shingles will produce a slight itching or tingling sensation but nothing more, but it can

You can only develop the condition if you’ve previously had chickenpox, of course, but there’s always a chance that you had that and didn’t notice. Very mild chickenpox can happen, even in vaccinated people.

Promoting healthy habits

InternationalMen’sHealthWeekmarks its 30th anniversary from June 10-16, focusing on Men’s Health Checks.

As part of the celebration, the community is invited to a social table tennis and badminton event on June 11,from 9-11am at the Keilor Basketball NetballStadium.Participantsneedonly come along to celebrate Men’s Health with all equipment provided.

Star Weekly photographer Damjan Janevski recently paid a visit to a social session of table tennis to capture some local stars in action.

With more serious cases, the initial tingling anditchingwillbeaccompaniedbyfatigueand headache, followed a couple of days later by a painful rash. In turn, the rash can blister and scab, which can lead to other infections.

The worst of it will be over in about 10 days, but it can take weeks to properly go away. It’s important to see your GP as soon as symptoms develop, to discuss treatments that vary from antiviral medications to over-the-counter painkillers, depending on severity.

At pretty much any level, though, shingles is unpleasantBeforeyouhavetosufferthroughit, talk to your GP – especially if you can get the vaccine free!

Quan Truong in the zone.

Jay Anh joins in on the active fun.

Duc Pham keeps fit with all the table tennis action.

Left: Kim Huynh has her game face on. Centre: Son Nguyen with his eye on the prize. Right: Neighbours came together for a fun-filled social table tennis session. (Pictures: Damjan Janevski) 409161

Shingrix stops shingles developing. (iStock/Sladic)

Preserve memories and stories for future generations

Preserving memories for future generations is a meaningful way for older individuals to share their life experiences and wisdom. Here are some suggestions:

Write memoirs or autobiographies: Encourage older individuals to write down their life stories, including significant events, experiences, and lessons learned. This can be doneintheformofamemoirorautobiography, either through traditional writing or digital platforms.

Record oral histories: Set up recording sessions where older individuals can share their stories verbally. This could be done through audio recordings, video interviews, or podcasts. Capturing their voices and mannerisms adds a personal touch to the stories.

Createscrapbooksorphotoalbums: Collect photographs, letters, tickets, and other memorabilia to create scrapbooks or photo albums documenting important moments in their lives. Include captions or anecdotes to provide context for each item.

Compile family recipes: Gather family recipes passed down through generations and compile them into a cookbook. Include stories or memories associated with each recipe to preserve culinary traditions and family history.

Digitise documents and memorabilia: Scan old letters, documents, certificates, and photographs to create digital archives that can be easily shared with future generations. Consider creating a family website or online repository to store and organise these digital files.

Share wisdom and advice: Record video messages or write letters to future generations offering advice, life lessons, and words of wisdom. These messages can serve as valuable guidance for younger family members as they navigate their own lives.

Createafamilytree: Research and document family genealogy to create a family tree tracing backmultiplegenerations.Includebiographical information and anecdotes about ancestors to preserve their memory.

Hostfamilystorytellinggatherings: Organize regularfamilygatheringswhereoldermembers can share stories and memories with younger generations. Encourage open dialogue and create a supportive environment for sharing.

Engage in creative projects: Encourage older individuals to express themselves creatively through writing, art, music, or other artistic mediums. Creative projects can provide a unique outlet for self-expression and storytelling.

Passontraditionsandrituals: Teachyounger family members about cultural traditions, rituals, and practices that have been passed down through generations. Participating in these traditions helps keep them alive and fosters a sense of connection to family heritage.

By actively engaging in these activities, older individuals can leave behind a legacy that will be cherished by future generations

Downsize to a bigger life at Lifestyle Communities

Lifestyle Communities is a world where downsizing your home means upgrading to a more vibrant life filled with unlimited possibilities.

The Lifestyle Communities team are leaders in community living. They’re not just builders; they’re architects of unforgettable experiences, creators of lifelong connections, and designers of homes filled with an undeniable sense of belonging. They cater to the young at heart in their 50s and above, whether still working, retiring to reinvent, or just ready for a change. Lifestyle Communities is a place where neighbours become lifelong friends and where warmth, laughter, and fun never get old.

Twenty years of enriching lives

Two decades of passion, innovation, and commitment have shaped Lifestyle Communities into a haven for those seeking a purposeful and joyful way of living.

Managing director and co-founder James Kelly shares, “Our homeowners are the

heartbeat of our community. From day one, our mission has been clear: to be a ’business for purpose’ that enriches lives and fosters meaningful connections”.

“We set out to create a different experience for downsizers, to offer a space that strikes the perfect balance between connection and privacy, independence, and activity. With a clearly defined purpose and a steadfast commitment to this goal, 20 years later, we’re proud to say that we still lead the market in our product offering.”

Elevate your lifestyle

Enter a world of beautifully designed, low-maintenance homes surrounded by state-of-the-art amenities. The Clubhouse is the pulsation hub of the communities and will become your home away from home. It’s a sophisticated arena of leisure, social mingling, and wellness designed to make every moment a cherished memory. Communityfacilitiesincludeafullyequipped gym, croquet or pickleball court, a dog wash,

games room, private cinema, heated indoor and outdoor pools, a workshop, shared electric cars and a fishing boat available at coastal communities. You can join friends for a delightful lunch, break a sweat in the gym, or unwind by the pool.

Timeless excellence

With over 25 communities across Victoria, Lifestyle Communities sets itself apart with its unwavering long-term commitment to looking after its communities. They’re not just building communities; they’re nurturing them for the long haul.

“We reimagine, revitalise, and reinvent, ensuring that each community is aligned withour pursuit of excellence. Lifestyle Brookfield, our inaugural community, stands tall as a testament to our enduring dedication,” Mr Kelly said.

Holiday your way

Fuelled by passion, the dedicated Lifestyle team are constantly striving to exceed

expectations and create unforgettable experiences for their homeowners. They were proud to recently launch Club Lifestyle at Lifestyle Bellarine, which offers free seaside escapes to all Lifestyle Communities homeowners across Victoria. Homeowners can choose to stay in a cosy villa, bring their caravan down and enjoy one of the premium-powered caravan sites, or embark on a road trip in a fully equipped Lifestyle Motorhome.

It’s a Lifestyle revolution

For those yearning for a lifestyle that screams ‘cool’, a home that wraps you in luxury, recreation, and conscientious living, then Lifestyle Communities is calling your name. It’s not just a community, it’s a vibe where ‘unlimited’ is so much more than just a word – it’s a lifestyle!

For more information, visit lifestylecommunities.com.au

Aunty Jeanie crowned

Turning 70 this year, Bakandji artist and revered Brimbank community elder Aunty Jeanie Mason had just one word to describe the feelingofbeingnamedasBrimbank’scitizenof the year for 2024 – “overwhelming”.

“Being Aboriginal and being nominated for this award is so overwhelming,” she said.

“To actually receive it is even more overwhelming. I was surprised and happy, all rolled into one. I can’t find the words to describe it. I will continue doing many things in the community for as long as my legs will carry me.”

Aunty Jeanie’s commitment to enriching the arts scene and preserving Aboriginal cultural heritage were cited as a testament to her commitment to community service.

Originally from Wilcannia located on the Darling River in New South Wales, Aunty Jeanieemphasisestheimportanceofpreserving Aboriginal language and culture.

“Our language and culture are fading, and not many young people speak their language,” she said.

“I’m originally from New South Wales, but I’ve been in Melbourne for over 40 years. I haven’t had the chance to go home and be with my people. Culture is very important for

Aboriginal people and to me, especially since a lot has been handed down from my mother. Even though I’m not home, I try to keep our culture alive through art and teaching stories.”

Her involvement with Brimbank council began with efforts to establish a hub for the Aboriginal community. An endeavour that culminated in the successful creation of ‘Cooinda’ in August last year – a culturally safe and welcoming space that offers programs

for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in Brimbank.

“Being part of the group that fought to get Cooinda was special. Myself and a few others were instrumental in making it happen,” she said.

“Cooinda is where we can mix, have programs, meet and greet, and share our culture. It’s something I’ve always been passionate about.”

Speaking up for Brimbank’s youth

Brimbank’s 2024 young citizen of the year, Alicia Gec says her love for Brimbank is deeply rooted in its diversity.

As a participant in the Brimbank youth council and the Western Bulldogs bark program, a recipient of the Duke of Edinburgh international award, and the junior lord mayor of Melbourne for 2020-21, Alicia has consistently demonstrated her passion for creating a brighter future for young people in Brimbank.

“Iamdeeplyhumbledandincrediblygrateful tobegiventhisprestigiousawardfor2024,”she said.“Iloveourdiversecommunitythatmakes Brimbank our home. My grandparents came to Brimbank when they immigrated from Europe more than 60 years ago and remained in Brimbank ever since. Brimbank has and continues to be very special for my family.”

Alicia is a strong advocate for promoting healthandwellbeinginBrimbankandsaysshe wants to play a role in helping to drive positive change for young people in the municipality.

“I would like to inform more people about the terrific resources and programs Brimbank has to offer that encourages and motivates young people to participate in sport. Programs such as in2sport are terrific programs that help children living in Brimbank take part in community sport, regardless of their families financial circumstances. We can spread these programs through school newsletters to get

even more children a chance to join a sport,” she said. “Young people need to keep active as a healthy body is a healthy mind which expresses the theory that physiology is an essential part of mental and psychological well-being. You need these two pieces to be a well-functioning person. I’ve been a member of Keilor Little Athletics Center for the past 11 years and it is fantastic. Girls in particular as theygetolderstartdroppingoutofsport.Their self appearance, body changes and confidence all have an impact on how they view sport. I would like to be an ambassador for the youth of Brimbank encouraging them to speak out when they are not ok and encouraging more

young people especially girls to continue or take up a sporting activity.”

Alicia is also passionate about creating greener spaces in Brimbank. She supports the initiative Greening the West, which aims to develop green spaces and increase tree canopy cover to mitigate the impacts of heatwaves.

“We need more trees in our schools and community. This allows greater shade and shelter during the hot weather,” she said.

Alicia’s advice for other young people in Brimbankistopursuetheirideasandadvocate for positive change without giving up.

“Remembering that your voice should be heard, especially since the youth of today are theleadersoftomorrow.Youarefullofsomuch potentialandcanshapethisworldbyretaining awareness and motivation for positive change through the virtue of what you do,” she said.

Alicia is inspired by the power, idealism, enthusiasm, and courage of young people in Brimbank.

“The youth of Brimbank are so powerful and we cannot afford to let the ideas of our young generation go untapped or unpacked. It’s inspiring to see our youth as active citizens, being involved in decision making and advocating for projects that may have otherwise remained untapped. We live in a great municipality, I would like to empower Brimbankyouthtogetinvolved,haveasayand make a difference.”

Achievements celebrated

Brimbank council celebrated the achievements of its residents at the annual We Are Brimbank Awards ceremony, hosted by mayor Ranka Rasic on May 23.

Council said these awards honour individuals, organisations, and community groups whose hard work and dedication have made a significant impact on the community.

This year’s recipients have been recognised for their work in displaying outstanding leadership, passionate dedication, inclusion and support, and environmental sustainability initiatives.

Aunty Jeanie Mason was honoured as citizen of the year for her dedication to enriching the arts scene and preserving Aboriginal cultural heritage.

Theyoungcitizenoftheyearawardwas taken out by Alicia Gec, a vibrant young leader recognised for her contributions throughtheBrimbankyouthcouncil,the Western Bulldogs bark program, and her role as junior lord mayor of Melbourne 2020-21.

The arts, culture or tourism award went to St Albans Business Association secretary Ross Morfea for his 25-year voluntary management of the St Albans Lunar Festival.

The Duke Street Community House took home the community engagement awardformorethan50yearsofproviding learning, support, and friendship to Brimbank’s most vulnerable members.

The environment or sustainability award landed in the hands of Ardeer South Primary School for their work in embedding sustainability education into their curriculum and empowering students to be environmental stewards, making significant contributions to preserving the environment.

The Keilor Sports Club was recognised with the sport and wellbeing award for organising inclusive and supportive eventsliketheKeilorGift,whichpromote physical activity and community wellbeing while providing opportunities for volunteerism and social interaction.

The community group of the year award went to the Vietnamese Families with Special Needs Inc. for their exceptional service in helping families overcome barriers to accessing services and support, fostering meaningful social interactions and community solidarity.

Brimbank mayor Ranka Rasic said the 2024 We Are Brimbank Awards pays tribute to the outstanding contribution of local community leaders, residents, businesses and community groups across Brimbank.

16-year-old Alicia Gec has been named as the 2024 Brimbank young citizen of the year.

(Damjan Janevski) 410463_01

2024 Citizen of the Year, Aunty Jeanie Mason. (Damjan Janevski) 397002_02

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 nouns ending in “s”.

Today’s

12 words: Good 18 words: Very good 24 words: Excellent

Vitelotte, Laura and King Edward are all types of what?

Which metal are Olympic gold medals predominantly made from?

Es is the symbol for which element of the periodic table?

1930s Melbourne saw the invention of which famous chocolate treat? 5 The smallest bone in the human body is called the what?

Usain Bolt (pictured) holds the record for which two Olympic categories?

7 Banjo Paterson wrote what poem in 1895, which later became a well-known song?

8 Digitalis is derived from which plant?

9 The Benko Gambit is used in which game?

10 The character Don Quixote is known for attacking which object?

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

Social table tennis and badminton

Locals are invited to a ’come and try’ sport and recreation activities held at the Keilor Basketball Netball Stadium for Men’s Health Week on June 11, from 9-11am. All equipment provided.

Linoprinting workshop

Join Sally Walshe aka Lady Mohawk to develop your art skills with a printmaking course. The three-hour course will cover design techniques, transferring and carving your design as well as inking and printing your own original art pieces. The workshop will take place at the Sunshine Library on June 6, from 10am-1pm. Cost is $20 – materials and refreshments provided.

■ https://www.trybooking.com/events/ landing/1226693?

Brimbank Bonsai Exchange

Locals are invited to join the Brimbank Bonsai Exchange to swap, buy or sell All are welcome, from beginners to experts. The day will feature workshops and demonstrations by Madam Bonsai as well as a BBQ sausage sizzle and coffee. The free event will be held on the second Sunday of the month. The June event will run on June 9, from 11am-3pm, at 332 Main Road East, St Albans.

■ https://events.brimbank.vic.gov.au/ brimbank-bonsai-exchange-3/

All abilities workshops

Join the Duke Street Community House for free workshops filled with fun and engaging activities and informative sessions alongside a supportive and inclusive community. Workshops range from nutrition, art therapy, wellness and fitness, financial support, mental health and sustainable planting. Workshops are held weekly on Thursdays, from 10am-12.15pm, until June 20.

Women’s only conversation English Duke Street Community House is inviting locals to make friends, learn new skills and practice English in this fun and free women’s social group. Tuesdays during school terms 9.30am-noon, at Duke Street Community House, 27 Duke Street, Sunshine.

■ 9311 9973, or dukest@dsch.org.au

Crafternoons

Duke Street Community House is inviting locals to a free adult social opportunity to get together and be creative. Learn a new craft or bring along your own craft projects. Tuesdays during school terms, 12.30-2.30pm, at the Duke Street Community House, 27 Duke Street, Sunshine.

■ 9311 9973, or dukest@dsch.org.au

Learn to relax

IPC Health is inviting locals to attend a free six-week program offering an introduction into different aspects of relaxation. Learn to relax provides free support for people aged 18 and over who are interested in learning how to relax and ways to effectively manage their stress. Located at IPC Health Deer Park, 106 Station Road, Deer Park, this group will run, from 10.30-11.30am, every Thursday until June 6. Registration is essential.

■ livingwell@ipchealth.com.au or 1300 472 432

Sunshine Heights Junior Soccer Club

The club is on the lookout for more girls to join its junior soccer teams from ages under-8s through to under-14. If you are keen to join, training is held every Tuesday and Thursday at Castley Reserve from 5.30pm – except for under 14 girls who

train from 6.30pm.

■ theclub@sunshineheightsjsc.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

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 Café 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.

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

Deer Park Lions Club

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

■ Michael, 0417 307 572

Sunshine Community Brass

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

■ Andrew, 0419 444 620

St Albans senior citizens

St Albans Senior Citizens group meet at the centre at the corner of Alfrieda and William streets, St Albans, on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, from 9am-2pm.

Annual membership: $10. Cost: $1 entry on attendance day.

■ Roma, 0435 991 064

Seniors lunch

Deer Park Branch of National Seniors Australia hosts a lunch on the third Friday of each month at different venues. The group also arranges 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

Caroline Springs Rotary

The Rotary Club of Caroline Springs is inviting new guests to join its meetings in person or via Zoom. Meetings are held every Wednesday at the Western Emergency Relief Network in Ravenhall, from 7pm.

■ rotarycarolinesprings@gmail.com

Chatty Cafe Melton

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

Women’s Support Group

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 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

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

This week’s photographer’s choice picture is of St Monica’s College students Daniel, Seth, Natasha, Drew, Emilia and Isabella preparing for their Hairspray Musical. (Damjan Janevski) 409678_01

Two journeys explored on stage

The Bowery Theatre is set to host a thought-provoking performance this June withOuterUrbanProjects’criticallyacclaimed theatre work, The Audition.

This compelling production, inspired by the journeys of two young Iranian immigrant artists, Milad Norouzi and Sahra Davoudi, offers a unique and intimate look at the parallels between the audition process and seeking asylum in Australia.

Directed by Outer Urban Projects’ artistic director Irine Vela, The Audition delves into the uncertainties faced by both actors and asylum seekers.

“Inbothcases,applicantswaitwhilesomeone more powerful determines their future, often

basedoffasingleencounter.Theasylumseeker, just like the actor, is an expert at being patient with a force that keeps them waiting without having their hopes dashed,” Vela said.

When The Audition premiered in 2019, Norouzi and Davoudi were doubly displaced within Australia and on its stages. They now have permanent Australian residency and are enjoying their artistic pursuits.

Outer Urban Projects aims to connect new and established artists based in the northern Melbourne fringes. It provides an open door forcollaboration,whereartistlivedexperiences shape the content of the stories that it shares.

Norouzi and Davoudi didn’t have to audition. Instead, they were invited to create

The Audition in collaboration with Irine Vela and writers Christos Tsiolkas, Patricia Cornelius, Melissa Reeves, Tes Lyssiotis and Wahibe Moussa.

Vela said the Melbourne-metro tour of The Audition ends during Refugee Week, which this year has the theme of ’Finding Freedom through Family.’

“The Audition offers a sharp and insightful perspective into the protocols and powers that permit or veto entry into our country and onto our stages,” said Vela.

The Audition will be on at the Bowery Theatre on June 21. Tickets are priced between $18 and $30. Details: outerurbanprojects.org/ works/theaudition

Woodend’s Winter Arts weekend

Music, discussions, and fireworks will fill the streets of Woodend for the 19th Winter Arts FestivalovertheKing’sBirthdaylongweekend.

Running from Friday, June 7 to Monday, June 10, the festival program features a diverse rangeofmusicalperformancesanddiscussions at multiple Woodend venues.

Over 100 musicians will perform during the festival, which will showcase both local and international artists across several genres.

The program includes Southern Spanish flamenco guitarist Paco Lara and dancer Deya Miranda Giner, Australian jazz great Paul Grabowsky, and twice ARIA-nominated Nat Bartsch.

For the piano enthusiasts, London-based pianist Piers Lane will perform a recital, and Woodend’s own Jacqueline Ogeil will lead

Accademia Arcadia’s ‘Early Solo Concertos’ on the Cristofori piano.

Ogeil is also the executive and artistic director of the festival, and said she is excited about this year’s line up.

“The quality and diversity of the program is evident in how well ticket sales have gone … withseveraleventsexpectedtoselloutoverthe next week,“ she said.

“Personally,Iamverymuchlookingforward to the performance of Bach’s St John Passion, which celebrates the 300 year anniversary of this great masterpiece.”

The‘Words&Ideas’programincludesaseries ofdebatesanddiscussionsfromaneclecticmix of speakers, such as immunologist and Nobel laureate Peter Doherty; journalists Gideon Haigh, Elizabeth Finkel, George Megalogenis;

and author0screenwriter Don Watson. Andrew Ford will reveal his latest book, and ABCRadiopresenterRobynWilliamswilllead a discussion on ‘Sex, Science and Singing’ with geneticist Jenny Graves.

“We’ve … included a feature on science as well as several talks which cover music in our Words & Ideas program – all of which promise to be entertaining and engaging discussions,” Ogeil said.

Fireworks will light up the sky at 6.30pm on the festival’s opening night, at a free and all-ages event at the Woodend Buffalo Sports Stadium.

Details: https://woodendwinterartsfestival. org.au/

Oscar Parry

Williamstown Literary Festival is set to turn

The Williamstown Literary Festival is returning for another year to bring readers together for a weekend of literary celebrations.

President Hugh Jones said the festival aims to bring together readers, writers and book creatives of all sorts for a wide range of activities.

“We are aiming to have a big, wide breadth of sessions so that we can appeal to as many people as possible,” he said

Now in its 21st year, the annual celebration will host a range of activities through story-telling, author talks, panel discussions and writing workshops, all across two days.

into the school holidays

Victorian kids can go to the zoo for free over the July school holidays and embark on an unforgettable journey back in time aszoosacrossthestatebecomeprehistoric playgrounds.

At Melbourne Zoo, visitors can venture along paths not normally open to visitors to discover 16 huge dinosaurs, their nests, and newly hatched young. For budding palaeontologists, there’s the chance to uncover a fossil in the sandpits, watched over by the mighty Tyrannosaurus Rex.

In an Australian first, Dinos at the Zoo will also provide unprecedented access to the deaf and hard of hearing community, withExpressionAustraliacreatingaseries of videos in Australian Sign Language (Auslan) to provide information on every exhibit, which is instantly accessible by scanning a QR code.

At Werribee Open Range Zoo, expect the unexpected as you encounter 14 awe-inspiring dinosaurs, smoking volcanoes, bubbling swamps, dino footprints, and unearth life-like dino fossils.

Within the Yarra Valley, step back in time along Healesville Sanctuary’s bushlandNatureTrailwhere16dinosaurs roam,orforthosewhopreferaguide,join a free walking tour with a ranger. Entry to all zoos is free for children under 16 years on weekends, school holidays,andpublicholidays.Dinosatthe Zoo will be free with zoo admission and will run until July 14.

another page

For her second festival, program director Emily Westmoreland said she has included several specialist writing workshops and increased the number of children’s sessions among the usual trove of author talks and panel discussions.

“Willy Lit Fest is different from other Victorian literary festivals in that we acknowledge our unique seaside setting and create a program to celebrate that,” she said.

“The amazing Jawbone Reserve will feature inasession,aswilltheYarraandMaribyrnong rivers, the local botanic gardens for bird watching and forest therapy, and Willy beach

itself for our now famous early morning swimming salon.”

Hoping to keep the festival as local as possible, Mr Jones said they have many local authors coming to speak.

“Itwasreallyimportantforustohavelocally represented authors from the west come in,” he said.“ThebeautyabouttheWillyLitFestisthat its local, and it is one of the things that really guide us in the promotion of the program.“

Morethan60individualsessionswillbeheld at the Williamstown Town Hall from June 14 to June 16. Details:https://www.willylitfest.org. au/weekend-pass/

Southern Spanish flamenco duo Paco Lara and Deya Miranda Giner. (Supplied)

Williamstown Literary Festival vice president Lis Grove and program director Emily Westmoreland. (Damjan Janevski) 406538_01

Roar

(Zoos Victoria)

The Audition will hit the stage at the Bowery Theatre in St Albans on June 21. (Darren Gill)

The

the

The application reference number is: P124/2024

You may look at the application and any documents that support the application at: •WWW.BRIMBANK.VIC. GOV.AU/BUILDINGDEVELOPMENT/PLANNING/ ADVERTISED-PLANS •CONTACT CITY PLANNING ON 9249 4606 OR EMAIL info@ brimbank.vic.gov.au, FOR A COPY TO BE POSTED •BRIMBANK COMMUNITY AND CIVIC CENTRE, 301 HAMPSHIRE ROAD, SUNSHINE (Monday to Friday, 8:45am to 5:00pm)

The responsible authority will not decide on the application before: 17/06/24

The Contact Officer is: Sarah Scala, (03 9249 4591)

Any person who may be affected by the granting of the permit may object or make other submissions to the responsible authority. Any comments received will be placed on the electronic file associated with this application and will be available for inspection.

An objection must be in writing and sent to the Brimbank City Council either:

•Online at www.brimbank.vic.gov.au/forms/planningobjection-online-form

• Email info@brimbank.vic.gov.au

• By post to PO Box 70, Sunshine, Vic, 3020

•In person at Brimbank Community and Civic Centre, 301 Hampshire Road, Sunshine Objections must include details of the application you are objecting to, your contact details and the reasons for the objection. If you do object, the responsible authority will tell you its decision.

Planning & Environment Regulations 2015 (Form 2)

SPORTS QUIZ

1. Which two teams competed in the 2024 A-League Men Grand Final?

2. Ukrainian boxer Oleksandr Usyk recently defeated which previously undefeated world heavyweight champion?

3. Brad Arthur most recently coached which NRL team?

4. Rival drivers Ricky

5. Which two teams competed in the 2024 NBA Western Conference finals?

6. Which two teams competed in the 2024 NBA Eastern Conference finals?

7. Which Australian swimmer is sometimes nicknamed The Big Tuna?

8. Which English soccer team

14. Which city is reportedly in talks with the NFL about hosting a regular game in Australia?

15. Australian golfer Min Woo Lee earned his nickname The Chef through his use of what three-word catchphrase?

16. Which two Premier League teams recently played a friendly match in Melbourne?

17. Which Australian NBA player led the league in blocks during the 2010–11 season?

18. What was the Super Rugby competition originally called when it first started in 1996?

19. Which 17-year-old recently became the youngest Premier League Darts champion?

20. What sport is the focus of the 2011 film Moneyball?

21. Three players from which A-League club were suspended after being charged over an alleged betting scandal?

22. Which Australian batsman was named man of the match in both the ODI World Cup final and World Test Championship final in 2023?

23. The famous motor racing venue Circuit de la Sarthe is known for which annual long-distance event?

24. Which Olympics were the last games to host artistic categories?

25. Which state won the first game of the Women’s State of Origin series?

26. What name was given to the infamous Ashes cricket series in 1932–33?

27. The King Charles III Stakes, a Group 1 thoroughbred horse race, is held in September each year at which venue?

28. In which year was the AFL Grand Final held at Waverley Park?

29. Which country has won the most gold medals in Olympic history behind the US and Russia?

30. Recently announcing her retirement from international soccer, Lydia Williams plays for which A-League Women club?

Central Coast Mariners and Melbourne Victory

Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

Katie McCabe

Hybrid powering up down under

By Derek Ogden, Marque Motoring

With a dim start to electrification of the automobile down under, due considerably to the snail-pace roll-out of charging infrastructure to keep up, many car manufacturers have doubled down on petrol/ electric hybrid models.

Latest switch-on is Hyundai with its new Kona SUV range consisting initially of internal combustion engine vehicles and totally electric powered variants.

The small sports utility hybrid vehicle makes use of a 1.6 litre petrol engine and six-speed dual clutch transmission with a 1.32 kwh battery pack and electric motor, designed to deliver a driving experience similar to a conventional ICE vehicle.

With an exceptional 3.9 litres per 100 kilometres fuel consumption (91 RON) on the combined cycle claimed by the maker, the full 38litrepetroltankshouldgiveacarefuldriver almost 1000 kilometres of range.

As well as standard features such as AM/FM/DAB+, wireless Apple CarPlay/ AndroidAutoconnectivity,HyundaiBluelink with calendar integration, Over-The-Air (OTA) updates, USB-C input and Google Fast Pair Service for Android across the Kona range, the test car was specced up to Premium level.

ThisleveladdedBluelinkconnectedsatellite navigation, Bluelink live traffic updates, voice control, SMS playback capability, split-screen function and voice memo function. Options on Premium include wide-glass sunroof at $1500, metallic mica paint $595 and Light Shale Grey/Sage Green interior $295.

The Kona N Line Hybrid is covered by Hyundai’s five-year unlimited kilometre warranty, with battery warranty of eight years or 160,000 kilometres.

Styling

The Kona hybrid follows on the futuristic design chops of the all-electric variant. Standout features of the Neoteric (aka modern) Yellow test car included light strip front and back, twin alloy tipped exhaust pipes, N Line body-coloured cladding, N Line front bumper with gloss black front bumper insert, N Line side skirts and N Line-exclusive 18-inch alloy wheels.

There’sablackNLinewing-typespoilerand mirror caps, N Line rear bumper, plus N Line aluminium badging. Dual projector beam headlights combine with LED indicators, black beltline moulding and ‘seamless horizon’ centre LED positioning light.

Interior

With wider-opening doors, back seat space – 77mm more leg room and 11 mm extra headroom – is well ahead of the previous Kona. Second-row shoulder room (1402mm) is also among the largest in class.

Buttons and dials dominate the climate and drive mode controls, so it’s simple to hop into Sport, or adjust the climate. Stacks of storage space is partly the result of the lack of a transmission tunnel with its old-style T-bar gear lever, leaving room for an open centre console.

All-new Kona’s optional N Line pack interior offers leather appointed seating with Alcantara inserts, along with red highlights and N logos. There’s an N Line steering wheel, dark metal door handles, plus leather dashboard tray and highlights. Black headlining and pillar trims may seem a bit too gloomy for some.

The boot has room for 470 litres of cargo with the rear seat backs raised, blowing out to 1421 litres with the backs folded (almost) flat. A temporary spare wheel can be found under the boot base, which is height adjustable.

Infotainment

The Kona follows its Hyundai cousins with a version of the 12.3-inch dual-screen high-resolution full digital set-up. Pleasingly, climate control air-con is via a series of buttons and knobs on the centre stack, not the

touchscreen.

Over The Air software updates lets users perform remote software and firmware updates for key systems, without the need to visit a service centre.

Engines/transmissions

NewforAustralia,theKonahybridpowertrain combines a 1.6-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine with an electric motor plugged into a 1.32 kWh battery pack. The electric motor produces 32 kW of power and 172 Nm of torque, the combined system putting out 104 kW and 265 Nm. The package is mated with a six-speed dual-clutch transmission.

Safety

This is where the Hyundai SmartSense safety system comes into the picture with functions including autonomous emergency braking (with pedestrian and cyclist detection), as well as AEB rear.

Also included are driver attention monitoring, blind-spot monitoring and assist, lane keep assist, safe exit warning, plus parking sensors.

And to help further in pedestrian safety,

the Kona Hybrid, with its almost silent powertrain, features a Virtual Engine Sound System which generates a futuristic sound for pedestrians to hear through a speaker at the frontofthevehicle.Afurtherchimeis‘played’ when the car is reversing.

There are seven airbags in Kona, including a front centre side airbag. Mounted in the left of the driver’s seat backrest, it can prevent or reduce the severity of injuries caused by coming together of front occupants, or collisions between occupants and the interior during a side impact.

Driving

The dash-mounted push-button start fires up theall-butsilentelectricmotor,tobejoinedby the 1.6-litre petrol engine, in an ultra-smooth transition at around 20 to 30 km/h when needed for optimum performance – a great help in town traffic.

It’s not the most powerful vehicle but a heavy-footed take-off can have the Kona’s front wheels spinning in the wet, trust me. Paddles behind the steering wheel allow the driver to get in on the action of the six-speed double-clutch tranny. Oh, and can deliver

different levels of regenerative braking. Claimed fuel economy is a miserly 3.9 litres per 100km on the combined urban/ highway cycle. On test the Kona accrued a fuel consumption figure of 5.1 litres per 100 kilometres over a week’s work on a range of road conditions.

Traffic sign recognition and warning sounds like a good idea but the Kona goes a step too far for my liking, not only issuing a visual warning but beeping too. Frequent changes of speed limit can come up with an incessant ‘one-note’ samba. More annoying than helpful.

Also, the system is inclined to pick up the speed limit of an on or off-ramp while still on the motorway and on test was wont to hold on to a car park 10km/h speed limit when the car was well on its way down the road.

Summary

With skinflint fuel usage without the worry of running out of ‘juice’ it’s a win/win situation with the Kona N Line petrol/electric hybrid SUV. Good looks, space and heaps of high-tech tackle add to the appeal, as does the $40K-plus sales price.

The full 38 litre petrol tank should give a careful driver almost 1000 kilometres of range. (Pictures: Supplied)

It was footy, footy and more footy for Star Weekly photographer Ljubica Vrankovic on Saturday. Here’s some of the action that she shot.

Winter football action kicks off

1/ Altona got a hard fought win against Parkside. 410694_16

Altona got a hard fought win against Parkside. 410694_24

Emily Kalos and Brooke Hards. 410706_16

Laverton’s Ruth Walker. 410700_12

Michael Luxford. 410695_10

Parkside Spurs had a big win on

Thomas Stelluto.

West Footscray fought hard against Sunshine. 410696_13

Clubs could die: Senior coach warns the WFL

Clubs could face death if something doesn’t change in the Western Football League, says one division 2 senior coach.

One coach has expressed that serious discontent is rife among its senior playing group,andsaidthe14-teamdivision2structure is causing former division 3 clubs to lose more than just games on Saturdays.

He is the second coach to speak out about concerns for clubs and the competition.

“What the league doesn’t look at as well, no one wants to train before games against these top sides, so when Thursday comes along, you do team selection and are lucky to get half a dozen staying back, so you’re losing money behind the bar, you’re losing money with dinners,” they said.

“Then on Saturdays, after the game everyone goes home because when you lose by 200, who

wants to stay back and talk?

“We’ve got functions during the year, but morale’s dead so there’s no money coming in then as well, it’s killing clubs.”

Thecoach,whodidn’twanttobenamed,said it has been hard to keep fronting up to training nights and game days, as it feels as though nothing they can do or say will change the fate when coming up against top tier division 2 clubs.

“I woke up on Saturday, I’ve got my bag, I’ve got my coaching stuff, and I just thought what am I doing?“ they said. “Like what am I even going to do as a coach?”

They said the merging of divisions has killed the league as being an option for top division club’s junior players seeking more senior football, as well as older players looking for a lower league to play in rather than retiring or

movingintoasuperrulesorthirdscompetition.

In division 2 this season, the average margin per game is 102 points.

In matches between a side that would have featured in division 3 if the league didn’t restructure this season against a side that would have been in division 2, the average margin is 165 points.

Last year, the average margins in division 2 and3were54pointsand71pointsrespectively.

As per a report sent to clubs late last year, the league said it understood that 2024 may be a teething period as clubs settle into the new structure.

“Following the club transfers of Deer Park andStAlbanstotheEssendonDistrictFootball League (EDFL) at the end of the 2022 season, the league engaged an independent consultant to complete a thorough review of the current

Thunder keen to build

By Tara Murray

KeilorThunderhasalreadymatcheditswinning total of the past two seasons in the National Basketball League 1 South competition, but that’s only the start.

TheThunderwoneightmatchesineachofits first two seasons in the competition, but only needed eight rounds to achieve that mark.

Coach Liam Glascott said they were hoping this was only the beginning of what they can achieve this season.

“We’ve hit that mark, but we’re confident of building on that,” he said. “The last few rounds we haven’t been scoring and the shots haven’t been dropping.

“We got a couple of close ones. Last week we found some good defence after being down by 12 at quarter time and then walked away with a win.

“Against Hobart we were able to come away with a win too after trailing.

Glascott said the arrival of Deng Acuoth madeahugedifferenceforthegroupdefensively. Against Kilsyth, he had 12 rebounds to go with his 18 points.

While the Thunder has been getting more wins on the board, it has lacked consistency from week to week at times.

Onlytwicehasitwonmorethanonegamein a row, including one three game winning run. Glascottsaidithasbeenaworkinprogressto get their whole team on the court.

“We’restillcomingtogether,”hesaid.“We’ve had guys come in late and there’s been some injuries.

“We almost had a whole roster against Hobart and Nunawading,” he said.

“We had guys who had come off planes after 35 hour flights and we’d only had Deng for a couple of sessions.

“Themorethegroupkeepstrainingtogether, the better we can be.”

Glascott said the draw also plays into the teams favour the next few weeks. The side only has single games per weekend for the next five weekends.

“Having singles the next five weeks in a row will help us a lot,” he said.

“We’ll have more bodies on the court this weekatpracticeandkeepingbuildingoutthere a group

“We’ll train like normal, but it will allow us to nurture some bodies through, with some guys carrying little niggles.”

The Thunder were set to be in action on Saturday night against the Melbourne Tigers on Friday night, after deadline.

Glascott said it was an important match for the side.

“They sit below us at 6-6 at the moment,” he said. “There’s a big cluster of teams on 6-6, 7-6 and we’re on 8-5 in seventh.

“We can’t allow them to keep coming. Hopefully we can keep going and get the win and go 9-5.”

The top of the table

also faces

WFNL football competition structure,” the report said. “This review was also instigated by a number of clubs who were adamant that significant changes were required to the divisional structure model. There was a large amount of feedback through both workshops and surveys that supported a move to a two division model of football with 80 per cent of the clubs indicating that this would be the preferred model for 2024.

“Furthermore, 70 per cent of clubs also indicated that the ideal number of teams per division is 10 and then the next highest response was 12 teams.

“We will also be able to reassess division 2 and potentially a Division 3 beyond 2024 upon further movement of clubs or teams.”

Gerald Lynch

Falzon to coach Cavs

Green Gully has appointed Ramon Falzon as its coach for the rest of the National Premier League season.

Falzon joins the Cavaliers after a distinguished career in NPL Western Australia, where he won four league premierships and championships, three top four trophies and one night series title, along with the 2021 NPL WA Premiership.

The Maltese-born coach was also awarded the NPL WA coach of the year in both 2018 and 2019.

Falzon also previously held roles as the head coach of Malta’s under-17 junior men’s national team, along with being part of Perth Glory’s youth team coaching staff.

Hesaidhebelievedintheassembled squad and looked forward to working with the players to start winning games more consistently.

“It’s a good bunch of players,” he said. “Most of the games I’ve seen, we’ve taken the lead but maybe missed that opportunity to get 2-0 up and then dropped points.

“For me, there’s a solid foundation to build on, and from our side, that’s the objective: take what we have and work with the players to build and push up the standings.”

No stranger to winning games and trophies, Falzon said his success in Australian football had been built on being adaptable to the unique challenges of each opponent.

“I think people come to games hoping to see their team win, so my philosophy is to ensure our team has the maximum opportunities to win,” he said.

“In terms of a style, that might vary game to game, but the objective is to try and collect the three points on game day. That’s our ultimate objective.”

Falzon will be joined by two new assistant coaches, with Adrian Mazzarella and Steven Pavlidis also arriving at Green Gully.

Mazzarella arrives at Green Gully with a vast array of coaching experience, including as an academy andjuniorcoachatthelikesofChelsea and Crystal Palace, as well as a coach of Victorian Junior Teams and within Football Australia’s Future Matildas Program.

women’s side

Tigers, after deadline.

Thunder was without coach Kristi Harrower and star guard Maddy Rocci, who were on Australian Opals duty,

Franjic keen to change fortunes at the Knights

New Melbourne Knights coach Ivan Franjic knows his side has its work cut out if they’re to turn their National Premier League season around.

Havingstartedtheseasonasskipper,Franjic stepped into the interim coaching role after the club parted ways with Ben Surey, before being appointed permanently.

Franjic said coaching the side wasn’t something he had seen happening this year.

“It’s been good and I’ve been setting the foundation and going from there,” he said. “Obviously I’m still playing this year but you never know what is around the corner.

“I took the challenge on with open arms.

“I’m still playing. It’s been a little bit of a challenge, but I’ve got good support staff around to make it easier.”

Franjic brings plenty of experience to the role.

A Melbourne Knights junior, Franjic spent two seasons with the Knights in 2007 and 2008 before making the move to A-League Brisbane Roar in 2009.

From there, Franjic secured a spot with Russian side Torpedo Moscow in 2014, and Korean side Daegu FC in 2017, before returninghomeandhavingstintswithvarious

A-League clubs coming back to the Knights in 2023 under Ben Cahn.

Franjic has made 20 appearances for Australia and played in the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

Franjic also holds a coaching A-Licence

Franjic, who remains the club’s junior technical director as well, said for a big club like the Knights the season had been below part and unacceptable to some degree.

After 15 rounds the Knights were in 10th spot with four wins and three draws among their results.

Franjic said he had looked to change things to try and turn their season around.

“There’s some hard work to be done,” he said.

“We’re setting the foundations and working our way up. We’ve changed a few things every coach has their own philosophy.

“It’ll take some time and week by week there’s positive signs getting stronger as the season goes on.”

Franjic said they would assess where they’re at before deciding to make moves in the transfer window, which falls later this year.

He said they could start looking at players for the future in that period as well.

The Knights were in action on Saturday against Avondale, after deadline.

“There’s no easy game,” Franjic said. We respecteveryopponentandfocusonourselves.

Falcons perched on top

By Tara Murray

City West Falcons moved to the top of the Victorian Netball League championship ladder with a solid win against Boroondara Express on Wednesday night.

The Express entered the match on top, but having played one more game than the Falcons, and having won the first grand final match by one goal in round one.

The Falcons were able to control the game for the most part getting out to a solid 10 goal lead.

They let the Express back in the third quarter before steadying and running away for a 64-55 win.

Falcons coach Marg Lind was fairly happy with the performance.

“It was a good win,” she said. “We had our moments.

“We had a bit of a conniption in the third quarter. I thought we did really well to value the ball in attack and make sure that we allowed Jane [Cook] a little bit of extra time and that paid off on the scoreboard in the second.

“I think we just got mentally lazy. We were 10 up, had a conniption and that got back on track.”

Lind admits that they do get crazy with the ballattimesandarerisktakers,butsometimes they push it too far like they did in the third quarter.

“I like it… But at the same time it can put you in a tight position like it did tonight at times.

“I thought we did pretty well. We have to iron out those periods of craziness.“

Lind said they had shown a lot of improvementfromthefirsttimetheyfacedthe Express,buttherewasstillmoreimprovement to come.

Cook shot 52 goals for the Falcons in the win as they used just eight players.

Lind said it was a hard performance to pick a standout player from.

“I think Cookie has still been really solid this year,” she said. “Our attack end, Mon [Holmes] and Maggie had great moments and then some moments of conniption.

“Sophie [Hanrahan] the same. We didn’t really have anyone that put the four quarters together. I thought Soli [Ropati] had five minutes where she lagged off too much, apart from that she had a really decent game.

“She did a good job like she covered hard tonight and ran the ball out of the d. That’s

when we got that 10 ahead.”

Lindsaidshethoughttheyranthedefenders clever fully as well and were able to readjust with the Express rolling plenty of rotations.

The Falcons under-23s returned to the winners list, beating the Express 48-43.

Lind said after losing the last two weeks to the teams she believes are at the top, it was

good to get a win like that.

Lind said it was good to bring Elisa Butterworth-Gonebale up from their development team.

The Falcons sit in fifth spot, percentage outside the top four.

this week

the

Western Suburbs are still working out the right mix in the FV state league 1 north-west.

Having been promoted into state league 1 this season, Western Suburbs has taken some time to find its feet.

After nine rounds, Western Suburbs had three wins, two draws and four losses.

Committee member Sasha Pete said the season hadn’t gone to plan so far.

“We have dropped some matches and won just about as many,” he said. “We’re in the middle of the table and our senior coach decided to resign.

“We’ve appointed our assistant as coachandwearenowaboutregrouping and trying to solidify our position in state league 1 this season.

Pete said the ladder position was a true indication of where they should be sitting, with the matches they’ve lost ones they should have.

He said they were still finding their feet this season.

“It’s really about finding the balance in the playing group,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of new players in the team and it’s about gelling them together.

“I think if we kept the same team we would be more competitive early on. This team needs time to gel.”

Pete said the decision to appoint Marijan Cvitkovic as coach for the rest of the season was about keeping some continuity in the team.

Cvitkovicservedasaplayingassistant under old coach Harry Matkovic.

He brings great experience playing at the highest level in Victoria including being a former Melbourne Knights captain-coach and gold medal player of the year.

“He knew the players and we saw no reason why to change that and we want that way,” Pete said.

“We’re looking forward to seeing what he can do at this level.”

Western Suburbs was set to face Corio in round 10 on Saturday, after deadline.

Pete said it was a must win game for them to help consolidate their position.

Tara Murray

“We’re improving every week and we’re at the stage we want to hopefully we picking up lots of results.”

Tara Murray

Melbourne Knights are hoping to turn their season around. (Ljubica Vrankovic)

The Falcons

face

Wilson Storage Southern Saints.

Jane Cook. (Robbab Photography)

The Lions stun Tigers with big win

Taylors Lakes made a statement with a big win against Westmeadows in the Essendon District Football League division 2 competition.

After some up and down performances in recentweeks,theLionsheadedtoWillowbrook Reserve to face Westmeadows.

The Tigers had just lost one game for the season, but had failed in their last hit out against one of the top two sides.

On Saturday, the Lions put in almost a completeperformance,winning19.15(129)-4.5 (29).

LionscoachSteveBurnssaidtheywerereally happy with the performance.

“Westy had a couple out late with sickness through the club in the week,” he said. “We got them on a good day and played really well.

“We’ve been a little bit up and down with our form. Last week we played one quarter of good footy, against Hadfield we were good and then ordinary in some patches as well, but did enough to win.

“We played three and half quarters of really good footy.”

Burns said the key for them was to play their style of football and not let the Tigers get their running game going.

He said it was about pressuring them into making mistakes and not getting the space.”

With a couple of key forwards out, the Lions have looked at different avenues to find goals.

On Saturday, Lachie Rayner kicked five and Brendan Lucas kicked four.

“Lachie played full forward a bit of the time,” Burns said. “Brandon Raad is back from injury and is playing in the ruck.

“It frees Lachie to play other positions for us.

“Christian Petersen had a good game as did BrendenLucas.Wehadarangeofcontributors.

Burns said the likes of Tomi Ibarra in game 200, Aaron Vendramini, Chris Vulic and Nick McIntosh all had good games.

“We didn’t have a bad player,” he said.

TheLionsgetthisweekoffwithacompetition wide bye due to the King’s Birthday long weekend.

While the Lions sit undefeated, Burns said the group was in need of a break.

“Even last week we sent the players to the pool,” he said. “We’re happy to be undefeated, we’ve had four games away already.”

The Lions have a tough run after the bye, facing the Sunbury Kangaroos, Coburg Districts and Burnside Heights.

The Bears also remain undefeated after beating Hadfield, 19.18 (132)-6.7 (43) on Saturday.

In premier division, Keilor continued on its winning ways, while Deer Park made it two in a row.

While in division 1, St Albans smashed Rupertswood, Hillside suffered its first loss of the season to Maribyrnong Park, while Keilor Park lost to Moonee Valley.

Roos ready to improve

By Tara Murray

Sunshine keeps piling up the wins but it still has plenty of work to do in the Western Football League division 2 competition.

The Kangaroos haven’t lost since their first match of the season against Albion and have since had several big margin results.

On Saturday, they had one of those against West Footscray, but Kangaroos coach Ben Chapman said the result didn’t show the true nature of the match.

The Kangaroos got the win, 28.21 (189)-8.10 (58) after leading by 90 points at quarter time.

“The margin looks like one way traffic, but the second half was disappointing,” he said. “It’s difficult when you are in control of the game and trying to stay engaged.

“Credit to West Footscray they never gave up and played some good footy and kicked five goals in the final quarter.”

With an average winning margin of 162 you could be forgiven for thinking will just Kangaroos think it’s just going to happen.

Chapman said they had a really driven group which made it easier trying to keep them engaged.

“We’ve got some competition for spots at the moment, it keeps a fair chunk of the group on their toes,” he said.

“We’ve been working on what we can control and get the process right, the result will be what it is.

“We’ve changed the way we go about training as well, made it more scenario based as the majority of games we don’t know a lot about the opposition.

“We’re not worried about the opposition.”

Nathan Carroll kicked 11 goals for the Kangaroos to take his total to 55 goals for the season in eight games.

Chapman said Matthew Cravino was good in the midfield, while Kahlan Williams, Mark Mazzeo, Luke Buttigieg and Thomas McIntosh were the other standards.

ThewintakestheKangaroosto7-1,thirdon the ladder behind Albion and Wyndhamvale which are undefeated.

Gray pulls on the yellow and black jumper

From a premiership with Keilor, to a stint with Essendon in the Victorian Football League, and now to the big league with Richmond, it has been a whirlwind six months for Campbell Gray.

The 20-year-old, 195 centimetre utility was taken by Richmond with pick 16 of the AFL mid season rookie draft. on Wednesday.

Gray was interviewed on the draft broadcast on Wednesday night moments after being selected and he was completely shellshocked.

“It’s crazy… just unbelievable to be honest, just can’t wait,” he said.

Gray was surrounded by Essendon VFL teammates as he learned his fate and he said he attributes his selection to the help they have given him since he joined the club this season.

“I wouldn’t be where I am without them, they’ve pushed me harder… When it comes to standards they’ve really brought it out of me and made me a better player,” he said.

“It’s been a quick turnaround, six months. Just grateful for people believing in me and giving me the tools to be able to work my craft and just get better.

Chapman said while they’re happy the process is only just beginning.

“There’s processes we have to get right more than results per se,” he said. “We haven’t lost a game since the first game, which is pleasing, but we still have a fair bit of work to do and a lot of improvement in us.

The Kangaroos get a week off with a competitionwidebyeduetothelongweekend.

Chapman said they would look to freshen up the group ahead of the second half of the season.

“We’re nearly at the halfway mark, we’ll assess where we’re at and reset for the back half of the season.”

The Kangaroos have a good challenge after the bye, facing Wyndhamvale. It will be the Falcons biggest test this season.

Inotherresults,AlbanvaleupsetBraybrook, 15.9 (99)-14.4 (88), while Sunshine Heights lost to Wyndhamvale, 18.17 (125)-4.4 (28).

North Sunshine had a tough day against the Suns, losing 32.13 (205)-2.5 (17), while Albion beat Newport, 16.12 (108)-6.6 (42).

“Just week in, week out, doing everything right and it’s paid off.”

Gray played every game for Keilor in its Essendon District Football League premier division premiership season last year, kicking 17 goals in 20 matches.

Richmond recruiters couldn’t speak more highly of their new recruit.

“Campbell has played every game for Essendon VFL in 2024, as a key position utility, spending time in defence, forward and ruck,” recruiters said in a statement on the Richmond website.

“He is a versatile, competitive key position player who is strong in the air and has excellent recovery and intent at ground level. He is an extremely likeable and hardworking character, currently a fourth year apprentice electrician whilst balancing VFL commitments.

Tara Murray Aaron Vendramini. (Ljubica Vrankovic) 347357_08

Kahlan Williams. (Ljubica Vrankovic) 410696_15

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