Fired up for health cup
The 2024 Mental Health Cup is locked in for Sunday, September 22, as firefighters and umpires unite to raise awareness for mental health and support the community.
Taking place at Avalon Airport Oval (Chirnside Park) in Werribee, the ball will bounce at 10am and the game will be followed by a function at 12.30pm featuring a guest speaker and a comedian.
Both groups have been touched in some way, shape or form by mental illness – be it fighting their own battles or witnessing those of family, friends and colleagues, and at times the being faced with the most tragic of outcomes.
The game dates back over 15 years, with several CFA brigades and the WRFL Umpires Association making a tradition of the friendly yet competitive game of footy.
The CFA and WRFL umpires association encourage the community to purchase a ticket to a great match of Aussie Rules Football and to get behind either the umpires or the firies.
Rally against freight hub
By Adrian Black, AAP
Residents of Little River have rallied against plans for a multi-billion dollar freight hub, which they say threatens nearby grasslands and wildlife.
Around 250 locals of Little River, near Werribee, gathered in protest at a proposed Pacific National freight terminal that would handle as many as two million containers a year. The hub, which has not yet been approved for a 550-hectare site, would cost between $3 billion and $5 billion and take 25 years to build.
Little River, with a population of 1400, has formed an action group and gathered 5000 signatures so far opposing the terminal.
Grassland ecologist Dr Megan O’Shea said the site had been planned in an environmentally sensitive area.
“A massive freight hub will sever the link between Western Grassland Reserve and the internationally recognised Ramsar wetlands of Port Phillip Bay, impacting on the threatened plants and animals,“ Dr O’Shea said.
Earlier this year, federal environment minister Tanya Plibersek rejected Victorian state government plans to dredge the Western Port Ramsar wetlands to build a wind turbine
assembly plant at the Port of Hastings.
Locals have photographed the endangered growling grass frog in Little River, while departmental surveys have found critically endangered golden sun moths on neighbouring land.
Other threatened animals such as the striped legless lizard and fat-tailed dunnarts have also reportedly been spotted nearby.
Grassy Plains Network facilitator Adrian Marshall said the freight terminal would impact the equivalent of around 75 football fields of rare volcanic plain grassland.
“99 per cent of Victoria’s native grasslands have been destroyed. Why remove more?“ Dr
Marshall said.
“There has not been a proper environmental assessment of the site. What is the logic of putting a freight terminal there?“
Little River Action Group president Adrian Hamilton said if the terminal was built, 1500 trucks would pass through the area every day.
“This freight terminal will bring significant noise, light pollution and fumes emissions to our door,“ Mr Hamilton said.
“It makes no sense that residential development is banned on the green wedge, but they are proposing an industrial freight monolith in the centre of a fragile and threatened ecosystem.“
Peter Habersatt from Hoppers Crossing CFA holds the cup. (Damjan Janveski) 427173_01
Pan-fried Snapper, Potato Mash, Tomato, Olive, Caper Herb Salsa or Gnocchi, Basil Pesto, Green Beans, Leek, Broccolini, Kale, Pecorino
72 Hour Dough, Confit Garlic, Rosemary, Olive, Sea Salt
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The future of Kelly Park debated
Jaidyn Kennedy
The details of the planned demolition of Kelly Park were the subject of debate during Wyndham council’s planning committee meeting on August 13. The heritage-listed centre, which for decades served as one of Wyndham’s most popular community spaces, was destroyed by fire in June, 2022.
Thedecisiontodemolishratherthanrebuild Kelly Park and turn the site into green space was made at a council meeting in December, 2023, but only made public in April this year.
An assessment of the impact on the heritage place was undertaken by external consultant who found that the recent buildings did not contribute to the significance of the park are not protected under the heritage overlay. It stated the removal of the building would positively impact park and its landscape.
Councillor Mia Shaw proposed an alternative recommendation for the planning committee to defer scheduled demolition and request council’s chief executive Stephen Wall bring back a detailed report of expenditures and depiction of a new Kelly Park Centre
before February 2025.
She called for a new facility equipped with meeting spaces and a community kitchen.
“I think this is where a new and more modern community centre facility can be located,” Cr Shaw said. “Current Kelly Park Centre is no longer fit for purpose and this is ouropportunitytoturnitintosomethingmore vibrant and accessible for our community.”
The motion was defeated six to four.
Cr Heather Marcus tabled a resolution for the planning committee to issue a notice of refusal to grant the planning permit on the
Artist winds back Watton St clock
Local artist and primary teacher Linda Venema has brought Werribee’s history back to life through her recreation of old Watton Street.
The idea for the piece came when restaurateur Elie Touma asked her to create something to hang in his Brothers on K establishment in Werribee South.
After taking a trip to the Werribee District Historical Society and Museum (WDHSM) and inspecting three photos of different parts of Watton Street from the 1800s, she blended aspects of each to settle on a design.
The piece depicts a conceptualisation of Watton Street’s first European settlement.
The painting is 180cm x 90cm and came together in a two-day flurry.
“I thought it was going to take two weeks to do - I kept going and going and going, and then in like two days it was done,“ Venema said.
Several of the buildings captured in the piece still stand today, such as The Park Hotel and WDHSM.
Venema, who has been doing art for over10 years, traces her earliest Australian roots to
Werribee, where her grandparents settled after arriving from The Netherlands.
The idea of travelling back through time sparked an interest in the area’s past.
“I hadn’t really thought about it until [Touma] said ’do you want to do old Werribee?’ and I was like actually that’s really interesting to find out more,“ Venema said.
Diners and art dabblers can view the piece at Brothers on K, 1 K Road, Werribee South.
Jaidyn Kennedy
grounds of it not accommodating people of all abilities, ages and cultural groups, further requestingdetailsoffinancesandaconceptual design of the future structure.
“Kelly Park is more than just a building – it was a cherished community space that holds memoriesandplayedacrucialroleinbringing people together,” she said.
Debate broke out following Cr Jasmine Hill’s support of the motion of refusal, with several councillors being instructed to not disclose information from a confidential meeting.
Mercy work has started
Works on Werribee Mercy Hospital’s emergency department expansion have commenced, with Minister for Health Infrastructure Mary-Anne Thomas turning the first sod today.
The project is set to double the current capacity of the emergency department to support an additional 25,000 patients every year.
Mercy Health Group chief executive Angela Nolan spoke about the importance of the upgrades.
“Mercy Health has a long and proud history of providing high quality healthcareintheWest.Theexpansionof Werribee Mercy Hospital’s emergency department is a significant milestone in our history of caring for the Werribee and Wyndham community.“ she said.
Patient treatment spaces will be expanded from 33 to 67 and deliver four new resuscitation bays, 16 short-stay beds, 36 emergency care cubicles as well as a behavioural assessment room.
Health Infrastructure Minister Mary-Anne Thomas discussed the upgrades.
“By doubling the treatment spaces, this project will also help to alleviate pressure on busy, nearby emergency departments and make it easier for ambulances to get back on the road,” she said.
The works are forecasted to be completed in 2026, with the state government expecting the creation of over 300 local jobs in the construction industry.
The project is part of a $280 million investment to boost capacity of the emergency departments at Werribee Mercy Hospital and Casey Hospital Berwick.
Artist Linda Venema and restaurateur Elie Touma pose with her piece. (Supplied)
Werribee Library shut until 2025
Werribee Library will temporarily close to the public as works ramp up on an $7.4 million upgrade of the Wyndham Cultural Centre.
The library will be closed from September 2 until early 2025 while critical works are under wayontheWyndhamCulturalCentreupgrade, which includes works within the library.
Wyndham mayor Jennie Barrera said the Werribee library would be closed for longer than originally anticipated due to the impact thatconstructiontodatehashadonday-to-day operations.
“As well as significant dust and noise, it
was discovered that the electricity and other servicesforthelibraryandWyndhamCultural Centre are inextricably linked, which has already resulted in multiple power and internet outages for the library,” Cr Barerra said.
“As a result, Werribee Library will be closed for longer than originally anticipated for the safety of the public and library staff, and to allow the Cultural Centre upgrade to occur smoothly and efficiently, without frequent disruptions to library operations.”
Cr Barrera said council would operate a shuttleservicefromtheWerribeeLibrarytothe
New white rhino at zoo
Werribee Open Range Zoo is celebrating the birth of a southern white rhino.
The 60-kilogram male calf was born in the early hours of Sunday, August 18 to 15-year-old father Kifaru and 11-year-old mother Kipenzi following a 16-month pregnancy.
The calf’s birth is a major milestone for the zoo and breeding efforts for the species in Australasia.
Native to southern Africa, it is estimated as few as 10,080 southern white rhino remain in the wild.
Kipenzi’s gave birth to a calf in March 2023 that unfortunately died hours after its birth.
Despite being hand-reared, Kipenzi’s is forming a strong bond with her calf in her second chance at motherhood.
Werribee Open Range Zoo director Dr Mark Pilgrim said staff were thrilled to see the calf thrive.
“Kipenzi is taking extremely well to
motherhood and has been very gentle, attentive and calm. She also calls him back if he strays too far.”
Minister for Environment Steve Dimopoulos welcomed the news.
“We’re delighted to celebrate the birth of a southern white rhino calf at Werribee Open Range Zoo. I encourage families to take advantage of their free entry for kids this school holidays and learn more about the critical work being done to protect these treasured animals into the future,“ he said.
Southern white rhinos are classified as near threatened, facing threats such as poaching, habitat destruction and fragmentation as human populations and infrastructure grows.
The calf will be named in coming weeks through a voting competition for Zoos Victoria members and donors.
Details: https://www.zoo.org.au/werribee
UV proud to wear purple
Victoria University (VU) has celebrated acceptance ahead of international Wear It Purple day.
VU organised a series of events from August 22 to 27 designed to show strong support for the LGBTIQA+ community.
The events included a tour of Melbourne’s Victorian Pride Centre, a call for students to join VU’s Queer
Collective - a group focused on creating social events and safe spaces - and a special creative-based event.
The creative event encourages students and staff to submit stories, poems, artworks, or any form of creative expression under the theme, Your Passion, Your Pride.
The idea for this creative initiative was conceived by C Freeland, a third-year psychology student and a part-time member of VU’s Equality, Inclusion, and Belonging unit.
C sees participation in Wear It Purple not
Hoppers Crossing Library at Pacific Werribee between 10am-4.30pm, Monday to Saturday, throughout the closure.
“The returns chute at Werribee Library will also remain open during this time,” she said.
“All other libraries remain open, or you can access a huge range of eBooks, eAudiobooks, eMagazines, movies, TV shows and other online resources for free through Wyndham’s eLibrary.”
Cr Barrera said council was looking forward to unveiling the refreshed Wyndham Cultural Centre in 2025.
“The Wyndham Cultural Centre upgrade will deliver a transformed space that better meets the needs and expectations of exhibiting artists, audiences, users of the facility and the broader community,” she said.
“This exciting project will relocate and revamp the gallery spaces, provide a new collection space for the visual art collection, and modernise and refresh the bar, foyer and amenities.
“It will also provide a direct entry into Werribee Library from Wedge Street.”
just as a means of personal growth, but as a way to ensure that others do not face the same struggles they did.
“It wasn’t until I left the workforce and came to university as a mature aged student in my 30s that I truly began to embrace who I am.
“Coming out as trans and non-binary marked the start of my ‘second puberty,’ a phase where I could finally grow into my authentic self,” they said.
International Wear It Purple day, observed annually on the last Friday in August, was founded in 2010 to support young rainbow people facing challenges in acceptance and support due to their sexuality or gender identity.
Wear It Purple day will take place on Friday, August 30 this year.
Details: vu.edu.au/about-vu/news-events/ events/wear-it-purple-day-2024
Jaidyn Kennedy
C Freeland wearing it purple. (Supplied)
Kipenzi and her calf. (Supplied)
Students lead college mental health seminar
In an era where youth mental health is more crucial than ever, Werribee Rotary is leading the way with a seminar featuring AFLW player Kate McCarthy and psychologist Maria Ruberto.
Dedicated to girls, young women and parents, this annual event will be held at MacKillop College on Thursday, September 12, from 6.30pm-8.30pm.
Werribee Rotary Club president Robert Fava said the combination of sports and psychology expertise will make the seminar unique and attract nearly 200 people.
“The speakers we have this year will be a real highlight as they showcase both a great knowledge around mental health issues, but also show a personal story of overcoming hardship and developing resilience through lived experience,” Mr Fava said.
“The speakers we have selected will bring a wide number of people from across the community to discuss mental health issues. We are hoping to build on the numbers that attended last year, we hope to get around 150 members of the community to attend.
“The event will be open to young girls and women across all ages from year 7 to year 12 and beyond.”
A key driving force behind the seminar is the ongoing concerns raised by MacKillop students.
“The seminar and the topics discussed will be very much based around the issues that young girls and women have told us they would like to discuss. We have sought the opinions of the girls on the topics they would like to discuss and these topics are very much a focus,” Mr Fava said.
“The event will be held in RUOK Week which is a week focused on looking out for others to see if they are okay. As such the timing is really important to raise awareness of important mental health issues for young people.”
The seminar aims to raise awareness on mental health, provide practical resolutions and access to support services.
“The focus of the seminar is all about practical knowledge and skills, for those attending the focus will be on what can I take
away and incorporate into my life to support my mental health,” Mr Fava said.
“Students we hope will take away knowledge, inspiration, practical skills and strategies to support their mental health.
“One of the key things we would like to provide for attendees is a personal action plan for them to be able to use at times of stress.”
MacKillop’s student wellbeing director Andrew Exton said Werribee Rotary had partnered with MacKillop College to make a lasting impact in the community.
“We as a college are constantly looking for ways to connect with our community. We have previously worked with Werribee Rotary to highlight mental health challenges for young men, and we wanted to offer the same opportunities for our young girls. The issues experienced by young girls and women are unique and often not well understood by the girls themselves so we hope to educate, inform and inspire those in attendance.”
Laughter helps promote change
By Afraa Kori
South-Sudanese comedian Ciang Ajeic is reaping what he’s sown online and in reality.
From a young age Ciang, who lives in Tarneit, was drawn to the world of comedy, finding inspiration from his surroundings and developing his own unique comedic style.
“I definitely think that African people are veryfunnypeople,myfather,mother,brothers they all have influenced my personality and humour over the years. One of my biggest influences was my cousin MOOSH, his real name is Deng Amad. He used to make very funny videos all throughout high school and he really inspired me to try it out and taught me how to edit and shoot videos,” Ciang explained.
“Mystyleofcomedyismainlyobservational humourbasedonmyormyclosefriends’lived experience. Also growing up as a chubby kid I don’t shy away from using self-deprecating humour too. I definitely developed my humour a lot during my childhood, I would use it to socialise with my peers, make friends and to defend myself from bullying.”
When Ciang officially pursued comedy in 2021, he was up against cultural norms and COVID-19 restrictions on the arts industry.
“Imadevideosforthreeyearsstraightbefore I got a big following because I was patient and consistently tried every year,“ he said.
“I really appreciate everyone that follows me. Four years ago when I first started I couldn’t have dreamt of being where I am today. The best way I engage with them is through my skits on Instagram and TikTok. That’s how I started, that’s how it’s always going to be and that’s how many discovered me. So I can’t ever stop making videos that are relatable and funny.”
Now, his biggest challenge is embracing live comedy. After a friend suggested he try an open mic, Ciang got up on stage for the first time and “fell in love with it”.
“To be honest the only challenge I’ve faced as a comic from a diverse background is that many people from the brown and black communities are not really familiar with comedy in Australia. Many of them tell me that they have never been to a comedy show. So it’s been hard but worth it building that awareness of comedy over time. Through my platform and shows, hopefully we will have more brown and black communities at the comedy shows in the future.”
Ciang is changing the game by launching The Laugh House, a monthly comedy show, set to debut on August 28 at Kindred Studios in Yarraville.
“What made me want to start The Laugh House is basically the lack of brown and black comedy shows in Melbourne. So I thought instead of just crying about it, I’ll use my platform with the help of African Youth Alliance (AYA) to build that space for ourselves. I’m very excited to see what it grows into.
“Audience can expect a lot of laughs of course, but also a space that is accessible and that is welcoming, where they get to hear jokes and stories that they can relate to and understand.”
A highlight of his career has been touring nationally and performing for diverse audiences.
“This year was the first time I had toured the country to do comedy, although I was just opening for one of my brothers Dahn Rozario. It was definitely a big eye opening moment to see all the things that go into running a national tour. I learnt a lot from the experience.”
As a refugee who fled his war-torn country and migrated to Australia in 2004, Ciang approaches his life and career humbly.
“My journey, or should I say my family’s journey to come to this country and give me the opportunities that I have today, has definitely impacted my life and my perspectives. Because of my journey, I always try to keep a positive mindset. This reminds
me of my favourite quote; sometimes I have to remind myself, that on my worst day I live like somebody on their greatest (Meek Mill).
“The people of my home country inspire me, the South Sudanese people. The things that we have been through in the past and we still have a smile on our faces and we still are very humble. I have dreams to inspire the next generation of young Sudanese kids, especially the ones that want to pursue comedy or entertainment. By making it, I can show them that they can also make it.”
Tickets to Laugh House: https://www. eventbrite.com.au/e/the-laugh-housecomedy-club-tickets-973602329777 -
Afraa Kori
MacKillop College student Alice and Werribee Rotary Club president Robert Fava. (Damjan Janevski)
South-Sudanese comedian Ciang Ajeic. (picture Kuti Kalo)
Mixed economic news
The Committee for Wyndham has hosted its economic update for the 11th year in a row last week, featuring NAB Group chief economist Alan Oster.
Committee for Wyndham chief executive Leanne Down opened proceedings, before Mr Oster delivered a forecast on Wyndham’s economic outlook in front of a full house.
During his presentation, Mr Oster said GDP growth is expected to slow to about 1.2 per cent in 2024, impacted by slower global growth and rising interest rates. However, growth is anticipated to return to about 2.2 per cent by 2025 and maintain a similar pace from there.
Briefs
Container depot open TOMRA Cleanaway’s new container deposit network depot in Point Cook opened on Wednesday, August 21. Located at 2/6 Wallace Avenue, the facility will be operated by Recycle4Change, a charity that is part of the Chance Creators Group and provides employment and support for individuals who have experience with the justice system. The site is designed to process large commercial quantities of eligible drink containers quickly and efficiently. The onsite technology processes up to 100 containers per minute, making it suitable for sporting groups, hospitality venues and school clean-ups. The depot is open Monday to Saturday from 9am to 5pm. Details: https://cdsvic.org.au/locations
New kinder funding
While price inflation has peaked, it will remain elevated for some time, Mr Oster said.
Wage growth, currently about 4.1 per cent, is expected to moderate to about 3.8 per cent by 2024.
The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) is in a data-watching phase, with expected interest rate cuts starting in the first half of 2025, potentially lowering rates to 3 per cent by mid-2026, the forum heard.
Jaidyn Kennedy
Currently at a low of approximately 4 per cent, unemployment is projected to rise slightly to 4.5 per cent by late 2024, influenced by labour shortages and seasonal factors, according to Mr Oster.
Good News Lutheran College can start planning for new kinder facilities in Werribee, after receiving a $150,000 grant from the state government. Good News Lutheran College will use the funding to plan a three-room integrated childhood service at its new Mambourin campus. The centre will accomodate allied health, maternal and child health and community services as well as threeand-four-year-old kindergarten.
FOR BREAKING NEWS, VISIT
Web: starweekly.com.au
Wyndham Star Weekly @starweeklynews @star_weekly
Here’s a rare opportunity to buy into one of the happiest villages in the West!
Your new villa is only just the beginning. As an extension of your new home, our residents share beautiful community facilities — from the Clubhouse to the pool, to the Bowling Green — there’s enough space to entertain and enjoy yourself.
Properties at Point Cook Village rarely come up for sale and don’t stay on the market for long, so be quick!
book a tour of the village, call
NAB Group chief economist Alan Oster addresses the Committee for Wyndham’s annual economic update.
Hajra discovers community through TAFE nursing course
Hajra Bibi, an international student from Pakistan, has found a new home for her passion and skills through her discovery of the Australian education and healthcare system. Her journey, grounded in a desire to care for people and connect with her community, has been born at The Gordon, Victoria’s largest regional stand-alone TAFE which offers nursing programs in Werribee.
“I chose to study nursing because I’m passionate about helping others and have a strong desire to make a positive impact on people’s lives,“ Hajra said.
Her choice to study in Australia, renowned for its superior education system and vibrant culture, was fuelled by a desire to immerse herself in a new environment, enhance her language skills, and delve into the field of nursing—adisciplineAustraliaisrenownedfor.
With a blend of reputable educational institutions, picturesque landscapes, and a community that balances urban and relaxed lifestyles, studying outside of Melbourne’s CBD was an ideal choice for Hajra.
“I get a high quality of life, with access to beautiful natural landscapes, parks, and beaches. It’s a very friendly, welcoming and supportive community with lots of cultural and recreationalactivitiestoengageinwhenI’mnot studying.”
Hajra has been impressed by the enriching experience of studying at TAFE and the practical approach of her nursing program.
“My favourite part about studying at The Gordon includes gaining practical skills, industry-specific knowledge, and valuable hands-on experience,” she said.
The practical aspects of The Gordon’s training, including lab classes and real-life clinical placements at local GP clinics and hospitalsaroundWyndhamCity,suchasMercy Health, make students like Hajra feel prepared
MY PLACE
to enter the workforce.
“The quality of the nursing program, support frommyteachers,andopportunitiesforclinical placements are helping me to grow into a successful career. My course is really amazing. The lab classes and practical work gives me confidence and enthusiasm – it makes me feel
ready to work”, Hajra said.
As Hajra continues to advance her nursing career, with a goal of specialising in theatre nursing, her journey illustrates the profound impact that a supportive educational environment can have on global students.
“I highly recommend every student to
study at The Gordon – especially international students. The Gordon staff are very humble, nice, helpful and just wonderful, so it makes my course very easy!”
Start your dream career this October! Apply to study nursing in Werribee at thegordon.edu.au.
Tonya Toi is president of the Pasifika Community of Australia. She talks to Jaidyn Kennedy about her connection to Wyndham.
Tell us a bit about yourself and what you do?
I am the mother of four children and take pride in being a grandmother. I am a third-generation migrant from Tonga since the late ‘80s and the second eldest daughter among six siblings. Growing up, I found joy in connecting with nature, the land, and the ocean. Taking care of the elderly was an absolute delight, showing respect to our parents, aunts, and uncles is a genuine pleasure.
In 2019, I co-founded the Pasifika CommunityofAustraliaInc,anunprecedented organisation dedicated to advocating for our vulnerable communities. When we find the time for generosity, we use it to contribute to the greater good. I am passionate about embracing diverse communities and learning about their unique cultures because, at the end of the day, we are all human. Let’s stand and unite for good!
What is your community’s connection to Wyndham?
Our connection to Wyndham is that it feels like home to us. As a first homebuyer living and working in Wyndham, it is my opinion that grassroots organisations have recognition here. Wyndham granted me the honour of joining the Tarneit Revitalisation Board, presenting an opportunity to develop projects for our communities. Through these initiatives, we launched the inaugural Nesian Festival and the ‘Carving for the Cops’ program,whichuseswoodcarvingasameans to address the mental health issues of our youth and to connect them with our culture through art.
What do you like about where you live?
It feels comfortable to be in a space that spans a quarter of an acre, where we can easily
connect with nature and are within walking distance to amenities and the local hospital and train station. Twenty-five years ago, it underwent significant improvement, and I frequently say that this is the place to be. The surroundings are safe, and we will continue to strive for the best possible environment.
Where is your favourite place to spend time?
My favourite place to spend time is our
community garden because it’s incredibly rewarding to share our organic vegetables with the community, meet individuals for the first time, learn about their journey to this great country, and be a part of Wyndham. This is why we say “West is the best”—we laugh, we share meals, and we learn simple greetings in various languages and about different cultures.
What, if anything, would you change about where you live?
For our local supermarket’s footpaths to feature raised garden beds that bring joy to our growing families and seniors, enhancing the walkways around the Woolworth area. I want to add an open space that would embrace the Indigenous community, instead of having to rely on the local community centre.
Tonya beside her beloved Pasifika Community Garden. (Damjan Janevski 427180_02)
Students receive valuable hands-on experience.
Hajra Bibi is studying nursing at The Gordon.
Get ready for Halloween with spooky craft
Each month, Stephanie Martinez will share an exciting craft project designed to inspire and spark creativity.
Stephanie starred in the first season of Making It on Network 10, where she discovered and ignited her passion for crafting. Join Stephanie as she explores the endless possibilities of crafting and turn everyday materials into
This month, Stephanie is creating a flying bat that you can make for Halloween or just for fun. Enjoymakingyourspookybat!
Flying bat
Materials:
Black, red and white cardstock
60cm black yarn
Googly eyes
Straw
Equipment:
Flying Bat template
Sticky tape
Glue stick
Scissors Pencil
Step 1:
Scan the QR code to download the bat template. Use the template to cut out the flying bat.
Step 2:
Glue on the googly eyes.
Step 3:
Cut out a half circle out of red paper. This will be the bat’s mouth. Cut 2 small triangles from white paper. These will be the bat’s fangs. Glue the fangs to the top edge of the half circle mouth, making sure they point downwards. Glue the mouth right below the eyes.
Fold the yarn in half and thread it through the straw. Tape the 2 ends of the yarn to the 2 wings of the bat. Tape the straw to the centre
To make the bat ’fly’ hold the other end of the yarn and gently pull it up
Mum ‘can’t go back’ to life of pain
By Laura Michell
Alice Davy has lived with chronic, life-limiting pain for most of her life.
The Eynesbury mum-of-two was diagnosed with endometriosis 12 years ago and in that time has had “countless” operations and organ removal procedures.
Three years ago following the birth of her second son, she was diagnosed with Multiple sclerosis (MS).
However like her battle with endometriosis, Alice’s journey to diagnosis wasn’t straight forward.
The new mum’s condition was initially written off as postpartum psychosis because her MS symptoms began five or six weeks after her son was born.
“The symptoms would start on the first day of my period,” Alice said. “In the end it turned out I had 100 symptoms of MS.
“I know it wasn’t mental health – I could recall everything that happened.”
Alice’ssymptomsincludedvertigo,footdrop, tremors, rapid eye movement, urinary issues, cognitive issues which prevented her from communicating clearly and sleep deprivation.
“The longest I went was three and half days without being able to sleep. I had a nine-year-old and a baby but it wasn’t them keeping me awake,” she said.
DoctorsalsosuggestedthatAlice’ssymptoms were the result of her overusing medicinal cannabis.
Alice began using medicinal cannabis about a year and half earlier to treat the chronic and debilitating endometriosis pain.
Eventually, she was diagnosed with MS.
Alice said life has been rough since her MS diagnosis, but she believes it would have been even worse if she wasn’t already taking medicinal cannabis.
The suggestion to try medicinal cannabis
Inquiry tackles stigma around menopause
More needs to be done to reduce the stigma aroundmenopause,asenateinquiryintoissues relating to menopause and perimenopause has heard.
The Senate Community Affairs References Committee is conducting the inquiry which is examining the economic consequences of menopause and perimenopause, their physical health impacts, the mental and emotional wellbeing of people experiencing menopause and perimenopause and the impact on caregiving responsibilities.
The inquiry is also considering medical professionals’ awareness of menopause and perimenopause symptoms and treatments and cultural and societal factors influencing perceptions and attitudes.
During an inquiry hearing in Melbourne, Women’s Health in the North sexual and reproductive health co-ordinator Tilly Mahoney said perimenopause and menopause are often not talked about within society, due in part to the pervasive stigma and taboo that surrounds reproductive health issues.
“Ongoing stigma can lead to isolation, ignorance, delays in seeking help for physical and mental health impacts, reduced workforce participation and discrimination,“ she said.
“Normalising menopause and emphasising the positive or neutral aspects of this life stage can combat that narrative of loss or decline, which is tied to the intersection of sexism and ageism.”
Ms Mahoney said that while there has been plenty of work done to explore the relationship between the experiences of menopause and workforce participation, there is little research on the impact of menopause on participation in arenas other than employment.
She said key contributors to good mental
health include social independence, feeling valued, physical activity, good nutrition and having faith and belief, adding that further understanding of whether these areas are impacted by menopausal symptoms could inform approaches to holistic, clinical and social support and the prevention of mental ill healthamongpeopleexperiencingmenopause.
“While physical symptoms may contribute in part to this mental ill health for women and gender-diverse people who experience menopause, we also need to consider the social determinants of mental ill health: social connectedness; freedom from discrimination and violence; and economic participation, which are all influenced by the broader context of gender inequality.
“Attributing mental ill health solely to the biology of the menopausal transition renders this social context irrelevant and risks further entrenchingtheviewsofwomen’sunsuitability for the workforce or lack of resilience due to ’biological needs’. Interventions focused on improving the mental health of persons experiencing perimenopause and menopause need to be coupled with investment in broader strategies to address gender inequality.”
The inquiry is expected to table its report to Parliament on September 17.
“Withinsixmonthsmylifestartedtochange.
“Iknownowthatmedicinalcannabisdoesn’t have the same effect as [cannabis did] when I was younger.”
Prior to taking medicinal cannabis, Alice was maxed out on opioids to manage her pain and antiemetics to subdue the nausea.
Her pain was so severe that she also had a spinal cord stimulator implanted in her spine. This required surgeons to cut her back open in two places and sow a TENS machine into her spine.
“I look back and think, ‘how did I not die with all the drugs I was on?’” Alice said.
“My life before, even though I worked two or three jobs to support my then only child, I was in severe pain all day.
“If I went out anywhere, I was in bed for three days. I was parenting from bed.
“I couldn’t plan in advance because I didn’t know when I would have [an endometriosis] flare up.”
Alice said she uses medicinal cannabis safely and feels less impaired on it than she did on opioids.
And while she still needs to take pharmaceuticals from time to time, she said medicinal cannabis has given her back her life. She boxes regularly and is training to complete a half marathon – something that would have been impossible to do before.
“Life is very different now.
“I do still have pain but not as much
came from a friend who was battling cancer.
Alice said that while she was aware of the drug’s pain-relief benefits, she was also skeptical about taking it.
“I smoked twice when I was younger and it was a horrible feeling … but I also knew how beneficial medicinal cannabis was. I was a bit skepticalbecauseIdidn’twanttofeellikethat,” she said.
“I can only imagine this is how life would have been for the last 15 years if my endo was treated the way it needed to be.
“I lost my entire reproductive system, had a bowel resection and lost part of my bladder.
“It is wild how this disease has affected my body.
“I can’t go back to my life before [medicinal cannabis]. I don’t have a choice.”
Star Weekly wants to hear from you about the health issues affecting women in Melbourne’s western and northern suburbs.
Our Women’s Health Matters survey will help inform our reporting during our 12-month women’s health campaign.
The confidential survey will take less than five minutes to complete and can be found by scanning the QR code.
Alice Davy is living with endometriosis and MS. She takes medicinal cannabis to manager her pain. (Damjan Janevski) 424779_02
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
Lions Club
The Lions Club of Point Cook meets at the Featherbrook Community Centre on the third Monday of the month at 7.30 pm. The club is seeking to grow the Lions free vision screening in schools team. Volunteers needed to work with the region’s schools in combating undiagnosed children’s vision issues. You do not have to be a Lions member but must obtain a working with children check.
Robert Eyton, 0417 549 684 or robeyton@bigpond.com
Werribee Jazz Club
Join the Werribee Jazz Club on the second Sunday of the month from 2pm to 5pm, for three hours of great music, dancing or relaxed listening. You can enjoy live bands featuring some of Australia’s best jazz musicians playing traditional, dixieland, swing, R’n’B and mainstream jazz. BYO nibbles, drinks available at moderate bar prices with complimentary tea and coffee. We are located at the Werribee Bowls Club, Watton Street, Werribee. Entry: $22.
Jenny, 0419 558 481
Drumming classes
This week’s photographer’s choice picture is of Bulla Park Mushrooms chief executive Georgia Beattie. (Damjan Janevski) 425097_09
interesting monthly outings and many lunches where the development of friendships is encouraged. The Ladies Probus Club of Wyndham meets on the first Wednesday of each month at Hotel 520, Sayers Road, Tarneit, at 10am.
Pat 0411 316 795
Point Cook VIEW
The Point Cook Day VIEW Club (for ladies) meets on the fourth Wednesday of the month at the Point Cook Library, 1-21 Cheetham Street, Point Cook. Members enjoy afternoon teas and outings. New members welcome. VIEW Is part of the Smith Family.
Catherine, 0407 726 852.
Watton Group
A support group providing a social space for carers to get together in a safe and compassionate environment. Gives carers an opportunity to connect, share their experiences and offers emotional and practical support. The group meets at the Eco-Living Centre at 10am, every fourth Tuesday of the month.
Patricia, 0434 487 360, or wattongroup131@gmail.com.
group. Come and try your first session for free, with stadium entry $2.
Phil, 0437 078 739
Wyndham Rotary
Wyndham Rotary welcomes people interested in helping people in need in the community. Interested in finding out more, come to the Italian Sports Club each Wednesday at 6.30pm for a meal, to share ideas and to work for a common cause.
Julie, 0406 196 630
With One Voice choir
With One Voice Wyndham Choir is a community choir open to all. The community choir welcomes all ages, abilities, faiths, cultures and genders and is directed by a very experienced and friendly professional conductor. Fun weekly rehearsals and amazing performance opportunities are provided. They sing for an hour and then have a cuppa. The first two visits are free; and then payment is by tax-deductible donation. Tuesday evenings, 7-8.30pm, at Wayaperri House, 106 Duncans Road, Werribee.
wyndham@withonevoice.org.au
Wyndham Ladies Probus
Retired or semi-retired ladies are invited to join this very active social group. Enjoy impressive monthly guest speakers,
Community adult drumming class. If you ever wanted to try out your rhythmic skills, the first class is free and concessions apply for other classes. All hand drums supplied or BYO. No experience required, just bring an open heart and mind and enjoy making some great rhythms together. The class is friendly and welcoming to everyone. Thursdays, 7.30pm to 8.30pm, during school terms, at Saltwarter Community Centre, 153 Saltwater Parade, Point Cook. 0411 028 077 or bfmusic15@gmail.com
BUSINESS PROFILE
All Abilities Netball
All Abilities Netball for 10-to-25-year-olds is run by Wyndham Netball Association every Saturday morning during school terms, from 10.30am, on outside court 14 at Eagle Stadium, Ballan Road, Werribee. Intellectual, physical and social disabilities are catered for in a fun and supported
Adult community garden group
The group meets on the first Tuesday of the month, 10-11.30am, at Iramoo Community Centre, 84 Honour Avenue, Wyndham Vale. Head down and join them as they maintain their rejuvenated community garden. Planting and harvesting produce that they grow. 8742 3688
Empowering independence through the Paralympic spirit
The Paralympic Games have long been a testament to the extraordinary capabilities of individuals with disabilities.
These athletes not only excel in their respective sports but also challenge societal perceptions of disability, proving that physical or intellectual limitations do not define one’s potential.
The Paralympics serve as a powerful reminder that with the right support, individuals with disabilities can lead full, independent, and productive lives, making invaluable contributions to society.
Speedy Care Health is inspired by the same spirit that drives Paralympians to greatness. Its mission is to empower people with disabilities,providingthemwiththenecessary tools and support to live independently and achieve their personal goals.
By offering a range of NDIS services, including assistance with daily tasks, personal activities, community participation, and specialised support employment, Speedy Care Health is committed to enhancing the quality of life for NDIS participants.
Independence is more than just a concept—it is a fundamental human right. The Paralympics highlight how, with determination and support, individuals can overcome obstacles that many perceive as insurmountable.
Similarly, Speedy Care Health believes that with the right support, every individual has the power to shape their own destiny.
It strives to create opportunities that enable our clients to participate fully in their communities, pursue meaningful employment, and live life on their own terms.
The success of Paralympians on the global stage is a source of inspiration for many, but it is also a call to action for all of us. It challenges us to reconsider how we view disability and to
Speedy Care Health empowers clients to shape their own destiny. (Supplied)
Enjoy a delicious taste of Spain
By Eddie Russell
ThoseinthewestcangetatasteofSpainstraight “from the pan to the plate” with Pop-Up Paella on Saturday August 31.
‘The Paella Guy’ – chef Nathan Inglis – will return to St Anne’s Winery in Myrniong to deliver a culinary experience.
A chef since he was 15, Mr Inglis has put together an extensive resume, having worked in revered Spanish restaurant Bar Nacional in the CBD as well as living in Spain for four years.
He said that his time abroad was transformative.
“When I went over there, I couldn’t even say helloorhowareyou.ButbytheendIwasfluent and I carried back with me the cuisine and the passion for Spanish culture,” he said.
This is not the first Pop-Up Paella session Mr Inglishasconductedatthewinery–hesaidthe last one was a “raging success” and it is clear there is an appetite for more.
“It was fantastic. We exceeded my expectations… St Anne’s is the epicentre for people from Melbourne, Geelong, and Bendigo to go,” said Mr Inglis.
Food lovers can look forward to traditional paellas with mixed meats and seafood as well as vegetarian and vegan options.
If there is room left in hungry stomachs, churros are also on the menu.
St Anne’s Winery employee Jake Currey said he hoped the collaboration would continue in the future given the demand.
“The first one was so successful that we are going to try and make it a bi-monthly thing,” he said.
Tickets:https://stanneswinery.com.au/event/ pop-up-paella-at-myrniong/
Dark comedy about a serious issue
This September, the Bluestone Church Arts Space in Footscray turns into a hub of dark humour and stinging social commentary with Lana Schwarz’s latest show, The Term-inator.
The award-winning western suburbs performance artist is back with another subversivelookatmodernlifethattellsastory intertwining songs and shadow puppets.
The second in Schwarcz’s trilogy of “unsellable shows”, The Term-inator is theatre about abortion and comedy.
Art exhibition a family
affair
Light Touch, an exhibition featuring the compelling works of Dr Varga Hosseini and his father, Fari Hosseini, is on display at Altona’s Louis Joel Gallery until Septebmer 13.
Dr Hosseini, an academic and artist, explained that the title “Light Touch” reflects the techniques used in the creation of the pieces and the unique themes they explore.
“I suppose there are different elements to light that I’ve been interested in such as the physical element of visible light, and also there’s the metaphysical aspect, and the spiritual aspect of light,” he said.
“We are really looking at how it reacts with texture, paste, gloss and sudden varnish and the kind of effect it has on the viewers.”
The Brimbank artist said art helped him to bond with his father.
“My father comes from, I suppose, a more traditional generation. I’ve been raised in this country, so for many years we struggled to find common ground,” hesaid. “But,paintingiswherewefound a link to kind of create a dialogue and discuss different aspects of creativity. I think it’s at that level of beauty and aesthetics that we have managed to find common ground.”
She explains while the show is a spectacle for entertainment purposes, the audience should walk out feeling more educated on a taboo subject.
“Yes, it’s the show I was most deeply concerned about,” she said.
“I really didn’t want to put people off, I didn’t want to create more division. I was really conscious about not making jokes about something that should be serious, it’s a subject that is very close to my heart and close to a lot of people who own a uterus’ heart and it was very important I didn’t screw it up.”
“I was inspired by the election of Trump in 2016, and I think I saw the writing on the wall, and I just went. I don’t like the look of this, and I could see where it was going, and I was not very happy to be correct. But, ultimately he stacked the supreme court and Roe v Wade was reversed,” Schwarz said.
Schwarz spoke about the depiction of dark humour in the show as a tool to help flesh out the intricacies surrounding abortion.
“It’s a magnificent tool to use and it has proven to be successful in a lot of ways, and let’s not beat around the bush there are a lot of people who do get upset when you seem to be making light of something but in no way is it making light of anything, it’s finding that humour to be able to allow us to discuss the deeper things.”
Details: https://www.maribyrnong.vic. gov.au/arts-and-culture/Events/The-Terminator-by-Lana-Schwarcz
Thomas Ingleton
A festival of learning and togetherness
Locals and visitors are invited to The Wyndham Learning Festival, which is set to run from September 1-7, across the City of Wyndham.
The Wyndham Learning Festival is an annual series of events, led by Wyndham Community and Education Centre with support from Wyndham City Council.
This year’s theme, Empowering Communities Through Lifelong Learning, promises an enriching experience and lifelong learning for all.
The festival provides a broad range of opportunities that match the needs, interests, and aspirations of the vibrant and varied
Wyndham community.
The festival launch will take place on August 31, from 12.30pm-4pm, at Encore Events Centre, Hoppers Crossing. As part of the festival launch, Dr Karl will lead an eco-expedition into sustainable science and climate.
There will be a cultural learning showcase to discover Wyndham Community and Education Centre, held on September 4, from 2pm-4pm.
Hannah Moloney will host Green Living Series on September 7, 10am-11.30am, at Italian Social Club in Werribee.
Meanwhile locals can join for an epic family
game night extravaganza with Kip McGrath Education Centre in Werribee, on September 6, 7pm-9pm.
There will be business learning presented by Westend Business Hub and Wyndham CEC on September 5, 9am-4pm, at Hoppers Crossing.
ME Bank senior mobile bank manager Craig Archer will give an economic and property market update, providing further information on business at Hoppers Crossing, from 1.30pm-2.30pm on September 5.
Details: wynlearnfestival.org.au/
Afraa Kori
Visitors are encouraged to absorb the artworksonmultiplelevelsandengagein self reflection.
“I would like the works to be reflective in two senses of the term. On the one hand they attempt to reflect the effect of light. But, on the other hand, it is hoped that the paintings would create an opportunity for people to contemplate things. So reflection is contemplation or meditation on those profound moments thatyoulookattheworldandyou’rekind of led to think about, you know, your place in it, or just think about how light makes you feel.”
Nathan Inglis, ‘The Paella Guy’ cooking up a storm at St Anne’s in July. (Supplied)
Dr Karl will launch the festival on August 31. (Supplied)
Lana Schwarcz’s The Term-inator, will show at the Bluestone theatre in September. (Damjan Janevski) 425268_03
Paralympians are ready for Paris
Four local athletes are competing for Australia in the Paralympic Games starting August 28. Tara Murray chatted with them about their journey and what they’re hoping to expect come the Games.
Jess Gallagher Cycling
The realisation that she’s competing in another Paralympics won’t settle in for Seddon’s Jess Gallagher until she gets to the velodrome in Paris.
The 38-year-old, who is the only Australian to have won a medal at the summer and winter Paralympics, has been selected as part of Australia’s cycling team for 2024.
“IthasbeeneightyearssinceIlastcompeted at the Paralympics and having attended five Paralympics in the eight years prior to that I’m proud to be back on the team having experienced some challenges throughout this Paralympic cycle,” she said.
Gallagherwonbronzeatthe2016Olympics in the tandem time trial B and was on track to compete in 2020 at Tokyo. She won a silver medal in 2019 at the world championships leading into the Games.
But it wasn’t to be for the Seddon resident.
“At the time my tandem pilot made the decision to retire and consequently the sports system was unable to find a replacement leaving me with no ability to participate in track cycling let alone aspire towards Paralympic selection,” she said.
“It was devastating and was the catalyst for deciding to try rowing. I had one simple goal of giving myself every opportunity of making the 2024 Paris Paralympics.
“Over those years of learning to row, I also found a tandem pilot as well. It led to the unique privilege of representing Australia concurrently in two sports across 2022 and 2023 culminating in qualifying the Women’s tandem (cycling) and PR3 4+
‘‘ It was devastating and was the catalyst for deciding to try rowing. I had one simple goal ... making the 2024 Paris Paralympics ’’ - Jess Gallagher
(rowing) for the Paralympics.”
Gallagher, who won .two golds at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, decided to focus on cycling for the Olympics.
It was a hard decision.
“Unfortunately, with direct schedule clashes at the Games I was forced to choose which sport to prioritise for the Paralympics with track cycling being my decision.
“I’m proud of the work I have put in to ensure the circumstances outside of my control would not dictate my ability to compete at another Paralympics. It will be special to see that work come to fruition in Paris.”
Gallagher said for her personally she has the expectation to deliver her personal best, but knows there’s an array of external variables that could impact it.
“I focus on what is in my control and ensuring I finish the race feeling that I have done everything within my control to deliver my personal best,” she said.
“So far, our preparation has been pretty smooth. There are always challenges and bumps along the way however I’m in great condition and looking forward to the opportunity to put my best performances out on the track.”
Gallagher is currently with the Australian Paralympic Cycling Team in France to the lead up to the Games.
The track cycling program begins day one of competition so there won’t be much time to rest once they get to Paris.
“For the women’s tandem our one kilometre time trial qualifying and final are Friday, August 30,” she said. “We’d love you to cheer us on.”
Nathan Pellissier Para-table tennis
Making the Paralympics the second time round is more exciting for Williamstown’s Nathan Pellissier.
Pellissier, who competed at the 2020 Tokyo Games, will represent Australia in the para-table tennis events.
The 28-year-old, who has cerebral palsy, saidhewasexcitedtogetanotheropportunity.
“I’m very fortunate,” he said. “It’s a bit more exciting this time with friends and family getting to come.
“I’m really excited for this one. Mum and dad and four friends are coming and it will be a bit of fun.
“It’s especially good my parents can come, they have supported me throughout my teenage years.”
Pellissier, who is ranked number one in Oceania in his category, felt that he had done enough to be selected.
But said it was still a relief when he heard that his name was called out.
He’s part of a 12 person Australian table tennis team, the largest team since 1968 and the second biggest ever for Australia.
Pellissier said it shows that Australia is becoming more competitive in the sport.
Pellissier said his focus was trying to get the best out of himself at the Games.
He won silver at the 2020 Games in the men’s team event with Lin Ma and Joel Coughlan.
“There’s so many experienced players heading over,” he said. “For myself, if I can
string a few results together, anything can happen .
“I want to keep my mind on the small task at hand at every point the bigger tasks will hopefully fall my way.”
Pellissier will compete in the singles, men’s team and mixed doubles events.
He and Ma won bronze at the world championships last year and take some good form into that event.
“It will be tough,” Pellissier said. “We don’t take in too high expectations, hopefully we can perform really well.”
Paris is a long way for Pellissier from a Paralympic talent day in 2011 when he first picked up a bat.
Table tennis wasn’t his first choice.
“I wanted to play basketball,” he said. “It was wheelchair only so I couldn’t play.
“Table tennis was an option and I never looked back.
“I thought it was to be just a bit of fun and it’s taken over my life and took me all over the world.”
One key piece of Pellissier’s development was getting a scholarship at Maribyrnong Sports Academy.
He said they allowed him opportunities to travel overseas and allow him to be part of a high performance environment at such an early age.
“It has helped my development and results in the last seven years.”
Pellissier took take part in a training camp in the lead up to the Games in Melbourne.
He said he’d work hard those next four weeks, before heading to Paris.
Patrick French Para-Archery
The Romsey community is getting behind Patrick French in his quest for gold at the Paralympics.
French has been named in the six-person Australian archery team for the Paris Games which start next month.
French said it was pretty special to be heading to the Games. Australia didn’t have Para-Archery teams in 2008 or 2012 and there has been a resurgence of the sport.
“It’s unbelievable,” he said. ”It is awesome and it’s been such a quick rise for me through the ranks of the sport.
“It’s been just on two years from when I first started.
“PrettyearlyIsetmyselfalittlechallenge[to make the Paralympics].and thought I would give it a red hot crack.”
French had a workplace accident in 2015 that left him paralysed from waist down and with an acquired brain injury.
Before his accident he’d only done archery a couple of times as a child for a bit of fun.
“I got a bow and I thought I would try my luck with hunting,” he said. “I never did that, I got the bow and got into target archery and it became full on.”
FrenchshotanAustralianindoorrecordlast year, but as he wasn’t qualified it didn’t count.
It’s just more motivation for him to do it again.
French said many people didn’t think he would get an opportunity like this after his accident.
“I’m not amazed that much,” he said. “When something happens like that you can sit around and be miserable or try and enjoy your life despite it.”
French has set big expectations for himself for the Games.
“I want to be up on the podium,” he said. “I’m not going just for the experience.
“I want to put Australia on the map for internationally for archery.”
French’s family won’t be able to make the trip to Paris, but they and the rest of the local community had gotten behind one of their own.
“It has been overwhelming the support I’ve had from them,” he said. “The local pubs in Lancefield and Romsey had a meat raffle.
‘I’ve had support from everyone there. The Romsey Football Club is doing a little fundraiser for me in the next few weeks.
‘It is awesome and they are happy for me, they don’t care if I do well or not.”
Chris Addis Para-table tennis
After taking some time off table tennis, the decision to return to the sport seriously has paid off for Melton’s Chris Addis.
Addis will be part of the Australian para-table tennis team for the Paris Paralympics and will compete in the men’s singles and doubles, and mixed doubles.
Addis said it was pretty exciting to get his shot at the Games.
“It is pretty special,” he said. “I probably thought from a year out or so that I might be a good shot of making the team.
“I trained hard and made all the tournaments. It’s incredible.”
Addis, who was born with Spina Bifida, tried a number of sports growing up before falling in love with table tennis.
He has been playing ever since.
“I’ve been playing for the last 20 years,” he said. “I started in high school and I was playing with a friend and he took me to the local club and I never looked back.”
He said his mum always believed that he couldgofar,buthecouldhaveneverimagined where he would get with his table tennis.
Addis made an Australian team for the World Championships in 2014 having made
Let the Games begin
Thecompellingstoriesof160athletesacross17 sports will form the next chapter of Australia’s Paralympic story at the Paris Paralympic Games.
The 2024 Australian team, co-captained by eight-time Paralympic medallist in athletics Angie Ballard and triple gold medallist in para-canoe Curtis McGrath, features record-breakers and change-makers.
Madison de Rozario and Brenden Hall will carry the Australian flag in the opening ceremony ahead of what is hoped to be a strong Games.
The Aussie team is brimming with the experience of a combined 196 Paralympic Games appearances.
Table tennis player Danni Di Toro will compete at her eighth Games, placing her equal-second only to Libby Kosmala (12) as Australia’s most enduring Paralympian.
The team is 56 percent male and 44 percent female,61athletes(38percent)willmaketheir Paralympic debut, and the average age of the Australian athletes in Paris will be 31.3 years.
Australian Paralympic team Chef de Mission Kate McLoughlin acknowledged the vast amount of work that has gone into bringing the team together.
“This is a team that all Australians can get behind,” she said.
“They are incredible athletes, exceptional human beings and a wonderful example of what can be achieved with determination
his Australian debut in 2011.
He then took a break from the sport.
“I had some time off to have some kids,” he said. “I had not been playing internationally
for the last eight years or so.
“The kids are a bit older now, nine and six. They have a bit of an idea [what the Olympics are], especially the nine-year-old
“He is pretty proud.”
The 35-year-old takes inspiration not only from his family but Paralympian Kurt Fearnley, who he says became a leader in Para-sport at a time where the sport hadn’t been as prominent.
Addis said the Melton Table Tennis Club has been one of his biggest supporters since he started.
He said his aims for the Games are pretty simple.
“Basically I want to play my best,” he said. I want to really enjoy the experience, try to remember all the training and hope it pays off.”
Addis has one piece of advice for anything thinking of taking up the sport.
“Go and try it,” he said. “Get to a local club and see where it takes you.”
Team mate Nathan Pellissier was full of praise of Addis.
“It was really pleasing to see Chris come back and cement his spot in the Paralympic team. It was a really good moment for the whole team. It’s a shame for Caleb [Crowden, whomissedout],buthe’syoungandhastime.”
and resilience.
“A lot of the team delivery work was undertaken by some of the best operators in their field in the world. Others produced a hugeamountofgruntworkthatwasabsolutely essential to this campaign.
“This team has taken years to assemble and I hope everyone who has played a part in supporting and developing our athletes feels a great sense of pride when they see them representing Australia in Paris. This team is ready and raring to compete on the biggest stage of all and make all Australians proud.”
CARE HEALTH
Among the highlights of the Australian teamisthelargesttabletennisteamsince1968 and the largest archery team in 40 years.
Australia’s triathlon squad of 13 athletes is the largest since the sport was introduced at Rio 2016, while powerlifters Hani Watson and Ben Wright will become Australia’s first Paralympians in the sport since London 2012. Cyclist Jessica Gallagher will compete at her fifth Paralympics, which includes two appearances for Australia at the Paralympic Winter Games.
Gallagher also competed in athletics at London 2012.
Patrick French receives his ticket. (Archery Australia)
(Archery Australia)
Fungi farmer looks to the future
Bulla Park in Diggers Rest is Australia’s largest organic mushroom farm and uses indoor vertical growing and artificial intelligence-informed farming practices. Oscar Parry spoke with Bulla Park chief executive Georgia Beattie about the future of indoor food production and the role of artificial intelligence at her farm.
Georgia Beattie said her decision to buy her farm was not just to learn how to grow food – but how to grow food indoors.
Bulla Park’s indoor mushroom facility is vertically-integrated, meaning mushrooms are grown in stacked layers.
The farm grows mushrooms for food and health purposes, with Coles recently providing it funding to produce an Australian-grown dehydrated range.
Georgia said that as indoor-grown produce is protected from outdoor climate-related threats, pests, and diseases, she believes supermarkets will become increasingly interested in partnering with indoor growers.
“If you have a look at the supermarkets, they’re wanting to make sure that they’ve always got a range of food on the shelves. So rather than have these dips if there’s a major floodintheareaoramajordroughtandthey’re unable to get products, I think that they’ll always have anywhere between 10–30 per cent of their [supply] base grown indoors – [where] they know that regardless of what’s happening, they’ll be able to draw down some products,” she said. “The benefits of [growing] indoors is that we’re able to … control the environment.”
Georgia said while indoor-grown produce is pricier in the short term, she believes that as the indoor growing industry expands, costs to consumers will reduce.
She said the vertical farming techniques used by Bulla Park, and historically used for growing mushrooms, could be applied to a broad range of produce.
“There’s no reason why we wouldn’t set up similar farms in each state, close to high consumption areas, so that we can efficiently get nutrients to people,” she said.
“What I want to do is … deeply understand howtofarminAustralia.Sothat’sfromanasset perspective … and how we most efficiently are able to get products to shelves, [and] there’s also a people and training perspective.”
Georgia said that over 60 per cent of her staff have an IT background, proving useful in understanding and contributing to the company’s data focused approach to farming.
“They have that systems mentality of scaling products, and the benefit of growing indoors is that in any one minute, I’ve got thousands of data points … we’ve been recording these in the grow rooms for the last 30 years, but I’ve … added another 2000 data points since I’ve taken over the farm,” she said.
Using Google Gemini, a generative artificial intelligence chatbot, Georgia said the company is constantly using this data to analyse and experiment with growing conditions and practices.
“Staff are thinking in this way – they’re not going to do something unless we are capturing that data point. And then we need to think about how we are capturing it – where does it go? Where is it stored? How do we [access] it later? So that systems thinking is … really important going forward,” she said.
“It’s critical that agriculture starts to have this data and intelligence so that they’re building up this muscle. Because it does take time, and you’ve really got to invest in cleaning up the data, but it is going to be critical.”
Georgia said that she hopes to investigate educationpipelinesandhowtoincreaseinterest in people with IT and robotic engineering skills in indoor food production.
“I think we’ve got a generation coming up that really cares about the environment, they want to align their careers with purpose.”
Victorian Farmers Federation vice president Danyel Cucinotta said artificial intelligence, alongwithothernewtechnologies,areproving to be important tools for food producers.
“Artificial intelligence, or any technology for
that matter, is vital for agriculture – whether that’s horticulture or any type of commodity … it’s all about becoming more efficient, more effective, about producing food through lower costs, lower emissions, better soil health … [it] will be part of the future and already is,” she said. “Drones are being used to identify soil health, moisture levels, rainfall, and [capture data] … traditional farming is across acres and acres of farmland … so [farmers are] using drones to capture a much larger look at their farms and the way that they’re working.”
Freeway ramp closed
Detour via an early exit at Boundary Road, Little Boundary Road and Geelong Road. Allow extra travel time. M80 Ring Road to West Gate
The M80 Ring Road ramp to the West Gate Freeway will be closed from 9pm Friday 6 September until 5am Monday 23 September
Georgia Beattie is passionate about vertical farming and uses data and AI to improve the farm’s processes. (Pictures: Damjan Janevski) 425097
To solve a Sudoku puzzle, every number from 1 to 9 must appear in: each of the nine vertical columns, each of the nine horizontal rows and each of the nine 3 x 3 boxes. Remember, no number can occur more than once in any row, column or box.
ACROSS
1 Officiate (abbr) (3)
3 The study of knowledge (10)
10 Distribute (food) (5,2)
11 Web surfer (7)
12 The wedded state (9)
13 Luxurious (4)
15 Units of mass used for precious metals and gemstones (4,6)
17 Box (4)
19 Possesses (4)
20 Impersonation (10)
23 Just (4)
25 Colloquial (9)
27 Libyan capital (7)
28 Paraguayan monetary unit (7)
29 Ionised part of Earth’s atmosphere (10)
30 Headed (3)
DOWN
1 Picking up from where you left off (10)
2 Oldest child (9)
4 Process of producing a suggestive mental state (9)
5 Vestibule (5)
6 Gradually (6)
7 Mexican coins (5)
8 Story (4)
9 Evaluation (6)
14 Child of one’s child (10)
16 Forerunner, omen (9)
18 Colourful team shooting sport (9)
21 Relating to Samoa (6)
22 Soldiers (6)
24 Unearthly (5)
25 Hibernian (5)
26 Needlecase (4)
1 Dar es Salaam is the largest city in which country?
2 Which female artist released the album We Are Born in 2010?
3 Australia’s Great Dividing Range runs through which states?
4 What is the name of Sonic’s sidekick in the platform game SonictheHedgehog2?
5 What was invented by Scottish mechanic and inventor Alexander Bain?
6 Who is the main character in the children's book Where theWildThingsAre?
7 In the film Now and Then, Rosie O’Donnell (pictured) played Roberta Martin as an adult; who played the young Roberta?
8 Who wrote Invisible Man, published in 1952?
9 Which US soap opera centres around the fictional fashion house Forrester Creations?
10 What is the capital of Massachusetts?
SPORTS QUIZ
1. Dustin Martin announced his retirement on August 6 after playing how many AFL games?
2. Due to her husband’s job at the club, which NRL referee has controversially been banned from officiating South Sydney Rabbitohs games?
3. Historically, what aquatic sport is Mexico’s most fruitful Olympic event?
4. Nina Kennedy, Australia’s first female field event
Olympic gold medallist, competes in what sport?
5. Aussie cyclists pipped Great Britain for gold in the men’s team pursuit when Britain’s Ethan Hayter made what error?
6. Rachael Gunn (Raygun) became an overnight sensation after her Olympic debut in which sport?
12. Which NRL fullback is at the centre of a recent white powder photograph scandal?
13. What was the motto of the 2024 Paris Olympics?
14. What name is given to the two rods either side of a volleyball net that serve as a vertical extension of the court boundary?
15. Alexei Popyrin recently claimed his maiden ATP Tour title at which tennis competition?
Leading up to his 16th season in the NBA, which team did Patty Mills recently sign with?
Champion racehorse Black Caviar died earlier this month on the eve of which birthday?
And how many races did Black Caviar win in her career?
What was the most recent Australian city to host the Commonwealth Games?
And in what year did that Commonwealth Games take place?
21. What is the name of the Australian national wheelchair rugby team?
22. Port Adelaide’s traditional black and white home guernsey is known by what nickname?
23. How many total medals did Australia win at the 2024 Paris Games?
24. And how many of those were gold medals?
25. American-born Keegan Palmer won back-to-back gold medals for Australia in which sport at the Paris Olympics?
26. Which cricket venue may not host Test matches from the 2026–27 season onwards?
27. Gold Coast Titans player Kieran Foran recently hit what game milestone?
28. Who currently sits on top of the Women’s WTA Tennis tour rankings?
29. Corey McKernan, Chris Grant and Jobe Watson all won but were ineligible to receive which AFL award?
30. Which African country won its first ever Olympic medal at Paris 2024?
Black Caviar
Alexei Popyrin Alexei
Winning Kia EV a quiet achiever
By Derek Ogden, Marque Motoring
Quiet (tick), achiever (tick) – quiet achiever: withlittlemorethanthehumofthemotors,the EV9carriedoffacoupleofthemostprestigious prizes of 2024 – World Car of the Year and World Electric Vehicle.
A jury of 100 distinguished automotive journalists representing 29 countries, shouted out the innovative design, spacious seven-seat interior and competitive pricing of Kia’s first triple-row, all electric flagship SUV as being world beating.
Now Australia has the opportunity to find out, with the recent arrival of three variants, named with a nod to sustainability and the natural environment, Air, Earth and GT-Line.
The single motor, rear-wheel drive Air leads off, with dual motor, all-wheel drive Earth and GT-Line topping out the trio.
Prices range from $97,000, plus on-road costs for the single motor, front-wheel drive Air through the dual motor AWD powertrain Earth clocks out at $106,500 and the GT-Line $121,000.
The Air motor produces 160kW and 350Nm for a range of 443km, while the latter pair punch out 283kW and 700Nm for a range of up to 512km, with the GT-Line able to scoot from rest up to 100km/h in 5.3 seconds. The Earth variant was on test.
The SUV continues to set the standard for Kia’s sustainable theme with the use of eco-friendly recycled and natural materials, such as bioplastics, recycled PET fabrics and carpet, plus bio-paint all aimed at the company achieving carbon neutrality by 2045.
The EV9 is covered by Kia’s generous seven-year unlimited kilometre warranty, plus seven years for the battery. Pre-paid services range from $706 for three years or 45,000km up to $1997 for seven years or 105,000km.
Styling
Kia says it’s a matter of ‘opposites attract’ in designphilosophywithacombinationofrugged capability and serenity and sophistication. At five metres long and almost two metres wide there’s plenty of the former and a hint of what the latter has to show inside.
The front looks to the future for all Kia EVs with confident, clean lines. A bold body colouredgrilleisflankedbyverticalheadlamps forming the company’s signature Digital Tiger Face, and innovative LED daytime running
lights, which will be carried by all Kia EV models.
A strong SUV profile takes cues from an aircraftfuselage,whichtogetherwithaKia-first 3-D underbody cover, front air curtains, retractable flush door handles and jazzy aerodynamic 19-inch alloy wheels, achieves an exceptional drag co-efficient of Cd 0.28.
Fine detail is a complement to the fuss-free power tailgate in the form of three-pronged LED lamps that follow the lead of headlamps up front. New premium colours Iceberg Green and Pebble Grey are available across the range.
Interior
A ‘Technology for Life’ pillar was Kia’s way of getting the best out of space, comfort and technology while reimagining the family SUV. There’s a completely flat floor, thanks to the company’s award-winning modular platform, which allows occupants to relax in lounge-like surroundings.
Standard features for comfort and convenience include heated and ventilated synthetic leather front seats with lumbar support and heated synthetic leather trimmed steeringwheel.Entrytothethirdrowofseatsis made easy by remote folding of the second row.
A cantilevered centre console, while including limited storage, allows for a large open storage area at floor level underneath. It also houses vehicle start, park and driveselection functions, freeing space for more storage,chargingsocketsandwirelesscharging pad.
Boot space ranges from 333 litres, with all seatbacks up, to 2318 litres with second and third rows folded. There’s also a 52-litre cubby under the bonnet, which doubles as a charging cable store.
Infotainment
The dashboard is dominated by twin 12.3-inch touchscreens integrated with a 5-inch display producing a futuristic interface for the control of vehicle functions such as infotainment and instrument systems.
There’s no such thing as a perfect vehicle, trust me. And the EV9 has its little quirks. For example, the climate control information is displayed on the wide screen between the info and instrument cluster and is almost totally obscured by the steering wheel.
EV9 does debut Over-the-Air updates for its Kia Connect system, which enables continuous ‘wireless’improvementstomanyofthevehicle’s inboardsystems,andaHighwayDrivingAssist 2 system.
Engines/transmissions
The EV9 Earth all-wheel drive model is powered by twin electric motors putting out a total of 283kW and 700Nm with the capability of a six-second sprint to 100km/h and a range of up to 512km on a single charge.
Safety
The wellbeing of World COTY occupants, inevitably, looms large, so it’s no surprise that the development of the EV9 involved focusing on safety, hence the top five-star rating reigns across the model range.
Kia Advanced Driver Assistance makes up the basis of this, which also extends to travellers in other vehicles and pedestrians and includes such features as Highway Driving Assist 2 with hands-on detection, Forward Collision Avoidance Assist 2 with Junction Crossing, Lane Oncoming and Lane Change Side functions.
Backing these up are Lane Keeping and
Lane Following Assist, Blind Spot Collision Avoidance Assist, Intelligent Speed Limit Assist and Smart Cruise Control with Stop/Go, Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Avoidance, front and rear Park Distance Warning and rear-view monitor.
EV9 Earth adds Blind-Spot Monitor, SurroundViewMonitor,plusParkingCollision Avoidance Assist – Reverse, while GT-Line chips in with Remote Smart Parking Assist 2 and Parking Collision-Avoidance Assist –Reverse. Front, side, curtain and front centre airbags add up to nine.
Driving
As mentioned in my introduction, the EV9 really lives up to the claim as a quiet achiever.
Little noise – motor, road or wind – intrudes into the passenger cabin. The same cannot be said for a plethora of audible safety warnings and intervention. All become a bit wearing. Turn them off and let the driver drive.
The other side of the coin is the ride and handling, which like most Kias has had the attentionofAustraliansuspensionexpertswith vast experience of our country’s roller-coaster road quality. And there’s no shortage of oomph when accelerating – zero to 100km/h in six seconds, to be exact.
Size does matter here with the bulky SUV showing some unsteadiness on changing direction at speed. Toning down the enthusiasm did the trick, while three braking regen and a one-pedal mode were as good as a new best friend.
Brakes were sharp enough to confidently pull up the two-and-a-half tonne wagon under normal circumstances. Towing is rated at 2500kg with a braked trailer, a 750kg rig with no brakes. Watch out here for a compromised driving range.
Over a week of work, from driver alone to a ‘full house’, the energy consumption averaged 20.2kWh (better than the maker’s combined claim of 22.3kWh). As for charging, the test carwastoppeduponapublicfastchargerfrom 30 to 80 percent, giving a range of 482km. The time taken was 46 minutes at a cost of a tad over $17. I could live with that.
Summary
The Kia EV9 the best car in the world? More than a hundred motoring writers can’t be wrong . . . can they?
The Kia EV9 the best car in the world? More than a hundred motoring writers can’t be wrong . . . can they? (Pictures: Supplied)
Finals football and netball was front and centre on Saturday in Melbourne’s north-west. StarWeeklyphotographer Ljubica Vrankovic was out shooting some of the action.
The competition is heating up
West Coburg’s Donnacadh Cleary gets a kick away. 427096_06
Jake Carlisle marks in front Jacob Langborne and Mitch Brockwell. 427092_08
Riddell’s Meredith Ball. 427091_16
Wallan’s Riley Gilchrist. 427092_01
Burnside Heights’ Antonio Vitalone and Taylors Lakes’ Christian Petersen. 427093_17
Hillside’s Jackson McMenamin. 427096_10
Riddell’s Madison Brown. 427091_02
Diggers Rest’s Shaun Campbell. 427092_05
Wallan’s Genevieve Carboon. 427091_05
Taylors Lakes’ Ethan Caffari. 427093_05
Coote growing in confidence on the diamond
Inthesummerof2017,RomanCootewasasked by one of his primary school friends to come play baseball at the Williamstown Baseball Club and the rest is now history.
Hemadehisfirststateteamin2021whichhe didn’t get to play due to Covid.
In 2023 as a bottom age player he made the under-16 team and again as top ager this year.
“Baseball try outs are a little different to other sports,” Coote said. “Anyone can go and try out for a spot in the Victorian team.
“I wanted to get chosen, it was my single focus, I was driven, motivated and disciplined.
“For me, 2023 was certainly my breakout year. I went from just your average player to making the under-16 Australian team.
“I was selected to attend the under-16 national camp in Canberra at the AIS.“
In September, Coote will fly to America to play baseball for Team Australia in the Under-16 Perfect Game World Series.
“I was never a gifted player, but I know how to work hard for what I want,” Coote said before flying out.
“Footy never really gripped me, baseball had a winter and summer season, so I played all
year round.
“The baseball club is like family. The senior players are like my older brothers and my coaches just got involved to make us all better. It is a good place to be.”
Cooteplayscentrefieldand listshisstrengths as being fast, a good catch and throws hard.
When he bats, his base running is fast, something that coaches are looking for.
“Arm strength is something I’m working on,” he said. “I injured my shoulder in January while making a base run.
“I dived to make the plate and got caught up in play. I was pretty frustrated and I have spent many hours in rehabilitation.”
Coote is part of Baseball Victoria’s pathway program which trains three times a week. They work through a three hour program focusing on strength, throwing, hitting and fielding drills.
Coote then has his Maribyrnong Sports Academy and club training which rounds out a very full week.
BaseballisafamilyaffairfortheCootes’with his mother and brother involved.
Coote said he’d had some fabulous coaches
throughout his career so far.
“All of them have had the players’ best interests at the centre of their work,“ he said. “They have certainly helped make me who I am today.”
Coote still plays with Williamstown in the summer, while he plays the junior winter season with Essendon.
Long term, Coote would like to achieve an MLB contract but his major focus is to represent Australia.
“In the short term I’d like to earn an ABL [Australian Basketball League] contract and make the under-23 Australian team and perhaps the Olympics in the long term.”
The Don Deeble Sports Star Award is sponsored by the Yarraville Club Cricket Club, Strathmore Community Bank, the Deer Park Club, Ascot Vale Sports and Trophies and Star Weekly Newspapers.
If you would like to nominate a monthly winner or attend a dinner, contact swrsportsclub@gmail.com or 0408 556 631.
Peter Howe
Centrals bounce back
By Tara Murray
Werribee Centrals bounced back from one of its more disappointing performances to finally win through to a Western Football League women’s grand final.
It’s a case of third time lucky for the Centurions, who lost in the preliminary final the past two seasons.
On Saturday against Parkside Spurs, it was an empathic display by the Centurions which won, 15.6 (96)-3.7 (25).
Coach Jade De La Rue it was pretty special to finally get that opportunity in the grand final.
“There’s not even any words,” she said. “If we had to grind it out, we had to grind it out and that is what we are doing.
“It was a huge margin, but everyone played a full four quarters and didn’t leave anything out there.
“We really committed to every play, every kick and every mark… It really showed when we’re playing our best footy we are on fire.”
The Centurions kicked five goals to none in
the first quarter to set the tone of the match.
It was game over at half time, with the margin 53 points.
The Spurs were finally able to get on the scoreboard in the third quarter, kicking two goals and winning the term.
The Centurions found another level in the last quarter to put the icing on the cake.
De La Rue said the focus during the week had been on playing their football and they managed to start that way and it flowed on.
“Last three to four weeks we’ve lost our structure a little bit,” she said. “Before the game we were like, let’s do what we do best.
“Stick to what we know and go out there straight away and the second and first quarters, it made a massive difference and you could see everyone was switched on and ready to go.”
With the margin having blown out, the Centurions were able to enjoy the moment and the fact they were in a grand final.
De La Rue said it was good to knock it out of the park and be on the ground in the final quarter and embrace it.
Centrals to go again
Werribee Centrals will have to make the most of its second chance with a poor second half proving costly in its Geelong and District Football League qualifying final.
Playing finals for the first time since 2019, the Centurions faced the Belmont Lions on Saturday in the qualifying final.
There was just one point in it at quarter time and the Centurions led by four points at the main break.
The Lions kicked five goals to none in the third quarter to break open the game and lead by 23 points at three quarter time.
The Lions were able to keep their momentum going and ran away with a 16.10 (106)-8.8 (56) win.
Josh MacDonald and Blake Taylor kickedtwogoalseachfortheCenturions.
Patrick Daley, Bradley Carlton and Tate Camilleri were named the Centurions best.
The Lions now face East Geelong in the semi finals, with a grand final spot on the line.
The Centurions will now face Thomson in an elimination final on Sunday.
Thomson beat Bannockburn in the elimination final, 9.11 (65)-7.5 (47).
Larissa Renaut kicked seven goals for the Centurions. Taylah Bloss, Meghann Basto and Georgia Paul were named their best.
De La Rue said the whole group was on such a high to finally win through to the final game of the year.
“We have worked so hard to get to where we are and to see the commitment of everybody and the group is so close and we’ve tried to maintain that,” she said.
“We know we’re capable of it. We all have to show our strengths and every single person did that and we got the win.”
The Centurions face Caroline Springs in the grand final. The Lakers won the semi final clash between the two sides.
De La Rue said they need to do the right study and shut down the dangerous players and just push themselves as hard as they can.
“The last three weeks the biggest thing has been play the hardest footy we can, the best footy we can.
“Last week we fell short of that, the prior two weeks to that and today, we were back on track.”
The Centurions also had three netball teams in action on Saturday.
The B-grade side and under-17s both won their semi finals to win through to the qualifying final, while the under-15s lost and will play in a knockout semi final this week.
The under-19s who had the week off, will also play in a qualifying final.
Daryl Chesterman. (Ljubica Vrankovic) 405186_11
Roman Coote. (Supplied)
Meghann Basto. (Ljubica Vrankovic) 425677_08
Wyndham championship sides into grand finals
Both Wyndham’s championship sides will be going from premiership glory in the Big V on Saturday night.
After both suffering losses in the semi finals after finishing on top of the ladder, the men’s and women’s teams bounced back on Saturday night to lock in grand final spots.
The women’s side was in action first against the Bellarine Storm at Eagle Stadium.
It was a close first quarter with Wyndham leading by three points at quarter time.
The Storm started to find a bit of range in the second quarter to turn the deficit into a three point lead at half time.
Themarginextendedtosevenpointsheading into the last quarter.
Wyndham needed to come home hard to keep its season alive and it did exactly that.
A 28-24 final quarter was enough to seal an 86-79 win and send the club into a third straight grand final.
After a quiet semi final, captain Amanda Paschal fired on Saturday night.
She finished with 32 points, seven rebounds andfourassists.Threeotherplayersalsoscored double figures.
The momentum followed into the men’s game against the Keysborough Cougars which followed.
Wyndham led by three points at quarter time after a high scoring first quarter.
The margin increased by one point heading into half time.
It was the third quarter where the game changed.
A 29-13 quarter turned the four point lead into a match winning 20 point lead heading into the final quarter.
Wyndham was able to finish the game off nicely, winning the final quarter to seal a 100-75 win.
Oskar Jones exploded with a 33 point game
as all five starters scored double figures.
Troyce Manassa had 12 points along with 12 defensive rebounds and six assists in a strong all round performance.
Both grand finals will be played on Saturday at Dandenong Basketball Stadium.
The women’s grand final will start at 5pm.
Wyndham and the Bulleen Boomers will face off for a third straight year.
It’s one-win apiece, with Wyndham upsetting the Boomers the first year and the Boomers knocking off Wyndham last year.
The Boomers won the semi final between the teams, 84-67.
The men’s side will face the McKinnon Cougars in the grand final starting at 8pm.
The Cougars won the semi final between the teams 95-93.
McKinnonwillbegoingforasecondstraight championship, while Wyndham is going for two championships in three years.
Wyndhamvale on track
By Tara Murray
An explosive first quarter put Wyndhamvale onthepathtoasemifinalberthintheWestern Football League division 2 competition on Saturday.
For the second time in three weeks, the Falcons jumped out of the blocks against Albanvale.
The first time, they kicked 10 goals to one in the first quarter.
On Saturday, both teams’ seasons were on the line in the elimination final.
The Falcons kicked nine goals to nil in the first quarter to take a 58 point lead into quarter time.
That set the game up, with the Falcons winning, 20.24 (144)-1.3 (9).
Falcons co-coach Rob May said it was a really good win for the side.
“We sort of knew that we had to set the tone early like we did two weeks ago,” he said. “To get them on the back foot, it was good.
“Probably the only downside was our goal kicking, it wasn’t totally on. “Everything else we asked for, they certainly gave it to us in spades.”
May said they had control of the contest throughout after setting it up. He said the start made the Cobras make decisions they wouldn’t usually make.
He said they were really happy to keep them to just one goal.
“We mentioned it after the game,” he said. “Tokeepasidetoonegoalregardlesswhether it’s easy or not, is a fair effort.
“Our backline was exceptional all day. That is also in turn with our forwards and mids putting on the pressure up the field to make sure that it doesn’t come in easy.”
Daniel Burns kicked four goals for the Falcons, while Jack Tessari kicked three.
May said Kai Capovilla did a really good job in shutting down Reece Fields, their midfield was really good as well.
He said it was pretty much a good team effort.
The Falcons now face Newport in a knockout semi final this week.
May said they were going to go down and watch the elimination final between the Suns and Newport.
Meanwhile, May and co-coach Jason Parker have decided not to continue on next season.
The club announced it during the week and said it had already appointed a senior coach for next season.
May said they felt it was time to set away.
“We gave them that news last year, start of
November last year,” he said. “We won’t go on. “It was like a two year plan. We sort of ummed and ahhed a little bit, but we feel to move forward with a new coaching will be beneficial for the club.”
In division 1, Werribee Districts locked
Sara Eggesvik signs on with United
Philippines star Sara Eggesvik is headed to Tarneit after signing with Western United for the A-League women’s season.
The 27-year-old arrives with a prestigious resume at both club and international level during a 10 year career.
Born to a Norwegian father and Filipina mother, Eggesvik represented Norway at youth level before making her senior debut for the Philippines in 2022.
The athletic midfielder etched her name into history at the 2023 World Cup, starting all three matches and providing the assist for Sarina Bolden’s goal that earned the Philippines its first ever win at a World Cup finals.
That moment was the product of a professional career that began at age 17, taking Eggesvik to Norway’s top division as well as Charlton Athletic in the FA Women’s Championship.
Now heading to Australia with Western United, Eggesvik is ready to put her stamp on the A-League and the nation’s football audience.
“I’m very excited to start playing at Western United. I’ve heard good things about the league, and football in Australia is thriving right now with the Matildas,” she said.
“I’ve only heard good things about the club and the way they play – it’s an exciting way of playing football and something I hope I can contribute to. They’ve also had a really good two years in the A-League, so I would like to keep that up this year, too.”
Head coach Kat Smith highlighted Eggesvik as the type of player that could take the competition by storm this season.
“Sara has such a unique blend of athleticism and grace both with and without the ball, and I believe she can become one of the best midfielders in the Liberty A-League,” she said.
up top spot with victory against Caroline Springs.
The Tigers will have a bye in the first week of finals.
Hoppers Crossing finished the regular season with a big win against Point Cook. It will face Altona in an elimination final.
“Her character as a person and her experience in the game is equally impressive and I am incredibly excited about the role she will play in our group as we aim high this season.”
Amanda Paschal. (Ljubica Vrankovic) 403555_18
Jack Tessari. (Joe Mastroianni) 282002_02
Jesse Clark stands tall
By Tara Murray
Werribee’s next generation are leading the charge as the club aims for its first Victorian Football League premiership since 1993 with defender Jesse Clark among those leading the charge.
After losing a big chunk of last season’s grand final side, including some of the club’s best ever players, the Tigers have been able to rebuild on the run.
The club claimed their first minor premiership since 2005 and will play two home finals in run to a possible grand final.
Clark, who was part of the grand final team last year, said it was exciting to have the opportunity to go deep into finals again. He said last year’s experiences had put the club in good stead.
“There’sareallygoodvibearoundthegroup at the moment and the boys are just really keen to have another crack at it this year,” he said. “I feel that finals footy always brings that sense of motivation and creates that buzz.
“ButIthinkitfeelsalittlebitdifferenttolast year as I feel we’re better for the experience this time round.
“For a lot of us last year, they were our first senior footy finals. It was the case for me. I feel this year we go into finals a little bit more experienced and that awareness that it is just another game.
“Very exciting times. “
While many people thought the Tigers might drop off with the departure of some key members of the group, Clark said he felt like could back up last year.
He said it had been spoken about a lot in the off season that some club legends had departed and a high turnover in the coaching department.
“It was quite unknown what it looked like heading into this season,” he said. “I think the club did a really good job of transitioning Jimmy Allan into his role as coach as well as some other assistants.
“The recruits we picked up have had great impact. Everyone has been really flexible and adaptable in terms of the culture that we’ve had across the past few years.
“For me it wasn’t a surprise that we’ve had another good season. I think the core group of players who have been there for a while, Dom Brew, Nick Coughlan, Louis Pinnuck and Jack Henderson have set us up really well.”
“I’m definitely proud of what the boys have achieved to this point.”
For Clark this season, he has been able to build on what he did last year.
Until the start of 2023, he had played just 13 games due to Covid and injury. Last season he became a mainstay in the side.
“Last season I was pretty happy to be back outplayinginafinalseasonandplayinafinals series,” he said. “Honestly it was awesome given the season prior that I ruptured my ACL and had a knee reconstruction.
“For me last year was just about you being happy to be out there and playing with my mates.
“Losing that grand final did make me really hungry. This year I’ve been a bit more focused on developing my role and trying to have a little bit more impact.
“Also being part of the leadership group,
I’ve looked to other leaders to try and develop my skills.”
Clark said stepping up into the leadership group this season was really exciting and he was humbled to get that role.
He said the leaders that were already at the club had taught him so much and it’s been a greatopportunitytolearnasmuchaspossible.
Clark has had to use that leadership this seasonespeciallyinthebackpartoftheseason as injuries have hit the backline.
He said it was a next man up mentality.
“Definitely been a bit of carnage across the back half of the year, for the whole group, especially the backline group,” he said. “We seem to have copped a few injuries.
“Ithinktheboysthathavecomeintofillthe injured spots, have had really good impact.
Sam Azzi has come in as a key defender played his role and executed really well.
“Been a couple of others have had to come into the back line and play a role that they’re not used to.
“The way we’ve been able to stand up the last month or two has been really important allowing us to win the minor premiership.”
Werribee will face Geelong in a qualifying final on Saturday at 12pm at Avalon Airport Oval.
For Clark, who is from Geelong, there’s always a little bit of extra motivation against the side from his hometown.
Clark said it was exciting to be playing in front of the home crowd at Avalon Airport Oval.
“Similartolastyearwe’vegottheguaranteed two home finals, it s really good,” he said.
“We feel like we play well whereever we are, but it’s nice having that extra comfort of being at home and having the Werribee faithful there, They are always huge in terms of giving us that extra support and encouragement.”
Jesse Clark. (Deion Menzies)
Jesse Clark. (Deion Menzies)
The vision for a vibrant Tarneit is outlined in the draft Tarneit Major Town Centre Urban Design Framework which Wyndham City has released for community feedback.
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