Star Weekly - Brimbank North West - 3rd September 2024

Youth fest kicks off

Throughout September, a variety of events and activities have been organised across the state, giving young Victorians a chance to express their ideas and views and act on issues that affect their lives.

Victoria’s Youth Fest is a month-long celebration, highlighting the contributions and achievements of young people in their communities.

Brimbank mayor Ranka Rasic said the festival is packed full of events for all young people to enjoy.

“We celebrate and bring together the diverse and wonderful young people in our community during Youth Fest,” she said. “I strongly encourage Brimbank’s young people to check out the schedule of free events that are running throughout September. There’s lots of great things happening, and there is sure to be something for everyone.”

One event set to roll through Brimbank this month is the skateboard art workshop for those aged 12 to 25. It will be held on Monday, September 30, from 9.30am to noon, at Delahey Community Centre, and Hunt Club Community and Arts Centre, from 1.30pm to 4pm.

A full list of events is available: brimbankyouth.com/youth-fest-2024

Fed up council pulls plug

By Gerald Lynch

Brimbank council is set to terminate its Municipal Maintenance Agreement (MMA) with the Department of Transport (DTP) after DTP opted to not increase its financial contribution to the maintenance of state roads in Brimbank.

Brimbank council heard back from state government regarding its wishes for a more even split of road maintenance funding at the end of June, but the result is bad news for ratepayers.

Council’s total annual spend to deliver the MMA is about $475,000 excluding GST. The DTP contributes $109,090, leaving a net cost to

council of about $355,000.

Councillor Virginia Tachos said the MMA is no longer serving a purpose for residents.

“Given that the state government is not providing increased contributions towards council maintenance of state roads within Brimbank,thiscreatesfurtherfinancialburden on our ratepayers to maintain state owned assets,” she said. “They’re [state government] covering less than a quarter of the costs of the road maintenance … meaning our resources have to be taken away from our roads and infrastructure.”

Council entered into the MMA with DTP in 2014, whereby council took over specified maintenance responsibility such as grass

mowing, edge trimming, weed control, and other associated works for those parts of the urban arterial road network for which DTP is the responsible road authority.

The MMA covers urban arterial roads north of Ballarat Road, while those south of Ballarat Road continue to be maintained by DTP’s contractor, Ventia.

Council will now provide six months’ notice of its decision to hand back responsibility for these services, in accordance with the termination clause set out in the MMA.

It will also publish DTP’s contact details on its website to direct all state road maintenance enquiries directly to the state government.

Western Metropolitan MP Trung Luu went

in to bat for council during question time in state Parliament back in May.

“This council cannot possibly afford to cover more than three-quarters of the cost under the municipality maintenance agreement any longer,” he said. “The serviceability of these road assets is essential to assure connectivity and safety for Victorians, especially for those in my electorate who use the roads daily.”

A state government spokesperson said “We work with councils across Victoria to ensure the maintenance of state-government owned roads meets our standards.

“We’ll continue to work with the Brimbank CityCouncilandthelocalcommunitytomake sure these roads remain safe.”

Skateboard decorating organisers Nathnael Amare and Lukas Kasper. (Supplied)

Arrests blow to organised crime

By Eddie Russell

ACarolineSpringslocalisoneof268Victorians

to be arrested between August 19-23 as part of a nationwide effort to stamp out organised crime activity.

On Monday, August 19, police seized approximately 280 grams of heroin and 80 grams of methylamphetamine as well as cocaine, MDMA, and cannabis at a West Melbourne home.

A 23-year-old Caroline Springs man and

30-year-old Melbourne woman were arrested and charged with a range of offences, including drug trafficking, and will appear before Melbourne Magistrates Court on November 26.

The drug bust is among 54 others in Victoria which yielded 568 drug related charges as part of Operation Vitreus, which was led by the Crime Command Organised Crime Division.

Victoria Police Organised Crime Division detective Superintendent Dave Cowan said the results were just a snapshot of illicit drug

usage in Australia

“Over $93 million worth of illicit drugs were seized throughout the country last week alone, and whilst it’s an incredible result, it aptly highlights the seemingly insatiable demand there is in Australia for illicit substances,“ he said. “We are at a pivotal point in this fight against illicit drugs, and ultimately, we must challenge the attitudes around the use of illicit drugs in our community.”

Mr Cowan said the sole aim of the operation was to reduce the availability of illicit drugs.

A special Sunday for Sunbury dad

On Father’s Day, Sunbury dad Tim Racovalis felt a range of emotions from excited and euphoric to bittersweet and sentimental.

After son Lachie was stillborn two years ago, Mr Racovalis’ wife Colleen fell pregnant with triplets.

She lost one of them in the womb but gave birthtotwinsMackenzieandCodyat29weeks and four days.

Born at Monash Medical Centre, they have since been transferred to Joan Kirner Women’s and Children’s Centre in St Albans and are “holding up really well.”

Father’s Day is particularly “meaningful”

after everything he and his wife have been through, Mr Racovalis said.

“Obviously with the history that we had with Lachie,thepreviousyearswerealittlebitnumb because our little boy wasn’t with us,” he said.

“But this year it is a magical ride – we are blessed to have these two little miracles.”

Mr Racovalis said he has been “visualising” returning home with his children.

“It’s definitely going to be a very overwhelming feeling because we haven’t had that experience yet,” he said.

“Being able to walk through that front door will be emotional and surreal but we can’t wait

… as a dad, the best feeling you can have is knowing your family is safe.”

Despite having to overcome significant pain and loss, it has been worth it for the couple.

”All that fear during each pregnancy scan and every new ultrasound has paid off because we’ve got these two,” said Mr Racovalis.

Mr Racovalis said it was an “honour” to bring up daughter Mackenzie and son Cody and follow in the footsteps of his own parents.

“I want to be the father my dad is to me and Colleen’s dad is to her. I’ll be happy to raise our kids to be the best that they can.”

Eddie Russell

“We are completely committed to making Victoria as hostile an environment as possible for anyone associated with the trafficking of drugs.”

The operation was conducted by police forces from Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia and Queensland in conjunction with the Australian Federal Police.

It resulted in taking about 1400 kilograms of illicit drugs and more than 2500 cannabis plants off the street, as well as 71 guns.

VEC offers candidate help

Candidates ready to stand in the upcoming Brimbank council postal election are urged to use the Victorian Electoral Commission’s (VEC’s) newly refreshed Candidate Helper to get their applications ready for submission when nominations open on Monday, September 9.

Electoral commissioner Sven Bluemmel reminded candidates that there are several important steps they must complete before nominating.

‘If you want to represent your local community, make sure to confirm your eligibility and complete the mandatory online candidate training through Local Government Victoria before lodging your nomination. This rule applies to all candidates, including those who are currently or have previously been a councillor,’ Mr Bluemmel said.

The Candidate Handbook is also available on the VEC website.

Prospective candidates are also encouraged to attend the candidate information sessions being held in each electorate before the opening of nominations.

Prospective candidates must make an appointment to submit their nomination forms and pay the $250 fee in person during business hours. They must provide evidence that they have completed the online candidate training, as this is required by law and will be shown on each candidate’s nomination form.

Candidates must make an appointment to submit their nomination form in person at the election office by calling the Candidate Helpline 03 8620 1316 between Tuesday, August 20 and Monday, September 9.

FromMonday,September9candidates can call 131 832 and they will be directed through to the relevant election office.

NominationscloseatnoononTuesday, September 17. Details: vec.vic.gov.au

Victoria Police launch new campaign against stalking

AnewcampaignfromCrimeStoppersVictoria and Victoria Police, ‘Stalking is a Crime’ has been launched to highlight to the community the seriousness of stalking.

Stalking is incredibly harmful behaviour. It isnotasingleincident,butapatternofrepeated behaviour by another person over time, which causes a victim to feel distressed, fearful or worried about their safety, or the safety of others, police said.

Harmful behaviours can include loitering near a victim’s house, publishing material on social media, interfering with the victim’s property or keeping a victim under surveillance.

Figures from the Crime Statistics Agency show there were 2642 stalking offences reported in the year to March 2024.

More than half of these reports were related to family violence.

The campaign launched last week, with a panel discussion at Swinburne University, featuring experts from Victoria Police, Safe Steps and No to Violence. The panel provided an in-depth discussion about the dangers of stalking, how to recognise the signs of stalking and offered attendees insights into stalking

Someone who stalks can be an ex-partner, a family member, or a friend. It could also be someone less well known, such as a colleague orsomeonewholivesintheneighbourhood,or even a complete stranger.

prevention.

Crime Stoppers Victoria chief executive Stella Smith shared that as family violence offences continue to rise, understanding stalking and the harm it causes has never been so important.

“We want people to feel empowered to address any stalking behaviour and to know where to turn to for support,” she said.

“Stalking is a serious crime and we want to ensure that Victorians understand the severity of stalking, that they are not alone, and that they are confident in seeking help.”

Victoria Police Family Violence Command acting superintendent Tom Nairn said that stalking is a growing problem, with the misuse

oftechnologyandsocialmediamakingiteasier for offenders to carry out the crime.

“Becoming a victim of stalking can happen to anyone at any time – so if you suspect or know it’s occurring to someone please speak up,” he said. “It’s incredibly harmful behaviour – and perpetrators need to be held to account.

“The more information we have, the more we can do something about it to keep victims safe.”

If you have information about someone being stalked, share with Crime Stoppers Victoria online or call 1800 333 000 In an emergency, or if there is an immediate threat to life, always call triple-0. If you can’t gettoaphone,asksomeoneelsetodoitforyou.

Father Tim Racovalis with twins Mackenzie and Cody. (Robin Bristow)

Early intervention call on knives

By Eddie Russell

The stabbing of a 16-year-old boy in Caroline Springs has sparked calls for stronger action on early intervention of knife crime.

On Thursday August 22, a student from Springside West Secondary College was rushed to hospital after being stabbed during an altercation. It is believed that a group of seven, who were armed with machetes, accessed the school grounds and sought the teenoutbeforefleeinginablackHondasedan.

A Victoria Police spokesperson said public safety remained a key priority and that efforts wouldfocusoncrackingdownonknifecrime.

“We completely understand the concern felt within the community when knife crime occurs in public places,” the spokesperson said. “That’s why we have boosted both vehicle and foot patrols in the Fraser Rise area, with officers from the public order response team and transit safety division providing ongoing support. On top of this, we have a number of proactive operations coming up in the Brimbank and Melton area to target those in the community who think carrying a weapon is acceptable.”

However, Les Twentyman Foundation generalmanagerofprogramsChrisLaceysaid “You cannot police your way out of this and

having police officers knocking on the door of kids who are seen as ‘at risk’ of offending is not a solution”.

“If we take the stick approach and throw kids behind bars, that will lead to institutionalisation and career criminals who will only become more dangerous to society.

“What is needed are effective, intensive and positive early intervention programs aimed at ensuring that kids do not make the decision to pick a knife or a machete up in the first place.”

The foundation runs an early intervention program at Taylors Lakes Secondary College, something that Mr Lacey believes provides youths with crucial access to help.

Lights hit the court at Sassella Park

The Sassella Park tennis courts have been given a major lighting and management upgrade, in a win for community sports fans throughout Deer Park and surrounds.

Brimbank mayor Ranka Rasic was joined by Kororoit MP Luba Grigorovitch for the official opening of the upgraded Sassella Park Tennis Court lighting and management system.

Cr Rasic said the upgrades will lead to much higher participation and access levels of the courts.

“It’s great to see everyone here today to celebrate the opening of the upgraded Sassella

Park Tennis court lighting and management system,” she said.

“This new lighting is one of a host of facilities being completed recently with a focus on lighting to increase the capacity on sportsground to allow more people to participate in sport.”

The 350 LUX LED lighting is set to ensure budding tennis enthusiasts from junior hot shots to adult competitors can play right into the night with clear vision all year round.

The management system upgrade means using the ‘Book a Court’ system which will

make it easier for the community to access the facility when club volunteers are not onsite to open up.

These improvements mean more people will be able to access and use the tennis courts, bringing people together to play sport.

Other recent lighting projects include Keilor Lodge Pitch 1 and Keilor Park Ovals 2 and 4.

These upgrades cost a total of $303,565, with the project receiving $151,782 from the state government and council contributing the same amount.

Gerald Lynch

“When a child is starting to rebel and make poor decisions … it is incredibly difficult for parentsandteachersandteacherstoeffectively intervene,” he said.

“That’s why providing effective support through schools is so important, with the benefit of a youth worker to build trust and … bring in other support services.”

Mr Lacey said this can come in a variety of forms, “Whether that be in the form of mental health, family support, alcohol or drugs counselling, or simply involving the child in positive activities and mentoring – the youth worker is there to support both the child and the family.”

A $400 school saving bonus announced in May’s state budget will also be able to be spent on textbooks, the state government has announced.

The government introduced the bonus to help cover the cost of uniforms,camps,excursionsandother extracurricular activities throughout the year for students at government schools and eligible students at non-government schools.

OnAugust28,PremierJacintaAllan and Education Minister Ben Carroll announced the $400 could also be spent on textbooks.

“Getting a world-class public education in Victoria will always be free – but supplies and extracurricular activities can really add up for families,“ Mr Carroll said.

The government said schools and families will receive more information about the bonus this week, with the $400 able to to be accessed from November.

Families will receive a code granting them access to the bonus. They will get to choose how much of the funds they want allocated to a uniform and textbook voucher, and how much they want to use on school activities – like camps, sports, excursions, graduations, and other eligible programs.

For families of students at a non-government school, the $400 will be provided directly to each school –to be managed in consultation with the student’s family and in line with the intent of the program.

Non-government school families who are eligible for the means-tested camps, sports and excursions fund (including healthcare and concession card holders) are eligible for the school saving bonus.

Fine for illegal wildlife trader with a ‘fascination’ for reptiles

A 21-year-old Caroline Springs man has been fined $30,000 after he admitted to 19 wildlife offences related to unlawfully taking reptiles from the wild and possessing illegally sourced wildlife as part of a cross-border illegal wildlife trade syndicate.

The man pleaded guilty to 11 charges under the Wildlife Act 1975 and eight charges under the Wildlife Regulations 2013, claiming his “appreciation” and “fascination” with reptiles led to his involvement with the criminal operation between May 2022 and January 2023.

His offences included possessing illegally acquired or disposed of wildlife, illegally

possessing protected wildlife, and failing to maintain transaction entries in his wildlife licence record book in relation to 17 shingleback lizards, 10 crested and eight central netted dragons, three eastern and three centralian blue-tongued lizards, 21 mixed species geckos, and 13 Boyd’s forest dragon eggs.

He also admitted to breaching his licence conditions and illegally taking 15 shingleback lizards from the wild within Victoria.

During sentencing on Tuesday, August 27 at Sunshine Magistrates’ Court, presiding Magistrate Robinson said that even though theman’s“involvementwaslimited”,ithelped

facilitate more serious offending by others.

His honour also noted that if not for the man’s early guilty plea, he would have been sent to prison.

The man was detected as part of the Conservation Regulator’s Operation Pike, a major investigation into the illegal import, export, and trade of wildlife in Victoria, with assistancefromVictoriaPoliceandthefederal Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.

The investigation found he received reptiles from interstate and stored them at his house, with many of the animals intended for sale to local and interstate buyers.

Chief conservation regulator Kate Gavens said they are committed to tackling illegal wildlife trade.

“The illegal take and trade of wildlife is completely unacceptable. Not only is taking animals from the wild cruel, but it jeopardises the future health and survival of our iconic native species,” she said.

Another man in his 20s was identified and chargedaspartofOperationPike.Heisdueto face Sunshine Magistrates’ Court next month. Anyone with information about illegal wildlife trade or other wildlife crime can make a confidential report to Crime Stoppers Victoria?on 1800 333 000.

Tennis Victoria’s Jarryd Cutler, Kororoit MP Luba Grigorovitch, mayor Ranka Rasic and Cr Victoria Borg at Sassella Park. (Supplied)

The team that puts families first

By Gerald Lynch

A service dedicated to assisting families throughout Brimbank and Melton has been recognised for its hard work as finalists of the Robin Clark Making a Difference Award.

This year’s protecting children awards attracted a record number of nominations across 12 categories, recognising the incredible effort and commitment across the Victorian child protection and family services sector and in the community.

The Putting Families First team is a multi-agency collaboration including staff from OzChild, Youth Support and Advocacy Service, Australian African Foundation for Retention and Opportunity, Charis Youth and Community and Victorian Aboriginal Child and Community Agency.

The team works alongside more than 20 community service providers to support families who come into contact with the statutory service system, and have complex problems,toconnectthosefamiliestotheright supports at the right time, tailoring services to the unique needs and cultural contexts of each member of the family.

The team has supported 283 individuals across 58 families, with 74 per cent from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and five per cent being First Nations families.

Through the work of the Putting Families First team, families have been empowered to change their lives including children having re-engagedwithschoolandprosocialactivities improving their long-term life opportunities.

PuttingFamiliesFirstteammanagerScarlett Keally said they encounter so many families facing difficult circumstances, and the work is extremely rewarding.

“We provide intensive support to families

who have or are engaged in the criminal justice system. By collaborating with all family members, providing a culturally safe space for them to share their experiences, helps the team address each family members individual needs,” she said. “Common struggles we support include poverty, intergenerational and migration trauma, family violence, embedded racism, acute mental health needs, alcohol and substance misuse, housing needs; which our specialist integrated interdisciplinary teams navigate alongside families.

“I am immensely proud of the passion and dedication of the team and the wider support

HAVE YOUR SAY: Community Meeting Space Survey

services we work with to make a difference for our most vulnerable and at-risk families.

For this to be recognised at state level after two years of program delivery is phenomenal.

“Seeing the positive outcomes for the individuals and families who have been embedded in government services for years, they step out into the community with a sense ofsafety,empowermentandachievement,with no further reliance on systems and services to support their family functioning.

“Families in Brimbank and Melton are struggling the most with service navigation, accessibility to services outside of the 9-5pm

norm and culturally safe spaces for families to engage in the community and with services, especially when they have adolescents in need of support.”

Children Minister Lizzie Blandthorn announced the award, and said the work of Putting Families First was crucial in keeping children safe.

“Everychildhastherighttoasafeandhappy childhood and these awards acknowledge the exceptional workers, carers and community members who go above and beyond to help Victoria’s most vulnerable children,” she said. Details: childprotectionjobs.dffh.vic.gov.au

We’re seeking your input into the availability and use of Council community meeting spaces. By completing a quick survey, your feedback will be used to inform the planning for and development of meeting spaces within our community centres.

Survey closes Monday 16 September

LANDFILL OPERATIONS PTY LTD GUILTY OF BREACH OF LICENCE CONDITIONS UNDER THE ENVIRONMENT PROTECTIONACT

On 16 July 2024, Landfill Operations Pty Ltd plead guilty at the Broadmeadows Magistrates' Court to 5 charges laid by the Environment Protection Authority for breach of licence conditions contrary to section 27(2) of the Environment Protection Act 1970 and s 63(1) of the EP Act 2017.

Landfill Operations Pty Ltd was found guilty without conviction, fined $10,000 and ordered to pay $40,000 to Brimbank City Council to carry out the Don Thomas Grasslands Nature Places Project for the restoration or enhancement of the environment in a public place or for the public benefit, and was ordered to pay the Environment Protection Authority's costs of $15,000.

Between 6 January 2021 and 11 November 2021 Landfill Operations Pty Ltd contravened conditions of the licence including exceeding the size of the permitted tipping face, failing to cover waste and failing to immediately notify the EPA of non-compliance with a condition of the licence.

The Environment Protection Act 2017 requires licences for specified operating activities. Non-compliance with a licence is an offence that may result in prosecution.

This Adverse Publicity Notice was published and paid for by Landfill Operations Pty Ltd pursuant to an order of the Magistrates' Court of Victoria.

The Putting Families First team. (Ljubica Vrankovic) 426285_01

Wakakirri state award

StMaryMacKillopPrimarySchoolhasreceived a state award and is being considered for a national award for its Wakakirri performance,

‘The very lonely butterfly’.

Wakakirri is Australia’s largest performing arts event for schools with more than 200 taking part this year.

Participating schools are inspired by the Wakakirri ethos ‘great stories inspire change’ to create and perform story-dances that reflect students’ thoughts, ideas and aspirations.

Wakakirri festival director Adam Loxley said the Keilor Downs school was outstanding in its performance.

“Thestandardofperformanceandthestories being told by schools this year was exceptional and St Mary MacKillop Primary school should be very proud of their award,” he said.

St Mary MacKillop Primary School’s story is the sequel to the very hungry caterpillar. This is the story of the lonely butterfly as she leaves

her cocoon and embarks on a journey of self discovery and belonging.

St Mary MacKillop Primary School’s performance was described by Wakakirri ambassador Christopher Politis as “a fun and creative sequel to a classic tale!“.

St Mary MacKillop Primary School’s performanceco-ordinatorandperformingarts teacher Laura Kantzidis said, “the students had the most wonderful experience rehearsing and performing their story dance. I am so proud of them”.

The Wakakirri Story-Dance Festival is a national program that helps schools develop student engagement and wellbeing through participation in the performing arts.

Schools participate by creating story-dances which they perform in live theatres in capital cities and selected regional areas around Australia.

Gerald Lynch

Briefs

Six arrested over club stabbing Two Caroline Springs men have been arrested over an alleged brawl at a Melbourne nightclub in which an 18-year-old suffering serious stab wounds. Police have been told a brawl broke out in the toilet area of a nightclub on Little Chapel Street, about 1am on Friday, August 16. An 18-year-old man suffered serious stab wounds to his buttocks and groin. A 19-year-old Caroline Springs man was arrested at a home on Barn Elms Parade and charged with recklessly causing serious injury, assault-related offences, affray, and failing to comply with direction to assist. An 18-year-old man from Caroline Springs was also arrested, along with a 25-year-old Donnybrook man, a 19-year-old South Melbourne man, a 24-year-old Narre Warren man, and a 21-year-old South Melbourne man, who was released after further enquiries.

Fatal collision in Sunshine North A cyclist was killed in a collision in Sunshine North on Monday, August 29. A car and a cyclist collided near the Sunshine Avenue overpass of the Western Ring Road just after 3pm. The cyclist, a 42-year-old St Albans man, died at the scene. The driver of the car, a 72-year-old Kealba woman, was taken to hospital with minor injuries. FOR

We’re committed to making secondhand second nature for the good of hip pockets, the planet and the people in our local communities. Our racks are filled with one-of-a-kind pre-loved finds just waiting to be discovered across clothing, decor, books, furniture and more, all at affordable prices.

St Mary Mackillop Primary School students after their Wakakirri performance. (Supplied)

Pickleball fun for all

The Keilor Basketball Stadium is offering up new ways to get active on the court, with a social pickleball session every Monday and Friday, from 9am to noon.

The perfect way to start or end the week, pickleball is a new and fun sport that combines elements of badminton, tennis, and table tennis.

Two or four players use a paddle, a whiffle (plastic ball with holes) and a net to try and be the first to 11 points.

Great for all ages and skill levels, this new sport will have you hooked. Equipment provided. Beginners welcome and staff are present to help get you started.

Star Weekly photographer Damjan Janevski captured the competition.

Soccer mums hit the court

The Keilor Basketball stadium has a new program to help all women stay active, TheGoSoccerMumsisasoccerprogramfor all women, from all walks of life. It doesn’t matter if you have never kicked a football before – no experience is necessary –anybody can have a go.

Every Tuesday from 11.30am to 12.30pm. StarWeekly photographerLjubicaVrankovic was there to capture the action.

The sessions are social fun for all ages. (Pictures: Damjan Janevski) 427168

Facilitator Ava Walters and Sarah Ottley in action. (Pictures: Ljubica Vrankovic) 423576

Sarah Pace, Ava Walters and Danni Cassar line up.

Pinpoint passing.

Bladder leakage and what to do

Alex Lopes is a pelvic health physiotherapist, the director of Pelvic Health Melbourne in Altona North, and past national chair of the Australian Physiotherapy Association’s Women’s Men’s and Pelvic Health Group.

Up to 38 per cent of Australian women experience bladder leakage. Whilst bladder leakage for women is common there is help. As a pelvic health physiotherapist, the most commonquestionsIgetaskedare-whatisthe cause of my bladder leakage and how can I fix it?

The main causes of bladder leakage can vary depending on your stage of life. In young women the cause can often be high intensity training. In peripartum women increasedloadsabovethebladderor weakness below is often to blame. In perimenopausal women hormonal change can affect bladder strength.

Why do I leak?

Bladder leakage can be caused from too much pressure above the bladder or not enough support below.

The best way to describe the first phenomenon is to imagine your bladder is like a balloon filled with water and held below with an elastic band.

Sometimes the pressure above the balloon is too great for the elastic band to hold. This could be due to constipation, high abdominal weight, a chronic cough or repeated heavy lifting.

Alternatively, you could have a problem with the elastic band below. It may have been stretched with childbirth or hormonal change with menopause where the connective tissue within the elastic band weakens.

Oryoumayhaveaproblemwiththebladder

itself otherwise known as bladder urgency.

Do you go to the toilet more than your friends, are you often ‘busting to go’ or rushing to the toilet and sometimes there is hardly anything there?

Youmayhavebladderurgencyoranoveractive bladder. This is not due to weak pelvic floor muscles but a problem with the bladder itself. An overactive bladder is normally a genetic condition where you have always had an issue with going to the toilet more often than normal (up to 7 times per day) and often with urgency.

Or you may have developed an urgency problem associated with triggers. Possible triggers that may be causing a problem for you could be caffeine, fizzy drinks, artificial sugars, or alcohol.

For some of you it is more what you do, possibly thinking about drinking, washing your hands or running water, walking to the toilet or even driving home or that key in the door.

So how can I fix my leakage?

Well of course it depends on the cause, so getting help to diagnose the cause will address all the factors that are contributing to your leakage.

Ifitisapressureimbalance,physiotherapists like myself work on the loads above the bladder and the support below. If you have an overactivebladderthereisstrongevidencethat Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) can calm the bladder and stop the sensation of urgency or the contraction of the bladder.

If you have triggers, then holding the urge whenever you feel urgency helps break the cycle on those triggers.

Your pelvic health physiotherapist, GP and/ or urologist will be your support team in assisting you to better bladder health.

Director of Pelvic Health Melbourne, Alex Lopes.

Fathers in arms caring for kids

As children across Melbourne’s western and northern suburbs took time to celebrate their dads on Sunday, Max Westwood spoke to the organisers of two fathers’ groups about what it means to be a modern dad.

Nowadays, the role of fathers extend far beyond past expectations.

Modern dads try to be engaged in every facet of their children’s lives, from balancing work and parenting to sharing household responsibilities.

This shift reflects a redefinition of fatherhood, highlighting fathers as equal partners in raising their children, rather than just being the ‘breadwinner.’

As these changes become more accepted in society, support is needed to help fathers understand their role in fostering growth and empathy in their children.

Nick Burnett joined the recently formed Sunbury Dads Group as a way to share what he has learnt on his own journey to becoming the best parent he could be.

And that began by becoming sober.

“I have actually just celebrated three years of sobriety just last weekend. I’ve been through the ringer and one of my big drivers was, you know,startingthatfamilyandkindofknowing that I am going to have to live up to that expectation to be all I can be and then some,” he said. “And now I am studying primary education, so teaching and moulding young minds is something that’s very passionate to me, and then also mental health and substance abuse among men, especially fathers.

“Going through it myself it’s almost self-motivating for me because I know what it’s like to be in dark places and male suicide is very high in Australia, so breaking down that stigma that it is OK to talk about it and it actually makes you stronger to talk about it.”

Creating a safe space for dads to talk about their current struggles is something the Support For Fathers program does and why programs leader Dom Alford is so proud to help fathers find acceptance amongst all the chaos.

“It’s just that they don’t take the time to reach out to other dads,” he said.

“So our job is to sort of guide them to other dads and say ‘how you going?’ and maybe it will be just a little bit better easier with a bunch of strangers just connecting in a strange way.”

Alford said a lot of the work the group does is about letting dads know that they are not alone in their worries.

‘‘ They always have the drive of I’m going to be the best dad possible, I’m going to be the best partner ever ... then reality hits and we realise we actually have no clue ’’ - Blair Keeble

“We talk about becoming a dad and transitioning into that role, and then we also talked about dad’s mental health as well,” he said. “We focus a lot on mental health before and after birth, so you know the expectations and the pressures leading up to birth, and then maybe even what they’ve experienced during birth, if it’s a traumatic birth, that trauma can stick with you.

“In the first six to 12 months, their lives are completely changed and turned upside down

and no one’s getting any sleep. All those issues there contribute towards poor mental health. And so we focus a lot on dads and how they look after themselves and understanding the warning signs of poor mental health and just lots of education around that.”

Dads group program manager Blair Keeble is at the forefront of advocating for a more nuanced understanding of what it means to be a dad and how new fathers are not alone in their struggles.

“Every person I meet, they always have the drive of I’m going to be the best dad possible, I’m going to be the best partner ever, I’m going to be the best support. And then reality hits and we realise we actually have no clue what we’re talking about. We have no clue what’s actually happening,” he said.

“And that can lead to some pretty dark places. Research shows us that one in 10 dads struggle from post natal depression.

“Now, that’s not a very well known stat amongst dads.

“Through either paternal classes, digital programmes or our community events ... we

normalise feelings and we normal normalise situations. So one thing we realise is that actually our situations aren’t unique to us. There’s so many situations that actually other people relate to.”

By changing perceptions and expectations, dad’s group is empowering fathers to play a more active and involved roles in their children’s lives and embrace what it means to be a modern father.

“We’re trying to change the culture of of fatherhood, and we’re seeing that culture already change, which is awesome,” Keeble said. “So we’re joining in on that and really working towards that cultural change, so you’re seeing more stay at home dads than ever before, you’re seeing more involved dads even, and just that awareness that you know, dads have a huge part to play in, even the the early stages of of kids birth.

“A lot of research coming in out of the Australian Father of Research Symposium that’s happened earlier this year ... showed the importance of dads in those early days of a child’s life.”

Members of the Sunbury Dads Group and their children.

Left: Members of the dads group. Right: Sunbury Dads Group facilitator Nick Burnett and his wife and child (top); Sunbury Dads Group in action. (Supplied)

Asparagus, mangoes, avocados signal the start of spring

New season Victorian asparagus, the first Northern Territory Kensington Pride (KP) mangoes, top-quality Hass avocados from WA and a new crop of local tomatoes herald the start of spring produce, according to Melbourne Market, Victoria’s wholesale fruit, vegetable and cut flower trading centre.

Blueberries, broccoli and cauliflower are all currently in excellent quality and keenly priced, while apples and pears continue to be in abundance, with their season lasting throughout spring.

Mandarins remain in plentiful supply and are delicious at the moment - look out for the late-season variety Afourer, which are sweet if pithy - while broad beans are again being traded on the market floor to mark the start of spring.

According to Melbourne Market buyer Graham Gee from The Happy Apple, strawberries have had a tough winter season but are coming good now at the end (before reappearing again in late spring / summer) while recent weather has again affected supply (and price) of cabbages. Likewise weather has impacted supply of bananas and raspberries.

“But all varieties of mandarins and citrus in general is going strong and apples and pears remain in abundance. Broad beans are really nice at the moment and will only get better as the weather improves - including price - and the Hass avocados coming out of WA are top quality,” he said.

Melbourne Market buyer John Biviano from Biviano and Sons said new season asparagus had started appearing and, though expensive at the moment, will quickly drop in price as soon as the weather warms.

“The local season of pomegranate has finished and fruit imported from the US is yet to begin so is in limited supply, but local mandarins are in abundance, especially the

Afourer variety, which are low seed and deliciously sweet,” he said.

Melbourne Market CEO Mark Maskiell said the onset of spring is a busy time at Victoria’s wholesale market.

“Melbourne Market is proud to be the key connection between our world-class farmers and independent greengrocers across the state,” he said.

“Melbourne Market means consumers can

access the freshest produce when they shop at their local fruit and veg store and they should always ask their greengrocer about what produce is at its best and at a good price - as they will know!”

Mardarins remain in plentiful supply, and new seaon Victoria asparagus signal the start of spring produce.

A tour in the spirit of the Anzacs

By Gerald Lynch

Two students and a teacher from Marian College in Sunshine West are heading to Turkiye after being awarded the Premier’s Spirit of Anzac Prize.

Year 10 student Ruby Pearce is one of the prize recipients, along with fellow student Freshta and teacher Ian Francis.

Ruby said it is a huge honour to be a recipient.

“Going on this study tour is an incredible opportunity to represent First Nations People, students in particular. I can’t wait to learn about Turkiye and its culture,” Ruby said.

“Winning the spirit of Anzac award was

incredible and I was so excited hearing I’d actually managed to win it. I’m so grateful for the once in a lifetime experience I’ve been presented with.”

Veterans Minister Natalie Suleyman said the prize is a great opportunity for students to “exploreAustralia’swartimeandpeacekeeping history and reflect on the precious freedoms we have today that we owe to the sacrifices of our veterans.”

“We are pleased to support the annual prize and winning students who will soon embark on an unforgettable journey to locations in Türkiye that hold special significance in Australia’s wartime history.”

“Iwanttothankeachandeverystudentwho

submittedprojectspayingtributetotheShrine of Remembrance or other war memorials and showed their dedication to recognising the service and sacrifice of our veterans.”

The Premier’s Spirit of Anzac Prize is an annual competition open to Victorian school students enrolled in years 9 to 12, with more than 500 students having been awarded the Prize since it began in 2005.

This year’s prize recipients will depart on their study tour during the September school holidays.

The prize winners will embark on a 10-day international study tour in September, visiting visiting significant historical sites in Istanbul and Çanakkale.

Promoting peace among their peers

Peace has been promoted at St Albans Secondary college over the last month, as part of a Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL) program.

HWPL is an international peace organisation focused on peace education and international law, working for peace in partnership with the United Nations in various countries.

InVictoria,HWPLengagesinmulticultural events and educational programs to foster understanding and harmony.

StAlbansSecondaryCollege,whichboastsa diversestudentbody,withover53nationalities represented, the majority from non-English speaking backgrounds, was identified as a

perfect school to run the program.

The program sets out to focus on principles of peace and conflict resolution, and supports theoverallwell-beingofstudentsandprepares them for positive community engagement.

St Albans Secondary College teacher Simon Lynch said the benefits the course had on students was invaluable.

“The HWPL peace education program has had a tremendous impact on our students. It has provided them with tools to understand and manage conflicts, and we have seen a noticeable improvement in their confidence and communication skills,” he said.

Nathan, a student at the school said he learned self-awareness, leadership and

also listening.

“The roles are very important, they are needed in life. For example, you need leadership and self-awareness to help others,” he said.

“Youcanbeawareofyoursurroundingsand youcantakeadvantageofit.I’velearnedabout myself that sometimes in games I can show a certain level of leadership. I also learned that sometimes I can listen really deeply. I learned to trust people.”

After the success in St Albans, the program will soon launch at other school’s in Melbourne’s west, starting with Victoria University Secondary College and Truganina P-9 College.

The Australian Men’s Shed Association (AMSA) is celebrating Men’s Shed Week September 1-7 with the theme, Send him down to the Shed.

From a humble idea in regional Australia, there are now more than 2500 sheds operating in 12 countries around world.

More than 50,000 Australians directly benefit from participation in the grassroots movement each year.

AMSA chief executive David Helmers said men’s sheds are a fantastic way of promoting men’s mental health.

“We know that when men retire, it’s a big change and they are at risk of social isolation which can lead to anxiety and depression, and that can affect physical health too. It often takes someone else to recognise this and suggest they do something about it. And many of them send them down to a Men’s Shed,” he said.

“For 30 years Men’s Sheds have been improving the wellbeing and health of men, by building connections over a shared purpose.”

Many sheds are holding open days during this week, welcoming members and community to celebrate all things shedding.

Details: www.mensshed.org

St Albans Secondary College students at the conclusion of their peace program, with a sign stating ‘I am more than enough’. (Supplied)

Teacher Ian Francis, and students Ruby Pearce and Freshta Watanyar from Marian College. (Damjan Janevski) 426308_02

PUZZLES

To solve a Sudoku puzzle, every number from 1 to 9 must appear in: each of the nine vertical columns, each of the

ACROSS

1 Recording reproduction (8)

5 Expression (6) 10 Outdoor area adjoining a house (5) 11 Variety of nut (9) 12 Slanted font (6) 13 Southwest Pacific region (7) 14 Inflexible (8) 15 Art of dwarfing shrubs or trees (6)

18 From Tuscany (6)

20 Cloistered (8) 21 Plaintiff (7) 24 Easily (6) 27 Waterer (9) 28 Fastening (5) 29 Fluffy dessert (6) 30 Graveyard (8)

Pontiff (4) 2 Heights (9) 3 Barbecue (5) 4 Cubic contents (8)

Dismissal (5-2)

Pale (5) 8 Pathological self-admirer (9)

Capital of Norway (4)

Banishment (9)

Moon (9)

Keep (8) 19 Gives (7) 22 One of the Ionian islands (5) 23 Book of the Bible (4) 25 Unit of length (5)

Unsightly (4)

four letters or more can you list? The centre letter must be included and each letter may only be used once. No colloquial or foreign words. No capitalised nouns, apostrophes or plural nouns ending in “s”.

Nellie Lovett, Johanna Barker and Judge Turpin are all characters from which musical?

2 What breed of dog is used as a piece on the Monopoly board?

3 In what century did the Wars of the Roses occur?

4 And which two royal houses did they involve?

5 Rooney Mara (pictured) starred as the titular character in which biblical drama film? 6 Who wrote Charlotte’s Web TheTrumpetoftheSwan and

7 What did the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution legalise?

8 What type of fruit is a cara cara navel?

9 How many Celtic languages are still spoken today? 10 In which US city did the first Starbucks open?

No. 202

No. 201

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

Women’s only conversation English

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

 9311 9973, or dukest@dsch.org.au

Crafternoons

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

 9311 9973, or dukest@dsch.org.au

Sunshine Heights Junior Soccer Club

The club is on the lookout for more girls to join its junior soccer teams from ages under-8s through to under-14. If you are keen to join, training is held every Tuesday and Thursday at Castley Reserve from 5.30pm – except for under 14 girls who train from 6.30pm.

 theclub@sunshineheightsjsc.com.au

Girl Guides

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

 Carolyn, 0418 536 084

Sunshine Repair Cafe

Do you enjoy fixing things or have skills in mending clothing and textiles? Kororoit Neighbourhood House is looking for volunteer repairers for the newly launched Repair Café in Brimbank. Events happen once a month and are an opportunity to meet others in the community and share your skills while helping fix broken household items.

 sunshinerepaircafe@kcnh.org.au, or 0413 434 082

Al-Anon Family Groups

Al-Anon Family Groups is offering help and hope to anyone living in an unhappy home because a loved one drinks too much. There are no contracts to sign, just a voluntary donation to cover room rental. Confidentiality is protected. Confidential meetings held at the Sydenham Neighbourhood Centre (rear of library) every Wednesday, from 1-2.30pm. New members welcome. No appointment necessary.

Kealba Car Meet

A typical first Sunday of each month in Kealba is a coffee and a car meet.

The event has a strict no hooning policy, with car lovers of all ages encouraged to come down and enjoy the spectacle. Held in the car park of the Kealba Milkbar Convenience and Cafe, 29 Driscolls Road, from noon to 2pm, with the next meeting on Sunday, October 6.

Card games

Love playing the card game 500? Card games are played every Monday, from 7-10pm, at the Sunshine RSL offices, 99 Dickson Street, Sunshine.

 Leisa, 0425 768 808

Keilor Day View Club

The Keilor Day View Club meets at 11am on the first Thursday of each month at Green Gully Soccer Club, Green Gully Reserve, Club House Place, Keilor Downs. The club is inviting locals to come along and enjoy a meal and fun with a friendly

collectible

and vehicles.

group of ladies.

 Robyn, 0425 387 880

Palliative volunteers needed Mercy Palliative Care is looking for volunteers to visit palliative care patients in their homes to offer social support.

 9313 5700 or MPCVolunteerCoordinators@mercy.com. au

Deer Park Lions Club

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

 Michael, 0417 307 572

Sunshine Community Brass

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

 Andrew, 0419 444 620

St Albans senior citizens

St Albans Senior Citizens group meet at the centre at the corner of Alfrieda and William streets, St Albans, on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, from 9am-2pm. Annual membership: $10. Cost: $1 entry on attendance day.

 Roma, 0435 991 064

Seniors lunch

Deer Park Branch of National Seniors Australia hosts a lunch on the third Friday of each month at different venues. The group also arranges activities each month, sometimes to the theatre, morning melodies, train or bus trip. The group also holds a general meeting at The Club in Caroline Springs on the first Wednesday of

every month at 1.30pm. Locals are invited to join in for lunch or just attend the meeting and make new friends.

 Pamela, pcostello46@hotmail.com

Caroline Springs Rotary

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

 rotarycarolinesprings@gmail.com

The Gap on Graham

The Gap provides a place for Melton youth to hang out, socialise, play games and learn new skills. The centre holds a night for girls aged 10 to 18 years, at 5 Graham Street, Melton, on Wednesday evenings. There is also a drop-in night for anyone aged 12 to 25 years old.

 Val, 0414 769 605

Melton Men’s Group

Melton Men’s Group meets every Thursday, from 5-8pm, at Arnolds Creek Children’s and Community Centre, 19 Claret Ash Boulevard, Harkness. Focusing on senior men’s mental and physical wellbeing. Join the group for a cuppa and a chat, listen to guest speakers and participate in activities including carpet bowls, pool or table tennis.

 meltonmensgroup.home.blog

Take weight off naturally

Struggling to lose weight? Struggling to get motivated? Want to try and do it in a friendly and less stressful atmosphere? Come and join TOWN (Take Weight Off Naturally) every Tuesday at 6pm at the Darlingsford Barn, Darlingsford Boulevard, Melton.

 Catherine, 0416 612 517, or Bob, 0411 824 739

Parkinson’s support group

The Melton Parkinson’s Support Group meets on the second Thursday of the month, 10.30am-12.30pm, at Kurunjang Community Centre, 33-35 Mowbray Crescent, Kurunjang. New members and carers are welcome.

 Helen, 0409 186 576

Melton Bridge Club

The Melton Bridge Club has weekly social bridge sessions at the Melton Library on Fridays from 10am-noon. Come along to play an exciting, social card game and have loads of fun. Bridge offers the suspense of poker, the cerebral qualities of chess and the excitement of athletic sports, all in a relaxed and social setting. If you like playing cards this is for you.

 Rosemary, 0407 894 817

Melton Friendship Group

An over-55’s singles friendship group for social engagements, fun outings, dinners, movies, dancing chats and walks. Enrich your life, no more loneliness or isolation. Nothing but fun and friendships.

 0406 493 734

Melton Valley Ladies Probus Club

The Melton Valley Ladies Probus Club meets on the second Tuesday of each month at 10am at Melton Country Club. New members welcome.

 Ann, 0425 705 150

Melton South Knit & Natter

All are welcome to join this social crafting group, running at the Melton South Community Centre each Monday from 10am-noon. Bring along any knitting or crochet projects and work on them while sharing tips, learning skills and catching up over a cuppa.

 9747 8576

This week’s photographer’s choice picture is of Roger Benns who is selling off a big collection of

cars

(Damjan Janevski) 427321_01

Taize gathering of hope

Melbourne’s Taize community is conducting its first gathering, aligning with the global Taize movement.

Taize gathering will be held at the Uniting ChurchinSeddononSeptember29, from7pm.

In the spirit of unity, locals are invited for an evening of prayer, reflection, music and food.

Yarraville Taize co-ordinator Patricia Stewart is excited for the local community to experience Taize firs-thand.

“It’s so well known. Apparently more young people, than any other spiritual thing, come

fromallovertheworldtosomewhereinFrance to do Taize gatherings,” she said.

“We encourage community and church connectionsothatpeoplecanexperiencethatin their own unique way. Taize is completely open toanybodyandeverybody,allnationalitiesand religions.”

Taize lead singer from Wyndham Vale, Suse Korzendorfe, is encouraging people to engage more with their emotional, heart, soulful selves.

“Taize will offer room for peaceful reflection

and connection with one self in a very calm and safe space. The intention is that people’s experience leaves them feeling lighter in their hearts and soul. The hope is that people can take away something very positively beautiful that they can share with the world,” she said.

“Thehopeisthatpeopleleavefeelingfulfilled emotionally and spiritually and want to come back.”

Afraa Kori

Melbourne Ganesh Utsav returns

Melbourne Ganesh Utsav will be returning for the ninth consecutive year at the Werribee Racecourse on Saturday, September 14.

The festival will celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi, a significant one-day festival in the Hindu community, where worshippers and community members come together to celebrate the birth of Lord Ganesh.

The free festival aims to unite people from diversebackgroundsinAustraliaandshowcase the rich traditions of one of Hinduism’s most celebrated festivals.

While Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated by Hindu communities all over across the world, Melbourne Ganesh Ustav takes pride in

making the festival a multicultural celebration.

Running for eight hours, the event will feature food and market stalls, rides, and an entertainment stage.

A five-foot statue of Lord Ganesh from Shree Dagadusheth Halwai Temple in the Indian state of Maharashtra will be prominently displayed for rituals.

Dance performances, traditional music, children’s games and the traditional “Laddu” auction in the evening will add to the occasion, while a fireworks display is set to dazzle.

Founder Vinyak Kolape has championed the event since its inception in 2016.

He spoke about the significance of the event.

“We organise multicultural festivals like Melbourne Ganesh Utsav to educate our children about Hindu traditions and to enhance community harmony,” he said.

To achieve this goal, Mr Kolape also establishedtheHinduCommunityFoundation Australia (HCFC Inc), an educational non-profit organisation that values all faiths and supports emerging communities.

The annual event is expecting 3000 people to attend and has plans on expanding the festival’s reach.

Details: https://www.facebook.com/ MelbGanesh/ Jaidyn Kennedy

Listies heading to St Albans

World renowned comedy duo The Listies are on their way to The Bowery Theatre in St Albans this weekend.

Fresh off touring the UK, the duo who has been seen on ABC kids produces a comedy concert for everyone aged four to 400.

The Listies are Richard ‘Rich’ Higgins and Matthew ‘Matt’ Kelly, a comedy double act who are serious about being silly. To date, they have written nine award-winning critically acclaimed live shows, collaborated with most major theatre companies and festivals in Australia, toured three continents, recordedfouralbums,andpublishedtwo books.

Matt said after taking the show overseas, they can’t wait to bring the show to Melbourne’s west.

“We’re really excited to be bringing the showtoStAlbans,it’sgotlotsofclowning around and sketches,” he said.

“The reason our shows are so fun is thatadultscanhavejustasgoodofatime as the kids do.

“It’s kind of like watching an episode of Bluey, except Bluey squirts you with a waterpistolanddragsherbumacrossthe stage because she’s got worms.

“Come along, since, dance and have a really fun time.”

TheshowisthisSaturday,September7, from 3pm to 4pm.

Tickets: creativebrimbank.com.au/ the-listies-make-some-noise

Gerald Lynch

The Listies will take over The Bowery Theatre on Saturday, September 7.

Plenty of choice at the Eynesbury Market

With the weather warming up, residents in the west are offered a relaxing day out at Eynesbury Market.

A short drive through the lovely green pastures will take attendees to the Eynesbury Homestead, where a wide range of stalls feature fresh produce, artisan crafts, and more.

Felicity Ashman runs Urban Markets, who operate the Eynesbury Market on the last Sunday of every month.

She said that the things on offer to attendees were countless.

“We have everything from classic farmers’ market stalls like fruit and veggies, baked goods, and honey to 3D printing and metal garden products,” said Ms Ashman.

“We have quite a number of community organisations like the Eynesbury Environmental Group and local Rotary Clubs… it is a really diverse crowd.”

In October, the Eynesbury Market will celebrate its 10th anniversary.

Ms Ashman said she was “rapt” that people had embraced it.

“I love the fact we’ve been able to establish

the market and have longevity,” she said. Frequenters of the market come from far and wide, including places like Ballarat, Box Hill, Ringwood, and Lilydale, said Ms Ashman.

“We have a surprising large number of visitors from well outside the area… on a fairly regular basis which is exciting.”

Anywhere between 2000 to 2500 people come through Eynesbury Market each day. It is open from 9am to 2pm and is dog friendly, with the next edition to be held on Sunday September 22.

Founder Vinayak Kolape, event president Neha Kolape, secretary Samarth Turekar. (Ljubica Vrankovic) 426667_04

Felicity Ashman at the site of the Eynesbury Market. (Damjan Janevski) 426951_04

Suse Korzendorfer will lead Taize music. (Supplied)

ROAD DERRIMUT

The application is for a permit to: VARIATION TO RESTRICTION CONTAINED IN TRANSFER AH006653N AS IT APPLIES TO VOLUME 11877 FOLIO 776 BY INSERTING THE WORD “EXCEPT ANIMAL HUSBANDRY” IN ITEM IX) AND DELETE THE WORDS ANIMAL HUSBANDRY IN ITEM XIV) AND USE OF LAND FOR DOMESTIC ANIMAL BOARDING (CAT HOTEL) The applicant for the permit is: URBANEDGE PLANNING The application reference number is: P207/2024

You may look at the application and any documents that support the application at: WWW.BRIMBANK. VIC.GOV.AU/ BUILDINGDEVELOPMENT/ PLANNING/ADVERTISED-

SPORTS QUIZ

1. What is the name of the sudden death overtime system used to resolve drawn NRL matches?

2. Which current club captain has made tie-breaking, gamewinning scores in these circumstances more than anyone else in the league?

3. Which AFL team’s mascot was punched in the face

4. A recent Premier League match erupted into a brawl after one Newcastle defender did what to a Southhampton striker?

5. Due to Covid lockdown protocols, which swimmer trained for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics in the dam on his family’s farm in Echuca?

Which A-League team will play home matches at Ironbark Fields in season 2024/25?

In which year was Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena officially named in honour of the Australian tennis legend?

Where was the surfing competition held during the 2024 Summer Olympics?

Which sport is Australian athlete Jason Day renowned for?

10. Which AFL team holds the record for the most consecutive VFL/ AFL premierships won as of 2024?

11. Which Formula One driver won the Hungarian Grand Prix while suffering from a broken rib?

12. Which former Australian Test cricket captain has been appointed the new coach of the Adelaide Strikers BBL team?

13. Which racing venue is the Victorian Derby held at?

14. Coleman Medallist Jesse Hogan has played for how many AFL clubs in his career?

15. Which current world No.1 tennis player avoided a doping ban after arguing two positive tests?

16. Which country won the third-most medals at the Paris Olympics, but finished only seventh in the overall standings?

17. The Vuelta a España cycling road race was first held in which year?

18. Which NRL club boasts the highest number of members?

19. Which Australian women’s cricket player scored 229 not out in a one-day international in 1997?

20. Of Australia’s 53 medals at Paris 2024, 19 were achieved in which sport?

21. The ICC Women’s Twenty20 World Cup was recently relocated to the UAE from which country?

22. Including 2024, how many times have the Sydney Swans and GWS Giants met in an AFL final?

23. The '90s ARL competition had a team known as the South Queensland what?

24. Jack Doohan will race in what motor racing competition in 2025?

25. Which Melbourne player has reportedly requested to leave the club?

26. Where did Collingwood finish at the end of the 2024 AFL home and away season?

27. Danny Jansen recently became the first Major League baseballer in history to do what?

28. The Australian women’s cricket team will play a Test match against England in 2025 at what iconic venue?

29. Which nation won 14 gold medals in the athletics events at Paris 2024?

30. And which African nation was second in the athletics medal tally with four gold medals?

Triton falls short of a podium finish

By Chris Riley, Marque Motoring

Watching the Olympics, it’s all about who gets the gold. No one remembers anyone beyond the top three placings and so it goes with utes and the Australian new car market.

Ranger is the gold medalist, with a clear lead, followed by Hilux with the silver and the D-Max with the bronze.

Also-rans include the Mitsubishi Triton, back for a sixth crack at the record but still sitting a fair way back in fourth position out of medal contention.

Although its redesigned front now carries the Mitsubishi name, it doesn’t look terribly different from the previous model and even bears a passing resemblance to the Hyundai Palisade.

Styling

They now want more than $90,000 for the top of the line Ranger Raptor, even though it’s powered by a thirsty petrol V6.

The good news is that you can get into a Triton for much less and it comes with a sensibledieselengine,whichprettymuchsums up the Mitsubishi ute - it’s always been value for money.

Having said that, we were a bit surprised to find our test vehicle, the second from the top GLS,doesn’tcomewithleatherorpower-adjust seats.

But at least satnav is standard – it wasn’t that long ago that even top spec Mitsus missed out on built-in navigation.

Standard equipment includes climate air with roof-mounted vents for the rear seat, auto high beam, adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition, auto lights and wipers and front and rear parking sensors.

GLS adds 18-inch alloys, road tyres, dual zone climate air, leather wheel, shifter and parkingbrake,LEDheadanddaytimerunning lights, power-fold door mirrors, keyless entry and push-button start, an auto dimming rear view mirror, plus premium sound.

Infotainment

Infotainment includes a 9.0-inch touchscreen (up from 7.0 inches), built-in navigation, AM/FM and DAB+ digital radio, Bluetooth connectivity with voice and steering wheel controls, plus wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto along with a six-speaker audio system.

USB-A, USB-C ports and a 12-volt outlet are located in the front, with the same setup for rear-seat passengers and a wireless phone charger in GLS and GSR.

A physical control knob is provided to control audio volume.

Safety

New Triton scores a five-star safety rating, with eight airbags, a 360-degree overhead camera and a comprehensive safety suite that offers two class firsts: Front Cross Traffic Alert and Driver Monitoring System.

Blind Spot, Rear AEB, Forward Collision Mitigation with pedestrian detection, cyclist detection and junction assist add to the list. A centre airbag is offered for the first time.

Engines/transmissions

The ‘new’ 2.4-litre four cylinder diesel features two turbochargers, one small for faster response at low revs, and a larger one to boost the top end.

Itdevelops150kWofpowerat3500rpm,with a 470Nm peak torque figure that’s available from just 1500 to 2750 rpm.

Both 4 x 2 and 4 x 4 drivetrains are offered with an updated six-speed auto, while a six-speed manual will become available later with some variants.

Driving New Triton features a longer wheelbase and it is slightly longer and wider, providing more space, comfort and load capacity.

The tub itself measures 1555mm in length (+35mm), 1545mm in width (+25mm) and 526mm in depth (+51mm) and includes a tray

liner in this variant.

And for the first time, Triton earns a 3.5-tonne braked tow rating and can carry a one-tonne payload across the range.

A new three-dimensional door handle allows easy opening in any hand position while a new steering wheel features soft-touch materials with enhanced thumb-rests for added comfort.

The start button has been relocated inboard and the larger, but not that large touchscreen, is now freestanding. The instrument dials have been pushed further apart to make way for a larger information panel which now includes digital speed. But the dials themselves are still old-school analogue with no customisation available to play with. Guess the customer focus group didn’t express any interest in this?

On the road the new Triton certainly feels smoother and more refined, but is otherwise unexceptional.

Power is up from 133 to 150kW and torque from 430 to 470Nm, the latter available much earlier in the rev range.

The new engine and gearbox are designed to produce better response and more low-down power, with flat torque delivery throughout the rev range, along with better fuel economy.

Part-time high and low range 4×4 is offered intwoforms,EasySelectandSuperSelectIIfor GLS and GSR, with selectable drive modes and a rear diff lock — the latter confined to GLX+, GLS and GSR.

Active yaw control automatically brakes the rear wheels to reduce over and understeer in corners.

Fuel consumption in the case of our GLS has dropped from 8.6 to a claimed 7.7L/100km. We trimmed a little bit off this, returning 7.6L/100km from the 75-litre tank after close to 400km of mixed driving.

Auto engine stop-start is fitted to enhance efficiency, with a 17-litre AdBlue tank to reduce NOx emissions.

However, the engine takes about half a second too slow to restart when the lights go green and it had other motorists beeping us for being a slowcoach. We’re told more than 100 front and rear suspension combinations were tested in Australia over several months.

After extensive benchmarking against competitors and the current model, a unique front shock absorber and spring combination was selected, along with a unique specification for the rear shocks.

Rear leaf springs are retained across the board, but the number and thickness of the leaves has been reduced, with both heavy duty and standard duty versions - the latter for GLS and GSR.

The rear brakes remain drums and it has a mechanical parking brake.

It all sounds promising and while the ride is generally smoother and more controlled, the suspension still produces an annoying staccato over across the low amplitude bumps common to our roads.

Upon reflection, it doesn’t bode well for equally common corrugated dirt roads. Maybe we should go with them next time?

The 4x4 benefits from a low-range ratio of 2.566, further enhancing low-speed response and pulling power.

Sand and Rock.

GLX and GLX+ get 265/65 all terrain rubber, GLX 2WD, GLS and GSR get more road focused 265/60 profile highway terrain tyres. A full-size spare is provided (alloy for GLX+, GLS and GSR).

A class first driver monitoring system watches for fatigue and issues an alert if it detects distraction. It’s an absolute shocker and Mitsubishi has issued a fix which will be retrofitted to vehicles already on the road. If fatigue is detected by the steering wheel-mounted camera, Forward Collision Mitigation and Lane Departure Warning are calibratedtokickinearlier.Itresultsinsomany false alerts that we soon tried to turn it off, only todiscoverthatitreactivatedateachstart.Even picking your nose triggers the bloody thing.

Summing up

In a sea of 4×4 dual cab clones, only the distinctive grille sets the Mitsubishi Triton apart.

The latest model is definitely a step up, with a contemporary cabin, the requisite touchscreen and wireless charge pad. But so too is the price, with the review GLS now $10,000 more than it cost 12 months ago.

You get what you pay for as they say but the problem is there’s nothing that really screams ‘buy me’ from where we’re sitting. It’snotenoughtojustmatchthecompetition, you have to catch and pass them.

Sorry.

Ground clearance is 228mm and seven off road drive modes are offered with the GLS and GSR: Normal, Eco, Gravel, Snow, Mud,

Mitsubishi Triton is back for a sixth crack at the record but still sits a fair way back. (Pictures: Supplied)

Finals fever is heating up across Melbourne’s north-west.StarWeeklyphotographer Ljubica Vrankovic was out shooting some of the action.

Finals excitement ramps up

Werribee Centrals coach Jade De La Rue and captain Lauren Basto. 428526_60

Yarraville Seddon’s Akol Deng tackles Jack Heron. 428570_02

A big Werribee crowd. 428574_19

Tarneit United’s Hassan Ahmed. 428575_01

Heartbreak for Caroline Springs. 428526_52

A rainbow above the action. 428526_01

Maidstone United’s Julian Vu. 428575_08

Yarraville Seddon’s William Kliszewski is tackled by Cooper Pepi and Jamie Ristoski. 428570_04

Werribee Centrals’ Abuk Akec. 428526_26

Sam Paea, Kaelan Bradtke and Jesse Clark raffle a mark. 428574_03

The Bears’ season comes to a disappointing end

Burnside Heights will reload and come back bigger and better after a straight sets exit in Essendon District Football League division 2 competition.

After narrowly following short in the semi finals against Taylors Lakes, the Bears took on Westmeadows on Saturday for a second shot at the grand final.

Early it was the Bears, but the Tigers warmed into the game.

The Tigers were able to finally find their kicking boots in front of goal in the second half to run away with an 8.17 (65)-6.9 (45) win.

Bears coach Cole Harvey said they were beaten by a better team on the day.

“I spoke to the boys after the game and said it was a tough day after a fantastic year,” he said. “Westy was fantastic and almost at full strength and they were pretty good.

“We were concerned about their leg speed and ball movement. It could have gotten ugly if they had kicked straight.”

After being hit hard by injuries in the semi final, the Bears had to make a number of changes.

Harvey said they took in a couple of players

underdone which they normally wouldn’t have done

He said after having luck with injuries during the year, they had none at the right time of the year.

Daniel Hovey kicked three goals for the

Bears, while Riley McLaughlin, Tyson Iglesias and Luke Bonello were named their best in the preliminary final.

Harvey, who is in his second year in charge, said looking back it had been a really good season.

Tough week for Lakers

By Tara Murray

A brave Caroline Springs fell just short of premiership glory in the Western Football League women’s competition on Saturday afternoon.

Facing off in their fifth straight grand final, the Lakers were hoping to add premiership number two to the cabinet against Werribee Centrals.

For the Lakers, it had been anything but an easy week leading up to the grand final.

Dean Ellis, who coached the club’s 2022 women’s premiership, died early in the week after an illness.

Ellis stood down from the coaching role last season after getting sick, but was still heavily involved with the side since then.

His daughter Alana Ellis is also part of the team.

Lakers coach Alex O’Shea said she was so proud of her side and how they were able to step out onto the field.

“It’s been a tough week and we don’t want to take that away from Werribee,” she said. “They played an outstanding game and when they had their moments they took it.

“I’m just extremely proud of the girls the way they fronted up today on the field and had to go and gave it their all and that’s all we ask.”

O’Shea said Ellis was the heart and soul of the women’s side, but his impact was much bigger than that at the club.

“He was our president, he was our coach,” she said. “He was a mentor, he was a leader and most of all is Caroline Springs’ family.

“He’s the heart and soul of this club. We won’t forget him, always remember him, always be with us.

“We love him to bits.”

Onfield,theLakershadcontrolofthegame for much of the first half without putting it on the scoreboard.

The Centurions managed to get two goals just before half time to take a lead into the break.

O’Shea said it was difficult conditions to play in.

“We couldn’t pick up on that wing which waythatwindwasgoing,”shesaid.“Ithought we had the wind in the first quarter and then we didn’t and I think that the weather just played a big part in the game.

“I thought we had earned our spot in second place,” he said. “Taylors Lakes has definitely been the best team all year.

“Westy has been fantastic. At the start of the year if you had said to me at the start of the season we would have got two finals into some of the kids, I would have taken it every day of the week.

“Gettingthatfinalsexperienceisinvaluable. Some had never played senior finals before.”

Harveysaidtheywerelikelytohaveacouple of players that would retire, so they would be disappointed they didn’t make the grand final to give them the chance to end on a winning note.

He said the group would look to go again next season.

“The sun comes up,” he said. “Looking forward to having a good reflection individually and as a group in a couple of weeks.

“We’ll have a well earned break and November will be upon us.”

The Tigers will face Taylors Lakes in the grand final on Saturday at Windy Hill.

Tara Murray

Gray re-signs with the Tigers

Campbell Gray’s stellar rise has continued as he has put pen to paper to stay at Richmond for next year’s AFL season.

A mid-season rookie pick this year, Gray signed with the Tigers on a six-month contract.

The 195 centimetre utility booted 10 majors from Victorian Football League matches with the club, including a best-on-ground performance against Carlton in round 14.

Gray had five marks and booted four goals in that display against the Blues before he suffered a season-ending hamstring injury in the dying stages.

Gray said the first few months at the club had been awesome. He said recovery in an AFL system had been one of the biggest learning curves.

“[I’ve] tried and learned from all the older boys as much as possible. It has been a good experience so far,” he said.

“I was playing local eight months ago. Getting in tip top shape and getting all the recovery stuff and getting the body right, it has been a big thing and learning as much as possible which has been amazing.

“It stayed on that side of the ground and it was hard to get messages out.”

The Lakers fought back in the third quarter to take back the lead.

With 10 minutes to go it looked like the Lakers were on track for the premiership, sitting 18 points ahead.

The Centurions kicked the last three goals of the game to win, 6.3 (39)-5.7 (37).

O’Shea said Werribee took its chances late and when it counted most.

“Deservingly they capitalised,” she said. “They did a great job today [Saturday].

“I actually don’t know what has happened in the last six minutes. It was just a blur, we were trying to sort out what was going on and what was happening.”

O’Shea said while proud to be in five straight grand finals, but it doesn’t matter if you don’t win them.

“We are disappointed and we are hurt,” she said. “I thought the girls did really well, full credit to Werribee.

“They were the better team all season.”

While the seniors didn’t get over the line, the Lakers under-18 girls claimed the premiership earlier in the day.

“Family culture, that is the biggest thing here, they pride themselves on being a family. It’s definitely shone and the support you have from everyone is amazing.”

Campbell was part of Keilor’s Essendon District Football League premier division premiership last year before making the move to VFL. It took half a season with Essendon to see him picked as a rookie.

Gray said he was looking forward to getting a full AFL pre-season under his belt.

“Stay fit is the number one goal,” he said. “Learning as much as possible in the system and try and put the best foot forward

“I think having an AFL pre-season is going to put me in good stead.”

Richmond football talent general manager Blair Hartley said Gray is a great character who has worked incredibly hard since joining the club.

“His versatility gives our coaching staff plenty of options, and we look forward to him continuing to develop as a player in 2025,” he said.

Jordan Hughes. (Ljubica Vrankovic) 427093_01

Shekeine De Satge. (Ljubica Vrankovic) 428526_09

Cats through to grand final with a week’s rest

Albion is one step closer to its premiership dream through to the Western Football League division 2 grand final.

Having fallen narrowly short in last year’s decider, the Cats have been focused all year on getting back and getting a second shot.

They will be able to do that after beating Sunshine in a semi final on Saturday.

Cats coach Blake Richards said they were pretty happy to be back in the final game of the year.

“It’s a reward for effort,” he said. “We’re in a pretty good position and we now have the week off to freshen up.

“We could possibly get a couple of players back as well.”

The Cats faced Sunshine in the qualifying final in the battle of the top teams. The Cats had won both matches between the sides during the regular season.

For most of the game on Saturday, it was a

hard slog.

The Cats were able to grab some momentum in the third quarter and were able to convert on the scoreboard.

It would be the difference in the 10.8 (68)-6.8 (44) win.

Richards said it was windy and it kept the ball to one side of the ground, but ended up working in their favour.

“Sunshine brought the contested game up from last time,” he said. “We thought a chance might come as we had fair control of the game and we were able to make the most of those opportunities.

“We got four quick goals and that was the margin. Sunshine had a few chances in the last quarter, it could have gone either way.”

Cooper Muir kicked three goals for the Cats.

Richards said he and co-captain Darcy McPherson had good moments in the third

quarter when they were needed.

Josiah Garisto was good off half back while Cody Bench had a good second half.

For Sunshine, Daniel Torcia kicked three goals with leading goal kicker Nathan Carroll not in the side.

Fabian Brancatisano, Matthew Cravino and Patrick O’Keefe were named their best.

The Cats now get a week off before the grand final.

For the Kangaroos, they face Newport in a preliminary final.

The Panthers beat Wyndhamvale in the other semi final.

While they had the first week of the finals off, Richards said it wasn’t the worst thing to have another week off before the grand final.

He said Jesse Cavanagh would train this week as he tries to get over an injury, while Amar Elnour returned via reserves on Sunday.

Belief drives the Saints

By Tara Murray

A little bit of belief is going a long way for St Albans in the Essendon District Football League division 1 competition.

After winning their first senior final in 14 years in the first week of finals, the Saints made it two in the space of eight days.

Facing Hillside, which ended their finals campaign last year, the Saints got off to the perfect start.

Seven goals to none in the first quarter set the tone for the Saints.

The Sharks came at them a number of times, but every time the Saints had the answers.

When they kicked a couple of early goals in the last quarter, the Saints knew they were on their way to a preliminary final.

They would win 18.9 (117)-9.11 (65).

Saints coach Zammy Muhtari was absolutely ecstatic following the result.

He said he couldn’t believe the result.

“I gave the boys a plan and I just asked them to execute it,” he said. “I know our

footy is good enough.

“So they’ll be able to do that today [Sunday], which is fantastic.”

Muhtari said the first quarter was both sides getting a feel of the conditions before his side started to get on top.

They were then able to capitalise on their ball movement.

“We knew that we would try and get as much lead as possible,” he said. “You just don’t know, sometimes the wind can change, who knows.

“So after last week [when the game was halted due to lightning] anything’s possible.”

The Sharks started to make inroads with the breeze in the second quarter before a couple of late goals turned the game back in the Saints favour.

Muhtari said they knew you could score at the clubrooms end from watching other games. The margin grew to 39 points at the last break, but with the wind the Sharks still had a sniff.

That didn’t last long with the Saints doing

“The boys are pretty motivated at the moment,” Richards said. “We’ll have some competitiveworkattrainingtogetusthrough.

“We’ll go and watch this week. We’ve got a few senior players who can play in the reserves and we’ll try and get both sides in finals.”

Richards said the group’s motivation wasn’t just showing on the field.

He said they were getting around the whole club.

“Our under-12 girls won a premiership and therewere15-20oftheseniorgroupandaheap of reserves players who went and watched.

“It was a good sign ahead of finals.”

Tara Murray

Lakers hold on in the wind

Caroline Springs was able to hold off Yarraville Seddon to earn a shot at Werribee Districts in the second week of the Western Football League division 1 finals.

It was a low scoring affair at DSV Stadium in the qualifying final on Saturday as the windy Williamstown venue delivered its well known windy conditions.

The Lakers scored the only goal of the first quarter to lead by three points at quarter time, with the margin just six at half time.

Three goals to one in the third quarter opened by a 14 point lead in the favour of the Lakers heading into the final quarter.

It goal for goal in the first 20 minutes of the last quarter.

The Eagles then kicked two goals in a row to bring the margin back to two points nearly 25 minutes into the quarter.

The margin was soon one point.

The Lakers were able to take a mark late in the final quarter in their defence to pretty much wrap up the 7.8 (48)-6.11 (47) win.

OliverMurrayandBaileyRaakkicked two goals each for the Lakers.

Billy Crofts, Mitchell Bongiovanni and Murray were named their best.

The Lakers now face Werribee Districts for the second time in three weeks, with a grand final spot on the line this time round.

enough before the game sizzled out.

Josh Carter kicked five second half goals for the Saints. Alex Tsia, who was a late inclusion and kicked three goals.

“We brought him in to give us a spark around,” Muhtari said of Tsia.

“I always tell the boys inside 50 to play with a bit of flare, we stayed hunting in numbers and when your opportunity is there we need to convert which we did well this week.

“Josh, he means so much to me and the boys. His moment was going to come and it was a matter of when it was going to come.”

At the other end Brandon Coletta was outstanding, while Jayden Kretiuk restricted Josh Covelli to just two goals for the second time this season.

The Saints now face West Coburg in a preliminary final on Saturday at Greenvale Recreation Reserve.

Muhtari said they’re looking forward to the opportunity.

He said they were hoping to get Jackson Volpato back while there’s a couple of guys in the reserves they’d look at.

The Tigers, who had the weekend off, won the final round match between the sides by 30 points to seal the minor premiership.

Yarraville Seddon will face Hoppers Crossing in a knockout semi final.

Cooper Pepi. (Ljubica Vrankovic) 428570_17

Jayden Kretiuk was outstanding on Josh Covelli. (Ljubica Vrankovic)

Western Eagles climb the promotion mountain

It’s been a journey two seasons in the making, but Western Eagles have finally earned promotion and a championship.

When Paul Falzon took over as coach of the FV state league 3 north-west team ahead of the 2023 season, the club was in the bottom part of the ladder.

The side finished fourth last season and were in the promotion conversation until late, setting the fire for more improvement this season.

With two rounds to go, the Eagles secured topspotandpromotionfornextseasoninfront of their great supporter base.

“It’s a project that started two years ago and wehavegainedpromotionandclaimedthetitle with two weeks remaining,” Falzon said. “It is all so satisfying.

“The celebrations started at the final whistle and continued to the early hours of the morning. Family, friends and supporters were in huge numbers to celebrate with the players and staff.

“It was great to see the volunteers that have

worked behind the scenes all year join in the celebrations as it takes a lot of work and dedication to achieve results we managed throughout.”

Falzon said the second half of last season started to build confidence into the group that they could be there with the contenders.

“With the signing of a few key players that complimented the squad, and the outstanding leadership shown by our captain and senior players,”hesaid.“Ihadnodoubtthatthegroup we had would be in a position to challenge.”

Falzon said it’s nice to take the foot of the pedal a little bit in the last couple of rounds knowing they had achieved their goal.

The Eagles were set to face Diamond Valley United on Saturday, after deadline, in the second last round before finishing the season against Sebastopol Vikings this Saturday.

Falzon said he wouldn’t have to motivate the group to keep them up for the last two rounds.

“Our group of players are so competitive and with a final against the winner of the south east league fixtured on the week following the final

round we will still be looking to finish the year on a high and win the remaining fixtures.”

Falzon said they were enjoying the celebrations and not looking too far ahead. He said they’ll finish the season and then reflect and see what is next.

“I am very proud of the club’s results in the

Mission accomplished

By Tara Murray

When Spring Hills started its women’s program, the club set the ambition to one day be part of the National Premier League women’s competition.

Having built a strong program, Spring Hills progressed from state league 4 west in 2016 through to the second tier, Victorian Premier League, last season.

After falling just short of promotion last season, Spring Hills was keen to ensure that it wouldn’t happen again.

With two rounds remaining, Spring Hills was able to secure its spot in the NPLW competition for next year.

Coach Tom Markovski has been on the journey and is thrilled to have achieved what they set out to do.

“We are finally there,” he said. “Starting in state league 4 and we worked our way up, it’s good to see it come to fruition.

“I don’t think it sunk in until the federation published that we are being promoted. It’s a massive relief.”

After finishing third last year and then falling short in the grand final, Markovski said they were sure that they would be competitive again.

“We went into this season full of confidence andhadastrongpre-season,”hesaid.“Webeat half a dozen NPLW clubs.

“We knew that we could challenge if we kept everyone fit. We can now enjoy the last couple of weeks.

Spring Hills secured promotion with a 1-0 win against Geelong Galaxy United in the third last round.

Markovski said it was a tough match with the ground not in great condition and threat of thunderstorms also looming over them.

While promotion has been locked in, Spring Hills still has a couple of other focuses before the season is out.

The side would love to claim the minor premiership and also claim the title.

“There’s two games to go,” he said before the weekend’s match, which was after deadline.

“We play Casey, the second team in the final roundandthewinnerlikelytakesit[theminor

premiership].

“The top four play finals. We want to win that as well. There’s no pressure on us though and we can enjoy the next few weeks.”

For the club, there’s always been a focus over the years to try to bring through local talent.

Markovskisaidhalftheseniorteamhasgone all the way through from juniors to seniors and they would continue to focus on that.

“Our state league 2 team is all local girls,” he said. “Sometimes you have to bring in players but you need to have the opportunity to work your way up and have somewhere to go.

“Build that pathway.”

Spring Hills was in action on Friday night in the second last round against Melbourne University, after deadline.

While the season is yet to finish, the club is already planning for next season.

Markovski said they need to find another day to train, with their ground already at capacity.

He said it would take a couple of months to get things in place but they were ready for the challenge.

last couple of years,” he said. “With now the foundation in place and the people involved in the club, hopefully this could be the springboard for the club to go on and strive for more success.”

Sports shorts

Soccer

Western United’s Rhys Bozinovski, Matthew Grimaldi and Abel Walatee have been named in the Australian under-23 for the PacificAus Sports Football Series to be held this month. The Australian team will face teams from New Caledonia and Vanuatu in the series. The squad is made up of Australian-based players, with the group having varying junior national team experience.

Western FL

Sunshine Heights has reappointed Stephen O’Malley as coach for next year’s Western Football League division 2 season. O’Malley took on the role this season in late December following Colby Blyth’s departure. He had involvement in three other clubs in the league before joining the Dragons. The Dragons finished 11th this year with five wins. The club is seeking a reserves coach with applications closing on September 10.

Coates Talent

The Western Jets girls side finished their season with a loss to the Calder Cannons in the Coates Talent League. Facing off in a wildcard game, the Cannons won 6.10 (46)-4.11 (35). It was all single goalkickers for the Jets, with Kiara Boyd, Ruby Jones and Alexandra McBride-Loane named their best. The Jets finished the season with three wins McBride-Loane was set to take part in an AFL national futures girls game on Saturday. The Jets boys were in action on Saturday, after deadline, in their wildcard match against the Sandringham Dragons.

Netball

Western Warriors’ Shaid Sasalu has been named in the Fiji team for the Netball World Youth Cup Oceania Qualifiers in the Cook Islands later this month. The athletes are current members of the Fiji 21-and-under squad who recently competed in the Rising Stars tournament with the reigning world champions New Zealand, Australia, and Singapore 21-and-under teams. FOR MORE SPORT, VISIT Web: starweekly.com.au Brimbank & North West

Tara Murray

Western Eagles celebrate their championship. (Supplied)

Spring Hills has claimed promotion. (Supplied)

Blues are ready for the tough challenges ahead

Keilor’s dominance throughout the Essendon District Football League’s men’s premier division has positioned it as the team to beat in the upcoming finals series.

Having lost only one game, the Blues secured the top position on the ladder with 17 wins and cemented their advantage with a week off before entering their finals campaign.

The break allowed Keilor to recover and ponder the strategy it will implement as they await the winner of Strathmore and Pascoe Vale in a qualifying final, which was after deadline.

Keilor coach Mick McGuane emphasised the importance of the team being up for the fight and understanding the tough challenge either team will bring for their side.

“They are absolutely both threats,” he said before the qualifying final.

“Both those clubs have got some

outstanding players at their senior level, it will be a terrific game on Saturday to sit back and watch, and get a feel for who’s in terrific form.”

McGuane said despite his side’s formidable season they have had some close calls in many games and stressed the coaching group have some selection calls still to be finalised.

“There have been some games this year we have struggled in, didn’t play at our best, we weren’t allowed to play at our best,” he said.

“The Strathmore game comes to mind. We only beat them by two points, and I think we are probably not as healthy as we would like to be at this stage.

“We have some training sessions to come before Saturday week, and then we will make some decisions around the health of the players, and the best team depending on who we play.”

Strathmore entered the qualifying final

with 13 wins and five losses as opposed to Pascoe Vale, who had a stronger regular season with 15 wins and only three losses.

McGuane said he understands their impressive season has built high expectations for the club, but the focus has to be on the processes on-field throughout the year which placed them in this position.

“We talk about the balance of offence and defence pretty strongly at our footy club, we’re ranked number one in offence and we’re ranked number on defence so both sides of the ball we’ve been strong for the main part of this year,” he said. “Except for one game when we lost out but in saying that as a guiding principle we want to be good when we’ve got it and we want to be strong when we haven’t.

“And that won’t change going into the last four weeks of footy.”

100 up for Josh Covelli

By Tara Murray

Hillside star Josh Covelli almost gave football away last year.

The Essendon District Football League division 1 full forward struggled to find the form of the past yeas and the enjoyment that came with football.

Covelli decided to give it one more go. It would prove to be his best season so far, as he kicked his 100th goal of the season in the Sharks qualifying final loss to West Coburg. Covelli said he never imagined this would happen.

“It’s pretty exciting, it’s unreal,” he said. “It’s a really special moment as I never thought about kicking 100 goals in the season.”

Covelli said thoughts of kicking 100 first started to creep in at the midway point of the season, when he had 52 goals for the year. He was able to keep kicking them and fell just two goals short of the milestone in the regular season.

Covelli said it didn’t bother him that he had to wait another week.

“It was only a 16 game season, I knew it

would be pretty hard to do it in the regular season,” he said.

“It was nice to have the build up to the moment.“

Covelli kicked one goal in the first quarter before kicking the 100th early in the second. He finished with five goals for the day.

The crowd quickly surrounded Covelli when the special moment happened.

“Theclubbuiltitupreallywell,”hesaid.“The reserves, thirds and fourths were all there.

“My wife and three kids managed to find me which made it more special.”

Inkickingthe100thgoal,hebecamethefirst player since Cameron Cloke did it for Jacana in 2017.

Covelli said he nearly pulled the pin on his playing career last year.

“That makes it even more special,” he said.

“The body wasn’t good and I’d had two ankle surgeries.

“I couldn’t get it right and I rushed back. It makesitsomuchbettertobeabletodoitnow.”

Covelli played all his junior football at Moonee Valley.

He gave away the sport for a year as a junior,

Surgeon steps down at Blues

Premiership coach Brooke Surgeon is stepping back as coach of Keilor in the Essendon District Football League women’s premier division.

The Blues announced that Surgeon, who coached the club since 2022, had decided not to continue on next year.

“The Keilor Football Club would like to thank and acknowledge the services of our senior women’s coach, Brooke Surgeon, who has advised the club that she will standing down from the senior coaching role,” the club said on social media.

“Brooke took the reins in 2022 and had an immediate impact, leading to a senior women’s premiership that same year, having a great impact on the playing group.

“We’re forever grateful for Brooke’s time, effort and energy over the past three seasons, as she no longer has the capacity to give the role the time it deserves and requires.

“Brooke has been instrumental in our women’s development, including overseeingtheunder-18girlsprogram over a number of years, which is showing great promise as they won their second straight grand final last weekend.

“We wish Brooke all the best for her future endeavours.”

whenhethoughthewantedtobeaprofessional tennis player before realising he wasn’t good enough.

Covelli soon returned to football with the Fog. He spent one year playing up at Woorinen in 2015 before returning to the EDFL.

He would move to Burnside Heights in 2017 before making the move to the Sharks in 2022.

Covelli said he wanted to test himself at a higher level when he moved to the Sharks.

“A lot of people said you wouldn’t get a kick and it wouldn’t suit me,” he said. “There were a few messages when I left Burnside... It’s nice to reflect on them.”

While Covelli kicked his 100th, the Sharks fell short against West Coburg.

Covelli said it was a tough loss.

“We felt like we would over run them,” he said. “They did what we wanted to do and we couldn’t get them.”

The Sharks faced St Albans in a knockout semi final on Sunday, after deadline.

Speaking before the game, Covelli said they needtoplaytheirbestfootballforfourquarters.

“We have struggled to do that,” he said. “It’ll be a tough battle and we’ll see what happens.”

The Blues struggled this season, finishing with just two wins for the year. At times they struggled for numbers, forfeiting two games.

They finished second bottom and avoided relegation.

Surgeon has also played 10 games for the Blues, having played for the Sunbury Lions previously.

She had been appointed the club’s girls under-18 coach for the 2020 season before Covid cancelled the season.

She has also been involved as an assistant coach at the Northern Knights and Western Jets.

The Blues said they will be seeking applications for the senior coaching role soon.

Thomas Ingleton Josh Honey. (Ljubica Vrankovic) 422892_11

Josh Covelli. (Ljubica Vrankovic) 418823_08