Chelsea • Mordialloc • Mentone
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Editor: Neil Walker 0431 932 041 Journalists: Mike Hast, Stephen Taylor, Neil Walker 5973 6424 Photographers: Gary Sissons, Yanni Advertising Sales: Anton Hoffman 0411 119 379 Real Estate Account Manager: Jason Richardson 0421 190 318 Production and graphic design: Maria Mirabella, Marcus Pettifer Group Editor: Keith Platt Publisher: Cameron McCullough REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS: Peter McCullough, Stuart McCullough, Andrew Hurst ADDRESS: Mornington Peninsula News Group PO Box 588 Hastings 3915 Email: team@baysidenews.com.au Web: baysidenews.com.au DEADLINE FOR NEXT ISSUE: 5PM ON MONDAY 2 NOVEMBER NEXT ISSUE PUBLICATION: WEDNESDAY 4 NOVEMBER 2015
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NEWS DESK
Students have different career hopes but a common goal THREE Patterson River Secondary College students are all aspiring to reach high levels in the world of football – or, as it is better known in Australia – soccer. Brandon Smith, 17, is on track to become one of the youngest ALeague referees in the country. He has officiated at soccer matches since he was 11 years old. So far, the Year 12 student has overseen club matches, NPL, and even occasional Youth National League games – which are just one level below A-League. The only thing stopping him officiating in the top level is his age. “You have to be 18 to even be considered for an official position in A-League. I can’t wait to get to that magic number,” Smith said. Chelsea Ford, 14, has just been selected to play in the Victorian State Futsal Team. She is looking forward to playing in Sydney in January in a national championship. Patterson River’s Futsal competition is in its seventh year. It has built up over the years and this has given Ford – who is in Year 9 – a good foundation to apply her skills in a competitive environment. She is the only girl to compete in the boys’ competition and was voted by her peers as the most improved player in the competition. Mitchell Ball, 18, is a diehard soccer fanatic. He plays for Skye United Reserves and has managed young teams, including Under 8s, 10s and
Round ball futures: Brandon Smith, Chelsea Ford and Mitchell Ball. Picture: Yanni
12s. He is also the team manager for the Under 18s, along with being part of the club committee. The club has also given him the responsibility of starting a youth committee of which he is president. Ball, in Year 12, is going to the UK in January to see how top flight clubs manage teams and coaching. Great opportunities like this are hardly ever offered to students, so Ball is super excited to be part of it all. He will travel to the Lancashire region to work with the coaches of Premier League Club Stoke City, Burnley FC and Bolton. He is also involved in a partnership with Lancashire FA to learn the administration side of managing a soccer club. Nathan Peel, owner of Absolute Soccer, who played for
Burnley, managed to get Ball onto this great opportunity. Teacher Pravi Chandra, who has taken Ball under his wing, said: “He is an exceptional soccer player and his management skills are amazing. “Mitchell has coached and managed the senior boys’ soccer team for the past two years and he has managed to take them to within a goal of state finals both times. He has shown outstanding management skills and knows how to communicate well with the kids.” Achievements by the three students show that soccer is growing in this area and the school has done an exceptional job in encouraging them to not only chase their dreams, but to achieve them as well, school principal Janet Mitchell said.
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Community Events PO Box 588, Hastings 3915 or email your listing to communityevents@mpnews.com.au PAGE 4
Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News 28 October 2015
Bay watch: The whitebarred boxfish seems to be a ‘fish on the move. Recorded from Western Port to Dongarra, WA, it has only been sighted in Port Phillip in relatively recent times. It is one of the fish participants in the Great Victorian Fish Count will be asked to keep a look out for. Picture: Rick Stuart-Smith
Counting on rare, and common, fish WATCHING goldfish in a bowl can be restful or compared to waiting for grass to appear. But that won’t be the outcome for hundreds of divers and snorkelers in the water at Rye and Flinders this summer as part of the biggest citizen science event on Victoria’s marine calendar, the Great Victorian Fish Count. “The huge amount of enthusiasm volunteers have for the Great Victorian Fish Count reflects the deep knowledge and passion that exists in local communities for our marine life,” Caitlin Griffith from the Victorian National Parks Association said. “This enthusiasm makes it possible to contribute large amounts of real, usable data to marine managers and improves our understanding of Victoria’s waters.” Now in its 11th year, the fish count is organised by the VPNA, Parks Victoria, Museum Victoria, Coastcare Victoria, dive operators and
community groups. It will run from Saturday 21 November to Sunday 6 December. This year’s count is looking for “fish on the move”, and will focus on species that may be expanding their distribution and populations as a result of changes in the marine environment, such as ocean warming due to climate change. Fish counters will be asked to watch for wellknown fish as well as species that may be new or unusual to the area, logging unusual or rare sightings on the Redmap project (redmap.org. au). Redmap is a national citizen science project that records data and maps marine species that may be extending their range in Australia in response to changes in the marine environment. Registrations for the Great Victorian Fish Count are open to dive clubs and community groups. Details: fishcount.vnpa.org.au or call 9347 5188.