Newborough’s Sophie and Alec Edmondson, and two-year-old Maeve,enjoyedthe Life Skills Easter Twilight MarketinMoe last week. Schools and community groups have been getting intothe Easter spirit, while Latrobe Valleylocals have again given generouslytothe Good FridayAppeal. MORE -INSIDE
By LIAM DURKIN
CAN’Tyou just smell the democracy sausages already...
The federalelectionisgetting closer, and so too is early voting. Early voting opens next Tuesday, April 22.
Early votingcentresare open throughout theLatrobe Valley,for those voting in the Gippsland and Monash electorates.
Those wishing to vote early for Gippsland can visit: 40-50 Queens Parad e, Traralgon, or; 34 Princes Drive, Morwell. Those voting in Monash can visit: 34 Fowler Street, Moe.
All early voting centres will be closed on Easter Monday (April 21) and Anzac Day (April 25).
By KATRINA BRANDON
THIS Easter, Victoria Police are reminding drivers that safety is everyone’s responsibility.
Local authorities will be out during the holiday period with aroad policing operation targeting dangerous drivers.
Acting Senior Sergeant DavidHarrisontoldthe Express,“Road Safety is ashared responsibility. Everyone plays arole in protecting their own lives and those around them. Another road policing operation will be in effect over the upcoming long weekends of Easter and Anzac Day.”
“It’s everyone’s responsibility to be safe on the roads Driving is aprivilege. Holding adriving license is a privilege, so for those who abuse that privilege, it’s not acase of if we find you, it’s when we will catch you, and we’ll try and prevent loss of life and tragedies.”
Operation Winston was launched last month in the Morwell,Churchill, and Tyers areas. During the operation, police detected 18 offences. Policebooze buseswere also set up during the operation, testing more than 900 people.
“The aim (of the operation) was to keep people safe on the roads, detect dangerous driving, and remove high-risk drivers from the roads,” Acting Senior Sergeant Harrison said.
“Road trauma isn’t just astatistic. Last year, 15 people lost their lives in our region, 239 people suffered
life-altering injuries.Behind every number is afamily devastatedaswell.These aren’t just numbers, they’re real people whose lives have been shattered.”
Some of the offenders nabbedinOperationWinston included;
One driver detected with ablood alcohol reading of 0.074, resulting in the driver’s license being cancelled and disqualified for six months and a$593fine;
Another driver with ablood alcohol reading of 0.124, resulting in loss of license for 12 months and an $840 fine;
One driver detected with cannabis in their system; and,
One driver caught driving 140km/hr in a100 km/hr zone on Monash Way, Morwell, resulting in an extended license suspension.
According to the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) analysis of road fatalities from 2020 to 2024, new research reveals that most deaths on regional Victorian roads overthe pastfiveyears involved residents, showing that the unexpected can happen even on the most familiar roads.
The research follows atragic start to the year on Victoria’sroads.January was the deadliest month on Victoria’s roads since March 2008, and the worst start to ayear since 2001.
The new TAC data analysis dispels the myth that
people dyinginfatal crashes in regional Victoria are predominantly visitors or peopleunfamiliarwith the roads they’re traveling on. Just four per cent of deaths were people travelling from outside Victoria or Australia.
Around 70 per cent of the regional fatalities analysed happened on high-speed roads, most of which had low traffic volumes and gravel shouldersand involved either avehicle running off the road or into an oncoming vehicle or crashing at an intersection.
“People get into their mindsets of knowingthat road; they do it day in and day out. Their minds might be on other things, such as what they’re doing for the day and how their day at work will go,” Acting Senior Sergeant Harrison explained.
“They miss thosesmall tell-tale signs,and just those small thingscan add up, just always be aware, and just always stay alert and keep an eye out for each other
“I think we need to reiterate that safety is everyone’s responsibility,sothey just need to remember thatthe smallest things can have the biggest impact. Speeding justthat small amount,orfailing to obeyasimple road sign, can result in devastating consequences. So thepublic just needs to be reminded to go easy andlook after each other out there.”
Police Beat, suspected Moe stabbing -Page6
Those who havenominatedfor a postal vote should receive their packs in coming days.
Election day is Saturday, May 3.
When voting, you will receive two ballotpapers: agreen onefor the House of Representativesand awhite one for the Senate.
HouseofRepresentatives
ON the green ballot paper, you need to put a‘1’ in the box beside the candidate who is your first choice, ‘2’ in the box besideyour second choice and so on.
You mustnumberevery box.
Senate
ON the white ballot paper, you can choose to vote either above or below the line.
If you vote abovethe line, you must number at least six boxes from one to six.
If you vote belowthe line, you must number at least 12 boxes from one to 12.
The Australian Electoral Commission does not declare results on election night, but rather indicates to parties, commentators and voters that margins in acount are larger thanthe potentialamount of votes left to receive.
Theofficial declaration takes some weekstodetermine.
THE race to Monash unwittingly gainedstate-wide attentionlast week,after Independent candidate Deb Leonard dropped arap video in an effort to win over younger voters. While the sight of amiddle age mother-of-two spittingrhymeswas largely derided due to itscringe factor,the viral publicityitgenerated could actually prove to be a masterstroke for the campaign.
In any event, MC Leonardmay have missed agoldenopportunity to dis Canberra with some Cardi B inspiration:
“There’s some flaws in this house.” Ballot draws-Page7
ADARREN Chester flyer was put in my letterbox at aretirement village in Traralgon.
It talkedabout “gettingstuff done for Gippsland”
Iwould like to know some things about ‘stuff’. All the items stated in the flyerthe National Party has not done. They have come from governments past and present.
The railway upgrades in Gippsland which Mr Chester says cost $504 million was funded from boththe stateand the previous and currentfederal governments.
Iwould likemore detail about the Lakes Entrance foreshore upgrade receiving $25m when Morwell CBD revitalisation received just $2m. There is acost-of-living crisis worldwide. Inflation is down withthe current government to what it wasunder the Coalition three years ago. It was heading up after COVID and because of wars across the globe. Australia’s inflation is now down to 2.4 per cent.
Where is the wasteinthe publicservice you talk about?
Which public servants will lose their jobs? They all pay tax, that means millions of dollars less the Coalition can spend. It would mean more peopleonwelfare and pensions. That means it would increase the spending on welfare.
The last three years of Laborhave supported free TAFE in core trades and services. Three days of early education and childcare is guaranteed for families,plus households have received $300 federal and$250state governmentpower relief. Wages and pensions have increased. Medicare is being strengthened.
Threeyears is sucha short time to fixuppolicies fromthe Abbott,Turnbull,Morrison LNP Coalition. Peter Dutton, Darren Chester and their policies would take Gippsland backwards.
Elaine Priest Traralgon
LIAM Durkin’s comment (Latrobe Valley Express, ‘Who will get keys to The Lodge?’, 02/04/25, Page
3) that the electorate of “Monash (which takes in Moe) is where greater interestlies”, is right on the moneybecause it’s an electorate where we’ll see if it’s possible to buy aseat in parliament.
The astronomical amount poured into this electoratebyClimate 200 for Deb Leonard is truly obscene, and it will be interesting to see if it skews voting.
One would hope voters are astuteenough to be more concerned with policy rather than just constant exposure.
Jim Hagart Traralgon
Ijustreceived aglossy vote-for-me brochure in my letterbox fromFederal Member for Gippsland, Darren Chester, care of his $12,000 taxpayerfunded election allowance.
On the front it reads: “I have aplan to reduce the cost-of-living and build asafer,stronger, better Gippsland.”
However, Mr Chester failed to include the word long-term in front of the word ‘plan’. Put simply, and decoding Mr Chester’s spin, the National/Liberal Coalition ‘plan’ entailsenergygouged Gippslandershavingtowaitatleast 10 years for the proposed nuclear power station to be builtatthe Loy Yang site on the outskirts of Traralgon as per Peter Dutton’s proposal.
Similar to Labor’s vague futuristic so-called plan that is also ‘long-term’ based, it fundamentally ignores the cost-of-living crisis Gippslanders are facing right now in the short-term.
OnlyOne Nation’s Greg Hansford is offering ashort-term plan to replace Yallourn Power Stationin2028with aHELE (High EfficiencyLow Emissions)coal-firedpower stationthat as well as addressing energy-poverty afflicting Gippslanders, almostimmediately will at the same time ditch the ruinous net-zero agendathat Labor and the Coalition are pursuing to thedetriment of all Gippslanders via ever-higher power bills because of the billion-dollar ‘subsidies’ both Labor and the
Coalition are legally bound to pay wind and solar carpetbaggers(contractors)asstipulated by the parasitical Paris Agreement.
Joseph Lis Morwell
BEFORE the last election, Anthony Albanese waved a43-page document saying it was “the most comprehensive modelling ever done by any Opposition in Australia’s history since Federation”. He promised to reduce the average household electricity bill by $275 by the end of his first term, saying that “he was aman of his word”.
Hereweare, three yearslater,and no reduction, but an increase of nearly $450 per year. So much for a“man of his word”.
It turns out thatthe modelling was doneby RepuTex back in 2021, aclient of the Australian LaborParty.RepuTex also forecast that we would be 82 percentcarbon-free by 2030.
Albaneseand Minister for Energy, Chris Bowen have walked away from this document since.
On Sunday, April 6, the Channel7program Spotlight highlighted aChinese-owned Indonesian company who were manufacturingbatteriesfor EVs.
The greenhouse gases given off were 11 times greater than the equivalent manufacturing process in Australia. Toxic waste was flowing into the sea, leavingitanorange colour.
Therewas no health and safety on the site, which was morelikeaslum, andIndonesianworkers were dying on adaily basis.
Heavy metal was found in the water, and some of the workers were found to havearsenic and mercury in their bodies. Car companies turned a blind eye to this ‘production’ and so did Albanese and Bowen when askedifthey were aware of “dirty nickel” in EVs imported into Australia.
Now,apre-election pledge from the Prime Minister is subsidised storage batteries for homes
to help store electricityfromwind and solarfarms. The question here is: ‘how many of these batteries that are in EVs and other products in Australia, including these storage batteries, contain dirty nickel that comes from this Indonesian company?’ Is thisthe type of ‘Green energy’ that the Labor Party, Greens, Teals and anti-nuclear protesters are all in favour of?
Incidentally, Iamstill waiting to hear from Dan Cafferyand all the anti-nuclear protesters as to the benefits of going to zero emissions when China is still emitting 32 per cent, USA 13 per cent, India 8.1 per cent, Russia 4.81 per cent and now this plant in Indonesia with it’s emissions.
Brian Mawhinney
Traralgon
WITH the federal election coming up, it is onlynaturalthis masthead will be inundated with letters. In today’s issuealone there is nearlyfive pages of opinion.
Lettersremainone of the most read sections of the newspaper, and give real people achancetoexpress their views.
Iwould like to stress the phrase ‘real people’, as Iamwell aware letters may be getting sent through from alter egos. Any such practice undermines agreat deal of trust. Therefore, if Isuspect ‘fake names’ are being used, they simply won’t be included.
LIAM DURKIN EXPRESS EDITOR
BY ANTON GOSSELIN
THE publicdeserves to know why their power bills are about to go up even more steeply if Labor is re-elected.
Federal Energy Minister, Chris Bowen and Anthony Albaneseare hiding the actual costs of renewables before the election becausethey realise voters would be shocked if they knew. Yes, Australian sunshine is free and abundant (in daytime) and so is the wind when it blows. But every electrician or engineer knows thatthe rating of solar panels is based on its maximum performance on an unclouded midsummer’s day andfalls to amere fraction in the mornings and evenings.
And overthe last two years, windfarms nationwide have delivered an average of only 30 –35 per cent of their rated capacity because of what they call a‘wind drought’.
Thismeans the owners are losing money, so they have to negotiate higher prices with the Australian regulator to stay in business. We’ve already been notified of another rise on July 1. Comparethe operatingcosts of nuclear energy with renewables.
The way to do this is using an internationally recognised method called the Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) calculated per kilowatt hour of electricity supplied.
The LCOE includes:
The total cost of the plant amortised over its commercial life;
Interest on loans; and;
All running expenses, including staff costs, maintenance, etc.
LCOE values (in Australian currency) for the next 25 years for some nuclear power plants is:
France 5.55c;
South Korea 5.55c; and,
Japan 14.0c.
China’s LCOE is not published, but it sells on the market at 3.5c/KWh.They wouldn’t be selling at aloss!
Now compare them with the latest official LCOE values of renewables.
The government’sAustralianRenewable Energy Agency (ARENA) report shows solar LCOE values have amedian of 10.8 cents per KWh.
To that you must add the cost of massive batteries for storing it.
ARENA reports batteries in Australia have a LCOE of 15c/KWh. That makes atotal of 25.8c per KWh
Any schoolchild knows that 25.8 cents is more than four times 5.5 cents!
Even aJapanese plant,more expensive because they are built to much higher anti-earthquake standardsthanthe rest of theworld, would be only half the cost.
On top of thatisthe costofthe 10,000km of new
transmission lines that AEMO says are required to take thepower to where it’s needed. At $10 million per kilometre, this is $100 billion.
Other countries have recently built standardised 1.4MW and larger reactors for AUD $3.3 billion.
Idon’t know how much the Coalition has budgeted for their nuclear power stations. But, even if they cost treble the above, it will still be afraction of the absurd figure of $600 billion those with vested interests in renewables wouldhaveusbelieve.
And they won’t need an extra $100 billionworth of ugly powerlines either.
About the author: Anton Gosselin is a Newborough resident.
By LIAM DURKIN
NUCLEAR stood outasone of the most heavily contestedissuesbetween Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese and opposition leader, Peter Dutton, as the two leaders squared off in the first head-to-head debate of the election campaign.
The debate, hosted by SkyNews and The Daily Telegraph,welcomed athrong of undecided voters to Western Sydney on Tuesday, April 8.
The congenially hour-long debate took questions from the floor, withbothleaders making clear their stance on arange of topics expected to decide the upcoming federal election.
With some suggesting the election will essentially be areferendum on energy, Mr Albanese quizzed Mr Duttononthe practical measures the coalition had in place to build more than half-a-dozen nuclear reactors (including at Loy Yang) if it won government.
Labor has committed to renewables, as the country’s coal-fired power stations wind down.
“You are now going to an election with anuclear plan, that will build seven nuclear reactors and cost $600 billion to provide four per cent of power some time in the2040s,whatare you going to cut to pay forit?” the Prime Minister asked his opponent.
“The private sector won’t fund nuclear reactors, because it doesn’t stack up, so taxpayers is going to have to pay for this nuclear plan.”
Mr Duttonhit back,sayingnuclear provided a more reliable, long-term solution.
“Our policy is to make surethat we can underpin our economy with the stable energy market for the next 100 years,” he said.
“The life of the nuclear reactors last between 80 and 100 years, and that cost is spread over that.
“If the renewables are so much cheaper, as the Prime Ministerkeepstelling you, why hashe broken his promise of a$270-a-year cut to your electricity bill? When in actual fact it’s gone up by $1300 under this government, and families are struggling to pay their bills.”
Mr Dutton also took aim at suggestions nuclear would cost $600 billion.
“The CSIRO report puts the capital cost of nuclear at about$120billion, now your(Labor’s)plan, independentlycostedbyFrontier Economics, a company used by the Labor Party, and probably the best economist when it comes to looking at energy policy in the country, puts the Labor policy of renewables only at $600 billion, our policy is 44 per cent cheaper than that, $331 billion in total.
“The Labor party’sproposalis$263billionmore.
Now the Prime Minister, Chris Bowen (Federal Minister for Energy and ClimateChange),has never disputed that figure.
“There are 29 nuclear reactors beingbuiltin China at the moment, the United Kingdom Labor governmenthas justannounced they can’t achieve net-zero by 2050 without cutting down on the approval times for small modular reactors and nuclear in those systems.
“We are paying three times the cost for electricity compared to Ontario (Canada) where they have nuclear in thesystem, in France thereis70per cent nuclear in the system.
“The difference between the two policies is that ours is 44 per cent cheaper and in the interim, we increase the supply of gas into the market because gas helps create electricity, gas helps create steel and bricks and it will help with the construction sector, where we’ve got huge cost inflation.”
With gas in the conversation, the Prime Minister didn’t pass on the opportunity to land aside jab.
“The only gas policy that the Coalition has is the gaslighting of the Australian public,” Mr Albanese said.
“He (Dutton) disagreeswithall of the experts, whether it’s the AustralianEnergy Market Operator, everyone who looks at it. If the nuclear plan stacked up, the private sector would invest in
When asked by debate host and Sky News chief anchor, Kieran Gilbert if Labor would negotiate any deals with the Greens, Mr Albanese rejected any suggestion.
The only gas policy that the Coalition has is the gaslighting of the Australian public.
ANTHONY ALBANESE
it, but everyone who looks at it says it’s the most expensive form of new energy.
“What we support is renewables backed by gas.
“We introduced the Future GasStrategy, we have the gas security mechanism which we introduced in parliament, they voted against, to guarantee domestic supply. So we want: renewables backed by gas, backed by batteries,backedbyhydro.
Twenty four out of the 28 coal-fired power stations in Australia announced their closure during the former government. Theywere therefor adecade, there was no new coal-fired power stations built andthere was no nuclear plant.”
Mr Dutton landed his own punch, calling the Prime Minister’s plantostrengthen healtha “Medi-scare” campaign.
Mr Albanese’s Medicare card has been a prominent prop on the campaign trail,after it was announced are-elected Labor government would invest $8.5 billion in Medicare -the single largest investment since the system was established more than 40 years ago.
“Labor built Medicare, we will protect it and improve it for all Australians,” Mr Albanese said after February’sfederal budget was handed down.
“I want every Australian to know they only need their Medicare card, not their credit card, to receive the healthcare they need.”
Mr Dutton confirmed there would be no cuts to healthcare should the Liberals form government.
Mr Albanese also confirmed Labor would not legislate the Voice after losing the referendum, saying “we respect the decision”.
“They’ll be no deals with the Greens by me after the election,” he said.
“I’m aiming for majority government.Wehold 78 seats, I’m aiming to hold every one of them.”
The opposition leader cracked awry smilewhen his counterpart denied he would work with the Greens, and gave adismissive “no” himself when asked the same question by Mr Gilbert.
Mr Dutton appeared flustered at timesduring the debate, although it was later revealed his 80-year-old father had suffered aheart attack in the hours leading up.
Mr Dutton had contemplated postponing, but was
able to use asimple show of hands from the audience to drive home anumberofpoints regarding the cost-of-living crisis.
Avote however from the audience of 100 felt Mr Albanese won the debate, 44 per cent to 35, with afurther 21 per cent undecided.
That aLabor politician left aSky News program (a network generally accepted to be conservative right wing) ‘victorious’ provided at least one talking point in the aftermath.
How the scoreboard looks after Round 2adds to some intrigue, given the second debate is set to be hosted by the ABC.
The national broadcaster has been criticised in the past for leaning slightly to the left.
The second debate is scheduled for tonight (Wednesday, April 16) from 8pm.
By TOMHAYES
TAFE Gippslandwill soon be training locals to have the most up-to-date skills in the growing renewableenergy workforce, with its new Clean Energy CentreinMorwell.
Minister for Skills and TAFE, Gayle Tierney visited TAFE Gippsland’s Morwell campus to turn the first sod on the $5 million state government investment.
TheCleanEnergy Centre is set to deliver worldclass vocational training in clean and sustainable energy technologies, including the expansion and maintenance of wind power to cater for onshore and offshore energy systems, hybrid and electric vehicle servicingand maintenance, and smart grid technology.
As apartofthe investment, anew standalone, two-storey building at TAFE Gippsland’s Morwell campus will be erected, with the space and equipment set to give students real-worldexperience while training.
TAFEGippslandChief Executive, Laura Macpherson was excited about the new venture.
“OurClean EnergyCentre willsupport industry
and workers in the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy, by providing training in the new and emerging skills and occupations needed in the renewables sector,” Ms Macpherson said.
“This is an exciting initiative that will strengthen TAFEGippsland’s position as aleader in clean energy education, sustainable practices, and the region’s shift towards amore sustainable future.
“It will be awonderfully large building, (and) it will have state-of-the-art equipment,” Ms Macpherson told media at the Clean Energy Centre build site on Wednesday, April 9.
“You may be able to see solar panels where the students will get hands on ability to be able to workinthat area.You’ll be able to see automotive, so… electric vehicles coming in, and (students) being able to undertake the skills needed in that particular sector.”
Construction of the Clean Energy Centre is scheduled to be completed in early 2026 and is expected to have acapacity for up to 200 students, which Minister Tierney believes will help with the growing demand for workers.
“Victoria’s transition to renewable energy is creating thousands of jobs,and we’re delivering
world-class training facilities to meet the growing demand for skilled workers,” she said.
“The Clean EnergyCentre is anothergreat example of how TAFE opensdoors -studentsin Gippsland can train closer to home for rewarding careers in the clean energy sector.
“This is an investment in the local community, it’s an investment in the transition, and it’s an investment, of course, in individuals that want to participate -not just in terms of getting ajob, but having afantastic careerand staying in Gippsland.”
Courses will surround topics of wind, solar, and battery storage, as well as electric vehicle automotive. These courses will commence at the beginning of the 2026 academic year.
Courseswillvary in duration,with differences seen between upskilling courses and certified accredited courses, allowing some students to be “job ready” within 12 months.
Minister Tierneymentioned that there is potential for new courses to be developed if possible, as it is a “new field for technology and… for employment”.
Shealsoexpects plenty of current coal-fired power station workers to make use of these courses in the future.
“We want to hear from them (coal-fired power station workers) as soon as possible about what their futures look like, what they’re interested in, so that we can utilise the skills that they already have and build upon them,” she said.
When asked why Morwell was the right place for the Clean Energy Centre, Minister Tierney said: “We know that renewable energies are very much part and parcel of the future of Gippsland”.
“It makes sense, it’s fit-for-purpose, and that’s exactly what we’re doing. We’re making sure that the TAFEs we are rebuilding and the system that we are rebuilding is delivering coursesthat arefitfor-purpose and relevant to the local community.”
The investmentinthis project comes fromthe state government’s $50 million TAFE Clean Energy Fund,which hopestobackstudents, workers, and industries withclean energy projectsacrossthe state.
The state government expects the transition to cleanenergy, meeting the state’s nation-leading target of 95 per cent renewable energy generation by 3035,will create 59,000 jobs in Victoria, as well as 6000 apprenticeships.
Minister for Energy and Resourcesand Climate Action, LilyD’Ambrosioalsomadean
announcement in Kilmanylater thatmorning (April 9), announcing the construction start of the Fulham SolarFarm and battery,set to also create localjobs, withthe farm estimated to generate enough electricity to power 40,000 homes.
The Fulham Solar Farm project is supported by the second Victorian Renewable Energy Target auction, ascheme set up to help deliver more renewable energy back into the grid and save money on bills.
“This newtraining centreinMorwellwill ensure local workershave the skillsthey need to power our state’s renewable future,”Minister D’Ambrosio said.
Ms Macpherson explained that the Centre will havethe abilitytoevolve,aswell as caterfor existing new-energy organisations in the industry.
Although new skillsare needed, Ms Macpherson also said that “it’s about continuing to provide the existing organisations and industry with the skills individuals that they need right here, right now”.
HOMICIDE Squad detectives are investigated the discovery of adeceased man, foundinMoe on Monday, April 7.
Emergency services were called to O’Brien Lane, near the Moe RailwayStation, just before 4.30pm.
A32-year-old Moeman suffered criticalinjuries and was treated by paramedics following asuspected stabbing,but died at the scene.
A26-year-old woman of no fixed address was interviewed and released, pending further enquiries.
Accordingtothe ABC,police believe the incident occurred inside asuspected squat.
"The 32-year-old wasinthe company of a female and they caught abus from Commercial Road in Morwell to George StreetinMoe," Homicide Squad Detective Inspector, Dean Thomas said.
"They have then walked in the company of another male to an unused office block that appears to be used as asquat."
The other male was also interviewed, but detectives have appealed for more witnesses to come forward.
"We're still trying to identify some other persons that were at that squat location... so we can speaktothem to find out what they know and determine what exactly has gone on inside that vacant property," Detective Inspector Thomas added.
The circumstance is being treated as suspiciousatthis stage. The investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone withinformationisurged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 00,0 or submit a confidential report at: crimestoppers.com.au
THE driver involved in acrash that killed 35-year-old Glengarry man Adam Sutton and left Sutton's son Darcy in aserious condition, faced court on Friday, April 4.
Traralgon man Peter Agius was ultimately found guilty for culpable driving causing the death of Sutton, andnegligently causing an injurytoDarcy duringthe crashatthe intersection of Traralgon-Maffra and Farmers Road on January 31, 2023. Sutton and his son Darcywere travelling home after school when they were involved in thecrash. Sutton died at the scene, while his
son wasflowntothe RoyalChildren's Hospital with critical injuries.
During the Friday hearing, the court heard multiple victim impact statements from Sutton's friends and family,including his mother, Leanne, and his wife, Krista. Adam Sutton was the brother of Dean Sutton -the 2022 Latrobe City Citizen of the Year. Agius, who appeared from the prisoncell, sat through anumberofthe victim impact statements with his head in his hands, according to the Herald Sun Judge KevinDoyle adjourned the matter to the MelbourneCounty CourtinJune to hear the defence's submissions. Agius will be remanded until then.
DETECTIVES from the Homicide Squad are investigating following the discovery of aman’s body at aproperty in Cowes on the morning of Monday, April 7.
Officers were called to thehome, at the intersection of Church Street and Justice Road about 10.20am on April 7.
Eighty-six-year-old Paul Waylanwas located deceased on the property. The death is being treated as suspicious.
A55-year-old man, FrankWaylen, was found withsuspected self-inflicted injuries in Ventnor following the incident, and was arrested and taken to hospital under police guard. He was released on the evening of April 8.
"The male from Ventnor is currently in hospital in Melbourne being treatedfor his injuries. We haven't yet had an opportunity to speak to him, but we will want to speak to him when he is in aposition to," Homicide Squad Detective Inspector, DeanThomas said.
"We're tryingtopiece togetherwhat exactly has occurred down there at Cowes, and a post-mortem examinationhas been conducted today (Tuesday, April 8) which will assist us to identify acauseofdeath."
The 55-year-old man has not yet been interviewed and no charges have been laid, however police are not looking for anyone else in relation to this incident.
The exactcircumstances surrounding the incident are yet to be determined.
Mr Waylen, born in the UK, is being remembered as arespected businessmanand entrepreneur, involved in manygroups and clubs within the community.
He was familiartomanyinthe local farming sector.
Anyone withinformationisurged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000, or submit a confidential report at: crimestoppers.com.au
By TOMHAYES
DENNISJones’ appeal has been granted, following his sentencing for an October 2021 incident at Dennis Jones Engineering which left an apprentice with life-changing injuries.
Morwell-basedDennis JonesEngineering and its director(Jones)were handedone of thebiggest fines in WorkSafe historyinNovember 2023 -a combined fine of $2.24million.
The company received a$2.1million fine, while Jones was handed a $140,000 fine and a five-year CommunityCorrections Orderincluding 600 hours of unpaid community service.
Dennis Jones Engineering and Jones appealed both sentences, which was decided last week on Friday, April 11.
It was decided that Dennis Jones Engineering’s appeal against thesentence involving the$2.1 million fine was refused.
However, Jones’ appeal was granted, as he was resentenced shortly after.
Jones’ Community Corrections Order was reduced to aduration of three years, with the condition to perform 200 hours of unpaid community work, rather than the originalfive-year CCO and 600 hours of unpaid community service
The 2021incident saw second-year apprentice ByronFoley struck on the head with asteelpipe while holding aplastic sleeve that steadied the rotating length of the steel pipe, which was being threaded into alathe Mr Foley spent more than five months in hospital and underwent surgery to get atitanium skull.
By TOM HAYES
THE wider Gippsland region was wellrepresented at the 2025 Tasmanian Pickleball Championships, held in Kingston from March 27 to 30.
The contingent of Gippslanders who made their way to Tasmania play in various pickleball competitions around the Latrobe Valley, including at the Gippsland Regional Indoor Sport Stadium, as well as competitions in Churchill and Traralgon.
Players that competed in the championships came from all over Australia, which led for a well-contested field across all divisions.
Making aname for Gippsland in Tasmania, many of the locals found themselves on the podium after the championships.
For each division, agold, silver, and bronze medal was awarded, and there was no lack of local representation on that front.
Winning gold included Traralgon’s Jan Kurrle and Tracey Trembath in the women’s doubles 2.49 and under, Traralgon’s Denise Twite in the women’s doubles 3.0 to 3.49 and the skinny singles 2.5 to 2.99, as well as Traralgon’s Jackie Northe and Yinnar’s Rhys Smith in the mixed doubles 2.5 to 2.99.
Just shy of gold and winning silver was Traralgon’s Garry Silvester and Smith in the men’s doubles 3.0 to 3.49, Traralgon’s Lil Cunningham and Silvester in the mixed doubles 3.0 to 3.49, and Cunningham alone in the skinny singles 2.49 division.
Closing out the podium with abronze was a number of Gippslanders, which were Traralgon’s Jo Gellion in the women’s doubles 2.49, Kurrle in the mixed doubles 2.49, Silvester in the men’s skinny singles 3.5+, Traralgon’s Leonie Beanie in the skinny singles 2.49, and Trembath in the skinny singles 2.48.
Also notably competing at the event was 81-year-old Barry Smith from Morwell, who was the oldest Gippslander at the championships, and only just missed out on amedal with Sherryn Linton in amixed event.
Pickleball has continued to rapidly rise in popularity, combining the elements of tennis, table tennis, and badminton.
Many competitions exist in the Latrobe Valley alone, with the sport open for people of any ability to come and try.
MEMBER for Morwell, Martin Cameron has questioned the Minister for Consumer Affairs, Nick Staikos overthe disproportionate number of rooming houses in Morwell.
Speaking in state parliament, Mr Cameron said there was 17 rooming houses in Morwell representing 106 bedrooms -more than double the number of rooming houses in Traralgon.
“There are significant issues thatcome with this heavy concentration of rooming houses which are undeniably having adisastrous impact on public safety, particularly in the Morwell CBD,” he said.
“Rooming houses are overwhelmingly occupied by transient people, many of them recently releasedfromprison, and they’re being pushed out of Melbourne into Morwell because the rent is relatively cheap.
“Police tell me alot of their resources are being taken up responding to incidents involving roominghouse residents, and we are seeing that play out on the streets with asharp increase in criminal and anti-social behaviour.
“The Business Licensing Authority(BLA), which is responsible for providing licenses for rooming houses, claims it ‘balance(s) the interests of business, consumers and the public’ when granting licenses for rooming houses, but Morwell is a stark example that proves the BLA is failing to do thiswiththe proliferationof17rooming houses representing106 bedrooms, and the reality is there are likely rogue providers offering rooming house accommodation that isn’t registered with Consumer Affairs.
“Rooming houses have arole to play in offering housing to disadvantaged individuals, but the overrepresentation of rooming houses in Morwell mustbeaddressed because it’sdestroying the town.
“I have asked the Minister for Consumer Affairs to take urgent action in investigating and reviewing the disproportionate number of rooming houses in Morwell.”
The Minister is required to respond within 30 days.
AHEAD of the federal election, headspace
National Youth Mental Health Foundation is calling on Australianpolitical leaders to help address increasinglyunmet needsand critical gaps in Australia’s youth mental health system. headspace, Australia’sflagship youth mental health service, advocates for sustainable funding to strengthen its nationalnetworkofcentres, reduce wait times and expand access.
Key initiatives include funding for 30 metropolitan and large regional headspace centres on par with Medicare Mental Health Centres (MMHCs) andmoreoutreach to young people in rural and remote areas,who oftenfindithard to seek mental health support due to stigma, distance and cost to access.
headspace Chief Executive, Jason Trethowan, said services needed to be readily available.
“Our goal at headspace is to ensure that every young person, regardless of location or background, can accessthe support they need, when they need it,” he said.
“The government’s most recent independent evaluation found that headspace is both effective
and cost-effective. Muchofour successtodate comes from our services being informed by young people, by families, and with the expertise of workers from right across the headspace network of nearly 170 centres around the country.
“To keep delivering for young people,headspace must continue to evolve and adapt, which means we need stable and sustainable funding to support our youth mental health services. Building on existing trusted models where young people feel safe is the fastest,most cost effective and lowest-risk approach to delivering better access and support for youngpeople.”
Help is also available via phone and online counselling service ‘eheadspace’ seven days aweek between 9am and 1am (AEST). The number is 1800 650 890.
If you’re looking for someone to talk to immediately, Lifeline (13 11 14), Kids Helpline (1800 55 1800), and 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) are available to talk 24/7.
ONE POINTERS
1. Who is the villain in “Peter Pan”?
2. What are female mountain goats referred to as? 3. Which Australian capital city has the postcode 26000?
4. ‘Astigmatism’ is acondition affecting which sense?
5. How many reindeer does Santa have?
6. What year did World WarIbegin?
7. In 1976, these two college dropouts founded Apple Computer,Inc -One point for each person
8. In American football, how many points does atouchdown have? THREE POINTER
9. This actor notably starred in the TV sitcoms “How IMet Your Mother” and “Doogie Howser,M.D.”
10. Where was the second Rambo film set?
11. What African animal are part of the mongoose family?
12. In what movie does Robert De Niro say,“Youtalkin’ to me?”
FOUR POINTER
13. Who did the U.S. buy Florida from?
14. What TV series launched Bruce Willis’ career? FIVE POINTER
15. I’ll give you five capital cities; you give me the country? One point for each correct answer.1.Kabul 2. Santiago 3. Copenhagen 4. Cardiff 5. Bangkok
Howdid youfare?
37: Topofthe class; 30-36: Outstanding; 23-29: Well done; 15-20: Solid effort; 9-14: Room for improvement; 0-8: Hit the books.
Howtoplay. Using the 9letters in the grid, howmany wordsoffour letters or morecan you list? The centreletter must be included and each lettermay be used onlyonce No colloquial or foreign words. No capitalised nouns, apostrophes or plural wordsending in ‘s’. Solution page53
Howtoplay... Solution page53 Fill the grid so that evry rowand every3x3 squarecontains the digits 1to9
ONCE used to refertothose who fought in World WarI,‘Anzac’ now represents all men and women who serve Australia. The term also expresses the characteristics that are seen as Australian, including:
•courage
•egalitarianism
•endurance
•mateship
The Anzac legend was bornon25April 1915, when some 20,000 soldiers of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) landed under fireonthe shores of Gallipoli, in modern-day Turkey.They were partofahastily planned series of landings by aBritish EmpireForce of 75,000 troops from Britain, Ireland and India, and troops from France and her dominions.
Australia, as anation, was only 14 years old. BeforeFederation in 1901, each of the current states of Australia was aBritish colony.Atthe time World WarI broke out, the young nation’s cultural and political ties to Britain werestill strong.
The Dardanelles Campaign was the first time since the Second South African (Boer) Warof 1899 to 1902 that Australian troops had been
sent into battle. Shortly after the landing at Anzac Cove (Gaba Tepe), those on the home front werereading about the ‘worthy sons of the Empire’. Wordslike bravery, courage, skill
and camaraderie wereused in descriptions of Australian soldiers in the newspapers.
ASPRIG OF ROSEMARY
Rosemaryhas been associated with remembrance since ancient times, but its particular significance to ANZAC Day dates back to World WarI.Native to the seaside regions of the Mediterranean, rosemarygrows wild on the slopes of the Gallipoli Peninsula. Tradition has it that awounded Digger brought home asmall rosemarybush from ANZAC Cove, which was planted in the grounds of the Army Hospital at Keswick, South Australia. Cuttings from this original plant weretaken and propagated in nurseries all over Australia, and sprigs of rosemaryare worn to this day by attendees at ANZAC Day ceremonies as a fragrant reminder of the fallen.
THE CATAFALQUE PARTY
At the beginning of an ANZAC Day service, four members of the Defence Force take up position around the cenotaph or shrine, standing with their heads bowed and arms (the weapons they arecarrying) reversed. They remain thereasa mark of respect for the
fallen until the end of the service. These four sentries areknown as acatafalque party.A catafalque (pronounced cat-a-falk) is araised platformonwhich acoffin rests beforeburial, but is represented at ANZAC ceremonies by the memorial.
Thereare few who can avoid alump in their throat at haunting sound of alone bugler sounding the Last Post.
The Last Post is traditionally the bugle call that signals the end of the working day,but it hasbeen adopted in commemorative services to herald the service people who have gone to their final rest.
At Dawn Services, the minute’ssilence is broken by the Reveille –traditionally,the first call of the day to wake sleeping soldiers.
Lessthantwo months after WWI was declared, with heavy casualties already being reported, English poet Laurence Binyon wrote ‘For the Fallen.’
Since 1921, the fourth stanza –known as The Ode –has becomea central partof ANZAC ceremonies,encapsulating Australia’s collective sense of respectand loss for the service people who gave their lives during World WarI,and in all conflicts since:
They shall grow not old, as we that areleft grow old;
Age shall not wearythem, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun andinthe morning,
We willremember them.
Your LocalRSL Sub Branch may host a GunfireBreakfast following the Dawn Service, but do you know why?
Rather than artillery‘gunfire’ refers to the rum-laced coffee or tea that is served alongside bacon and eggs, and harks back to the measureofliquid courage that was served up at the beginning of the daytohelp soldiers face the coming battle.
IT was 110 years ago (1915) that our brave ANZAC sons landed at Gallipoli in an event that has gone onto shape Australia and its people.
ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. The soldiers in those forces quickly became known as ANZACs, and the pride they soon took in that name endures to this day
The 25th of April marks the anniversary of the first major militaryaction fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War.
When war broke out in 1914 Australia had been afederal commonwealth for only fourteen years. The new national government was eager to establish its reputation among the nations of the world.
In 1915 Australian and New Zealand soldiers formed partofthe allied expedition that set out to capturethe Gallipoli peninsula to open the way to the Black Sea for the allied navies. The plan was to captureConstantinople (now Istanbul), capital of the Ottoman Empireand an ally of Germany
They landed at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915, meeting fierce resistance from the Turkish defenders. What had been planned as abold stroke to knock Turkey out of the war quickly
Anzac DayCeremonies Yallourn/Newborough RSL
Friday 25 April, 2025
Corner Darlimurla Avenue and Ellinbank Street, Newborough
Dawn Service commences at 6am followed by breakfast in the clubroom
Main Service commences at RSL Clubrooms 9 15am for March to Cenotaph for Wreath Laying Service Refreshments at clubrooms afterwards
became astalemate, and the campaign dragged on for eight months.
At the end of 1915 the allied forces were evacuated after both sides had suffered heavy casualties and endured great hardships.
Over 8,000 Australian soldiers werekilled. News of the landing at Gallipoli made a profound impact on Australians at home and 25 April quickly became the day on which Australians remembered the sacrifice of those who had died in war
In attempting the daunting task of storming the Gallipoli peninsula the ANZACs created an event which, it was felt, would help to shape the new Australia.
What does it mean today?
Australians recognise25April as an occasion of national commemoration.
Commemorative services areheld at dawn, the time of the original landing, across the nation.
Today,Anzac Day ceremonies and marches include Australians representing all conflicts, including veterans who served in Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, Rwanda and Timor-Leste.
It is aday when Australians reflect on the many different meanings of war
The Traralgon Cemetery Trust will be holding their Annual Anzac Day Service starting at 8am sharp
Everyone is welcome
Families will have the opportunity to lay wreaths during the service for their loved ones
After the service concludes complimentary tea, coffee and Anzac biscuits will be available in The Oak Room
THE Men’s Table is coming to Moe.
The Men’s Table is acharitableorganisation established for the purpose of men’s mental health and community building.
Local groups meet as adiscrete Men’s Table once amonth in the same venue,toshare ameal and drink and talk about the highs and lows of their lives in asafe, judgment-free environment
The Moe event will be held Monday, May 12 at Moe Racing Club.
To book, visit: https://themenstable.org/ the-moe-entree-monday12may/
More information on The Men’s Table can be found at: www.themenstable.org
GOOD old country music featuring Ron Munn, Tony Wirth and friends.
Walk ups welcome.
First Sunday of every month, 11am to 4pm at Monomeath Senior Citizens Hall, Victory Park cornerofPrinces Highwayand Whittakers Road, Traralgon.
For all enquiries, phone 0409 149 309. Fun day of country music.
ANZAC Day Service for Yallourn North will be held from 9am at the memorial(adjacent to Monash Hall). The memorial is located on Reserve Street, Yallourn North.
LATROBE Valley Prostate Support Group will meet Wednesday, April 23 at Morwell Club from 7pm.
Meals are available from 6pm in the bistro.
Guest speaker is Dr Paul Conway, who is a leading radiologist/oncologist from the city.
Dr Paul works with manyofthe latest developments in treating prostate cancer.
All welcome.
For moreinformation, phone Allan Cunningham on 0458 111 688.
Furthermore, the Prostate Cancer Foundation Australia(PCFA) will be in Traralgon next month.
The group is coming to the Latrobe Valley on Thursday,May 8for an event and dinneratthe TraralgonBowls Club from 5.30pm.
Guest speakers include PCFA board member, Professor Tony Walker and Dr Jaqueline Schmitt.
This informal gatheringwill allow for discussion on howthe foundation can continue collaborating to makeanevengreater impact in the fight against prostate cancer.
RSVP to linley.watson@pcfa.org.au by April 30 to confirm your attendance for the presentation andtomake areservation for dinner.
MOE Art Society’s Affordable Art Market turned out to be an outstanding success.
Manyvisitorsattendedand expressed alot of interestinthe artworksondisplay and for sale, enhanced by the lively market atmosphere created in the Moe Library.
All artistswere in attendance and visitors appreciated being able to meet and talk to them about their paintings.
On display was mainly paintings,but also some of the members’ jewellery and ceramics, andevenself-published books.
Such wasthe successofthe venture, the group is now considering another similar event later this year.
Meanwhile, the society continues its regular weekly gatherings at the library, where members
with Liam Durkin
Great work: Traralgon CentralRotary SatelliteClub member,Tanya wasall smiles as she helped at the McMillans Latrobe City Community FunRun andWalk at Kernot Hall. Proceeds from the daywent to Rotary CentenaryHouse, Traralgon. Photograph supplied
work on their paintings.
Newmembers,oranyone interested in seeing what is going on, are always welcome to come and join the group at the Moe Library.
The society meets there every Thursday from 9.30am until about 3.30pm.
Information about the societycan be obtained by phoning Chris on 0423 976 620 or Sue (0412 459 031).
LATROBE Valley Philatelic Society displayed war-related philatelic items (stamps, covers and postcards) in the ANZAC Room of the Morwell RSL to commemorate ANZAC Day. There was even a‘Dead Man’sPenny’ on display.
This World War 1memorial plaque was known by nicknames such as the ‘Dead Man’s Penny’, the ‘Death Penny’ and the ‘Widow’s Penny’. It was given to the next of kin of all British Empire service personnel who were killed in the war.
Two members from the philatelic society,John Hewson and Felix Attard, also spoke to the local Asbestos Council of Victoria Group about stamp collectingasalifetime hobby thatsuitsadiverse range of people of all ages.
Similarly, another member, Don Ireland, regularly writes an article aboutstamps for the Churchill and District News.
The stamp auction catalogue was sent out to clubs in NSW, Tasmania, SA, WA andofcourse, Victoria. This auction will be held on May 24 at the Warragul RSL.
Next meeting for the Latrobe Valley Philatelic Society is Wednesday, April 30.
RossNewton,arepresentative from the Victorian PhilatelicCouncil, will speak to members about the role of the VPC and present adisplay.
Thesociety is located in the boardroom of the Morwell RSL and runs from 1pm to 4pm.
Visitors are most welcome.
For further information, phone Christine on 0427 770522.
TRARALGON Neighbourhood House will partnerwith Wolf Traralgon to give an information session regarding technologyonWednesday, April 30.
The free session willtakeplace from noon to 1pm at Traralgon Neighbourhood Learning House (11-13 Breed St).
Now is the perfect time to join for fun, friendship, and learning.
Term 2for 2025 commences on April 22.
Have achatwith Meagan about which class would best suit.
Perhaps you wouldliketobuildyour confidence with technology by registering in adigital essentialscourse, or learn how to use anew camera in the photography course.
Come along and enjoy ahobby and meet new friends in creative craft, cake decorating, knitting/crochet, sewing, mosaics, art, cooking or creative writing.
Language classes are alsoavailableinFrench, Italian, Spanish and Auslan.
Focus on health and wellbeing with yoga, dance and stretch, tai chi, belly dancing and breath work classes.
Discover how Traralgon Neighbourhood LearningHouse makes learning fun by phoning 5174 6199,email enquiries@tnlh.org.au, or drop into the office on Breed St.
TRARALGON District Art Society is backin business for 2025.
The society has been active for more than 30 years and is one of the longest active art groups in Latrobe.
TADAS is located in the historical building adjacent to the TraralgonRailway Station at 26-28 Queens Parade, Traralgon.
The facility is open on aweeklybasis for art classesonMondays from 10am to 12pm, Wednesdays (4.30pm-7pm) and Thursdays (10am-2pm). Afterschool sessions are also available from 4.30pm for kids eight to 14-years-old.
For further information, phone Gilio on 0444 552 175 or Jodie (0430 313 843).
IAN Hamilton took advantage of mistakes by opponents to finish the latest round undefeated at Latrobe Valley Chess Club.
Peter Bakker overlooked the checkmate threat in the first battle and improved to complete the round with only one loss.
Price Samasiea punishedCliffThornton for ablunder in atight battle, and lost the clash against Bakker.
Steve Ahern missed opportunities to lose two games and forced the draw in another contest.
Phone Cliff Thornton on 0413 330 458 or Ian Hamilton (0400 221649)for more detailson local chess.
PENTECOST Church, Traralgon is acatalyst for peopletolivetheir lives to the full, and is calling on people interested to see for themselves.
Servicesare each SundayatTraralgonUniting Church (19 Park Lane) from 4.30pm. Feel free to email: traralgon@pentecostchurch. com.au for more information.
NEXT Churchill Craft
Saturday, May 3atChurchill shopping centre (Monash Way), from 9am to 1pm.
Lots of craft and market stalls to browse, just in time for finding the perfect Mother’s Day gift. Free sausage sizzles, children’s entertainment and shopping voucher giveaways.
The market will be held on election day, so you can even vote at the adjacent Churchill public hall!
All retail businesses willbeopen, including theChurchill Lifeline Op Shop, in support of the market.
It is not too late to book astall site. Book online at: churchill.org.au/markets
LATROBE Valley Astronomical Society is planning to run ashort course in astronomy over three sessions starting next month.
Main topics covered include finding your way around the sky, atour of the universe, and an introduction to telescopes.
To register your interest or find out more, email: info@LVastro.org or call 0417 583 239.
WENDY Rhodes,amember of the Heyfield Wetlands Management Committee, will present the extraordinary story of the development of the award-winningHeyfieldWetlands on Friday, April 25 from7.30pm at the Latrobe ValleyField Naturalists Club meeting.
The meeting will be held at the Moe Library andalsobyZoom, then followed by the monthly club meeting.
The Heyfield Wetlands are an excellent example of an area that was called ‘the swamp’ and had multiple uses before being converted to wetland by the resourceful community group.
The areacontainsawidevarietyofbirds including Latham’s Snipe, abirdthat flies all the way fromJapan.Awide range of plants also thriveinthis reclaimed area that also provides localsand visitors with an enjoyable environmental studies and recreation area.
For the excursion on Saturday, April 26 the groupwill meet at 10am at the WetlandsVisitor Information Centre car park, on your left as you enter Heyfield. Bring your binoculars, lunch and water, Everyone is most welcome, both to the meeting and the excursion.
For moreinformation, phone secretary Rose on 0410 237 292.
Visitwww.lvfieldnats.org to register if you wish to use Zoom to join the meeting or if you would like to come on the excursion.
LATROBE Valley Dance Promotions Inc will not be running classes on the next two Thursdays: April 17 (tomorrow) and April 24. Lessons will return Thursday, May 1atthe Morwell Girl Guides Hall (18 Margaret St). Lessons are from 7pm-10pm.Costis$5per person each night. Phone Len on 0439 683 834 or Lynda (0428489 041) for more information, or email: latrobevalleydancepromotioninc@gmail.com
Youcan be apartof Community
IF youare acommunitygroupand have any newsitems you need publicised, feel free to email us at news@lvexpress.com.au
You can address correspondence to the editor,
The flu is the most common vaccine preventable illness in Australia.
The flu is ahighly contagious viral infection. It may be mild in some, but it can cause veryserious illness, hospitalisation and even death in otherwise healthy people. It is especially serious for babies, people aged over 65 years, people with underlyingmedical conditions and pregnant women.
Vaccination is asafe and effective way to help
protect you from the flu. By getting vaccinated, you also help protect those that aretoo ill or too young to be vaccinated and help slow the spread of the disease.
It is important to get the flu vaccine every year.The virus strains that cause the flu change
each year and the vaccine changes each year to match these strains.
Youshould get vaccinated each year from April onwards to be protected beforethe influenza season.
The peak influenza season is usually June to
September in most parts of Australia.
If you had last season’sflu vaccine late last
or early this year,you should still getthe new season vaccine this year Whoisrecommended to receiveaflu vaccination?
Everyone over the ageof6months is recommended to receiveanannual flu vaccination.
RECYCLING in the Latrobe Valley is amess, as it is right across Australia.
Usedbatteries turn up in compost derived from our green bins. Recyclables suffer from contamination that makerecycling uneconomic, while thousands of tonnesofusable materials add to the huge costs of disposal in landfill. Different diesel gulping trucks pickupdifferent bins that all too oftencontainalmost identicalcrud. We payfor this mess viaour council rates.
Nation-wide,wechuck huge amountsofrare earth minerals into landfill bit-by-bit, in tiny instalments, simply because the consumer goods that contain them are too hard to ‘deconstruct’, and new ones are so amazingly cheap that it’s easier just to bin them and go shopping again.
We are consuming our finite planet’s resources at an intergenerationally greedy rate. Consumer capitalism is risking our kiddies’ futures.
We mustchange ourattitudes to wasteand develop the technologies and jobs needed for us to be world leaders re-using and recycling.
For the election, we need localfederal government candidates who willsupportsome sort of ‘Waste Reduction Corps’ to work with local governments and communities to reduce our truly wicked waste of non-renewable resources.
We once had National Service to help fight another country’s warinVietnam. The least we can do these days is giveafew localpeople with concerns about sustainability amodestly paid, fixed term crack at trying to make the world a better place.
Neil Hauxwell Moe
SENATOR Murray Watt(pictured) and federal treasurer Jim Chalmers have been out and about loudly proclaiming the Department of Veterans’ Affairsnolonger has aveterans injury claims backlog, but like so many press releases these days, it’s little more than aPotemkin Village.
The government andthe Department of Veterans’ Affairs no longer considersaveteran’sinjury claim as ‘backlog’ once it is allocated to an APS4 ‘Claims SupportOfficer’inthe nearest DVA state office, not when the claim is actually decided.
The individual APS4 ClaimsSupportOfficers often have extremely large numbers of open claims allocated to them, and only have the authority to perform preliminary steps, so theseclaims can often
languish for very long periods with them before they are passed upwards to delegates for finalisation. And that’snot even accounting for the other departmental fudge of denying aclaim to force it to asecondary review to artificiallyimproveinitial time taken to process numbers.
Those of us wholiveinthe real world know that simply shifting aclaim from ‘unallocated’ to ‘allocated’ without deciding it does not complete a ‘backlog’ clear. That’s just manipulative spin doctoring to create the false impression of improvement when none has occurred.
Meanwhile,injured veteransstill wait much longer for their workplace injuries to be compensated than they would if they were in acivilian workcover scheme.
If only this government and the Department of Veterans’ Affairs put as much effort into veteran welfare as they do in putting out deceptiveand misleading press releases pretending they’ve made real changes.
Littlehas been improved since Jesse Bird’s tragic and completely avoidable death.
David Ketts Morwell
THANK you Ian Whitehead for your insightful words, (‘Here to help’, Latrobe Valley Express Opinion,09/04/25),regarding my teaching career at Yallourn North Primary School under your astute leadership.
What can Isay, but mea culpa?
In my defence, Iclaimmy“leftness”can be traced backtomyupbringing, where four of the eight siblings in our family became “leftie” schoolteachers, leading my once conservative parents to claim they had “been radicalised” by their children.
An education at the hands of the leftie Marist Brothers, followed by bolshie teachers college and commo university ensured my fate. Iwas clearly indoctrinated.
Then, as you say Ian, as aPEteacher, the grass was always green on the unused right flanks, so much so that Iperversely began to really appreciate green. And of course, being variously “far left” and “left leaning” meantI/weoften finisheduponthe road, and my left shoes kept wearing out.
Not to mentionthatLane 8inthe swimming pool was alwaysovercrowded, which meant staying left was asafe and natural strategy.
So,you’reright, er correct, Ian -perhaps you shouldhavedone the proper socialist thingand addressed my “re education”, to prevent me becomingthe “leftie, woke, do gooder, green, and extreme socialist” that is now so sadly and evidently obvious and offensive to our brother from Dandenong, OliverBergens. Not to mention Joseph Lis and Patricia Correa.
John Duck Trafalgar
YOUR esteemed colleague Paige Turner has a way with wordsdescribing how Express senior journalist PhillipHopkins began anew job from April 1.
While not exactly ‘breaking news’, Phil seems to have railed against his media career and become aV/line train conductor and clearly received an on-time departure from workmates (Express, 02/04/25, Page 7).
The somewhat colourful prose expressed by Ms
Turnerplus the graphic photo of Phil track-side certainly fitted the occasion more than any online farewell. We may ask, hasPhil written his last byline?
AlthoughPhil was guardedabout his‘all change moment,’ we feel confidenthewill tackle bikies without their Mykis or, with his training and experience, assistseniors patientlywaitingfor their ramp-up as part of his new set-up.
We can only imagine the diligent rail staff at Traralgon terminal are all steamed awaiting Phil’s timely arrival.
My own mind goes back to acharminglady conductor (‘woman’ is actually the correct word in media-speak) who briefly sat by me on the speedy Melbourne-Traralgon late journey home.
Hopefully Phil,like all journalists, may be just as attentive and not shunted to astandstill with his new travel ticket. Maybe his first venture will be across the restful face of rural Gippsland.
Or perhaps BendigoorAlbury could fill Phil’s personal extended timetable –orwill the Geelong Cats flag his arrival? Sadly, however for Phil, there is no longer the rattler through Malleecountry to Mildura.
Anyhow, let’s all of us, together,afterApril 1, wish Phil every success with his new station in life.
Jonathon Gunzel Traralgon East
INOTE that Harriet Shing has changedher political slogan from “working hard” to “your voice in the Eastern Victoria Region”.
I’m curious, who is she speaking up for?
Is she listening to thosecryingfor additional police to be stationed in our region? Is she listening to the victims of crime or to the voices of those calling for additionPSOs? Is she speaking for those who have lost their jobs thanks to the many moronic policy decisions that Labor is responsible for? Is she speaking for those who are demandingthat our roads be safe and maintained and fit-for-purpose?
Harriet, whose voice are you listening to?
Patrick Ansell Morwell
AHUGE thank you to Mr Ian Whitehead (‘Here to help’, LVE Opinion, 09/04/25).
You have totallyvindicated not just mine, but the opinions of many more, of the left-leaning and vastly “over the top” views of the inimitable Mr John Duck.
It was such apleasure to read your opinion piece. It was so humorous to say the least,and from your point of view, you said it succinctly.
Youruse of the word “succour”,simply meaning “aid, assistanceorsupport”was graciously accepted, plus,“andIhave empirical evidence” was just priceless.
To thosewho don’thaveagood knowledge of the English language, the word empirical simply means “based on, concerned with, or verifiable by observation or experience, rather than theory or pure logic”.
In the army, you march to the tune of left, right, left,right, butinthis case it is left, left, leftand furtherleft!
Iagree with your view that you “do regret” not having aconversation with Mr Duck that teachers are required to display political neutrality. Sadly though,Ireallydon’t thinkitwouldhave madeany differencewhatsoever. Once aleftie, alwaysaleftie!
Idon’t want to rainonyourparade or burst your bubbleMrDuck, but please don’t flatteryourself
by having this deluded notionthat you ‘live in my head, rent free’.Irespond and base my opinions to what Isee and hear on news broadcastsand in everyday life.
As aformer teacher,I’m hoping you taught your students the difference between right and wrong, to look between the lines, to see, read and decipher the truth from alie.I’m sure you did, but that was adifferent time long ago, amore pleasant, carefree era.Sadly,the world and our country is vastly different to the one we grew up in.
Ifind it amusing to think you would scrape the bottom of the barrel as to ask the highly esteemed editor of the Express to “call along overdue halt to this tawdry saga.”
That one lone sentence vindicates to me that “You can’t handle the truth” (A Few Good Men). I’m sure you can remember that movie Mr Duck. It never fails to surprise me that the more Iget to know people, the more Ican see why Noah only let animals on the ark!
The sun will continue to rise. Keep on keeping and get on with life. Laughter, an ice cold pot of Aussie beer, great friends and family, agood feed and agreat sense of humour is the best medicine one can have in life.
“Avagreat” week folks.
“Goodonya” Mr Duck, take care old cobber. Oliver ‘Shadow’ Bergens Dandenong
THE Latrobe Valley Express welcomes letters to the editor.
Preference will be given to brief, concise letters which address local issues. The editor Liam Durkin, reserves the right to editletters for reasons of space and clarity, and may refuse to publish any letter without explanation. The Express does not publish letters from anonymous contributors. Letters must include aphone number, email address and the author’s hometown for purposes of substantiating authenticity. Readers are entitled to aright of reply to a letter directed at them.
While healthy debate is encouraged, the editor will stamp out any that cross the line to defamation. The views expressed in letters to the editor are thoseofthe writers, and do not necessarily reflect the viewsofLatrobe ValleyExpress management or staff.
Readersshouldbeequallyaware thatfacts presented in letters are selected to support a person’s point of view. As such, statistics can quite often be fabricated depending on the pool of data used or people involved in surveys.
The letters section is designed to allow people to have their say, and not be hijacked for political agendas.
Lettersregarding religion will not be published.
Emailletters to news@lvexpress.com.au and include ‘Letter to the Editor’ in the subject line. Deadline for letters is Thursday 3pm.
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The Range Retirement Village are ong time clients of the Latrobe Valley Express and have always enjoyed a great relationship with Jenny and her teaminthe advertising department.
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FIRST National Real Estate Central KW (Morwell) was recognised for outstanding achievement during aglittering state awards event held at the National Gallery of Victoria.
The awards recognised the achievements of First National’sVictorianand Tasmanian estateagents throughout 2024, with winners now progressing to thenational awards which are to be announced at the network’s annual convention next month.
First NationalCentral KW Principal, Frank Palermo, said it was his team’s honour to be recognised for the results achieved over the past 12 months.
“Theseawards are atestament to the dedication,
expertise, and resilience of my team,” he said.
“Theircommitment to delivering outstanding customer service,even in the faceofchallenges, is truly commendable. Each accolade reflects not only their individual talent but also our collective drive to set new benchmarks in real estate.
“I am incrediblyproud of what we have achieved together.”
At the awards presentation, First National Central KW received the following awards: Residential Sales Award; Commercial Sales Award; and, Property Management Award.
Key staff members were also recognisedfor
FORMER Traralgon College student, Sarah Bryan has won two major trainee awards at the Officers’ Training School graduation parade at East Sale RAAF Base.
The 17-year-old received ‘The Military Skills Award’ and ‘The Through Adversity to the Stars Award’ at the graduation ceremony of Initial Officer Course 01/2025.
Federal Member for Gippsland and former Minister for DefencePersonnel, Darren Chester congratulated Pilot Officer Bryan on her outstanding achievement.
“It’s extraordinaryfor anyone to win two awards for excellence in adefence coursetraining course against high-quality candidates, and Sarah should be proud of her achievements,” Mr Chester said.
“The awardsrecognise the trainee who has demonstrated exceptional dedicationinthe pursuit of excellence, and the trainee who demonstrated outstandingperformancein physical fitness,ground defence, drill and ceremonial activities.
“It’s always exciting to see ayoung Gippslander achieving theirfull potential, andIlook forward to following Sarah’s career in the Australian Defence Force.”
The graduationparadealsodoubled as
Kudos: FederalMember forGippsland, Darren Chester congratulates Pilot Officer SarahBryan from Traralgon upon her graduation at East Sale RAAFBase Photograph supplied
acelebration of the 75th anniversary of the Officers’Training School, which started at Lake Macquarieand hasbeen based at East Sale RAAF Base since 2007.
their individual performances:
Frank Palermo received the Diamond Residential Sales Listings award;
Jesse Watson received the Gold Residential Sales Listings award;
Joshua Ashworth received the Diamond Residential Rental Listings award;
Angela Fielder received the Diamond
Residential Rental Listings award, and; Stephanie Caulfield received the Diamond Residential Rental Listings award.
Mr Palermo said the First National Real Estate State Awards are an important event as they as they encourage First National’s agents to aspire to an ongoing process of performance improvement that benefits customers.
Gathered: TheFirst National Real Estate,Morwellteam collected aswagofawardsrecognising their performance Photograph supplied
RECOGNISING the struggle some people in the community face with their wellbeing and mental health, the Latrobe Valley Philatelic Society recently donated $250 to Morwell RSL.
The society’s president, Felix Attard, presented acheque to Morwell RSL counterpart, Don Fuller
This donation will be used to promote the incredibleefforts of the Morwell RSL to support veterans who are experiencing psychological distress, such as anxietyand depression.Unfortunately, about 17 per cent of veterans commit suicide each year.
As the philatelicclubmeets on the last Wednesday of each month in the Morwell RSL, free-of-charge, it was decided to make adonation to the RSL as atoken of appreciation. Some philatelic members have had relatives serve in the defence forces, so
this donation was particularly significant. Stamp collecting is a worthwhile leisure activity and ameans of engaging with others with similar interests. It is an activity that suits adiverse range of people and can sustain interest throughout an entire life.
TheLatrobe Valley Philatelic Society was established76years ago and currentlyhas 22 members. It regularly provides advice to new and lapsed stamp collectors and those who have stamps they no longer want. In addition, it holdsa stampauction in Mayand astamp and coin fair in October each year. Philately(stampcollecting) is alifetime hobby celebrated across generations and aroundthe world.
BY ANTHONY WASIUKIEWICZ
THERE is alot of fear about at the moment, and understandably so. Alot has changedinthe world, and economic times are tougher.
Thingswe’ve believed for so long have been brought into question, and things we’ve taken for granted appear lessprevalentthanthey oncewere. But as I’ve pointed out in this paper once before, it seems all fear when taken to the extreme is the fear of death. So if that’s true, what is it about our current circumstances that have us, if even subconsciously or primally, worried for our future and our lives?
Well one thing that pops up from time to time, andhas croppedupagain withAmerica’santics in their local and worldly affairs, is talk of anew Great Depression. GD 2.0 if you will.
Few alivewould have areal-world accountof the last one, given it was between 1929 and 1939, howeverplenty of ournow seniorfolkhad parents that bore the full brunt of it, including World War 2, and instilled in them behaviours and manners that are still fresh enough in their psyche to be viscerally recalled.
The human mind likes to predict and protect, and when we get the feeling that something is eerily familiar to aprevious unpleasant circumstance, our primal circuits fire off and alert us to another possiblependingdanger. Fight, flight, freeze, or fawn can overtake even the most considered and rational of us.
So is aGD2.0 likely, should we be fearfuland prepared, or shouldwejust brush it off as nonsense?
Well, Hollywood does like aremake. I’m being facetious of course, but let’s discuss, and in doing so, Iwill assert that this is merely for interest, I’m not making any predictions. Let’s say it’s ‘Plan B’ if things go pear shaped.
As for what can happen, none of us really know. We can look to indicators, odds, and patterns to trytoofferussomeclarity, but we can never be 100per cent certain. It really is aguess.And of course, if we think about it or fear it too much, we can even manifest it into being -but that’s arabbit hole for another time.
So should it be something to fear,and should we plan ahead?
Well on one hand, the Scouts will tell us to ‘be prepared’.Onthe other,thoseofa more religious or spiritual background will tell us to have ‘faith’. So who is right? Well it’s possible they both are. We can be positive and have as much faith as we like, but if the opportunity to be prepared is presented and we fail to take action on it, well that’s on us. Then sometimes ametaphorical life raft will arrive just
in time as if serendipity or divine intervention is in play. But that can also be the exception rather than the rule. Humanstoriesare full of exaggerationand one-offs.Wewouldn’t necessarily want to hand life over to blind faith any more than we would want to be buried in adarkbunker full of supplies fearing the world is going to end. Both extremes have an element of absurdity to them.
To gain some clarity, Itook to ‘Grok’, Elon Musk’s A.I. app, and asked what the odds of such athing happening in the near future would be. It replied in full, but summarised with, “the odds of afull-on GreatDepressionin, say, the next five years feel low-maybe 10-20 per cent -barring a‘black swan’ event”.Soifthere’s any truthtoGrok’s preliminary ‘feelings’, the odds are low but not insignificant.
The second thing to remember is that despite thecalamitythe first time around, and despite the fear-instilling historical pictures we find on the internet of tent cities and soup lines, Australia’s unemployment averaged around 23.4 per cent for most workersduring The Great Depression, (higher for unionised ones). That was largely across four years of the 10. It’s sounds incredibly high, but if youflipitaround, that means 76.6per cent of working-agedpeople had ajob. They are extremely good odds, and much better than most of us would accept whentakingapuntonthe locallotto,horse, pokies, or club meat raffle. So there is doom, just less than we fear or have been led to believe, and more chance of apayoffthan we are usually willing to accept.
That being said, what can we do to be prepared in case such acalamity should come to pass once again? Well I’mhere to tell you that in many ways we alreadyare
While more prevalentinthe smaller towns of Latrobe Valley,activities suchashunting,fishing, and gardening are very common and widespread. At suchtimes of scarcity, they can be agreat source of food if the very worst comes to pass. Our region is surrounded by wildlife and livestock -from kangaroos to deer to sheepand cattle. Dairy farms arecommon. And plenty of people locally still have chooks. Many peoplehavefour-wheel-drives to access areas and places previously not possible in the days of Kingswood and Morris sedans. There are plenty of blackberries in hidden paddocks all around.
Many people across the city still have large yards, so creating anew veggie patch upon necessity is still avery practicalpossibility, and plenty already have them with an abundance of fruit trees when one starts to look.
Booksand theinternet are full of forgotten ways to keep and preserve our hunted, grown and fossicked store. So knowing all of that, lack of food
is less pressing than one might at first be led to believe.
How aboutwarmth? Wellwehave been spoiled for awhile now. Many of our parents and grandparents werebathedinagalvanised tub, so there are ways to keep hygienicand clean,albeitbeing miserly, even if things get alittle glum. The latest health fads arecoldplunges andice baths,sothere are ways to save hot water if we reallyneed to and you’ll be one of the cool kids if you do.
And heating, well many homes across the city still have solid-fuel combustion stoves. If you don’t have one, you can bet alocal pub or establishment nearby has.There is always heating at public facilities such as libraries, halls and pools. An extra blanket does wonders on those cold winter nights. Do we really need to have the heat on full while we run around barefoot and in shorts? In the summer, open the windows and let the cool night breeze blow through, or instead merely sweat out some impurities.
Woodisinplentiful supply all aroundus. So buddy up with your neighbour who has aLand Cruiser, grabthe chainsaw, head out and get fit andkeepwarm
Our region is full of people with skills, many have additional camping kit for weekend getaways. If we need to fix or build something from scratch to get by, someone local will have the skill and tools to do so. Rather than sit at home watchingNetflix, or lookingatthe localbulky-goods storecatalogue, grab abackpack, head to the lake, and pitch atent. Who needs Netflix or anew dishwasher anyway?
We’re only giving our hard-earned coin to others. Takearod and you mighteven catchsomefish while you're away. We all may be finicky with our diet in these modern prosperous times, but Ican tell you from experience that when one is hungry, even broad beans and butter can be adelicacy to the most fastidious eater.
Thenthere is water. We have alakefull of it Should theworld almost end we can head to the lake or river and stock up. Boil it on acampfire for purity. Again, piped water really is anew thing in the history of all mankind.
THE Salvation Army in Gippsland is calling on the community to sign up for this year’s Red Shield Appeal.
The appeal raised local money to support people who are struggling most in the region.
Across Australia, the Salvos are aiming to raise $38 million for Australia’s largest and longestrunning door-knock appeal, the 61st annual Red Shield Appeal.
“The last few years have been incredibly tough for the hardest hit in ourcommunity,and for many that shows no sign of slowing down," Salvation Army Major, Warren Elliot said.
"We see so many people grappling with increased stress and uncertainty as everyday living has become unaffordable, leading to housing stress,financial hardship and, an inability to get by.
"At the Salvos, we are privileged to support those in our area experiencing hardship, but we cannot do this without the ongoing and loyal support of the community.”
Money raised in Gippsland for the Red Shield Appeal will stay in the local community and be used to meet the specific needs faced by the most disadvantaged and vulnerable.
Earlier this year, TheSalvos released their Social Justice Stocktake; asurvey which polled more than 16,000 Australians and provided national,state and electoral reports highlighting the biggest issues faced by communities.
Within Victoria,itwas found that 68.5 per cent of people identified the issue of housing affordability and homelessness as the top concern for the community,withthe second being mental health (60.6 per cent).
“There is no better way to support your community than by donating to or volunteeringinthe Red Shield Appealthis year, and we need you to partner with us to be the hopeour communityso desperately needs," Major Elliot said.
"We can’t do our work in the community without you."
The Red Shield Appeal culminates in the Red Shield Weekend (May 24 and 25), and there are anumber of ways to getinvolved throughout the month of May, such as volunteering by collecting at local shopping centres and other locations, door knocking, online fundraising, organising a collection at your workplace, school or sporting event and making adonation.
Reach out to your local Salvos to find out more about volunteering opportunities by visiting: salvationarmy.org.au/red-shield-appeals
Thenwehavethe news.Weare alocal area which still has its local printed paper. You can guarantee we can keep connected even if we have to switch off the TV to try and save some power. How much Married At First Sight and The Block can we really bare?
Finishedthe paper?Borrow abook or do a crossword. Have the dictionary handy as you’ll be sure to learn alot of new words to describe our new-found mire.
Let’s not forget our neighbours.Latrobe folk, for the most part, are avery friendly bunch, even moreso in our small towns. We look after our own. Impromptu tea parties, sing-a-longs, and barter will be in-vogue once again. Do we really need to ship ourproducetoMelbournefor it to come back again?
Play agame of cards or scrabble, have adance, allwhile you’re swappingeggsfor blackberryjam To add to the GD 2.0 fear, there is now talk of an adversary attacking if we build nuclear. Well Ican assure you that if they wantedtothey could have easily taken out our power grid by now. Our current powerstationsare justasclose to the coast as any new ones would be. Besides, anyone who has looked into our local history knows this region was one of the safest during WW2. The power station was literallysurrounded by anti-aircraft Boforcannons at the time. If tensions do arise in somedystopianfuture, youcan be assured the cannons will be back, muchbigger and better than before. Apowergenerating region at the bottom of the earth 10,000 kilometres from regions of concern is avery safe place to be.
In thinking about this, aquote from Season 2of Madmen comestomind: “Nuclear war, we could be gone tomorrow!”
Peggy exclaims apprehensively to Father John Gill, who calmly replies, “isn’t that always the case?”
Sure, pray for the best, hope for the best, but it’s okay to plan for the worst alittle too.
It’s far better to be awarrior in the garden than agardener in war.
It’s okay to be prepared. In fact, the Scouts will advise you to do just that.
So keep thebatteriesand tin food stocked just in case. Especially if you’re feeling you may land acasting partinany Tomorrow When the War Began movie remake.
At times when things feel abit ominousand we feel adark cloud emerging, or even start seeing sinistrous and portentous harbingersinevery direction, when we take astepback, and look at things objectively, we realise circumstances may not be as bad as we at first perceive. Then if the worst does come to pass, while maybe inconvenient and uncomfortable, we’ll still be okay,especially here in Latrobe Valley.
Fear is internal. It stems from within us. So breathe easy. Relax abit.When we take abreak to consider it calmly, we realise there really is not much to fear after all. So what are we all worried about?
Take care and be well.
About the author: Anthony Wasiukiewicz is a Yallourn North resident.
If you’veever felt athrobbing, cooling, or evenacreeping sensation in your legs thatyou just had to shake off to make it stop, you mightbedealingwith RestlessLeg Syndrome (RLS). This uncomfortable and sometimes downright annoying condition can disruptsleep, leavingyou feeling anything but rested.
But did youknowthatvaricose veinsmight be theculprit behindyourrestless legs? Varicose veins are morethan just acosmeticissue; they occur when veins in the legs becomeenlarged and twisted due to faulty valves that prevent proper blood flow. This leads to bloodpoolingin the veins, causing increased pressure and irritation of the
surrounding nerves This irritation is often the trigger for resttless l leg sensattions,especiialllyat niighht whhen ciircullattion slows down.
While varicose veinsare acommonunderlyingcause,RLS canalsobetriggered by other factors.Iron deficiency, kidney disease, diabetes,and neurological disorders such as Parkinson’sdisease have all been linked to restless legs.Additionally,certain medications, includingsome antidepressants andantihistamines, can exacerbate symptoms. In some cases, RLS may even have agenetic componentorbelinked to lifestyle factors like excessive caffeine or alcohol consumption.
Restless legs aren’t the only symptom associated with varicose veins.Many people experience other lesser-known symptoms,including itchy legs, a feeling of heaviness or aching in the legs,and even changes in skin pigmentation, such as darkening or discoloration. Some may also notice swelling around the ankles, cramping, or asensation of fatigue in the legs after prolongedstanding or sitting. Thegood news is thattreatingvaricose veins can significantly reduce or even eliminate manyofthese annoying symptoms.You mightbesurprised to learn thatmoderntreatments are farlessinvasive than you think. Gone are the days of longhospital stays and lengthy recoveries. Today’s minimally invasive techniques, suchas Endovenous Laser Ablation Therapy
(EVLAT) and Ultra-sound Guided Sclerotherapy,offer effective solutions withquick recoverytimes.
If restless legs, itching, or heaviness are keeping youupatnight and you’ve noticed bulging veins, it maybetime to seek aprofessional evaluation. Treatingvaricoseveinscould not only improve the appearance of your legs but also give you the restful sleep and comfort you’vebeen missing
Dr.Param is aPhlebologist -a doctor specialised in veindisease -consulting at the Warragul Specialist Centre on Mondays fortnightly
by Joanne Madeline Moore
April 14 -April 20, 2025
Be careful you don’t undermine yourself this week, Rams, or blame other people when things go wrong With the Sun, Mercury and Neptune charg ng through Aries (and your ruler Mars mov ng into fiery Leo), it’s up to you to be proactive plus fix th ngs when they go haywire So your motto is from Ar es d va Diana Ross: “You can’t just sit there and wa t for people to give you that golden dream You’ve got to get out there and make it happen for yourself ”
W th Saturn, Mercury and Venus (your patron p anet) st mulating your peer group zone, t’s important to support and encourage your fr ends and col eagues But make sure you communicate clearly and sort out any misunderstand ngs ear y on Fast th nk ng and creative strategies will help you solve short-term problems and a leviate long-term stress The Sun transits into Taurus on the weekend (unt l May 20) so it’s time for ebull ent Bu ls to sparkle and shine!
(May 21 - June 20)
This week, you’re ready to head off in dynamic new directions! Your power p anet Mercury joins the Sun and Neptune in your hopes-and-wishes zone So frustration wil gradually ift, to be replaced by a growing desire to get th ngs done You’ l find it’s a wonderful week to dream b g dreams, prepare well, and then initiate a bold new pro ect But don’t get carried away, talk too much, promise the moon and the stars and fa l to follow through
Cancer (June 21 - July 22)
Libra (Sep 23 - Oct 22)
Mercury and Neptune hook up in your relationship zone on Thursday, so think compassionate y and speak kindly Then – when mighty Mars charges into your hopes-and-wishes zone on Friday – it’s time to dream b g dreams and take adventurous steps to make them come true No sitting on the sidel nes! Your motto is from Victoria Beckham (who turns 51 on Thursday): “If you can get your head around your dream, it means your dream isn’t big enough ”
Scorpio (Oct 23 - Nov 21)
Proactive Mars charges into your career and life direction zones on Good Fr day So a combination of self-bel ef, sudden opportunities and taking action could set you on an exciting new professional path Volunteer work and network ng are also favoured nsp ration for the week comes from birthday great, fashion designer V ctoria Beckham: “I th nk the sexiest thing about a woman is confidence, but confidence in a humble way, not in an arrogant way ”
Sagittarius (Nov 22 - Dec 21)
After five s ow, frustrating months of retrogrades (Mars, Mercury, Venus and then Mercury again), many Sagittarians are feel ng super restless You’re tching to put on your travell ng shoes! Th s week fiery Mars act vates your adventure zone, so trave , hol days and/ or bus ness trips are favoured from Friday until June 17 And w th Jup ter umping through your re ationship zone, close partnerships have the potent al to bring much aughter and joy
The Sun, Mercury and Neptune activate your career/ reputation zone, so prepare for a few changes But the more you try to control others the more they wi l push back So take a good long look at your motives Perhaps you need to be a less clingy Crab? Maybe you cou d g ve someone more freedom, so they can fight their own battles and make their own mistakes? Food for thought this Easter, as you transform the way you connect with family, friends and colleagues
Leo (July 23 - Aug 22)
On Good Friday dynam c Mars charges into your sign, so it’s time for list ess, langu d Lions to be bo d, brave and adventurous Which wi l g ve you the confidence and courage to be the authentic you, showcase your strengths, and pursue your wildest dreams Your motto for the moment is from birthday great, actress and activist Emma Watson (who turns 35 on Tuesday): “I don’t want other people to decide who am want to decide that for myself ”
Virgo (Aug 23 - Sep 22)
Don’t waste energy worrying, especially at work t’s a good week to reconnect with co leagues, tell them what’s on your m nd and keep them up to date with your plans Mercury, Venus and Saturn encourage you to ook at a troubled relat onsh p in a perceptive and d p omatic new light f you keep doing what you’re doing, you’l just keep gett ng what you’re gett ng! So perhaps it’s time to reset boundaries and road-test some creative new strategies?
BOOLARRA is an Aboriginal name taken fromthe language of the Wumman people, asub-branch of theBriakalong people of Gippsland.
The word means ‘plenty’ or ‘abundance’.
The name itself was applied to the area generally before being adopted as the name of the township in 1884.
Previously,Boolarra wasknown as ‘The Twelve Mile Peg’, indicating its distancefrom Morwell by rail.
THIS street was named for one of the first settlers in Boolarra, Mr William Henry Penaluna.
He was born in Cornwall in 1855 and came to Victoria in 1874.
He first went to the goldfields at Castlemaine, then farmed in Deniliquin, followed by astint on the Loddon diggings in NSW. He arrived back in Victoria in 1878 whereheselected 312 acresof land in Boolarra.
Capricorn (Dec 22 - Jan 19) Aquarius (Jan 20 - Feb 18)
Mr Penaluna also built the Settlers Arms Hotel in 1884. He married Isabella Kay in 1881 and they raised seven children.
Isabella Street in Boolarra is named for his wife.
This week fiery, impulsive Mars could complicate a financial s tuation So proceed w th a pragmatic attitude plus plenty of caution No less than five planets fire up your family, friendship and ne ghbourhood zones as you express more ove, compass on and understand ng towards oved ones Fam ly and fr ends are the ones who rea ly matter As Michelle Obama (a fe low Capricorn) w sely observes: “Surround yourse f w th people who w ll make you better ”
When it comes to home and family – expect the unexpected! With the Sun join ng Uranus in your domestic zone, there’l be changes involving loved ones and/or living arrangements over the next few weeks You cou d also fee the need to redes gn, decorate, renovate or extend your iv ng space (or even move house) P us – with so much planetary action happening in your neighbourhood zone – there cou d also be a shake-up in your local commun ty
(Feb 19 - Mar 20)
Saturn is sauntering through your sign, which could stym e progress, squash confidence and bring you down This week Venus v sits Pisces, plus the Sun, Mercury and Neptune (your ru er) st mulate your self-esteem zone So steer clear of criticism (in person and on ine), avoid gett ng caught up in a negat ve self-talk oop, and stop worrying about the qualities you perceive you don’t have It’s time to celebrate your strengths and be your Number One fan!
COPYR GHT Joanne Made ine Moore 2025
NAMED for the piggery situated below the butter factory which was in Duke St. The whey from the butter factory was directeddown to the piggery by aseries of pipes and fed to the pigs.
The piggery belonged to the butter factory until after World War 1whenMrWGEdwards took it over.
The butter factory was sold to the Mirboo Co-op in 1949 and the piggery was closed.
MR William PChristian, before comingtoBoolarra in the late 1890s, was amember of the champion Essendon Football Club from 1891-93.
William and his brother bought astore previously owned by the Hopkins family, who established the store in 1889.
Known as Bill Christian, he became awell-known businessman and popular sportsman of Boolarra and district.
THIS road has an interesting origin.
Mrs WilliamHall,fromBudgeree,put in a submission to councilofthe day to extendthe road to their home to provide better access, as the original road was very steep and muddy.
She wanted the road to go to the east side of their home, not the west side, which would have beenthrough the paddocksand yardsonthe farm.
to financialmatters. He agreed that it was a prosperous concern, hence Prosper Valley Road was named in 1915.
THE Boolarra Railway Station was awarded the best kept station in 1910 and 1911.
During that time, the stationmaster was Mr Austin.
Mr Austin was responsible for planting avariety of pines along the station yard, some of which remain today.
Up until 1908, the railway station was also the post office.
JOHN Irving was appointed first headteacher to the newly established school in Boolarra in 1884. The school opened in abuilding provided by the local butcher.
However, it wasn’t long before Mr Irving started moves to find another site for the school.
Council was invited out to the property, and some discussion took place as to whether the property warranted the cost of such aroad.
The local ANZ Bank Manager, Mr Ahern, who acted as Mrs Hall’s adviser, stated that, yes, the property was viable and that he had no problems withlandowners in thatparticular area as regards
The description of the original school was as follows: “The school room is built on slabs. Thefloor is on the ground and when it rains it is covered by stagnant water and astrongodour comes through the slabs into the room. It is immensely cold during winter. The second room is alean to without a floor.There is knee-deep mud on the approach to theschool.Duringwarm weather, snakes in great numbers appear. There is long spear grass surrounding the school, so tiger snakes are often seen most days in summer.”
Mr Irving worked hardtohave the school relocated and anew school was opened on March 1, 1890.
Mr Irving was headteacher for five years.
This week my stars are telling me that I’m
WILLIAM ANDHARRY: THE
SBS, Friday, 7.30pm
It wasOctober 2019 when the Duke andDuchess of Sussex, Harryand Meghan,ontourinAfrica,revealed not all waswellinroyal ranks. So what makes aprince want to leave his kingdom to livealiteralocean away? PrincesWilliam and Harry (bothpictured) were once supportivesiblingswho endured the utmost tragedy while under intensemedia pressure. Now,they no longer speak, live on different continents and seeminglywant nothing to do with eachother Drawing on hundreds of unseen photos, eyewitness accounts and expert analysis, thisdocumentary reveals how theseeds forthis estrangement weresown even before thedeath of PrincessDiana.
BLUEY’S
BIG PLAY
ABC Family, Sunday, 7.30pm
When it comesto Bluey,one thing’s certain: kids and grown-ups alike cannot get enough. Theadorable Brisbane-based blue heeler and her family’s adventures arealways in high demand. While we have to wait fornew animated escapades (a featurefilm is in the works, coming out next year), this theatrical production bringsthe magic of Blueyto the stage–“for real life”,asBingo would put it.Featuring brilliantly crafted, human-sized puppets and the voices we all knowand love Bluey’s BigPlaysees dad Bandit (DaveMcCormack) desperate forabit of time out on hisphone.However,Bluey andBingo haveother plans, pullingout all their old trickstoget himtoplaywith theminstead.
Wednesday, April 16
ABC TV (2) SBS (3)
6.00 News Breakfast. 9.00 ABC News Mornings. 10.00 Four Corners. (R) 10.45 Q+A. (R) 12.00 ABC News At Noon. 12.30 National Press Club Address 1.35 Media Watch. (PG, R)
2.00 Restoration Australia (PG, R)
2.55 Back Roads. (PG, R)
3.25 GrandDesignsNew Zealand. (R)
4.10 Long Lost Family (PG,R)
5.00 ABite To Eat With Alice.
6.25 Federal Election Announcement. (R) 6.30 Hard Quiz. (PG, R) 6.55 Federal Election Announcement.(R) 7.00 ABC News.
7.30 7.30
8.00 AustraliaVotes: Leaders’Debate.
9.30 TheWeekly With Charlie Pickering. (PG) 10.00 Fresh Blood:Westerners. (Premiere, Mlv) 10.30 PlanetAmerica. 11.05 Mayfair Witches. (MA15+a, R) 11.50 ABC Late News. 12.05 The Business. (R) 12.25 In Limbo (Mal, R) 1.20 Grand Designs New Zealand. (R) 2.10 Long Lost Family.(PG,R) 2.55 Rage (MA15+adhlnsv) 3.25 Parkinson In Australia. (PG, R) 4.30 Gardening Australia. (R) 5.30 7.30.(R)
6.00 Mastermind Australia. Presented by Marc Fennell.
6.30 SBS World News.
7.30 Alone Australia. (M) The survivalists race to catcha wallaby 8.40 TheHandmaid’sTale. (MA15+) June struggles to saveher lovedones. Commander Lawrence welcomes diplomats to New Bethlehem. Aunt Lydia searches for Janine. 10.20 SBS World News Late.
10.50 My Brilliant Friend. (Mlsv, R) 3.15 Inside TheModelling Agency. (PGl, R) 4.10 Bamay. (R) 4.55 Poh &Co. Bitesize. (R) 5.00 NHK WorldEnglishNews Morning. 5.30 ANC PhilippinesThe World Tonight.
FARMER WANTSAWIFE
Seven, Monday, 7 30pm
For many, life on the land is a dream Without the stress of traffic, noisy neighbours or urban pollution, rural residents can be self-sustainable breathe fresher air and even see the stars at night It’s often an idyllic existence but can also be an isolating experience for those seeking romance Stepping back into her role as country Cupid for this 15th season Natalie Gruzlewski is bringing together a group of four new farmers on a quest to find a lifelong connection Tonight, sparks fly as Tom, Corey, Thomas and Jarrad (pictured, from left) take their first steps toward lasting love in a speed-dating bonanza
DOC Seven, Tuesday, 9.05pm
Inspiredbythe true storyofItalian doctor Pierdante Piccioni, this new medical drama follows therecovery of Dr Amy Larsen (Emmy nominee Molly Parker, pictured), who loses her memoryofthe past eight years after sustaininghead injuriesinaserious car crash. With no recollection of thepatients she’s treated, the colleagues she mistreatedorthe tragedy that ended her marriage and causedher to push everyone away,the former Chief of InternalMedicineis rebuilding her lifefromthe bottomup: returningtowork as an intern while trying to put together thepiecesofher personal life. Piccioni’s real-lifebrain injurycaused him to change his character and becomeakinder person–with the chance to startafresh, canDrLarsen do the same?
SEVEN (7,6)
5.30 Antiques Roadshow (R) 6am Morning Programs. 8.00 DD India News Hour 9.00 DestinationFlavour.(R) 9.10 Curious Traveller. (R) 10.10 Matched. (PG, R) 11.00 Food Markets. (R) 12.00 BBC News At Ten. 12.30 ABC World News Tonight 1.00 PBS News. 2.00 Dateline.(R) 2.30 Insight (R) 3.30 Destination Flavour. (R) 3.40 Plat Du Tour.(R) 3.45 The CookUp. (R) 4.15 MysteryOfThe Ark Of Covenant. (PG, R) 5.05 Jeopardy! 5.30 Letters And Numbers. (R) 6.00 Sunrise. 9.00 TheMorning Show. (PG) 12.00 Seven’sNational News At Noon. 1.00 MOVIE: Darrow And Darrow: BodyOfEvidence. (2018,PGav,R) Kimberly Williams-Paisley 3.00 Beat TheChasersUK. (R) 4.00 SevenNews At 4. 5.00 TheChaseAustralia.
6.00 SevenNews.
7.00 Home AndAway. (PG)
7.30 The1%Club UK (PG,R) Hosted by LeeMack.
8.30 TheFront Bar (Ml) Hosts Sam Pang, Mick Molloy and AndyMaher takea lighter look at all things AFL.
9.30 Unfiltered. (PGa) Hosted by HamishMcLachlan.
10.00 TheStevenson Experience: Stranger Twins (MA15+ls) Astandup comedy show by TheStevenson Experience. 11.30 AutopsyUSA (Ma, R) 12.30 Midnight Texas. (MA15+hv) 2.30 Home Shopping. (R) 4.00 NBC Today. 5.00 Sunrise Early News. 5.30 Sunrise.
NINE (9,8)
TEN (10, 5)
6.00 Today 9.00 Today Extra. (PG) 11.30 9News Morning. 12.00 MOVIE: Finding Love In Saint Lucia. (2023, PGa) Brooke Burfitt,Philip Boyd,Maddison Bullock. 2.00 Pointless. (PG) 3.00 Tipping Point. (PG, R) 4.00 9NewsAfternoon 4.30[VIC]TippingPoint Australia.(PG) 5.00 Tipping Point Australia. (PG) 5.30[VIC]WINNews. 6.00 Drew Barrymore.(PGas) 7.00 Neighbours. (PGa, R) 7.30
6.00 9News
7.00 ACurrentAffair
7.30 TheHundred With Andy Lee. (PGs) Comedy panel show
8.30 TheGrand Tour (Ml, R) Richard Hammond, Jeremy Clarkson and James May head to Loch NessinScotland.
9.50 Wild Cards. (Mv) Max opens up to Ellis about her mum.
10.50 9News Late.
11.20 TheEqualizer (MA15+v,R)
12.10 Next Stop 12.40 Tipping Point. (PG, R) 1.30 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R) 2.30 Global Shop.(R) 3.00 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R) 4.00 Believer’sVoice Of Victory.(PGa) 4.30 ACurrent Affair.(R) 5.00 TodayEarly News. 5.30 Today
6.00 Deal Or No Deal. 6.30 TheProject Alook at the day’snews. 7.30 TheDog HouseAustralia (PGa) TheWoodcockfamily finally agrees to apuppy. 8.40 Elsbeth. (Mad) Aparty girl wakesuponHalloween after awild night on thetown afraid she may havecommittedmurder 9.40 NCIS:Origins. (Mv) The evidence room is broken into 10.40 10’s Late News. 11.05 TheProject (R) 12.05 TheLate ShowWith Stephen Colbert. (PG) 1.00 Home Shopping
4.25 Coalesce. (2020,M)
ABC (2)
6.00 News Breakfast. 9.00 ABC News Mornings. 10.00 Foreign Correspondent. (R) 10.30 Back Roads. (R) 11.00 Restoration Australia. (R) 12.00 ABC News At Noon. 1.00 Sherwood. (Mdlv,R) 2.00 Restoration Australia. (R) 3.00 Back Roads. (R) 3.25 Grand DesignsNew Zealand.(R) 4.15 Long Lost Family.(PG,R) 5.00 ABite To Eat With Alice. 5.30 AntiquesRoadshow.(R)
News
7.30 7.30 Presented by Sarah Ferguson.
8.00 Restoration Australia: Orange Edwardian. (PG) Acouple restore an Edwardian fixer-upper
9.00 Grand Designs Australia: Fish Creek (R) Hosted by Anthony Burke
9.55 Bill Bailey’sWild West Australia: FarSouth. (PG, R) Bill Baileyexplores WA
10.45 ABCLateNews.
11.00 TheBusiness. (R)
11.20 DarbyAnd Joan. (Mad, R)
12.05 Grand Designs New Zealand.(R)
12.50 Long Lost Family.(PG,R) 1.35 Rage (MA15+adhlnsv) 3.15 ParkinsonInAustralia. (PG,R) 4.30 Gardening Australia. (R) 5.30 7.30.(R)
ABC FAMILY (22)
(3)
6am MorningPrograms. 10.10 Matched. (PG, R) 11.00 Food Markets. (R) 12.00 BBC News At Ten. 12.30 ABC World News Tonight 12.55 PBS News. 1.55 Alone Australia. (M, R) 3.00 Going Places. (R) 3.30 Destination Flavour.(R) 3.40 Plat Du Tour.(R) 3.45 The Cook Up.(R) 4.15 Mystery Of Blackbeard’sLostTreasure. (PGav,R) 5.05 Jeopardy! 5.30 Letters And Numbers. (R)
6.00 Mastermind Australia. 6.30 SBS WorldNews.
7.30 TheSecretDNA Of Us: Bairnsdale. (Premiere, PG) Marc Fennell visits Bairnsdale
8.35 Sydney’s SuperTunnel: Testing Times. (PG) With 30 kilometres of tunnelling finished, it’s timetostart building railway stations, laying tracks and testing driverless trains. 9.35 Virdee. (MA15+) Harryrelives atrauma fromhis past.
10.45 SBS WorldNewsLate. 11.15 Breaking Point. (MA15+a)
12.05 Blinded (MA15+ds, R)
1.50 DesperateMeasures. (Malv, R)
3.30 Could Hitler HaveBeen Stopped? (PGa, R) 4.20 Bamay.(R) 4.50 Destination Flavour Down Under Bitesize. (R) 5.00 NHKWorld English News Morning 5.30 ANC Philippines The WorldTonight.
SBS VICELAND (31) 6am Children’s Programs. 6.25pm Octonauts: Above And Beyond 6.35 HeyDuggee. 6.40 Kiri And Lou. 6.45 Ben And Holly 7.00 Supertato. 7.05 DinoDex. 7.20 Bluey 7.30 Shaun The Sheep 7.35 Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures. 7.50 The Inbestigators 8.05 Operation Ouch! 8.35 BTN Newsbreak. 8.40 Secrets Of The Zoo. 9.25 HarryPotter: Wizards Of Baking. 10.05 Merlin. 10.50 Late Programs.
6.00 Sunrise. 9.00 The Morning Show.(PG) 12.00 Seven’sNational News At Noon 1.00 MOVIE: Murder,She Baked: AChocolate Chip Cookie Mystery. (2015, PGav,R) 3.00 TheChase. (R) 4.00 SevenNews At 4. 5.00 TheChase Australia.
6.00 SevenNews. 7.00 Football AFL.Round 6. BrisbaneLions vCollingwood.
10.30 AFL Post-Game Show. Post-game discussion and interviews taking alook back at all the action fromthe game.
11.00 Kick Ons. Kane Cornes, Josh Jenkins and Jason Richardson debate thehottest topics and preview the upcoming AFL matches.
11.30 TheChernobyl Disaster: Fallout (Ma, R) Looks at the containment of Reactor 4.
12.30 Emergency Call. (Ma, R) Amother calls for help
1.30 Travel Oz. (PG, R) Alook at holidaydestinations.
2.00 Home Shopping.
4.00 NBC Today. News and current affairs.
5.00 Sunrise Early News. 5.30 Sunrise.
6.00 Today. 9.00 TodayExtra.(PG) 11.30 9News Morning. 12.00 The Hundred With Andy Lee. (PGs, R) 1.00 Getaway.(PG, R) 1.30 My Way. (R) 2.00 Pointless. (PG) 3.00 Tipping Point.(PG,R) 4.00 9News Afternoon. 4.30[VIC]TippingPoint Australia.(PG) 5.00 Tipping Point Australia. (PG, R) 5.30[VIC]WINNews.
6.00 9News. 7.00 ACurrent Affair.
7.30 RBT. (Mdl, R) Follows the activities of policeunits
8.30 Emergency (Malm, R) Doctors Jonathan Papson and Emma West worry amechanic might lose his crushed arm.
9.30 A+EAfter Dark. (Mlm, R) At Hull RoyalInfirmary,aman is brought in after having been beaten with abaseball bat and bitten
10 30 My Feet AreKillingMe. (Mam)
11.20 9News Late.
11.50 Tipping Point. (PG,
6.00 Deal Or No Deal. Hosted by GrantDenyer. 6.30 TheProject. Alookatthe day’s news. 7.30 GoggleboxAustralia. TV fanatics open up their livingrooms to reveal their reactions to popular and topical TV shows. 8.30 Taskmaster Australia. (Mals) Comedians must maketheir wishescome true. TheTaskmaster is truly confused by Waka’s unsophisticated unveiling 9.40 Law&Order: SVU.
TheLate ShowWith Stephen Colbert (PG) Hosted by Stephen Colbert. 1.00 Home Shopping. (R) 4.30 CBSMornings. 6am WorldWatch. 10.00 TheMovie Show Noon WorldWatch. 12.30 Hoarders. 2.10 PlanetA 2.40 Insight 3.40 News. 3.45 WorldWatch. 5.40 History’sCrazy Rich Ancients. 6.05 Over The Black Dot. 6.35 Travel Man. 7.05 Jeopardy! 7.35 8Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown. 8.30 History’sGreatest Mysteries. 10.10 The UnXplained. 11.00 Homicide 11.55 Late Programs.
6am Little Nicholas’ Treasure. (2021, PG, French) 7.55 Sun Children. (2020, PG, Farsi) 9.45 RBG. (2018 PG) 11.35 Mass. (2021, M) 1.40pm AllRoads Lead To Rome. (2015, PG) 3.25 Arthur And TheRevenge Of Maltazard. (2009, PG) 5.10 Ride On. (2023, PG, Mandarin) 7.30 Gold.(2016, M) 9.45 The Girl Who Played With Fire.(2009, MA15+, Swedish) 12.10am Late Programs. 5.50 TheMovie Show SBS WORLD MOVIES (32)
ABC TV (2) SBS (3)
2.30 TheNanny 3.30 Seinfeld. 4.30 TheAddamsFamily 5.00 Bewitched. 5.30 IDream Of Jeannie. 6.00 The Golden Girls. 6.30 TheNanny 7.30 Survivor 48 9.00 MOVIE: TheHangoverPart
SEVEN (7,6)
NINE (9,8) 6.00 Gardening Aust.(R) 7.00 News. 9.30 Cook And The Chef. (R) 10.00 Planet America. (R) 10.30 The Pacific. (R) 11.00 ANZAC Battlefields. (PG) 12.00 News. 12.30 Cook And The Chef.(R) 1.00 Unforgotten. (Mal, R) 2.00 Restoration Australia. (R) 3.00 Back Roads. (R) 3.30 Grand Designs NZ. (R) 4.15 Long Lost Family.(PG, R) 5.00 ABiteToEat 5.30 AntiquesRoadshow.(R)
6.30 Hard Quiz. (PG,R) 7.00 ABCNews. Alook at the top stories of theday 7.30 Gardening Australia. Millie Ross makes aholiday herb basket 8.30 Sherwood. (Malv) TheSparrows are forced to join the Bransons on their revenge mission, and must act quickly 9.30 TheWeekly With Charlie Pickering. (PG,R)A satirical news program exposingthe humorous, absurdand downright hypocritical. 10.00 FreshBlood: Westerners. (Mlv,R)A painter exploresthe world of arts panels.
10.30 FatherBrown. (PGav,R)
11.20 Mayfair Witches. (MA15+a, R)
12.10 RageNew Music (MA15+adhlnsv)
5.00 Rage.(PG)
6am MorningPrograms. 12.30 ABC World NewsTonight. 1.00 PBSNews. 2.00 Destination Flavour.(R) 2.10 TheHoly Grail Mystery.(Ma, R) 2.55 ThePoint:Road To Referendum History Bites. (R) 3.00 Nula. 3.30 Destination Flavour.(R) 3.40 Plat Du Tour.(R) 3.45 The Cook Up.(R) 4.15 Mystery Of The Loch Ness Monster.(PG, R) 5.05 Jeopardy! 5.30 Letters And Numbers. (R)
6.00 Mastermind Australia. Presented by Marc Fennell.
6.30 SBS WorldNews
7.30 William And Harry: TheUnseen Photos (Premiere, M) Looks at the livesofprinces Harry and William 9.15 Scotland’sScenic Railways: StrathspeySteam Railway (R) Takesa look at Scotland’sHighland Mainline railway that runs through Cairngorms National Park.
10.10 SBSWorld NewsLate.
10.40 ABody That Works. (Ml) 11.40 Romulus. (Masv, R)
1.40 Agent Hamilton. (MA15+v,R)
3.20 Could Hitler HaveBeenStopped? (PGav, R) 4.15 Bamay.(PG, R) 5.00 NHKWorld English News Morning. 5.30 ANC Philippines The WorldTonight.
Hey Duggee. 6.40 Kiri And Lou. 6.45 Ben And Holly 7.00 Supertato. 7.05 Gardening Australia Junior 7.20 Bluey 7.30 Shaun The Sheep. 7.35 Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures. 7.50 Teen Titans Go! 8.00 Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! 8.25 MythBusters “There’s Your Problem!” 8.50 Robot Wars. 9.50 HarryPotter: Hogwarts Tournament Of Houses. 10.35 Late Programs. ABC FAMILY (22) 6am The Movie Show. 6.25 The Glassworker.(2024,PG, Urdu) 8.20 Arthur And TheRevenge Of Maltazard. (2009,PG) 10.10 DatingThe Enemy. (1996,M) 12.10pm 6Days. (2017,M) 2.00
6.00 Sunrise 10.00 RoyalChildren’sHospital Good FridayAppeal. (PG) 12.00 Seven’sNational News At Noon. 12.30 RoyalChildren’s Hospital Good FridayAppeal. (PG) 3.00 Football AFL.Round 6. North Melbourne vCarlton 6.00 Today. 9.00 TodayExtra. (PG) 11.30 9News Morning. 12.00 MOVIE: Learning To Love (2023,G) 2.00 Pointless. (PG) 3.00 Tipping
6.00 SevenNews. 7.00 RoyalChildren’s Hospital Good FridayAppeal. (PG) Coverage of the annual Good Friday Appeal to help raise funds for TheRoyal Children’s Hospital 11.30 GetOn Extra. Lizzie Jelfs, Matt Hill, Simon Marshall and Brent Zerafa dive headlonginto theweekend’s best racing. 12.00 TheBlack Donnellys. (Mdsv) Sean loses his health coverand is put into awardfor thementally ill.Jimmy convinces Kevin to bail himout of jail.
1.00 Travel Oz (PG, R) Alook at holidaydestinations
2.00 Home Shopping. (R)
4.00 Million DollarMinute. (R) HostedbyGrant Denyer
5.00 NBC Today. News and current affairs.
6.00 9News.
7.00 ACurrent Affair
7.30 RugbyLeague. NRL.Round 7. Dolphins vMelbourne Storm. From Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
9.55 Golden Point. Awrap-up of the Dolphins versus Melbourne Storm match, with NRL news and analysis. 10.45 MOVIE: JohnWick. (2014,MA15+lv,R)Anex-hit man comes out of retirement.Keanu Reeves,Willem Dafoe.
12.40 Tipping Point. (PG, R) Hosted by BenShephard
1.30 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R)
4.00 SkippyThe Bush Kangaroo (R)
4.30 GlobalShop. (R)
5.00 TV Shop:HomeShopping. (R)
5.30 Postcards. (PG,R)
TEN (10, 5)
6.00 Deal Or No Deal (R)Contestants compete in ahigh-stakes game where they must beat The Banker to win acashprize.
6.30 TheProject. Thehostsand guestpanellists takealookatthe day’snews, eventsand hot topics.
7.30 Airborne: NatureInOur Skies: Love In TheAir (PGa) Takesalook at how rivals fight forlove, from amorous acrobaticstoseduction by scent. 8.40 TheGraham Norton Show. (Ml, R) Celebrity guests include ZoëSaldaña, Selena Gomez, Miranda Hartand Ncuti Gatwa. 11.00 TheProject. (R) Thehosts andguest panellists takealookatthe day’snews, eventsand hot topics.
TheLate ShowWith Stephen Colbert (PG) HostedbyStephen Colbert 1.00 Home Shopping. (R)
Your comprehensive sports liftoutguide from theweekend’s football/netball
NORTH GIPPSLAND BY TOM HAYES
A CAMEO from Thomas 'Prime Train' Baulch was more than enough for Churchill to get their first win of the North Gippsland Football-Netball League season
Hosting Cowwarr at a packed Gaskin Park, Prime Train was the main attraction on the field, helping the Cougars to a 10-goal win over the Saints
Baulch began his 'Footy Tour' with Churchill as the first stop - even training with the club, and is expected to visit many more clubs across Australia over the course of the season
Baulch kicked six goals in the encounter, and after attracting extra attention, a couple were kicked from the goal square
Despite the overwhelming result, Churchill proved they would be the fighters they have always been known as following the convincing win, even if they are expected to dip overall this season
The Cougars were always in control for just about the entire game, stretching their lead at three of the four breaks
The high scoring encounter showed positives and negatives for either side
Regardless, a massive sigh of relief would have come from Gaskin Park at about 5pm on Saturday
More North Gippsland - Page 30
FOOTBALL
GIPPSLAND LEAGUE
BY BLAKE METCALF-HOLT
THE morning of Round1for Morwell FootballNetball Club offered an extra special opening to the season.
The Tigers under 16s side defeated Drouin, 6.6 (42) to 3.10 (28)atMorwellRecreation Reserve, breaking through for theirfirst victoryinmore than three years.
At just 21 years-old, Jai Makepeace took on the junior coaching duties last year while recovering from an ACL injury, meaning he also got his first taste of success under his belt as acoach.
“Just asurreal moment to be apartof, although
only under 16s, it was just great to see the hard work finally pay off,”Makepeace said after the Saturday, April 5triumph.
“Especially for the boys who went through it tough with me last year, finally breaking a(near) four-year drought, thesmiles on the boys’ faces oncewehad finallycompleted the job is amoment Iwon’t forget.”
Makepeace is joined by his father and former North Melbourne footballer Troy and fellow youngster Blake Couling in Morwell’s junior coaching panel in 2025.
With Morwell's fourths and thirds struggling in recent years, action needed to be taken to secure the future of the club and continue to see strong numbers in both grades going forward.
The Junior Football Academy was launched at the end of last season, which saw amultitude of former Morwell figures return to support the junior footballers rising through the ranks.
“We broughtthe academy in and used it as away to introduce players to our new training systems, but also the new standards we wanted to set for our juniors,” Makepeace said.
“It wasa great ideaand we gained great interest from the boysand afair few chose to stayand play this year.”
The program was run by former Tigers premiershipcoach (2013 and 2014) Harmit Singh, who is also the Sydney Swans AcademyTalent and Coaching Director and former Head of Academies at Collingwood.
The Morwell Junior Football Academy also saw past junior footballers Ben Ainsworth (Gold Coast Suns), Changkuothand Tew Jiath(Hawthorn and Collingwood) stop by to offer their unmatched insights.
The Tigers’ previous win in the under 16s came more than1300days ago during aRound 12, 2021 bout against Wonthaggi, 9.6 (60) to 6.11 (47) at home.
Thatseason was left incompletedue to the pandemic. Stillawin regardless,their last one before that came in Round 12, 2019 in atwo-point thriller over Bairnsdale.
Morwell seniors have started the season with two wins from as many starts.
Gippsland League -Pages 26 and 27
BY LIAM DURKIN
HTiziani NAndersonR Sparkes.Maffra: TScott LDyerNChristySAnderson JMcQuillen DBedggood MORWELL 5.4 11.5 15.5 17.7 (109) WARRAGUL 0.0 4.1 6.5
(57) GOALS: Morwell: BMcDonald 4T Gray2AQuigley 2T Hillier 2BMcauliffe2 CCampbell 2Z Anderson MBlewett IAbas.Warragul: IWallace2BFowler2 THobbs ZStewart JHarrisonJ Lamb BEST: Morwell: CCampbell ARosatoT Hillier ZAndersonJGalea CBurr. Warragul: W HayesJHarrison SMasterson PMulqueenT Stern ZStewart
TRARALGON 2.0 5.3 7.7 12.12 (84) MOE 3.85.107.1510.18 (78)
GOALS: Traralgon: THourigan 3MNorthe 3DLoprese 2MMustoe 2KRuyters CBrown.Moe: BCrocker 4J Balfour 3R Baldi BHiggins DKeilty. BEST: Traralgon: THourigan LD’Angelo HDunbar MMembreyJ CunicoL Willaton. Moe: DKeiltyBCrocker JBalfour ADijkstra M Woodall RBaldi
BAIRNSDALE 6.312.515.919.12 (126)
DROUIN 4.1 8.2 8.5 12.6 (78)
GOALS: Bairnsdale: BMcCarrey 4T Rees 4B Vickery3 MEast 2LCloak 2MHamiltonJ DoreR Carstairs LByrne-Jones.Drouin: TUnferdorben 3KQuirk 2B Brasier 2ZAtkinsM WilliamesK Gregg ZMcmillan. BEST: Bairnsdale:TRees CHarveyW Mitchell LCloakTBlenheim BVickery. Drouin: KQuirk AQuirk TUnferdorben ZAtkins DBritt MWilliames
COMPREHENSIVE margins were the order of Round 2inthe Gippsland League.
Margins of 84, 52, 48 and 29 points were recorded in four of the five games.
While most on-field results were one-sided, all sides united for the league’s annual mental health round.
Special commemorativejumpers and netball dresses were afeature across the venues, andplayers wore blue armbands recognising all those lost and going through personal battles.
The league now breaks for Easter.
IT’S not often you see such adominant display from avisiting team at Western Park -ifyou play cricket at least.
Morwell burst out of the blocksagainst Warragul, kicking five goals to none in the first term, on their way to acomprehensive 17.7 (109) to 8.9 (57) win.
Looking resplendent in their newaway jumpers,enough to bring atear to any Richmond supporter’s eye given their likeness to the 2017 Grand Final design, the local Tigers showed there was clearly no scoring end, putting up another six goals in the second term before running the game out after halftime.
Brandon McDonald kicked four goals, repeating the dose from Round1,while a further five players kicked two each.
Cohen Campbell was one of them, as was Tyler Hillier, and both featured in the best. Others to play well were Zac Anderson, CharlieBurr, and the man with the patented ball drop, Josh Galea.
AntonyRosatowas also prominent, and may have met his like-for-like in Warragul midfield bull Tom Hobbs.
Warragul coach, Jed Lamb was on record saying “we’ve just got too much talent to keep getting beaten”, in the Warragul Drouin Gazette’s season preview.
At the risk of bringing out clichés normally reserved for basketballmotivational posters, talent alone hasn’t materialised into finals appearances for the Gulls in recent seasons.
As aformer Carlton player, Lamb might need to drive home sentiments from Blues premiership coach, Ron Barassi, who believed talent was merely a“quirk of conception”.
James Harrison,SeanMasterson, Patrick Mulqueen, Tom Stern and Zac Stewart battled hard in the loss.
Morwell now sits as one of only two unbeaten teams, with both wins coming via big margins, fulfillingapreseason goal from playing-coach Boyd Bailey to “bury teams”.
So far, so good.
LEONGATHA showed no mercy against Sale.
The Parrots slammed on 13 goals to three after halftime, to win 21.7 (133) to 7.7 (49) at home.
The Magpieswereinthe game up until the main break,trailing by onlyfour goals, before resources well and truly expired.
To see Shannen Lange not in the best players for Sale is ararity, butitwas the caseatthe weekend -only for the fact he was injured, along with Jack McLaren.
The Magpies reportedly have up to 20 players unavailable, in what must be an unescapablesense of déjà vu given the exact same fate greeted them this time last year.
Tom Wrigglesworth, who has returned home after playing cricket in the UK last footy season, put in an honest stint for the visitors at the weekend, as did Will Leslie, Cooper Whitehill,JackLeslie,Derek Eggmolesse-Smith and Lachie Ronchi.
The travellingPower wasmade to earn the points, eventually winning 15.9 (99) to 11.4 (70).
Afive goal to two opening gave Wonthaggi enough of abuffer, whichthe Eagles were neverable to bridge.
Most of the match turned into adour struggle, particularly in the third term when both teams managed just one goal each.
The game opened up in the final quarter, with thePower finishing as they started, kicking five goals.
KyleReid was best for Wonthaggi,inwhat willbepleasingfor Power officials after injury sidelined the key defenderlastseason.
Jye Gilmour was also industrious, and is staking an early claim for mostimproved player in the competition.
Josh Schulz (who hasgraduated from Number 24 to Number 13), Hunter Tiziani, Noah Anderson and Ryan Sparkesdid agood job as well.
Best for Maffra wasTom Scott,East Gippy veteran LukeDyer(four goals),Noah Christy, Sam Anderson, Jack McQuillen, and club games record holder, Daniel Bedggood. DROUIN playedahome game in Morwell.
The Hawks met Bairnsdale somewhere in the middle, and went on to partake in a high-scoring match.
The Redlegs got theirfirstwin on the board, 19.12 (126) to 12.6 (78).
The technical visitors established a27-point lead at the main break, and extended from there.
Tyran Rees was best for Bairnsdale with four goals, and was helped by Cooper Harvey, Will Mitchell, Lachlan Cloak, Tom Blenheim and Byron Vickery.
2JMaximiw 2GMentha. BEST Warragul: IKittelty JHughes MLynn JDavidson V Kuol SKelly.Morwell: SGissara MMcInnes LPatterson DMusil LEffenbergLDalziel
Traralgon: JCunico 3DHough 3R Adams 2OHaberl 2PAkram ERoscoe JMacumber CRuyters GRuach. Moe: JVan Dyk3 LDurkin SCurtisBHolt. BEST: Traralgon: ALovison B Cheetham RAdams JCunico JMudita ERoscoe.Moe:W Hester AWilson JMakepeaceC Rieniets JVan DykS
Maffra: WGieschen 2SPendergast JBrickley
Who busts throughabrick wall first between those two?
Hobbs kicked agoal for his efforts, although new Warragul recruit and VFL player, Will Hayes was best-on-ground.
Hayes is of the famed Ben, Will and JD Hayes horse training stable, who won the Country Racing Victoria Trainers Premiership last season.
The Gulls will be hoping Hayes can help Warragul to similar success on the football field, but after resultslike this, it is clear they have some work to do.
TallinBrillcontinuedhis rise in league ranks, kickingfive goals forLeongatha, while Ty Hall nabbed four.
Hallisone of ahost of Parrots players who have paid their dues in the early game, and are now seeing some reward in the long term.
Ben Harding, Kim Drew, Mitch Bentvelzen and Tom Marriott were also productive.
Despite the margin, there was at least one talking point out of the Leongatha camp, with newskey forward Guy Dickson hasbeen cleared to neighbouring Korumburra-Bena.
Anotherone gone to the minor leagues… WONTHAGGI held off apersistent Maffra.
Drouin was best-served by Tom Unferdorben (have fun with that name TRFM) who kicked three goals, to go with contributions from Kye Quirk, Aden Quirk, Zayne Atkins, Darcy Britt and Max Williames.
Withanother week tickedoff, the next stop on the Hawks' tour is Wonthaggi.
The relocation of the club aside, to give an idea of just how much Drouin are up against it this season -the Hawks had 15 senior players in Round 1who had played fewer games combinedthan the club’s senior games record holder, David ‘Chewy’ Olsen, who played more than 250.
"It's anew campaign now, it's the road to LA (2028 Olympics).The last four years have been good but it's now how do we get that elusive gold medal," Brondello said.
2K Berryman CRichards FDonohue MCarterA Livingstone IBolge.Sale: TRonchi. BEST: Leongatha: AWilliams CRichardsALoganIBolge ALivingstone FDonohue.Sale: BHarrisonHDavine JHalligan MMcMaster DVandervoort JLamb
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0.1 (1)
GOALS: Maffra: WRuthberg5BCottrell 4Astobie 3C Thompson 2JBrickley HWalker M Rondon JStewart.Wonthaggi: Details N/A. BEST: Maffra: HWalker SRichards JHenry L Harrington WBurgiel BCottrell.Wonthaggi: MOri LLidstoneO Feather LTon CDuscher S
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0.2 1.2 1.2 1.3 (9)
Warragul: RNettle6 SGrummisch 4CMcintosh 4C Ward CThompson DHammond LMooreHHodge.Morwell:KHumphrey BEST: Warragul: RNettleC Mcintosh SGrummisch LMooreX Olsson WMacLean. Morwell: JMooney CRuach GJiath
THE Seven ConsultingOpals boasted a squad of 18 for the beginning of their fouryear cycle with aMelbourne camp last week in the ramp up to July's FIBA Asia Cup in China.
Under head coach Sandy Brondello, some players from the 2024 Olympic Bronze Medal team were absent due to injury, rest or still playing overseas.
The campincluded fitness testing and scrimmagingatthe State Basketball Centre, and other community clinics in surrounding suburbs during their stay.
The Opals feature in Group Bofthe Asia Cup alongside Japan, Philippines, and Lebanon beginning in three month’s time.
AS for the Boomers, the FIBA Men's Asia Cup fixture was announced recently.
Australia finished on top during the qualifying stage, which featured two games in Traralgon againstIndonesia and Thailand, with the Boomers placed in Group Aalongside Qatar, Korea, and Lebanon.
Hosted in Saudi Arabia, the international tournament begins August 5.
Traralgon's Jack White will be one eyeing selection.
Traralgon's Jade Melbourne was one of seven Paris Olympians, including five from that bronze medal side that were available for the camp
Melbourne, during her breakbefore the WNBA season starts,returned home to Traralgon to join fellow future export and Traralgon netballer, Asha Nightingale (committedtoDavidsonCollege)toprovide some valuable insight to girls readying for their Junior Country Championships.
Given the lower stakesasit's opposed to the Olympics and World Cup, White will probably get more of alook in, while Olympians likeChicago Bulls' JoshGiddey holds out for the next tournament.
Giddeyhas ties to the LatrobeValley,with his mum, Kim, growing up in Morwell.
GIPPSLAND
LEAGUE
BY LIAM DURKIN
HOW is this bloke not playing in the AFL.
With his side trailing all game, Traralgon captain Tye Hourigan singlehandedlygot the Maroons over the line against Moe, 12.12 (84) to 10.18 (78). Hourigan has always been about the team, as has reigning Maroons premiershipcoach, Troy Hamilton, but even he couldn’t help but sing Hourigan’s praises post-game.
“He was phenomenal, back early on and he’s averydangerous weapon when you throw him forward,” Hamilton said.
Down by as much as 19 points in the last term, the usually interceptingHouriganwas swunginto attack, where he kicked three goals in 15 minutes in front of the famed Moe ‘Can Bar’ to silence the parochial Ted Summerton Reserve crowd.
Such silence was polite, as even the most rabid Lions supporters had to doff their cap, and raise their Carlton Drycans after Hourigan’s thirdgoal with aminuteleft sealed the game.
For allthe goals, it was how they came about that signified his dominance.
If ever there was amoment that summed up why Hourigan is the Number 1ranked player in the competition, it came just before he kicked the eventual match-winner.
Withscores level, and the gamelookinglikeit was headed for adraw as the clock ticked past 30 minutes,ahighballwas sent insideTraralgon’s 50.
Apack of Maroon and Moe players awaited its descent; Hourigan among them.
In that situation, conventional wisdom says a Traralgonplayerholds out Moe’s tallestdefender, allowingHourigan aclean jump at thefooty.
Hourigan didn’t need extra assistance -hesimply leapt straight up and over them all.
As the inevitable unfolded, acry of “surelynot” escaped the lips of this writer.
Of course, he goaled from 40 metres out on a slight angle.
He’s like Jimmy Recard -everything he touches turns to gold.
He’s not even 24 yet, and already won four senior best-and-fairests for the Maroons.
Some have even already labelled him Traralgon’s greatestever. Keep in mind thattakes in luminaries such as Tony Lane, Brian Hammond, Russell Northe and Terry Hunter (with obvious apologies to many others).
All thistalkofone player and one quarter of football may distract from apotentially bigger story,
and thatishow Moe botcheda game thatwas there for the taking.
It took new Lions coach Leigh Poholke just one week to deliver aspray,and then one more for him to experience his first ‘classic Moe’ episode.
‘ClassicMoe’ is awell-establishedphrase in local football vernacular, and an unfortunately familiar one to many long-suffering Lions supporters.
The term usually acts as an all-encompassing explanation as to how Moe lose from seemingly unlosable positions such as at the weekend.
It’s arguably been going on for decades.
Justone look at thequarter-by-quarter scores from the 1972 Grand Final between Moe and Traralgon offered ahaunting comparison to what transpired last Saturday.
On that day more than 50 years ago, the Lions led for most of the game, and by more than five goals at halftime in fact, only to lose by apoint.
That was the start of three consecutive Grand Final defeats by less than agoal, leading people at thetimetodub Moe the ‘Collingwood of the Bush’.
The Magpiesown captain of that era, Des Tuddenham, in later years always lamented Collingwood’s fitness as the main reason the side kept falling short.
Such thoughts may have been applicable when transported to the present day, as watching on, it appeared Moe simply ran out of legs in the last quarter.
The Lions had ample opportunity to make the equation more difficult for Traralgon, particularly in thefirstquarter, when areturnof3.8 (26) to 2.0 (12) showed their dominance.
The Maroons made some use of the scoring end kicking toward South Street in the second,and went into the rooms only seven points adrift.
Alow-scoring grind made somethingofamockery of the perfect conditions, with thattrend continuing in the thirdasgameplay was very muchend-to-end.
Moe'sRiley Baldi (available thanks to aVFL bye) provided ahighlight, snapping out of congestion to give his side a16-point lead at the 17 minute mark.
Traralgon’s Cooper Brownhowever took goalof-the-day honours, afternailing aneatleft-foot checksideunderneaththe scoreboard, moments after Liam Willaton broke the likely 10 metre dash record, bursting the ball forward.
Willaton and Moe’s Callum Nash in a100msprint would make for good, if short, viewing,likelydone and dusted in 10 seconds.
The Lions hadlooked the better side up until three quarter time, and after 16-year-old Bobby Higgins kicked his first senior goal early in the final term, igniting the obligatory mob from teammates, the home side appeared full of momentum.
That momentum was harnessed even further when Jacob Balfour kicked aset shot from straight in front not long after, stretching the lead out to 19 points.
Traralgon however hit back, with favourite son Matt Northe taking advantage out of congestion to run in and kick his third for the afternoon just after the 10 minute mark.
By thisstage,Houriganhad gone forward,and in what seemed only amatter of minutes, the deficit was cut to five points.
With Hourigan forward, it was impossible not to get real Morwell versus Traralgon vibes from last year’s drawn match. Hourigankickedsix in that contentiously named ‘match of the century’.
Aloose ball was collected by Hourigan at the 17 minute mark, and he promptly goaled to put the Maroons in front.
Aleaguebest-and-fairest winner then proved he is human, missing atarget at half-back and seeing the ball land in the arms of Mitch Mustoe.
Mustoe, one of ahost of new Maroons this season from Traralgon Tyers United, kicked the set shot from 40, extending the visitor’s lead.
Goinglike-for-like against Hourigan, Moe sent Declan Keilty forward, and the Lions were able to get the ball inside 50 for the first time in what felt like an eternity.
Lion’s seniordebutant Kurt Holtmissed adifficult chance on aslightangle in the early stages of red time.
His Churchill premiership teammate, now playing for Traralgon,Chris ‘Squid’ Williams, meanwhile weaved out of astoppage and sent the ball forward ashort time later.
To think how many times he’s done that for the Cougars.
The move of Keilty paid off, in as much as Moe was able to level scores at the 28 minute mark.
Keilty was awarded afree kick on the edge of the goal square, and snapped truly from close range.
That he kicked the goal with a‘snap set’ added some irony to the occasion given the Lions missed ahost of chances using the same method earlier in the game.
While snapping set shots seems to be the modern way, any PE teacher would surely advocate running toward the target for any activity requiring accuracy.
Adraw appeared the most likely result after Keilty’s goal, until Hourigan did what he did.
Traralgon flooded their numbers back, and upon the next centre bounce, little more than a minute played out when the sirensounded,giving Traralgon their first win of their premiership defence.
Houriganwas an obviousbest-on-groundfor the victors, while Luis D’Angelo, Hugh Dunbar, Mitch Membrey, Jordan Cunico and Willaton were also busy.
Membrey recoveredadmirably fromanindifferent third quarter that saw Moe’s Ben Crocker take a number of contested marks on him.
Crocker kicked four goals, and Balfour three to rateamention in the Lions best, alongwith Keilty, Alex Dijkstra, Max Woodall and Riley Baldi. Baldi has beenidentifiedasa potential bolter for the midseason draft, while many will be hoping Hourigan hasa change of heartand nominates after choosing to stay local.
It is understood multiple AFL clubs met with him during the off season, and virtually said all he had to do wassign on the dotted line.
True ‘bush legends’ these days are few and far between, but Hourigan could end up as one if he opts to keep wearing the maroon and white. In aprevious generation, workonthe family farm usually determined country players couldn’t make the move to the big smoke, while local footy folklore is litteredwith players who supposedly ‘coulda been and woulda been’ the next big thing if football was higher on their list of priorities.
RonBest is consideredthe greatest bush legend. Thelate former Nationals MP kicked more than 1600 goals in and around Bendigo.
Offering an inside into what makes the Traralgon skipper such aformidable player, Hamilton said there was no great secret.
“He’s abrilliant reader of the play and he’s got the magnificent pair of hands and akick, but his fitness is also there,” he said of Hourigan.
“IfanyoneseesTye train, you’llunderstand how and why he can do what he does.
“Everyone can read the play, everyone can probably mark like him, but not everyone can run as far.”
Given the Maroons finished agameagainst the Lionsfullofrun, it seems appropriatetoborrow from late Richmond Coach of the Century, Tom Hafey, who had this parable printed on the back of his business cards:
“Every morninginAfrica, agazelle wakes up, it knowsitmust outrun the fastest lionoritwill be killed.
“Every morning in Africa, alion wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the slowest gazelle, or it will starve.
“It doesn’t matter whether you’re the lion or a gazelle –whenthe sun comes up, you’d better be running.”
TALENT LEAGUE
BY TOM HAYES
OPPOSITE outcomes in the Gippsland Power programoffered amixed bag of results at the weekend.
The Gippsland Power Boys stormed to a3-0 win-loss record, while oppositely the Power Girls slumped to a0-2 start in their respective seasons. THE Boys claimed their third successive win of the season, defeating Bendigo Pioneers at Queen Elizabeth Oval, Bendigo. Getting the job done, Power won comfortably in
theend, with the final scoreboard reading 11.10 (76) to 8.7(55).
Having to do battle without the star power of Foster’s Willem Duursma, anumber of Latrobe Valley names were among the listed side.
Traralgon’sMarlon Neocleoussteppedinto Duursma’s spot in the centre, while Moe and Yinnar’s Luke Cheffers played at centre half forward andMoe’sThomasMatthewsalongside Heyfield’s Mitch Stevens.
Neocleoushas garnered plenty of attention to start the season, noted as alivewire small forward that can impact at stoppage, showing similarities to Hawthorn’s much-lovedNick‘The Wizard’ Watson. Noted in the Power’s best was Warragul’sOliver
Wilson, Zac Walker from Phillip Island, Cheffers, and Matthews.
The Power are tied up the top of the ladder with Sandringham Dragons, with asuperior percentage.
Gippsland’s boys aren’t back in Talent League action for around amonth, until May 11, when they take on Geelong Falcons.
AGOOD first quarter wasn’t enough for the visiting Power Girls, who fell late to the sword of Murray Bushrangers.
Despite athree-goal to one first quarter to the advantage of the Power, the Bushrangers clinched victory in atense final term, 10.4 (64) to 7.10 (52).
The Bushrangers kicked fivestraightgoalstotwo
minor scores in the second term to hold atwo-goal advantage at the halftime break. Power once again reclaimed the lead throughout the third term, only just holding on at three quarter time after a3.3 (21) to 1.2 (8) term. Withjust oneterm to play, the Bushrangers were out of the gates and took their opportunity, adding three goals to one, claiming the two goal win. In the girls’ bestwas Warragul trioAddison Howe, Chelsea Sutton and Stella Kittelty, Woodside’s Grace Dillow and Pakenham’s Maya Crestani.
The girls will be in action aweek beforethe boys, visiting the Western Jets on May 4, before joining the boys to face the Falcons on May 11. AFL exports -Page32
MID GIPPSLAND BY ROB POPPLESTONE
BJulin LFlahavin TPeters P AinsworthJ Edebohls
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GOALS: MorwellEast: CWangman 5RMichaelides 2NKyriacou2DCooper BEvans C Iorangi. Hill End: LCumiskey4BPaul 2DFawcett LSutton COwenR Ladson MFerguson. BEST: MorwellEast: RMichaelides BFrancis CIorangiM Diaz CWangman JPickett. Hill End: AUliando SCalwayAFawcett NJames HMooreMFerguson BOOLARRA2.1 6.3 9.5 10.8 (68)
5.4 (34)
MIRBOO NTH 1.2
Boolarra: NGiardina 2JHolmes 2JMason 2T Salerno BMason DLeysM Twomey. Mirboo Nth: RGillian 2DBlack BPeters DTurner BEST: Boolarra: BFlanigan SNoy MPorykali BMason NGiardinaT Potter.Mirboo Nth: JChila JBlair AScicluna HKerr DBlack AWoodall
YINNAR 3.4 8.9 11.13 17.17 (119)
TOORA3.4 5.5 6.5 7.9 (51)
GOALS: Yinnar:KGrinstead-Jones 8W Robertson 2CMills HMcKay ABaileyBBurrows J Bugeja SFamularo FSchill.Toora: LCraig 2MBezzene 2LMarrSSmartARhodes. BEST: Yinnar:KGrinstead-Jones NHallFSchill ABaileyW Robertson BVan Der Meer.Toora: M Bezzene JFrench JPlatt GGordon SSmart JWeston MDU 5.2 9.5 14.8 17.11 (113)
3.1 6.5 8.6 11.9 (75)
GOALS: Meeniyan Dumbalk Utd: NNagel 7T McRae4
Hill End: JSchiavello Z O’Hara JHarris K TutJ Dworznik J Tutton
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MOST Mid Gippsland Football-Netball Leagueclubs, even after along preseason andaRound 1clash under their belt, are still very much finding their feet in the early part of the year.
However,doing so as quickly as possible is crucial, as sides attempt to be part of the leading pack rather than chasing and hoping for results to fall their way in the months ahead.
BOOLARRAV MIRBOO NORTH
OPENING round wins to these two sides relieved none of the pressure going into the second round of the season.
The Demons,with finalsaspirations, needed to win agame like this, and did just that, 10.8 (68) to 5.4 (34) at Boolarra.
Winning coach, Brendan Mason said victory was hard fought.
“A terrific win in trying conditionsthat saw both sides calling for the pickle juice at three quarter time,” he said.
“We took averynervous13-point leadinto the long break and whilst happy with the work done we knewMirboo Northwould come hard after the break which they did.”
Bailey Flanigan blanketed the dangerous returning Tigerkey forward Riley Gillian, which stemmed the Tiger attack to the point they were held to asinglemajor after the main break.
SimonNoy and Tim Potter were everywhere, and utilised the ruck work of Dillion Leys and Tim Dowe to advantage.
After getting aless than friendly welcome to his newclub by theMirbooNorth lads, Nathan Giardinaset aboutplaying some serious footy. His two goals were the cream on the cake for him.
Reduced to 17 men and no bench, which compoundedalatewithdrawal that
necessitatedclub stalwart James Holmes playing eight quarters for the day, this was awin to be enjoyed for Boolarra.
TheDemons are slowly laying the foundationfromwhich to build asuccessfulseason, and their dismantlingofthe Tigersgiventhe personnel pressure they were under added to the merit of the victory. But the Tigers too, even in defeat, walked away with ahandful of positive learnings.
“Proud of our effort but we reallyneed to sharpen up over the break. Take nothing away from Boolarra, they are much improved,”Mirboo NorthCoach, Damien Turner said.
“I feel we gotour hands on the ball enough buttoo many simple mistakes cost us.”
That much-improved Boolarra was on showatthe weekend, and an off season of savvy recruiting, complimented by arobust preseason has many in the competition raising their eyebrows at the good early work of the Demons.
MORWELL EAST VHILL END
EVEN in along season, some sides can feel the pressure more acutely than others, and there was no doubt the Hawks were feeling the heat after their shock loss to Thorpdale in the opening round.
The home sideverynearly avoided disaster, after falling over the line 12.8 (80) to 11.8 (74).
AkneeinjurytoMatt Cunnningham in the second quarter certainly didn’t help the Hawks’ cause, but credit should be paid to both clubs for fighting this one to the end.
As important as success was for Morwell East, it was one that got away for the Rovers, who remain on the hunt for arare win in recent years.
FOSTER VNEWBOROUGH
FOSTER had to sit and watch Round 1as aconsequence of their first week bye, but if they had spent time to watch Newborough, they would have been under no illusions as
to the enormityofthe task given the visiting Bulldogs’ impressivefirstround victory over Meeniyan Dumbalk United.
The Tigers, however, were well and truly ready, jumping out of the blocks beautifully to begin their season with an impressive 14.12 (96) to 5.9(39) victory.
At this early stage of the year, it is really difficult to line up form from one week to the next, but certainly in the first fortnight Newborough hashad rapidly contrasting results.
MDUV THORPDALE
THE Demons were eager to move on from theirfirstround loss to Newborough, but remained wary of avisiting Thorpdale side thatcamewith winning form from the week before.
Playing in front of ahealthy home ground providedthe perfectsettingfor an improved performance, whichsaw MDU winners 17.11 (113) to 11.9 (75).
YINNAR VTOORA
THE clash of the Magpies on Yinnar’s home ground wasone in which the visitors were aware of the enormity of the task.
Toora, regardless of result, wanted to see first-hand what they might need to do to compete with one of the best in the league.
The answer was, still quite abit,after going down 17.17 (119) to 7.9 (51).
Toora matched it with Yinnar in the first quarter,headinginto the firstbreak level on 22 points, before the home side broke clear.
TARWIN VSTONY CREEK
IT was inevitable that one of these two sides would register their first win, the unfortunate truth was that one would also register their second loss.
The Sharks, hosting the Lions, found themselves chasing their opponents for most of the day, leading to a12.6(78) to 7.10 (52) victory for Stony Creek.
FISH CREEK HAD THE BYE.
3.1 7.4
By LIAM DURKIN
GEORGIA Moody was kept to just 12 goals for Moe in Round 2ofGippsland League netball.
And the Lions still won by 44 goals.
The reigning back-to-back premier put in another dominantdisplay, this time against Traralgon, winning 82 to 38.
Shooting 69 of them was star recruit Ash Mawer.
The six-time Tasmanian state league MVP took to her new home court for the first time at the weekend, and wasted no time announcing herself to the Latrobe Valley.
The Lions broke away after arelatively even opening saw the margin sitateight goals at quarter time.
From there however, it was all Moe. The Lions put up 27 goals alone in the third term, and afurther 19 in the last.
Ramayer Keilty was best for the winners, and setapossible club recordalongside husband Declan, who was also best on in the senior football match.
ahusband-and-wife duo are best on in their respective sports for the same club on the same day in the highest possible grade.
Mawer also rated amention, as did Lions vice-captain Macy Gardiner.
Best for the Maroons was Montanna Styles, Cassidy Smith and Milly Murphy.
Murphyand Keiltyadded to thelistof players with ties to both clubs, along with Traralgon’s Indiana de Dios.
MORWELL paid for apoor second half against Warragul.
The Tigers led by three goals at the main break, but watched on as the Gulls put up 19 goals to seven in the third term at Western Park, to eventually win 64-49.
As expected, Warragul shooter Emma Ryde proved an imposing figure under the post, and shot all but two goals in the home team’s total.
Tanya Budge wasnonetheless judged best-on-court for Morwell, indicating Ryde’s influencecould have been much greater.
Heyfield recruit Jade Parsons and Longwarry’s Holly Stephens were also serviceable.
confidencefrom their first halfperformance, knowing they can matchitwith sideexpected to finish in the top three this season. IN other games, Bairnsdale caused arguably the biggest talking point, after rolling Drouin 49-43 at the neutral venue of Morwell.
Other results went largely as predicted, with the travelling Wonthaggi beating Maffra 58-39, and Leongatha too strong for the visiting Sale, 62-32.
NORTH GIPPSLAND saw Sale City narrowly edge Heyfield, 42-40, in what could say more about the Kangaroos than the Bulldogs’ supposed supremacy.
Yallourn Yallourn North also only won by twogoals against Gormandale, meaning a win might not be too farawayfor the Tigers. RESULTS in Mid Gippsland were unfortunately one-sided.
That the closest margin was still 20 goals is all that needs to be said.
HGallagher
SBerquez. BEST: Yinnar:KRoss JRogalskyHMcCulloch HBugejaBDurea TTry.Mirboo Nth: ZFleming AEvans TMcGrath FBourke SBerquez TMcDuffie MDU 5.4
MDU: AMcinnes 5J Cleator 4CAmor CHarrisonLHamiltonC BruceW Campbell AHulshof BTaylorACasey.Fish Creek:R Cicero3 LMoonJRysko ABradley BEST: MDU: C BruceJCleator AMcinnes CHarrisonW Campbell ABruce. Fish Creek: MThomson ABradley AHamlett LMoon HBrewerOBright
There wouldnot be too many (if any)times
Despitethe result, the Tigerswill take some
To those wondering why the Gippsland League received greater coverage here -two, technically one word: PlayHQ. From amedia perspective at least, it is such abetter system than Netball Connect.
Photograph: Annie Holland
VNL
BY TOM HAYES
GIPPSLAND Stars made the most of their only home game of 2025,claiming six points across both senior divisions.
Victorian Netball League’s Round 5action took the Stars to the Warragul Leisure Centre to do battle with Peninsula Waves on Wednesday, April 9.
So eager was the Stars’ faithful, that the event was sold out daysbefore, which only meant the atmosphere was top notch for the home side.
GETTING the night underway was the 23 and Under side still searching for their first win of 2025, while the Waves had secured two wins already.
An uphill battle might’ve been expected from the outset, but the Stars hadproved time and time again thatthey will play at their best until the final bell, doing so again to claim an emphatic draw.
Consecutive goals to the Waves early into the first term grew asmall deficit for the Stars, but despite the turns in momentum, the Waves could only manage to get as far as four goals ahead.
Myah Healy and Grace Van Tilburgkeptthe Stars in it, tying the game up inside the final minutes of the first quarter, only for the Waves to shoot three in arow to go threegoals clear at thebreak.
Looking back on the first quarter, the Waves were going to be toughtobreak,not missinga single shot, although the Stars only missed three.
Aflurry of chances for the Stars had them back within agoal, however they could have led with a number of shots going wayward. Despite this, they held the momentum toward the end of the quarter, going into halftime just one goal down.
Withnoroom for error in the secondhalf, the Stars were blown off the park in the third quarter, lettingthe Waves soar out to what looked like an unassailable lead.
Two roundsoffive-straightgoalstothe Waves had them up by 12 goals goinginto the last quarter.
But as always, the Stars weren’t going to let them run over the top so easily, starting the fourth quarter with the first five goals, almost halving the margin.
With eight goals the difference with 10 minutes left, the Stars equally had the next eight shots of the game,but could only score five of them.
Nonetheless, with the margin just three goals to the Waves, all of the pressure was mounted on the visitors.
The Waves missed their next two possessions, meaningthe door was wide open for the 23/U Stars, who put up the next two shots, scoring both. Only agoal now separated the two.
The Waves responded, but the next three attempts went the way of the Stars. Only one sunk, as the Waves scored again to keep the margin two goals in their favour.
Healy had plenty of the ball under the ring late, scoring in the final minute to make it aone goal game. The Waves wasted their last chance, meaning if the Stars played their cards right,they couldpinch victory.
Healy tied the game up with mereseconds remaining, and with the final shot of the game, she missed the chance to give the Stars the lead, as the game ended all square, 45 goals apiece.
Reigning 23/Ubest-and-fairest Chloe Radford displayed her class in Warragul,earning herself the Player of the Match award.
Healy scored 27 goals at 79.4 per centaccuracy, while Grace Van Tilburg (nine goals), Charlize Traumanis (five goals), and Anna Mooney (four goals) assisted her to the best of their abilities.
THE Championship Stars picked up their second win of the season, claiming a48to45 victory over Peninsula Waves later that evening.
Asluggish start for the Stars saw the Waves open up afour goal lead from the offset, maintaining it for the first quarter to lead 17-13 at quarter time.
The tidechanged in the second term however, as the Stars dominated the last five minutes of the half.
During that period, the Stars went from four goals
BASKETBALL
BY BLAKE METCALF-HOLT
OVER the last month, local junior basketball teams have taken to the courts in the Junior Country Championships.
The JCC offerscountry players achance to compete against the best regional teams in Victoria while representing their hometown.
The Under 16 and Under 18 Division 3, 4, and 5tournament took place last month, with games played at CobblebankStadium, Melton and MARC Stadium, Bacchus Marsh with high attendance throughout.
Moe secured the U18 Boys Division 3title, taking out Portland 55 to 40 in the Grand Final. Preston Laidlaw had agame-high 19 points in the decider. Morwell won the U18 Girls Division3Grand Final over Pakenham, 61-55 with Grace Schill (23 points), Arlia Bedford (20), and Micaiah Judilla (12) leading from the front.
Moe made it to the U18 Girls Division 4Grand Final, but were downed by Ararat, 47-24.
THEUnder14JuniorCountryChampionships were held at Bendigo and Ballarat during the April school holiday period.
Traralgon claimed the U14 Boys Division 2title in athrilling Grand Final over Shepparton, 54-50 Thanks to a14-7second quarter, the T-Birds were abletoholdonto victory,with Goy Dengscoring 29 points to capoff the weekend.
Deng was one of 33 Latrobe Valley junior basketballers accepted into Basketball Victoria’s Future Development Program (FDP), with 24 comingfrom Traralgon Amateur Basketball Association.
The FDP is a12-month program offering great resourcesand insights for junior talentlearning from Basketball Victoria’s Performance Pathway coaching team.
Squad: Moewon
theBasketball Victoria Junior CountryChampionships Under 18 Boys Division 3Grand Final. Super coach and Moe netballer EliseDemczuk sawthe team go through undefeated. Photograph supplied
down to all square, knocking downfive goalsto one in the final five minutes of the half.
An energised Stars outfit had the Waves on the backfoot as the secondhalf got underway,scoring from five of the first six shots of the third quarter. All of asudden, theStars held afive-goal lead.
As the Waves tried to chip away at the Stars’ lead, the Gippsland side found ways to prevent the lead from dissipating.
Up by six goals at one stage, the Stars conceded three consecutive goals late, leaving two goals betweenthe two sidesgoing into the final quarter.
The Stars were the first to blink once again, scoringthe first five goals of the final quarter. They now had aseven goal buffer.
The Waves could only get as close as within four goals in the last quarter following that flurry, as the Stars held off all advances until the game was tied up.
Heading into the final minute, the Starshad six goals up their sleeve, allowing the Waves to pinch three late goals to seal the 48-45 win for the home side.
Defender Akayla Peterson claimed the Player of the Match for her persistent defensive effort.
Captain Daisy Hill and Stacie Gardiner shared the scoring load with 21 goals (87.5 per cent accuracy) and 19 goals (82.6 per cent) respectively. Alahna Arnason chimed in with eight goals to her name.
AGrade: Moe82def Traralgon 38; Warragul 64 def Morwell 49; Maffra 39 def by Wonthaggi58; Leongatha 62 def Sale 32; Drouin 43 def Bairnsdale 49.
BGrade:Moe 51 defTraralgon 37; Warragul 38 def by Morwell 42; Maffra 22 def by Wonthaggi58; Leongatha 55 def Sale 24; Drouin 58 def Bairnsdale 50.
CGrade:Moe 29 def Traralgon 28; Warragul 18 def by Morwell 45; Maffra21def by Wonthaggi 63; Leongatha 27 def Sale 20; Drouin 44 def Bairnsdale 35.
Under 17:Moe 23 def by Traralgon 48; Warragul 33 def Morwell; Maffra 41 defWonthaggi 33; Leongatha 32 def by Sale 40; Drouin 29 def by Bairnsdale 67
Under 15:Moe 34 def by Traralgon 45; Warragul 37 def Morwell22; Maffra56def Wonthaggi6;Leongatha 38 def by Sale 47;Drouin 36 def Bairnsdale 24.
Under 13:Moe 21 defTraralgon 13;Warragul6def by Morwell 32; Maffra 58 def Wonthaggi 10;Leongatha 36 def Sale 20; Drouin 23 def Bairnsdale 16
MID GIPPSLAND –ROUND 2
AGrade: Boolarra 49 def by Mirboo North 69; Morwell East 66 def Hill End 29; Yinnar 57 def Toora 26; MDU 51 defThorpdale29; Tarwin36def by Stony Creek 62; Foster 72 def Newborough 31;Fish Creek –BYE.
BGrade:Boolarra 31 def by Mirboo North 67; Morwell East 35 def by Hill End 41;Yinnar 53 def Toora 33; Tarwin 28 def by Stony Creek 40; MDU 51 def Thorpdale 39; Foster 64 def Newborough 50; Fish Creek –BYE.
CGrade:Boolarra 46 def Mirboo North 27; Morwell East 26 defbyHill End 33; Yinnar 41 def Toora 22;
MDU 65 def Thorpdale 4; Tarwin 36 def Stony Creek 16;Foster26def by Newborough 36; FishCreek –BYE.
DGrade:Boolarra: 19 defbyMirboo North 36; Morwell East 23 def by Hill End 27; Yinnar 34 def Toora 20; MDU 56 def Thorpdale 4; Tarwin 30 def Stony Creek 22; Foster 28 def by Newborough 33; Fish Creek –BYE. Under 17:Boolarra 38 def Mirboo North 35; Morwell
NORTH GIPPSLAND –ROUND 2 AGrade: YYN 39 def Gormandale 37; Churchill 58 defCowwarr 21;Rosedale 26 def by Woodside 48; Sale City 42 def Heyfield 40; Glengarry, TTU– BYE. BGrade:YYN 42 defbyGormandale 45; Churchill 67 def Cowwarr16;
JUST about every result went as expected during Round 2ofNorth Gippsland senior football,perhaps justthe margins were a little off the mark.
Only four games went ahead at the weekend, due to the split round which sees Yarram and Glengarry do battlelater this week on Good Friday (April 18).
BMcConnellS FoxHFox JBruceCBarnett BSafstrom
Heyfield: BKing8DMorris 3MJohnston JPettigrewHughes SAndersonM Phelan XBrooks JKuhnell JConway CHodges.SaleCity: JSandeman. BEST: Heyfield: BKingD PatmoreDMorrisJ Conway XBrooks JKuhnell. Sale City: LKnight DBirdM CaslteT Fleming
GOALS: Cowwarr:R Ferguson 4D Veale 3JGoodwin 2MDeering BEenjes CFarley.Churchill: Details N/A.. BEST: Cowwarr:S Moon BEenjes NFarley MDeering ASmith AMcLean. Churchill: RHarding JEffenbergB WoodwardC Williams TDicoratoM Sbaglia
GOALS: YYN: DKeyhoe 5LJikow 3DPotts 2KSavage 2M Twaddle 2SGalea GPearson D PolJRedman CWalsh. Gormandale: BFreeman HJohnston HTa’ala. BEST: YYN: DKeyhoeM Twaddle LJikow DPotts JKingDPol.Gormandale: SBurgess JRust BFreeman NHammond TCapes FMcLuckie
Woodside: BAskew4DMckean 4BReed 2. Rosedale: LMann 2J Reid 2A Tilley BEST: Woodside: BAskewBReed JJohannessen TAskew CWhiteoak SLothian. Rosedale:
THOMAS ‘Prime Train’ Baulch was a handy addition for Churchill, who hosted and defeated Cowwarr at Gaskin Park.
The undermanned Cougars got their first four pointsonthe board, following a21.17 (143) to 11.17 (83) scoreline.
It was simply agoalfest in theopening quarter, with six going the way of Churchill and three to the visitors.
The home sidemaximised their run and carry, both on the wing and through the middle, but most of the damagewas done so on the wings.
Baulch was heavilyinvolved up front, either getting on the end of goals or simply getting involved in the build-up.
He garnered extra attention throughout the game but was gifted his first goal through afree kick, followed by a50-metre penalty, taking him to the goal square.
Despite their slower build-up, Cowwarr didmakethe most of theirchances going forward as well.
Saints co-coach Keenan Hughes copped some flackoverthe fencebut quickly silenced the crowd with along strike at the boothend. Nonetheless,Churchill led by 20 points at quarter time.
Churchillran rampant out of the middle of the ground during the second quarter. Centre clearance after centreclearance leadingto scores.
Goals came thick and fast for the Cougars, who either ran the goal to the goal line or convertedfrom distance.For Prime Train, his second was snapped from point-blank range and his third was abeautiful set shot from the arc on a45degree angle.
The Saints’ more calculated approach just wasn’t as effective against the Cougars, although when they finally made it forward, they threatened the scoreboard.
Churchillhad more than doubled Cowwarr’s output at the halfway point of the encounter, leading 13.8 (86) to 6.5 (41).
The game hit aspeedbumpinthe third term, as the heat looked like it was getting to those on the field, with fatigue beginning to roll in.
The ball spent what seemed like an eternity in Cowwarr’s forward half, but to no avail inside the opening minutes of the third term.
they came storming for the lead in the third quarter, adding another four goalstoone, gettingwell within reaching distance as the finalterm loomed.
Justthree points separatedthe two sides, with 30 minutesorsoofplay remaining.
But just like the thirdterm, the fourth was all Heyfield, who again kicked four goals to one, flipping the script on the Bulldogs.
The Kangaroos took the lead from the hosts and didn’t look back, getting out to a16-point lead by full time to remain undefeated.
Kail Hole, Isaac Wheeler,Shaun Humphreys, Brayden Woodland, Miller Eastham, and Robert McMillan were Heyfield’s best. Darren Sheen kicked four goals in his first game for the Kangaroos, while Kyle Graham kicked three.
For Sale City, Jayden Allison, Kaden McCulloch,Chad Evans, Hudson Tollner, JaxsynWhitehill, and OstinWaugh were outstanding.
YALLOURN Yallourn North couldn’t have started its season any better.
The Jets, hosting Gormandale, sailed to a 235-pointthumping at George Bates Reserve.
Not much else can be said besides what else can be expected from YYN now.
Theylooktobeone of the contenders this season, and amatch-upagainst better opposition might just help us decide how they stack up.
Tyler Brown was the Jets’ best, with two goals to his name. He was well assisted by Jai Massese, Dean Macdonald (11 goals), Dylan Bath (three), Blair Clymo (six), and RileyByrne.
The Jets had seven multiple goal scorers, six of which with three or more.
For Gormandale, their best included Jet Krimhand, Riley Jenkins, Tom Said, Campbell Peavey, Jesse Siddle, and Flynn Roscoe.
ROSEDALE wasclose, but not close enough in its pursuit of four points against reigning premier, Woodside.
The Wildcats managedtostayahead despite the close proximity the margin kept the two in, winning by 27 points on the Blues’ turf.
Both sides had three majors after the first half an hour, but more chances went the way of the Wildcats, who led by just four points at quarter time.
Nothing could separate the two sides again in the secondterm, this time they were literally even, both adding 3.2 (20), as Woodside maintained their four-point lead.
The reigning premier blew the doors wide open in the third term to get Rosedale off their backs, kicking four goals to one in the third quarter, allowing them some breathing room as atense final quarter awaited.
GOALS: Churchill: WTowers4D Tobin 4KCaldwell 3A Norman 3J Thomas 2R BergD Fehlberg. Cowwarr:ADomaille BEST: Churchill: JReyke DTobin JThomasA Busk MGrimes JHutchinson. Cowwarr:ADomaille TArmstrong TDonoghue DMartin NParsons LKennedy HEYFIELD 4.10 7.20 12.22 19.27 (141) SALECITY0.0 0.0 3.0 5.1 (31)
GOALS: Heyfield: BLindrea 8JHanratty3ABrooker 2BManson TO’brien Aharveygee S Jones JGreen LPacewicz. Sale City: RDonohue 2P FulfordDCrowson CSmit. BEST: Heyfield: BMansonSJones BLindrea BWilloughby ABrooker JHanratty. Sale City:DCrowson R Donohue BWilson CJohnson NWilson FDoherty
GORMANDALE 2.3 5.7 8.11 15.14 (104)
YYN0.0 1.1 1.1 2.3 (15)
GOALS: Gormandale: BForrest 3B Wilson 2D Whelan 2NScholz 2BNicholls 2L Woolan L Laing JMcGregor BKanara. YYN: JKaschke RJankovic BEST: Gormandale: BForrest LLaing RMusgrove MTut BNicholls JCochrane.YYN:ALong TWhiteJ Kaschke RBairdSBodak R Jankovic ROSEDALE 3.2 4.4 7.7 9.12 (66)
1.1 2.5 4.8 6.9 (45) GOALS: Rosedale: BSyme 3L Henry2R Dortmans BBackman HLeeson PChandler Woodside: Details N/A.. BEST: Rosedale: BSyme RDortmans DTulloch HLeeson JNancarrow JRiddle.Woodside: AFrancis JApiata JScott TAlbertD Taylor CEarles
Quick transition, againalong thewings, broke the run of Cowwarr dominance. Despitethis, the Saintswon the thirdquarter but still trailed by 35 points.
Baulch had four majorsupuntil this stage but wasn’t done yet.
The final quarterbelonged to the home side, who kicked six goals to two to close out adominant victory.
Baulch was once again awarded afree kick and 50-metre penalty,bringing him to the goal squarefor number five, silencingthe away fans.
Hughes respondedfor the Saints, only for it to be nullified by silky goals to Ben Skinner, Rory Peter, and atricky Joseph Whykes on the goal line.
With no way home for Cowwarr, the siren sounded, 60 points separatingthe two teams Churchill ruckman Liam Bleyswyk was best for the winners.Alsomentionedwas Whykes, captain JordanFenech, Hayden Weir, Sam Robinson, and Jye Williams. Baulch finished withagame-highsix majors, Skinnercontributed well with four of his own.
For Cowwarr,their bestwereBraden Paulet, Haydn Hector,Hughes, Shane Morgan, Michael Bloss, and Jake Brown. HEYFIELD pinched the four points from Sale City in the final quarter at Stephenson Park, winning 12.7 (79) to 9.9 (63).
The Bulldogs led at every change leading into the last quarter,but fumbledatthe very end, conceding four final quarter goals.
Known forthe fast starts lastseason, Sale City booted out to a21-point leadover the Ross by quarter time, amuch better result thanthe elimination finallastseasonwhere Heyfield led 52 to nothing.
Sale Citymaintainedtheir lead throughout the second term,but in doing so kept ayoung Heyfield side on the front foot. Nevertheless, three goals apiece in the second term allowed the home side to hold the 22-point advantage at halftime.
Heyfield’s fire wasnever blownout, as
Nonetheless, the hosts booted 10 firstquarter goals to one, to lead by 55 points at the quarter time break.
They went one better in the second term, adding another 11 goals-this time to nothing, surpassing the triple digit mark, all while the margin reached 127 points at halftime.
TheJetspiled on nine more goals to one in thethird,asthey edged ever so much closer to the 200 mark.
The final siren couldn’t have come any sooner for Gormandale, who trailed by 179 points at three quarter time.
But another 10 goal to one final term was the icingonthe cake for suchaconsistent YYN performance, which saw them claim the four points and aton of percentage in the 40.15 (255) to 3.2 (20) hammering.
With 30 minutes left, Woodside had produced afour-goal lead –one that wouldn’t allowed the hosts to catch up and attempt acomeback.
Two goals went either way in the final term, againwith morechange going Woodside’s way, as they closed outwinners 12.17 (89) to 9.8 (62).
Zac Richards was Woodside’s best on the day with four goals. Alsohighlighted was JeremyMorgan, JoshuaMorgan, Cooper Ryan, Ryan Foat and Daniel Missen.
For Rosedale, BrandonMcConnell, Spencer and Harper Fox,Jackson Bruce, Caleb Barnett, and Blake Safstrom were shining lights.
TTU had the bye.
SOCCER
LVSL BY TOM HAYES
LATE equalisers, upsets, and forfeits. Round 5of the Latrobe Valley Soccer League had it all.
Four games for the seniors soon turned to three, whenEastGippsland United forfeited against Falcons 2000, handing them an automatic 3-nil win. Aresult that was already most likely heading in that direction at Latrobe City Stadium, but nonetheless Falcons will take the points. League leaders, Traralgon Olympians had the bye.
Churchillrescuedalatepoint at homeagainst Newborough/Yallourn, while Sale took out the match against the highly-regarded Monash.
LATE drama at Hazelwood South Reserve.
Newborough/Yallourn, asidestill searching for its first win of the season, claimed an early lead, when Leigh Jankovic put the visitors ahead just before halftime.
The slender1-nil leadwas held onto by the Combine past the hour mark, when things began to look nervy.
NYU’s Adam Batt picked up acaution, while soon after Churchill duo Thomas Hughes and Takudzwa Gwara also saw yellow.
Nonetheless, Newborough/Yallourn looked all but certain to claim their first three points, as the game entered additional time.
But saving the day for the Rams, Bradley Sands struck with a92nd minute equaliser to clinch a point for the home side, leaving NYU winless through five weeks.
SALE United claimed the scalp of Monash,
who were looking to cement themselves as one of the top teams this season.
Both sides got on the scoresheet within the first half-an-hour at Baldwin Reserve, with proceedings all tied up at 1-all.
Sale got the jump however, managing to stretch out another three goals, while Monash could only muster two.
United claimed the three points in aseven-goal thriller, putting some breathing space between itself at the bottom of the ladder.
THE ladder sees Moe United on top following its 5-nil drubbing of Traralgon City, and after Olympians had the bye, they slid into second.
East Gippsland’s forfeit moved Falcons into third, as Monash dropped to fourth following its loss.
Sale stay in fifth, but are now just one point from Monash inside the top four. The bottom four
remains thesame, with Churchill and NYU picking up apoint each.
CHURCHILL can’t be caught if they keep winning in the senior women competition.
The Rams claimed their fourth straight win at the weekend, putting three goals past Newborough/ Yallourn United, all while keeping aclean sheet. Moe Uniteddoubled Churchill’s effort, putting six goals past Traralgon City.
The confident win keeps Moe within touching distance of Churchill, who remaintwo points ahead. Sale United also remain undefeated, with their thirdwin of the campaign, thistimeover Monash.
The reigning champions won 8-1 at home, and with agreater goal difference to Churchill and agame in hand, top of the table is up for grabs. Falcons and Tyers played out anil-all draw, as both sides stay put in the middle of the table, fifth and fourth respectively.
SOCCER
LVSL
BY JOHN CARDONA
MOE United seniors jumped to the top of the Latrobe Valley Soccer Leagueladder after another goal scoring spree when they travelled to Traralgonand easily accounted for Traralgon City 10-nil.
The Red Devils were led to the easy victory by asuperb displayofattacking football by left wingerRiley Winkelman, who scored fourgoals.
Oscar Sceney was also dominate on return.
The opening goal came after 10 minutes, when 17-year-old right winger Tully Andersons crossed and foundanunmarkedWinkelman at the back post to convert.
United took until the 35th minute to increase thelead, after arun andcross by Andersonwas headed home by Winkelman.
Two minutes later,itwas 3-nil afterabrilliant free kick from the right flank by left footed defender Brendan Ruddell from 30 metres out deceived everyone and finished up in the goal at the far post.
Just before the halftime whistle, afirst time pass sent Winkelman clear, and his cross was hammered home fromclose range by Anderson.
Moe United continued its dominance into the second half, and five minutes is all it took for the scoreboard to read 5-nil.
Anderson crossed from the rightand was headed home by Winkelman to bring up his hat-trick.
Soon after, aSceney cross was slotted home by Matt Shearing.
After hardwork,Connor O’Hanloneventually got on the scoreboard whenhechased down the Traralgon keeper to slot the ball home into the empty goal.
O’Hanlonthen got his brace and United’s eight after agreat through ball by Noah Kane saw O’Hanlon finishoff the play with aleft foot strike thatgave the City keepernochance. Moe then went 9-nil up with the goal of the game when Sceney unleashed athunderbolt drive into the top left corner from 25m out. Winkelman wrapped up asuperb individual performance with his fourth to make it 10-nil after convertinga cross on the rightfrom O’Hanlon.
Bestfor MoeUnited were Winkelman, Sceney, O’Hanlon and Ruddell.
Moe United’s next match in two weeks time will be away to 2024 league champions, Falcons. IN the reserves, Moe United also moved to the top of the LVSL ladder after winning 3-nil over Traralgon City. The resultcould have beenalot worse for the homesideifnot forthe poor finishing of the visitors.
Moe United’s scorers were Sammy Lietzau, LeviHeusmannand Seth Grixti, who hit a superb left foot shot from the right flank.
Best were Michael Melyncenko, Heusmann, Grixti and Max Lietzau.
MOE Womenbounced back fromadisappointing result against Tyers with a6-nil win away to Traralgon.
Star of the match was striker Rebecca Van Koogh, who finished with afive goal haul.
Winger Miley Cooper put the seal on the game with United’s sixth goal, and was among the best alongsideVan Der Koogh, Nicole Risely and Bridget Green.
SOCCER
STATELEAGUE BY ALLAN ROBERTS
ROUND 4ofthe Veto Men’s State League saw Fortuna 60 play theirfinal home fixture of a three game run against Mt Eliza Soccer Club on Saturday.
The match coincidedwith the club’s junior season launch. Abig crowdwas on hand to witness the top of the table clash between the two sides.
The game saw see the Lions take the points in a4-1 win.
With acomefrombehind win the previous week, the Lions needed to consolidate theirform and secure another win at ‘the Den’ heading into the Easter break.
Avictorywould also more importantly see Fortunamove to the top of the table and make the rest of the SouthDivision sit up and take notice of the team from the Valley.
The Lions welcomed the returnofkey striker Damon Scott, but acautious approach was taken by coach Clayton Bell -starting the young gun on the bench in his return from injury.
Fortuna was plaguedagainbya slow start,with the visiting Mt Eliza scoring first as they worked the ball past the Lions defence to score in the 14th minute.
Similartothe previous round, the Lions then had the run of play and the majority of the attacking chancesfor the remainder of thefirsthalf, but were not able to find the back of the net.
With the whistle sounding for the end of the first half, it was the visitors heading to the changerooms with a1-nil lead.
At the commencement of the second half, coach Bell subbed Scott on for his first minutes in two games. Themercurial striker immediately made a differenceand startedtoliftthe teamaroundhim
In the 51st minute, the hosts levelled the score via the ever-dynamic DJ Matar, who went on a blistering run down the wing that saw him cut the ball back across the box to the dangerous Olly Spiteri, who put the ball into the back of the net with an easy tap in at the back post.
Eight minutes later the left foot wizard in Daniel Cooper curled in adelightful corner that was met with adecisive header from Scott, resulting in the Lions going 2-1 up.
From then on it was all Fortuna, with Jake Budija pouncing on apoor clearance from the visitor’s keeper to put the home side ahead 3-1 in the 81st minute.
In the 91st minute,
and
involved
that
with an easy shot on goal that he dually converted -sealing the game for the Lions and moving them into top spot on the ladder. The Lions now have aweek’s break for Easter, and will be keen to keep up their winning form as they face off against Pakenham United away on April 26.
RESERVES
EARLIER in the day, the Fortuna reserves took to the field with afull squad for the first time this season, with co-coaches Sep Deluca and Nick Matsoukas having the luxury of abench for this game. In asee-sawing battle the Lions got the points in an entertaining 4-3 win.
The game was tiedathalftime 1-all,after Fortuna scored in the seventh minute via Matsoukas, but Mt Eliza levelled in the 37th.
Matsoukas scored again in the 77th minute and was capably assistedinfront of goals by Riduan Sobari, who found the back of the net in the 65th and 84th minutes to ensure the Lions got awelldeserved home victory.
AFL EXPORTS
BY TOM HAYES
NEW records were set and wanted and unwanted streaks continued, as all 18 AFL clubs converged on South Australia for Gather Round.
It was afestival of football in Adelaide and surrounds at the weekend for the third Gather Round, attractingarecord269,506fans across the nine fixtures.
THE first Gippslanders to take to Adelaide Oval were Traralgon’s Tim Membrey and Sale’s Scott Pendlebury, as Collingwood defeated Sydney by 31 points on Friday (April 11).
As one of the fixturesmost looked forward to, bothsidescame out with plenty to playfor in front of more than 47,000 people.
After stepping onto the field for the 408th time, Pendlebury moved into standalone third on the AFL games list, surpassing Shaun Burgoyne’s 407 Aseesawing first quarter allowed both sides to gain sight of the lead, but Collingwood ascended ahead by the time quarter time rolled around, despite both sides kicking four goals each.
An even higher scoring term than the first, the second quarter saw Collingwood jump further ahead, with five of the first six goals.
Sydney weren’t done with, kicking the next three
The Magpies added the final goal of the term to re-establish a17-point advantage going into the main break.
Following the halftime break, Membrey kicked the first for Collingwood in the second half,and the pace of the game took adownshift.
Just fivegoals were scored betweenthe two sides in the third term, three of them going the way of the Magpies, as they soared to a25-point lead. Collingwood made sure of the four points, again kickingthree goals to two in the finalterm, closing out the encounter, 16.13 (109) to 12.6 (78).
Membrey kicked 1.2 for the match, on top of his 13 disposals and five marks.
GOLD COAST'S undefeated run continued at the weekend, fending off North Melbourne in a final quarter rout.
Gettingonthe grassofBarossaParkonSaturday afternoon(April 12), nearly 10,000 people attended
the first game at the venue, as the Suns claimed amammoth 52-point win.
Morwell’s Ben Ainsworth got things underway with the first major of the day, just past the oneminute mark.
Neither side could barely be separated by more than acouple of goals at atimethroughout the first three quarters, as the high-scoring encounter got more and more exciting.
Gold Coast kicked six goals to three in the opening term, despite having one less shot on goal.
NorthMelbourne tightened thingsupinthe second term after Gold Coast kicked the first two for the quarter -including one from Moe and Fish Creek’s SamFlanders, as the Roos gotthe margin back down to single digits at the halftime break, and all of asudden there was agameonour hands.
After what looked highlyunlikely, North
Melbourne pinched the lead from the Suns momentarily, which had stunned the makeshift home side.
But the final fourgoals of the third term went the way of the Suns, allowing them to open a19-point lead at three quarter time.
North Melbourne had no answerofthe oncoming onslaught, as Gold Coast kickedseven goals to two in the final quarter, going from trailing to leading by nearly nine goals in the space of 45 minutes.
Flanderskickedhis second, being the Suns third of the finalquarter. But the game was over sooner than expected, as the Suns charged to their first 4-0 win-loss start, winning 21.15 (141) to 13.11 (89).
Ainsworth had 22 disposals, four tackles and a goal assist to go with the first major of the game.
Flanders similarly had 21 touches and two goals, as well as three clearances and two goal assists.
Moe Bailey Humphrey was atouch quieter, with 14 disposals, but adding seven tackles and four clearances to his name.
HAWTHORN was left stunned after Port Adelaide annihilated them in the first half on Sunday night (April 13).
The Hawks were unable to get the match back on their terms, goingdown by 30 points in the final game of Gather Round at Adelaide Oval.
ThePower shot out to a31-point lead by quarter time, kickingsix goals to one.Then when everyone thought the Hawks would return serve, Port added another six majors to Hawthorn’s two, to opena lead just shy of 10 goals at halftime. The Hawks had no answer
They got someoftheir mojo back in the second half, but even amiracle wouldn’thave got them close, as 47 points still separated the sides leading into the final quarter.
Despite amammoth seven-goal final quarter effort from the Hawks, the Power also kicked four of their own, to closeout 18.13 (121) to Hawthorn’s 14.7 (91).
Morwell’s Changkuoth Jiath had one of his better games since his return, racking up 17 disposals,as well as two marks,two tackles, and two clearances.
WITH Traralgon’s Andrew McQualter at the helm, West Coast slumped to a0-5 start, following a71-point loss to Carlton at Adelaide Oval on Saturday afternoon.
Both sideswent into the match with 0-4 records, butthe Blueswere the clear favourites of the two.
Wonthaggi’s Jack Hutchinson returned forthe Eagles, after McQualter made the controversial decision to drop star midfielder Tim Kelly to the WAFL.
Warragul’s Harry McKay also made his returnfor Carlton,aftertaking time awayfrom the game due to mental health reasons. His game merely lasted aquarter, subbed off with concussion following a heavy collision late in the opening stanza.
West Coast was never really in the contest at any stage past the midway point of the first quarter, as Carlton comfortably led by 15 points, extending out to 29 points at halftime.
Commentators reminded those watching that Carlton had led at halftime in every match so far this season, but had gone on to lose each game.
After the Eagles had the first two chances on goal for the second half, aworry would have been sent through the Blues camp.
Butthe winless Blues rallied to do more damage than the first half, moving out to a45-point lead by three quarter time, before asix-goaltotwo last term capped off the 17.19 (121) to 6.14 (50) loss for McQualter’s Eagles.
Conversationsurrounded Richmond at the start of the season, with thoughts they might’ve been winless throughout season 2025. But now that narrative is shifting upon West Coast, with the question begging: who do they beat?
ONE of the Gippsland Power’s highest picks from last year’s draft, Leongatha’s Xavier Lindsay, returned for Melbourne on Saturday night.
Coming off the back of aminor knee concern, Lindsay was thrown straight back into the side once ready,already proving his importance to this side.
Despite his addition, the Demons also slumped to a0-5 start, following their 15.6 (96) to 8.9 (57) loss to Essendon at Adelaide Oval.
Also on Melbourne’s list is Morwell’s Ricky Mentha, who if ready, mayget hischance if Melbourne begin to move the magnets around in search of amaiden win.
(Final, Mv,R) 1.30 Darby AndJoan. (Mad, R) 2.15 Extraordinary Escapes. (PG, R) 3.00 Megafauna: What Killed Australia’s Giants? (PG,R) 3.50 ALifeInTen Pictures. (PGa, R) 4.45 CreativeTypesWith VirginiaTrioli. (Ml, R) 5.10 Landline. (R) 5.40 Australian Story.(R)
6.10 Father Brown. (PGav) Father Brown investigates murder at afoodfayre.
6.55 FederalElection Announcement (R) An election announcement
7.00 ABC News. Alook at the top stories of theday
7.30 MOVIE: Made In Dagenham. (2010, Ml, R) Female workers at acar plant walk outinprotest against sexual discrimination andpay inequality. SallyHawkins, Bob Hoskins.
9.20 Midsomer Murders. (Mv, R)
Thebodyofa wealthylandowner goes missing on the night of his death, exposing aweb of secrets
10.50 Unforgotten. (Mal, R) Mel and Asifare taken into custody
11.40 Boat Story (MA15+v,R)Janet and Samuel plot their next move
12.40 Rage. (MA15+adhlnsv)
6am Morning Programs. 9.50 Chums. 10.00 MOVIE: Selkie. (2000,PG) 11.35 MOVIE: The Witches. (2020) 1.30pm Great Parks Of Africa. 2.20 Nula. 2.50 Songlines 3.30 The FirstInventors 4.30 Tradition On APlate. 5.00 Shepherdess. 5.30 The Barber. 6.00 The Last Land: Gespe’gewa’gi. 6.30 News. 6.40 TheOtherSide. 7.30 Alone Australia. 8.30 MOVIE: Dark Age.(1987, MA15+) 10.10
6am MorningPrograms. 11.00 BBC News At Ten. 11.30 ABC World News Tonight 12.00 PBS News. 1.00 Motor Racing. Bathurst 6Hour.Qualifying. 3.00 Cycling. UCI World Tour.Paris-Roubaix. Women’s Race Highlights. 4.00 Cycling. UCIWorld Tour Paris-Roubaix. Men’sRace.Highlights. 5.00 Going Places. (PGa,R) 5.30 Venice: Building Beauty From ASwamp.(Premiere)
6.30 SBS WorldNews
7.30 TheWonders Of Europe:The TowerOfLondon. (PG) Ahistorical chronicle of the iconic Tower of London, famous forthe Crown Jewels and itsravens
9.30 StanleyTucci: Searching For Italy: Bologna. (Maw,R)ActorStanley Tucci heads to Bologna, home to the largest number of protected food products in Italy
10.20 GreatCoastal Railway Journeys: Morpeth To Amble. (PGaw,R)Michael Portillo leaves Newcastle.
11.20 Homicide: Life On The Street (Ma, R) Follows ateam of Baltimore detectives.
3.50 Bamay. (R) 4.50 Destination Flavour Down UnderBitesize. (R) 4.55 Poh& Co.Bitesize. (R) 5.15 France 24 Feature. 5.30 ANC PhilippinesThe WorldTonight
6am WorldWatch.
10.00 TheMovie Show 12.05pm Bad Education Reunion Special. 1.00 Dating’sDangerous Secrets 1.50 Beyond Oak Island. 3.30 News. 3.35 WorldWatch. 5.35 Over The Black Dot. 6.05 Our Law 6.40 Engineering Tomorrow.(Final) 7.35 Impossible Engineering. 8.30 MOVIE: Silverado (1985,M) 11.00 MOVIE: Romantic Comedy. (2019, MA15+) 12.25am Late Programs.
6am The
Movie Show. 6.15 RBG. (2018,PG) 8.05 Ride On. (2023,PG, Mandarin) 10.25 Wild Target. (2010,M) 12.15pm Gold. (2016, M) 2.30 Rabbit-Proof Fence (2002, PG) 4.15 Hum Do Hamare Do.(2021,PG, Hindi) 6.35 Funny Face. (1957) 8.30 LarryCrowne. (2011, M) 10.20 99Moons.(2022, MA15+, Swiss German) 12.30am Late Programs. 5.50 Hum Do Hamare Do.(2021, PG, Hindi)
6.00 NBCToday 7.00 WeekendSunrise. 10.00 TheMorning Show: Weekend. (PG) 12.00 Horse Racing. All Aged Stakes Day, Mornington Cupand WATC DerbyDay 5.00 SevenNews At 5. 5.30 BorderSecurity: Australia’s FrontLine. (PG,R) Narrated by GrantBowler
6.00 SevenNews. 7.00 TheAmericas:The Frozen North. (PG) In thefrozennorth, wolves and polarbears vie for food, haresoutsmart lynx and walrus sing on rocky shores.
8.00 MOVIE: Twister (1996,PGalv, R) Twometeorologists on the brink of divorce are forced to work together after they are caught in asevere storm. Helen Hunt,BillPaxton, CaryElwes
10.20 MOVIE: Anna. (2019,MA15+av,R)
A young woman unleashes incredible strength andskill to become afeared government assassin. Sasha Luss, Helen Mirren.
12.50 TheBlack Donnellys. (Mdsv,R)Tommy is askedtohost awakeatthe Firecracker
2.00 Home Shopping. (R)
4.00 It’s Academic (R) 5.00 My GreekOdyssey (PGln, R)
6.00 Getaway.(PG, R) 6.30 ACurrent Affair (R) 7.00 WeekendToday 10.00 Today Extra: Saturday.(PG) 12.00 Surfing Australia TV 12.30 Destination WA.(R) 1.00 Let’sEat With George.(Final) 1.30 MOVIE: Getting Even With Dad. (1994,PGl, R) MacaulayCulkin. 3.30
6.00 9News Saturday.
7.00 ACurrent Affair
7.30 Torvill &Dean:Our Last Dance. Dimity Clancey chats with Jayne Torvilland Christopher Dean.
8.30 MOVIE: Willy Wonka&The Chocolate Factory. (1971,G,R) Apoor yethonest boywinsaguided tour of afamous sweets factory owned by an eccentric businessman. Gene Wilder,Peter Ostrum, Jack Albertson.
10.35 MOVIE: YesMan. (2008,Mls, R) Aman resolves to say yestoeverything. Jim Carrey
12.30 HowWeCelebrate. (PGa, R)
1.30 Surfing Australia TV (R)
2.00 TheIncredibleJourney Presents. (PG)
2.30 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R)
4.30 Global Shop.(R) 5.00 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R) 5.30 HelpingHands. (PG, R)
9GEM (92, 81)
6.30 TheDog HouseAustralia. (PGa, R) Narrated by Mark Coles Smith. 7.30 Love It Or List It Australia. Acouple can’t decide whether to stayorleave 8.30 GoggleboxAustralia. (R) Adiverse rangeofpeople opentheir living rooms to reveal their reactions to popularand topical TV shows, with the help of special, locked-off cameras which capture every unpredictable moment. 9.30 Ambulance Australia. (Mdlm, R) Paramedics are called to helpa 92-year-old pinned under hismobility scooter 10.30 Elsbeth. (Mad, R) Aparty girl is afraid she mayhavecommitted murder 11.30 FBI. (Mv, R) 12.30 Home Shopping (R) 5.00 Hour Of Power.
7TWO (72, 62) 6am Morning Programs. 9.50 David Attenborough’s Dynasties II. 11.00 Ancient Aliens. Noon MOVIE: Flight Of The Navigator.(1986) 1.55 Motor Racing.ABB FIA Formula EWorld C’ship.H’lights. 3.00 Hunting Hitler 4.00 Jeopardy! UK. 5.00 YoungSheldon. 5.30 MOVIE: Agent Cody Banks. (2003, PG) 7.30 MOVIE: The Hunger
Dunkirk. (1958 PG) 7.00 Rugby Union. SuperRugbyPacific. Round 10.Western Force vHurricanes. 9.30 SuperRugby Pacific Post-Match. 9.45 MOVIE: TheJackal. (1997, MA15+) 12.15am Late Programs.
Sunday, April 20
ABC TV (2) SBS (3)
SEVEN (7,6)
NINE (9,8) 6.00 Rage. (PG) 7.00 WeekendBreakfast. 9.00 Insiders 10.30 The World This Week (R) 11.00 Compass. (PG, R) 11.30 Songs Of Praise. (PG) 12.00 ABC News At Noon. 12.30 Landline.
1.30 GardeningAustralia. (R)
2.30 Easter Vigil. 5.00 Restoration Australia: Orange Edwardian. (PG,R)
6.00 DW EnglishNews. 6.30 Al Jazeera News. 7.00 APAC Weekly 7.30 France 24 English News. 8.00 DD India News Hour 9.00 Incredible Homes. (PGal, R) 10.00 Lap Of Luxury: EscapesDown Under. (R) 10.30 PBS Washington Week With The Atlantic. 10.55 Ascot Kayaking.(PG, R) 11.00 MotorRacing. Bathurst 6Hour.Race. 5.30 Rediscovering Venice.(PGa)
6.00 NBCToday. 7.00 Weekend Sunrise. 10.00 TheMorning Show: Weekend. (PG) 12.00 SundayFooty Feast. 2.30 AFL Pre-Game Show. Pre-game coverage of the match. 3.00 Football. AFL.Round 6. Sydney vPortAdelaide.
6.00 HelloSA. (PG, R) 6.30 ACurrent Affair (R) 7.00 WeekendToday 10.00 AFL Sunday FootyShow. (PG) 12.00 Wide World Of Sports. (PG) 1.00 FishForever. 1.30 DriveTV: DriveCar Of The Year 2.00 Oz Off Road TV (PG,R) 3.00 Torvill&Dean: PartnersOnIce. (R) 4.00 DavidAttenborough’sThe
YouCan’t AskThat. (Mls, R) 12.05 Rage (MA15+adhlnsv) 3.05 AskThe Doctor.(R) 3.35 Outback Ringer.(PG, R) 4.05 Gardening Australia. (R) 5.05 Easter In Australia. (PG, R)
6.30 SBS WorldNews. 7.30 Ancient Empires. (Mav) Looks at the story of Cleopatra. 9.05 Secret Lebanon: The Treasures Of Byblos. (PG) Looks at Byblos, an ancient city of Lebanon, after ateam of archaeologists opened anew site in an unexplored area. 10.10 Mayhem:Secret Lives Of Georgian Kings: George III MadOrMisunderstood? (Ma, R) Takesalook at George III. 11.05 Rebel With ACause: Oodgeroo Noonuccal. (Ma, R) 12.05 48 HoursToVictory. (PG, R) 2.55 Britain’s GreatOutdoors. (PG,R)
3.50 Bamay.(R) 4.55 Poh&Co. Bitesize. (R) 5.00 NHK World English News Morning 5.15 France 24 Feature. 5.30 Al JazeeraNews.
6.00 SevenNews. 7.00 Football. AFL.Round 6. Western Bulldogs vStKilda. From Marvel Stadium, Melbourne.
10.30 AFL Post-Game Show. Post-game discussion and interviews taking alook back at all theactionfromthe game. 11.00 MOVIE: MidnightRun. (1988,Mlv,R)A tough bounty hunter transports athieving accountant from New York to LosAngeles. Robert De Niro, CharlesGrodin.
2.00 Home Shopping. (R)
3.30 Million Dollar Minute. (R) Hosted by SimonReeve 4.00 NBCToday. News and current affairs. 5.00 Sunrise EarlyNews. Thelatest news,sportand weather. 5.30 Sunrise.
6am Morning Programs. 8.30 Shopping. 9.00 CitiesOfThe Underworld. 10.00 TheGreat Australian Doorstep
6.00 9NewsSunday. 7.00 60 Minutes. Current affairs program.
8.00 RBT. (Ml) Policepull over aconstruction worker
8.30 ThePeople VMichael Jackson. (MA15+a) Takesa continued look at the2005 People versus Michael Jackson criminal trial from the jurors’point of view
10.30 Footy Furnace (Mlv)
11.30 9News Late.
12.00 TheFirst48. (Ma)
12.50 DestinationWA.
1.20 9Honey:HeSaid She Said. (PG, R)
1.30 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R)
6am MorningPrograms. 11.00 Pro Bull Riding Australia Noon Sisters In League. 1.00 Around The 44 2.00 Who We Are: BraveNew Clan 2.55 MOVIE: Coextinction. (2021, PG) 4.35 RobertaFlack. 6.05 Queer &Here 6.35 News. 6.45 Waterworld Africa. 7.35 The Frontier 8.30 Black Gold. 10.10 MOVIE: The Pursuit Of Happyness. (2006, M) 12.10am Late Programs. NITV (34)
6am Hum Do Hamare Do.Continued. (2021, PG, Hindi) 8.10 WhiskyGalore.(2016,PG) 10.00 Thirteen Days. (2000,M) 12.40pm To Chiara. (2021, M, Italian) 2.55 Lara. (2019, PG,German) 4.45 Rabbit-Proof Fence. (2002, PG) 6.30 To Catch AThief.(1955,PG) 8.30 Truth. (2015) 10.50 The Hummingbird. (2022, M, French) 1.15am 99 Moons. (2022, MA15+, Swiss German) 3.25 Late Programs.
TEN (10, 5)
CBSMornings. Morningnews and talk show, covering breaking news, politics, health,money, lifestyle andpop culture 6am Morning Programs. 12.10pm Motorcycle Racing. World SuperbikeC’ship.Pirelli Dutch Round. 1.10 Figure Skating. ISUEuropeanC’ships. Replay 2.45 Jeopardy! 4.50 WorldWatch. 5.20 PBS Washington Week. 5.45 TheDay TheRockStarDied. 6.15 AbandonedEngineering. 8.10 TheUnXplained. 9.00 Cycling. UCIWorld Tour.Amstel Gold Women’s Race. 10.30 Late Programs.
ABC TV (2)
6.00 News. 9.00 News. 10.00 Unforgotten. (Final,Ml, R) 10.50 The Assembly.(PG,R) 11.30 CreativeTypesWithVirginia Trioli. (Ml, R) 12.00 ABC News At Noon. 1.00 Landline (R) 2.00 RestorationAustralia. (R) 2.55 Back Roads. (Final, R) 3.25 Grand Designs New Zealand. (R) 4.15 Long Lost Family.(PG, R) 5.00 ABite To Eat With Alice. 5.30 Antiques Roadshow. (R)
6.30 Claire Hooper’s House Of Games. (Premiere)
6.55 FederalElection Announcement. (R)
7.00 ABCNews.
7.30 7.30
8.00 Australian Story: Herding Katter– BobKatter
8.30 Four Corners. Investigativejournalism program.
9.15 Media Watch. (PG) Presented by Linton Besser
9.35 TheTruthAboutMenopause With MyfWarhurst. (PG, R) 10.30 ABC Late News. 10.45 Planet America. (R) 11.15 The Weekly With Charlie Pickering (PG, R) 11.45 Grand Designs New Zealand. (R) 12.30 Long Lost Family.(PG, R) 1.20 Rage. (MA15+adhlnsv) 3.10 Parkinson In Australia. (PG,R) 4.30 Gardening Australia. (R) 5.30 7.30.(R)
ABC FAMILY (22)
6am Children’s Programs. 8.00 Bluey’s Big Play 8.50 Children’s Programs. 6.35pm Hey Duggee. 6.40 Kiri And Lou. 6.45 Ben And Holly 7.00 Supertato. 7.05 Dino Dex 7.20 Bluey. 7.30 Shaun The Sheep 7.35 Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures. 7.50 TheInbestigators. 8.05 Operation Ouch! 8.35 The CrystalMaze. 9.20 MythBusters “There’s Your Problem!” 9.45 Merlin. 10.30 Late Programs.
6am Morning Programs.
1.30pm Meeting Place. 2.00 Tradition On APlate 2.30 The Cook Up 3.00 Jarjums. 4.35 Motown Magic. 5.00 Harlem Globetrotters. 5.25 Black As. 5.30 The 77 Percent. 6.00 Bamay. 6.30 News. 6.40
Of Africa. 7.30 Who Do YouThink YouAre? 8.30 Living Black. (Return) 9.00 OutOf The Ashes. 10.00 MOVIE: The Tracker. (2002, M) 11.45
6am MorningPrograms. 11.10 Scandinavia. (Premiere) 12.10 BBC News At Ten. 12.30
ABC World NewsTonight. 1.00 PBS News Weekend. 1.30 Al JazeeraNews Hour 2.00 The Body On Somerton Beach. (Ma, R) 2.45 Travel Shooters. (PGa) 3.20 Going Places. (R) 3.50 The Cook Up.(R) 4.20 Mystery Of The Puzzling Pyramids Egypt. (PGa, R) 5.05 Jeopardy! 5.30 Letters AndNumbers. (R)
6.00 Mastermind Australia. Presented by Marc Fennell. 6.30 SBS WorldNews.
7.35 Milan With Michael Portillo (PGa) Michael Portillo comes face-to-face with alion.
8.25 BigFat Quiz Of Everything. (Mls) Guests include Harry Hill, David Mitchell, Roisin Conaty,Sophie Willan, Josh Pugh and Fatiha El-Ghorri.
10.05 Rock Legends: Queen. (PG, R)
Charts rock band Queen’s rise to fame.
10.30 SBS World NewsLate. 11.00 Classified (Premiere, MA15+v) 11.50 Infiniti. (MA15+av,R) 1.55 Son Of (MA15+av,R)
3.35 Paul O’Grady’sLittle Heroes. (PGa, R) 4.35 Bamay.(R) 5.00 NHKWorld English News Morning. 5.30 ANC PhilippinesThe World Tonight
6am Morning Programs. 9.30 Small Business Secrets. 10.05 The Movie Show. 12.15pm WorldWatch. 12.45 Most Expensivest. 1.40 Devoured. 2.35 WineLovers’ Guide 3.05 WorldWatch. 5.20 Alone: Frozen. 6.10 Mysteries From Above 7.05 Jeopardy! 7.30 News. 7.35 8Out Of 10 Cats 8.30 UFOs:Investigating The Unknown. 9.25 MusicVideos That Shaped The 80s 10.30 Late Programs.
6am Lara.
Continued. (2019, PG, German) 7.05 Rabbit-Proof Fence. (2002, PG) 8.50 FunnyFace. (1957) 10.45 Joyride. (2022, M) 12.35pm LarryCrowne. (2011, M) 2.25 Earth To Echo.(2014,PG) 4.05 The Band’s Visit. (2007, PG, Arabic) 5.40 All Quiet On The Western Front.(1979,PG) 8.30 Recon. (2019, MA15+) 10.20 Unknown Soldier.(2017,MA15+, Finnish) 12.50am Late Programs.
6.00 Sunrise. 10.00 TheMorning Show. (PG) Thelatest news andviews. 11.30 Athletics. Stawell Gift. Easter Mondaysession 2.30 AFL Pre-Game Show. Pre-game coverage of the match. 3.00 Football. AFL.Round 6. Geelongv Hawthorn.
6.00 SevenNews. 7.00 Home And Away (PGav) Justinfears the worst.
7.30 Farmer Wants AWife (Return,PGal) Natalie Gruzlewski brings together agroup of new farmers on aquest to find true love
9.15 9-1-1: Lone Star (Ma)
TK gets ahuge surprise on his 30th birthday.Tommy is determined to push through her latest crisis.
10.15 TheAgenda Setters. (R) An expert panel tacklesthe biggestAFL topics. 11.15 Suits L.A (M) Tedand Harvey team up to right awrong.
12.15 Treadstone. (MA15+av)
1.15 Travel Oz. (PG R)
2.00 Home Shopping. (R) 4.00 NBCToday. 5.00 Sunrise EarlyNews. 5.30 Sunrise
7TWO (72, 62)
6am MorningPrograms. 9.00 MedicalEmergency. 9.30 NBC Today 10.30 Better Homes. 1pm The Great Australian Doorstep 1.30 Australia’s Best Backyards. 2.00 Weekender. 2.30 World’sMost Scenic RailwayJourneys. 3.30 Harry’s Practice. 4.00 Medical Emergency. 4.30 Better Homes. 5.30 Escape To The Country 6.30 Bargain Hunt 7.30 FarmerWants AWife. 7.35 Doc Martin. 8.30 Shetland. 11.15 Late Programs.
7MATE (73,64)
6am MorningPrograms. 10.00 Counting Cars. 11.00 Foley’sGift. 11.30 Big Shrimpin’. 12.30pm Counting Cars. 1.30 Rides Down Under: Workshop Wars 2.30 Towies. 3.30 Duck Dynasty 4.00 Mountain Men. 5.00 American Resto. 5.30 Storage Wars 6.00 American Pickers: Best Of 7.00 The Agenda Setters. 8.00 Outback Opal Hunters. 9.00 Gem Hunters Down Under 10.00 Appalachian Outlaws. 11.00 Late Programs.
6.00 Today. 9.00 Today Extra. (PG) 11.30 9News Morning 12.00 MOVIE: Paris Can Wait. (2016,PGal, R) Diane Lane, Alec Baldwin. 2.00 Pointless. (PG) 3.00 Tipping Point.(PG,R) 4.00 9News Afternoon. 4.30[VIC]TippingPoint Australia.(PG) 5.00 Tipping Point Australia. (PG) 5.30[VIC]WINNews.
6.00 9News. 7.00 ACurrentAffair
7.30 Travel Guides. (Return,PGl) Ordinary Australians becometravelcritics.
9.00 Footy Classified. (Ml) Ateam of footy experts tacklesthe AFL’s big issues and controversies.
10.00 9NewsLate.
10.30 ThePrison Confessions Of Gypsy-Rose Blanchard: Only WayOut (MA15+av) Gypsy is desperate to escape her mother
11.20 Police After Dark. (Mlv,R)
12.10 Tipping Point. (PG, R)
1.05 Hello SA (PG)
TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R)
Global Shop (R)
TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R)
Believer’sVoiceOfVictory. (PGa)
ACurrent Affair (R) 5.00 TodayEarly News 5.30 Today
9GEM (92,81)
6am Morning Programs. 9.30 Newstyle Direct. 10.00 Rainbow Country. 10.30 Pointless. 11.30 My Favorite Martian Noon Next Stop 12.30 Dad’sArmy 1.00 Antiques Roadshow 1.30 HowWeCelebrate. 2.30 MOVIE: Irma La Douce. (1963, PG) 5.30 YorkshireAuction House. 6.30 AntiquesRoadshow 7.30 Death In Paradise 8.40 The Madame Blanc Mysteries. (Return) 9.40 Grantchester 10.50 Late Programs.
9GO! (93, 82)
6am MorningPrograms. 10.00 Seinfeld. 11.00 MotorwayCops: Catching Britain’s Speeders. Noon MOVIE: National Lampoon’s Vacation. (1983,PG) 2.00 TheGolden Girls. 2.30 TheNanny 3.30 Seinfeld. 4.30 The Addams Family 5.00 Bewitched. 5.30 IDream Of Jeannie. 6.00 The Golden Girls. 6.30 TheNanny 7.30 Seinfeld. 8.30 MOVIE: National Lampoon’s European Vacation. (1985,M) 10.30 Late Programs.
ABC TV (2) SBS (3)
SEVEN (7,6)
NINE (9,8) 6.00 News. 9.00 News. 10.00 AustStory. (R) 10.30 Compass. (PG, R) 11.00 The Weekly.(PG,R) 11.30 Space 22. (PG, R) 12.00 News. 1.00 Call TheMidwife. (PG, R) 2.00 Restoration Australia. (R) 3.00 Claire Hooper’s House Of Games. (R) 3.30 Grand Designs New Zealand. (R) 4.15 Long Lost Family.(PG, R) 5.00 ABite To Eat With Alice. 5.30 Antiques Roadshow. (R)
HouseOfGames. 6.55 Federal Election Announcement. (R) 7.00 ABC News. 7.30 7.30 8.00 ForeignCorrespondent. 8.30 CreativeTypes With Virginia Trioli: JennyKee. (PGl) 9.00 Swingers: How To Win
12.20 Grand Designs New Zealand. (R) 1.05 Long Lost Family.(PG, R) 1.50 Rage. (MA15+adhlnsv) 3.45 Parkinson In Australia. (Mas, R) 4.30 Gardening Australia.(R) 5.30 7.30.(R)
6am MorningPrograms. 9.05 Travel Quest (PG, R) 10.05 Matched. (PG, R) 11.00 Scandinavia. 12.00 BBC News At Ten. 12.30 ABC World News Tonight. 1.00 PBS News. 2.00 Egypt Code Breakers. (R) 3.00 Pita With Vegemite. (PGa) 3.35 Plat Du Tour.(R) 3.40 The Cook Up.(R) 4.10 The World’sMost Beautiful Landscapes. (R) 5.05 Jeopardy! 5.30 Letters And Numbers. (R)
6.00 Mastermind Australia. 6.30 SBS WorldNews 7.30 GreatCoastal Railway Journeys: Dun Laoghaire To Rosslare. (R) Hosted by Michael Portillo 8.30 Insight. Kumi Taguchi explores the daily realities and impacts of living with invisible and chronic illnesses.
9.30 Dateline. Looks at El Salvador 10.00 SBSWorld NewsLate 10.30 Living Black: Marion Scrymgour –Path To Success. (R) 11.00 ThePoint. (R) 12.00 Guillaume’s Paris. (PG,R) 12.30 Unbroken. (Malv, R) 2.10 Faking Hitler.(Mns, R) 4.00 Paul O’Grady’sLittle Heroes. (PG, R) 5.00 NHK World English News Morning. 5.30 ANC PhilippinesThe WorldTonight
6.00 Sunrise. 9.00 TheMorning Show. (PG) 12.00 Seven’sNational News At Noon. 1.00 To Be Advised. 3.00 BeatThe Chasers UK. (R) 4.00 SevenNews At 4. 5.00 TheChase Australia. Hosted by Larry Emdur
6.00 SevenNews.
7.00 Home And Away (PGav) Alife is on theline. 7.30 Farmer WantsAWife. (PGal) Hosted by Natalie Gruzlewski. 9.05 Doc (Premiere, Ma)When Chief of Internal MedicineDrAmy Larsen suffers acatastrophic brain injury, her life is turned upside down.
10.05 TheAgendaSetters. (R)Anexpert panel tackles thebiggest AFL topics. 11.05 TheIrrational. (Mav) Alecand Rose infiltrate acommunity theatre production. 12.05 TheAct (MA15+ans, R) 1.15 Travel Oz. (PG, R) 2.00 Home Shopping. (R) 4.00 NBC Today. 5.00 Sunrise Early News. 5.30 Sunrise.
6.00 Today 9.00 Today Extra. (PG) 11.30 9NewsMorning. 12.00 MOVIE: Love In Zion National: ANational Park Romance. (2023,PGa) Cindy Busby, David Gridley 2.00 Pointless. (PG) 3.00 Tipping Point. (PG R) 4.00 9News Afternoon. 4.30[VIC] TippingPointAustralia.(PG) 5.00 Tipping Point Australia. (PG) 5.30[VIC]WINNews.
6.00 9News.
7.00 ACurrent Affair. 7.30 Tipping Point: Travel Guides (Premiere) HostedbyToddWoodbridge. 9.00 Footy Classified. (Ml) Ateam of footy experts tacklesthe AFL’s big issuesand controversies.
10.00 9NewsLate.
10.30 Australian Crime Stories: Killing Florence. (Mav, R) 11.40 TheEqualizer. (MA15+v,R)
12.30 Tipping Point. (PG, R)
1.20 9HoneyHacks. (PG) 1.30 TV Shop: Home Shopping (R) 2.30 Building Ideas. (PG) 3.00 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R) 4.00 Believer’sVoice OfVictory.(PGa) 4.30 A Current Affair.(R) 5.00 Today Early News.
6.00 Deal Or No Deal. Hosted by GrantDenyer. 6.30 TheProject. Alook at the day’s news. 7.30 GoggleboxAustralia. (R) Opinionated viewersdiscuss TV shows. 8.40 Sam Pang Tonight. (Mals) Aweekly tonight show hostedbySam Pang, featuring amonologue roastingthe news of theweek. 9.40 Taskmaster Australia. (Mals, R) Comedy gameshowfeaturing comedians performing aseries of tricky tasks. Hosted by TomGleeson. 10.40 10’s LateNews Coverage of news, sportand weather 11.05 TheProject (R) Alook at the day’snews. 12.05 TheLate ShowWith Stephen Colbert. (PG) 1.00 Home Shopping. (R) 4.30 CBS Mornings.
TEN (10, 5)
Today 6.00 Deal Or No Deal Contestants compete in ahigh-stakes game where they must beat The Banker to wina cashprize 6.30 TheProject. Thehosts and guest panellists takealookatthe day’snews, events and hot topics.
TheDog House Australia. (PGa) Glen and Cheri longfor love.An81-year-old searches foracompanion.Louise wants to rescue adog no one wants. 8.40 NCIS
And Holly 7.00 Supertato. 7.05 DinoDex. 7.20 Bluey 7.30 Shaun The Sheep 7.35 StarWars: Young Jedi Adventures. 7.50 The Inbestigators 8.05 Operation Ouch! 8.35 BTN Newsbreak. 8.40 Deadly
9.55
FAMILY (22) 6am MorningPrograms. 10.00 Seinfeld. 11.00 MotorwayCops: Catching Britain’s Speeders. Noon MOVIE: National Lampoon’s European Vacation. (1985,PG) 2.00 The Golden Girls. 2.30 TheNanny 3.30 Seinfeld. 4.30 TheAddamsFamily 5.00 Bewitched. 5.30 IDream Of Jeannie. 6.00 The Golden Girls. 6.30 TheNanny 7.30 Seinfeld. 8.30 MOVIE: Real Steel. (2011,M) 11.05 Late Programs. 6am Morning Programs. 10.00 Swamp People:Serpent Invasion 11.00 Storage Wars. 11.30
10.40 Late Programs.
9.10
HAVE you seenads in the Latrobe Valley Express in recentweeksdetailing ‘LaTrobeValley for nuclear’?
It screams ‘outsiders’ loud and clear. They can’t even spell Latrobe right (it’s Latrobe, not La Trobe). And while they claim to speak ‘for our community’, the fine print shows their sources are straight out of the USA. Those numbers they throw around? Completely made up. No references, no credibility. Plus, comparing USA pay rates to Australia’s is laughable. The nuclear push is allcomingfromoutsiders with personal and undisclosed vested interests. Thenuclear push isn’tcoming from localpower stations, industry groups, unions, councils, or even stateand federal governments. It’s being driven by outsiders, nuclear lobbyists with hidden agendas, trying to sway our decision-makers.
And let’s be real -they’re only telling half the story, leaving out crucial and critically important details that matter to us.
Thesesamelobbyists, backed by the Dutton Coalitionand Federal Member for Gippsland, Darren Chester, are here to impose nuclear reactors on the community, despiteMrChester saying himself, “Our communityissickofoutsiderstelling us what to do.” Hypocrisy much?
Mr Chester attendedthe nuclear show in Morwell and yet now tries to avoid the nuclear subject. He won’t say boo about the fantasy billions of dollars for anuclear plant at Loy Yang. So much for sticking up for Gippslanders. One minute he’s talking up nuclear for Gippsland and now he’s gone quiet on the subject. Does that demonstrate his lack of values? Does he really care about Gippsland or is it just about his career?
Thankfully, we have passionate locals -real people-sacrificing their time and money to advocate for renewable solutions.
These volunteers care deeply about Gippsland’s future and are ready to share facts backed by evidence.
When we talk to others in the community about nuclear, make sure we talk about where informationcomes from andwhether it can be trusted. Not some made up, unverified information from the US or somewhere else. Real facts, backed by real verifiable evidence.
As Iwas ready to send this letter to the editor of the Express, Ihad amessage from someone in Port Augusta who said they had the Latrobe Valleyfor nuclear ad in theirlocal newspaper, The Transcontinental.Itseems the USA-based source doesn’t understand where Latrobe Valley even is, yet they are happy to say ‘our community’. What an embarrassment.
Let’s stick together as Gippslandersand fightfor what’sbest for our community. Don’t let outsiders trash our home, harm our families with nuclear reactors and the waste that comes from nuclear. Wendy Farmer Voices of the Valley President
HELE to help
MR JohnGwyther listed threeconcernshehad with my letter regarding One Nation’s support of High Efficiency Low Emissions (HELE) power stations (‘Brown coal revival fantasy’, Latrobe Valley Express Opinion,02/04/25) His first and third points werethat HELE only produced a10per cent reduction, not zero emissions, and that, to get these down to amore acceptable level, it would need the added expense of carbon capture technology. He also questioned whether brown coal could be used as efficiently as the black coal HELE example Iprovided.
To accurately answer these points, Idecided to consult with two eminent brown coal experts for further information before replying.
They pointed out that the best solution to producing clean power is gas, but that it was very expensive, particularly when compared to our cheap, abundant, brown coal. Gas also had the advantage of being able to be switched on and off very quickly, unlike coal fired power stations. They pointed out to me that in aHELE plant, we are nottechnically burningbrown coal at all,as we do at present, but converting it into gas, which is then burnt in place of the brown coal as fuel.
Thisprocess was proven by the Japanese in their coal to gas plant at Morwell several years ago, but not adopted as it was more expensive in comparison to coal. They also noted an addedbonus of the gas conversionprocess. Brown coal produces many valuable byproducts as well, including urea, which is used as afertiliser and is also the main component of products such as Ad Blue which is used in diesel trucks to reduce emissions, nitrogen gas and magnesium to name afew.
When the HELEplantisdialled downduring the day due to solarpanels meetingdemand, these
products can be co-produced to supplement the plant’s profitability.
Mr Gwyther’ssecond point wasthat the construction figures Isupplied were 18-years-old.
Guiltyascharged,howevergiventhat Queensland’s Kogan Creek HELE power station was built 18 years ago, Iwas simply restating the historical fact that it cost that much to build at the time.
The latest cost estimatefor the Liberal’s proposal to build seven nuclear power stations is $331 billion or $47 billion each.
If these figures are correct, Mr Gwyther’s estimate that the cost of Kogan Creek ($857 million) would now be double, would still be cheaper in comparison. Even the additional estimate he quotes from Lazard’s 2024report of $4 to 8.5 billion for 750 MW is far cheaper than Peter Dutton’s nuclear option.
Interestingly, Mr Dutton recently claimed nuclear was $633 billion, or 44 per cent, cheaper than Labor’s weatherdependent wind and solar alternative,makingHELEanevenmore attractive option.
Finally, it was disappointing to note Mr Gwyther’s eagerness to admonish me for attempting to put forwardasimpleanswer to an importantissue that we will have to face from 2028 when Yallourn W is set to close. Moreso when it is realised that in doing so, he failed to suggest an alternative way forward himself.
Greg Hansford One Nation candidate for Gippsland
IWAS listening to Professor Andrew Campbell on theABC’s Country Hour speaking about his report Australian Nuclear Energy Proposals, Water Availability andAcquisition Options,which was commissionedbythe Liberals AgainstNuclear group.
Prof. Campbell stated clearly that all the inland sites including Loy Yang would have serious cooling water availability issues.
In the case of Loy Yang, anuclear plant would need 125GL annually.
Justasa comparison,the annual allocation to MacalisterIrrigation District Farmers is just 32 GL. It just emphasises the point that if all our electricity was from renewables which don’t use any water, think how much extra waterthere would be for farmers, the environment and recreation and how much healthier the Gippsland Lakes would be.
Various options for providing that water for the nukeswere putforward, such as reducing farmers water rights, reducing environmental flows, reducing urban water supplies, using Thomson Dam water and firing up the desal plant to make up the difference for Melbourne, none of which could possibly be implemented without enormous community backlash and cost, not to mention increased greenhouse gas emissions.
In short, thereportstated that90per cent of the Dutton nuclear plans generation capacity would be an unreliable source of electricity whenever there was adrought.
The Liberals Against Nuclear group are now saying that with just 31 per cent support in the Latrobe Valley and even less in allbut the Hunter region, (32 per cent), this plan has to be pulled,just like the Working from Home policy was.
Iampretty certain with pressure from the gas companies that is fomenting around the Lib/Nats newly released gas policy, that this will find a natural home down the gurgler as well.
Dan Caffrey Latrobe
President
Valley Sustainability Group
IHAD to go to Traralgon recently to go shopping. (Yes, some of us passionately support our local industries and shops, so refuse to shop online.)
On the way, dotted here andthere along the freeway, were anti-nuclearsigns:ayellow nuclear symbol with ared line across it, clearly saying ‘No’!’ to nuclear power plants in the Latrobe Valley. Once Igot to Traralgon, Ipassed by alarge anti-nuclear information stall next to the footpath outsideDarren Chester’s office in the main street.
To be honest, Ihadn’t even known the Nationals’ office was there. The stall had tons of information, signs, stickers etc, all anti-nuclear, and apetition for peopletosign if they didn’t want anuclear power plant in the Valley.
The Liberals and Nationals want to put nuclear power plants in certain areas in rural Australia, including righthere in the Valley. Not near the cities, of course.God forbid if they wanted to whack anuclear power plant in Melbourne: it would be way too risky for that population and thepoliticians would never allow it.
If the Valley had anuclear power plant:
1) the Lib/Natpowersthat be coulddecide it was goingtobeMoe or Morwell or Traralgon, wherever the population doesn’t matter so much;
2) All of the agriculture for many miles around would be at risk. For example, the fallout from Chernobyl after the nuclear incident spread four or five hundred miles; and,
3) Imagine what that would do to all the industries and population of Gippsland, not to mention the fatalities and radioactive illnessesofthe people here in the Valley.
What would anuclear incident in the Valley and radioactivefallout throughout Gippsland and up into the mountains do to the water supply that provides water to millions of people in Melbourne?
And, of course, our water supply, and the black rain that would fall here in the Valley.
Why does Mr Chester support anuclear power plant here in the Valley, putting at risk the lives and livelihoods of his neighbours and all the local farmers, whosecrops and dairy farms and other agricultureneed rivers and rain and earththat are not toxic, in order to survive?
Iamnot in love with Labor, but at least if Labor wins there won’t be any nuclear power plants or nuclear incident in the Valley.
Sally-Anne Kane Moe
RECENTtimes have seenthe federal Coalition pivoting on their contested nuclear plan.
Peter Dutton’slackofnuclear focus in the Budget reply spoke volumes, and they are restricting nuclear commentary to theirleadershipgroup while talking up the role of gas.
The emergence of the internal advocacy group
Liberals Against Nuclear, the lack of response of conservative state and territory party leaders with six out of eight not supportive of the nuclear plan and aswag of negative polls, have all contributed to this shift.
Darren Chester’s new six panel leafletthat is currently papering Gippslandcontinues this trend, withnomention of energy, climate or nuclear despite Loy Yang being one of the Coalition’s seven chosen nuclear sites. Not aword.
Nine months ago, the Coalition had their hands in the air championingnuclear, today they have their head in the hands and don’t say the word.
The community deserves better. The nuclear push is amassivepolicy shift withhugecosts and consequences and intergenerational risks and impacts, and it is not good enough to seek to advance this technology without genuine assessment or essential details.
Dave Sweeney
Australian Conservation Foundation
IWOULD like to bring your attention to some studies doneinthe UK that shows property values have dropped by up to 25 per cent for areas around nuclear power stations.
According to research from Barrows and Forrester, areas duetohostanuclear power stationcould see the local property market go into meltdown, knocking almost afifth off property values.
An analysis was made of house prices in areas currently home to afullyoperational nuclear power station, how these areas compared to property values across the wider local authority and what it couldmean forthe locations that have been earmarked as the next nuclear power station sites.
The research shows thereare currently six operational nuclearpower stations across the UK, located in Folkestone and Hythe, Hartlepool, Lancaster, East Suffolk and East Lothian. On average, house prices in postcodes home to these nuclear power stationsaverage £212,405, -19.3per cent, or £50,902 less than the average of £263,308 across the wider local authorities in which they are situated.
In the IP16postcode, home to East Suffolk’s SizewellBPower Station, house prices average just £238,975 versus £322,095 acrossthe wider local authority of East Suffolk -a difference of -25.8 per cent or £83,120.
In Lancaster’s LA3 postcode,home to both Heysham 1and Heysham 2, house prices are 22.8 per cent lower than the wider average across Lancaster.
Another study by Dr Yanos Zylberberg and Michelle Kilfoyle of the University of Bristol (dated October 26, 2021) shows that this devaluation of properties can extend for distances of up to 50km around the power station.
Readers should be made awareofthis before the election because it effects areas as far away as Maffra, Sale, Yarram, Foster, Leongatha, Warragul and everyone in between.
Greg Dyer Yarragon South
IT seems it’snot politically correct to ask questions aboutnuclear reactors, but stuff political correctness.
I’m afarmer downstream from the Coalition’s proposed nuclear reactor near Traralgon, and I deserve to know where the Coalition is planning on getting the extra water to cool thesenuclear reactors.
The Coalition’s own modellingdocument says it will replace eight gigawatts of coal fired power production with 13.3 gigawatts of nuclear power production:1.66timesmore power capacity. Even the nuclearlobbyists at Nuclear for Australia admit nuclear uses at least 1.2 times more water than coal fired power does, and 1.66 multiplied by 1.2 is 1.995. So we need nearly twice as much water to run the nuclear reactors as we currently do to run Loy Yang A, and it has to be the highest security and most expensive water.
But, the waterLoy Yang Acurrently uses will be needed to fill the open cut mine like we’re filling the Hazelwood open cut, and that will take 30 years. That meansthere’s no water available before 2065. So we need about 64 gigalitres of extra water on top of what’s already being used, and it has to be high security water for the nuclear reactor. That’s about twice as much as the high security allocation for all of us farmersinthe Macalister Irrigation District, so even if they took all our water off us, they’d stillneedthat muchwater againtocool the reactors.
We need aguarantee from Darren Chester that no water for this nuclear reactor will come from farmers.
If you really wanted to put anuclear reactor in Gippsland, it would make more sense to put it at Lakes Entrancewhere seawatercan be used, as it is overseas.
Our water creates food.Water is precious and nuclear reactors are thirsty.
So, where is the extra water coming from? Will it come from our farmers?
Thomas Dwyer
Newry
IT is an article of faithfor those sceptical about renewable energy to say intermittent renewables can’t run the grid 24/7.
This ignores facts like wind tends to peak at night, complementing solar’s daytime peakplus thetremendous advances in battery capabilities, installed volumes and operating experience, plus the massive geographic coverage of the National Energy Market ‘insures’ against shortfalls in renewables in parts of the country.
An ongoing three-and-a-half year Australian study is proving that, within the next 10 years or so, we will be able to run the grid on close to 100 per cent renewable energy, backed by agrid-scale battery about equal to our electricity demand.
Dr David Osmond from Windlab charts total renewable energy production across the National Electricity Market against electricity demand, so he can answer the question “how much solar, wind and hydro would it take to run the grid last week, assuming we had adecent-sized battery for the NEM”.
The answer is that with wind, solar and hydro generation capacity,about the level that we will have in 10 yearsplus agrid-wide battery equal to typical demand (currently 24Gw), we would have, over the last 44 months, averaged 98.7 per cent of grid demand with renewables.
The remaining 1-2 per cent would be supplied by gas peaking, pumpedhydro, green hydrogen, compressed air batteries, etc.
Even in the worst ‘Dunkelflaut’ event in July 2022 whereitwas cold, calm and cloudy across most of the NEM, renewables delivered 94.9 per cent of grid demand.
Now 24Gw sounds like alot of battery and it is, however, Australia already has 6Gw installed or under construction and will have 18-20Gw within adecade. We will also have 20-25 million EVs by 2035, with ‘vehicle to grid’ technology that representsmore than 1000Gwofbatterytosupport the grid during renewable shortfalls.
So, we need to re-assess our old thinking on how things work.
We are well into the transition to ahighly decentralised energy systemspanning multiple weather systems, sourcing the lowest cost electricity available with household backup and control over energy source,not to mention car transportat 1/10th the cost of fossil fuel and near zero emissions. What’s not to like?
John Gwyther Coongulla
BY PROFESSOR DUNCAN BENTLEY
WITH the semester underway, and in the midst of amuch-anticipated election, Iamstruck by the gap between our ambitions as anation to improve higher education attainment,and the challenges facing ourregional and outer suburban campuses to support our students and regions.
The government’s Australian Universities AccordFinalReport released in February 2024, recommends that at least 80 per cent of the workforce should have aVET or university qualification by 2050 to meet future skills demands. Currently, 63 per cent of working Australians hold atertiary qualification, but the vast majority of them are in cities.
Although2050may seem distant, in university terms, it equates to only around eight graduating classes.
Time is ticking, but with targeted investment we can reach the 2050 target, and the key will be to focus on boostingthe capacity of universities in regional and outer suburban areas, where more than aquarter of Australia’s population lives, but where tertiary attainment rates are very low.
In regionalareas, only 20 per cent of people hold abachelor’s degree.
If government wantstoimprove education access for Australians, the heavylifting needs to be done in regional and outer suburban communities.
For people in regional areas to see their local university as aworthy education option, those institutions need to offer the same modern, fitfor-purpose facilities and learning environments as the big city unis.
Support: Federation UniversityVice Chancellor,Professor Duncan Bentley, is calling on the federal government to backregionaluniversities File photograph
Regionaluniversities boast enviable rankings, and deserve the same ‘gold standard’ facilities as the‘elites’. Federation is ranked Number 1inAustralia
for first-in-family participation, Number 1in Australia for fulltime post-graduate employment and Number 2inVictoria for fulltime
undergraduate employment (while students are still studying).
Icommend the commonwealth government’s effortstoboost regional and suburban higher education attainment.
These should be complemented by policies to directly grow regionaland outer suburban enrolments in critical STEM fields that contribute to local growth.
This isn’t justabouttraining more nurses or engineers.
Withoutaskilled local workforce, growing communitiessupporting industrieslikeadvanced manufacturing and renewable energy, struggle.
Astronglocal education sector makes the parts of Australia outside of big cities more liveable and prosperous. If students leave for better facilitieselsewhere, talentdrains away, weakening communities. But we know that 70 per cent of students that study locally will live local after graduation.
Federation University is growing rapidly, but we lack the facilitiestobuild the demandfor places in courses that align with our communities’ skills needs. That’s why our policy priorities from now to 2028 are focused on working with government to buildmeaningful partnerships thatleadtostrongoutcomes for our communities and justify investment.
With the right commonwealth support for regional and smalleruniversities,wecan bridge the gap between cities and the regions and ensure that all Australians can share in the nation’s prosperity.
Professor Duncan Bentley is Vice Chancellor of Federation University.
ASUPPORTIVE crowd of more than 500 enjoyed the great outdoors with plentyoffree activities, informative stalls regarding biodiversity, food, and live music beside the beautiful Blue Rock Lake.
The focus was to bring greater awareness of the natural environment, actively involve children in nature, and to encourage safe, sustainable living practices within the community. All this was certainly achieved in arelaxed, friendly atmosphere.
The popularcubby-building with sticks, bark and brush was agreat wayfor the Kids In Nature Network (KINN) to launch the state-wide Nature Play Week, alongsidenature art, storytelling, and an informative slide presentation in the rolling presentations tent.
Similarly, careful handlingand learning about native wildlife was popular and exciting, with visitors able to interact with arange of native animals including unique insects, arachnids, reptiles, and marsupials.
An incredible display of fantasticwildlife was made possible by Bug Blitz, Mumsupials and Sons, and Aussie Wildlife Displays.Habitat Creations provided some Indigenous plants, which were used to revegetate asection of the festival site as well as being prizes for the treasure hunt. Witnessing
afish release by the Victorian Fisheries Authority into Blue Rock Lake was also ahighlight.
The importance of children and adults spending time in nature cannot be underestimated.
Community environmental groups, such as Baw Baw Sustainability Network,Edward Hunter Bush Reserve, Trustfor Nature, Latrobe ValleyField Naturalists, Friends of Drouin Trees, Latrobe Catchment LandcareNetwork,and WildlifeRescue and Protection were delighted to share their local knowledge, helping to inspire future participants to explore forests and reserves and care for the environment.
Strong interest was shown in the electric vehicles presented by Toyota and in the activities linked to sustainable living as demonstrated by Gippsland ClimateChange Council.PeppermintRidge Farm’s presentation and stall highlighting ‘bush tucker’ plants was awinner, as was the stall of Radical Soil Care and its range of products to improve soil biology and productivity.
Organisers wished to pay special thanks to Kate Wilson from BawBaw Shire Council for opening theevent,plus Hill End Community Incorporated (HECI), Willow Grove Kindergarten and Playgroup, Willow Grove Junior Football Club, local CFA, Lions, raffle donors, and all landcare volunteers on the day.
Learned: Thevolunteer committee team helped showcasearangeofenvironmental education initiatives
AGL Loy Yang and Mindfull Aus will continue their partnership.
Mindfull Aus is aleading mental health organisation dedicatedtopromoting resilience and emotional wellbeing across the Latrobe Valley
AGL says this collaboration, which began in 2017, underscores its commitment to supporting mental health initiatives within the community.
"Our long-standing collaboration highlights our dedication to supporting mental health and wellbeing in our community," AGL Loy Yang General Manager, Christo van Niekerk said.
AGL will again take part in the the 'Healthier Hearts and Lighter Minds' program -a proactive approach to learning about mental health, aiming to makeearly learning fun, engaging,and relatable for students.
The program has reachedmore than10,000 young students and includes parentand teacher-educator workshops for aholistic approach to mental care.
"We feel very grateful for the support of AGL, they’ve been along-standing supporter of ourwork here in the Latrobe Valley, and we wouldn’t be able to do the work that we do without people like
that and organisations that stand side-by-side to make adifference," Mindfull Aus Founder, Matt Runnalls added.
AGL Loy Yanglooks forward to continuing its partnershipwithMindfullAus and supporting more schoolsinthe Latrobe Valley to access the valuable resources and programs offered by Mindfull Aus.
In addition to this, AGL is excited to announce the expansion of this partnership to include other AGL sites across Victoria, including MountBeauty Hydro Catchment, Macarthur Windfarm,and Oaklands Windfarm.
This expansion will allow more communities to benefit from the valuable mental health resources and programs provided by Mindfull Aus, furthering AGL's commitment to supporting mental health andwellbeing across the state.
The partnership will also extend the Health Hearts Health Minds program into Mount Beauty High School, as well as Hawkesdale's P-12 school.
Local sporting clubs in these areaswill also benefit from the program, promoting mental health and resilience through community sports.
Partnership: Jack Symes (Mindfull Aus), Aimee Hunter(AGL), Liam O’Connell(Mindfull Aus), Monique DeCarli(AGL), CharleighWilliams (Gormandale &District PrimarySchool), Jamee Elrick (Gormandale &District PrimarySchool),and Mindfull AusFounder,MattRunnalls
Photograph supplied
MOE Royal Children'sHospital GoodFriday Appeal wishes to thank the great support of the verygenerous peopleofthe Moe/Newborough area who gave to the Easter Raffle.
The raffle raisedmore than $3000towards the Good Friday Appeal.
Winners have beennotified andprizes delivered.
Moe Royal Children's HospitalGood Friday Appeal would also like to thank the businesses that allowed the group to sell tickets at their venues.
Also supporting our fundraising was:The Range Retirement Village Moe, who raisedmore than $1200 by holding an Easter morning tea. Afamily fun bowls day at Newborough Bowling Club was another great fundraiser.
The Moe Lions Club are having abarbecue this Thursday (April 17) in front of the old ANZ bankinMoore Street, Moe, with allmoney raised also supporting the RCH Good Friday Appeal. Moe Royal Children's Hospital Appeal will be door knocking the Moe/Newborough area on Good Friday and would greatly appreciate anyone who would like to volunteer to assist.
Phone Sue on 0407 677 230 if you would like to help this great appeal.
GIPPSLAND Water's first VCE VocationalMajor work experience student hasentered the next stage of their career in the water industry, as a water and wastewater trainee.
FormerKurnai CollegestudentHarry completed his VCE studies last year, and has successfully secured atwo-year traineeshipwith the organisation.
Gippsland Water Managing Director,Sarah Cumming said Harry was the first student to take the career pathway with Gippsland Water since the vocationalmajor was introduced to the Victorian curriculum in 2023.
"It's fantastic to see the first of our vocational major work experience students transitioning into the next stage of their career with us," Ms Cumming said.
"As part his traineeship, Harry will complete rotationswith our water and wastewater teams and gain acertificate in water industry operations.
"Tosee ayoung person be so passionate about the water industry and take full advantage of the career pathways we offer is truly inspiring."
Harry said he wasfortunate to secure three months of part time work with Gippsland Water before starting his traineeship.
"I literally finished high school on the Friday and started at the Gippsland Water Factory on Monday," he said.
"Then Ifound out about the traineeshipopportunities available and started the application process, which included submitting my resume and doing interviews.
"There hasn't been adull day on the job so far, there'salwayssomething to do and new things to learn.
"WhenIfinish my training, I'll haveaqualification and lots of experience, which is great."
Ms Cumming saidGippsland Water offered several work experience opportunities each year.
"I'd encourage anyonelooking to completetheir VCE vocational major work experience with us to express interest early," she said.
"We want to give eachofour studentsasmuch hands-on experience possible, and by working alongsideour experiencedteam, they get to learn new skillsand build confidence in theirabilities.
"We also offerwork experience for Year 10 students, and have university graduate and internship programs available."
To find out more about career pathways at Gippsland Water, visit: gippswater.com.au/careers
ST Paul’s Anglican Grammar School’s playground was transformed into avibrant burst of colour and joy during its much-anticipated Colour Fun Run
Students from kindergarten to Year 6raced throughanexhilarating obstaclecourse,while parents and staffadded splash and spiritbydousing them in water and colourful powders.
Laughter and excitement filled the air as the school community shared in the funand contagious energy, with each student becoming alittle more colourful after each step.
The school day ended with everyone streaked in vivid hues and soaked in laughter, going home with arainbow of memories.
Season: St Paul’s Year 6students Neave and Gracehand outanEaster egg,alongside HeadofStPaul’sJuniorSchool, Tracey King Photographs supplied
THISyear, St Paul’sAnglicanGrammar School egg-shilarated the community with an egg-ceptionally fun community EasterEgg Hunt at its Traralgon Campus.
Children aged 5-12 fromacross the Latrobe Valleyscrambled withegg-citement, eager to explore the nest and egg-sperience the joy of
Quality control: Year 6student Rachelle helping supervise afternoon teaprovided to the community.
the hunt while egg-spiring others to join in.
The egg-citement wasstirred up by Year 6students, who did an egg-straordinary job helping out.
The cheeky Easter Bunny’s surprise appearance added an egg-stra layer of fun for everyone, who scrambled and hopped all aroundthe school’s campus.
Planning: Year 6studentsVishvak andAbi helped organise thejunior school Easter egg hunt
Year
and
EDUCATORSfrom across Gippsland gathered at Stockdale Road Primary School, Traralgon for adynamic morning dedicatedtoadvancing sustainability initiatives within schools.
The Gippsland Teacher Environment Network meeting, hosted by ResourceSmart Schools,brought together passionate teachers keentolearn, collaborate, and inspire oneanotherontheirsustainability journeys.
ResourceSmart Schools, afree state government program run by Sustainability Victoria, provides invaluable support to schools through local facilitators. The meeting served as ahub for educators to explore new ideas and strategies that can enhance sustainabilitypractices in their classrooms and communities.
Akey highlight of the morning was asession led by Cherrie Kauffman, who oversees the animal husbandry program at Liddiard RoadPrimary School, Traralgon.
Cherrie shared how her school’s diverse animal careprogram,whichincludes dogs,guineapigs, chickens, and ducks, as well as its vegetable gardens,issignificantlyimprovingstudentwellbeing andlearningoutcomes.
Participants also experienced an innovative virtual reality session guided by Stephanie Sabrinskas
from Power Pops.Developed by the Gippsland ClimateChange Network, this program immerses students in the life of an offshore wind technician, highlighting the emerging energy transition, its environmental benefits, and the career opportunities it offers for future generations in Gippsland.
Kath Arber, from the hostschool, Stockdale Road Primary, led atour of the school’s sustainability initiatives, giving educatorsa first-handlook at the school’s vegetable garden, fruit foraging garden, and newly constructed industrial kitchen.
AResourceSmart School since 2022, this progressiveprimary school has apaddock-to-plateprogram where students grow,cook, and enjoy food sourced directly from the school grounds; an inspirational modelfor integrating sustainability into everyday learning
The morning provided avaluable platform for teachers to exchange ideas, experiences, and strategies,fostering arenewed enthusiasm for incorporating sustainability into their own schools and curricula.
For more informationaboutthe free ResourceSmart Schools programand the supportit offers to schools across Victoria, visit: sustainability. vic.gov.au/our-work/resourcesmart-schools
THE Fred Hollows Foundation has opened nominationsfor the annual Fred and Humanity Awards, which recognises Australians who make areal difference to their communities.
Launched in 2012 as the Humanity Awards, the foundation has celebrated more than 3000 compassionate Year 6studentsfrom across the nation.
In 2021, the Fred Wards were introduced, which recognised adults who care for others in adecent, practical and no-nonsense way.
The Fred and Humanity Awardscelebrate the legacy and down-to-earth humanitarianspirit of eye doctor FredHollows,opening for nominations on what would have been Fred's 96th birthday.
"The Fred and Humanity Awards are atestament to Fred's deepfaith in the goodnessof
everyday Australians. He would be incredibly proud," founding director, Gabi Hollows said.
"We invite you to nominate afriend, family member or colleague in this year's Fred and Humanity Awards. We all know someone who makes the world abetter place and deserves to be celebrated."
Ajudgingpanel led by Gabi Hollows will shortlist agroup of finalists who will be put to apublic vote, from which the 2025 Fred Hollows Humanitarian will be decided.
The foundationwill also select agroupofYear 6JuniorAmbassadors.
The Fred and Humanity Awards are open for nominations until Friday, July 18. Lear nm ore and nomi nate at: hollows.org/awards
Outstanding: Mt BawBaw District Team’s, CarolKemp has given 30 years’ service to Scouts.Here, she accepts the acknowledgement from Mt BawBaw District Commissioner,Steve Asbock. Photograph supplied
THE spirit of scouting is alive and strong in the Mt Baw Baw District, with more than 100 years of combined service celebrated at arecent leader recognition event.
District Commissioner, Steve Asbock presented service awards to agroup of dedicated scouting leaders, whose years of commitment have helped shape the lives of countless young people across the region.
Four leaders were recognised for five years of service each: Aaron Falzon, Glenn Dickson, Shareen Frost, and Fiona Kost. Two others celebrated adecade of involvement: Robert Thomas and Sam Underhill. Long-serving leaders CarolKemp,from the Mt Baw Baw District Team, washonoured for 30 years of service, while John Franklin, assistant group leader at Drouin, marked an impressive 35 years -and both are still going strong.
“These awards are atrue reflection of the dedicationshown by leaders throughoutthe district,” Mr Asbock said.
“It’s this kind of ongoing commitment that keeps scouting strong and relevant in our community.”
The Mt Baw Baw District continues to welcome new members,and there are opportunities for adults to get involved as leaders or support volunteers.
Anyone interested can email Steve Asbock
ST JOSEPH’S Catholic Primary School, Trafalgarstudents presented The Easter Story in St John’s Church, Trafalgar as part of their studies.
Students re-enacted the eventsof Holy Week, tellingthe story of the last week in Jesus’ life.
The presentationstarted withJesus being welcomed into Jerusalem and then Jesus sharing his last meal during The Last Supper.
Students then acted out the Stations of the Cross usingaseries of still, human photographs, together with music -both modern and traditional.
TRARALGONCentre Plaza has hosted arange of fun activities for school children these Easter holidays.
Craft workshops, painting, decorating, and visits fromthe Easter Bunny have highlighted the season.
Come see the Easter Bunny tomorrow (Thursday, April 17) from 10.30am to 12.30pm, roamingaround the centre.
An Easter craft workshop will also take place, as willthe Mumsupials and Sons EducationalWildlife Experience (10.30am-1.30pm).
The Easter Bunny will return thisSaturday (April 19) from 10.30am-1.30pm.
Bring your camera to capture the moment and join in the fun.
TCP has joined forces with Latrobe Regional Health this Easter to sell little plush bunnies (supplied by TCP).
Stronger together: West Traralgon Scout Group is celebrating35years. Photograph supplied
WEST TRARALGON Scout Group is preparing for its 35th birthday this July. WestTraralgoncame about when2nd and 3rd Traralgon Scouts merged. The merged group originally met at the scout hall on Elizabeth Street, Traralgon.In the early 2000s, WestTraralgonmoved into the 5th Traralgon Hall on Pentland Court next to Apex Park, Traralgon. West Traralgon cordially invites the local community to come and join in 35th birthday celebrations, especially past members of West Traralgon, 2nd and 3rd Traralgon Scout groups. The group alsowelcomesany historical items that may help the event. If you are interested, email Robyn George via: rg.letterbox@gmail.com
STUDENTS at Lumen Christi Primary School, Churchill stoodinsolidarity withthose around the world, who spend hours of their day walking to collect water.
Currently,292 millionpeople spend more than 30 minutes walking to collect water for their families in places like Africa, Asia, and the Pacific.
Lumen Christi students walked laps of the oval carrying heavy buckets to experience what this would feel like for young people around the world, who have the job of walking many kilometresbefore and after school to collect water for their family.
Studentswere raising money for Project Compassionand Caritas, who are the international aid and development organisation for the Catholic church in Australia.
The theme this year was ‘Unite against poverty’, and this is exactly what Lumen Christi was aiming to do, raising money for communities who need watertanks and access to fresh and clean drinking water.
Some students walked more than four kilometres.
The school was able to raise $500, which will go along way to supporting communities with basic needs like water tanks, pipes and sanitation.
SACRED Heart Primary School, Morwell came togethertocelebrateHarmony Day, which is a day to celebrate unity and diversity.
Heart students spent time in class looking and exploring activities around the theme ‘Harmony -weall have arole to play!’. Harmony Day not only encourages everyone to respect each other regardless of their differences, but to also appreciate the rich multicultural heritage in Australia. Students had the opportunity to wear asplash of orange. This ranged from an orange ribbon to an orange t-shirt.
LATROBE City Council is one of 11 municipalities to receive an Innovation Grant Program.
The grant shares in $580,000 to run programs aimed at building amore experienced early education workforce and improving retention.
Latrobe City Council will launch an onboardingand career-development program across 25 services, supported by mentoring partnerships.
Early-career teachers and educators will benefit from regularprofessional development workshops, peer collaboration, observation and feedback sessions, and wellbeing support.
Other projects include opportunities for early childhood teachers to contribute to improving operations in their service, and training to equip educators with evidencebased strategies to support children with additional needs.
TheInnovationGrants Programispart of asuite of free professional learning and career supports available to early childhood professionals.
To find out more about the Innovation Grants projects, visit: vic.gov.au/ innovation-grants-program
KEVIN and Julie Fleming of Flemings Tree Services have morethan20years’ experience in the tree industry.
The business wasestablished to fulfil aservice forqualitytree pruning,wood chipping,stump removals and specialised tree worksinthe Gippsland region. Their newaddition to the machineryisthe ‘SPIDER LIFT’ (pictured). It can fitintoany area that can be accessed by a regular gateway.Thisisagreat waytoprune or remove any of those trees that have grown in adifficult area foraccess, and it eliminates the need for climbing Flemings coverevery aspect of tree careand maintenance with fullyequipped trucks,chippers, travel towers,bobcat and tip trucks to provide different services to meet customer’s unique requirements.Their services arededicated to both residential and commercial
customers.
Flemings Tree Services have twoqualified arborists,and completeall work requirements to the highest standard with customer satisfaction guaranteed. Flemings have gained areputation forquality workmanship and aprompt reliable service at very reasonable rates.
Kevin and Julie offerfree quotes and qualityadvicewith very competitiveprices and a pensioner discount offeredas partofthe overallpackage Flemings Tree Services complies with all Worksafe specifications and public liabilityinsurance to coverall conditions.Safetyisthe No 1 priority.
No job is toobig or toosmall, so call Fleming’stodayon0412 862 796 fora free quote, or email admin@flemingstrees coma.ua forall your tree maintenance needs
MALTESE xpoodle. 1F (sable), vet checked, vacc, RBN 211780. M/C 956000018814456, $1,000. Kath 0438 453 063
MOE &District Netball Association AGM. Wednesday 7May, 2025 at 7pm. M&DNA Clubrooms. Cnr Monash Rd and Torres St, Newborough. All positions will be deemed open for nomination.
All current teams must have arepresentative.
Aspecial resolution is to be proposed as follows:
● M&DNA adopt the CAV 2020 model rules to update the constitution.
● Clause Pisremoved from the purpose as it is a value and the MDNA's mission not aPower of Association.
FIREWOOD, hardwood. Dry burns well. 2cubic mtrs $300 4Cubic mtrs $600 Local free delivery within 30 kms of Latrobe Valley. Liam 0410 890 506.
GOULDIAN Finches, full head colours. Elk Ferns, various sizes. Boolarra location. Ph. Rob on 03 5169 6355.
HYUNDAI Elantra SL, 2005, man., for wrecking, new front panels and radiator $1200 or best offer. Slide on pop-top camper for 4WD, good cond., no leaks, $5000 or best offer. Ph. 0460 543 601.
$50 delivery. 0412 613 443 or 1800 468 733.
● M&DNA adopts Netball Victoria's categories of membership for part 3, Division 1, Membership. Clause 8-Who is eligible to be amember:
(a) Affiliated Clubs, which shall be represented by their Delegate.
The Delegate shall have the right to be present, to debate and to vote at General Meetings;
(b) Life Members, which shall have the right to be present, to debate and to vote at General Meetings;
(c) Registered Members, which shall not have a right to be present, to debate or to vote at General Meetings; and (d) Such other category or categories of members as determined by the Board from time to time.
*Clause 9- application for membership updated to address membership categories (as listed above).
Gippsland Guitar School, all ages, 8-80, beginners to advanced, banjo and ukulele lessons also available. 0439 111 610.
We
WHEN YOU GO LOCAL,YOU GROW LOCAL!
Help support our local Tradies while they service, build and repair in our local communities
The Moe RSL Sub-Branch Inc. 63-67 Albert Street Moe, PO Box83, Vic 3825
The Latrobe Valley Express welcomes photos of your newest arrival. Parents are welcome to email a copy of your newborn photos for publication to our editorial staff - news@lvexpress com.au with the subject line ‘baby photo’. Please include the following details: Baby’s first and middle name/s Baby s surname D O B
Mum’s maiden name Mum and Dad’s names Location of Hospital Hometown
The Moe RSLSub-Branch wishes to notify the CommunityofMoe and surroundsthat therewillbe a road closureonAlbert Street Moe, between the roundaboutatMooreStreet and Albert Street and the roundabout at Kirk Street and Albert Street on 25thApril 2025, between the hours of 5.30am-6.30amand 10.00am-1.00pm. ADawnService will be held at the Cenotaph at the front of theSub-Branch buildinginAlbert Street Moe at 6.00am,followed by aGunfirebreakfast within the Moe RSL, aGold Coin Donation would be appreciated, to assistwith Veteran Welfare. The Main Service will be held at the Cenotaph, at the front of the Moe RSLSub-Branch, starting with the March at 10.30am,followed by the Main Service andwreath laying ceremony duringthe Main Service. Service andAffiliate members, and invited guests, arecordially invited to share refreshments after the Main Service. By order of the: Moe RSLSub-Branch Committee. Sue Hall, Secretary
Specialising
WORK Whipper snipping,
HELP and care at your farm, home or your personal needs. $17per hour. Please SMS your needs and location and we'll contact you. 0439 232 550.
DIRECTOR, BOARD OF GOVERNANCE (VOLUNTARY)
We are looking for new board members to join Latrobe Valley Village Inc!
Do you have apassion for making apositive impact in your community? Are you interested in using your skills and expertise to help build on our success? If so, we are looking for you! We are seeking new board members to join our team and help us drive our organisation forward. As aboard member, you will have the opportunity to shape our strategic direction, provide oversight and guidance, and help us achieve our goals. We are particularly interested in candidates with expertise in the following areas: ● Clinical care or ● Finance and accounting Previous experience in aged care, governance and risk, and the not-for-profit sector will be highly regarded.
Our Board of Governance
and as
for further detail. Latrobe Valley Village -Feel Good Making a Difference.
SAMSON Lorelle
Caravans •
GRANT Cruiser, 2014, dual axle, tare 2160, diesel heater, full ensuite, Q/bed, new awning, gas oven and fridge. $43,900. Ph 0407 744 769.
de ZWART, Josephus Fredericus. Born: 19/3/1938 Died: 4/4/2025.
Loved and loving husband of Anneke. Devoted fatherand father-in-law of Monique (dec.) and Wayne, Donna and David.
Beautiful Opa to Luke, Thomas, Jack, Claudia, Tristan and Oskar.
Now appearing nightly in Heaven with Frank, Dean and Sammy.
Acelebration of the life of Josephus Fredericus de Zwart will be held on WEDNESDAY (16 April 2025) at the Moe Racing Club commencing at 2pm.
The Latrobe Ladies Probus Club of Traralgon wish to extend their sympathies to the family of Lorelle Samson. Lorelle was a long time member and participated in the events held by the club. She made many friends and was avery loyal member. She will be sadly missed. RIP Lorelle.
WATERSTON (Benson)
RODDA, Anne. G'day Darl, April 19 will be 5years. Istill miss your smiling face, your mischief and mayhem. Istill love you. You will never be forgotten. Those we love don't go away, they walk beside us every day.
Luv Ya Darl, Glenn ♥♥♥♥♥
ROMANO, Sebastiano 26/10/1925 -17/4/1995
Total of 4consecutive editions in the Latrobe Valley Express and 4editions of the Gippsland Times paper THEY DO SELL!
JAYCO 2008Sterling van, mod. 21.65-7, ATM 2529kg, tare 2054kg, Q/bed, ensuite, a/c, fridge, gas/elec hot water and cooking, TV, 2x80L water tanks, acces. cables, hoses etc. Aussie annexe, exc/cond. $32,000 neg. Ph 0458 517 415.
ROYAL Caravan 1999. TV, private trailer. Reg. 4 February 2026. VIN 6T9T21V97X2AEY003 Good condition. $6,000. 51222296 or 0403 742 639
ROYAL Flair Enhance, as new condition, genuine reason for sale, lots of extras, ideal for around Aust., $36,000 o.n.o. Ph Peter 0428 827 877.
HAWTHORNE Ron Passed away peacefully at Warragul Hospital 10 April 2025, aged 86 years. Loved and loving husband of Mary. Much loved father and father in law of Anne and Ricky, Fran and Chris, Brenda and Mick, John and Fay, Michelle and Gary. Loved Pop/Poppy of 18 grandchildren and 30 great-grandchildren. Aspecial thankyou to all the staff at Warragul Hospital for their care of Ron.
HAWTHORNE Ron Passed away 10 April 2025. Ron was alifelong family friend who shared many conversations, laughs, jokes and even tears around the kitchen table. Ron, you will be missed greatly by us all. Sincere condolences to Mary and family. Loved family friend of Bob (dec.) and Doreen Stewart and family.
Henrietta (Rita) 19/12/1947 -11/04/2025. After acourageous 20 year battle with Parkinson's Disease and later dementia, Rita has gained her wings. Beloved wife of Andrew (Andy), loving mother of Andrea, Kate, Amanda and Patricia, loved mother-in-law and adored Nana of Lachlan, Joshua, Alyssa, Bethany (dec.), Maegan, Kaleb, Madisyn, Tanna and Molly. Forever loved, forever remembered.
YEAR ANNIVERSARY
Treasured thoughts of one so dear often brings asilent tear. Thoughts of scenes long past.
Years roll on but memories last. We miss you Sebastiano, Dad.
All our love, always, Your loving wife, Sebastiana, Children and Grandchildren.
Check out the “FOR SALE” listings in the Classifieds
ARE YOU LOOKING FOR HAYOR FIREWOOD Latrobe ValleyExpress 5135 4455
HORTON Ariene Jessie 7/4/1932 -7/4/2025
Our beautiful mum passed away peacefully at 93 years of age. Loving wife of Laurie (dec.). Adored mum of Dianne, Larry (dec.), Peter, Heather, Terry (dec.), Colin (dec.), Noeline and Linda (dec.). Cherished Grandma of 16, great-grandma of 19 and great-great Grandma of 3. "Forever in our hearts"
HORTON Ariene Jessie Family and friends are invited to attend aService to Celebrate the Life of Ariene Horton to be held at Gippsland Memorial Park, Cemetery Drive, Traralgon on THURSDAY (17th April 2025) at 11am prior to aprivate cremation. Please visit: tuckers.com.au for webcast details.
SIMMONS, Corey Andrew. 17/4/1985-13/1/2013 Corka, we wish you were here today, even for a little while, so we could say Happy Birthday, and see your beautiful smile. We remember looking at this gorgeous little baby 40 yearsago and wondering about his future....and are so proud of the funny, handsome, smart and thoughtful man you became. What a40th you'd have had! We miss you so much. Love now and forever Mum, Dad, Emma, Des, Charlie and Angus. Go Tiges!
Family owned and locally based Funeral Directors
KOSSATZ (O'Hara), Marion. Passed away in Canberra. Aged 91 years, (ex)Yinnar area. Loved and admired for seventy-five years by the Bridle family of Morwell. She deserves peace after avery busy life, always helping others. Never forgotten, our last goodbye. Your friend Margaret.
PRIOR. AGathering to celebrate the life of Graeme Michael Prior will take place at the Turfside Function Room, Waterloo Road Moe, TUESDAY (15 April 2025) commencing at 1.30pm. Afterwards, Graeme will be laid to rest at the Yallourn Cemetery, Haunted Hills Rd, Yallourn. The ceremony will be livestreamed. Please see Harwood Funerals website or Facebook page for digital link.
We bring 35 yearsexperience to familiesin Traralgon, Morwell, Churchill, Moe, Trafalgar, Korumburra andsurrounding areas. THE CHOICE IS YOURS Practical, sensible and affordable. We offerboth at-need and pre-paid funerals. All female funerals are available. Dignityand respect,always
CREMATION PACKAGES CREMATIONPACKAGES
O'HARA (nee O'Hara) Marion Kossatz Passed away at Canberra Aged Care 22/3/2025. Aged 91 years. Agreat life well lived. Favourite cousin. Graeme O'Hara and family.
WATERSTON
PIPER Kevin Ronald Beloved son of Ron (dec.) and Jean. Brother of Robert, Owen, Martin and Andrew. Uncle of Annaliese, Ava and Lucie. Nephew of Sylvia and Alan. Always remembered, never forgotten.
The funeral service and committal for cremation for Henrietta (Rita) Waterston, will be held at Latrobe Valley Funeral Services Chapel, 6Ollerton Avenue Newborough THURSDAY (17 th April 2025) Commencing at 11am. Rita's service will also be live streamed. To view the live stream please visit latrobevalley funerals.com.au and click on livestreaming.
5126 1111 Place your tribute on latrobevalleyfunerals.com.au
When you losesomeone close to you it can be hardto put yourthoughtsand feelingsinto words
Apersonal message in the Latrobe ValleyExpress can say so much
Forfriendly advice on how to place your message
DESPITE the impending cold of winter, the Traralgon Harriers were fired up for the very first round of the 2025winter season.
Donning the hi-vis vests, the first task for 67 of the Harriers’ brightest and best was the netball courts five-kilometre circuit around Traralgon.
Starting from Agnes Brereton Reserve, this deceptively quick course zips along the Traralgon Parkrun course, darts up to the top of St George’s Road, before descending back to the start.
Out frontfor the womenwas theever-improving Courtney Ellis (in atimeof20:25), whostrode wellahead of Karen Graham (24:44) and Kate Mayer (26:00). Not far behind Mayer was the trio of Kimberly Imperial, the returning Rose Croft,and Samantha Riddle, with LaurenPetermanaging to outrun her training buddy Ree Graham.
On the men’s side of the ledger,Daniel Furmston and Sav Mavrofridis were only three seconds apart, withthe nextfastest, Ian Cornthwaite, andAndrew Greenhillonly havingameresecondbetween them. CornthwaiteversusGreenhillwas an exciting tussle over the 2024 winterSeason, and hopefully they are pickingupwhere they leftoff, guaranteeing some friendly and exciting racing. Darrel Cross and Trent Kooyman both continued to make good progress in recovery from injuries.
Elsewhere, ahearty herd of Harriers ventured down to Melbourne for the annual Run for the Kids, a14kmrun starting and finishing in Docklands. Traversing the Bolte Bridge, the Domain Tunnel, and Southbank, the run raises money for the Good Friday Appeal. Negotiating the large traffic of runners is alwaysachallengeinthis run, yet good fun was had by all.
Tomorrownight’srun (Thursday, April17) is the notoriously speedy tennis courts five km run along FranklinStreet,Traralgon, followed by club dinner at the Butter Factory.
The Springwood eight and four km trail run at Crinigan RoadBushland Reserve returnsApril 27, and the Athletics Victoria XCR season begins in amonth.
Likewise,the 58th Traralgon Marathon and Running Festival is fast approaching: June1,and from thenew locationofthe Glengarry Recreation Reserve. With that slew of events in mind, there has neverbeen abetter timetocome alongand run in the Big T.
AGNES BRERETON 5KM
Daniel Furmston 19:15, SavMavrofridis 19:18, Ian Cornthwaite19:52, Andrew Greenhill 19:53, Courtney Ellis 20:25, Adrian Sutcliffe 21:47,Trent Kooyman 21:50, ScottSyme 22:09, Owen Notting 22:35, Peter Sanders22:59, Darrel Cross 23:09, David Barr 23:13, Stephen Renehan 23:23, Andrew Broberg23:24, Chris VanUnen 23:31, Seth Bomers24:01, Karen Graham 24:44, Kate Mayer26:00, Toby Grzmil 26:01, GaryFox 26:04, RonVerschuur26:04, Kimberly Imperial 26:15, Rose Croft26:19,Samantha Riddle 26:29, DesleyGray26:42, Stephen Mcleod 26:47, Chelsea Fox 27:25, Corey Milner 27:25, Lauren Peter27:33, ReeGraham 28:51, Collette Hofmann 29:21, ClaireMacumber 29:52, Kristine Sapkin 29:52, Angeline Snell 29:59, Alfie Warner 30:28, KatKent 30:48, Paul Smith 32:22, Catherine Leonard33:16, Gab Browne 33:18, Adam vanbaalen 33:20, Tania Whitehead 33:22, Clinton Jolly34:00, ShayLorenz 34:40, Phillip Mayer34:44, Daniel Symons 34:56, Amelie Dalton 36:14, Rickie Glover36:27,Rebecca Anderson 36:51, Danelle Wright 39:37,Timothy Graham 40:44, BjornLuxmann 41:52, Des Dalton 42:08, Kristina Creighton 42:20, LukeWitham 44:28, Ann Bomers45:29, SandraBirkbeck48:00, Tony Marino 48:50, Giuseppe Marino 48:50, SarahMckie 49:20, Andrew Legge 51:00, BarryHiggins 52:00, Ian Heafield 54:38, Belinda Heafield 54:38, Michelle Colwell 55:24, KathyQuinn 55:24. Volunteers: Molly Irvine,Kylee Earl.
RUNFOR THE KIDS (SELECTED RESULTS)
14.4km: Andy Buchanan 41:37,Donve Viljoen 49:47, Stephen Renehan 1:01:34, Andrew Crawford 1:02:40, Ryan McLeod 1:13:05, Stephen McLeod 1:19:28, KatKent 1:29:06, Angelo Guadiano 1:29:06, Tobiasz Grzmil 1:30:15, Alysha Duncan 1:31:08, Kate Mayer 1:31:13, Phill Mayer1:31:13. 4.7km: Charlotte and Dave Barr 26:45, Maggie and Stephen Renehan 40:58.
Celebration:
By NARELLE TIMMER-ARENDS
been going strong for10years. Photograph: Narelle Timmer-Arends
Anotherregular participant, Helen Reeves, commented that parkrun is great for people’s mental health, even moresothan physical health.
TRARALGON Parkruncelebratedits 10th anniversary on Saturday, April 5. Participants were encouraged to dress up in circus attire to fill the air with excitement. Every week, many people run or walk in the parkrun, and have created new friendships building astrongsense of community. Thefirstparkrun took place on April 4, 2015, and has seen more than4000participants over the years, with many of those returning week after week.
Mark Fairbairn joined the run in September 2015, as his friend had participated before. He has met lots of new friends throughouthis journey, and feels this event has built a“good group” so he “kept coming”.
The parkrunisorganised by agroupof volunteers who come early to set everything up, as well as encourage those who are running and walking.
There has been more than 800 volunteers over the last decade.
One of those event organisers, John DiCiero, originally joinedasaway to give back to the community.
It was endearing to see everyone mingle with each other as well as clap when people crossed the finish line.
The Traralgon Parkrun is avery supportive community, who welcomes everyone with open arms, and has an overall great atmosphere.
ALL ABILITY tennis hasbeen going strong for more than 10 years at Pax Hill Tennis Club.
Thirteen of the LatrobeValleyall-abilities group took to the courts at Pax Hill during Term 1.
Children ranging from ages five to 21 participated in avariety of games and activities that were well run and cateredtoavariety of abilities.Siblings were encouraged to join in as well.
The olderplayers, coachesand someofthe volunteers have been with the program since the first year. It has been successful due to the enthusiasm of the coaches and volunteers from Pax Hill and the organisation of the Latrobe Valley All-ability Group. Participants learnttennisskills while having fun, meeting new friends and learningother skills, such as taking turns, respecting others and using equipment safely.
The older players are now able to sustain rallies, and some even play competition in the local tennis league. The younger players learnt basic strokes through fun games.
Some parents weresurprised at how much their child coulddowith the rightstyle of coaching. Some are keen to continue with more tennis lessons.
“PaxHill Tennis Club wasreallyable to embrace the philosophy behind all-ability sports and the belief that every child can participate at any level”, one of the parents said.
“The coaches and volunteer helpers from the Pax Hill TennisClubwere fantastic and we are looking forward to next year!”
If there is anyone interested in playing tennis, phone Sally on 0403 282 630.
During Term 2and 3, the Latrobe Valley All-ability Group will be participating in AFL at West End Sporting Complex. They will join in with the West End Junior Football Club. Phone Meg (0421763 525) for more information.
By MICHAEL HOLROYD
NEWBOROUGH BowlingClubrecentlyhosted aparty of 14 bowlers from Hong Kong who were preparing to tackle Bowls Victoria’s Vic Open Tournament.
The visitors chose Newborough to give players the chance to play on well prepared grass greens, which are much better prepared than the greens in theirhome country.
Newborough greenkeeper Scott Jones does an excellent jobpreparing three grass greensinperfect condition during the pennant bowls season. Morwell Bowls Club used one green every Saturday following
their disastrous fire prior to the season start.
The Hong Kong players joined Newborough members together with many visitors keen to play on Newborough’s greens prior to the Vic Open in the Max Grubb Pairs, which is ayearly event held in memory of the much-respected former chairman of Newborough Bowling Club and aplayer for more than 60 years.
The Grubb family presented the winner’s prize to Danny McKeown from Morwell and his partner James Cousins from Melbourne. They won on countback from Samantha Atkinson from Dandenong Club and her mother Sheryl Atkinson fromNewborough. Third wasthe Newborough pair of Heather Mooney and Peter Policha.
HOCKEY
LVHA BY KELLYGODFREY
THE Latrobe Valley Hockey Association (LVHA) officially began its 2025 season over the weekend, with local men’s and women’s teams bringing their best to the pitch.
Both Vic League teams hostedmatches at home, providing an exciting weekend of hockey for fans in Churchill.
The LVHAVic League Women’s team set the tone for the weekend with an impressive 3-nil victory over Melton Hockey Club.
From the get-go, the team showcased excellent passing and teamwork. Debutantes Ashlee Morfitt and Courtney McDonald made an instant impact, both netting their first goals in the opening match.
Captain Maddy Hall sealed the win with aclassy third goal, cementing the team’s dominance.
The Vic LeagueMen’s 3team also took to the field, featuring debutantesAiden Mair,Dylan Lovell, and Daniel Brereton. In athrilling encounter against Melton HockeyClub, the LVHA Wolves fought hard to secure a1-all draw.
Melton struck first, but the Wolves defence held strong, ensuring no further goals were conceded. Withjust90seconds left on the clock, asuperb penalty corner goal fromMathew Wells levelled the score and salvaged ahard-earned point for the Wolves.
Theteam was led by 2025 captain Blake Billing, whoguided the squad with leadership and grit.
BIG V
BY TOM HAYES AND BLAKE METCALF-HOLT
GIPPSLAND United claimed two wins from two during Big V’s Round 4action.
United’s men showed their classina Division 1duel against Altona, rising as victors 94 to 73. Meanwhile, the women climbed back froma halftime deficit to defeat Surfcoast 79-70.
UNITED were first to break the shackles in the men’s game against Altona, quickly escaping to aseven-point advantage coming up to the midway point of the opening term.
Altona used their momentum to get within two
GOLF
CHURCHILL &MONASH
GreenkeepersRevenge(Stableford)
Saturday5th April2025.
AGrade Winner: G. Sanders36pts
BGrade Winner: M. Smith 34 pts
CGrade Winner: J. McCafferty34pts
DGrade Winner: L. Bevis 40 pts
D.T.L: 1. R. Zomer 34, 2. L. Chessum 33, 3. R. Sands,4.R.Able29, 5. A. Jenkins 28, 6. R. Davidson 28, 7. R. King 28, 8. B. Cluderay 28, 9. C. Gosling 27,10. P. Kearns 27
N.T.P: 3rdM.Bianconi, 5th P. Jordan, 12th A. West, 14th R. Madigan. Birdies: 3rdP.Flanigan, 5th P. Jordan. Eagle: 13th P. Chapple Target Hole: B. Jenkins
StablefordTuesday8th April 2025. Winner: G. Barnes 35 pts
D.T.L: S. Gosling35pts N.T.P: 3rdG.Barnes,5th V. Reid,12th C. Barnes,14th S. Turner
MIRBOONORTH
Tuesday8th April, Stableford
AGrade: JWinters (12) 38pts
BGrade: JMcFarlane (16) 34pts
DTL: SWoodall 37,T Bradshaw34, T Whitelaw33c/b NTP: 4th JSmeriglio,6th NWhichello,13th SBeitz, 16th GRenwick. Birdies: 4th JSmeriglio,6th TWhitelaw, j Gunn,16th JWinters,R Thompson. Eagles: SDuff17th, hole
Saturday12th April, Stableford.
AGrade:TimTraill, (3) 36pts c/b
BGrade: JRobbins (14) 38pts c/b
CGrade: JGunn (27) 38pts
DTL: CGunn 38, BRobinson 37,JMc Farlane,JConlan. JColeman, PWoodall, 36. NTP: 4th SMcKenzie,6th PWoodall, 13th
In local men’shockey 5s, Moe’s men’s team delivered adominant 10-3 victory over Traralgon Rovers.
Tim Hooper, making his debut for Moe, earned amostvaluable vote afteranimpressiveperformance. Star striker Daniel Godfrey had astandout game, netting an astonishing nine goals. For Traralgon Rovers, Sam Pollard, Russell Cluning, and debutant Rob Preston all found the back of the net.
In another thrilling encounter, Churchill defeated Traralgon 9-7 in ahigh-scoring affair.
Traralgon’s Hamish McCracken, also adebutant, scoredtwo goals in the loss. Churchill’s Mathew Wells was the standout player, netting ahat-trick, while Blake Billing contributed two goals. Brendan 'Spud'North and Edward Meredith each scored one goal, and debutantsEdward Meredith and Braydn Baker (as goalkeeper) added to the excitement.
Moe’s women’s team, featuring debutants Dannielle Dixon and KarinaKurzawa, faced off against Traralgon Rovers but suffereda6-3 defeat
The goals for Moe came from Claire Cake, Bec Cheater(whofilled in for the team), and Kerren Cake. It’s an exciting time for Moe Hockey Club, as they will field an entirely female team for the first time in many years. Maddy Hall, Charlie Murrell and Corrinne Metcalf were goal scorers for the Rovers.
Traralgon defeated Churchill 4-nil in the final matchofthe weekend, with WyattCobbledick scoring twice, Isla Godfrey addinganother, and Rebecca McDonald rounding off the scoring. Despite
points, before United turned the tide once again to run out to an eight-point quarter time lead.
United retaliated twice as hard in the second term, opening up a19-point lead as the halftime buzzer sounded.
Altona made their mark after halftime, winning the third quarter by nine points to bringthe margin back down to just 10.
But just as they had done for the majority of the game, United surged past the 20-point margin mark late in the piece.
US import JalinWimberly was on form once again with 28 points and amonster seven steals.
KodyTibballs provided agood optionwith20 points at 69 per cent accuracy.
Gippslandkeptits perfect recordintact and remain on top of the Division 1Men ladder.
AFIRST half calamity turned into afinal quarter delight for the women’s side.
Afirst half blow out saw United down by 16 points at the half.
United dragged the margin back into the single digits, giving themselves aslither of achance heading into the final quarter. But Surfcoast was due to attain their dominance back.
Gippsland came out firing though.
After Surfcoast grabbed two of the firstthree buckets of the final term, United went on a14-0 runtosteal the lead.
ACollins,16th JColeman. Birdies: 4th SMcKenzie,6th PWoodall, 13th NBickerton, 16th JColeman MORWELL
Women 9th April 2025 StablefordSilver Spoon Final
Winner of the Silver Spoon: CPeter 34 pts
DayEvent Winner:B Scurlock41pts
DTL: APollutro35pts NTP: 2ndA Pollutro11th APollutro15th C Peter MOE
Sunday, 06 April 2025 OPEN Sunday Medley
Grade AWinners: NICHOLS, Robert(3) 37
Grade BWinners: Holt, Richard(27) 38
Place Getters: McKeane,David 37 Donaldson, Murray 35
Sunday, 06 April 2025 OPEN Sunday9
hole Stableford
Grade AWinners: Clegg,Jeff(29) 19 Wednesday, 09 April 2025 WOMEN'S WEDNESDAY 9HOLEStableford
Rankin, Joyce(54) 18 C/B
Wednesday, 09 April 2025 WOMEN'S STABLEFORD
Grade AWinners: Stanlake, Helen (21) 39
Grade BWinners: Griggs,Andrea (34) 33
Place Getters: Donaldson, Leanne 38 Lang,Marj 35
Great Score: KathyBorgBirdie @2 Pat
Thompson Birdie @14
Nearest to Pin: 4th Andrea Griggs 8th Marj
Lang 14th Christine Elliot
Target Hole Prize- Marj Lang
Thursday, 10 April 2025: OPEN Mixed
Stableford
Grade AWinners: NICHOLS, Robert(3) 41
Grade BWinners: Stanlake, Christopher (12) 39
Churchill’sbest efforts, Traralgon’s offensive firepower proved too much. Debuts for Churchill wereKylie Collins and Sandy Young. Churchill are very excited to welcome back club stalwarts Ashlee Morfitt and Isabel Stewart after extended absences from local hockey.
IN Round 2ofthe Hockey Victoria state league, the Latrobe Valley Hockey Association Wolves’ men'sand women'srepresentativeteams faced atough weekend on the road, with the women taking on Frankston Hockey Club at Frankston on Saturday, April 12 and the men travelling to Drouinfor aSundayclash against reigningpremier, the Gippsland Strikers.
In challenging heat, the LVHA women delivered agrittyperformance in aclosely contested match. Possession was evenly shared between the teams throughout, providing an exciting match for all spectators.GoalkeeperSteph Langstaff wasa standout, pulling off astringofoutstanding saves to deny Frankston on multiple occasions. Despiteholding strong for much of the game, Latrobe Valley conceded the only goal in the third quarter.Determinedtobounce back, the Wolves created several scoring opportunities, but Frankston’s disciplined defence held firm to the final whistle.
Aspecial moment in the match was the Vic League debut of 12-year-old Isla Godfrey, who rose to the occasion with composure beyond her years. She came agonisingly close to scoring, breaking awayinto aone-on-one with the Frankston keeper. Facing the 2024 premier,the LVHA men started
No changes were madetothe scoreboard for two minutes, looking to go down to the wire.
Surfcoast grabbed the lead,but it would be for the last time, as United conjured another convincing 12-0 run to tilt the points in their favour.
Captain Lauren Tuplin led the way with 24 points and 12 rebounds, scoring over 55 per cent. Ellie Coutts (19 points), Alahna Arnason (15 points, 14 rebounds), and MishClarke(11 points, four steals) all contributed well.
United moved into thirdonthe ladder with a3-1 record,handing Surfcoast its first loss of the season.
THERE will be no Big Vgames involving Gippsland United over the Easter long weekend, with play returning in Round 5onApril 26.
UNITED travelled away for the first time this season the round before, winning both grades.
Gippsland United Men secured their third straight win in Division 1, afterdefeating Craigieburn 92-87 at Craigieburn Sports Stadium on Sunday, April 6.
Facing aseven-point deficit heading into halftime, United responded well.
Wimberly top-scored with 23 points, eight rebounds,and three assists, followed by captain Ben Barlow with 19 points and nine reboundsand Joel Winderlich off the bench with 13 points and seven rebounds.
Gippsland United Women travelled to Rosebud Basketball Stadiumand defeatedSouthern
Grade CWinners: Griggs,Daryl (16) 39
Grade DWinners:Tsebelis,Peter (20) 44
Place Getters: Matthews,Max 42 Jenkins, Andrew 40 C/B Johnson, Tony 40 Hall, Bill
38 C/B Gauci, Anthony38Meyer, Dirk37
C/B Pisa, John 37 C/BDunstan, Craig 37 C/B Murphy, Enda 37 C/B Beveridge,Eric
37 C/B Swanson,Ben 37 C/BBrien, Kevin 37 C/BCropley, Mike 37 Eastaway,Karl36
C/B Taylor,Amy 36 C/B McGrath, Patty36
C/B Langstaff, Jay36C/B Bullen, Danny
36 C/B
Great Score: Daniel Schneider (Eagle) @12ANTHONY MOSCATO(Eagle)
@3 Steven Hibbs (Birdie) @4 Andrew Shearing (Birdie) @4 John Pisa (Birdie) @ 14 Charles Weir (Birdie) @8Patty McGrath (Birdie) @8Graeme Wilson (Birdie) @8 Christopher Stanlake(Birdie) @14John Harber (Birdie) @14Daryl Griggs (Birdie)
@8
Nearest to Pin: 4th Steven Hibbs 8th Daryl Griggs14th Brian Dooley
Saturday, 12 April 2025 Brian Rankin
Memorial OPEN Medley 4BBB Stableford
Overall Winners: 1st: Bruerton, Brendan & Alan Holcombe 47 2nd: Johnson, Tony &Johnson, Charles
45 C/B 3rd: Veenman, Laurie &Dooley, Brian 45 C/B 4th: Kovacevic,Daniel &Hamilton, Matt
45 C/B
Place Getters: Radovich, David & Donnison, Terry44 C/B Mifsud, David &Mifsud, Helen 44 Hefford,Robert& Metcalfe, Mark43 C/B Juhasz, Daniel & Fazioli, Mark43 C/BWilkinson, Wally& Kerr,Graham 43 C/B Rodaughan, Peter& RANKIN, SAM43
GreatScore: Phil Backman (Birdie) @14
Dale Collings 1(Birdie) @4
Nearest to Pin: 4th Dale Collings 4th Helen Stanlake8th PeterStanlake8th KarenShaw 10th Justin Jamieson 2nd Shot 10th Kathy
strong in hot conditions,showingresilience and cohesion in ahigh-intensity contest,that led to a4-2 loss.
Daniel Godfrey opened the scoring in sensational style in the first quarter, converting abrilliant run into the circle after asharp midfield pass from Andrew Glazzard. Godfrey was tripped by the Strikers’goalkeeper mid-run but still managed to volley the ball into the net mid-air –a highlight reel moment and clear goal of the match.
Latrobe Valley doubled their lead in the second quarter through Connor Shingles, who capitalised on ashort corner scramble to slot home a well-earned second.Withstrongpossession and composed play, Latrobe Valley took a2-1 lead into thehalf.
The Wolves continued to press, but Strikers' starforward Matt Zurrer proved dangerous in transition, eventually netting fourgoals– including two quick onesinthe final quarter to swing the momentum. Despite several promising attacks, Latrobe Valley couldn’t find an equaliser and conceded afinal goal in the dying minutes. Ian Goodwin was strong in goal, making several top-class saves to keep LVHA in the game, while Tim Hooper and Russell Cluning impressed in their Vic League debuts.
There were no local games last weekend due to the school holidays.
For more information about trying hockey or joininga team,callKelly Godfrey on 0412 079 981 or email president.lvha@gmail.com. Juniors and seniors all welcome, no experience required.
Peninsula, 73-64 in their Round 3hit out. Tuplin led from the front with 22 points, seven rebounds and five assists, with Coutts adding 17 points and 12 rebounds.
Borg 2nd Shot 14th Jack Scullin 14th Karen
ShawDale Kerr Best 9InJohn Harber Best 9InPeter Buckman Best 9Out Murray Donaldson Best 9Out
TRAFALGAR
Friday,April 11th 2025, Open Men’s& Ladies Stableford
AGrade Winner: Jess McGrath 43 pts
BGrade Winner: Alf Privitera39pts
DTL's: Ryan Mortimer 40, PeterSmith 40, IanDuncan 37,Jackson Giles 37,MattRoyal 37,Wayne Robbins 37,JackThommas 36, NickRowe36C/B
Birdies: 5th: PeterSmith, Bob Baldry, Adrian Jones,Chris Porto11th: Rohan Berkhout, UweTomski 13th:DickSheehan 15th:Rohan Berkhout, Ben Smith, Chris Porto
Saturday,April12th 2025, Parent &Child 4BBB Stableford
Parent &Child Winners: ScottMcKinnon & Matilda McKinnon 52
OverflowWinners: Vic Hill &Rob Cusworth-Warner 47
DTL’s: LukeBrian &Nic Blake46, Tony Gray &NickGray46, AnthonyGould &Bill Williams 45, Graeme Grant &Phil Grant 45, Graeme Ayre &Phil James 45
Eagle: 6th: Dwayne Jenkins
NTP’s: 2nd: Tony Gray 5th: Dwayne Jenkins
11th:Bruce Aplin 13th:Zavier O’Reilly15th: LukeBrain –Charli Killee
Tuesday08/04/2025 -Ambrose
Players: 27,Women 3, Men 24
Winners: Chris Griffin, GeoffFallon, Sue DeVries (29.50)
RunnersUp: Vic Hill, Ivan Grant, Tony Price,AnthonyCunningham (29.67)
DTL: MaxPugliese,Steve Gould, Ray Williams,Duane Baker (30.37)
NTP: BevKeily(5th)
Thursday: 10/04/2025-Stroke/Monthly Medal
Players: 49, Women 14,Men 35
Women’s Winner: Lorna Risol (30)
Runner Up: Jo Baker (33)
ScratchWinner: KarenSwingler (47)
DTL: Beth Lansdown (35), Cheryl Deppeler (36), Aija Owen (36), Sue Williams (36)
NTP: Lorna Risol (15th)
Par3 Event: Lorna Risol, KarenSwingler
Men's Winner: Graeme Grant (27)
Runner Up: SteveGould (30)
ScratchWinner: SteveKlemke(41)
DTL: Laurie Snowball (32), PatO'Connell (32), John Hanley(33), PeterCooke(34), RobDeVries (34), Chris Griffin(35)
NTP: Chris Griffin(15th)
Par3 Event: SteveGould, Russ Balfour YALLOURN
Ladies.April Monthly Medal.Thursday 10-4-25
Winner: Judy Budge (43)110=67
DTL: BetsyBrown (23)=71 Betty Dobson (26)=72
NTP: 2nd Evelyn Graske8th Evelyn Graske
Target hole 12th Donna Brown. 14th Betsy Brown16th Judy Budge
Count Putts: Lola Carter 28 putts
By KATRINABRANDON
NO MERCY was the name of the S-Trend Table Tennis Victorian Open on April 5and 6, with thestate’sbest table tennisplayers coming to the Gippsland Regional Indoor Sports Stadium. More than 300 players attended, includinglocal, state-wide, and some internationals.
Unfortunately for Traralgon players, the competition was fierce.
Local players were lucky to win oneoreventwo games as they entered the draws for each section. In doubles games, Traralgon playersteamed together in most games.
The open sections started with Traralgon’s Heath Spasato entering the Open Men’s games and Katrina Brandon entering the Women’s. Unfortunately for both players, their opponents were too strong, beating them in three sets. Spasato’sgames started against Croydonplayer Yugandh Kiran Zende and Table TennisVictoria player David Segal. In atoughbattle, Spasato couldn’t quitetip the scalesagainst Zende, scoring 9-11, 6-11, and 10-12. If that game wasn’t challenging enough, Segal stepped up to the plate, taking the game.
Croydon’s Ellen Walker and India’s Riti Shankarthrashed Brandon with no mercy. Keeping it steady, Brandon stood 2-11 in all games againstShankar, but managedtoscore four points in the second setagainst Walker, whichshe easily adjusted her game to in the following set.
Shankar made it to the championships for the Women’s Open but was eliminated in the first round, along with Zende, who followed the same fate in the Men’s Open.
In the Over 60s, Traralgon’s Noel Burns, Brian JConsidine, Peter Gomez, and Jeff Pollard tooktothe table.Unfortunately, all Traralgon players also took an individual hit as opponents overpowered them. Gomez,Pollard, and Burns managed to take points off their opponents, but sadly didn’t take the games.
Sale’sSharon Collins, whoalsoplayswith Traralgon and Bairnsdale, aimed for the Over 60 Women’s Singles, but also succumbed to the fate of the other local players. Traralgon’sSheila Whiteheadfollowed suit in the Over 70 Women’s Singles.
Turning in aslightlymore positivenote for Traralgon, Mick Warr managed to take awin in the Over 40s against Greater Dandenong’s Karthik Kumarasamy. Warr won the game 11-8, 11-7, and 13-11. Next against Warr was Segal, who ran each other into the second set with Mick losing 6-11, 2-11, 11-3 and 7-11.
Double troublefrom Traralgon,Mark Strini and PeterGomez teamedupfor the Over 50 Men’s Doubles. The team played against Segal and teammate David Pui, who once again took agame off Traralgon players.
Other doubles at the time included the Over 60 Men’s, Over 60 Women’s, Over 70 Women’s and Over30Men’s.
Getting things done, the Warr brothers were a furious duo in the Over 30s, beating out Croydon’s John Chan and Greater Dandenong’s Amal Dias.
The Warr brothers (Steve and Mick) won 11-8, 11-6,9-11and 11-6, not letting the other team come back from their win in the third set. Unfortunately,the other teams weren’t so lucky, featuring Traralgon’s Jeff Pollard and Brian
Considineinthe Over 60s, Sheila Whitehead and Glenys Marchesiinthe Over 70s, and Sharon Collins and Shepparton’s Kam Wong in the Over 60 Women’s.
The Over 60s Mixed Doubles featured Collins and Considine, who were beaten by Geelong’s Debbie Wilson and Wayne Greeves.
Making it to the second round in the Over 65’s Mixed Doubles, Whitehead and Pollard beat Shepparton’sKam Wong and Graeme Edwardsin foursets. Croydon’s Jeff Dever and Anne Bellion managedtobeat Whitehead and Pollard in the next round in threesets, with the duo fighting for the game to flip. The Traralgon duo managed to increase scores each round, which were 6-11, 8-11 and 10-12.
Traralgon’s Burns and Marchesi also played in the Over 65 Mixed Doublesbut unfortunately didn’t make it into thesecondround
Next lambstothe slaughter saw Brandon and Spasato heading for the Twentitessingles. The first round passed quicker than it began, with Brandon losing to Greater Dandenong’s Ryan McMahon, even making the scoreboard nervous, breaking midway through set one.
If that game wasn’t enough, Coburg’s Sho Kawasaki came along next and took Brandon out of the running for the next round.
Spasatomadesecond in his grouping, but didn’t quite makeitinto the Championships as Walker swooped in, beating him in three sets. Spasato’s grouping threw challenging games at him, but he was able to take agame in four sets against ScorpioTable Tennis Academy’s Ananya Krishna.
The Over 65 Men’s Singlessaw Burns and Pollard unlucky with their pairings.
Steve Warr lost his first game in the Over 30
Men’s Singles but tookout his secondagainst GreaterDandenong’s Tarun Sharma. The loss wasn’t so much for Warr as he took two sets off Croydon’s Harsh Madaan. The incredible feat from Madaan brought him into the Championships for his age group.
Following the theme of the day, Strini and Gomez were unlucky in the Over 50s Men’s Singles.
Finally, ranking games followed the end of the day, and many faced off with other people near their ranking.
Making it to thethird round, Considine won in four against Croydon’s Alan Chan but got swept out in the semi-finals of the Under 1000 Rankings. Otherswho also competed in that section included Whitehead, Gavin Carrigg, Burns, and Collins, who were all unlucky in their draws.
In the Under 1400s,Gomez won against Coburg’sRossDemirel in four sets,makingit to Round 3, where Warrnambool’s Rehan Iqbal later took him out.
Going back to the Under 800s, Brandon made it past the first challenger, Croydon’s Maya Madaan. Brandonpassed through with flying colours, only to be battered down by Sunshine’s Leonie Anstey in the next section.
Another return wasmadebySpasato,who played in the Under 1700sand won the first round against Sunshine’s MKaunain Beg in three.
Traralgon’s Maya Gomez played in the juniors section of the weekend, but had the same fate as the rest of the local players.
BY BLAKE METCALF-HOLT
PULLING ajunior side together last minute is one thing -togoonand win it? That’s something else entirely.
The ‘Gippy Goats’ secured the Under 9s Championship at the Bendgio Boys &Girls Cup recently, having virtually formed out of thin air.
With Gippsland United Football Club entering Under 12 Pre-NPL development teams for both preseasontournaments at the Bulleen Cup and Bendigo Boys &Girls Cup, an Under 9s squad was formed as they ventured to Bendigo.
BY TOM HAYES
MOE’S Teagan Micah has made an incredible case to be elevated to the Matildas’ starting goalkeeper, following yet another clean sheet in afriendly against South Korea.
Replacing the injured McKenzie Arnold, Micah startedbothfriendliesingoalfor the Matildas.
Reported last week, the Matildas won the first friendly1-nil,followinganown goal from South Korean defenderLim Seon-joo.
Yet in the second friendly, Micahkept asecond successive clean sheet, following the Matildas’ 2-nil win over South Korea in Newcastle on Monday, April 7.
Australia commanded the ball much more than the first game, racking up 16 shots (seven on target) to SouthKorea’s nine (one on target). Despite this, Micah made the one and only save she was forced to make.
Mary Fowler scored the opener just minutes before the halftime whistle, as defenderKaitlyn Torpey double the lead to secure the win just after the hour mark.
The Australian national women’s side is 16th in the FIFA rankings,while Korea Republic is not too far behind in 19th.
Callsfor Micahtoovertake Arnold as the nation’s Number 1goalkeeper have made waves, and keeping two clean sheets does hold her in good stead.
Micah has started in net for Women’s Super League sideLiverpool all season, who are currently sixth in the 12-team competition.
Arnold was the formercaptainofWSL side West Ham (currently seventh), before she decided to move to the US to play for PortlandThorns, as the NationalWomen’s Soccer League season got underway last month.
The Matildas’ next two fixtures are scheduled for May 30 and June 2- another pair of friendlies, this time against Argentina at Marvel Stadium andGIO Stadium, Canberra respectively.
Argentina are ranked 33rd in the FIFA women’s rankings.
MoreSoccer -Page31
The catalyst was primarily siblings from the under 12s side who expressed adesire to play on the weekend.
Afteranofficial Latrobe Valley Soccer League U9s team fellthrough, the ‘Gippy Goats’ were formed and headed across to Bendigo for an extra hit out before the LVSL season got underway.
Coach Dave Duncan said it was agreat experience for the kids to interact with other junior players they maynot have necessarily played with otherwise.
“Some of them actually never knew each other untilthe day of the first game because the boys couldn’t make training, we only had two sessions of training because everyone’s really busy with other stuff, and this wasn’t apriority, it was just abit of fun,” he said.
“So, we had acouple of sessions on aSunday morning beforehand, which we got about six or seven, and then we all met (that weekend) at Bendigo.”
It created agreat atmosphere for the Gippsland representative sides, with the U12 boys and parentswatching and cheering on the younger group of players as they gained steamthroughout the weekend.
“The first game was pretty rusty and we got beaten 4-1, and then after that it started to click and by the end, Iwas very confident we would be competitive in the final,” Duncan said.
“It was amazing, the comradery. That was the most proud thing of thewhole weekend, how they came together because, like Isaid, they hadn’t played before at all.”
The ‘Gippy Goats’ played Williams Landing Football Club, an alleged academyteam in the final, and pulled out avictorytothe delight of everyone on and off the field.
“Everyone was stoked, it was such agood, positive buzz around all the kids,” Duncan said.
“We made areal point about everyone getting gametime,itwasn’t arep team where resultswere imperative,itwas about havingfun (and) making new friends, and they did that.”
Players featured from Traralgon Oympians, Moe United, Tyers, and Sale United.
The winning ‘Gippy Goats’ team was: Alexander Lisecki, Rafael Hortis, Archie Sedgwick, Bryn Wakeham, Elijah Kamanyi, Harry Duncan, Nixon Dugan, Cohen Slotje and Leo Riess.
ATHLETICS HARRIERS
ONLY the best do the Traralgon Mara.
Now in its 58thyear,the 2025 Traralgon Marathon and Running Festival is atruly unique running experience, taking in the historic Gippsland Plains Rail Trail.
If you haven’tsignedup, now is your time to join and avoid missing out.
Runners set off on awell marked course, receive afreelunch,finisher’s medal, and best of allexperience the friendliest marathon in the country hosted by the Traralgon Harriers. It all takes placeonSunday, June 1withfull marathon,half marathon and 10km events available.
The Traralgon Marathon is steeped in history as the oldest current marathon in Australia.
Entries strictly limited, so get in fast at: traralgonmarathon.org.au/register/ MoreHarriers-Page50
THE 2025 ACC Inline HockeyChampionships have returnedtoMoe’sSTADIUM34from today (Wednesday, April 16) until Monday, April 21.
This year’s tournament is set to be bigger than ever, with elite teams from across Australia and New Zealand competing for the prestigious ACC Championship title. The event will showcase high-intensity competition across six divisions: Pro, Divisions 1-3, Masters, and Women’s.
STADIUM34 Manager, MattBeatson, has been preparing for the tournamentsince mid-2024 and is thrilled about this year’s expanded international participation.
“We are excited to welcome five teams from New Zealand to this year’s championships, making it one of the mostinternationally diverse tournaments in ACC history,” Beatson said.
“Thecompetitionisset to be fierce, and we know the players are ready to put on an incredible display of inline hockey.”
The ACC continues to have astrong impact on the Gippsland community,drawing in players,families, and fans from acrossthe region and beyond.
“This event is ahighlight of the year for inline hockey in Australia,” Beatson added.
“We encourage everyone to come down to STADIUM34 over Easter and experience six days of fast-paced, high-energy hockey.” The tournament is amust-see event for sports fans, showcasingthe very best in inline hockey talent.
For more information,including the schedule, visit: stadium34.com.au/acc
MoreHockey- Page 51
Community: The Traralgon Marathon and Running Festival is fast approaching.Those interested in taking partare encouraged to register nowtoavoid missing out
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Target: Average -26, Good -40, Excellent -54+
