Alpine Observer - Myrtleford Times 150623

ROARING TO RUN

Snow visits on hold

By BRODIE EVERIST

VISITORS filled Bright over the King’s Birthday long weekend, with many heading up the mountains for the resort’s opening weekend, but reports suggest many are waiting until good snow cover is more certain before making the trip.

Bright and District Chamber of Commerce vice president Marcus Warner said bookings over the weekend were as strong as usual for this time of year.

“Whilst the resorts didn’t have a lot of ski lifts open, people still

came up for snow play,” he said.

“Most people followed through on their original bookings from several months ago, and I didn’t hear very much about last minute cancellations.”

Mr Warner said visitors for the snow have likely waited until later in the season before making bookings for the snow season, to better guarantee the opportunity to ski or snowboard.

“It’s clear from a number of accommodation businesses that they do have vacancies for the next couple of weeks,” he said.

“I imagine a lot of people from

Melbourne and externally over the border, are just sitting and waiting until there’s enough snow for skiing to happen.”

Mr Warner said it was possible the town was busier due to more people staying in Bright instead of heading up the mountain.

“It seemed to be busy throughout the day as well, which is more common when there’s no skiing going on up on the hill,” he said.

“Maybe people spent longer in Bright and the area, just enjoying their second or third coffee instead.”

Mill Cudmore, co-owner and

operator of a local hotel, said they had fewer bookings than usual for this time of year, but they are fielding interest for later in the season.

“It’s the first year that we haven’t been full on this long weekend,” she said.

“We’ve got a lot of phone calls for July, August, which is pretty much guaranteed snow.”

But despite the lower bookings she said the town felt busy due to the lack of skiing at resorts.

“I think all the people that normally would do a day trip to Buffalo or somewhere to look at

the snow, they had nothing to do,’ she said.

“I think that gave us a false sense of feeling busier than what it actually is.”

Meanwhile, in Myrtleford caravan park owner Joe Joyce said she has had some cancellations due to the lack of snow at resorts, though most visitors to Myrtleford are happy to see local sights.

“We’re losing a few bookings at the moment because there’s no snow forecast,” she said.

“People aren’t going to spend a lot of money on going up there not to see anything.”

BANJO and Mya Badrock (left), and Angus Borschmann (right) all competed in the 5km Wandi Cross last Saturday, while Penny Blake looked on as they completed the gruelling mountain trek. Story page 14

PHOTO: Brodie Everist

Business suggest wage rise impact

By BRODIE EVERIST

SHIRE businesses have suggested the recent 5.75 per cent increase to the minimum award wage, as announced by the Fair Work Commission last month, may impact consumers.

Vice president of the Bright Chamber of Commerce Marcus Warner said most businesses had factored in around a 3.5 per cent wage increase.

“Whilst we did expect a wage increase, we probably didn’t see it as being of that magnitude,” he said.

“A lot of businesses that are really doing it tough, struggling for good labour at the moment anyway, are probably paying above award.

“The outside influence of further increases will only make that more challenging for businesses and I think ultimately, they’re going to start passing that on to the consumer.”

Sally Broderick, owner of a Bright hotel, said they pay award rates, and the increase may cut the services they provide or increase costs to customers.

“It might restrict how many rooms we open and how long we keep staff on or how late we operate,” she said.

“I understand that the cost of living is going up.

“But ultimately that’s going to be passed on to the consumer at some point.”

MUSIC MAKERS

All quiet in town

MYRTLEFORD has seen a less busy King’s Birthday weekend than usual, according to local businesses, but no one was able to attribute a single cause to the slump.

“Going on our figures, it was a fair bit down on last year,” local publican Len Lowry said.

Mr Lowry suggested higher interest rates and other economic factors were stopping people from

King’s birthday visitation down on last gyyyear

BY BRODIE EVERIST beverist@ nemedia.com.au

travelling.

“We didn’t have the big Saturday night, which we did last year,” he said.

Caravan park owner Joe Joyce said it had been “a little bit bleak”, but thought they

had a few more visitors than last year.

She said they took in a group of caravanners who had their plans disrupted from floods in the King Valley.

“They were quite happy that they still had their weekend away,” she said.

Ms Joyce said she had some cancellations due to the lack of snow at resorts, though most visitors to Myrtleford are

happy to see local sights.

“We’re losing a few bookings at the moment because there’s no snow forecast,’ she said.

“People aren’t going to spend a lot of money on going up there not to see anything.”

Jim van Geet, president of the Myrtleford Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said it had been a quiet weekend, but couldn’t say what was

behind it.

Maybe it’s the extreme cold weather that’s done that,” he said.

“Through the day it’s been relatively quiet compared with previous years - nighttime was pretty busy because all the eateries were open.

“Although I’ve noticed there’s a procession of cars stretching all the way back from Myrtleford to Ovens of people coming back from the mountains.”

Tracy Hamilton and her band were entertaining a wide group of kids and families at the Savoy Club’s community smorgasbord last Sunday.

PHOTO: Brodie Everist

Students lend a helping hand

By LEAH ANDERSON-BYRNE

LOCAL native species of birds and gliders have more options for shelter, thanks to the hard work of Myrtleford P-12 vocational major students and Myrtleford Landcare.

The students worked together with Landcare members to install six additional nesting boxes along the Ovens River walk and Mosaic

rail, near Rotary Park.

Myrtleford P-12 teacher Andrew Murray said the kids love to get hands on outdoors.

“It’s all about building teamwork, leadership and collaboration with community groups and giving back to community,” he said.

“It’s encouraging the students to participate with volunteer organisations.

“They enjoy looking after the environment and being out hands-on participating in the environment and seeing the impact we’ve had on it and what we can do about improving it.”

Myrtleford Landcare secretary Glenda Janas said the group loves to network within the community.

“We love networking with the younger generation espe-

cially, it’s great to see,” she said.

“The students were really enthusiastic about the project and Mr Murray has been fabulous in supporting us and keeping them involved.

“The nesting boxes are just continuing what we’ve been doing along the Mosaic Trail for attraction for birds and other native species like gliders, who can nest in there.”

Brass yourself for a great afternoon of music

By LEAH ANDERSON-BYRNE

BRIGHT is set to play host this weekend to around 200 brass band members and admirers as they come together for the third annual Alpine Brass Festival.

Organiser and local conductor Fenella O’Sullivan said the event was a passion project of local brass lovers.

“A team from Bright Chalet with Skunkworks Community wanted to bring local-ish bands together with players from other regional areas and metropolitan Melbourne to celebrate what we do,” she said.

“We wanted to create something enjoyable for participants and the audience so we have music from all genres from traditional brass band pieces to more modern pop and entertainment music.

“The ages of players range from 10 to 80 and we’ve got the Victorian State Youth Brass Band playing.

“Skunkworks Community helped relaunch the band last year so proceeds go to them to support their projects and tours.

“We’ll also have Hyde Street Youth Band and Glenferrie Brass; an A grade band in the top three in Victoria.”

Fenella, who has played trombone since she was seven years old and is now musical director of the Wodonga Brass band, said it’s a lovely, relaxing afternoon enjoying live music played by people who love doing what they’re doing.

“My husband’s parents have been involved in Wodonga Brass

for around 20 years and we all just love playing,” she said.

“The band was promoted to C grade last year which was exciting for everyone.

“I was lucky enough to have lots of great musical experience in my childhood and early adult life that led me here and I did my degree in trombone before moving to Bright.

“Teachers along the way encouraged me to conduct as well so they saw that potential in me which was wonderful.

“I started trombone when I could barely reach the end of the slide and have just loved it forever.

“To me the sound of a brass band is really unique, there’s a richness you can’t emulate in any other band style.

“It’s also a great community of people; I grew up playing in Melbourne and I’m friends with those people; it’s a hobby that we really connect with people with.”

The festival will be held this Saturday from 1pm at the Bright Entertainment Centre with tickets at the door.

Police step up patrolling roads to alpine resorts

By BRODIE EVERIST

LOCAL police have warned they will be doing more breath testing and drug testing this season, with the opening weekend already seeing one man allegedly testing positive for drink driving and being under the influence of drugs.

Senior Sergeant Doug Incoll of Bright Police said the public should expect to see a lot more breath test-

ing and drug testing at the resorts this season.

He said while driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol was always risky, the conditions at the snow resorts make it particularly dangerous due to slippery roads and limited visibility.

The warning comes after police intercepted a motorist who allegedly tested positive for drugs and drink driving last Sunday between Mount

Hotham and Dinner Plain.

According to Sen Sgt Incoll, the Craigeburn man was going to see the fireworks at Dinner Plain when intercepted by police at around 5:30pm.

Sen Sgt Incoll also reminded motorists heading to the snow resorts to carry snow chains and fit them when required, or face heavy fines and the risk of a dangerous incident.

“People lose traction and slide

over the edge,” he said.

“If they’re not fitted it can lead to tragedy.”

According to Sen Sgt Incoll, when within resort boundaries motorists can be fined $370 for failing to carry chains and $925 for failing to fit them when required.

Outside of resort boundaries motorists can be fined $370 for disobeying road signs indicating the need for snow chains.

GIVING BACK: Vocational major students from Myrtleford P-12, including Georgia McCrae and Bryce Peacock helped the local landcare group members, including Alex Jones build homes for local species.

SPLISH SPLASH: Myrtleford received 46.2 mm of rain over Thursday and Friday last week.

PHOTO: Brodie Everist

Fronts bring wet start to winter

By BRODIE EVERIST

THE Alpine Shire received a soaking last week, the result of two east-moving fronts passing over the state.

According to the Myrtleford TAFCO weather monitor, the town received 31.4mm of rain on Thursday and 14.8mm on Friday.

The weather monitor in Coral Bank recorded 29.4mm of rain on Thursday, while on Friday it recorded 24.2mm.

As of Thursday morning the Bureau of Meteorology had published minor flood warnings for the Ovens and Kiewa Rivers.

Myrtleford SES controller David Coates said they were only called to one incident over the two days of rain, attending a house on Buffalo Creek Road at risk of flood on Thursday morning.

According to Mr Coates, four SES members placed around 30 sandbags at the lowest door entry point.

As of Monday 9am, the Bureau of Meteorology was predicting isolated showers in the North East on Wednesday and falling as snow above 1200m.

The BOM also predicted a high chance of showers in the North East today, most likely in the morning and afternoon.

For Mount Hotham and Falls Creek, the BOM was predicting high chances of snow showers over the rest of this week.

COMING TOGETHER: Alpine Brass Festival is back this weekend, much to the excitement of local musicians and organisers Fenella and Nathan O’Sullivan.

PHOTO: Brodie Everist

Youth support program funding to cease

By BRODIE EVERIST

FUNDING for Alpine Youth Support Services, a collection of mental health programs provided by North East Support and Action for Youth (NESAY) and Alpine Health, will end this month unless further funding can be found, according to NESAY chief executive officer Leah Waring.

Ms Waring said NESAY-delivered services, including school counsellors at high schools and for grades five and six, would end by June 30 un-

less more money is supplied, either through the Department of Health or by reallocating NESAY’s own funds.

“We are strongly advocating and looking for ways to be able to continue the program,” she said.

“It might be in a more refined model, it might only be back at secondary schools - we’ll look at ways we can make it work.

“We are very keen to continue providing support to the Alpine Shire.”

Ms Waring said the program is an effective early intervention and col-

laborative model for youth mental health, where NESAY-provided school counsellors could easily refer young people to Alpine Health psychologists and those psychologists could refer them back to the counsellors as needed.

“People were able to access the services at an earlier point so things didn’t necessarily get to a critical stage,” she said.

“We saw school engagement and retention also increased, as we’re able to support people through those critical

moments that are happening for them.

“It was a really seamless and coordinated collaborative way of providing services for young people.”

She said it has also been independently assessed by the University of Melbourne.

“We know it works, and we have an independent evaluation that demonstrates it works,” she said.

According to NESAY, the services were funded for two years through Emergency Recovery Victoria after the 2019-2020 bushfires, but Ms War-

Council notes quarterly performance report

By BRODIE EVERIST

ALPINE Shire Council noted their Quarterly Performance Report for the quarter ending March 31 at their council meeting last month, with the recommendation before council stating progress is being made on delivering key aspects of council’s broad four-year plan.

The performance report updates the community on council’s progress with their Alpine Shire Council Plan 2021-25,

consisting of five strategic directives, and within those, various objectives, strategies and actions to meet those directives.

The recommendation before council highlighted several recent efforts by council to meet their broad strategic drivers, including ongoing community engagement through community pop-ups, the facilitation of major events, the soon-to-commence FOGO waste kerbside collection service, and council’s new organisational structure.

Cr Katarina Hughes said the community pop-ups were a positive step for council and particularly noted chief executive officer Will Jeremy’s efforts in community engagement.

“Council staff, councillors have been involved these popups, having good honest conversations, back and forth queries from people asking all sorts of questions and I think it’s been a really positive shift in mindset for a lot of people,” she said.

Cr Tony Keeble said he wanted

the public to know council staff are working to alleviate delays in planning decisions, but this is an issue across many councils.

“I can assure people that the directors here and the CEO are working very hard behind the scenes to get staff and move thing along,” he said.

“It will take a little time, but we’re all aware of it and I just want to reiterate the leadership that’s been shown internallythey’re working hard towards solutions.”

ing said impacts from the bushfire are likely still being felt.

“We knew prior to the bushfires that young people were needing these services,” she said.

“The data around young people needing mental health services is quite strong and shows that the incidence of young people needing support is quite high.

“When you lay over the top of that the trauma around bushfires and the impacts of COVID we absolutely believe it’s still needed.”

Hooded figure linked to Myrtleford burglary

WANGARATTA Crime Investigation

Unit (CIU) officers are seeking public assistance to identify an individual linked to a burglary at a Myrtleford supermarket earlier this year.

Police believe the individual may be able to assist with their investigation, following the April 14 incident.

Police also released a CCTV image of the person, who is depicted wearing a unique patterned hoodie with dark cuffs.

The hood is covering the person’s face. Anyone with information is urged to contact Wangaratta CIU on 03 5723 0888 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 and cite reference number 230133978.

Flu Vaccine Clinic

BELOVED BUTCHERS: Ricardi’s Alpine Gourmet Meats will be closing their doors for the final time this Saturday as owners Janis Madden and Peter Ricardi have made the tough decision to retire after 20 years supplying the town.

PHOTO: Brodie Everist

PUZZLE

Farmland in demand across the state pushes prices higher

BY LEAH ANDERSON-BYRNE landersonbyrne@ nemedia.com.au

FARMLAND values are continuing to rise, and remain in demand across the Alpine Shire, reflecting state and national trends.

The recently released 2023 Rural Bank Australian Farmland Values Report shows a 20 per cent rise in growth for 2022, keeping pace with growth in 2021 and being the first time in the last 28 years that growth of more than 15 per cent was recorded across all states and territories.

Victoria‘s farmland values continued to break records again in 2022 following a year of strong growth in 2021.

The report said Victoria has seen a transition growth of 26.3 per cent in a median price growth over 12 months with a 44.6 per cent transaction or volume decrease which means property owners are holding onto their land and making land availability low with plenty of buyers trying to enter the market causing prices to spike.

Kathryn Davies, of Rural Bank (Victoria), said the slowdown in transaction numbers reflected buyer caution and deeper business consideration

IN DEMAND: Farmland values continue to rise across Victoria due to demand.

off the back of rising interest rates and input costs.

Paul and Scollard Real Estate Myrtleford and District sales representative Bernard Ivone said the local market was on trend, with some changes in the last few months.

“Enquiries have slowed down for all types of properties, not just rural,” he said.

“There doesn‘t seem to be the urgency there was in the market and it‘s probably due to a number of factors like interest rates numbers and there were more buyers before the drop off; both local farmers looking to expand

and out of the area.

“I think it will level off for a while, that seems to be the trend over the 20 odd years I‘ve been doing this.

“That‘s not a bad thing as far as the market‘s concerned as it‘s not sustainable to be full–on for long periods.

“This data is pretty similar to other years although in the last few years we‘ve seen a lot more people who haven‘t been in farming or primary production before looking to get into it.

“In the past we‘ve had a lot of farmers looking to expand their properties but that paused

when cattle prices were at a premium so now that they‘ve come back to normal it‘s taken a bit of heat off the market.”

The 2023 Rural Bank Australian Farmland Values Report revealed farmland transactions in 2022 equated to a total of 8.8 million hectares of land traded at a combined value of $11.7 billion.

“To put this market activity into perspective, the total number of hectares of Australian farmland sold in 2022 equates to an area similar in size to that of a European country, such as Hungary,” Mr Smith said.

run an election Love to lead?

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Previous electoral experience is not essential. However, you must:

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ctober ilability for around this time her information, Applications close at 5 pm on Friday 14 July 2023.

Mount Beauty medical staff nominated for health awards

TWO of our Mount Beauty Medical Centre staff have been nominated for the Victorian Rural Health Awards 2023. Dr Laura Zagorski was honoured for the Outstanding Contribution by a Rural GP, and Patricia Ryder for Rural Generalist for Outstanding Contribution to a Rural Practice Management

Beauty and District Men’s Shed planned a 4WD day trip to Blairs Hut in the Upper West Kiewa Valley.

The trip involved members with suitable vehicles transporting other members on the trip which was all up around 80kms.

and the boys wanted to see them in place so a great day out in the high country was enjoyed by all.

The weather was perfect and the company great.

A big thank you to Paul L’ Huillier for planning the day and organising access to the hut.

many people were taking advantage of this generous offer.

An added attraction was the Lions Club lights that were installed a year ago in the trees at Hydro Park, and on buildings in the town centre.

By FAY MASON, Kiewa Valley Correspondent

We wish these two professional women the best of luck and congratulations on the nominations.

ON May 11 the Mount

A couple of years back some members were responsible for producing a number of Parks Victoria wooden signs as directed by Kevin Cosgriff.

Some of these signs were located near Blairs Hut,

THE MOUNT Beauty Lions Club have done it again.

To celebrate the opening of the ski season, they were out last Friday night offering free hot chocolate and snowballs,

It was very cold, but the warmth from the hot chocolate helped, along with the lights giving a fairyland effect.

Well done to the Lions Club members who were there making sure the supplies were kept up.

MOUNT Beauty Neighbourhood Centre will have the lawyers from Hume Riverina Community Legal Service visit on Wednesday, June 21at the centre. Free and confidential legal advice for everyday problems including any bushfire/disaster related issues, insurance, debts, complaints, family violence, and family law. They are available via the phone on all other days, call 02 6055 8090 or 1800 918 377 or email cls@umfc.com.au.

Critical Thinking Curriculum

Looking

At St Mary’s, we believe that every child has the potential to achieve greatness. St Mary’s welcomes all to our school. We pride ourselves on providing care to our families and children. Wellbeing and a happy child are the foundation for all learning, and we strive to build an environment that always fosters a safe and supportive school.

The dedicated team of teachers are committed to pursuing excellence in teaching and learning and to continually develop better outcomes for our students. St Mary’s has a strong emphasis on high expectations and each child succeeding. Literacy and numeracy are pivotal to all our learning and is explicitly taught across the school. Consistently over the last few years, St Mary’s has achieved above the standard in NAPLAN scores, which is testament to the explicit and excellent teaching in the core subjects.

We offer a wide range of specialist subjects such as art, physical education, Italian and music. Our classrooms are equipped with the latest technology and resources, providing students with handson learning opportunities, and preparing them for success in a rapidly evolving world.

So, if you’re looking for an excellent school with small class sizes, that will prepare your child for a bright future, look no further than our school. Contact us today to schedule a tour and see for yourself why our school is the right choice for your family.

For a tour of the school or further information please contact Kitty Hancock (Principal)

Phone: 57521808

Email: khancock@smmyrtleford. catholic.edu.au

SWEET WARMTH: Enjoying the Lions Club hot chocolate were (from left) Lyn Hams, Margaret Ricklefs, Ken Halse, and Lions member Maureen Hardridge.

DON’T FENCE ME IN: Mount Beuaty Men’s Shed members enjoyed a 4WD trip to Blair’s Hut recently.

Keep fire safe over this winter

By LEAH ANDERSON-BYRNE

AS the colder weather well and truly closes in, Alpine Shire residents are being reminded to keep their heaters and chimneys clean to avoid risk of fire during the winter months.

Ovens Valley CFA group officer Michael Freudenstein said its important to keep all heaters serviced regularly.

“Things like keeping filters clean so they work efficiently, and keeping clothing away from electric heaters is vital,” he said.

“It can be tempting to dry clothes near the heater but they need to be at least one metre away to avoid risk of fire.

“Keep your chimneys clean

and aim to use dry wood, that is matured wood not just rain dry, so there’s not a build up of ash and sap in your chimney.

“We had a few chimney fires last year so this information is imperative to keep everyone safe.

“We also need to remember we live in an area where we have lots of tourists and people who let properties out need to make sure their maintenance is up to standard but also have proper and clear instructions for tenants.

“With open fires and wood fires don’t over stack the wood and make sure there’s a guard to keep children out and embers in.

“The other thing to remember is to make sure

there are smoke detectors placed in houses and batteries are replaced regularly.

“This is especially important, again, for holiday rentals to make sure everything is up to date for tenants who might not think to check.”

Myrtleford Fire Brigade captain Gloria Pizzolitto said it‘s also important to have a home fire escape plan ready.

“Get down low, and stay out of the smoke,” she said.

“Alert people on the way out, if safe to do so, close doors as you exit.

“Get out and stay out and meet at a safe place outside your home like a letterbox or footpath.

“Call Triple Zero and ask for fire.”

$6000 raised in wine drive

A WINE-SELLING initiative from community-run charity fund GROW Myrtleford+ has helped raise $6000 for community benefit.

GROW Myrtleford+ chair Fiona Nicholls said a recent fundraiser to sell wine had been an outstanding success and well supported by district winemakers.

“The wineries, which included Mayford Wines, Bush Track Wines, Michelini Wines, Feathertop Winery, Gapsted Wines,

Billy Button Wines, Eagle Range Estate Wines, Homestead Estate wines and Bike and Barrel Wines provided their wines at wholesale cost or better, which was extremely generous of them,” she said.

“We also want to thank community-members who bought the wines and, in doing so, ensured direct benefits to their communities.

“The money which we have raised through selling the wines will now be part

of our next grants round, which opens in September, and which will support projects which enhance liveability, sustainability and community connections in our communities.

“We have also been extremely fortunate to receive more than $6000 through community donations.”

According to GROW Myrtleford+, their grants program saw more than $20,000 of grants distributed to five community initiatives in the

town and it is hoped that the 2023 grants round will be at a similar level.

“We are calling on our community members to support our program by making further donations, which will enable us to distribute grants to worthy causes and initiatives around Myrtleford,” Ms Nicholls said.

“We want to be in a position to continue our good work and build community resilience, both now and into the future.”

GROW Myrtleford+ is a community-run charity fund which raises money to support causes, project and ideas which benefit Myrtleford and surrounding communities.

It is a sub-fund of the Into Our Hands Community Foundation.

As a Community Foundation, Into Our Hands is able to accept donations of cash, shares and property with donations of more than $2 being tax deductible.

If you have ever considered how you can leave a meaningful and lasting legacy for your community, Into Our Hands Community Foundation can help you achieve this.

To discuss, please contact the executive officer of Into Our Hands on 0466 252 866.

To donate, or to find out more about GROW Myrtleford+’s work, go to https://intoourhandsfoundation.com.au/fund/GROWmyrtleford/.

REMINDERS: Ovens Valley CFA group officer Michael Freudenstein and Myrtleford Fire Brigade captain Gloria Pizzolitto are reminding residents to stay safe this winter with responsible home fire preparation.

Opening weekend remains busy

By LEAH ANDERSON-BYRNE

DESPITE the lack of snow keeping ski lifts closed, opening weekend at Hotham and Falls Creek Village resorts saw the usual crowds enjoying what was on offer.

General manager of operations at Hotham, Len Dobell, said the weekend was exciting with many things to do.

“There wasn’t quite enough snow for skiing but we had some fresh snow on the Friday night and the snow guns were running so there was lots of snow play,” he said.

“People were around all weekend tobogganing and building snowmen; it was very pleasing to see so many people having fun.

“I think it was the usual number of people we’d see on opening weekend, even without the lifts, there were probably more day trip visitation from alpine towns but the rest of the resort looked very busy as well.

“We’ve got some natural snow falling this week and snow guns

running right through for the rest of the week so we’re hoping to ramp up a lift or two by the weekend.”

General manager of Falls Creek’s Frueauf Village, Brett Williams, said everyone had a great time at the resort.

“Considering we had no ski lifts open everyone seemed to have a really good time and there

was enough snow for kids to play on,” he said.

“The bars and restaurants seemed to be full as well, I think visitation was a little lower than the last couple of years but it was reasonably good and is looking healthy for the season.

“We’re confident the Bogong High Plains Road will remain open, it closed briefly overnight

last week due to rainfall but it held up well.

“The only delay is maybe a 15 minute wait if they’re working on it but other than that it won’t be a problem.

“I think this season will be an average one, which is good, there’ll be snow on the ground and sun in the sky which is what people want.”

PLACING BIDS: Hotham venue The Bird was packed for the charity auction of chairs from Hotham’s first chairllift on Saturday.

Hotham’s chairlift auction raises over $75k for local charities

MOUNT Hotham held their first ever charity auction on Saturday at a local bar, with $75,800 raised for charity as guests vied for a piece of Hotham history.

Twenty-seven chairs from the ski resort’s first-ever chairlift, the Playground Chair, went under the hammer.

The Playground Chair is Hotham’s first chairlift - a two-seater that opened in 1969 that was the main access lift back to the village until 1993 when the Village Chair opened.

John and Lachlan Castran of Castran Real Estate auctioned off the chairs to the Hotham community.

“We are so thrilled with this outcometo be able to give back to the community and share a beloved part of Hotham’s history with the people of the mountain has been fantastic,” Hotham Ski Company’s marketing manager Emily Smith said.

The remaining 30 chairs are available for an online auction via the Givergy platform on Sunday June 11, with bidding closing on June 18 at 6pm.

All proceeds from the auction supported local community, youth and environment initiatives so that funds raised could go back to the local community through Hotham’s Epic Promise Foundation.

FUN IN THE SNOW: Isla and April Baker enjoying the snow at Mount Hotham last weekend.

PHOTO: Chris Hocking.

A small act makes a big impact.

Many properties across the Alpine Shire will receive their new Food Organics, Garden Organics (FOGO) bin over the coming weeks.

The new FOGO service will commence from Monday, 3 July.

Learn more about our new recycling stream by scanning the QR code, or visit alpineshire.vic.gov.au

Alpine areas are now eligible for infrastructure funding: Haines

THE Alpine Resorts Victoria Board has been listed as an eligible organisation under the $600 million Growing Regions Program, according to Independent Federal Member for Indi Helen Haines.

“I fought hard for this change under the previous government, to two different ministers, and I am proud that this has finally changed,” Dr Haines said.

“The Alpine Resort Victoria Board operates in much the same way as local governments and for too long they have not been treated as such when it comes to federal funding programs that they should be eligible for.

“As an Independent Member of Parliament, I have worked constructively with governments of both major parties to ensure investment can flow to Indi and that the resort areas are treated the same as other parts of Indi.”

Dr Haines said she wrote to Infrastructure Minister Catherine King in May and the Minister’s office confirmed on Monday the Al-

pine Resorts would be treated in the same way under the grant guidelines as other similar entities such as the Lord Howe Island Board and the Outback Communities Authority.

“Our Alpine areas are major tourism drivers for Victoria and a significant contributor to the regional economy of Indi,” Dr Haines said.

“There are many worthy infrastructure projects which should be eligible for funding consideration under the Growing Regions Fund. These include Mount Hotham Business, Visitor and Community Centre and the Falls Creek Recreation and Events Centre.”

The Alpine Resort Victoria Board functions like a local

government authority for designated zones for the six alpine resorts at Falls Creek, Mount Baw Baw, Mount Buller, Mount Hotham, Mount Stirling and Lake Mountain.

Five of these six alpine resorts are within the electorate of Indi.

According to a statement from Helen Haines, the resorts contribute $2.5 billion

in economic output, employing over 10,100 people and attracting over 1.3 million visitors in 2019, with visitation generating 9 per cent of all regional visitor economy jobs and visitor spend in Victoria.

The Growing Regions Program provides grants of between $500,000 and $15 million to local government

entities and not-for-profit organisations, for capital works projects that deliver community and economic infrastructure projects across regional and rural Australia.

The program is open competitive with grants awarded on a merit basis.

Expressions of Interest open on July 5.

GMW responds to criticism, and stands by its annual fees

By LEAH ANDERSON-BYRNE

GOULBURN Murray Water have responded to criticisms of their annual fees from Ovens Valley residents, following ongoing complaints from unregulated domestic and stock customers.

GMW is currently drafting their 2024-28 pricing submission to the Essential Ser-

vices Commission (ESC) to be handed in in September.

Porepunkah resident Cameron Reid last week told the Alpine Observer the company has “overlooked” properties in the pricing list.

GMW diversions manager Peter Clydesdale said all unregulated domestic and stock customers pay the same annual fees.

“Annual fees paid by domestic and stock customers cover the cost of making sure only those that hold the correct authorisations, such as licences, are able to take water,” he said.

“The service point fee includes compliance monitoring and measuring use.

“For customers without a meter this includes GMW

Have you met Scott?

staff estimating or deeming a customer’s water use and recording this usage.

“Access fees include ensuring water is accessed in line with management rules and plans.

“This includes implementing restrictions on irrigation during dry periods to prolong water access for all users.

“These fees have been ap-

proved by the Essential Services Commission as part of GMW’s 2020-24 pricing submission.

“GMW also commissioned an external consultant agency to review the customer fee and service point fee.

“The review found the current fees to be aligned with the services provided.”

Mr Clydesdale said GMW

has been engaging with customers to help develop its 2024-28 pricing submission in recent months, and has several more engagement opportunities spanning from June through to August.

“We encourage any customer wanting to provide feedback on GMW fees and services to participate in this process,” he said.

FEDERAL FUNDS: Mount Hotham, as well as five other alpine resorts, is now eligible for a major federal infrastructure grant program.

PHOTO: Chris Hocking

GRANT SUCCESS: Independent Federal Member for Indi Helen Haines said she is proud the Alpine Resort Victoria Board is now eligible for grants under the $600 million Growing Regions Program.

Tree campaigners form incorporated association

BY BRODIE EVERIST beverist@ nemedia.com.au

CAMPAIGNERS for Bright‘s gateway trees have recently formed an incorporated association, the Bright Gateway Trees Protection Group, to continue their efforts in seeing the trees saved and stop a direct intersection from the Bright Valley estate into the Great Alpine Road.

Leanne Boyd, president of the association, said they are looking into a range of perceived issues around the Bright Valley estate, as well as generating a formal objection to the development.

Ms Boyd said the formal objection based on independent planning advice is still being developed, but they expect to receive a draft copy soon.

Ms Boyd also said the group is concerned by a seeming lack of developer contributions to council.

According to Ms Boyd, councils can be paid significant sums per hectare for developments for local infrastructure investment, but she said Alpine Shire

chief executive officer Will Jeremy confirmed no such contributions had been paid to council in an email to her and at a public meeting.

She said the group is awaiting a preliminary risk screen assessment (PRSA) for the Bright Valley site to further determine the likelihood of contaminated land at the site.

According to EPA Victo-

ria, a PRSA determines if an environmental audit is needed and to what extent.

The site has been subject to a Preliminary Site Investigation and Desktop Hydrogeological Assessment, which was released by council in April.

Ms Boyd said the group is also awaiting a heritage and landscape assessment by GML consulting, commissioned by council.

Council prepares policy for FOGO

ALPINE Shire Council unanimously adopted an updated waste policy at their meeting last month ahead of the new food and garden organics (FOGO) kerbside collection service commencing July 3.

According to the recommendation before council, the new Waste Services Policy includes the implementation of the FOGO service in line with requirements of the Local Government Act 2020 and the Circular Economy (Waste Reduction and Recycling) Act 2021.

The FOGO bin will be mandatory for all properties that currently receive a weekly waste collection; however it will be optional for commercial CBD shopfronts.

tice from the overwhelming majority of councils.”

According to council, the three bin system to be rolled out across the Alpine Shire this July will cost the majority of ratepayers an additional $95 in waste charges compared to the charges applied this year, pending the adoption of the 2023/24 budget.

The $95 increase will apply to around 5000 properties within the Alpine Shire which will move to a fortnightly 80L waste and fortnightly 240L recycling collections, as well as a weekly 240L FOGO collection.

At council‘s meeting last month Alpine Shire Council director of assets Alan Rees said they had awarded the contract to the heritage and landscape consultants to assess Bright‘s gateway trees, after a public request for quotations.

He said council had already met with the company to discuss the scope of the assessment and were to visit the trees on June 8.

In response to a question from Cr Katarina Hughes, director of assets Alan Rees said council had received many enquiries about residents opting out of the FOGO collection service, but a mandatory service followed the “best practice model” along with 35 other local councils.

“We have around 7700 rateable properties and when we embark on an opt–out pathway we then need to spread the cost of FOGO over a narrower ratepayer base, so it‘ll be an inequitable sharing of costs for the greater benefit of the overall community,” he said.

“We‘re following best prac-

Cr Simon Kelley said the continual cost of maintaining closed landfills was another reason for supporting a FOGO system.

“Diverting any material from going into a hole in the ground is beneficial whether it‘s a direct benefit to us as ratepayers or the ratepayer of the next generation,” he said.

“We are paying and maintaining closed landfills for waste that was disposed a long time ago.”

According to council, they are mandated to provide FOGO and glass recycling by 2030 and 2027 respectively.

The recommendation said the glass recycling model is yet to be determined and will be included in future revisions of the Waste Services Policy.

CAMPAIGN CONTINUES: President of the Bright Gateway Trees Protection Group Leanne Boyd said they are still working to save all of Bright‘s gateway trees. PHOTO: Brodie Everist

Leanne Leverton

How long have you lived in the area?

Pretty much all my life. My family’s third-fourth generation from Myrtleford. I was local born and raised, and moved away, like a lot of people after school, and came back to raise my family here.

What do you do for a living?

I’m the owner-operator of Nosh Deli Cafe, where we serve good, wholesome house-made meals. All the cakes are made on site by myself and we cook fresh daily. We provide hot meals and cold as well as sandwiches, and come summer we’ll be doing salads.

What are your hobbies or interests?

I’ve got some friends and we do motorbike riding, and I’ve got two dogs that take up the other bit of my time. Cooking was very much a passion of mine - a lot of people in town know me for my baking. But now that’s what I do all day, every day, it’s not so much what I’ll be doing on the weekend.

What do you like about the area?

The sense of community we have here is lovelywhen someone’s down, we pick them up. It is my ancestral home, it’s been 3-4 generations that we’ve

been raised here. As much as I don’t like that things have closed and we have reduced services in regards to government services, we’re not far from Wangaratta, we’re not far from Albury, all those big centres. So we have all the luxury that affords us being rural without actually being miles from any metropolitan zone.

Where would you take visitors to showcase the area?

We’d do the riverwalk and up to the lookout and go out to the lake. My husband’s

family are not from here, so we often play tour guide. And depending on what they want to do, even the drive to Bright is lovely.

Beechworth isn’t far away if they want a bit of Ned Kellyish type of stuff. My daughter was part of the group of young people that painted the public toilets at the park. So we would get in the car and show them the local work that’s been done there. Is there anything you would change about the area?

Myrtleford has evolved.

TingTing Tang

How long have you been living in the area?

Four years from May 2019.

What do you do for a living?

I was an on-site manager of a motel, but I own the Japanese Rxestaurant “Katsu” currently.

What are your hobbies and interests?

Bushwalking. I am very interested to talk to my customers as that’s a great way to improve my English.

What do you like about the

area?

Beautiful view, friendly people, fresh air, wonderful place for outdoor activities. Where would you take visitors to showcase the area?

Having lunch or dinner at Katsu (Japanese food), visit Mt Buffalo, play in the water at the river.

Is there anything you would change about the area?

Maybe running a Chinese restaurant.

There’s a lot more pride in our community than there used to be, there’s lot more happening in town, and more eateries and things like that.

We came back to Myrtleford to raise our child.

That says a lot for the town - the schooling and what’s available. My daughter was part of the Scouting movement here. So I wouldn’t change anything.

As a community, there’s things that we can do, and that’ll happen with the evolution of the community.

MYRTLEFORD

BRIGHT

Self-made music star ready to hit the road

By FAY MASON

WHILE still at school in 2018, Dylan Cosgriff was the winner of the David Vigo Youth Scholarship (DVYC) in Mount Beauty, his younger brother Sebastian was runner up.

The pair used their winnings to build a recording studio in their home.

Dylan is now well on his way to fulfilling his ambition to become a full-time musician.

He was accepted into the Australian Institute of Music in Melbourne and is studying for a Bachelor of Music degree,

“So far it’s been an amazing experience being surrounded by like-minded musicians, and having the opportunity to perform at venues like the Esplanade Hotel (The Espy) and The Cherry Bar on a weekly basis,” Dylan said.

“Early into my degree I formed a band called ‘Rusted Blood’, a three-piece Punk/ Rock outfit that played pure, refined, punk as hell rock and roll.”

Late last year Dylan joined up with Albury’s ‘Twisted Horizon’ playing drums, touring with them on the Road to Re-

vival tour promoting the album of the same name, which included the iTunes rock chart topper, Guilty Pleasure, and finishing the tour at Mount Beauty’s West Peak Hotel.

“While touring I continued work on my debut album ‘Tailing Naisag’ which I wrote, recorded, and performed all the instruments myself,” he said.

“We are preparing to release the first the first of four singles this month, as well as an accompanying music video.”

Dylan is now working on forming a band to tour his upcoming sophomore album, which was almost two years in the making, doing shows in Albury, Wodonga, Bendigo, Benalla, Melbourne and Canberra, and of course finishing in Mount Beauty.

“I am so lucky to have all the opportunities, and I am determined to use them to the very best of my ability,” he said.

“Let’s see where the future takes us, hopefully to the biggest stages out there.”

DVYMS committee are very proud of Dylan and encourage other school students to follow in his path and apply for a David Vigo Youth Scholarship.

Bureau moves dial on El Nino

THE Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) moved from El Nino WATCH to El Nino ALERT last week, meaning there is around a 70 per cent chance of an El Nino developing this year.

BOM senior climatologist Catherine Ganter said climate models and indicators now meet the Bureau’s El Nino ALERT criteria.

“While the models show it’s very likely the tropical Pacific Ocean temperatures will reach El Nino levels during winter, we have seen some movement in the atmosphere towards El Nino conditions,” Ms Ganter said.

“While our El Nino ALERT criteria have been met, these changes will need to strengthen and sustain themselves over a longer period for us to consider an El Nino event.”

El Nino describes changes in the tropical Pacific Ocean that affect global weather and it occurs on average every 3 to 5 years.

“The Bureau’s long-range winter forecast is for drier and warmer conditions across almost all of Australia and the climate conditions in the Pacific Ocean are already factored into our forecasts,” Ms Ganter said.

“The long-range forecast for winter also shows an increased chance of below average rainfall for almost all of Australia and the move to El Nino ALERT does not change this forecast.”

Porepunkah cattle and grape farmer Mick Dalbosco said they will monitor their grape crop and stock levels more closely this season, but so far they haven’t made any major changes to their plans due to a potential El Nino.

“Some of those decisions will come later in respect to irrigation, and maybe some fine tuning about how much crop you’re intending to ripen,” he said.

“In relation to pasture growth, that’s a matter of monitoring your stock levels and making sure that you haven’t got too many animals on.”

IT’S A LONG WAY THERE: Dylan Cosgriff is not only studying music but also working on forming a band to tour his upcoming album.

Runners take on mountain challenge

By BRODIE EVERIST

TRAIL running enthusiasts were braving the mud and cold in the Wandi Cross last Saturday, enjoying an arduous trek through mountains and raising money for the local school.

The event was made up of four mountain runs - a 2km kids run, a 5km fun run, a 14km run over both Mystic Mountain and Goldmine Spur, and a 27km trek with four mountain ascents.

The contenders for the 14km and 5km runs trickled back to Alpine Park at around 9pm after starting at 8am and 8:30am respectively, but while the 5km runners were reaching the finish line, the 14km competitors were just passing the checkpoint for some quick hydration and snacks.

All but the kids run ascended the Goat Track, apparently the straightest track up Mystic Mountain, and returned on the particularly steep descending Disco Track.

“I feel we did a really good job of setting up the course,” organiser Matt Cooper said after the event.

“Most of the runners that got back to the finish line were glad to get back, but they also said they had a fun time coming down.

“Most of their comments were it’s not like any other run that they’ve done before.”

Mr Cooper said the Wandi Cross is unique because of the amount of climbing in a relatively short distance.

“The 27 kilometres has nearly two and a half thousand metres up, and then two and a half thousand metres down,” he said.

“There’s quite a lot of steep country in that 27 kilometres.”

The race raises money for Wandiligong Primary School students to attend an adventure day at Mount Buffalo, including kayaking, abseiling and rock climbing.

Mr Cooper couldn’t confirm the amount raised this year, but said it was enough for the school event to go ahead once more.

CROSSING THE LINE: Adam Lindsay completes the 5km trail run last Saturday.

PACE YOURSELF: (From left) Jessica Clark, Jacinta Marriot and Claire Sherwill reach the checkpoint together.

HAVING FUN: Matt Dickeson and Steve Hayes after the gruelling 5km trail run.

ON THE WAY: A 14km runner smiles for the camera as he passes through the checkpoint at Alpine Park.

PROUD CONTENDERS: (From left) Zack and Oscar Dickeson and Jim Kelly all competed in the 5km run, with Oscar making first place.

GOOD TIMES: Daisy Badrock and Matt Cooper were helping out runners when they finished the race. PHOTOS: Brodie Everist

Authorities issue road closure warning

VICTORIAN public land authorities are warning off-road adventurers to obey all closed tracks and gates in forests and parks as seasonal road closures have come into effect from last weekend.

The Conservation Regulator and Forest Fire Management Victoria (FFMV) authorised officers are targeting illegal vehicle use and gate breaches on public land during patrols over the cooler, wetter months of the year.

Seasonal closures are in force between June and November every year to protect sensitive environments and to preserve public access tracks when they are most vulnerable to damage.

According to the Conservation Regulator, driving off-road and going around these gates destroys important native plants and vital wildlife habitat, including billy buttons

and Clover Glycine.

“Victoria’s forests are home to thousands of native plants that need our protection and there is no excuse for people deliberately driving and riding around locked gates or on closed roads,” the Conservation Regulator’s acting director of regulatory operations David McIlroy said.

“The damage they cause seriously threatens environmental health and biodiversity.”

In a statement released last week, the Conservation Regulator said between June and November 2022 more than 400 breaches of closed gates and roads across Victoria were recorded, with hotspots in alpine areas, Mt Disappointment State Forest, and Lerderderg State Park.

Conservation Regulator authorised officers also fined more than 95 people during the same period for vehicle offences, including illegally driving or riding off-road or on a closed road, and breaching a closed gate.

According to the Conservation Regulator, a Bairnsdale man was convicted and ordered to pay $1744 in fines and legal costs last year after he pleaded guilty to damaging a seasonal closure gate and driving on a closed road in Nunniong State Forest in October 2021.

In Victoria, it is illegal to drive or ride on a closed road on public land.

Anyone caught breaching road closure rules can be fined up to $925, and the offence carries a maximum penalty of $9246 if prosecuted in court.

FFMV chief fire officer Chris Hardman reminded travellers to always check for road and forest closures.

“This will also help keep our emergency services personnel safe,” he said.

The public can find out more information about seasonal closures by visiting https:// ffm.vic.gov.au/forest-and-road-closures.

Local conditions and weather can affect the timing and locations of road closures, so before leaving home, drivers can check specific tracks via the MapshareVic tool: mapshare.vic.gov.au/webmap/publicaccess/.

If you notice any illegal vehicle use on public land, you can report it anonymously to DEECA on 136 186.

For more information about rules on public land, visit: www.vic.gov.au/rules-in-stateforests

Local trout rivers close for winter

TROUT fishing in North East rivers and streams came to an end on the long weekend for the winter to allow trout to spawn over the colder months.

The 2023 trout and salmon closed season from Tuesday, June 13 until Friday, September 1 inclusive.

The first open day is on Saturday, September 2. Local lakes such as Buffalo, William Hovell, Dartmouth, and Hume remain open to fishing throughout the winter.

How

It’s about whether we should change the Constitution to recognise the First Peoples of Australia by setting up an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice. A referendum is the only way to change the Australian Constitution.

The Voice would be a permanent body that gives independent advice to the Australian Parliament and Government on matters that affect First Nations people.

The Voice aims to help the Parliament and Government to make better decisions and deliver better outcomes for First Nations people.

How it’s set up would be determined after the referendum with input from First Nations people, the broader public and the Government. The Parliament would then make a law to set up the Voice.

The intention is that its members will be chosen by and representative of, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from across Australia.

Be ready for the conversation, get informed at

For those looking ahead to the school holidays later this month, The Victorian Fisheries Authority (VFA) will stock yearling rainbow trout into many small ponds as a part of their school holiday stocking.

These include Wangaratta’s Merriwa Park, Lake Sambell, Allan’s Flat Waterhole, Glenrowan Recreation Reserve and Stanley Dam.

There are many others and a full list can be found on the VFA website.

These waterways provide great fishing for the kids during the school holidays, and even outside of the school holidays.

The Victorian Government has also confirmed it intends to make 60,000 Little Angler kits available to grade five primary students in more than 1900 Victorian schools later this year.

The kits will set families up with everything they need to wet a line including a fishing rod and reel, line, tackle box, some tackle and a Kids’ Guide to Fishing that includes information and links to educational resources to learn the basics such as fishing safety, knots and rigs.

The VFA is leading the roll out and has released a tender this week for the supply of kits, with schools encouraged to register early interest.

For more details go to vfa.vic.gov.au.

OBEY THE SIGNS: Public land authorities are warning off-road adventurers to obey all closed tracks and gates in forests and parks as seasonal road closures have come into effect from last weekend.

Modern delight in the West End

IF YOU are looking for a tastefully renovated home that is ready to move into, this West End listing could be the one for you.

Offering three bedrooms, each with built in robes and ceiling fans, this would be ideal for a young family, first home buyer or property investor.

You will be delighted by the

spacious, light filled living room complete with custom bookshelf.

The centrally located kitchen offers a seamless flow into the dining and outdoor alfresco area through timber and glass sliding doors.

The home includes a generous family bathroom with full size bath and shower, plus a separate toilet.

All the extras are here including

ducted gas heating, ducted evaporative cooling, garage with additional storage, 4.5mx8m (approx.) shed/workshop and double glazed windows.

There is nothing left to do except move in and enjoy.

This immaculate family home is one not to miss!

Quiet court comfort

CARASELLE Avenue in Wangaratta offers a charming two-bedroom unit that combines comfort and convenience.

The well-designed living space boasts a cozy atmosphere with all year round comfort of evaporative cooling and gas wall heating.

The unit features two spacious bedrooms, both with built in robes, ideal for a small family, individuals seeking extra space or for the investor.

The open-plan living area seamlessly connects to the well-equipped original kitchen.

Being located towards the rear of the property creates a private and safe location.

The unit is situated in the desirable Caraselle Avenue just off Murdoch Road.

Agent | Phone | Price | Location |

Garry Nash & Co 5722 2663

$355,000 3/4 Caraselle Avenue, Wangaratta

• This beautiful property contains 3 lots and is being offered as a whole:

• Lot sizes as follows: Lot 1 on TP 393826 –15:46 ha Crown allotment 5lE Parish of Freeburg 1.436 ha Lot 1 PS 093453 – 7.493 ha

• The views of Mt Feathertop are breathtaking, as are the views down the valley toward Bright/ Porepunkah. The property has frontage to the Great Alpine Road

• There is a 25 ML groundwater licence, plus 4 ML stock and domestic water right for agricultural pursuits as well as a stand of Chestnut trees

• The blocks have a boundary with Crown land for those interested in conservation, bushwalking, hunting or other recreational interests

• The beautiful township of Bright is within 14 km, Harrietville 9 km, Mt Hotham 38 km, and Mt Buffalo 22 km

• This area is renowned for fishing in the pristine Ovens River, bike and walking paths, bushwalking, hiking and horse riding trails

• There are large areas of cleared grazing land with underground water lines previously used for irrigation, area of established native trees, gullies with pristine spring water and native flora and fauna. The bird and animal life is abundant

• This is one of those rare opportunities

Expressions of Interest

Closing Friday 23rd June, 4:00pm Venue at Elders 297 Schubach street, Albury Reg Coulston 0418 118 207 reg.coulston@elders.com.au

David Gittoes 0409 362 722

david.gittoes@elders.com.au

eldersrealestate.com.au/300P109219

2022m23 21

Solid Buying

For Sale $319,000 View by appointment, wangaratta.nutrienharcourts.com.au/L19190433

Nutrien Harcourts Wangaratta

Paul Reid M 0417 537 520

Harcourts Wangaratta

Wangaratta

641m23 11

Develop or Renovate

For Sale $280,000 View by appointment, wangaratta.nutrienharcourts.com.au/L19193239

Nutrien Harcourts Wangaratta

Wangaratta

744m24 13

Classic West End Renovator

For Sale $449,000 View by appointment, wangaratta.nutrienharcourts.com.au/L21682020 Nutrien

Wangaratta

2000m2 allotments

Mason Estate

For Sale Ranging from $390,000-$415,000 View by appointment, wangaratta.nutrienharcourts.com.au/L22934601

Nutrien

Harcourts Wangaratta

Wangaratta

588m24 22

Quality & Design

For Sale $719,000 View by appointment, wangaratta.nutrienharcourts.com.au/L20929570

Waldara 84 Talgai Drive 6705m24 22

Waldara Lifestyle Living

Wangaratta

855m24 22

Renovated Family Home

For Sale $960,000-$990,000 View by appointment, wangaratta.nutrienharcourts.com.au/L19193098 Nutrien

4121m23 12 Milawa Lifestyle Living

For Sale $750,000-$790,000 View by appointment, wangaratta.nutrienharcourts.com.au/L22484425 Nutrien Harcourts Wangaratta Danial

Wangaratta 711m25 22

Magnificent Family Home

For Sale $950,000-$1,030,000

View by appointment, wangaratta.nutrienharcourts.com.au/L22511639

Nutrien Harcourts Wangaratta

Paul Reid M 0417 537 520

Harcourts Wangaratta

For Sale

View by appointment, wangaratta.nutrienharcourts.com.au/ L22420827

Danial Siperki

M 0400 027 473 Nutrien Harcourts Wangaratta

Everton 188 Diffey Road 40Ac3 12

and Wangaratta

For Sale

View by appointment, wangaratta.nutrienharcourts.com.au/ L20831928

Paul Reid M 0417 537 520 Nutrien Harcourts Wangaratta

Waldara 15 Fairway Drive 967m24 32

For Sale

View by appointment, wangaratta.nutrienharcourts.com.au/ L19193873

Hugh Amery M 0487 777 311 Nutrien Harcourts Wangaratta

For Sale

Joe McKenziePaul ReidHugh AmeryDanial Siperki

Historic Eldorado Land

24 Mackay Street, Eldorado

• Positioned on the historic ‘Star Hotel site’

• Ample space to escape the hustle & bustle

• 26m bore and power line in Mackay Street

• Located 25km to Wangaratta, 29km to historic Beechworth & 21km to Milawa Gourmet Region

• Short walk to swimming holes, Reedy Creek, National Park, waterfalls & the McEvoy Tavern

• A quantity of Eldorado stone on the land provides for future landscape opportunities

• Fantastic opportunity to secure land in the sought after township of Eldorado

Vacant Land - 1,687m2

FOR SALE $249,500

Brand

New in Arlington

42A Arlington Park Avenue

• Brand new 3 bed, 2 bath home in the highly sought after Arlington Park Estate

• Spacious open plan living area at the rear of the home connecting to the kitchen featuring modern white cabinetry, WIP & freestanding gas cooktop with electric oven

• Master bedroom offers spacious ensuite & walk in robe. Along with 2 more bedrooms

• Modern fixtures, double garage & ducted reverse cycle heating & cooling, all set on a generous size allotment of 627m2 approx.

FOR SALE $729,000

Home in Gourmet Region

1008 Wang-Whitfield Rd, Oxley

• Country living at its best is on offer with this unique 4 bed plus study brick family home

• Set on a low maintenance 4 acres just minutes to the popular Cathedral College

• Open plan kitchen with spacious lounge room & meals/dining area

• Master bedroom features full ensuite & WIR

• 10m x 6m approx. shed, large carport (suits motor home) plus machine shed

• Secure water, 3 rainwater tanks plus bore

• Approx. 2kW solar panels

FOR SALE $995,000 4 2 4

Vacant Land - 5.49 acres

$345,000

Oxley Lifestyle

30 Johnston Street, Oxley

• Spacious 2-bedroom, 2-bathroom home with a study, perfect for a small family or couple

• Massive 6 x 18m approx. shed with cool room, ideal for a home business, workshop or gym

• Generous 4177m2 approx. allotment, offering space for outdoor activities & entertainment

• Large undercover entertaining area with outdoor open log fire and lush gardens

• Secure lockup car storage, direct entry inside

• Ample rainwater storage plus a bore

2 2 2

FOR SALE $865,000

GOTafe ‘Youth Foyer’

• Mixed Use Zoned site across five Titles

• Versatile brick building with ample shedding

• Dual access, large, open & secure fenced yard

• Regional 50% stamp duty concession avail

LAND DEVELOPMENT FOR SALE $1,575,000 Plus GST

LEXUS ELECTRIC LIGHT SHINES EVER BRIGHTLY

By DEREK OGDEN, Marque Motoring

MORE than 20 years ago Toyota lit up the automotive world with the introduction of the Prius petrol/electric hybrid car.

The sedan’s asymmetric hybrid fuel saving system became the mainstay of the automobile maker’s electric vehicles, even becoming the power plant of choice for taxis around the world.

Needless to say, this did not go un-noticed with Toyota’s luxe auto partner Lexus plugging in to the development for its range of saloons and SUVs.

Latest model to take the petrol/electric path is the fifth (fourth in Australia) generation RX SUV.

The hybrid makes up eight of the 14 variants on offer Down Under and comes in front or all-wheel drive.

Prices start at $87,500, plus on-road costs, for the RX350h Luxury FWD and top out at $126,000 for the RX500h F Sport Performance AWD.

The Luxury grade as standard has bi-LED headlamps, daytime running lamps, front and rear fog lamps, heated and driver’s side auto-dimming exterior mirrors, rear privacy glass, roof rails and 19-inch alloy wheels with a five-spoke design combining a bright machined finish and dark grey metallic surface treatment.

Despite being well equipped for the price, there is a choice of two enhancement packs to add further to the ownership experience.

The Lexus five-years unlimited kilometre warranty applies to all RX models.

Capped price servicing has been extended from three to five years and is set at $695 for each scheduled service,

with intervals set at 12 months or 15,000 km.

All RXs come with a threeyear subscription to Lexus Encore owner benefits program.

STYLING

The trademark Lexus spindle grille continues to evolve into a more laid-back look with removal of the chrome frame, allowing the edges of the diamond grille to integrate with the vehicle’s body.

Headlight cues come from the seamlessly integrated look of NX and LX SUV siblings, featuring Lexus’s signature Lshaped daytime running lights. and a three-projector high/ low-beam lamp with adaptive high-beam technology, while fog and cornering lamps are nicely integrated into the lower side air intakes.

At the rear, the new LED tail-light signature of the Lexus SUV line-up is defined by a full-width LED light along the tailgate, flanked by L-shaped tail lights.

INTERIOR

As well as the sophisticated cabin styling we have come to expect from Lexus, and the latest in equipment, the new RX has taken on extra width, and wheelbase has been increased, freeing up more space for occupants.

All Luxury grades include heated, eight-way adjustable front seats with two-way power lumbar adjustment, synthetic leather trim, three-zone climate control with air purification, auto-dimming rear view mirror, carpet floor mats, four cup holders, cargo cover and power tailgate.

As well, the driver enjoys easy access to and from a steering wheel with electrically adjustable steering column, and paddle shifters.

ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION

The heart of the hybrid powertrain is the RX 350h featuring Lexus’ signature seriesparallel hybrid system teaming a 2.5-litre aspirated petrol engine to either one or two motor generators, depending on front or all-wheel drive configuration.

Tuned to produce 140 kW at 6000 rpm and 239 Nm between 4300 and 4500 rpm, with the hybrid unit, maximum combined power output is 184 kW.

SAFETY

Lexus Safety Sense+ active safety features are included across the RX range, including the pre-collision system with intersection collision avoidance support, emergency steering assist and low-speed acceleration suppression, lane departure alert, dynamic radar cruise control, lane tracing assist, parking support brake, blind spot monitor, plus rear cross-traffic alert.

New is a driver monitoring camera which keeps track of the driver’s concentration, warning of any lapse.

All new-generation RX models feature safe exit assist, incorporating new electrically activated door handles which detect cyclists or vehicles passing close to the vehicle and keep the door shut.

DRIVING

A lightweight permanent magnet synchronous motor is housed within the transaxle, capable of producing an instant 134kW / 270Nm, improving acceleration from rest.

A second motor generator is placed on the rear axle, providing eFour all-wheel drive in low-traction conditions.

This is tuned to produce 40 kW and 121 Nm.

The RX 350h employs a newly developed nickel-metal hydride battery, placed under the rear seat, which with Improvements to motor technology, have almost doubled top speed in EV mode from 68 km/h to 125 km/h.

With the downsizing of the petrol engine from a 3.5-litre V6 to a 2.5-litre four-cylinder unit, fuel economy has also improved, with the RX 350h AWD claiming as little as 5.4 litres per 100 kilometres and CO2 emissions of 123 g/km.

The test car, on recommended 95RON petrol, averaged 7.4 litres per 100 kilometres in varying driving conditions over a week.

Driving aids have been built into the body design with the front edge of the bonnet raised to make it easier for drivers to note the vehicle extremities, while the height of the bonnet bulge has been optimised to help the driver pick the right line on cornering.

SUMMARY

With the addition of worthy enhancements, the RX 350h Luxury AWD delivers everything we have come to expect from a smart, sophisticated Lexus sports utility vehicle.

Time to invest?

ENGINE:

Capacity: 2.487 litres

Configuration: Four cylinders inline, hybrid electric motor, Liion battery

Maximum Power ( petrol engine only): 140 kW @ 5200 rpm

Combined Power: 184 kW

Maximum Torque (petrol engine only): 239 Nm @ 43004500 rpm

Fuel Type: 95RON petrol

Combined Fuel Cycle (ADR 81/02): 5.4 L/100km

AT

A GLANCE

MODEL RANGE

LEXUS RX350H LUXURY FWD: $87,500

LEXUS RX350H LUXURY AWD: $92,000

LEXUS RX350H LUXURY FWD + ENHANCEMENT PACK:

$92,600

LEXUS RX350H LUXURY AWD + ENHANCEMENT PACK:

$97,500

LEXUS RX350H SPORTS LUXURY AWD: $111,900

LEXUS RX350H SPORTS LUXURY AWD + ENHANCEMENT

PACK 1: $114,900

LEXUS RX350H SPORTS LUXURY AWD + ENHANCEMENT

PACK 2: $115,800

LEXUS RX500H F SPORT PERFORMANCE AWD: $126,000

Note: These prices do not include government or dealer delivery charges. Contact your local Lexus dealer for driveaway prices.

SPECIFICATIONS (Lexus RX 350h Luxury 2.5L 4-cylinder petrol, electric motors, CVT automatic, AWD)

RATINGS:

Looks: 7/10; Performance: 8/10; Safety: 8/10; Thirst: 8/10;

Practicality: 7/10; Comfort: 7/10; Tech: 8/10; Value: 7/10

HYBRID SYSTEM

Front motor: Synchronous, permanent magnet

Maximum power: 134 kW

Maximum torque: 270 Nm

Rear motor (AWD): Synchronous , permanent magnet

Maximum power: 40 kW

Maximum torque: 121 Nm

High voltage battery: Nickelmetal hydride

DRIVELINE:

Continuously variable transmission, all-wheel drive

DIMENSIONS, WEIGHT AND CAPACITIES:

Length: 4890 mm

Wheelbase: 2850 mm

Width: 1920 mm

Height: 1695 mm

Turning Circle: 6.3 metres

Kerb mass: 2060 kg

Fuel Tank Capacity: 65 litres

STANDARD WARRANTY:

Five years / unlimited kilometres

Ten years unlimited kilometre battery warranty

TRADEMARK STYLE: With minor upgrades the RX 350h Luxury hybrid keeps Lexus at the forefront of the large luxe SUV segment.

BY EMAIL BY PHONE 5723 0101

PUBLIC NOTICES

Notification of Proposal to Upgrade NBN™ Radio Network Base Station Facilities

As part of the fixed radio (wireless) component of the Network, nbn is proposing to expand the existing radio network base stations at the following location:

The proposed works on site will involve:

WE ACCEPT

Phone: (03) 5723 0101

more than 2.4m in diameter calling Adriana Tadic on 0488 320 864.

Phone: (03) 5723 0101

For general info on the nbn, email ,

2016 Nissan Navara

R X D23 4WD Twin Cab, steel tray, bull bar, 124,600kms, RWC, R EG (1UW9XF) to F eb 2024, $35,000. Phone Tav 0438 217 468.

WOOD

Plantations, excess timber and logs.

Telephone North East Firewood 0448 933 999

Phone: (03) 5723 0101

Phone: (03) 5723 0100

Phone: (03) 5723 0100

PUBLIC NOTICES

PROPOSAL TO INSTALL A TELSTRA MOBILE PHONE BASE STATION AT: MT BEAUTY TERMINAL STATION, LOT

1 PS339019, BOGONG HIGH PLAINS ROAD, MOUNT BEAUTY VIC 3699

1. The proposed 4G/5G works on the existing NBN monopole comprises: The installation of (6) panel antennas 2.533m long mounted on a new triangular headframe at a height of 30m on the existing monopole

Ancillary works (1) new equipment shelter at ground level

2. Telstra regards the proposed installation as Low-impact Facilities under the Telecommunications (Low-impact Facilities)

Determination 2018

3. The proposed infrastructure will comply with the ACMA EME regulatory arrangements. An EME Report can be obtained from www.rfnsa.com.au/3699015

4. In accordance with Section 6 of C564:2020 Mobile Phone Base Station Deployment Code, we invite you to provide feedback about the proposal. Further information and/or submissions should be directed to: Emily Wardlaw on behalf of Telstra, 0422 685 472, consultation@acquirecomm.com.au by Wednesday 19 July 2023 Further information can also be obtained from www.rfnsa.com.au/3699015

FOOD ORGANICS, GARDEN ORGANICS BIN DELIVERY COMMENCING

From Wednesday, 7 June, our contractor, and their team will commence the staged delivery of the new 240L Food Organics, Garden Organics (FOGO) kerbside bin, benchtop caddy, one year’s supply of caddy liners and education pack to properties receiving the new service. Your caddy will be attached to your new bin with a reusable cable tie.

The new collection service model will commence from Monday, 3 July 2023 for all eligible properties. Do not place your FOGO bin out for collection prior to this time, as it will not be emptied.

Key changes that will take effect from Monday, 3 July include:

General Waste kerbside collection will move to the alternate fortnight to your recycling bin.

FOGO kerbside collection will be weekly.

Your allocated collection day will remain the same.

Each week your green-lid FOGO bin will be out with either the yellow-lid recycling bin or the red-lid general waste bin. Your recycling bin will continue to be collected on the same fortnight, and your general waste bin will now be collected on the opposite fortnight.

DARGO HIGH PLAINS ROAD CLOSURE

The Dargo High Plains Road is scheduled to close at 12pm Thursday, 15 June 2023. Drainage and road improvement works will take place mid-to-late spring (subject to weather conditions), in preparation for the reopening.

CHECK OUT OUR NORTH EAST JOBS in today's Regional Extra for more employment opportunities. Published every Wednesday in your Wangaratta Chronicle, Ovens and Murray Advertiser, Myrtleford Times and Alpine Observer VACUUM

FREE RANGE HENS ISA Brown Pullets, POL $27ea. Pick upWang to Bright Becky & Hugh (03) 5798 1868 freerangehens.com.au

Happy 80th Birthday

Maureen O’Sullivan

Mum, Nana and sister. We love you.

~ Toni, Tony, Harry, Lachlan, Flynn. Anne and Col. Dani, Allan and Kristine.

BARRETT, John Edward. 31/10/1929 – 5/6/2023

Passed away peacefully on June 5, 2023. Loving husband and life partner of Marjorie (dec).

Loved father of Grant, Leigh, Craig and Rowan, and father-in-law to Christine, Brenda and Helen. Also wonderful grandfather (Pa) and great-grandfather.

Date for internment ceremony at Resting at last.

CROFT, Rhonda Joy.

Of Wangaratta, formerly of Bright. Passed at Wangaratta Hospital on June 7, 2023. Aged 60 years.

Loving mother of Steven and Jessica. Grandma of Ethan. As per Rhonda’s wishes, a private cremation has been held. Colin and Pam Ling Rutherglen-Corowa Funerals Locally owned.

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GENERAL KNOWLEDGE CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 Which midmorning meal serves as both breakfast and lunch (6)

8 What was the given name of the Dickens character, Scrooge (8)

9 Which term describes a half-breed (6)

10 Who looks on the bright side of things (8)

11 What is a female peacock (6)

13 Name the Spanish politician who was the founder of the Spanish Socialist party, Pablo ... (8)

16 What is a wolf spider also known as (8)

19 Which fin is generally developed on the back of aquatic vertebrates (6)

22 Name a game played frequently in the USA (8)

24 Which spotted, leopard-like cat is found in the Americas (6)

25 What is a trapezoidal zither with metal strings (8)

26 Which bush tucker is made of flour and water (6)

DOWN

2 What is a word, agreeing with another in terminal sound (5)

3 Name a cardinal point of the compass (5)

4 What is devotion to pleasure (8)

5 Which term describes a religious denomination (4)

6 Name the messenger of the gods (6)

7 What was the former official name of Iran (6)

12 What is an indefinitely long period of time (4)

14 Who is the master of an inn (8)

15 What is the 15th March known as (4)

E-QUATIONS

Letters A to Z have a number value. Some are shown in the right-hand cells. Create remaining values using clues in centre cells.

SUDOKU

17 Which major planet has 15 small planets (6)

18 What is a long, narrow excavation in the ground (6)

20 Which term describes a cold (5)

21 What is a sun-dried brick (5)

23 What is the culmination of something (4)

QUICK THINK

Solve the crossword. Each answer has four letters.

Find the following words in the grid. They may be read in any direction, even diagonally. Some letters are used more than once.

WHICH WORDS

(a)

(b)

BIYWORD

Build it yourself using the clues and each of the twenty-four letters once only to form ten words: five across and five down. A key word (bold clue) builds on the letter set in the grid.

CLUES:

Break-even point (3)

Estimate (abb) (3)

Garden flower: sweet ... (3)

Guide (5)

Military instrument (5)

Mixture of metals (5)

Normal (7)

Of the laity (3)

Repel

Student

SOLUTIONS

Youth driving healthy O&K competition

By BAILEY ZIMMERMANN

A SPURT of youth into the Ovens and King Football and Netball league has revamped a high level of play on and off the field to the halfway point of the 2023 season.

All but one top grade football and netball side have registered wins with senior Milawa netball and Greta football the only teams yet to drop a game.

In his first year as O&K general manager, Pranav Menon said he was extremely excited by the high level of competition that has been displayed across the league so far compared to recent seasons.

“If you see all the games in the football and the netball there are not too many teams who are dominating,

there are a couple of clubs doing well who have had a good season in the first half of the year but they haven’t had it easy,” he said.

“It’s really exciting, and I think all the clubs are pretty keen to have this break (over King’s Birthday weekend) and get onto the second half of the season.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if there were upsets in the whole Ovens and King because that’s how the competition has been.”

All teams have at least one grade in a finals position going into the league bye, with teams including Bright and Benalla battling in the senior grades but excelling in junior netball competition.

Menon said a notable difference this year compared to recent seasons has been

the concerted effort of clubs investing time to foster connections with the district’s junior football and netball players and clubs.

“I think seniors’ numbers

have been really good, but it’s always been that case where after three or four rounds clubs always struggle to find players,” he said.

“The good thing about

this is because the under 17s sometimes have a bye in the junior leagues, clubs are looking into junior players as prospects for their clubs.

“If you go through the rounds now you can see the junior league has been represented in the Ovens and King, so that’s a good opportunity for the juniors to just experience senior games, and in terms of the clubs, it helps build their base for next year as well.”

Menon said while clubs were beginning to explore the options in connecting with the junior leagues in prior years, COVID-19 stifled the activity, so it’s good to see the club connections restarted this year, especially in football.

“Ovens and King clubs especially are building those

relationships and they see the importance of providing pathways for junior clubs to experience senior footy,” he said.

“Centrals play all of their home games at North Wangaratta, College have a Thursday session out at Milawa, King Valley is doing really great with the Kangaroos... more and more Ovens and King clubs are taking that initiative in trying to build those relationships with the junior clubs.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw more junior footballers coming into the Ovens and King in the coming years.”

The league resumes play this weekend, with Greta at Moyhu, Milawa at Benalla, Tarrawingee at King Valley, Bright at Goorambat, Whorouly at North Wangaratta and Bonnie Doon with the bye.

Memorial 4BBB fought out at Mount Beauty

SATURDAY, May 10 was a very important day in the Mount Beauty Golf Club calendar, with the Steve Green Memorial 4BBB being contested.

It was Steve Green who instigated the changing of the course from sandscrapes to the present-day greens in 1998.

The conversion took two years to achieve and today is ably attended by a group of volunteers under the direction of Stephen Short.

Peter Hertzog and Anthony Boschetti proved victorious with 42 points, Stuie Jelbart and Mark Redmond

were second on a countback from Allan Retallick and Ross Rynehart with their 38 points apiece.

NTPs went to Stuie Jelbart on the seventh along with the Tatts Ticket from the Tawonga South Newsagency & Post Office.

The ninth went to Macca Deans, 17th to Roger Church, and the money on the 18th was collected by Ross Rynehart.

The better individual scores on the day were Peter Hertzog with 31 points with Stuie Jelbart, and Anthony Boschetti and Stephen Short with 30 points apiece.

WINNERS: Peter Hertzog (left) with Anthony Boschetti after winning the Steve Green Memorial Trophy.

IN THE THICK OF IT: Bright’s Ruby Delacy defends North Wangaratta’s Ruby Lane-Gee as O&K squads look to reset for the second half of the season this week. PHOTO: Kurt Hickling

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Women Savoy defence leading from the front

By RYAN MALCOLM

SITTING on top of the Albury Wodonga Football Association (AWFA) division two ladder at the halfway point of the season, Myrtleford Savoy women are enjoying the view.

Sitting two points clear of rivals Wodonga Heart and boasting a goal difference of 30 after 12 games, coach Gabrielle Paglia said her troops were keen to consolidate their strong start to the season on Sunday, as they welcome sixth-placed Albury City to Savoy Park.

“It’s been really good so far to be able to keep this top spot - obviously it’s the first time in a while for any of the teams I’ve played within,” Paglia said.

“The team’s just doing so well, they all work together really well and communicate together - they just gelled together and we all understand each other.”

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Having dropped down from AWFA’s division one competition this season, Savoy have stamped their authority on the league so far this year, conceding only five goals while scoring a league-high 35 goals, which has seen them only drop points in three games.

With the bulk of the side still under 18, Paglia said her side’s defensive solidity had been particularly impressive so far this year, but noted Albury City were one of only a handful of sides to register a goal when the two drew 1-1 in the reverse fixture less than a month ago.

“That experience last year in seniors has definitely helped the team, especially in our defensive half, and has helped build

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confidence so I think that’s all it is really - building that confidence and taking each game as it is,” she said.

“I think it definitely shows that we’ve kept the same backline as last year - we all know how each other move and when we’re going left and when we’re going right, so it’s definitely handy - it’s all about having that experience as a team.

“It all comes from our middle half and our attackers - it comes through them before it gets to us, so I definitely have all my faith in them as well as our goalkeepers Jess (Stringer) and Annie (Iaria), they’re just game after game showing their worth.

“I think we went in with our

heads held a little bit too high potentially (in the reverse fixture)coming into this next game we now know how they’re going to play.

“Definitely the fact that it’s in front of our home crowd, we’re definitely excited.”

Having trialed a 4-1-3-2 formation previously against Albury City, Paglia said she anticipated a return her squad would revert to its traditional 4-2-3-1 to ensure more midfield solidity, in an effort to release forwards Sienna Alam (15 goals) and Amber Howell into dangerous areas.

With only four points separating first and fifth, she said it was important to continue the winning culture which had developed within the team.

“We’re obviously looking at trying to get as big of a gap between first and second as possible - we’re really looking at those games where second and third are playing each other and hoping they can make more of a difference and create that gap,” Paglia said.

“You’ve got Heart who’ve beaten Albury United (fifth) twice now, so we’re really looking at Heart as a big contender nowespecially seeing as the first time we played them we lots to them 1-nil, which was our only loss.

“So we’re just comparing and seeing where we have to attack from there.”

Action commences at Savoy Park from 9.50am.

Savoy set for second-half push

By RYAN MALCOLM

AN influx of fresh legs into Myrtleford’s division one men’s side could be the catalyst for a reversal of the side’s fortunes, with the squad eyeing a late assault on a finals berth.

Coach Richard Morgan said the return of a number of key players, as well as the addition of a new midfield maestro, had the capacity to reinvigorate the side in the back half of what has insofar been a disappointing campaign, which sees Savoy sitting in ninth on the ladder having recorded only two wins.

Set to welcome eighth-placed Albury City to Savoy Park on Sunday afternoon less than a month after being downed 5-3 in the reverse fixture, Morgan said he expected a totally different performance this time around.

“I think (the players) are reasonably excited, and it’s not just for next week but they’re looking forward to the second part of the season I think - we expect to improve significantly over the second part of the year,” he said.

“The Albury City game sort of got away from us when we

played them at their home ground but we’re expecting a totally different game this time around.

“We were a little bit stretched and a little bit ill-disciplined I suppose - I think that will all change and things should start to improve a little bit.”

Savoy will be without backline workhorse Leeam Hughes this week, following a hamstring strain which is expected to sideline the star defender for up to a month.

However, the re-introduction of highly-touted forward Jack Milford, centre-back Jake Miles

and midfielder Josh Zito, as well as the debut of English midfielder Tom Caplin, will see Myrtleford deploy a largely revamped line-up as they look to gain momentum in the back half of the year.

Refreshed after a bye on the back of a disheartening 7-0 loss in the FA Cup semi-final away to ladder leaders Albury United, Morgan said prevailing in tight contests was a key focus going forward.

“I think the big thing from our St Pat’s game (4-0 win) to that mid-week game (FA Cup loss) - Zito was playing but he had bad ribs, but he still tried really hard,” Morgan said.

“We didn’t have Jake Miles play who’s one of the cornerstones of our defence, and then you’ve got the new players who didn’t play in that, so there was no Jack Milford, there was no Tom Caplin - they all start this weekend.

“They’ll probably take one or two weeks to get going, but it’s a totally different team.

“There’s a few that have gone pretty well - it’s just a few games that have gone against us that could’ve gone either way.”

EYES ON THE PRIZE: Will Osborne soars above his St Pat’s opponent in their recent 4-0 win, with the Savoy now turning their attention to an important clash between eighth and ninth this week with Albury City.

PHOTO: Janet Watt

QUICK FEET: Sienna Alam has netted 15 times this campaign, and fronts as a key attacking outlet for the Savoy women this week against Albury City.

PHOTO: Janet Watt

Saints A graders endure one-goal nail-biter loss

By NATHAN DE VRIES

FOR the second time in as many weeks, Myrtleford’s A grade netballers were handed an agonising one-goal loss on Saturday, with the Saints falling just short of Wodonga Raiders at Birallee Park, 45-46.

The Saints tore into the first quarter, with Bec Piazza and Sally Botter sinking 12 goals in the opening stanza to gift Myrtleford an early four-goal lead.

Wodonga took advantage of some lapses from the visitors to peg the margin back by a goal, with Myrtleford still ahead by the half.

Momentum continued to go against the Saints through the third quarter, as the Raiders’ accuracy in the shooting circle proving to be a class above.

With a one-goal deficit at three-quarter time, the Raiders managed to hold their nerve to take the win by the slimmest of margins.

Co-coach Olivia La Spina said her side put up a strong fight against a quality side, but couldn’t sustain the effort.

“It’s certainly disappointing that we were on the wrong side of another close game,” she said.

“It still hurts, we were coming pretty hard in the last five minutes and certainly had momentum on our side when the final whistle went.

“We started off really strong but in that second and third quarter we probably just went away from some of our structures and made it difficult for ourselves.

“As a team, I feel like individually some of us had a few lapses in concentration throughout the game, all seven of us probably weren’t playing our best netball at the right time together, which made a difference.”

Myrtleford will take this

weekend away from competition with the split round, with time to prepare to take on Lavington on the road on the 24th.

“It was positive to see we had a strong first quarter because that hasn’t always been a strength of ours,” La Spina said.

“At the end of the day, Wangaratta, Raiders and us are all going to be in that top four range at the end of the season, so it’s not that disheartening because they’re both such great sides.

“It gives us confidence that we can take it to these sides who we’ll hopefully come up against come finals at the end of the year.

“While it’s disappointing in the moment, once you look back it’s not that bad.

“We’ve taken it to the best sides, we know we can really push these sides, and if we string four quarters of netball together, we can certainly win these games.”

Bombers defeated narrowly by Bulldogs

By DANIEL SAVILLE

IT took five minutes of magic by Thurgoona to shake a determined Dederang-Mount Beauty in their Tallangatta & District Netball Association

A grade clash on Saturday afternoon.

The Bombers were competitive for a large majority of the game but couldn’t maintain the rage for the full four quarters against the thirdplaced Bulldogs, going down by only nine goals in the 43-52 loss.

Scores were level at quarter time (12-12) and again at half-time (24-24), as the home side, who were without centre Elise Stewart, were only two quarters away from what would have

Quiet week at Myrtleford Golf Club

THE week leading into the King’s Birthday Long Weekend saw some impressive scores at the Myrtleford Golf Club, with David Clark taking out the A grade on Saturday.

Saturday, June 10

Myrtleford

Burgerville Burgers Stableford AMCR 71

A grade winner: David Clark (17) 36 pts c/b. A grade runner up: Alan Rockliff (14) 36 pts.

Ball winners: C Piazza 35, G Veldman 34, W Rownet 34.

Foodworks NTPs -

first: David Matthews, fourth second shot: David Clark, 14th: David Matthews, 16th: Spider Hancock. Matthews Cleaning encouragement award: Evan Jones 22 pts. Raffle winner: Ichlis Giovannoni.

Wednesday, June 7

Myrtleford

Burgerville BurgersStableford AMCR 71

A grade winner: Bill O’Donohue (24) 34 pts. A grade runner up: Warren Rowney (30) 29 pts.

been a memorable win in their first game at Dederang in 2023.

In a sign of how competitive they were against a genuine finals side, the Bombers only lost one quarter, but Thurgoona ran rampant in the third quarter with a 16-6 scoreline to take the game out of reach.

DMB managed to win the final quarter but the damage on the scoreboard had already been done.

Mid-courter Alex Novak and shooter Alysha de Koeyer, who kept the home side in the game with 30 goals, were the Bombers’ best players. A grade netball coach Novak took plenty of positives from the game despite the defeat.

ROUND RESULTS:

NORTH East Bushrangers

Basketball (NEBB) is a collaboration between local North East basketball associations with the commitment of “Creating Realistic Pathways for all North East Athletes”

Eleven NEBB junior teams compete in the Victorian Junior Basketball League (VJBL) - the highest level junior competition in Victoria.

One NEBB Youth League Men’s (YLM) team competes in the semi-professional Big V competition.

Big V & VJBL consist of teams from both metropolitan and regional Victoria.

U14 Boys 1 46 def McKinnon 2 39

(Top Scorers: Keoni Anderson 14, Charlie Voss 10, Harris Kain 8)

U14 Boys 2 40 def Ballarat 2 33

“We came out strongly from the first minute and took it up to them with our own style of play - we found our rhythm and flow really early in the game,” Novak said.

“It was only the first five minutes of the third quarter that was the difference in the game.

“It was a similar situation when we played Chiltern - we will have a think about what our game strategy will be going forward as we come into the second half to make sure that this pattern doesn’t continue.

“Consistent combinations on the court have helped us do well so far but we will look to see what can give us that competitive advantage going in to the

second half and I think we are ready to take some more risks on the court.”

Despite the loss over the weekend, Dederang-Mount Beauty sit only a game out of the top five with a 5-4 record, but face second-placed Yackandandah in Dederang this weekend, in what will be another chance to test themselves against a team looking to feature at the pointy end of the season.

“We are really excited to get these opportunities to play the best teams and we are already buzzing with excitement,” Novak said.

In other senior netball results, DMB’s B grade (32-63) and C grade (18-84) were both overpowered by Thurgoona.

Ball winners: G Browne 27. Foodworks NTPseighth: Jon Harrington, 14th: Evan Jones.

Tuesday, June 6 Myrtleford

Burgerville Burgers Stableford AMCR 74 9 hole winner: Helen Mummery (54) 18pts c/b. 9 hole runner up: Kerry Newton (24) 18pts.

Foodworks NTPs14th: Helen Mummery, 16th: Kerry Newton.

(Top Scorers: Brock Buckland 15, Joseph Milton 6, Cruz McAuliffe 6)

U14 Girls 1 30 def by Geelong 1 35

(Top Scorers: Ella Mercieca 14, Minnie Humphry 4, Scarlett Van Schaik 3)

U14 Girls 2 38 def Macedon 1 26

(Top Scorers: Allira Cullinger 11, Kaity Ford 9, Maria Hanely 7)

U16 Boys 1 62 def Melbourne 1 58

(Top Scorers: Dashiell Smith 17, Connor Breheny 11, Blake Newton 10

U16 Boys 2 43 def Westgate 3 42

(Top Scorers: Not available)

U16 Girls 1 BYE

(Top Scorers: )

U16 Girls 2 def Diamond Valley 2FORFIET

(Top Scorers: )

U18 Boys 1 BYE

(Top Scorers: )

U18 Boys 2 40 def by Bacchus Marsh 1 47

(Top Scorers: Nic Watson 11, Cam Cooper 9, Zach Schluter 7)

U18 Girls 41 def by Pakenham 1 48

(Top Scorers: Montana Burke 14, Jess Freeman 13, Elyssa Coke 7)

U16 GIRLS 1 TEAM: BACK (L-R) Lizzie Carty (Coach), Elise Napier, Crystal Holdsworth, Lily-Anne McClure, Charlotte Ogier, Charlotte Woosnam, Indiana Phillips, Nick McClure (Assistant Coach). FRONT (L-R) Mekenzie Wood, Meg Evans, Beth Morris, Kiera Freeman.

ON THE BALL: Sally Botter, pictured in last week’s match against Wangaratta, turned in another solid performance in the Saints’ one goal loss to Wodonga Raiders on Saturday.

PHOTO: Janet Watt

AND KING Welcome to Thomason’s town

Cooper Thomason has been a big part of the Mountain Men’s success so far this season, sitting a game outside the top two in third.

Cooper Thomason is relishing the freedom to fly in Bright’s forward 50 pgyg

TAKING part in senior footy training after finishing with the juniors was not the ordinary development path for a 13 year-old aspiring footballer.

But growing up in Bright, a young Cooper Thomason couldn’t get enough of his footy, wanting to find a way to stay involved any way he could.

“I’ve always been asked to go to train with the older boys and just tried to get better with my footy when I was younger,” he said.

“All the boys were just unreal; my little brother even used to come along.”

Now 18 and at the halfway mark of the 2023 O&K season, Thomason has been terrorising defenders across the league.

The O&K’s leading goal-

BY BAILEY ZIMMERMANN bzimmermann@ nemedia.com.au

kicker has taken the league by storm, kicking 46 goals through eight games, 10 more than second best and has shown remarkable consistency kicking at least a goal in every game and has been named among the best on five occasions.

Thomason has excelled in the air coming out of fullforward, mixing his athletic abilities with deceptively strong hands running and jumping at the ball.

The 18-year-old said the confidence instilled in him by coach Paul Harrison and the team in his forward abilities has enabled him to play

with freedom and without fear of failure.

“We’ve got a good bunch of boys together and it’s nice to be kicking a few, the midfielders help me out a bit,” he said.

“I’ve got a licence to have a free run and jump at the ball, hit up wherever and sort of make the forward line my own.

“Coach and all of the other boys in the forward line have said I can jump over them or back myself in to do whatever, which helps me a lot.

“I love how the boys can back me in like that and it boosts me up to back myself in a lot more.”

This is just Thomason’s second full year of senior football and it would be fair to say he has adjusted from

junior footy well, after kicking 66 goals and coming third in the league goal kicking last season.

Thomason said being involved with senior training at such a young age has allowed him to build strong relationships within the club which he loves being around.

“We’re all mates and a pretty tight-knit group so that’s what keeps me around... I’ve never been intrigued by going to other clubs,” he said.

“Most of our team is just full of local boys, we’ve only got one or two blokes who haven’t grown up locally or lived here ever which is really cool to have.

“It definitely helped me growing up hanging around all the older boys and learn-

ing their things and I’ve been able to mature quicker from that.”

Thomason is currently enjoying a gap year while working at a café in Bright, with aspirations of starting an apprenticeship as an electrician next year.

Thomason said he always had a ball in his hand growing up, whether it be cricket, basketball or school sports but has always had a special place for footy.

“I’ve always had strong hands growing up playing a lot of ball sports which has helped me out with my footy,” he said.

When not kicking bags of goals on the weekend he can be found out fishing or hitting the greens at the Bright Golf Club.

The Mountain Men enter the second half of the season sitting comfortably in the top three, with losses to fellow contenders Milawa and Greta as the only blemishes to their record.

Thomason said last year’s agonising loss in the preliminary final was a driving force for a lot of players who have re-committed this season looking to go one better and search for an elusive O&K flag.

“We’re going have to keep training hard, keep playing our best footy and backing each other in,” he said.

“Hopefully we can cement ourselves in the top two going into finals and we’ll see what happens there.”

The Mountain Men travel to Goorambat this Saturday to take on the Bats.

Bright netballers focusing on fun, improvement

AS the Ovens and King season moves into its latter half, the netballers at Pioneer Park are raring to retake to the court this weekend, with an away game against Bonnie Doon.

It’s been a difficult start to the year for Bright’s A graders, who currently sit winless on the bottom of the ladder, but there have been definite positives through the first half of the competition.

“There have been some great improvements, I think we’ve stabilised our sides

now,” A/B grade coach Marlene Steiner said.

“We’ve got a whole new group of girls, and we’re trying to build that comradery. B grade’s very settled and A grade’s settled into their positions.

“It was challenging in regards to trying to work out where we were heading with both teams, but also not trying to lock in things too soon.

“What I’ve liked about it is being able to promote those younger players up into A grade as needed, the likes

of Lara Lock coming into A grade and Ash (Farmer) and Monique (Martin) as well.

“I think that’s been the standout to me, that ability to give them rewards when they’ve been playing well, to move them up.

“I think that’s the beauty of having an A/B squad, and the potentiality for that continuing not necessarily under one coach.”

Up against talented Bats squads, Bright’s netballers across all grades will be looking to continue to take

strides in improving their game.

“It’s all about having fun,” Steiner said.

“We were very disappointed last week when we went down by one in B grade, but when they came off the girls were all smiles.

“They played really well and they knew it was within their grasp.

“We’re just out there to play - yes, they do want to win, but they’re also in a good headspace to realise it is a building year.”

SECOND HALF: Maddi Muller and the Bright netballers will look to retake to the court this Saturday at Goorambat.

PHOTO: Nathan de Vries

CAN’T BE TOUCHED:

PHOTO: Nathan De Vries

KICKING GOALS: Cooper Thomason has been a force to be reckoned in Bright’s forward line this year, leading the O&K goal kicking at the halfway point of the season.

PHOTO: Charlotte Kilner

$500k wish for Whorouly netball courts upgrade comes true

By STEVE KELLY

WHOROULY Football Netball Club will have a longawaited upgrade to its netball court with $500,000 in funding announced for two multipurpose courts to be built at the recreation reserve.

Works will be carried out in the 2023/24 financial year, with $250,000 coming from the Victorian Government’s Country Football and Netball Program delivered in partnership with the AFL, AFL Victoria and Netball Victoria.

The other half will be funded by the Rural City of Wangaratta council bringing it forward from the 2024/25 financial year to make the long awaited dream a reality sooner than forecast.

Deputy Mayor Harry Bussell said his community is very happy to know their netball courts will be upgraded.

“The Whorouly Lions are a significant club in the Ovens

and King,” Cr Bussell said.

“This funding will provide a real boost to the morale of the club from the A grade players right through to the development squad kids.

“Sporting infrastructure is important in small rural communities for mental and physical wellbeing, it provides a place of connection.

“We can’t wait for the works to get underway.”

Cr Bussell said the Whorouly Recreation Reserve is the hub of the local community, and this funding has been widely welcomed by the committee of management, Whorouly Football Netball Club and the local community.

It’s been a 12-year mission by key people at the club in advocating for the courts that will update the single court facility, which is well past its used by date.

Club president Eddie Costenaro said everyone at the

club was thrilled with the confirmation of the funding to greatly update the facilities.

“It was a very nice surprise for everyone at training on Thursday night, it was fantastic news,” Mr Costenaro said.

“The courts will finish off what we’ve been able to achieve over the last 10 years with the new club rooms.”

At least six teams have to make do with one court for training two nights per week and people feared that players would leave the club if the courts were not updated prior to the scheduled 2024/25 financial year.

Mr Costenaro said the courts will be used during the summer months as well for other purposes, so it’s not just the netballers who will benefit from the improvement.

“We’ve got some cracking facilities at Whorouly and a lot of really good volunteers

who keep everything maintained,” he said.

“We’re a close knit club and community and when people need help we always give support.

“There are about 40 kids at Auskick and there are young people coming through so the club is continually growing and this upgrade will maintain us for the next 20 years.

“We get people, especially campers, who come down and they can’t believe what such a small community does.”

Mr Costenaro thanked council for its support in achieving the state grant and funding for the courts.

The money comes after the Rural City of Wangaratta Council met with about 40 locals to discuss key infrastructure in the town as part of the Rural Placemaking Project and Snow Road District Plan last September.

Lions to launch into back half of season

By NATHAN DE VRIES

IT’S been a challenging first half to the Ovens and King season for Whorouly’s senior footballers and netballers, with this weekend’s fixture against North Wangaratta to commence the second half of the competition.

The senior football squad sits eighth on the ladder after 10 rounds of play, but just one win outside the top six, meaning a finals berth is still very much on the cards.

The Lions have recorded some inconsistent results, their wins coming from round one (Benalla All Blacks), seven (King Valley) and 10 (Tarrawingee).

Whorouly will be out for revenge against North Wangaratta this weekend, who took the win by one point in their last outing which saw some scoreboard dra-

ma and a flipped result after the final siren.

Coach Riley Calvene said the rollercoaster first half of the season had energised and inspired the squad to attack their remaining games with gusto.

“We’ve had a pretty interesting first half of the year, plenty of highs and lows,” he said.

“Unfortunately we’ve been hit with the injury stick this first half, but we’ve battled through some adversity.

“Our effort and intensity has been super impressive, and we’ve had patches of some really good footy.

“There were probably two games, against North Wangaratta (round four, one point) and Goorambat (round three, 26 points), I was disappointed we let slip, but the boys are hungry to make amends.

“We are looking forward to North Wang this week, we’re feeling refreshed from the weekend off and we are really eager to hopefully string some good footy together and make our push for finals.”

Over on the netball court, the A grade Lions sit outside the top six after a strong start to the season.

Whorouly took four wins from their first four games on the trot, before a run against some of the best sides in the competition has seen them unable to record a victory since round five.

A victory this weekend over the 10th ranked Hawks could be the spark the Lions need to regain some form.

Ovens and King football and netball returns this Saturday, with the Lions travelling to the North Wangaratta Recreation Reserve.

PHOTO: Nathan de Vries

WHO WANTS IT: Netballer Grace Way in action on the existing court at Whorouly during a recent game against Tarrawingee, as the crowd watches on.

PHOTO: Nathan de Vries

OVENS AND MURRAY

Big-name Raiders sink Saints

■ From back page

“We didn’t know what to expect from Harley Bennell other than he’s a very good ex-AFL player - he kicked three goals in the first 15 minutes of the first quarter and we thought ‘wow, what have we got here’.

“We did really well to start limiting some of the supply to him, he finished with four for the day in what looks like a cameo appearance.

“Cam Ellis-Yolmen’s such a big-bodied midfielder, he went forward and kicked a couple of goals too.

“They’re just two very good players - we tried a few things to try and stop their ability to get their hands on the ball, they were just too strong.

“We’ll learn from it, and hopefully get better.”

With this weekend off with the split round, Myrtleford will look to recharge and launch into the second half of the season against Lavington, with some positive performances in the bag.

“It’s almost a new season starting for us,” Millar said.

Ovens and Murray league comes together for Terry

TERRY Socks it to Cancer kicked off last week with the Ovens and Murray senior football and netball players wearing the brightly coloured socks.

Home teams wore bright pink socks and away teams bright yellow, to raise money and awareness for the Albury Wodonga Regional Cancer Centre Trust Fund.

Being held for a second consecutive year, Terry Socks it to Cancer is inspired by former Ovens and Murray champion, Terry Greaves, who is receiving treatment for metastatic melanoma. Other leagues and clubs are expected to follow suit in the coming weeks, including Ovens and King on August 19.

For further information or to make a donation, visit www.bit.ly/terrysocks.

OVENS AND MURRAY SENIORS LADDER

NETBALL SCORES THIRDS RESULTS

A GRADE

North Albury 41 def by Wangaratta Rovers 48

BEST: NORTH ALBURY: Maddie Pearson 3 Grace Hay 2 Hidden Player 1

WANG ROVERS: Samantha Kreltszheim 3 Kelsie Wilson 2 Hidden Player 1

GOALS: NORTH ALBURY: Lily Kelly 24 Sophia Kohlhagen 17

WANG ROVERS: Samantha Kreltszheim 27 Rebecca Kreltszheim 21

Wodonga Raiders 46 def Myrtleford 45

BEST: WODONGA RAIDERS: Mackensey House 3 Molly Goldsworthy 2 Mia Lavis 1

MYRTLEFORD: Rebecca Piazza 3 Hidden Player 2 Sophie Hanrahan 1

GOALS: WODONGA RAIDERS: Mia Lavis 22 Emily Stewart 21 Taylor Donelan 3

MYRTLEFORD: Rebecca Piazza 29 Sally Botter 14 Saige Broz 2 Albury 50 def Lavington 48

BEST: ALBURY: Hidden Player 3 Gabrielle Mcrae 2 Niamh Thorn 1

LAVINGTON: Maddy Plunkett 3 Olivia Sanson 2 Tayla Furborough 1

GOALS: ALBURY: Lilli Howe 34 Skye Hillier 16

LAVINGTON: Maddy Plunkett 28 Olivia Sanson 20

Yarrawonga 55 def Wodonga 37

BEST: n/a. GOALS: YARRAWONGA: Hidden Player 26 Kaleisha Pell 19 Laura Davis 10

WODONGA: Cassi Mathey 15 Elizabeth Murphy 15 Lily Mckimmie 7

B GRADE: Wodonga Raiders 41 def by Myrtleford 49; North Albury 52 def Wangaratta Rover 43; Yarrawonga 43 def by Wodonga 46; Albury 54 def Lavington 41. C GRADE: Wangaratta 42 def Corowa-Rutherglen

34; Yarrawonga 50 def Wodonga 34; Albury 24 def by Lavington 48; North Albury 49 def Wangaratta Rovers 33; Wodonga Raiders 49 def by Myrtleford 53. 17 & UNDER: Wangaratta 48 def Corowa-Rutherglen 33;

Yarrawonga 34 def by Wodonga 56; North Albury 54 def Wangaratta Rovers 39; Albury 38 def Lavington 27; Wodonga Raiders 94 def Myrtleford

16. 15 & UNDER: Wangaratta 34 def Corowa-Rutherglen 21; North Albury

34 def by Wangaratta Rover 36; Yarrawonga 8 def by Wodonga 62; Wodonga Raiders 29 def Myrtleford 28; Albury 24 def by Lavington 25.

Yarrawonga 10.9.69 def Wodonga 4.7.31

BEST: YARRAWONGA: Geoffrey Montgomery, Mitchell Parker, Memphis Bramich, Luke Slattery, Ned Harvey, Lachlan Phillips. WODONGA: Reuben Bourke, Jack Mathey, James Grohmann, Josh Still, Ezekiel Morey, Isaac O’Neill GOALS: YARRAWONGA: Blake Keenes 3, Lachlan Phillips 3, Lochie Forge 2, Ned Harvey 1, Joseph Lee-Conway 1. WODONGA: James Grohmann 1, Jack Mathey 1, Lachlan Nugent 1, Etienne Tshijika 1.

Nth Albury 6.3.39 def by Wang Rovers 13.10.88

BEST: NORTH ALBURY : Cooper McIntosh, Jackson Carey, Joshua Murphy, Marty Norman, Jesse OBrien. WANGARATTA ROVERS: Oliver Sharp, Charlie Lugg, Jack Keys, Judd Schubert, Charles Ledger, Ryley Ely. GOALS: NORTH ALBURY: Joshua Murphy 4, Lachlan Harvey 1, Eligh Houston-Damic 1. WANGARATTA ROVERS: Judd Schubert 5, Lachlan Barbour 3, Jai Dal Zotto 2, Riley Allan 1, Samuel Comensoli 1, Ryley Ely 1, Oliver Sharp 1.

Wod. Raiders 13.10.88 def Myrtleford 2.3.15

BEST: WODONGA RAIDERS: Archer Scammell, Connor Howells, Harry Sweetman, Angus Quinn, Finn Gray, Bailey Smith. MYRTLEFORD: Marcello Vescio, Luke Nannipieri, Saxon Rosser, Harry Stripeikis, Jake Skahill. GOALS: WODONGA RAIDERS: Finn Gray 6, Zac Whitsed 3, Tom Johnson 1, Lincoln Reed 1, Jack Stewart 1, Harry Sweetman 1. MYRTLEFORD: Luke Nannipieri 2.

Albury 6.6.42 def Lavington 5.10.40

BEST: ALBURY: Rory Parnell, Fraser Bennett, Zachariah Packer, Charlie McGrath, Charlie Summerfield, Ty Quade. LAVINGTON: Jesse Hart, Jack Costello, Will Liersch, Harryson Barber, Alex Swinnerton, Will Mitchell

“We’ll get ready for Lavington in a few weeks and get ready to restart what we’ve, to a degree, started in some parts of the game and hopefully get some more consistency.

“Elijah Wales has been outstanding for the last month, we’re really lucky to have him back in the team, he plays an important leadership role for us and he’s been in super form.

“It was Declan Bren’s best performance for the year (on Saturday), he’s finally got his body in the condition where he can compete at the highest level - that was a really good reward for him because he’s been putting in a lot of time away from the club to get his body right, so full credit to him.”

The reserve Saints suffered a 25 point loss on Saturday, while the thirds went down 2.3 (15) to 13.10 (88).

SCOREBOARD RESERVES RESULTS

GOALS: YARRAWONGA: Nicholas Fothergill 3, Ryan Einsporn 2, Leigh Williams 2, Cameron Wilson 2, Matthew Casey 1, Bailey Frauenfelder 1, Michael Gibbons 1, Leigh Masters 1, Logan Morey 1, William Wheeler 1. WODONGA: Jack Chesser 2, Oscar Willding 2, Angus Baker 1, Jett Cassidy 1, Adam Jorgensen 1. BEST: YARRAWONGA: Ryan Einsporn, Cameron Wilson, William Wheeler, Leigh Masters, Tyler Lovell, Bailey Frauenfelder. WODONGA: Jack O’Sullivan, Charlie Morrison, Oscar Willding, Daniel Wortmann, Angus Baker, Matthew Wilson.

GOALS: NORTH ALBURY: Nathan Dennis 5, George Godde 2, Layton Taylor 2, Thomas Anderson 1, Archer Gardiner 1, Julian Hayes 1, Joshua Minogue 1, Jack Penny 1. WANGARATTA ROVERS: Will Christie 2, Thomas Baulch 1, Brodie Filo 1, Justin Lewis 1, Alexander Marklew 1, Alex McCarthy 1, Lockey McCartney 1. BEST: NORTH ALBURY: Fletcher Ramage, Nathan Dennis, Flynn Gardiner, Ryan Polkinghorne, George Godde, Joshua Minogue. WANGARATTA ROVERS: Samuel Murray, Will Christie, Alex McCarthy, Will McCarthy, Jace McQuade.

WODONGA RAIDERS 5.0 7.2 10.6 11.11.77

MYRTLEFORD 3.2 6.4 9.7 10.10.70

GOALS: WODONGA RAIDERS: Harley Bennell 4, Nathan Clarke 2, Cameron Ellis-Yolmen 2, Ben Hernan 1, Brendan Kantilla 1, Ned Twycross 1. MYRTLEFORD: Declan Bren 4, Simon Curtis 3, Thomas Cappellari 1, Ryley Sharp 1, Kyle Winter-Irving 1. BEST: WODONGA RAIDERS: Cameron Ellis-Yolmen, Harley Bennell, Ned Conway, Tom Bracher, Lewis Waters, Indhi Kotzur. MYRTLEFORD: Elijah Wales, Brody Ricardi, Declan Bren, Austin Wickes, Ryley Sharp, Simon Curtis.

ALBURY 2.6 2.14 3.19 6.21.57

LAVINGTON 2.2 5.3 6.5 8.8.56

GOALS: ALBURY: Luke Daly 2, Rhys King 2, Jacob Conlan 1, Jeff Garlett 1. LAVINGTON: Shaun Driscoll 2, Jack Driscoll 1, William Glanvill 1, Tim Hanna 1, Jack Harland 1, Ewan Mackinlay 1, Jake O’Brien 1. BEST: ALBURY: Kolby Heiner-Hennessy, Max Byrne, Elliott Powell, Rhys King, Isaac Muller, Jessy Wilson. LAVINGTON: Shaun Driscoll, Nicholas Newton, Jake O’Brien, Tyson Neander, Tim Hanna, William Glanvill.

ROUND 10 - SPLIT ROUND JUNE 17, 24, 25

ALBURY V YARRAWONGA SAT 17

NORTH ALBURY V WODONGA

SAT 17

RAIDERS V COROWA-RUTHERGLEN SAT 24

LAVINGTON V MYRTLEFORD SAT 24

WANGARATTA V WANGARATTA ROVERS SUN 25

......................10.6.66 Lavington .................10.8.68

BEST: ALBURY: Harry Cameron, Charlie Lappin, William Blomeley, Oliver Hayes, Jacob BRUNNER, Will Unthank. LAVINGTON: Andrew Yates, Kel Evans, Nick Brennan, Aidan Cook, Kai Davies, Judd Mcleod. Wodonga Raiders .......9.6.60 Myrtleford ................5.5.35

BEST: WODONGA RAIDERS: Angus Sinclair, Max Glass, Thomas Gibbs, Angus Eberle, Declan Rochow, Tyrone Ellis. MYRTLEFORD: Tom Sparks, Benjamin Paddle, Mitchell Botter, jye gribbin, Matthew Paddle, James McPherson. North Albury .............5.5.35

Wangaratta Rovers 15.15.105

BEST: NORTH ALBURY: Justin Lawler, Joel Gare, Jackson Cross, Jamieson Bouffler. WANGARATTA ROVERS: Connor Shanley, Sam Allen, Nicholas Redley, Nic Henderson, Cameron Nottle, Nathan Gamble.

Yarrawonga ..............14.6.90

Wodonga ...................8.7.55

BEST: YARRAWONGA: No best players have been selected. WODONGA: No best players have been selected.

A GOOD CAUSE: Myrtleford players displaying their yellow Terry Socks it to Cancer socks after their match against Wodonga Raiders.

Round 10

Saturday 17th June

Albury v Yarrawonga

Nth Albury v Wodonga

Saturday 24th June

Lavington v Myrtleford

Sunday 25th June

Wangaratta v Wang Rovers

Bye Wodonga Raiders

Round 11

Saturday 17th June

Benalla v Milawa

King Valley v Tarrawingee

Goorambat v Bright

Moyhu v Greta

Nth Wangaratta v Whorouly

Bye Bonnie Doon

Round 10

Saturday 17th June

Barnawartha v Wahgunyah

Wodonga v Chiltern

Mitta United v Kiewa

Dederang v Yackandandah

Thurgoona v Tallangatta

Beechworth v Rutherglen

Kyle Arter ....................................67

Cesare

Thursday, Jun 15

Port Adelaide vs. Geelong

Friday, Jun 16

Brisbane vs. Sydney

Saturday, Jun 17

GWS vs. Fremantle

Richmond vs. St Kilda

Sunday, Jun 18

Carlton vs. Gold Coast

Nth Melbourne vs. Western Bulldogs

BYES- Adelaide, Collingwood, Essendon, Hawthorn, Melbourne, West Coast

CUSTOM BUILT SHEDS ONSITE MAINTENANCE MOBILE MIG, PLASMA CUTTING

Contact Glenn

Dogs have their day to down DMB

By DANIEL SAVILLE

THE Bombers and the Bulldogs entered the game with three wins from their first eight matches and the significance of the result was not lost on either team in the season’s first game of footy at Dederang.

Coming up against a Thurgoona side who won against Mitta United last week, Dederang-Mount Beauty never let the margin get out of reach, but ultimately lost by 27 points - 7.7 (49) to 10.16 (76).

Neither team was able to get too far ahead of the other as Thurgoona took a seven point into the first break and edged ahead by two goals at half-time in a low-scoring contest.

A wasteful Thurgoona were met with a tenacious home side in the third term and with a quarter to go and an 11-point margin, it was anyone’s game to win.

Unfortunately, the Bombers could only kick a solitary goal as the Bulldogs bit back with three finalquarter goals and a potentially seasondefining victory.

Jordan Harrington dominated in the midfield once again, as the number 33 pushed forward to score three goals.

Cody Hewat added two goals, while Matt Lee and Tom Scott were the other goalkickers for the Bombers.

Connor Brodie was once again a vital cog in defence and Will Hocking continues to impress in his debut season.

Senior captain Josh Kable felt that his side has been playing good football but has been let down by inconsistency within games.

“The general feeling among the boys was that although we have been up against the top teams these last few weeks, it has only been a bad quarter here and there that has cost us,” Kable said.

“They (Thurgoona) really showed up to play and we were chasing our tails from the start.”

Dederang-Mount Beauty find themselves back at home this weekend but come up against premiership contender Yackandandah, who will be looking to bounce back after a rare loss against Kiewa-Sandy Creek.

“Hopefully we can put together a good four quarters and show that we can still mix it with the top teams.”

Dederang-Mount Beauty’s reserves side were unable to match the intensity of second-placed Thurgoona in their 90-point loss - 5.0 (30) to 18.12 (120).

GALA FUN

THE Myrtleford Savoy Soccer Club recently hosted another edition of their popular Mini Roos gala days, with around 140 boys and girls from Myrtleford, Bright and Mount Beauty turning out the have some fun. Organisers thanked all the volunteer coaches, canteen workers, and all participants for a successful and fun event. The next gala day will be held in Bright this Saturday.

Big-name Raiders sink Myrtleford

A PAIR of powerhouse former AFL players saw Wodonga Raiders take their first win of the season at Birallee Park over Myrtleford on Saturday, with the Saints going down 10.10 (70) to 11.11 (77).

With ex-AFL stars Cam EllisYolmen (48 AFL games) and 2010 number two draft pick Harley Bennell (88 games, 98 goals) listed in the Raiders’ squad, the duo combined for 59 disposals and six goals, a major influence

BY NATHAN DE VRIES ndevries@ nemedia.com.au

on the outcome of the match. Despite the star power stacked against them, and Bennell booting three goals in the first 15 minutes of play, the Saints were never out of the contest,

matching scoring shots in the first term to trail by just 10 points at quarter time.

Myrtleford shot forward in the second term, cutting the margin to just four points by the half as the Raiders tried everything to stretch the lead out.

Declan Bren (four goals, eight contested possessions) handed the Saints the lead in the third, but the big-bodied Ellis-Yolmen’s work around the

contest was simply too powerful for Myrtleford to handle, with Raiders home by seven.

Bren, Simon Curtis (three goals) and Elijah Wales (20 disposals) were among the best for the Saints.

Coach Craig Millar said the two ex-AFL guns were the clear difference on the ground. “They’re just two very good players,” he said.

■ Continued page 32

PHOTO: Anthony Zanghellini