MyrtlefordTimesWednesdaySeptember172025

Grand final aspirations for four of Myrtleford Football Netball Club’s five teams ended in Sunday’s preliminary finals at Birallee Park.

The Saints’ senior footballers went down by 15 points to the Wangaratta Magpies, 12.11.83 to 15.8.98, while the reserves’ footballers suffered their heaviest defeat of the season, losing 1.6.12 to Lavington’s 15.12.102.

On the netball courts, the Saints’ C grade team lost 36 goals to 41 against Wangaratta Rovers, with the U17s losing to the same foe, 35 goals to 48.

However, the Saints’ U15 netballers won their way through to this Sunday’s grand final at Lavington by defeating Wodonga 34 goals to 57.

Full coverage in sport.

Xavier Laverty during Sunday’s senior preliminary final. PHOTO: Melissa Beattie

ease

By JEFF ZEUSCHNER

Travel restrictions to the Porepunkah area have been lifted and the Victorian government has announced a support package to help businesses, while the manhunt for armed fugitive Dezi Freeman yesterday entered its fourth week in the alpine region.

Victoria Police has lifted its advice to avoid travelling to

Porepunkah, with the Great Alpine Road open all the way through Porepunkah to Bright. Mount Buffalo National Park remains closed to the public and Victoria Police has advised its search for Freeman continues, and an increased police presence in and around the area remains, with police command still operating out of DEECA at Ovens.

Victorian Treasurer Jaclyn Symes on Monday announced a $2.5 million package to help support the visitor economy in Porepunkah, Bright and surrounding region, which has been severely impacted by the ongoing police operation to find the armed gunman,

who remains at large after having allegedly killed two police officers and injured a third at his Rayner Track property on 26 August.

Treasurer Symes said the government will continue to stand with the Porepunkah community and provide them “every support they need”.

“While our brave emergency services are still responding to this unthinkable crime, we know that businesses need support...this package will help the local community right now and into the future,” she said.

■ Continued page 2

■ Largest tactical police operation in Australian history carried out - page 2

■ More stories page 13

PHYSICAL CONTEST: The Saints’ Toby Cossor battles for position against Wangaratta Magpies’

Manhunt continues, but travel warnings to Porepunkah area lifted, support package announced

■ From page 1

Nationals’ MP for Ovens Valley, Tim McCurdy, who along with Bright Chamber of Commerce president Marcus Warner has been calling for urgent support for local businesses after weeks of “disruption and uncertainty”, said the support package offered “much-needed relief” and he urged businesses to register their interest without delay.

“This support is a step

forward, but the priority now is making sure businesses act quickly to access it so the region can begin its recovery with confidence,” Mr McCurdy said.

The package includes:

• $5000 grants for eligible businesses impacted by loss of trade.

• Funding for Alpine Shire Council and the local business chamber to support community activities and events.

• Targeted tourism marketing and promotional activities to encourage visitors back to the Alpine and High Country region.

• Investment into Ride High Country Marketing Phase 2 to strengthen long-term tourism and economic recovery Registrations can be made online via Business Victoria: https://business.vic.gov.au/ news-and-updates/2025/business-support-for-porepun-

kah-and-alpine-shire/

For casual staff or individuals seeking personal financial support, assistance is available through Services Australia, including Centrelink.

In addition, several existing supports remain available, including:

• Beyond Blue – NewAccess for Small Business Owners: Free, confidential and tailored mental health coaching program, designed to help small

business owners.

• Victorian Worker Mental Health Support Line: Free, confidential and 24/7 mental health support for Victorian employees in businesses with 200 workers or less.

• Partners in Wellbeing Helpline: Free wellbeing coaching for all Victorians aged 16 or over.

• Business Victoria Workplace Wellbeing: Resources and information to help sole

traders, small businesses and employees manage stress and build positive workplace wellbeing.

• Small Business Debt Helpline: Free, confidential financial advice from experts specialising in finance and debt management.

• Rural Financial Counselling Service: Free independent financial counselling to assist farmers, fishing enterprises, forestry growers and small rural-related businesses.

Largest tactical policing operation ever to be undertaken in Australia

BY JORDAN DUURSMA jduursma@ nemedia.com.au

Victoria Police have confirmed the largest tactical policing operation in Australian history was undertaken last Friday as the search continues for 56-year-old Dezi Freeman, the man accused of fatally shooting two police officers and injuring a third in Porepunkah on August 26.

Acting Deputy Commissioner of Regional Operations, Russell Barrett, addressed media on Sunday morning, providing a detailed update on the unprecedented search effort and changes to community safety advice.

“Over 125 specialist tactical members from every Australian state and territory, as well as New Zealand, scoured an area in the middle of Freeman’s location,” he said.

“They’ve crawled through caves, traversed rivers and waterfalls, and searched plantations and gorges in extremely rugged terrain.

“I thank our colleagues and the broader policing family from Australia and New Zealand for their unwavering support in our efforts to bring Freeman before the justice system.

“We’ve searched hundreds of properties with and without warrant, made our way through abandoned structures, searched mine shafts, caves and huts.

“The operation continues and our resolve to find Freeman does not change.”

Freeman, a self-described “sovereign citizen” with a history of anti-government rhetoric, fled into the bushland surrounding Mount Buffalo National Park following the deadly shooting.

Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson, 59, and Senior Constable Vadim de Waart-Hottart, 34, were shot dead as they and eight other officers attended Freeman’s home on Rayner Track to execute a search warrant relating to historical sex offence allegations.

Both fallen officers have been formally farewelled at the Victoria Police Academy in Melbourne in moving services.

Police have received more than 1100 public information reports over the last three weeks.

Despite the extensive efforts, Freeman remains at large.

Acting Deputy Commissioner Barrett announced a change in travel advice for the Porepunkah area.

“We’re making a slight lift in the travel warnings for the Porepunkah area,” he said.

“Our changes to allow the community to return to a state of normality, people can return to

Police advise that if you see fugitive Dezi Freeman (pictured), call 000 immediately but do not approach him.

Anyone with other information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000, submit a confidential report online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au or visit your local police station.

For the most current advice and updates relating to this search, visit https://www.police.vic.gov.au/ porepunkah-shooting-and-searchdesmond-freeman-filby

the area, though the park remains closed.

“Our search efforts remain focused on that area, but we want to thank the local community and the broader Victorian community for their efforts and support while we’ve undertaken what is so far been an extensive search.”

The VicEmergency community information message previously active within areas including Wangaratta and Beechworth has now condensed to Porepunkah and surrounding areas including Myrtleford and Bright.

The message still advises those in the area to remain vigilant.

A $1 million reward remains on offer for information leading to Freeman’s arrest, the largest ever offered in Victoria for facilitating an arrest.

Police continue to investigate the possibility that Freeman is being harboured by associates.

“We’re open to all possibilities, Freeman may be in the area, may be harboured, or may be deceased,” said Acting Deputy Commissioner Barrett.

“Our investigation is not restrict-

ed to the area, whilst we’re focused on a ground search in that area, our investigation is much broader than what we’re seeing on the ground, and we’re we’re following up all leads, all intelligence, all information that’s provided to us.

“Our response will change at some point in time and continues to change, but the investigation continues until he’s brought to justice.

“Freeman will always be pursued until he’s located.

“We will leave no stone unturned to try and establish how we can best conduct this investigation.”

STRONG RESOLVE: The largest tactical policing operation in Australia’s history took place in the Porepunkah area on Friday, as the search for Dezi Freeman continued.

PHOTOS: Victoria Police

MANHUNT: FUGITIVE DEZI FREEMAN

Huge demand for Bright’s largest residential development in years

Council approves stage 3 of Bright Valley Development, with more than 2200 on waiting list

By JEFF ZEUSCHNER

Public demand to be part of Bright’s largest residential development in decades is showing no signs of slowing, with Bright Valley Development revealing it has completely sold out the 78 lots of stages one and two, and has more than 2200 people on the waiting list for future stages.

Stage three of the development - comprising a 53 lot subdivision on 2.25 hectares of land adjoining the Great Alpine Road on the western entrance to town - received planning approval at last week’s Alpine Shire Council meeting.

All councillors, except Cr Jean-Pierre Ronco who abstained from voting, endorsed the next stage which will see roughly 17 lots per hectare, ranging from 198sqm to over 632sqm, with the majority (89 per cent) between 300sqm and 600sqm.

Developer Will Deague, who attended the council meeting, said he expected to start selling stage three lots in the second quarter of next year. He said demand was incredible, with 2200 people on the waiting list from all over Victoria, NSW and Canberra.

Mr Deague said the mix of sales in stages one and two had been very pleasing, reflecting the desire for a large percentage of owner/ occupiers.

“It’s been 60/40 split of owner/occupiers and investors, and of the investors a

lot plan to use them as holiday houses and lease them out when they are not there, or plan on retiring there,” he said.

“A lot of owners, if not all of them, have gone for a lot of the extras, like stone work on the outside of the houses.

“About 20 per cent of sales are to existing residents of Bright looking at more downsizing than upsizing.”

Mr Deague said all civil works on the development are expected to be completed by the end of this year, and they will hopefully pour the first slab in late January or February next year, with the first house settling in July next year.

“We’ve been delayed a

Myrtleford Splash Park has its grand opening today

Myrtleford’s long-awaited Splash Park in Lewis Avenue will have it’s official grand opening ceremony this afternoon, with the public invited to attend.

Celebrations are to commence at 2pm with a ribbon-cutting and speeches by Indi Independent federal MP Helen Haines, Alpine Shire Mayor Sarah Nicholas, council CEO Will Jeremy and Myrtleford Chamber of Commerce president Jim van Geet.

The Myrtleford community is openly invited to celebrate the completion of the new splash park, with an afternoon tea following the ceremony also planned and an opportunity for attendees to investigate the finished site.

First proposed in October 2019, the idea of the splash park with its platypus theme went through a number of iterations: the outline was discussed in community meetings, committees and Alpine Shire Council plans and projections before arriving at the water park as it stands today.

The project was fully funded with $2.25 million of the Commonwealth government under the Black Summer Bushfire Recovery (BSBR) Grants Program.

little bit due to weather, complexities of the intersection (with Great Alpine Road), and the controversy around the two large trees which were removed last Friday, with the other three smaller trees that were going to be relocated on to our property are now going to be relocated on to council land down near the splash park,” he said.

“The civil works involved in this first stage also incorporate the wetlands - which

hopefully close the Great Alpine Road for three days in late October to do intersection work and the outfall drain.”

Mr Deague said there will be a price increase for stage three lots.

He said they are planning on smaller, more affordable products for stage four to meet buyer demand, as there “is not as much demand for $2m two storey houses, but probably more the three bedroom $1.25m houses”.

for blocks was huge, the company didn’t want sales to get too ahead of the construction program.

He said permits for stage four of the seven stage development were likely to be lodged with council early next year, with two of the remaining stages on the lower section of land and two more stages on the upper tier, where larger lot sizes will be offered.

Mr Deague said he anticipated all seven stages would happen within another five

infrastructure works,” he said

“The biggest issue ahead of us now is North East Water only have enough sewage capacity for 135 connections.

“They are not bringing on more capacity until 2029, so we are working with them to come up with a solution for that gap while we wait for 2029.

“We expect we’ll eat up 135 connections within the next two years and there might be a period of time that 100 houses need connections so we will need to come up with temporary solution while NEW do an upgrade to the sewage treatment plant.

“There is not a problem of sewage going in to the plant but it’s the class four water going out.”

Mr Deague said some of the treated water could be used within the development for things like summer dust mitigation and nature strips.

“We’re very proud and excited by this whole development,” he said.

“What we really envisaged from the start about building out every house and keeping the architectural integrity of the estate very much like a Queenstown product is coming to fruition and we’re making sure they get that extra bit of luxury.”

Bright identities Jason Reid and Graham Gales received their King’s Birthday honours from the Governor of Victoria at Govern ment House last week.

controller, received the Emergen

“We’ve dealt with a lot of the development issues over past four years, such as the entrance, trees, CFA, flooding, and all those initial

Mr Deague said the $4 million to deliver the central monocline open space as part of stage one is going to be one of the best community facilities in the country in an estate like this, with barbecue areas, amphitheatre areas, playgrounds and dog parks.

MOVING AHEAD: Two large trees on the Great Alpine Road were removed earlier this month to facilitate intersection access to Bright Valley Development.

SHINING SHIRE SERVICEMEN: (from left) Bright SES Unit Controller Graham Gales (left) and local charity organiser and volunteer Jason Reid attended a ceremony at Government House in Melbourne last week to receive their respective awards.

PHOTO: Graham Gales.

Porepunkah and Bright CFAs and

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

North East horses hit hard by drought

As the team leader for RSPCA Victoria’s Inspectorate North East region, I manage a team of five Inspectors investigating animal cruelty reports from St Kilda to Albury and everywhere in between.

My team and I are on the front line, and we are often the first to see concerning trends and witness what pet ownership in Victoria really looks like.

Sadly, the ongoing drought and cost-of-living pressures are making it harder for people to care for their animals, and my team and I are seeing the impact first-hand.

The majority of what we deal with is not malicious cruelty, but neglect stemming from financial stress, poor access to feed, or personal challenges like mental health issues. These situations are incredibly complex, and our job is to balance enforcing animal welfare laws with helping people do better by their pets.

Wherever possible, my team and I try to support owners before things reach a crisis point.

This may be providing emergency pet food, bedding or kennels, or helping with preventative flea and worming treatments.

Sometimes, the animals’ owners recognise their animal’s well-being is at risk and choose to surrender

their animal into our care, while sometimes, we need to step in and seize their animal.

In the last financial year, there were 543 animals from the North East seized by, or surrendered to, RSPCA Inspectors.

We’re extremely fortunate to work closely with local police and councils, and this support helps us to care for the community and their pets.

Other cases involved households simply being overwhelmed by the number of animals they had taken in.

In the North East, we are continually seeing unwanted litters due to animals not being desexed, leaving owners struggling to meet the demands of providing basic care for many, vulnerable young animals.

This year, RSPCA Victoria’s Animal Cruelty Report 2024/25 shows animal hoarding, hungry animals and horse cases are rising across the state.

In the last financial year, RSPCA Victoria responded to over 10,200 animal cruelty reports across the state.

Many of these involved animals being left without enough food, water or shelter, with horses hit particularly hard, and our region is no different.

We know times are tough, and many people are struggling to provide even the basics for the animals they love.

This is why community support is so important; reports from lo-

cals can sometimes be the reason an animal is rescued in time.

We rely on the generous support of the community for more than 90 per cent of our operating expenses.

To everyone who has made an animal cruelty report, thank you.

Your willingness to help fight animal cruelty means the world to us and, more importantly, to the animals whose lives are turned around because of it.

If you have concerns about the welfare of an animal, please make a report at rspcavic.org/ cruelty-report.

Together, we can end cruelty to all animals.

Belinda Dent, RSPCA Inspectorate team leader (North East region).

Don’t bulldoze our dairy safety specialist

Australian Dairy Farmers (ADF) has called out “tokenistic” consultation behind the announcement to establish Safe Food Victoria – the organisation set to replace the specialist Dairy Food Safety Victoria (DFSV).

The so-called ‘consultation’ felt like more of an ultimatum.

You can’t consult when you don’t bring any genuine options to the table, you can only enforce your decision.

LETTERS to the editor must be signed with the full name, address and contact telephone number of the author provided. Letters under 250 words are preferred and we reserve the right to edit letters to fit available space. Nom de plumes will only be published at the editor’s discretion. Opinions expressed are not necessarily shared by this newspaper.

This is a solution in search of a problem.

Don’t dismantle a proven, specialist regulator and replace it with a one-size-fits-none bureaucracy.

The stakes are too high for guesswork.

ADF has been tracking these changes closely, not least because DFSV is seen as the leading organisation in food safety technical expertise across Australia’s dairy industry.

More milk is produced in Victoria than in any other state in Australia, so it makes sense that the bulk of our knowledge in this field is developed in Victoria.

Given we’ve not seen a business case for the transition to Food Safety Victoria, and nobody can outline any grounds for improvement at DFSV, we see this as a clear and blatant cash grab by the debtstricken Victorian government.

DFSV doesn’t cost taxpayers anything; it’s fully funded by farmers – in fact, as we understand it, the organisation has a multi-milliondollar bank balance which will probably be consumed by consolidated government expenditure.

ADF has repeated its invitation for the Victorian government to engage in good faith and reconsider how a cost-neutral organisation can continue to provide value.

Keep DFSV independent, riskbased and focused on dairy, rather than building a bigger bottleneck. Ben Bennett, president Australian Dairy Farmers

Email: edit.timesobserver@nemedia.com.au

Post: North East Media 76 Standish Street, Myrtleford, Vic 3737

OPENING NIGHT SEES STANDING OVATION FOR BRIGHT THEATRE COMPANY

By PHOEBE MORGAN

The Bright Theatre Company’s production of ‘Things I Know to be True’ opened to a full house at the Bright Courthouse last Thursday, 11 September.

President Sharelle Channon said in her 17 years with the company, she had “never witnessed a standing ovation at the end of each performance quite like that”.

“We are all so proud of this production,” she said.

“The audience feedback was overwhelmingly positive and the family story relatable, humorous and heartfelt.

The play’s remaining performances scheduled for this week are: Thursday, 18 September at 7pm, Friday, 19 September at 7pm and Saturday, 20 Setember at 7pm.

Tickets are still available through Trybooking.com

FAMILY STRENGTH ON THE STAGE: The Price Family was brought to life by the BTC last week, moving audience members to a standing ovation.

are cast members (from

Jax Uhi, Daniel

James

Maddi Allen, Steph Frobose and Mikey Clayton. PHOTO: Charlie Brown

“We are so excited to share this story with the community and surrounds and hope no one misses this special show.”

Lease signed, now bowls club can pursue more funding for facilities

By JEFF ZEUSCHNER

Myrtleford Bowls Club’s bid to advance major improvements to its facilities have been bolstered, with Alpine Shire Council approving a new lease.

While the club has occupied its current site since 1947, it has never had a formal lease agreement for the crown land it occupies.

That has now been rectified, with council - as the committee of management and appointed land manager - approving a 20 year lease with

an annual fee of $250 plus GST.

Councillors were told at last week’s meeting that the club has managed the site - and the facilities it ahs built and owns there - successfully for the benefit of the community and with minimal impact to council’s resources.

The lease now overcomes all regulatory requirements for government funding to allow capital improvements by the club on the crown land it occupies.

As reported in the Myrtleford Times/Alpine Observer last month,

the club intends to pursue federal funding to help transform one of its two existing lawn greens to a synthetic woven grass surface and have it permanently covered by roofing.

The club wants $350,000 in federal funds to match $350,000 already secured from the Victorian government, with $540,000 pledged by benefactors and up to $100,000 to be funded by the club - towards the estimated to cost of between $1.4m to $1.5m for the entire project.

Club past president and chair of the steering committee driving the

project, Lance Symons, said Alpine Shire Council, while unable to help fund the project, had offered its support for government grant bids, with Ovens Valley MP Tim McCurdy supportive too.

“We are talking with the Victorian Department of Sport and Recreation about applying for another grant for the project,” Mr Symons said.

“While we still have a few things to work through on the funding, the ideal scenario would be to do the synthetic rink and its roofing at the same time...for practical use and

cost savings, but that will depend on funds available.

“If all the funding is secured we would aim to commence work at the end of the pennant season in March next year.”

Mr Symons said members and the board, with supporters in the community, are committed to the project, which would elevate facilities to be among the best in the North East and secure the club’s future for the next 30-40 years as a world class facility enabling greater participation in all weather conditions.

Pictured

left)

A’Vard,

Smith,

Young and old are once again gearing up for the annual Whorouly Village Fair, a major community event being held this year on Sunday, 12 October at the Whorouly Recreation Reserve.

“Most members of our small community are involved in the village fair, from young students helping out on the school stall to the CWA ladies serving their delicious Devonshire teas,” event organiser Jennifer Garrett said.

“People enjoy browsing through the wide variety of market stalls, with vendors coming from across the region, and catching up with family, friends and neighbours.

“It is always such a wonderful community day and a brilliant opportunity to showcase Whorouly’s stunning recreation reserve.”

This year’s event will feature a performance by the Myrtleford Ukulele Group, and the Myrtleford Line Dancers will strut their stuff on the oval.

The 2025 Whorouly Village Fair will be held on Sunday, 12 October from 9am to 2pm at the Whorouly Recreation Reserve.

Stallholders are still being accepted and should email Robyn Hajek at rhajek35@ gmail.com for booking forms or call Jennifer Garrett at the Whorouly Café and Post Office on 5727 1379 for more information.

MP condemns state’s closure of Parentline

Nationals’ MP for Ovens Valley, Tim McCurdy, has slammed the Victorian government’s decision to close Parentline, Victoria’s only dedicated parenting helpline, on October 31.

Mr McCurdy said Parentline has provided anonymous, accessible and professional support for Victorian parents and carers for 25 years, handling around 18,000 calls every year. He said the service connects families with trained counsellors who assist with challenges such as education, bullying, behavioural issues, and the day-to-day stresses of raising children.

Mr McCurdy said the closure leaves Victoria as the only state or territory in Australia without a dedicated parenting support line. He said not funding the $1.3 million annual running cost of Parentline will see 15 specialist counsellors lose their jobs.

Plan adopted to guide strategic direction over next

Alpine Shire Council has adopted its 10-year Community Vision and fouryear Council Plan, which incorporates a four-year Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plan.

Councillors endorsed the plans last week, and also unanimously voted to note the Council Plan Action Plan 2025-2029, which was developed in response to community feedback received during the 28-day public exhibition period.

Mayor, Cr Sarah Nicho-

las, said councillors were “incredibly proud” of the Council Plan 2025-2029 and the underpinning Action Plan and look forward to its implementation.

“With our Action Plan 2025-2029, we are able to highlight what we’ll be working on over the next four years, the steps required to get there and what success looks like,” she said.

As a result of the constructive feedback received during the public exhibition period, council revised

measures of success to outline clear targets over the four-year period.

The Action Plan identifies council’s commitments to communities over the life of the Council Plan 2025-2029.

It will be reviewed annually to capture contemporary priorities and remain available to the public throughout implementation.

The Council Plan 20252029 was prepared through a process of broad public consultation, including market pop-ups and community

drop-ins across a number of townships, surveys distributed both digitally and available at libraries and Visitor Information Centres and targeted workshops with a number of key stakeholder groups, including young people and a deliberative panel of community members from across Alpine Shire.

Cr Nicholas thanked every person who contributed to the creation, development, and review of the Council Plan 2025-2029.

“It is an immense job to bring together the aspirations of our diverse and geographically dispersed communities and we believe our Council Plan 2025-2029 will lead us all into a robust, thriving and sustainable future which reflects the diversity of our Alpine Shire communities,” she said.

During the meeting, Councillors Noah Tanzen, Gareth Graham and John Andersen thanked the community for their input during the feedback period, acknowledging

the amount of work and huge number of hours put in to facilitate this important process.

The Council Plan 20252029 and Action Plan 20252029 is available on council’s website, as well as in-person at libraries and Visitor Information Centres across Bright, Mount Beauty and Myrtleford.

View the digital copy by visiting https://www. alpineshire.vic.gov.au/ about-us/our-organisation/ corporate-plans-reports

BRIGHT’S YEAR 12 STUDENTS CELEBRATED DURING LUNCH WITH LIONS

On Friday, 5 September, the Bright Lions Club treated the current Bright P-12 College Year 12 cohort to a celebratory sushi lunch prepared by Tingting and the talented Katsu team, with hot chips from Bright Takeaway as a welcome accompaniment.

This has become an annual event following the inaugural luncheon held in the midst of the Covid pandemic, which was instigated to remind the students the community recognised their incredible efforts to push through such trying times and were there to celebrate and support them.

The large current Year 12 cohort were congratulated by Lion’s representatives Stephen Jenvey and youth chairperson Jenni Sgambelloni on reaching and completing their final year of schooling, with exams looming early next term.

“These students have success-

fully navigated their way through some extraordinary challenges and are to be commended for their perseverance and positive

outlook for the future,” Jenni said. “We wish them all the very best for their exams and for their future ventures.”

$2m bid for safety projects to reduce speed, construct new shared paths

By PHOEBE MORGAN

Alpine Shire Council has applied for almost $2 million in state government funding to help improve road safety and deliver two new shared pedestrian trails.

Director of assets, Sarah Buckley, reported to councillors at last week’s monthly meeting that four funding applications had been made under the Transport Accident Commission (TAC)/Department of Transport and Planning’s (DTP) ‘Safe Local Roads and Streets Program’.

She said the projects had been identified by TAC and DTP representatives as meeting funding eligibility for the program, which aims to

assist local councils deliver safety improvements on the highest risk local roads, intersections and precincts.

Council has applied for:

• $50,000 for speed limit reductions in Merriang, proposed to apply to sections of Merriang Road, Merriang South Road, Merriang Homestead Road, and Merriang Gap Road. They seek to reduce the speed limits from 100kph to 80kph, extend the existing 60kph speed limit on Merriang Road from the Buffalo River to the Merriang Gap Road/Merriang Homestead Road intersection, and install guideposts and warning signs at high-risk locations. Merriang Gap Road has been identified as one of the highest risk local roads in the

municipality with five crashes having occurred on this road between 2013 and 2024 possibly caused by, narrow road width, narrow shoulder width, hilly terrain with limited visibility, and sharp curves.

• $25,000 to reduce the speed limit on Mountain Creek Road, Tawonga from 100kph to 80kph between the transmission lines and the Mountain Creek campground. Mountain Creek Road has issues with high-speed limits, narrow lane width, narrow shoulder, curve alignment, and moderate to high level roadside.

Ms Buckley said two new shared path projects had also been identified in locations with high cyclist and pedestrian usage where they are forced to currently share the road

with vehicular traffic.

She said the projects would remove the conflict between road vehicles and cyclists/pedestrians.

The Bright to Wandiligong Trail (Stage 1 - Centenary Park to Pioneer Park) has an estimated cost of $979,000 (excl GST) to construct.

The new shared path would run along Morses Creek between the Caravan Park to Coronation Avenue through Pioneer Park.

The Caravan Park to Pioneer Park section will be built on a new alignment north of Morses Creek along an existing informal dirt track to the pedestrian bridge at Pioneer Park.

The Pioneer Park to Coronation Avenue section will seal

an existing gravel path on the south side of Morses Creek.

The Kiewa River Trail (Damms Road Link) has an estimated cost of $890,000 (excl GST).

It would be a shared path between Embankment Drive and the Kiewa River East Branch in Mount Beauty.

Alpine Shire Mayor, Councillor Sarah Nicholas enquired if a contingency was built into the cost estimates of all four projects.

Ms Buckley clarified a 15 per cent contingency was built into the plans and in addition, costs for project management were also included.

The total cost estimate for the plans is $1,944,000, comfortably under the prescribed budget of $2 million, which if

council is successful in obtaining grants, the cost for construction will be fully funded by TAC/DTP. Council’s ongoing maintenance and renewal costs for all four projects are valued at $4000 and $9000 per year respectively, to cover estimated surface and clearance conditions.

A Wandiligong resident also addressed council during the public question time and asked if the results of the TAC’s assessment of the Bright to Wandiligong Trail would be made available to the public.

Ms Buckley said council would pass on the eligibility criteria, crash statistics and safety principles, provided by TAC to council during their assessment.

SUPPORTIVE SNACKS: Bright P-12 College Year 12 students (from left) Georgia, Bodie, Charlotte, Mark, Jenna, Tom, Seth, Taylor, Stevie, Sam, Sophie, Ruby, Bella, Elsie, James and Emlyn enjoyed lunch with the Bright Lions Club, to reflect on their achievements and recharge before heading into exam season. PHOTO: Bright Lions Club

MAGNIFICENT SPECIMEM: Feature sires represented include Baldridge Goalkeeper, a US sire.

BEAUTY: US sire Sitz Resilient is represented by a line of sound, high indexing Angus bulls.

The Alpine advantage with feature sires aplenty

The 2025 Alpine Angus Spring Bull Sale will be held at the Alpine Sales Complex at Rosewhite on Wednesday, 24 September at 1pm.

The sale line up will offer 50 Registered Angus HBR and APR 18 month and two year old bulls, by leading USA sires and Alpine sires.

A sale preview with bulls yarded is to be held on Sunday, 21 September at the Alpine Sales Complex, 1138 Happy Valley Rd, Rosewhite from 11am to 3pm.

Alpine manager Chris Os-

win said the stud’s breeding program focuses on Low Birth to Big Growth together with structural integrity and strong maternal qualities.

“Alpine’s focus is on producing quality bulls that will work and last and transmit growth and high maternal qualities to their progeny,” he said.

“We also work hard to deliver a comprehensive after sales service.“

Mr Oswin said feature sires represented include Baldridge Goalkeeper - a US

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sire renowned for producing docile, dense bodied cattle with high growth.

He said Goalkeeper’s progeny have proven to be extremely popular with a son Alpine Undertaker U358 topping the 2025 Alpine Autumn Bull Sale, selling to Agri Gene and featuring in their current AI catalogue.

US sires Sitz Resilient and his $600,000 son Connealy Craftsman are represented by a line of sound, high indexing Angus bulls. They are backed by excel-

Mike & Bridget Potter

How often do you visit the Bright area?

M: This is my first visit, but Bridget has been here once before.

What do you do for a living?

We’re both retired from working in education.

What are your hobbies and interests?

M: We like reading, exercising and travelling. We went to Myrtleford yesterday and walked the Mosaic Trail, just brilliant.

B: We also like art and going to see live music. I play the guitar and cello.

What do you think makes the area unique?

M: It’s a very beautiful, authentic place with a rich

history. There’s a strong sense of pride in the town.

B: There’s only one Bright, it’s not like any other town. I love the Wattle trees. What would you change about the area?

B: I haven’t been here long enough to say if it needs any change.

M: Perhaps a town tourguide service? Otherwise just to look after the area to enrich what is already here.

lent foot data and balanced EBV profiles.

Taimate Roy is another popular sireline from the 2025 Alpine Angus Autumn Bull Sale.

This NZ sire throws trueto-type Angus character with excellent feet and temperament.

Low birth with decent growth, Roy’s popularity has spread to the Northern Hemisphere with semen exported to the USA and Canada.

Rounding off the sale is a group of bulls by Alpine

Sires, headlined by two of past Alpine sale toppers in Alpine Real Deal and Alpine Rip Wheeler.

Real Deal produces sound, upstanding Angus with big growth and high carcass attributes.

Real Deal’s first run of calves have met with plenty of buyer satisfaction with sons topping sales around Australia to $100,000.

Alpine Rip Wheeler has an incredible Birth-to-Growth spread and transmits length and scope to his progeny.

driver loses licence, fined $1000

Police at Mt Hotham were conducting radar duties near Wire Plain carpark and the toboggan area when they observed a silver Subaru travelling at a fast rate of speed in the 40km/h area.

The driver was detected driving at 106km/h - an immediate licence loss of 12 months and a $1018 fine was issued.

Police are urging motorists, particularly on alpine roads, to drive within the speed limit.

Amber Pirrone & Corey Wakefield

Where do you live?

We live in Wangaratta.

How often do you visit the Myrtleford area?

A: All the time; I used to live here. We go on hikes and endless walks in the area.

What do you do for a living?

C: I’m a tyre-fitter.

A: I’m a barista.

What are your hobbies and interests?

A: I like hiking and doing arts and crafts.

C: I enjoy motorbike riding and building cars.

What do you think makes the area unique?

A: The scenery; the rivers are beautiful here. It’s a classic town, you can’t go wrong. It’s also very well looked after, very clean.

C: Myrtleford’s got a great community. What would you change about the area?

C: Only the pot-holes.

complaints.

HIGHLY SOUGHT-AFTER: Taimate Roy throws trueto-type Angus character with excellent feet and temperament.

BLACK

A: Sometimes the roads can be a bit rough, but it’s pretty immaculate; no other

BRIGHT

Mt Beauty doctor in Indonesia with junior Matlidas team

By PHOEBE MORGAN

Mount Beauty Medical Centre general practitioner, Dr Jacinta O’Neill, has recently returned from Indonesia after serving as team doctor for Australia’s Junior Matildas, as they competed and were victorious in the ASEAN Championships.

The Australian under 17 women’s Junior Matildas won in a tight battle against Thailand in the grand final after beating the host nation, Indonesia in the semis in front of 9000 spectators.

“It was challenging, being away from my family and kids for couple of weeks, but it was important to be able to show them you can do big scary things and great things can come from it,” Dr O’Neill said.

CHAMPS: The Junior Matildas emerged victorious in the ASEAN Under16s Girls’ Championship against Thailand.

World Cup in 2026.”

Dr O’Neill said she became the team doctor in a roundabout way, previously covering sports medicine with other teams.

“These matches piqued my interest in women’s football in general, so when the opportunity to cover the women’s state-based A-League teams came up, I took it,” she said.

“Later, I was tapped on the shoulder for this opportunity and managed to get it which was great.

“It was an amazing experience and I’m looking forward to the next tournament in October, the Asian Cup qualifiers: the next step towards the U17

“Everything about it was fabulous: being involved in such an elite sport, running onto the pitch with 9000 spectators, cheering not for me, but for the players and building strong therapeutic relationships with the players to get the best out of them.

“In early August we went to pre-camp in Sydney to get to know the team and new the coach, then we flew over to Indonesia to compete in the tournament.”

Dr O’Neill is available for sports medicine appointments at the Bright Medical Centre on Mondays.

Patton is gone but not forgotten, particularly on the cricket pitch

By PHOEBE MORGAN

The Myrtleford and District Historical Society (MDHS) was pleased to welcome special guest speaker, Stephen Taylor to give a talk at the Uniting Church Hall in Myrtleford last Friday, 12 September, following the recent printing of his biography of his great uncle, Tom Patton.

In the early 1910s, Tom achieved local fame as a member of the Buffalo River cricket team and gained the community’s respect as a school teacher.

CRICKET CALLBACK: Stephen Patton brought along some of his ancestor Tom Patton’s local cricketing memorabilia for attendees to appreciate.

Society former president John Taylor OAM said it was an honour to have Stephen visit to honour a local cricketing hero.

“You just wish you were there in 1914 to watch Buffalo River dissect the Whorouly cricket team in a fairly unmerciful fashion,” he said.

“Tom Patton set the world record for a wicket partnership with Norman Rippon in their defeat of Whorouly,

with a partnership score of 641 runs, 408 of which were Tom’s.

“I imagine there would’ve been a fair amount of partying going on.”

Mr Taylor described ‘an acute sadness in the region’ after Tom Patton’s enlistment in WWI.

He was one of the first in the area to enlist, just days after the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) was formed.

Over a dozen people were in attendance to hear Stephen Taylor speak about his ancestor and the recent limited release of his biogra-

phy, ‘Tommy Patton from the school, who played the game right fair’.

“The MDHS assisted me in some of my enquiries, so

I thought I’d include a local tour,” Stephen said.

“John has been a big help and he’s been my go-to for information about Myrtleford for a number of years.

“The book itself has had a limited run; only a small number of print-outs, so I’ve given some to the MDHS along with Tom Patton’s cricket cap and the gold medal inscribed with his number of runs from the premiership final, which the Buffalo River cricket club gave him when he enlisted in 1914.

“He first transferred to Buffalo River in December 1911.

“The book itself is based on a series of letters he wrote to his siblings when he was working in the Myrtleford district.

“When the last of his immediate family members died in 1966, my Mum, siblings and I went to the [property] and cleaned it out.

“What struck me, going through the letters and the Myrtleford Mail of the time,

was when Tom Patton started his teaching career, he was appreciated as much more than just a teacher.

“He was immediately thrown into the community; he joined committees, taught kids how to swim and he was appointed the secretary of the committee to build the community hall (and wrote in his diary his displeasure about how arduous the process was).

“When he enlisted, he kept up the diary; covering his time in Egypt and includes the landing of Gallipoli.”

After the talk, attendees were invited to enjoy light refreshments, before the MDHS committee later held their monthly meeting.

The MDHS has reopened its Old School Museum on Sundays after their recent winter break.

The museum at 29 Elgin Street opens from 11am to 2pm, with admission set at $5 for adults, $3 for concession and children under 12 years old granted free entry.

PRIME PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE: Dr Jacinta O’Neill travelled to Indonesia with the Junior Matildas to fulfil her role as team doctor, in a once-in-a-lifetime professional opportunity.

A NEW ADDITION TO THE MUSEUM: MDHS president, Kerry Murtagh welcomed special guest Stephen Patton to speak about his recent biography. PHOTOS: Phoebe Morgan

The Bright Brewery’s upcoming inaugural live music event ‘In the Paddock’, a transformation of their ‘Picnic in the Paddock’, which was scheduled for this Saturday evening has been postponed.

Organisers announced the news last Friday, 12 September, saying the decision comes in light of unforeseen circumstances affecting the surrounding region.

While Bright remains open and ready to welcome visitors, the current environment has made it challenging to proceed with the event as planned.

“We’re incredibly disappointed to have to postpone ‘In The Paddock’,” Bright Brewery marketing manager, Selina Blair-Holt said.

“Our priority is to ensure the best possible experience for our guests, artists and local community and currently that simply wasn’t possible for an event of this size.

“We look forward to announcing a new date and bringing together our local and distant communities to celebrate what makes our town so special, in the way we originally imagined.

‘’In The Paddock’ will absolutely be back and we’ll

share a new date as soon as we can.”

Bright Brewery has confirmed all ticket holders will be fully refunded.

“If you’ve already purchased tickets, don’t worry: you’ll receive a full refund and we’ll be in touch with details,” Ms Blair-Holt said.

“We want to thank everyone so much for their support and understanding.

“We’re looking forward to bringing this event back when the time is right.”

Updates on the rescheduled event date will be shared via the Bright Brewery website and social media.

Breweries to host ‘Hops for Hope’ charity events for prostate cancer

By PHOEBE MORGAN

Myrtleford’s Alan Blair is calling on the local community to join him at King River Brewing and Bright Brewery in September, to raise their glass and make a difference this Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.

Alan, who was diagnosed with stage three, locally advanced prostate cancer in June 2024, at the age of 53, has organised two upcoming charity events, ‘Hops for Hope’, to raise vital funds for the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia (PCFA).

The events will be held this Friday, 19 September at King River Brewing in Whitfield from 5pm, as well as on Sunday, 28 September at the Bright Brewery from 12pm.

Mr Blair said there will be raffles, trivia and prizes up for grabs at each event to help raise vital funds for the cause.

“You can also help raise funds just by having a beer, with both venues offering a ‘Karma Keg’ where proceeds from your purchase will go to PCFA,” he said.

“Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australia, with more than 26,000 men diagnosed every year.

• Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australia, accounting for 16 per cent of all cancers diagnosed and for nearly one in three of all cancers diagnosed among men.

• Each year, more than 26,000 Australian men are diagnosed and nearly 4000 Australian men will die from the disease.

• One in five Australian men are likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime.

• Over 275,000 Australian men are alive today after a diagnosis of prostate cancer in the past 40 years.

• Regional men in Australia have a 24% higher risk of death compared to their urban counterparts.

“‘Hops for Hope’ is not only about raising funds for PCFA, but also starting important conversations about prostate cancer and early detection.

“Currently only 36 per cent of men are diagnosed with prostate cancer at stage one when the disease is easiest to treat...we need to change that.

“All men over the age of 40 should be booking an appointment with their GP to talk about their testing options.

“A simple PSA blood test is the first line of defence against prostate cancer and can help save your life.

“I hope that locals will get behind the cause and head on down for a glass of their favourite bevvy to make a difference.”

Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia CEO Anne

Savage, commended those involved for making a difference.

“All funds raised from local fundraising events support life-saving research, support services including our Prostate Cancer Specialist Nursing service and vital awareness in the community,” Ms Savage said.

“We’re taking action against the disease and we need the community to join us on our mission.

“Together, we can make a difference.”

For more information on prostate cancer or to find a local support group, visit: www.prostate.org.au or call PCFA on 1800 22 00 99.

For more information visit: https://www.thelongrun. org.au/fundraisers/alanblair/ the-long-run-2025

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25 Clyde Street Myrtleford

Phone: 5751 1995

Email admin@paynterassoc.com.au

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Hearing Services

ROSS-JACKSON HEARING CENTRES

29 Clyde Street Myrtleford Plus Standish Street Surgery & Bright Allied Health For appointments call 5752 2817

Council registers as interested party to native title claim

By JEFF ZEUSCHNER

Alpine Shire Council will register as an interested party to the native title determination application to the Federal Court of Australia by the Dhudhuroa, Waywurru and Ngurai Illum People (native title claim group).

The native title claim group is requesting determination that the Dhudhuroa, Waywurru and Ngurai Illum People hold native title of land across Central and North East

Victoria including all land within Alpine Shire.

A report to councillors at last week’s meeting said registering as an interested party, which comes at no financial cost, ensures council remains informed about the determination.

“This will further allow council to participate in court proceedings, including mediations and hearings, raise objections, present evidence and negotiate outcomes and to be kept informed

through the process should this be required,” the report read.

The native title claim group’s application area covers approximately 24,315 sq km and impacts the local government areas of:

Shire, Benalla Rural City, Campaspe Shire, East Gippsland Shire, Falls Creek Alpine Resort (Unincorporated), Greater Bendigo City, Greater Shepparton City, Indigo Shire, Mansfield Shire,

LOOK UP, SWOOPING SEASON IS HERE AGAIN

As the weather gets warmer and the days longer, we also start to see the occasional swooping bird.

tling, it’s rare for them to make contact.”

 Move quickly, don’t run if near a swooping bird.

Treaty bill introduced to parliament

The Victorian government and First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria have reached an in-principle agreement on Australia’s first Treaty.

The government introduced the Statewide Treaty Bill into the Victorian Parliament last week.

It’s an agreement that aims to bring together First Peoples, through the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria, and the Victorian government, to build a new relationship based on respect, trust and integrity.

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Phone Jenny on 57313305 or email jking@nemedia.com.au

Native birds enter their breeding season in spring, and some may get protective of their young.

Lachlan Clarke, manager statewide wildlife advisory services at the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) said swooping is a normal, temporary behaviour for native birds like magpies, butcherbirds and masked lapwings to defend their eggs and chicks for a short time while their young are most vulnerable.

“Think of it as a warning sign...they’re telling you to keep your distance,” he said.

“While it can be a bit unset-

Swooping can occur in both urban and rural areas, including parks, gardens, and along bike paths.

“Not all birds swoop during the breeding season, so the presence of magpies or other common swooping birds does not necessarily mean you will be swooped,” Mr Clarke said. He said this behaviour only lasts a short time, usually ending once the young have left the nest.

If you are worried about being caught out by a protective bird this spring, here are some steps you can take to feel safe, while also protecting our native birds:

 Don’t harass birds, as this can escalate swooping.

 Wear protective head and eye coverings.

 Avoid known swooping hotspots.

 Don’t feed birds or destroy their nests.

You can report a swooping incident on Victoria’s interactive swooping bird map by visiting https://www.wildlife.vic.gov.au/managing-wildlife/swooping-birds.

Mr Clarke said all native wildlife is protected by law.

He said harassing, harming or disturbing native birds and other wildlife is illegal in Victoria and penalties apply.

You can report wildlife crime such as harassing, harming or disturbing wildlife to Crime Stoppers Victoria on 1800 333 000.

Truck driver airlifted to hospital after collision

By BAILEY ZIMMERMANN

A collision and truck rollover at Porepunkah on Wednesday last week saw a driver flown to hospital and another hospitalised.

A Victoria Police spokesperson said emergency services responded to the incident around 8:40am after receiving reports a truck had clipped another vehicle before

rolling on the Great Alpine Road.

The truck driver was airlifted to hospital with non-life threatening injuries while the driver of the second vehicle was hospitalised for observation.

An Ambulance Victoria spokesperson said the truck driver sustained serious lower body injuries while the other driver was taken to Wangaratta in

a stable condition.

The exact circumstances surrounding the collision are yet to be determined and police investigations remain ongoing.

Anyone with information that could assist police is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at www.crimestoppersvic. com.au

The bill proposes to make the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria permanent and expand its responsibilities to deliver better outcomes for First Peoples in the state.

It proposes the expanded assembly to:

 be led by democratically elected members providing representation of First Peoples;  make decisions and rules about specific matters that directly impact First Peoples;

 Form an independent accountability mechanism as required by the National Agreement to Close the Gap;

 be consulted by government departments on laws and policies affecting First Peoples;

 lead ongoing truth-telling and healing across Victorian towns and regions, including capturing stories and retaining an archive of this information to support education of the broader public.

 make certain statutory appointments for existing designated First Peoples’ seats such as First Peoples appointments to the Heritage Council of Victoria;

 lead the Aboriginal Community Infrastructure Fund, Victorian Aboriginal Honour Roll and NAIDOC Week; and

 develop a First Peoples’ Institute to enhance leadership capability across the sector.

NATIVE TITLE CLAIM: The claim area is marked inside the blue line.

Alpine

Mitchell Shire, Mount Hotham Alpine Resort (Unincorporated), Murrindindi Shire, Strathbogie Shire, Towong Shire, Wangaratta Rural City, Wellington Shire and Wodonga City.

“No stone unturned”: Police committed to the long-haul in manhunt

By BAILEY ZIMMERMANN

Local police received an emotional visit from the parents of fallen police officer Senior Constable Vadim de Waart-Hottart last week, as the force remained steadfast in committing for the long haul in their search for fugitive Dezi Freeman.

Police have received more than 1000 tip-offs and nearly 200 since the announcement of a $1 million reward for Freeman’s arrest as the manhunt entered its third week last Wednesday.

While police continue to investigate a number of alleged sightings of Freeman, there have still been no confirmed sightings since the fatal shooting at his Rayner Track property near Porepunkah on 26 August.

Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson, 59, and Senior Constable Vadim de Waart-Hottart were shot dead as officers attended Freeman’s home to execute a search warrant relating to historical sex offence allegations.

Both fallen officers have been formally farewelled at the Victoria Police Academy in Melbourne in moving services.

Detective Superintendent Jason Kelly of Victoria Police Crime Command said the force were given a boost after a visit from the parents of Sen Const de Waart-Hottart on Wednesday at the command post in Ovens and at the local Bright Police Station.

Carolina and Alain had flown in from the 34-year-old’s native Belgium for his funeral as well as attending the funeral of Det Led Sen Const Thompson.

Sen Const De Waart-Hottart was on temporary assignment in Wangaratta and had just been stationed at the Bright Police Station on the Thursday before his tragic death

Det Supt Kelly said the local members were deeply moved by their presence and interactions.

“As you can imagine it was very emotional,” he said.

“We felt it was important and the family appreciated visiting his worksite immediately prior to his death.

“It’s been a week of emotion for Victoria Police but I believe Vadim’s parents’ attendance will hopefully assist them.

“It was an opportunity for them to understand the enormity of the task we’ve got.”

Police have continued to search numerous properties and areas within the community and surrounds, including a significant search which was seen to be conducted within the Porepunkah Airfield area on Tuesday afternoon last week after an information tip-off.

Police also maintain a significant presence at the Rayner Track property and were seen to be having a presence at properties near Myrtleford.

Superintendent Craig Darlow wouldn’t reveal the results of the searches but said the force were leaving no stone unturned in following up every lead.

“We’ve searched caves, mineshafts, huts and we will continue to do that over the coming weeks if need be,” he said.

“As we get information we assess that info and provide resources to those searches based on expert opinions on what we need to cover for those searches.

“We can’t walk away when we have a man that’s killed two of our members and shot a third, roaming around in bushland area potentially with firearms presenting a risk to the local community.

“While some of the people in the community might be frustrated with this and have diffi-

Nationals’ MP for Ovens Valley, Tim McCurdy, spoke in parliament last week to honour the lives of Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson and Senior Constable Vadim de Waart-Hottart, who were tragically killed in the line of duty.

Mr McCurdy said their sacrifice was one that words could never do justice.

“Every day when our police officers put on their uniform, they make a pledge to keep us safe, and they honour that pledge,” he said.

Det Ld Sen Const Thompson, known fondly as “Thommo”, was nearing the end of a distinguished 38-year career.

He was preparing for retirement and looking forward to a new chapter of travel, fishing trips and time with loved ones.

“Neal was respected as a mate, a mentor, and a protector,” Mr McCurdy said.

ALPINE HEALTH THANKS POREPUNKAH COMMUNITY AS SERVICES RESUME

By RHYS GLOURY, Alpine Health interim CEO

Alpine Health is extending its sincere thanks to staff, clients, and their families in Porepunkah for their patience, understanding, and additional support over the past few weeks.

Our staff have gone above and beyond during this time, undertaking additional daily welfare checks and arranging alternate service delivery methods with affected clients to ensure no one was left without essential personal care and other essential support services.

Their commitment and care reflect the strength of our team and the values of our community. With the Vic Emergency advice to avoid travelling to Porepunkah now lifted, Alpine Health has resumed all in-home services including cleaning, home maintenance and Alpine Leisure Group. We remain committed to providing safe, high-quality care and support to those who rely on us.

DETERMINED SEARCH: Detective Superintendent Jason Kelly encourages the community

culties with this, we request they be patient and understand we have a job to do in identifying where Desmond Freeman is and arrest him to enable the community to feel safe.”

Det Supt Kelly said the Bright and Porepunkah communities were being extremely cooperative with police in allowing them to search their properties and the support from the wider community continued to be greatly appreciated.

Images of a video taken at Freeman’s property as police executed the search warrant which turned fatal had surfaced on media outlets on Wednesday.

Det Supt Kelly said the

footage was supplied by a member of Freeman’s family, not Victoria Police, and the force were distressed and disturbed by it coming to light.

“I can only imagine the impact that’s had on the families of Neal and Vadim, the colleagues present and the broader Victoria Police and law enforcement across Australia,” he said.

Police remained open to all possibilities in their search, including Freeman hiding by himself in bushland, receiving help from others, fleeing interstate or dead as a result of self-harm.

Det Supt Kelly said the option for Freeman to turn himself into police remained open and urged the commu-

nity to continue to provide information to police, with the $1 million reward still an option.

“We only need the one tip that will result in the capture of Desmond Freeman,” he said.

Det Supt Kelly wouldn’t comment on investigations into individuals, including the potential of charging Ms Freeman who was present at the property at the time of the shooting and was arrested with her son shortly after.

More than 2000 police members have been involved throughout the duration of the operation so far which has received support from various international, national and state agencies.

Heartfelt condolences to families of fallen police officers

“In his community of Moyhu, his presence always brought reassurance, even his dog Jimmy became a fixture at the local café, sharing egg and bacon rolls while Neal enjoyed a coffee.

“His absence will leave a profound void.”

Sen Const Vadim de Waart-Hottart was just 34 years old. Remembered as upbeat and quickwitted, he was described by his brother as a superhero, someone who brought light and courage to those around him.

“Vadim’s service was exemplary, recognised with the Victoria Police Star and other honours,” Mr McCurdy said.

“Though his years were cut short, his dedication will never be forgotten.

“On behalf of the Porepunkah community, I say thank you for your commitment, we will honour your service.

“To the families, friends and colleagues of Neal and Vadim, please know the people of Ovens Valley grieve with you.

“Our communities stand beside you in this unimaginable loss, and we hold you in our hearts.”

Mr McCurdy also acknowledged Inspector Ash Mason and the North East police force, commending their leadership during this difficult time.

“Your job is never easy, nor is it ever done, yet you continue to serve with courage, and we are deeply grateful,” he said.

To further support our community’s recovery, free drop-in mental health and wellbeing pop-ups are being held across Porepunkah, Bright and Myrtleford.

These events provide a calm, welcoming space where you can speak with someone, connect with local services, or simply take a moment to pause.

No referral or appointment is needed and each pop-up will be open from 10am to 3pm this week on:

• Wednesday, 17 September at The Riverdeck Kitchen, Bright;

• Thursday, 18 September at Punkah Pantry, Porepunkah; and

• Friday, 19 September at Red Ramia/Café Fez, Myrtleford.

Partners in Wellbeing are also available Monday to Friday via: 1300 375 330.

For immediate support, please remember you are not alone:

• Lifeline – 13 11 14

• Beyond Blue – 1300 22 4636

• Kids Helpline (ages 5–25) –1800 55 1800

76

Services are delivered in partnership with local organisations, committed to supporting our community’s wellbeing, such as: Mental Health and Wellbeing Local, Partners In Wellbeing, Gateway Health, Murray PHN, APMHA, Albury Wodonga Health, Alpine Health,

Council seeks feedback on plans for next decade

Alpine Shire Council is inviting residents to have their say on two important strategic documents to help guide council over the next decade.

Council’s draft Asset Plan and draft Financial Plan, which were endorsed at last week’s council meeting, are now open for community feedback, with submissions closing on Wednesday, 24 September.

All Victorian councils are required to develop and maintain an Asset Plan and Financial Plan under the Local Government Act 2020.

The Asset Plan outlines how council will manage and maintain its extensive infrastructure assets, including roads, buildings, pathways, open spaces, drainage, and bridges.

Alpine Shire Mayor, Cr Sarah Nicholas, encouraged community members to consider how they

interact with Council's infrastructure assets.

“Every single person in Alpine Shire will have used at least one of our infrastructure assets, from driving on our roads to cycling along our pathways to enjoying our open spaces,” she said.

“This is your opportunity to have your say on a document that will guide the way that we manage and maintain these assets over the next 10 years.”

Alongside the Asset Plan, Cr Nicholas said the draft Financial Plan 2025/26 - 2034/35 outlines how council will create and consume its financial resources over the next decade.

“Our Financial Plan is a key tool for achieving our Community Vision and Council Plan," she said.

“It shows how council will allocate resources over the next ten years, based on our

policies and decisions.

“Currently, the plan indicates an ongoing financial challenge; however, we’re actively working on a Financial Sustainability Strategy, which will be presented to Council in December 2025, to explore options for a sustainable future.”

Community members are encouraged to learn more and provide feedback online at: https:// engage.alpineshire.vic.gov.au

Record-breaking 57 nominations for the Alpine Youth Awards 2025

Fifty-seven young people were nominated across 12 categories at the 25th anniversary of the Alpine Shire Youth Awards, held at the Bright Community Centre on Friday, 12 September.

The sold-out ceremony honoured the achievements of young people across Alpine Shire and celebrated a broad range of talents, including running a poddy calf business, mentoring young students through the Koorie Kids program, and forging strong intergenerational connections with residents at Barwidgee Lodge in Myrtleford.

This year was the Silver Jubilee of the Alpine Shire Youth Awards, with the number of young people nomi-

nated breaking the record for any nominations over the past 25 years.

Tickets for the ceremony sold out in a week, filling the Bright Community Centre with loved ones to honour the 57 young people recognised for their individual excellence and community contributions.

Alpine Shire Mayor, Cr Sarah Nicholas, said it was incredibly challenging to select the winners amongst the nominees.

“Every year I am humbled by the extraordinary qualities of the young people who live in Alpine Shire,” she said.

“From those who have lived here their whole lives to those who have more recently moved to our area, they contribute so much to our

Alpine Shire Council congratulated the 13 award winners across the 12 categories, as well as all 57 nominees:

 Saskia Heuperman, Academic Award sponsored by Dickens Real Estate.

 Helina Murphy, Community Award sponsored by Kiewa Mitta Murray Community Enterprises

Limited trading as Community Bank, Mount Beauty and District.

 Mo Han Wang, Endurance and Persistence Award sponsored by the Rotary Club of Bright.

 Sharnea Hall-Bidois, Performing Arts Award sponsored by the Rotary Club of Myrtleford.

 Lauree Duncan, Proud & Deadly Award sponsored by Alpine Shire Council.

 Lily Boyer, Rural Award sponsored by TAFCO Rural Supplies.

 Emily Macklan, Sport and Recreation Award sponsored by the Lions Club of the Upper Kiewa Valley.

 Ethan Jenkins, Visual Arts and Media Award sponsored by the Bright Art Gallery & Cultural Centre.

 Teagan Brown and Tyler Sacco, Workplace Award sponsored by Hancock Victorian Plantations.

The Year 9 Barwidgee Lodge Intergenerational Program at Myrtleford P-12 College, Youth Award (12 to 16 Years) sponsored by Community Bank Bright.

 Jack Byrne, Youth Award (17 to 21 years) sponsored by the Rotary Club of Bright.

communities, sometimes unseen but always felt.

“It is a wonderful thing to know, as a council, we have recognised the contributions of our young people for a quarter of a century.

“I am continually inspired by their passion and it is clear from the number of the nominations so many people in our communities feel the same way.”

This year’s ceremony

was organised by the Youth Awards Committee, made up of Bright locals Patrick Day, Julian Kitchen, Skye Snowden and Elkie Timbs.

The event featured a musical act by Lily Spencer

and a dance number from winner of the Performing Arts Award, Sharna HallBidois.

Katsu Japanese Restaurant catered for the event, with sound and lighting provided by Alpine Audio Visual.

The Alpine Shire Youth Awards celebrates the achievements of young people aged between 12 to 25 years across the Alpine Shire. Each year, community members are invited to nominate young people across a range of categories to recognise their talents and honour their contributions.

More information about the Alpine Shire Youth Awards is available online on Engage Alpine: https://engage.alpineshire.vic.gov.au/ alpine-shire-youth-awards

STANDING ROOM ONLY: There was barely any room left on the stage as this year's Alpine Shire Youth Award recipients and committee members assembled. Pictured are (back, from left) Harry Dudley, Ethan Jenkins, Geordie McEwan, Sharnea Hall-Bidois, Teagan Brown, Sofia Mendoza, Sierra Davies, Lauree Duncan, Lucy Chester, George Milligan, Lilly Bennett, Connor McEwan, Wade Pronk, Jack Byrne, Amelia Midson, Thomas Costenaro, Connor Taylor, Teagan Chirstie, Evelyn Niedzwiedzki, Chalisa (Natalie) Borrell, Julian Kitchen, Mo Han Wang, (front, from left) Lily Boyer, Jade Hazeldine, Tayler Sacco, Helina Murphy, Emma Pitman, Sein Pai Kihlo, Sienna Alam, Emily Macklan, Elkie Timbs, Kirsten McLennan, Lizzie Day, Oscar Ford and Patrick Day were applauded by the community for their achievements.

PHOTO: Renae Blake

PLAYERS: BRIGHT: Cooper Thomason, Cy Banks, Joe Gray, Riley Bacon, Sam Buckley, Luke Quirk; GRETA: Jack Kelly, Mark Wettern, Tyler Arrowsmith, Frazer Judd, James McClounan, Harry Moran.

Rodrigo Arguello, Riley Bacon, Cy Banks, Patrick Bren, Sam Buckley, Darcy Chellew, Joseph Crawley, Alexander Dalbosco, Samuel Dalbosco (c), Michael Elliott, Joe Gray, Joshua Hudghton, Harry Jamieson, Kieren Jamieson, Reuben Jamieson, James Love, Luke Quirk, William Shem, Cooper Thomason, Tyler Thomason, Cooper Thomson.

Michael Quirk

BRIGHT MOUNTAIN MEN

BEST ON GROUND MEDAL: Cooper Thomason (Bright)

PHOTO: Marc Bongers

“The Acacias” of

This superb 1880s brick residence provides the unique opportunity to secure “The Acacias”, Londrigan’s original homestead, being offered for only the second time in the past 145 years demonstrating the homes prestigious demand.

Upon entry you are greeted with soaring 11ft high ceilings, wide hallway and polished Murray pine floors throughout.

The home offers three generous sized bedrooms with potential fourth bedroom currently used as a home-office.

A well-proportioned extension to the main residence provides modern comforts with an open-plan kitchen, living and dining space with an abundance of natural light.

The kitchen is fully functional, offering great counter space with gas stove, electric oven and dishwasher.

Home provides an additional living

area along with a formal dining room.

Main bathroom is functional with shower, single vanity and toilet.

Large laundry offers outside access, second toilet and terrific storage.

The rare artisan craftsmanship of period homes such as ‘The Acacias’, is beautifully illustrated by 4m veranda offering external access yet allowing an abundance of natural light thanks to the property’s orientation.

A combination of split system heating and cooling, ducted evaporative cooling, ceiling fans and wood combustion heaters ensure year-round comfort.

Contributing to the home’s efficiency, is the 9kw solar unit with Tesla battery storage showcasing premium sustainability in the event of any unforeseen outages.

Water on the property is well and truly catered for with large rainwater storage

along with bore for any external water usage.

Paddocks are conveniently split into three with two smaller holding paddocks serviced by a laneway system. Stockyards are all steel, with loading ramps.

Other notable farm features include solid shearing shed, large enclosed machinery shed with power and concrete floor, separate open bay shed, and hay shed.

This is truly a unique opportunity to acquire a classic redbrick homestead set among beautiful established trees and mature leafy garden surrounds, providing both privacy and beauty that can be admired by many rooms of the home.

All this is superbly positioned on a sealed road under 5km to Tarrawingee township and just 20 minutes to Wangaratta CBD.

•

•

Planning and Environment Act 1987

ALPINE PLANNING SCHEME

Notice of the Preparation of an Amendment to a Planning Scheme Amendment C65alpi

Alpine Shire Council has prepared Amendment C65alpi to the Alpine Planning Scheme. The amendment applies to all land in Alpine Shire.

The amendment also applies to specific land, including properties at 27, 33 and 35 King Street, Myrtleford, and the area around Tempo Court in Bright, and Glenbourn Drive in Tawonga South. The amendment proposes to introduce new or revised local content into the Municipal Planning Strategy, Planning Policy Framework, and schedules to zones, overlays, particular provisions, general provisions and operational provisions to implement the recommendations of the Alpine Planning Scheme Review 2023.

It proposes to rezone the northern part of the properties at 27, 33 and 35 King Street, Myrtleford from General Residential Zone (Schedule 1) to Farming Zone so that each land parcel is no longer in two zones.

It proposes to remove Development Plan Overlay (Schedule 1) from the area around Tempo Court, Bright and Development Plan Overlay (Schedule 2) from the area around Glenbourn Drive, Tawonga South as the schedules contain no content.

The amendment proposes to make the following changes to the Alpine Planning Scheme: Implements the land use and development directions of Council’s adopted strategies and documents.

Clarifies and improves the style, format, language or grammatical form of content in accordance with the requirements of the Ministerial Direction: the Form and Content of Planning Schemes and principles set out in A Practitioner’s Guide to Victoria’s Planning Schemes, June 2024 where the intended effect of that clause or any other clause is not changed.

Updates clause references, department names, legislation names, document references, terminology and statistical data.

Deletes or adjusts content that conflicts with state planning policy of the Victoria Planning Provisions.

Removes repetitive content.

Removes or updates outdated content.

The amendment also proposes to introduce an Environmentally Sustainable Design (ESD) policy into the Alpine Planning Scheme to ensure that development in the Alpine Shire achieves a standard of environmental sustainability, in line with other councils that use an equivalent local policy.

You may inspect the amendment, any documents that support the amendment and the Explanatory Report about the amendment, free of charge, at the following locations:

• on Alpine Shire Council’s Engage Alpine website: https://engage.alpineshire.vic.gov.au.

• during office hours, at the office of the planning authority, Alpine Shire Council,

• 2 – 6 Churchill Avenue, Bright; and

• visiting the Department of Transport and Planning website at planning.vic.gov.au/publicinspection or by contacting 1800 789 386 to arrange a time to view the amendment documentation.

Any person who may be affected by the amendment can make a submission to the planning authority.

Submissions must be made in writing giving the submitter’s name and contact address, clearly stating the grounds on which the amendment is supported or opposed and indicating what changes (if any) the submitter wishes to make.

Submissions about the amendment must be received by 5pm on Monday, 20 October 2025.

Submissions can be sent by email to info@alpineshire.vic.gov.au, in writing to Alpine Shire Council, PO Box 139, Bright VIC 3741 or online at https://engage.alpineshire.vic.gov.au.

Council must make a copy of every submission available at its office for any person to inspect, free of charge, for two months after the amendment comes into operation or lapses.

Michael MacDonagh

Manager Growth and Future

Notice of intention to apply for a licence to construct a Raw Water Offtake Pump Station

GMW Reference No: WLCM0007-25

We, North East Region Water of 83 Thomas Mitchell Dr, Wodonga VIC 3690 (Refer to Vic Roads Map: 660 F10) intend to make application to Goulburn-Murray Water for a Works Licence to undertake construction for a new raw water offtake pump station from the Kiewa River to ensure the security of water supply for the towns of Mount Beauty, Tawonga and Tawonga South.

Located on lands described as:

Any person able to demonstrate that their interests will be affected by the issuing of this License including any intended surface water use, is invited to make a formal submission setting out the nature of the impact within 14 days of receipt of this written notification. Should you need to view a copy of the concept design, and appointment can be arranged to review documentation on site at any of our offices, please contact GMW to arrange an appointment.

To make a submission online: visit www.g-mwater.com.au/customer-services-resources/ forms/make-a-submission-form to read the fact sheet for guidance, then complete and lodge your submission via the same page.

Our vision is to provide pathways for all to succeed based on their individual gifts and talents. Join our amazing team of educators and a professional environment that is passionate, collegial and focused on learning for all. We are currently seeking applicants for the following ongoing positions:

Deputy Principal – Faith and Identity Mathematics and/or Religious Education Teacher (Years 7 - 9)

We also have the following fixed term positions available: Accounts Payable Officer

Traineeships (multiple positions available)

Applications close on Wednesday, September 17 at 12pm. For further details on how to apply please visit our website https://www.galen.vic.edu.au/employment/

Our school community promotes the safety, wellbeing, and inclusion of all children.

Galen Catholic College embraces diversity and social inclusion and encourage people from diverse backgrounds to apply. inclusion of all children.

Galen Catholic College embraces diversity and social inclusion and encourage people from diverse backgrounds to apply.

Maintenance and Grounds School Services Officer (FTE .6 ongoing).

Do you enjoy variety in your work?

Do you like being outdoors?

Then Borinya is for you!

Borinya WCP are looking for a dedicated maintenance and grounds person to join our team.

Borinya WCP is a specialist school setting inspired by the Catholic story, that offers young people in years 7-12, an opportunity to re-engage with their education.

For further details on how to apply and position description please visit the school website: www.borinya.catholic.edu.au/news/#jobs OR email ksaunders@borinya.catholic.edu.au

Borinya WCP embrace diversity and social inclusion and encourage people from diverse backgrounds to apply. We are committed to ensuring the safety, wellbeing, and inclusion of all children.

IN MEMORIAM

CROUCHER, Ruth Therese.

5/3/1939 – 19/9/2024

Remembered lovingly by her husband of 64 years, Nicholas J.Croucher (Spot), and his family: Susan and Selby; Nicholas (dec 1984), Michael and Robyn, Liam, Declan and Aiden; and Brigid (dec 2017). Sister of Paul and Carmel. Ruth will be forever loved and never forgotten.

R.I.P

BEREAVEMENT THANKS

SCALZO, Felice Armando (Felix). Armando’s family wish to express their sincere gratitude for the kind words, flowers and support during this difficult time. A special thank you to all those who provided care for him, particularly the district nurses. Thank you to Father Tony whose guidance was very much appreciated and also to the volunteers who provided the catering. Armando is remembered by many, and his spirit will live on in our hearts.

DIRECTORS

Photographers Melissa Beattie and Janet Watt made their way to Ovens and Murray Football Netball League to capture some action during the preliminary finals held at Birallee Park Wodonga.

WOUNDED WARRIOR: Jake Sharp worries Fraser Ellis off the ball.

PHOTO: Melissa Beattie

EVERGREEN: Simon Curtis recoded 21 disposals. PHOTO: Melissa Beattie

BIG MEN BATTLE: Toby Cossor takes on Magpie Chris Knowles in the ruck during Sunday’s preliminary final loss.

PHOTO: Melissa Beattie

EXPLOSIVE SPEED: Tom Cappellari bursts from the contest.

PHOTO: Melissa Beattie

TRANSITION PLAY: Ella McMasters looks for a free teammate. PHOTO: Janet Watt

PRESSURE: Abbie Dalkin makes it a tough shot.

PHOTO: Janet Watt

SURE SHOT: Taylor Williamson lines up the shot on goal. PHOTO: Janet Watt

AFL Wheelchair welcomed at Porepunkah Primary School

Students from Porepunkah Primary School’s foundation to grade 6 classes recently tried out a day of AFL Wheelchair matches, hosted by coach Chris Henderson and Hayden Farley from Freedom Sports Foundation. It was thoroughly enjoyed by both staff and students as well as family spectators, who attended to enthusiastically cheer-on the competitors on the court.

As the first AFL Wheelchair event held at the school, players zoomed around the court, passing and shooting with newly acquired skills; with each game full

of movement, tactics and energy, just like the traditional version of AFL.

Chris is the founder of Freedom Sports Foundation, a not-for-profit charity which fosters inclusion and empowers people with a disability to engage in sports.

He also coaches the Essendon Wheelchair Football Club, as part of the Victorian Wheelchair Football League.

“AFL Wheelchair is different from other sports,” Chris said.

“Learning to control the wheelchair, pass accurately and defend takes great skill.”

ARE YOU OK? Myrtleford P-12 College students from the Years 3 to 6 classes (from left) Alex Benci, Mark Roque, Henry Hayfield, Ali Ramia, Collins Procter, Leanne Anish, Chloe Tucker, Olly Barbisan and Sammy Benci finished off RUOK? Day with a spirited game of soccer with their fellow classmates. PHOTOS: Phoebe Morgan

Students enthusiastically held Chris’ very large premiership cup, recently won at the VWFL grand final only a few days prior to his school visit.

The children have already requested AFL Wheelchair to return next year, wanting to get better at the sport and try out new tactics.

Whether students were winning or losing, Chris’ energy and the team spirit was infectious with classmates cheering from the sidelines.

AFL Wheelchair is supported on a national level in a partnership be-

tween the AFL and Disability Sports Australia.

Since its inception in 2010, the sport is inclusive of all types of ability and offers students a new appreciation for adaptive sports.

The games were played between two teams of five students, plus interchange players, on the school basketball courts, divided into thirds with portable goal posts at either end of the field.

Scoring was identical to traditional AFL: six points for a goal, one point for a behind.

Many strategies in the traditional AFL football game apply

OFF FOR

to the wheelchair version.

A handball is equivalent to a kick (for example if marked, play stops) and an underarm throw is equivalent to a handball (for example the ball is ‘in play’ and the player who receives an underarm throw can be ‘tackled’).

“Some of our more competitive students enjoyed the rivalry of scoring against their classmates,” teacher Kathleen McNab said.

“While many students enjoyed the adaptations of the game.

“As one grade 1 student commented: ‘football is more fun in a wheelchair’.”

Myrtleford P-12 students check in with each other on RUOK? Day

By PHOEBE MORGAN

This year’s RUOK? Day celebrations saw students across all year levels at Myrtleford P-12 College mark the day by wearing casual clothes, (some of them in yellow) and participating in a number of activities designed to get them to check in with each other and ask:

‘Are you OK?’

From 11am to 3pm last Thursday, 11 September, students worked together in class to raise awareness of mental health struggles and supporting others.

“As a part of our Vocational Major

VCE Personal Development Skills curriculum, we hosted an RUOK? Day fundraiser,” student Riley Lennane said.

“We planned activities such as a sausage sizzle, photos, music, sports and award prizes to encourage the mental wellbeing of our fellow students.”

Teacher Simon Povolo said the day went very well.

“We’ve had a busy morning with all hands on deck,” he said.

“Our barbeque earlier raised almost $200 for the fundraiser: we had a good turn-out and sold all of our snags.

“Heiner’s Bakery donated the bread for the barbeque and Dale’s Butchery gave us a discount on sausages.

“The Year 11s had to organise everything over the last couple of weeks, from making a checklist and run-sheets, to organising staff availability and planning what food to organise.

“We’ve always arranged something for RUOK? Day, but this was the first year the Year 11s have been in charge.”

The last class of the day saw all year levels make their way outside to the sunshine, to participate in

either soccer, tee ball, ultimate frisbee or volleyball, depending on their grade.

“I had a hit at tee-ball and it went really well,” year 5 student, Harlow Mitchell said.

“I was out by the second run, but it was very fun.

“Today is very important, so you can check if your friends or anyone are going OK, because you don’t know what they’re going through.”

With a speaker set up in between the sportsgrounds, music carried over all the ovals and courts to add to the fun as students gave the games their best.

“The game of ultimate frisbee went really well,” year 7-8 teacher, Sharon Antonello said.

“We had 40 plus kids on the field and they were flat-out.

“It’s been a really good afternoon and a great way to finish the day.”

RUOK? Day is an annual reminder you don’t need to be an expert to reach out to others.

Anyone can use four steps to have a conversation that could change a life: Ask R U OK?, Listen, Encourage action and Check in.

For more information, visit: https://www.ruok.org.au/

TIME

TEE-BALL: Myrtleford P-12 College students (from left) Bryce Dato-On, Hudson Brown and Charlii Sherritt entertained themselves with sporting equipment as they waited for their turn at the tee.

NO FEET INVOLVED IN THIS FOOTY: Louie Wayouth, Tilly Harrison, Zoe Mills, and Rylan McCormack defended their goal against a determined opposition.

TOP-TIER TROPHY: Hayden Farley and Chris Henderson (right) brought along this year’s VWFL premiership cup, proving popular with the pupils. PHOTOS: Porepunkah PS

Bowls club back for another season

As the chills of

Myrtleford Bowls Club recently held their opening day, when president Graeme Piazza welcomed back players and extended a special welcome to a healthy num-

GOLF RESULTS

MYRTLEFORD

GOLF CLUB

Saturday, 13 September

Adam Cartwright Electrical

Stableford & Super 6 & AMCR 71 AWCR 74

A Grade Winner: David Rowe (13) 37 pts. A Grade Runner Up: Brad Carroll (6) 34 pts c/b.

B Grade Winner: Jan Roseby (18) 36 pts. B Grade Runner Up: Andrew Loftus (18) 32 pts c/b.

ber of newcomers to the club. He added prospects for the coming season looked promising where in the Ovens and Murray Pennant competition more than 70 Myrtleford players will be vying for positions in Weekend A1, B1 and B2 levels and Midweek A1 and B1 competitions.

The pennant season will

commence on 11 October, while where the more relaxed and social Barefoot Bowls new season will commence on 4 November.

The year will also be peppered with tournaments and club events.

SEASON OPEN: Victorian Womans pairs champion Peta Mattys starts the season at Myrtleford Bowls Club.

Super 6 Winner: David Rowe (13) 17 pts. Super 6 Runner Up: David Matthews (14) 14 pts.

Ball Winners: D Matthews 34, S Hancock 34, C Piazza 33, S Piddington 33, G Browne 32, D Rossato 32, D Clark 31 c/b.

Foodworks NTPs - 1st: David Rowe, 4th 2nd Shot: Spider Hancock, 14th: David Rowe.

Matthews Cleaning Encouragement Award: Craig Shewell 15 pts.

Raffle Winner: David Rowe.

Wednesday, 10 September

Adam Cartwright Electrical Stableford AMCR 71

A Grade Winner: Warren Rowney (25) 37 pts. A Grade Runner Up: Barrie Bynon (27) 32 pts c/b.

Tuesday, 9 September

Ian O’May Shield Stroke AMCR 73

A Grade Winner: Marnie Broz (21) 95/74. A Grade Runner Up: Kerry Newton (17) 93/76.

B Grade Winner: Ann Bryant (35) 111/76. B Grade Runner Up: Pieter Veldman (25) 101/76.

Ball Winner: Jan Roseby, Denise O’Donohue, Barb Welch, Lesley Browne.

9 Hole Winner: Carol Ames (44) 13pts.

Foodworks NTPs - 1st: Victoria Sims, 8th: Barb Welch, 14th: Linda Loftus.

Putting: A Bryant 27 putts.

MOUNT BEAUTY GOLF CLUB

Ball Winners: J Galvan 32, P Tanner 30.

Foodworks NTPs - 1st: Paul Tanner, 4th 2nd Shot: Ichlis Giovannoni, 8th: Ichlis Giovannoni, 14th: Ichlis Giovannoni, 16th: Warren Rowney.

The ladies played the front nine on Wednesday, 10 September, which was won by Lynda Barter with 12 points from Ute Svoboda with 10 points.

The ladies played an 18-hole Par

round on Saturday, 13 September which was won by Leesa Bevan with a -4 from Gill Harrowfield with a -5.

The Saturday, 13 September round was a Captain’s Choice - Peter Dilley chose a Super 6 Stableford Round where six holes were chosen to have the players score recorded.

The best score on these six holes was Roger Church with 12 points from Victor Selway, Stuart Cariss and Dave Etherton with their 11 points apiece.

Best scores in the 18 hole comp were Peter Dilley with 40 points, Victor Selway with 36 points, and Rick Biesboer with 32 points.

NTP on the seventh, along with the Tatts Ticket from the Tawonga South Newsagency & Post Office, was Roger Church - Roger also got closest on the 17th.

The ninth was David Drew, with

Tony Campen taking home the money on the 18th.

BRIGHT COUNTRY GOLF CLUB

An interesting thing about golf is that no matter how badly you play, it’s always possible to get worsefew of the Bright golfers will attest to this sentiment, but there are always a few who excel.

Monday, 8 September, all gender Stableford and all played off the white markers.

Winners: Robert Taylor playing off a 11 H/C came in with a fine 40 pts, and in second place, Rod Brown 5 H/C 34 pts.

The ball winners were Graham Badrock 33 pts and Mick Dunne 32 pts C/B.

NTPs - 3rd and 6th: Robert Taylor, 11th: Mick Dunne, 16th: Rod Brown.

Thursday, 11 September, Men’s Stableford.

A field of 32 players tried, but they were no match for Frog Thompson.

Playing off 18, Frog blitzed the field with a very fine 42 pts.

Matt Ellis came second with his 13 H/C 38 pts and in third place, John Forbes 20 H/C 37 pts.

Ball winners: Heath Anders 37 pts, Mo O’Shea 367 pts, Andrew Robertson 35 pts and Graham Badrock also on 35 pts.

NTPs - 3rd: John Forbes, 6th: Tri-

sian Armstrong, 11th: Ken Grummisch, 16th: Ken Bailey.

The chicken winner was Frog Thompson with an excellent 22 pts, and the NAGA went to Graham Barrow with 25 pts.

Saturday, 13 September, all gender Stableford Competition.

Although there was a slight mixup, those who unwittingly played ‘Foursomes’ they will be given a credit for the next time they play.

For the other 41 golfers, there were two outstanding results.

Theo Heuperman 31 HC a fantastic 44 pts, Christine O’Shea, 30 H/C a very fine 38 pts, Mick Dunne 15 H/C 35 pts, Gavin Hunt 11 HC 34 pts and in fifth place Ross Heydon 23 H/C 33 pts C/B.

Ball winners: Graeme Pickering 33 pts C/B, Graham Barrow 33 pts C/B, Nick Aloizos 33 pts C/B, Carol Burgess 33 pts, Darren Wood 33 pts C/B and Steve Grogan 33 pts. NTPs - 3rd: Ross Heydon, 6th: Jackpot, 10th second shot: Mick Dunne, 11th: Gavin Hunt, 16th: Chris Oswin.

The NAGA went to Graham Badrock with a reasonable 26 pts, and the members draw went to Steve Grogan who relished the win of $105.

The Bright Guru thought of the week: “Volunteers make the world go around, so jump on, and enjoy the journey.”

Youngest Saints preparing for grand final showdown

By NATHAN DE VRIES

For the second time in as many years, Myrtleford will contest the Ovens and Murray Football Netball League’s under 15 netball premiership.

The Saints have been one of the teams to beat for the last few seasons, and will have a chance to secure their first under 15 flag this Sunday at the Lavington Sports Ground against old enemy Wodonga Raiders.

Myrtleford secured their ticket to the big dance in Sunday’s preliminary final, which saw them triumph 5734 over Wodonga Bulldogs.

After losing to Wodonga in the qualifying final, Myrtleford rebounded when it mattered most, hammering the Bulldogs on transition and clean shooting.

Now, they face their most fierce opposition – Raiders

have been the only team to defeat Myrtleford in the regular season, and were able to get the job done exactly 12 months ago in the 2024 decider.

Co-coach Olivia La Spina said her team was more than ready for the challenge, with skill and finals experience in hand.

“It’s so exciting, I’m honestly so proud of them –to make a grand final once is incredible, but to make it two years in a row is even better,” she said.

“What makes it more special is the majority of the team is the same from last year, so to do it with the same bunch of girls, it’s gotten to the point where they’re surrogate daughters, so it’s really awesome.

“I’m so happy and proud of them, and just excited for them.”

La Spina said the finals campaign has been a step

up from the home and away season, but her team was well-equipped to handle anything thrown at them

this weekend.

“It’s a tricky one – apart from our two losses to Raiders throughout the season, we really haven’t been pushed too hard which is really tricky leading into a finals series.

“In finals, the intensity’s naturally going to lift, and we probably just haven’t been exposed to that this year a lot.

“In the first final, I think that’s what caught us off guard, I think that loss was really good for the girls, to know they need to lift their intensity and know it wasn’t going to come easy to them.

“I was saying to someone, it’s almost like these girls are seasoned veterans with their finals experience, and I really think that counted last week.

“Sunday was arguably their best game for the whole season, they came out

and performed on the big stage, and to play Wodonga again who they’d only lost to a fortnight ago and win by that much, it was just a phenomenal game.”

Myrtleford takes on Wodonga Raiders in the 2025 Ovens and Murray 15 and under netball grand final this Sunday, 21 September, from 8.45am at Lavington Sports Ground.

MEET THE TEAM

Issy Morrison - Strong and accurate. Her growth this year has made her a force under the post and unstoppable in the air.

Zahra Hazeldine - One of the best shooters in the league. Consistently shooting over 85 per cent, with her speed and agility her biggest asset.

Taylor Williamson - An underestimated force. Tay

gives the attack a burst of energy and works tirelessly to get the ball to post. A beautiful, confident shot under the post.

Libby Hughes - A dynamic dynamite through the midcourt. Will throw her body on the line to rip the ball in. So steady with her feeds.

Ella McMasters - A calm, accurate presence in our attack end. Also presents in the right spots at the right moments. Has a wonderful finesse about her.

Milla Corcoran - A dogged gazelle. Is able to glide down the court with ease and is effortless in her attack on the ball. Her defensive game through the midcourt is second-to-none.

Layla Graham - A true WA’s nightmare. Has a crack at every single ball and is so level-headed with her transition down court. Her one-on-one defensive skills can win you a game.

Gemma Corcoran - A natural leader who stands tall in big moments. Consistently throwing herself around to win the ball. Gem’s defensive ability is well beyond her years.

Abbie Dalkin - Arms and fingertips that can cause many headaches for shooters. Consistently coming out on top with rebounds at crucial moments and has an impeccable ability to read the play.

Willow Szaraszek - Hard, fast and dynamic. A true team player who can play wherever the team needs her at any given moment. Always hunting the ball and a safe mover down court.

Proud Sponsors and supporters of the Myrtleford Alpine Saints Football Netball Club

Wishing the Under 15 Saints Netballers all the best in their grand final game on Sunday.

www.mcgregor-machinery.com.au

Well done to all the Myrtleford Alpine Saints football and netball teams for an incredible season. Your hard work, spirit, and commitment on and off the field have been an inspiration to the community.

Good luck to the under 15’s netballers and all teams competing in the Grand Finals this weekend, the town is behind you all the way!

OVERWHELMING PRESSURE: Cooper Thomson traps Tom Baker with the

in support.

KEEP IT ALIVE: Josh Hudghton paddles the ball forward, waiting for it to sit right.

Third time’s the charm: Mountain Men claim first senior flag in 21 years GRAND FINAL REVIEWS

After all the heartache and agony which comes with coming up short in recent years, Bright have finally done it – the senior premiership cup is heading back up the mountain.

In their third consecutive trip to the big dance, Bright emerged triumphant, knocking off old foes Greta by 16 points, 11.7 (73) to 8.9 (57) to claim their first senior flag since 2004.

BY NATHAN DE VRIES ndevries@ nemedia.com.au

The two teams had traded blows throughout the home and away season, with Bright saluting in the pair’s most recent qualifying final clash, but tensions were high going into the match.

It was a nervy start from the Mountain Men when Josh Hudghton won the centre clearance, but kicked it to-

wards the wrong end, resulting in a goal to Greta’s Frazer Judd in the opening seconds. Greta would hold all of the momentum through the first term, peppering the goals for minor scores before slotting two goals in the dying minutes of the opening stanza. Bright started to work into the game, booting the next four to catch the lead with eight minutes left in the second.

Pat Bren and Cooper Thomason were the damage dealers for Bright, with Bren booting two in a minute to kickstart the resurgence.

The Blues hit back and the match was evenly poised at

half-time, with Bright heading into the rooms with a three-point margin.

After half-time, the match turned into a true stalemate, with every goal kicked at one end answered in kind at the other.

The Mountain Men were electric with their ball movement, but Greta had some tricks up their sleeve, utilising their run and slick skills to keep Bright on their toes.

With Bright up by three at the final change of ends, the players had to dig deep, and momentum started to turn against the Blues.

The Mountain Men gained the ascendancy and took the game on, rebounding well off half-back and putting Greta’s defence under near-constant pressure.

As the clock ticked down, the siren sounded, and for Bright’s players, volunteers and supporters, there was no sweeter sound.

Coach Michael Quirk said it was an immense pride to deliver the club their first senior success in 21 years.

“It’s a huge relief, really,” he said.

“It’s pretty special, after the last couple of years.

“All the work the committee, supporters and sponsors have done over that period, and the heartache, it just mends it for a while.”

After the rocky start to the match, Quirk praised his players’ ability to work back into the game mentally and on the scoreboard.

“It’s been a long season, we knew that we were going

to be challenged throughout the day, we didn’t get off to the best first quarter, but to our credit we worked ourselves back into it,” he said.

“We knew we could, we proved that, but they had to dig deep.

“We were pretty keen, we knew our fitness was pretty important, and I thought that definitely helped towards the end of the game.

“At half-time, we spoke about going more man on man, being more disciplined and not allowing Greta to run on, and I think that worked in a way.

“As the game progressed, we were fit enough to get over the top and start using the ball a bit better.”

Cooper Thomason was named best on ground, his

five goals bringing his season tally to 116.

“He’s a very good player, he’s not just a full forward, he can play in the midfield, he can play anywhere,” Quirk said.

“We know if we can get the ball forward enough and get as many look at it, he can kick a lot of goals.”

For Greta, Frazer Judd kicked three goals, James McClounan finished with two, while Mark Wettern and Jack Kelly were impactful in parts.

The senior success capped off a day of glory for Bright on the footy field, with the reserves team taking out the premiership 7.10 (52) over Bonnie Doon 4.3 (27), with Bright’s Marcus Kinthari named best on ground.

ball, with Michael Elliott

WRAPPED UP: Joe Gray puts his body into the tackle.

THAT WINNING FEELING: The Bright bench and reserve team flood the field after the final siren.

GOLDEN BOOT: Cooper Thomason kicked five goals in a best on ground performance.

CAUGHT: Pat Bren lays a crunching tackle on Paul Fruzynski.

DRILLED: Cy Banks lowers his eyes going inside forward 50.

FINALLY: Emotion overwhelms captain Sam Dalbosco as the siren sounds.

PHOTOS: Marc Bongers

GRAND FINAL REVIEWS

PREMIERS: BRIGHT CLAIMED THE RESERVES FOOTBALL

PREMIERSHIP BY 25 POINTS OVER BONNIE DOON. PHOTOS: MARC BONGERS

Reserve Mountain Men make it two flags in three years

After missing out last year, Bright have once again reached the summit of the reserves football competition with their first flag since 2023. The Mountain Men’s second squad took out the premiership on a gorgeous say at WJ Findlay Oval on Saturday, defeating Bonnie Doon 7.10 (52) to 4.3 (27).

Taking to the field, it was frantic football early, as stoppages dominated and the ball was pinging between the arcs.

BY NATHAN DE VRIES ndevries@ nemedia.com.au

It was a low-scoring first half, with just two goals put between the big sticks in a testament to how evenly matched and determined each squad was to take the flag home. With a chance to reset and go again in the second half, Bright came out of the rooms with a red-hot intensity and fight on the ball.

Marcus Kinthari was explosive and dynamic, utilising his speed to carve up the midfield and even impact the scoreboard.

The Mountain Men added three goals and a handful of scoring shots to their ledger, heaping the pressure on the Bombers and leading by three goals at the final change of end.

While Bonnie Doon managed to add some respectability to the scoreboard, the Mountain Men were simply far too good.

The clean skills on display and hard running both ways lifted the Mountain Men across the park, and as the lead grew and the time remaining lessened, the noise from the crowd grew louder and louder.

Ultimately, while their accuracy left something to be desired, they’d done enough, and Bright were reserve grade premiers once again.

Marcus Kinthari’s hard work and sheer speed and fight earned him best on ground honours, and was the

Mountain Men’s only multiple goal kicker.

Brad Nightingale was the general down back, while Tom Gray, Chad Martin and Dylan Bursill were also named among the best for Bright.

Coach Regan Alexander said it was a tremendous result for a season of hard work.

“It’s a great reward for effort, really,” he said after the match.

“Credit to Bonnie Doon, they’re a fantastic footy club,

so it was always going to be a very big grind.

“Finals footy is always tough, very low scoring, so it was always going to take a four-quarter effort.

“Both sides were probably very similar - I think we were very comfortable knowing our fitness was going to get us over the line, so we knew we could break it open in the second half.

“He [Kinthari] was brilliant - sometimes he just needs to back himself in, but a big ground, dry ground, it was really his type of conditions.”

SPECCY: Philip Crocombe takes an absolute screamer.

PRESSURE RELEASE: Sean Cinquegrana fires

handball to Marcus Kinthari.

Grand final heartache for A grade Lions

After being at the head of the pack for so long, Whorouly’s A grade netball squad were denied a droughtbreaking win in Saturday’s O&K grand final.

On the court at WJ Findlay Oval against reigning premiers Bonnie Doon, the Lions were playing catch-up early, ultimately going down 50-53.

It was the Lions’ first trip to the grand final stage in A grade since 2012, and tensions were understandably high.

With the calibre of players on court, it would come down to error mitigation, and poise, in deciding which team would emerge triumphant.

It was the Bombers who would take the early lead, capitalising on their rebounds and putting the goals

through to take a narrow lead at quarter time.

Whorouly continued to have trouble penetrating Bonnie Doon’s defensive structure, with the Bombers not allowing any quick balls through.

The margin was out to five goals at the major break, the Bombers leading the Lions 29-24.

Whorouly kept fighting hard, and produced some consistent runs of goals to eat into the margin, but Bonnie Doon would always find away to keep them at a manageable distance.

As time ticked down, Whorouly made some brilliant attempts to tie the game up, but Bonnie Doon’s defensive pressure and calm-headedness under the post was too much to overcome, with the Bombers’ dynamic Arianna

Hearst named best on court.

The emotion of the day and what it meant to the players was clear to see, but they can hold their heads high knowing they did everything they could and fought it out to the final siren.

Whorouly coach Kelly Cousins said while the end result was unfortunate, the season the Lions had put together was incredible.

“I’m absolutely proud of them, they didn’t give up - we had quite a few surges in that last quarter, we just weren’t able to convert on those ones,” she said.

“We probably didn’t have the start we wanted to, that first half, we were off the mark a little bit, but we managed to reel that in.

“I’m really proud of how our program’s running, and the culture we’re developing among the group.”

SCANNING: Amy Primerano looks for a passing option coming out of the defensive end.

ONE-TWO PASS: Tayla Allen uses some quick passes to edge closer to the goal.

BUILDING: Katie Ivone takes the ball just outside the shooting ring. PHOTOS: Marc Bongers

COUNTER ATTACK: Ebony Allen brings the ball back out from the Whorouly defensive end.

SOLID DEFENCE: Sally Wood puts the defensive pressure on.

IT

Abbey Forrest calls for the pass in the Lions’ grand final loss to Bonnie Doon.

Lions forward.

Saints star at league presentation night

By NATHAN DE VRIES

Monday night saw the Ovens and Murray Football Netball League come together to celebrate the truly exceptional among them at the Morris and Wilson Medal Night, and Myrtleford was well represented.

Saints midfield star Jaxon East was named joint winner of the Morris Medal, polling 19 votes alongside Lavington’s Shaun Driscoll and Wangaratta Rover Lochie O’Brien.

It’s only the second time in the league’s 132 years there’s been a three-way tie for the highest honour, and just the 11th time a Saint has taken out the award.

He averaged 26 disposals across the year and kicked 19 goals in just his second year in the league, polling in eight games with four best on ground nods.

In a brief but highly entertaining acceptance speech, East thanked the club, his teammates and everyone involved in his successful season.

“You don’t play for these awards – I’d rather be playing this weekend,” he said.

“It’s just the people, I’ve felt so welcome [at Myrtleford].

“The whole footy club, I can’t thank them enough, all the volunteers, the O&M, everyone.”

East was also named to the 2025 Team of the Year on the half forward flank, while teammate Simon Curtis made the team across half back.

Rhys Grant and Austin Wickes polled well in the reserves vote count, finishing with 12 apiece, just four behind the eventual winner.

Bridget Flint-Chapman took out the C grade best and fairest award after a dominant season – Flint-Chapman polled 31 votes, four clear of the runner up, while

teammate Jaclyn McAlpine finished third with 25 votes.

“I’d like to thank the Ovens and Murray and the umpires – it’s such a privilege to be able to play in this league, and to have played 250 games for this league,” she said after receiving the award.

“A big thank you to the Myrtleford Football Netball Club for

NETBALL RESULTS THIRDS RESULTS

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 14

A GRADE

Yarrawonga 42 def Lavington 30

B GRADE: Wangaratta 30 def by Nth Albury 45

C GRADE: Myrtleford 36 def by Wangaratta Rovers 41

17 & UNDER: Wangaratta Rovers 48 def Myrtleford 35

15 & UNDER: Wodonga 34 def by Myrtleford 57

Wangaratta Rovers 5.4.34 def by Lavington 5.6.36

GOALS: WANGARATTA ROVERS: Zac O’Shannessy 2, Connor Breheny 1, Reid McNamara 1, Harry Mullane 1. LAVINGTON: Riley Costello 1, Zac Klemke 1, Jack Powling 1, Isaiah Robertson 1, Carson Way 1. BEST: WANGARATTA ROVERS: Jed Marek, Eli Saunders, Charlie Miller, Rory Harvey, Tom Ford, Jack Ford. LAVINGTON: C Way, M Plunkett, Riley Costello, Cooper Hall, Zac Klemke, Casey Webb.

BEST OF THE BEST: Myrtleford’s Jaxon East (right) claimed the Morris Medal alongside Shaun Driscoll (left) and Lochie O’Brien.

PHOTOS: Border Mail/ Phoebe Adams

putting up with me for that many years as well, but also to my coaches and teammates.

“It’s been an interesting year, I coached 15s and 17s, and then I had to play so I don’t think I warmed up at all this year.

“It’s been such an awesome year, a bit bittersweet losing [on Sunday] and not making the grand final – I think I’d swap this to be able to get out there and give it a crack next Sunday, but thank you so much to everyone.”

Lily Boyer picked up 26 votes to claim the 17 and under best and fairest award, alongside Wangaratta Rovers’ Lily Palmer.

Boyer also claimed the Sullivans Hair and Beauty Award for the 17 and under netball division.

Also among the votes was Gemma Corcoran, who finished third in the 15 and under count with 25, just three behind the winner.

■ From back page

Injuries in the latter half of the year had severely impacted Myrtleford’s defensive structure, but their fight was undeniable.

“It didn’t help that over the last month we lost three important defenders,” Millar lamented.

“It gave opportunity for others to step up and I thought they were outstanding, [Nick] Ferguson and Rhys Grant in particular.

“Losing Brady Sharp, he trained on Saturday at our captain’s run, but he was just too sore to be able to play, and Zac Pethybridge with his fractured foot and Lachie Hourigan doing his ACL against Lavington.

“We just had some cruel injuries late, but unfortunately that’s footy –every team had good players that are restricted in some capacity.

“We just lacked some continuity there where that back seven had been really stable pretty much all year, but we didn’t have our way with some luck at the end.”

The seniors weren’t the only Saints side to feel the harsh sting of the preliminary final – of the five teams who fronted up on Sunday, just one progressed through to the big dance. Myrtleford’s 15 and under netball side vanquished Wodonga Bulldogs 57-34 in a dominant display which sees them book a spot in the grand final against Wodonga Raiders.

Elsewhere, it was a tough day for the tricolours – the reserves were hammered 1.6 (12) to Lavington’s 15.12 (102), the 17 and under netballers lost 35-48 against Wangaratta Rovers, and C grade fell 36-41 in an extra-time thriller to Rovers.

GOALS: MYRTLEFORD: Riley Smith 3, Kye Agosta 2, Jaxon East 2, Toby Cossor 1, Damon Harrington 1, Matthew Munro 1, Lachlan Murphy-Dale 1, Jake Sharp 1. WANGARATTA: Xavier Laverty 4, Aidan Tilley 3, Max Bihun 2, Blake Newton 2, Michael Bordignon 1, Hunter Gottschling 1, Matthew Hedin 1, Daniel Sharrock 1. BEST: MYRTLEFORD: Riley Smith, Toby Cossor, Jaxon East, Lachlan Murphy-Dale, Mitchell Tenardi, Rhys Grant. WANGARATTA: Xavier Laverty, Chris Knowles, Michael Bordignon, Cameron Barrett, Jackson Clarke, Jett Roberts.

SENIORS: Wangaratta Rovers vs Wangaratta. RESERVES: Wangaratta Rovers vs Lavington. THIRDS: Wangaratta vs Lavington

A GRADE: Wodonga Raiders vs Yarrawonga. B GRADE: Yarrawonga vs North Albury. C GRADE: Wangaratta vs Wangaratta Rovers. 17&U: Wodonga Raiders vs Wangaratta Rovers. 15&U: Wodonga Raiders vs Myrtleford

WHAT AN HONOUR: Saints 17 and under netballer Lily Boyer (left) shared the top award with Rover Lily Palmer.

TOP PLAYER: Bridget FlintChapman won the C grade best and fairest award with 31 votes.

Kane Michelini, Harry Stripeikis, Ashton McPherson, James McPherson, Ned Turner.

DOUBLE DELIGHT FOR MOUNTAIN MEN

people enjoyed the brilliant sunshine to witness the biggest day of the season, with seven scintillating Ovens and King Football Netball Leagues played at WJ Findlay Oval on Saturday.

Bright’s senior football team (pictured above) claimed their first flag in 21 years over reigning premiers Greta, 11.7 (73) to 8.9 (57).

The Mountain Men had gone without success

third consecutive grand final appearance. Bright also picked up their second reserves flag in three years over Bonnie Doon. The reserves

The dream is over

Myrtleford senior footballers’ season ended by Magpies in preliminary final heartbreaker

The season is over for Myrtleford’s senior footballers after falling in Sunday’s preliminary final to Wangaratta Magpies.

While the second half showcased their immense talent and skill, a lacklustre opening half, particularly around stoppage, spelled disaster in the 12.11 (83) to 15.8 (98) loss.

BY NATHAN DE VRIES ndevries@ nemedia.com.au

After a first term shootout which saw nine goals kicked for a margin of just four points, Wangaratta exerted their influence on the ball, taking territory while the Saints

couldn’t make the most of their looks forward of centre.

The 24-point margin at half time blew out to 35 by three quarter time, and while they came within two goals late, they weren’t able to come out on top.

“It was a disappointing day,” coach Craig Millar said.

“Clearly we had a plan in place

to try and negate aspects of their game but we just couldn’t execute it, particularly in the first quarter when we couldn’t win any territory.

“We were getting absolutely hammered at centre square bounces, and we were trying to score from the back half of our ground as opposed to the front half and keeping the ball up there

which has been a feature of our game for most of the year.

“I’m really proud of the way we were able to push back in the second half, but the reality was, like the Rovers game, the damage was done in the first half – we gave up too much of a run-up, and it was too hard to peg back.”

■ Continued page 31

domainated in the second half, conceding just three goals to win by 25 points. Full match coverage, pictures, and poster inside.

PHOTOS: Marc Bongers