Wangaratta Chronicle 010923

IT’S

glorifying picture.

BY STEVE KELLY skelly@ nemedia.com.au

Financially, the centre has run at a sizable loss, with 2021-22 revenue falling $1.56 million short of and forecast income of $3.27m, while last financial

year there was $2.19m in revenue, $1.71m below budget.

Any business realising these shortcomings would find them difficult to absorb, but with the Learn to Swim program proving extremely popular and new infrastructure and equipment in the form of the new gym space,

the council owned and operated centre is well on the way to recovery and beyond.

Since the new and larger gym space opened in May, memberships have increased 15 per cent, and although overall membership is hovering around 10 per cent of the Rural City of Wangaratta’s

population, the brains trust driving the ship have an optimistic goal to double this figure to make the asset “the best in regional Victoria”.

The facility’s budgeted projection for the 202324 year still predicts a shortfall of about $1.17 million based off $2.83m revenue.

This is in great contrast to the vision council had in November 2020 when the Rural City of Wangaratta took over the facility.

When news was reported that the YMCA’s contract was not going to be extended, some in the community questioned the move.

■ Continued page 2

Four killed in freeway crash: P3 Alarming local poverty figures: P5

Centre rises from the ashes post-COVID

■ From page 1 Council said it took the facility in-house because it had a view for the entire precinct to be the premier sports precinct in regional Victoria.

“The obvious place to coordinate that is from this central facility and the only way to do that effectively is to have control of it so we can make all the decisions about what happened there on a day-to-day basis and how it interacted with this fantastic precinct that we had,” rural city CEO Brendan McGrath reflected.

“Would we have planned to do that if we knew today what we know about COVID, we probably would have delayed that slightly.

“COVID had a massive impact on the fitness industry with all the centres closed and a very large majority who were in the industry went and found other work.

“With the restrictions all off, we are left with an industry that doesn’t have enough qualified or experienced people for us to really pick up and continue where we were pre-COVID.

“That means it’s a whole process of rebuilding and during COVID, because people couldn’t go to their gym, they looked online and they found online fitness programs or virtual classes they could join.

“Some of those people have returned to their gym and some have opted to continue at home.”

WSAC manager Sonya Dalgliesh said the 10 per cent membership base following COVID is standard across Victoria, but a desirable target level across the state is 15 per cent.

With the growth in membership since May, she said they are on target to reach pre-COVID numbers, with the trajectory showing a pattern of true return.

“Post-COVID the return has been slow in memberships but Learn to Swim has been a major growth area,” Ms Dalgliesh reported.

“There has been a realisation of Learn to Swim safety and social connection for children and being a part of something.”

A callout for Learn to Swim instructors was a game-changer for the facility with just four on the books at the start of the year but the centre needed 10 to deliver the full program and they now have 12.

“Parents have returned children and Learn to Swim has not only grown in Wangaratta but across Victoria,” Ms Dalgliesh said.

“Currently we run Learn to Swim for schools and last financial

year we had 6000 students attend through the daytime.

“There were also 8000 school children come through to use gym and outdoor pool programs, carnivals, programs in the stadium and upstairs in group fitness.

“Overall we’ve had about 20,000 children come through from schools and clubs to use the facility.”

Overall people through the door, including spectators, annually last year was estimated to be about 300,000.

One of the greatest user groups is the pickleball association which is a senior group of people who visit once a week.

Basketball, squash and swim clubs are among the active user groups of the facility, with the centre open to new ideas.

“It’s been well researched that regular exercise and social connection assists people’s longevity in life,” Ms Dalgliesh said.

Coinciding with the new gym opening, council introduced a new pricing structure to make access to the facilities more inclusive.

Ms Dalgliesh explained there is now an overall reduction in the concession price, making sure all areas of the fitness, Learn to Swim,

pool, gym and group fitness are under an all access concession price.

“We’ve added some new memberships and streamlined some of the old ones so that people have more relevant choice if they want to use only one or two areas, rather than joining up to the whole centre,” she said.

Audiences of this publication and tv watchers would have noticed advertising of the WSAC with familiar local faces at the forefront of the marketing campaign.

“We really wanted to bring back to the community that this is their centre and they have a place to come and connect, socialise, be fit and health - to have a place that is their own,” Ms Dalgliesh said.

“That’s all demographics, all the way from youth up to our seniorsthey’re all equally important to us and we want to provide the same fantastic, quality service to every demographic.”

WSAC is also a robust employer of local people who are often on their first job and overall there are 110 casual and 12 permanent staff on the books.

Ms Dalgliesh said several are still at school and don’t have much work experience but some of them stay with the centre for many years

and return during university studies while on school holidays.

“There is diversity in job for employees as well, with lifeguards growing into duty managers, they move from the water based jobs into the dry fitness areas, and we’re training people up to be group fitness instructors,” she said.

Again from a financial perspective, Mr McGrath explained that revenue now all stays locally because if it was tendered out to another provider, there would be “a decent chunk” of that money going back to an organisation in Melbourne which is using the facility to generate a return for their company.

“The other aspect is when we have an event for the short-course or long-course swim championships - that’s tens, if not, hundreds of thousands of dollars that gets spent in town,” he said.

“People travelling here, staying here, filling up cars with petrol, eating at the local eateries and buying food and groceries at the supermarket.

“It’s only just starting to feel like now we are almost over all the impacts as we have a cohort of people who have become qualified, we’ve got people recognising the benefit

and the social element of coming to a facility like this rather than training at home.

“It’s about being that premier sports and events precinct and what we want to see if numbers of people visiting and using the centre going in an upwards trajectory, we want to see our revenue going in an upwards trajectory.

“There will be some growth in our expenditure to match that and we want to see cost to council reducing over time based on greater numbers, greater income and really reaping the benefit of the facility we have here.

“We want to be the best in regional Victoria and we want to help that driver reduce the cost to council and to the ratepayer of operating this fantastic facility.”

As well as the new gym the $12.38m WSAC expansion project works are ongoing and will include additional multipurpose courts, an upgraded show court to competition-level, and improved accessibility to existing change rooms and amenities within the facility.

The State Government has also funded $3m to upgrade the netball changerooms and resurface the courts, a project that’s budgeted to take place in 2024-25.

HEAVY LIFTING: Fitness instructor Sue Usher, WSAC manager Sonya Dalgliesh and rural city CEO Brendan McGrath are pleased with the way the membership base is growing.

PHOTO: Kurt Hickling

The Academy to end in Wangaratta

GOTAFE to work with year 11 students to help them explore education options for 2024

By STEVE KELLY

GOTAFE and The Academy have agreed that 2023 will be the final year of The Academy program being delivered at Wangaratta and Essendon campuses.

GOTAFE delivers the VCEVM (formerly VCAL) component of the program to students, while The Academy

delivers the Certificate III in Sport and Recreation, with a focus on AFL.

Former Richmond premiership player Alex Rance founded The Academy in 2017.

A spokesperson said GOTAFE and The Academy explored options to continue the program, but the level of investment necessary to continue the partnership between

The Academy and GOTAFE and deliver a quality program is no longer feasible.

“This decision does not diminish the hard work of all staff, students and their families and we would like to acknowledge the work of everyone involved in this pioneering program over the past seven years,” a GOTAFE spokesperson

said in a statement.

Staff from GOTAFE and The Academy met with parents and students this week to discuss future education options for year 11 students currently enrolled at The Academy.

GOTAFE said it is committed to supporting these students.

Current year 12 students

will not be impacted by the decision to end the program in Wangaratta.

The Academy played a part of the success of former Murray Bushrangers player Brayden George making it to the 2022 AFL Draft, who was picked by North Melbourne.

In promotional videos, Mr Rance said the reason he started the venture was be-

Whorouly’s $895,000 netball courts project start set for late September

By STEVE KELLY

NETBALLERS and pickleball players in Whorouly will be able to train and play on two new courts next season with council this week awarding a contract worth $895,650 to reconstruct the facilities.

As part of the works the existing court will be demolished and two netball courts, with two pickleball court overlays, will be constructed.

Works on site will include the construction of a new concrete pavement with an acrylic surface complete with all auxiliaries and all associated infrastructure and works such as, but not limited to, paths, drainage, shelter, storage shed, reinstated seating and site earthworks.

Whorouly FNC president Eddie Constenaro said he was ecstatic the works had been tendered.

“What started off as a little project has come to this and it will definitely be a huge asset to the whole community including the schools,” he said.

“The club has more than 200 members, and players and spectators will benefit from the new facilities.

“A lot of work has gone into this over the course of a decade, so everyone is very happy.”

At the Rural City of Wangaratta’s August council meeting, director of community and infrastructure Marcus Goonan thanked the Whorouly Football and Netball Club and recreation reserve committee which have done a lot of work over the last two years to get the project to this point.

“It’s probably the quickest that

I’ve seen a court redevelopment come to fruition and they certainly deserve plenty of thanks for that,” Mr Goonan said.

He wasn’t the only one praising the community efforts, with south ward councillor Harry Bussell remarking that he wasn’t sure if he or the “ladies from Whorouly” would be more excited about the project.

“I reinforce that the engagement between the community and staff has been really, really good,” he said.

“Marcus’ staff, I’ve got to commend them - a magnificent job there, and certainly credit to the community which has construc-

tively engaged with the staff and they have come up with some really good plans for this project.”

Cr Bussell said it’s quite significant to build infrastructure like this because of the benefit to girls and women, and the community who stand around the courts and talk to each other on a Saturday afternoon will benefit as well.

As the courts have a multi-purpose feature, Cr Bussell said the women and men who play pickleball will also reap the rewards.

“There are health and social benefits around these places over a long period of time and the life of this infrastructure has got to be 50 to100 years,” he said.

The tender for the works was awarded to iDwala Pty Ltd by Wangaratta council on Tuesday.

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

Council confirmed the upgrade works are planned to commence in late September following the 2023 Ovens and King Football and Netball league season.

“The planned completion late this year (weather dependent), will be just in time for preseason training,” a spokesperson said.

cause he saw young people enter the AFL system without other career plans.

“The Academy is a full-time year 11 and 12 passion based education program,” he said.

“We offer our students an academic curriculum and high performance program that steers away from outdated methods and embraces their passion for football.”

FOUR people died in a fatal collision on the Hume Freeway between Springhurst and Chiltern on Thursday morning.

Victoria Police are continuing to investigate the fatal collision between a sedan and B-double truck on the freeway at the intersection of Wenkes Road just before 10.30am.

All four occupants of the sedan died at the scene.

The truck driver, a 30-year-old man, sustained non life-threatening injuries and was taken to hospital.

Specialist crash detectives from the Major Collision Investigation Unit were at the scene yesterday.

“The exact circumstances surrounding the collision are yet to be determined and investigations remain ongoing,” a Victoria Police spokesperson said.

North bound traffic on the Hume Freeway was yesterday diverted onto Rutherglen-Springhurst Road then the Murray Valley Highway, returning to the freeway at Barnawartha North.

Anyone who witnessed the incident, has dashcam/CCTV footage or information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or make a report online at www. crimestoppersvic.com.au

LEVEL UP: New courts at Whorouly will be built in time for the 2024 season, a welcome improvement for players like Bec Allen (pictured).

PHOTO: Nathan de Vries

FATAL SCENE: Four people were killed in a collision between a sedan and truck on the Hume Freeway near Chiltern yesterday.

Galen students help drive food relief boost

LOAVES and Fishes Christian Caring’s food drive received an early boost on Wednesday morning with the delivery of five crates of donated food from Galen Catholic College students.

As part of their study, a group of 40 Year 11 Vocational major students were involved in looking at issues that affect the local community and the importance of community involvement and participation.

Anglicare community development coordinator, David Still, visited the Galen campus to introduce the students to his role in volunteering with LF-CC.

Mr Still said the emergency food relief group saw the school visit and their ensuing visit of the LF-CC pantry as an excellent opportunity to share with a demographic they don’t normally have the chance to see.

“We’re going to show them through what we do, the sort of things we help people with that enable anyone who is strug-

BY BAILEY ZIMMERMANN bzimmermann@ nemedia.com.au

gling for whatever reason to get through what might be a challenging time for them,” he said.

“The students will see that there are people who have a need they might not have thought of and that they’re able to make a difference, whether it’s bringing some food along which we really appreciate, or helping out for the morning with our regular volunteers.

“It’s a really great way to share that particular story with a different group of people.”

Throughout the semester the students have regularly donated fresh produce which they grow in their school garden to the LFCC pantry.

Mr Still said LF-CC have seen a steep rise in demand over the past year, which they hoped

would be relieved with food drives including from Galen and from the Wangaratta Motor Group, which starts today.

“Every now and then there’s something we’re a bit low on but that’s just the vagaries of how we’re able to access different places for food, it’s part of the luck of the draw,” he said.

“Hopefully we’re still able to meet that extra demand with the ongoing support of the community whether it’s the students or people who constantly drop in food or make donations.

“For the most part it’s down to the work of our volunteers who give up their time each week who come along and pack, talk to people or make sure we’ve got the food that we need there that we can provide to other people and they do an absolutely fantastic job.”

Anyone seeking further information on emergency relief or becoming a volunteer with LF–CC can contact the Anglicare Victoria office on 5723 7900.

BUILDING STEAM: Wendy Stephens is excited to be directing Bombshells on behalf of the Wangaratta Players.

Bombshells information day tomorrow

A PUBLIC information session about Wangaratta Players latest production ‘Bombshells’, by multiaward winning Australian playwright and author Joanna Murray-Smith, will be held at 11am tomorrow at the Players’ Stage Door Studio at 4D Evans Street. Bombshells is a fun and heart-warming journey “from crisis to hilarity”, and will be directed by local theatre stalwart, Wendy Stephens.

The show features six funny and perceptive monologues about the stresses of modern female life, ranging from a feisty teenager to a 64-year-old woman yearning for the unexpected.

Attendees will be able to meet with Ms Stephens and learn more about the show and the six female characters to be cast, and there will be an opportunity to read through the play and take home audition pieces for the following week.

Auditions will be held from 10am on Saturday, September 9 at the stage door, before the play is performed over the last two weekends of November.

For more information about Bombshells or to book an audition, contact Wendy Stephens on 0402 288 207.

DELIVERING THE GOODS: Patrick White, Ben Nolan, Sam Rourke, David Still, David Price, Jarrod Dickmann, Sienna Lawless and Gemma Nolan showing off the crates of donated foods a group of 40 Galen Catholic College students dropped off at Loaves and Fishers on Wednesday morning.

PHOTO: Bailey Zimmermann

Women and children are worse off in Wangaratta

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Peak group calls on government to do more to address alarming living in poverty data

By STEVE KELLY

THE percentage of women and children living in poverty in Wangaratta and the North East remain at worrying rates.

According to the most recent data from the Victorian Council of Social Services, the percentage of children living in poverty in Wangaratta is 16.6 per cent, Wodonga is 16.5pc, Mansfield 15.9pc, Alpine 15.8pc and Indigo 14.5pc.

For women the percentage living in poverty in Wangaratta is 13pc, Wodonga 12.9pc, Alpine 11.4pc, Mansfield 11.2pc and Indigo 10.9pc.

Amanda Kelly, Women’s Health Goulburn North East CEO, said the figures are alarming for our region.

“We should be concerned about the fact that women and children are among those who are most acutely impacted,” she said.

“What the figures don’t do is show us what this poverty means for people,” she said.

“Families are having to choose between paying the rent and putting food on the table.

“Children are showing up to our local schools hungry or without the equipment they need to learn and participate and establish good foundations for good future lives.

“Women are having to choose

Data

By STEVE KELLY

between staying in a violent relationship or potentially experiencing homelessness because of how hard it is to afford rent in our region.

“People are being left behind, and do not have the opportunities or resources they need to participate fully in our communities - and that’s to the detriment of us all.”

Ms Kelly said government needs to do more to address poverty in our communities, “because people experiencing poverty have told us”.

“We need social support payments that reflect the true cost of living and offer people dignity and agency,” she said.

“We need rent caps and longterm, secure rental tenures that offer people who rent on the private market a degree of certainty and security over their housing, and to see government prioritise the building and maintenance of public housing stock in our communities.

“We also need to close the gendered pay gap, which relies on us balancing the way care is shared, making early childhood education more affordable and accessible, and paying superannuation to people when they take parental leave to ensure women aren’t being tipped into a lifetime of poverty when they reach retirement age.”

We need s so i cial al sup u po p rt paymmeennts s thaat t reeflecect t th the true ue co c s st of f li i ving ng an a d of offfer pe peop o le dignit i y

shows 16.6% of children and 13% of women are living in poverty in gpygWangaratta

WANGARATTA has the highest poverty rate in the North East for women and children, but it’s not as severe as Wodonga overall, according to new data.

Victorian Council of Social Services statistics show that 3481 or 12.8 per cent in Wangaratta people are living in poverty, below the overall state average of 13.3pc and the 13.4pc regional Victorian figure.

However, when you screw down on the numbers, it shows 16.6pc of children and 13pc of women are living in poverty in Wangaratta, marginally higher than Wodonga with 16.5pc and

12.9pc respectively.

Other Wangaratta data shows categories where people are living in poverty including employed fulltime 3.9pc, aged 25-64 and not in labour force 31.5pc, home owners with mortgage 8.9pc, and private renters 22.6pc.

The data shows the overall poverty levels of Alpine and Indigo shires at 11.3pc, a full 2pc lower than the state average.

Mansfield had a contrasting rate (11.9pc) of people living in poverty, owning a home with a mortgage, compared to the other four municipalities of Wangaratta 8.9pc, Alpine 8.8pc, Indigo 8.9pc and Wodonga 7.5pc.

Of those living in poverty,

TOUGH TIMES: The poverty rates in North East Victoria show how levels of poverty in each municpality differ between societal groups. Source: Census 2021

Wangaratta had the second highest (to Wodonga) not in paid employment (31.5pc), and the highest rate of those who are private renters (22.6pc).

Wodonga’s overall poverty rate was close to the state average with 5176 categorised as living in poverty.

This included an over-

all poverty rate of 13.2pc, including 16.5pc of children, 16.1pc over 65s, and 12.9pc of women living in poverty.

A total of 12,779 people in the four local government areas (LGAs) are living in poverty according to modelling that’s based on 2021 Census data collected around August 2021.

In rural and regional Victoria, the highest rates of poverty are found in in Hume, Bendigo, Latrobe – Gippsland, Ballarat, the North West, Shepparton and Geelong.

There are over 50,000 more women than men living in poverty, with women representing 55 per cent of the people over the age of 15 experiencing significant

economic disadvantage.

Similarly, economic disadvantage mirrors other social inequalities, with groups who are often marginalised or experience discrimination worst affected.

Census data was taken at a time the pandemic caused significant disruption to lives and livelihoods with COVID restrictions and while government assistance supported incomes until March 2021, the fallout from the pandemic was ingrained.

The high cost of living has also sustained this poverty throughout 2022 and this year with people on lower incomes affected the most by these changes.

ALARMING FIGURES: Women’s Helath Goulburn North East CEO Amanda Kelly believes a number of measures such as higher social support payments need to be installed to help address the poverty in the region.

and ag a ency

- Amanda Kelly

Seeking our young writing talent

By SIMONE KERWIN

A POPULAR competition will again aim to tap into the rich vein of young writing talent in the Rural City of Wangaratta.

Jointly run by the Rotary Club of Appin Park Wangaratta and the Rotary Club of Wangaratta, the Wangaratta Young Writers Award returned for its fourth incarnation last yearthe first time it had been held since 2020, following a COVID-induced break.

It is now open again in 2023 to young people aged between 10 and 19, encouraging them to develop their capacity and imagination through writing.

Entrants can submit an original piece of writing in their age group in one of two categories - story (no more than 2000 words), or poetry/ song lyrics (no more than 50 lines).

Age group categories are upper primary (years five and

six); lower secondary (years seven, eight and nine); and upper secondary (years 10, 11 and 12, and young people not at school aged 19 and under).

Submissions will be judged on originality of theme, development of the story, and quality (not quantity) of the writing.

The judges will be looking for the use of words to create feeling and imagery, and pictures will not be taken into account.

Entries are now open, and will close on Saturday, September 30, giving young people the entirety of the September school holidays to polish their work for submission.

An award presentation night will be held on Thursday, October 19 at the Wangaratta Library.

For entry forms or more information, contact the Wangaratta Library on 5721 2366 or library@wangaratta.vic. gov.au

Police probing

Sth Wangaratta road assault

POLICE are seeking witnesses to an assault following a collision at South Wangaratta on the Hume Freeway.

The incident occurred on August 9 at around 5:15pm between the Glenrowan BP and Snow Road, on the northbound lanes of the freeway.

The following assault occurred while the two males were standing in the emergency lane of the freeway, near a white single cab Toyota Hilux and a black Ford Falcon sedan with green P plates.

If you have any information, please contact Constable Nichols - Wangaratta Police on 03 5723 0888 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or make a confidential report via www. crimestoppersvic.com.au Reference Number: 230294152.

Power outage impacted the Appin St area

ABOUT 93 premises in the Appin Street area of Wangaratta were left without power for much of Wednesday.

Power was lost around 7.30am, with AusNet crews on site within the hour, identifying a broken x- arm, which the conductors sit on, responsible for the outage.

The x-arm was replaced and AusNet was able to restore power in the afternoon.

YOUNG WRITER: Anika Robinson was among the winners of last year’s Wangaratta Young Writers Award, with her story ‘The Cursed Path’. She’s pictured at the presentation ceremony in October with Rural City of Wangaratta Mayor Dean Rees.

Running and walking in support of the Voice

TWO great Australians – one white and one Indigenous –will cross paths next Monday, September 4 in Wangaratta’s Apex Park at 4pm.

Former AFL footballer, Michael Long, is walking from Melbourne to Canberra on a “Long Walk the Talk” to build understanding from the grass roots.

Pat Farmer, the former Liberal politician and ultra marathon runner, is covering 14,400 kms – finishing at Uluru - to demonstrate his passionate support for an Indigenous Voice to Parliament, which goes to a national referendum on October 14.

“The Long Walk raises

awareness to improve and support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, and life opportunities,” Michael said.

Pat and Michael will arrive at Apex Park Wangaratta by the Marmungun Rock at 4pm accompanied by local runners to a welcome by the local community, Bpangerang Elder Uncle Dozer Atkinson, Mayor of Wangaratta Dean Rees, members of local First Nations People, Yes23 Wangaratta, and surrounds, 100 volunteers, and the wider community.

Community members are invited to welcome the pair at Apex Park and learn more about the proposed Voice to Parliament and inclusion in the Constitution.

Become a Grit and Resilience friend

By SIMONE KERWIN

THE Rural City of Wangaratta’s Grit and Resilience Program has launched a ‘Friends of Grit and Resilience’ initiative, seeking ‘community champions’ to support the program.

The Wangaratta Grit and Resilience Program is a community-driven approach to building and sustaining grit and resilience in the Rural City of Wangaratta, and aims to help locals unite and build strength, courage

and connection with each other so they can overcome hardships together.

It is governed by community partners as part of a consortium which also includes representatives from the Rural City of Wangaratta, Gateway Health, Northeast Health Wangaratta, Albury Wodonga Aboriginal Health Service, Albury Wodonga Health, Victoria Police, headspace Wangaratta, and The Centre - Sport North East.

Friends of Grit and Resilience will be a volunteer tribe

of people formed to support the program and the consortium in achieving its objectives.

Members will play a crucial role in promoting events, assisting with data collection, offering expertise and insights as needed, and supporting the consortium in various capacities.

The Friends will work alongside the consortium to build connections, support and pathways for inclusion within the Wangaratta community.

Grit and Resilience pro-

gram coordinator Bek NashWebster encouraged locals seeking an opportunity to be part of something bigger, and who want to make a real impact on Wangaratta’s wellbeing, to become involved with the Friends.

“The Grit and Resilience consortium is keen to see passionate individuals rally together to join the Friends group to help shape the future of our municipality,” she said.

“We are looking for our community to come together and be united for change.

“Imagine a Wangaratta where everyone feels supported, where mental health and community strength go hand in hand. The Friends of Grit and Resilience will support the Grit and Resilience consortium to turn this vision into a reality.”

The invitation to be a driving force behind the scenes and create positive change in the community is open to all.

Members can expect to help promote events and encourage community engagement; be a voice of the

community through gathering feedback; inspire innovation by sharing ideas and perspectives; and shape strategic decision-making for Wangaratta’s future growth and wellbeing.

Community members interested in becoming a Friend of Grit and Resilience are encouraged to email gritandresilience@ wangaratta.vic.gov.au or visit wangaratta.vic.gov.au/ Residents/Grit-Resilience/ Get-Involved to view the role description and sign up.

SPREADING MESSAGE: Michael Long (centre) will be in Wangaratta at 4pm on Monday, along with Pat Farmer.

Lap up local finals sporting action

SPRING is here and the rural city is about to be caught up in finals fever.

Wangaratta and surrounds is anticipating one of the busiest sporting weekends of the year, with some of the best sporting talent in the region making their way down for finals action.

The usual slate of finals in the O&K, WDJFL and North Eastern Baseball Association seen in recent weeks will be bolstered by the marquee O&M finals across both days and the AWFA semi-finals on Sunday in Wangaratta.

And if that wasn’t enough, perfect days of 17 degrees and 19 degrees of pure sunshine on the weekend should appeal to even the most hesitant of sport goers.

The jackpot of securing both O&M finals just metres apart across the weekend will create a carnival like atmosphere in the centre of town, which will no doubt disperse across the rural city.

Additionally securing South Wangaratta’s first hosted AWFA final in a decade, the slate of finals is a testament to the sporting event appeal of the rural city and its community.

Catering clubs at the various venues on the weekend rely heavily on the income produced during the drawcard of a final, with community support integral to their operations.

And with the AFL making way for the beginning of the AFLW season with a bye week, it presents a fantastic opportunity to cheer on local teams who will be playing in the senior grades across all of the sport’s weekend action, with the Wangaratta Rangers baseball going for grand final glory.

Whether a die-hard supporter or just looking for an outdoor activity, get out and support your local sport.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

FACEBOOK users this week commented on the announcement of the date set for the Indigenous Voice to Parliament referendum, which will be Saturday, October 14.

• Lisa Jane: A big NO from me

• Starsky Hutch: Annnnnd

That’s a big NO for me..

• Jack Carruthers: There is compelling evidence that the direct involvement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the design

and implementation of laws and policies produces much better outcomes.

• Missy Jean: No thanks

• Timothy Simpson: The draft wording of the constitutional amendment to create a Voice says explicitly that it “may make representations” to Parliament and the government. “Parliament would remain sovereign.” The Voice would be advisory only.

• Bellini Homer: The

Rural city must look to the future for events

IN assessing what type of event to be “moving on” with, please consider the following points:

The Jazz Festival was a financial boon for the greater RCOW with people coming from overseas and Australia-wide who would often stay and play in the area for a week to 10 days.

Accommodation providers not just in Wangaratta but in outlying areas were always fully booked, year after year for at least four days, sometimes longer.

Wineries, eateries, galleries and all manner of other businesses also did a roaring trade during these events.

The loss of this regular income on top of years of downturn (since 2019 bushfires, Covid and now escalated costs of living) could see many tourism businesses go under.

The demographic who attended the festival in its hey-day were often retired, having both the extended available time and disposable income to spend.

Different types of music events attract different demographics.

This is vital to consider as some will travel and sleep in their cars, or tents, some may camp or book sites at caravan parks which is of zero benefit to most accommodation providers.

Different demographics will bring their own food, or live on takeaway, or not eat. Again, zero benefit to the local restaurants and eateries.

Different demographics may never drink wine - zero benefit to the wineries.

The event must attract people with time and money to spend in the area for at ;east four days to be any type of “replacement” for the economic boon that the Jazz Festival provided.

It was never supposed to be about the festival itself making a profit.

The benefit was to the wider business community throughout the whole of RCOW.

Council needs to be supporting events such as Jazz Festival to continue to bring that wider economic boon.

Council appears to have money to spend on free events in the CBD purely for locals.

What wider economic benefit do those events bring to the wider business community throughout the whole of RCOW?

Meanwhile, events that do bring wider economic benefits such as the Jazz Festival and King Valley Balloon Fiesta are let go, losing the wider business community income.

NOTE: Comments as they appear online, without corrections.

Voice is not a radical change. It is a modest addition to our Constitution and to our nation. The proposal has been thoroughly tested with senior constitutional lawyers across the spectrum over the last five years, including via the government’s Constitutional Expert Group. Facebook users also commented on the recruitment of five graduate paramedics to bolster Ambulance Victoria’s Wangaratta

station, which included Gold Coast based Jasmine Reeves.

• Belinda Sorrensen: Good for Jasmine, we moved to Wangaratta from the Gold Coast 23 years ago and it was the best decision we could have made , the north east is such a lovely place to live .

• Kyle Young: 10/10 would let Jazz treat any of my family. Having worked with her in remote QLD, Wangaratta is lucky to have her.

Like the Wangaratta Chronicle Facebook page to have your say.

Our follower total is

14,313

ICONIC NATIVE: Wattle day celebrates the golden wattle as Australia’s national floral emblem. For more than a century Australians in different states and the territories celebrated their own Wattle Day on different days, whenever the wattles were at their blooming best locally. The first celebration of Wattle Day took place on September 1, 1910, in NSW, Victoria and South Australia. In 1988 the Golden Wattle (Acacia pycnantha) was officially declared the national flower by then Prime Minister Bob Hawke, cementing its status as an iconic symbol of Australia. There are more than 1070 native Acacia species to choose from and they grow in all parts of the country.

It makes no sense.

RCOW is a tourism area that relies heavily on that income, it is vital this sector be supported and grown for the sustainability of the entire RCOW.

Linda & Geoff Simpson, Oxley

No more delays for Wareena Park

AN excellent letter was written to the editor in last Friday’s Chronicle by Dr Anne Bittner stating the facts and reasons why the Wareena park development needs to go ahead now.

We have been waiting years for a community hall and amenities for these organisations.

Lois Chandler, Wangaratta

POLL RESULTS

Will you be supporting the final Wangaratta Festival of Jazz and Blues later this year?

Yes 14 No

THIS WEEK

16

JAZZ FESTIVAL votes to yesterdaynoon 30

Would you like to see more major events centred on Wangaratta’s adjoining sports ovals?

WE welcome your letters to the Editor. Priority is given to typed/emailed letters under 250 words. Every letter must have your full name, address and a daytime phone contact number supplied for verification purposes. Any letter may be edited for reasons of space, content or legibility.

PHOTO: Kurt Hickling

FACEBOOK users this week commented on discussions for major events to succeed the Wangaratta Festival of Jazz and Blues.

• Rose Wedler: Totally agree. Write him a letter.., in fact a letter to each of the councillors addressing them by name. Dean never liked the Jazz, he never “got” it. Said so himself.

• Georgina Rea: Where there is the will there is always a way. It is a sad loss for Wangaratta.

• George Dimopoulos: No its not it can be saved.

Just the board and the ceo needs to resign from both the committee and council elected councillor.

Facebook users also commented on a piece of Wangaratta Railway Station history being saved among the ongoing Inland Rail works at the station.

• Julie Platten: Good , pity more of the past isn’t saved / salvaged.

• Peter J Mc Cormack: Omg just speechless.

• Julian Savery: Done a

NOTE: Comments as they appear online, without corrections.

better job than the water tower.

Facebook users also commented on Rachel York being announced as a finalist in Australian Women’s Small Business Champion Awards next month.

• Jody Bell: Congrats Rach!

• Leanne Matthews: Wonderful Rach.

• Carolyn Trethowan: Congrats Rachel on your nomination. You are such an inspiration for us all - your

TWITTER users this week tweeted about VFL players from Wangaratta, mental health and EduTECH.

Collingwood FC VFL @CollingwoodVFL

talent, dedication, persistence and genuine passion is incredible and should be applauded .

• Lilly Gephart:

Congratulations Rachel! You’re one amazing woman!

• Shannon Macey: WDSS are so lucky to have you.

• Melissa Jody: Such a inspirational woman rach.

• Natalie Harrison: You’re a warrior Rache. What an amazing achievement and what a beautiful attitude you have to all in life xo

Like the Wangaratta Chronicle Facebook page to have your say.

Our follower total is

14,313

JOE RICHARDS! The boy from Wangaratta kicks our fourth consecutive goal in the second half. We lead Richmond 72 - 49.

Alex Green @AlexGreenSafe

Blue Tree for Mental Health in Wangaratta thanks Kendall Whyte.

This week we entered the largest Cathedral College representative team ever to compete at the Victorian Interschool Snow Sports held at Mt Buller, with 29 students from Prep to Year Twelve taking to the slopes.

Follow

Check out some of our best photos at our @wangchronicle Instagram account.

Vicki Ward MP @VickiWardMP

EduTECH this year is amazing! Great to be able to showcase the wonderful work our government is doing with our TECH Schools, including 6 new ones in Frankston, Dandenong, Brimbank, Hume, Wangaratta and Warrnambool.

If you have something to say, add our handle @wangchronicle to your tweet and we will publish some each week.

Exciting Wangaratta Council sponsored EV forum this morning,with #KilowattCars, owners, interested community members and technical support agencies. Great opportunity to update!

The all-new Kona is here - and it's bigger, bolder and more dynamic than ever. Adapted from an electric-derived futuristic design, the upscaled Kona is available with multiple powertrains with unique styling for petrol, hybrid, electric and sporty N Line. Imagine that.

Join us as we step into a new era of mobility. Drop in and see the team, or book a test drive online today by visiting: www.wangarattahyundai.com.au

Denis Ginnivan @dginnivan

cathedralcollege.wangarattata

Second chance for our animals in need

Glenrowan’s resident animal lover Leah Bell hasn’t stopped looking out for animals in need since starting Free Spirits Farm Sanctuary in 2019, and is now a finalist for a $10,000 grant.

INIKA Organic’s People with Purpose grant acknowledges unsung community heroes have who are doing incredible work in the animal welfare, sustainability and environmental spaces.

When Leah bought her eight acre Glenrowan property in 2017, she never expected her plan to rescue a few animals to turn into a fully formed, not for profit farm sanctuary.

The sanctuary now houses 100 rescued animals; sheep, goats, pigs, turkeys, ducks, geese, chickens, roosters, rabbits, quails, guinea pigs and cats.

“The sanctuary, which was named in 2018 and registered in 2019, is run solely on my income as an independent occupational therapist and the generous donations of the local animal loving community,” Leah said.

“Unfortunately, there are so many farm animals out there requiring treatment, rehabilitation, and a safe home, we have not been able to turn away and say no, knowing their fate.

“We have been able to rescue some healthy animals

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

like a young sheep who escaped a slaughterhouse by hiding on the livestock truck and go on to find safe, forever homes for them, however we tend to keep the disabled/special-needs animals, which keeps the overall number steadily increasing.

“We now have a number of animals living with disabilities here, including sheep with three legs, a sheep in a wheelchair, a rabbit born with no eyes, a half blind turkey, and a number of elderly animals.

“Since 2022, I have further decreased my time spent in paid employment to focus primarily on rescuing and caring for animals.

“This has been possible as the sanctuary has slowly gained more community support, including some regular monthly donors who kindly sponsor certain animals.”

In 2022, the farm held a working bee to construct a brand-new pig shelter that sleeps eight pigs.

“This was a great chance for the handy men and ladies in the local community to put their building skills to good use and we were very grateful for the community support,” Leah said.

“We have continued to trial veterinary treatments that are not commonly used on farm animals, in a series of ‘firsts’ for our local vets, who have done their first ever sheep hysterectomy, first course of acupuncture on a sheep, and first course of laser therapy on a sheep; with some great results.

“Our greatest achievements are the cases when we successfully rehabilitate an animal who comes to the sanctuary really unwell.

“Seeing them go from being so sick, weak and unable to stand, to becoming healthy, safe, strong, healed

individuals who run around and play with their new friends in the sunshine, is the most rewarding thing one can ever ask for.”

As well as creating a safe place for rehabilitated animals, the sanctuary holds tours throughout the month of July via Eventbrite.

“We hope to start tours and Airbnb again when winter lamb rescue season settles down,” Leah said.

“We recently held a raffle where one lucky winner was awarded a farm stay package including accommodation,

meals, a private tour and photography session; we hope to do more of these.

“We also currently run a volunteer program which is open to NDIS participants and their support workers, which involves small labour tasks around the sanctuary.

“This has been extremely helpful in reducing the workload of one person, but also beneficial to the participants who get a chance to increase their skills in becoming job ready, building time management skills, organisation, accountability, social skills and animal husbandry knowledge in a peaceful and safe environment surrounded by animals.

“We continue to work alongside the amazing Shear Existence Sanctuary in Byawatha, as well as a couple of new farm animal sanctuaries in the area including J&D’s Farm Sanctuary (Stanhope) and Willuna Sanctuary (Beechworth).

“It is fantastic seeing more farm animal sanctuaries popping up in the area, as they are much needed.”

Leah said all donations go directly towards caring for the animals.

“Due to being above capacity on our small block of land,

we spend hundreds of dollars per week on animal feed, including hay rounds, bales, chaff, and grain,” she said.

“We also average around $1000-$1500 per month on veterinary bills and medication for the animals.

“During winter, there are the added costs of lamb milk powder, nappies and lamb pellets to purchase.

“People can support the sanctuary by liking and following the Free Spirits Farm Sanctuary Facebook page, where we often post items of need, upcoming events, tours, raffles, fundraisers, and other ways to donate.

“Our donation details can be found on our Facebook page.

“We also have a cash donation tin located at Wangaratta Wholefoods.

“Food scraps can continue to be dropped off to our donation bin at the front of the sanctuary.

“Of course, people can now support us in a huge way – by voting for us in the Inika People with Purpose Grant award.”

Readers can vote for Leah to win at https://www.inikaorganic.com/pages/peoplewith-purpose between August 30 and September 6.

THERE’S NO PLAVCE LIKE HOME: Leah Bell with a resident of the new pig shelter, built through volunteers and community support.

SAFE PLACE: Glenrowan local Leah Bell is a finalist for a $10,000 grant for her Free Spirits Farm Sanctuary. PHOTO: Kurt Hickling

Vinnies is working to address local food insecurity

By SIMONE KERWIN

FOOD insecurity is the focus of a Spring Appeal being launched by the St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria (Vinnies Victoria) today.

While the statewide appeal offers an online avenue for Victorians eager to help those in need during the current cost-of-living crisis, locally, Wangaratta’s St Patrick’s and Our Lady’s St Vincent de Paul conferences are busy supporting the community’s most vulnerable, with the generous backing of Rural City of Wangaratta residents.

Loris Fletcher, president of the St Patrick’s Wangaratta

conference, said in the past nine months, the local conferences had spent $127,600 on food vouchers for those experiencing difficulty in accessing enough safe and nutritious food to live healthily.

The two local conferences, with a combined membership of about 26 people, work out of the new St Vincent de Paul welfare house at the rear of the fundraising Rowan Street Vinnies shop.

This is where members interview, on average, 50 singles and families each week who are seeking help; a number of these are men and women who are sleeping rough.

Mrs Fletcher said the need was growing, with Wanga-

ratta’s conferences having assisted 1636 adults and 1904 children over the past nine months.

“By year’s end, we expect to spend $203,000, including assistance through food vouchers,” she said.

“Most importantly, our members offer a listening ear, treating those seeking assistance with compassion and respect.

“Twice a year, we reach out to the Catholic schools here in Wangaratta, both primary and secondary, and teachers do a wonderful job teaching children Christ’s message of ‘love one another as I have loved you’. School families’ response to our

recent blanket appeal was amazing.

“In addition, our parishioners have helped through the winter and Christmas appeals and fifth Sunday collections.”

Mrs Fletcher said further assistance was offered twice a year by the Share the Dignity organisation, which provides sanitary products and handbags of personal items for women, while the Wangaratta Library through its knitting group and community support donated bright warm scarves, beanies and rugs this winter.

“That put a bit of gladness into people’s hearts, to receive something so bright

and warm,” she said.

Mrs Fletcher said life was a challenge for many people living in Wangaratta, particularly those who had experienced rent increases; who did not have a home; who experienced domestic violence; or were single parents with special needs children.

“St Vincent de Paul is there more and more,” she said.

“The new welfare house is wonderful, and has made life so much easier, especially in terms of storage for donations such as blankets. We’re now able to store and provide these items to those in need.”

Mrs Fletcher thanked the community for its on-

going generous support.

Meanwhile, those who would like to support the Victorian St Vincent de Paul Spring Appeal can visit https://donate.vinnies.org.au/ appeals-vic/spring

Dr Jenny Fitzgerald, St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria Group chief executive officer, said access to food was a human right.

“Every dollar you give to our Spring Appeal ensures that together, we can fill empty plates, lunch boxes and, importantly, empty tummies. Together, we can provide nutritious food and make a difference in the lives of people struggling,” she said.

OFFERING A LISTENING EAR: Local St Vincent de Paul Society conference member Doreen Holmes and St Patrick’s conference president Loris Fletcher at the May opening of the new St Vincent de Paul welfare house, which continues to make a difference to services in the rural city.

One last chance to shop at Linga A While

FOLLOWING a hectic threeweek closing down sale in August, Linga A While Nursery is responding to customers’ requests for one last opportunity to purchase an exciting range of fresh spring plants with a three-week pop-up sale starting tomorrow.

After closing down in early August, during which every single plant in the nursery sold, Mandi McDonald said she had an influx of customers message her saying they had missed out due to how fast everything sold.

“A lot of people said they didn’t get a chance to come in and buy their last plant from Linga A While so I thought I’d give them a chance to do just that,” she said.

“Anyone who I’ve men-

BY CHLOE JAENICKE cjaenicke@ nemedia.com.au

tioned it to have said they are definitely coming in.

“I’ve even had people turning up wanting to order plants with the signs taken down and the gates closed.”

Mandi said now is also the perfect time to hold a special sale because of the sunny, mild weather we’ve been having.

“I just love selling plants to people and the spring weather has inspired me to do one last sale,” she said.

“My wonderful suppliers have come to the party with a

is giving customers one last chance to buy plants from

beautiful range of top-quality plants in the most popular varieties.”

There will be a fantastic selection of plants including perennials, annuals, natives, indoor plants, herbs and vegetables.

There will also be decorative pots, potting mix, compost and sugar cane mulch.

Fruit fly traps and refills will also be available and now is the time to start thinking about

that as the weather is warming up earlier than last year.

“I’m definitely not re-opening – just this one last hurrah to see out the lease,” she said.

“I feel extremely lucky to have had so many amazing customers over the years and this is one last time for me to show them they are appreciated and do what I love, to bring people joy, selling plants is the bonus.”

NPT partners with local health services!

National Patient Transport (NPT) has just secured a five year contract with public health facilities within the region to provide non-emergency patient transport services, creating employment opportunities. As a leading provider, NPT has been operating for 30 years and operates in Victoria, New South Wales and Western Australia.

NPT is committed to delivering high quality, reliable patient transport services focusing on providing the best patient experience. Services include the provision of low, medium and high acuity patient transports to assist patients within the community to and from hospital appointments, interfacility transport including transport from the local regional hospital to major health services in Melbourne.

NPT also has its own Registered Training Organisation, NPT Heart, (Code 40901) holding a VET funding contract under the Skills First Program. Therefore government subsidised training is available for eligible people.

They offer the following qualifications:

Non-Emergency Patient Transport

Care

Health

Attainment of these qualifications provide employment opportunities as either a Patient Transport Officer or Ambulance Attendant. The patient transport industry also provides alternate employment pathways for those with a nursing qualification including, Enrolled Nurses and Registered Nurses.

For more information about a career with NPT or training courses visit nptgroup.com.au.

POP-UP: Mandi McDonald

LAST CHANCE: Mandi McDonald is taking advantage of the spring weather with a three-week pop-up sale.

Afternoon tea at Milawa Hall

FRIENDS of the Hall gathered at the Milawa Hall for afternoon tea on Friday, August 25.

Sharing in sweet and savoury treats, the social event was enjoyed by all who came along.

Reading, growing, inspiring

By SIMONE KERWIN

JUNIOR school students at Cathedral College Wangaratta dressed in their Book Week costumes last week, and started their celebrations by watching a performance from ‘Perform! Education’.

The interactive presentation ‘Way Too Cool!’ referenced three short-listed books through a story inspired by the Children’s Book Council of Australia

Book Week theme, ‘Read, Grow, Inspire’, and was wellreceived by the students.

Meanwhile, middle and senior school students dressed in their pyjamas for the day and were invited to ‘Cosy Up and Read’.

Middle school students (years six to eight) hosted a virtual guest speaker, with author Fleur Ferris speaking to them in their homerooms.

Fleur was a very engaging speaker, and the students

enjoyed her talk immensely.

Senior school students (years nine to 11) were treated to a talk by award-winning author and Cathedral College Wangaratta teacher Dr Margaret Hickey.

Dr Hickey talked to the senior students about the three plot types an author uses when writing a story, explained each style, and encouraged students to become familiar with their preferred style.

SHOP LOCAL

TESTIMONIAL

“I recently purchased motorized roller shutters for my house, from Haymes Paint Shop in Wangaratta. I only recently discovered they did blinds, awnings and shutters. I am so happy with the finished product, they keep me feeling more secure in my home, as well keeping the cold out. I was also very happy with the customer service I received. Will definitely recommend.” Val

Matheson

MAMMA MIA: Campbell and Wilson Muraca dressed up as Luigi and Mario from Super Mario Bros.

SHEEP FOUND: Prep student Holly Shenfield dressed as Little Bo Peep.

GROUP STORY TIME: Angela Baldwin and Sue Synnot read to year 12 students.

LEADING THE READING: Year 12 students April Shimura and Oliver Neil enjoyed reading Dr Suess book ‘Green Eggs and Ham’ to prep student Leonardo Zevellios.

CHEERS: Tammy Smith and Kate Jackson were there for the afternoon.

WELCOME: Wendy Reid had a cuppa with Julie Batey.

GET TOGETHER: Di Egan, Leeanne Finnigan and Bev Tiffin caught up on the day.

CATCH UP: Colin Reid and Amanda Campbell joined the gathering.

DELICIOUS: Jo Tucket had lamingtons to share.

COMMUNITY: Suzy Mills joined everyone at the Milawa Hall.

SOCIAL: Susan Bin, Jodie Contacolli and Heather Greaves gathered for afternoon tea.

PHOTOS: Kurt Hickling

Local artists exhibition in Wangaratta

A NEW exhibition by resident artists Linda D’Agostino and Melissa Johns has opened at the Art Gallery on Ovens in the laneway off Murphy Street.

An artist and illustrator, Melissa is known for using upcycled materials in her artworks which have a vintage, whimsical feel, while Linda enjoys experimenting with a variety of mediums and techniques to create her paintings and illustrative style landscapes.

The exhibition is open Monday, Thursday and Friday from 10am until 4pm and on Saturday and Sunday from 10am until 2pm until September 18 and entry is free.

Looking Glass at the Wangaratta Art Gallery

A SIGNIFICANT exhibition of works by two of Australia’s most acclaimed Aboriginal artists, Judy Watson and Yhonnie Scarce, is open at the Wangaratta Art Gallery.

The exhibition called Looking Glass features paintings, video and sculptural works exploring the elements of earth, water, fire and air.

Kokatha and Nukunu artist, Yhonnie’s Scarce’s heated and blown glass sculptures are shown alongside Waanyi artist, Judy Watson’s washed canvases, stained with earthen pigments, with the exhibition showing in Gallery One until October 22.

Warriors Unmasked at the gallery

WANGARATTA Art Gallery, in collaboration with the Centre Against Violence, is presenting Warriors Unmasked, a powerful exhibition celebrating strength and resilience in the face of adversity.

Warriors Unmasked is an exhibition of works created through The Art Project, which brought together nine victim-survivors of sexual assault and gender-based

violence to use art to help heal their own recovery.

Warriors Unmasked - The Art Project is open to the public until September 24 in Gallery Two at the Wangaratta Art Gallery.

Wangaratta community market

THE Wangaratta community market runs every Sunday at Moore Than Swimming, located at 11-13 Mason Street in Wangaratta,

from 8am until 1pm. There is a wide range of stalls to browse and refreshments are available.

Stalls are available for $25 each (must have own market stall insurance) with more information via the market’s Facebook page.

Devenish market on Sunday

ENJOY a classic car display and Fathers’ Day Raffle at the Devenish Market on Sunday in Bicentennial Park, Devenish from 9am until 1pm.

RAZOR SHARP:

The stage is set for comic chaos when Opera Australia presents The Barber of Seville at the Wangaratta Performing Arts and Convention Centre on Saturday night. Andrew Williams (pictured) is among the outstanding cast members in this production of Rossini’s opera classic, which is light-hearted, witty and fun for all to enjoy. Featuring Opera Australia’s finest voices and a live orchestra, they deliver a score that is instantly familiar from renditions in movies, cartoons and commercials. The show starts at 7.30pm with tickets available at wpacc.com.au.

There will be Fathers’ Day fun, a spring flower show, stalls to browse with hot food and coffee available.

Benalla Migrant Camp open day

SEE a unique exhibition of photos and artefacts telling of life at the Benalla Migrant Camp from 1949 to 1967 during the open day being held on Sunday from 10am until 3pm. The exhibition will be open to the public with the opportunity to explore the past and see what’s new at the facility.

PHOTO: Jeff Busby

White-winged Triller - a regular in spring

By IAN DAVIDSON and CHRIS TZAROS

THE White-winged Triller is one of the birds which migrates into our region from northern Australia once the temperatures warm up in spring.

They have an undulating flight and often shuffle and re-fold their wings after landing on a branch.

The White-winged Triller is a small, compact bird with a short slender bill, long wings and a long tail with a rounded tip.

When breeding the male and female plumage is quite different with the male being mostly black above, on the head and body and wing coverts, and white below, on the lower face, body and under-wings, including a wide white shoulder bar.

Non-breeding males are brown with light underparts and a faint pale brow and dark line through the eye and the female is similar.

All birds have a netted pattern on the wings - black and white on the breeding male and dark brown to light

brown in the eclipse plumage (non-breeding) male and the female.

These birds are found in open woodlands and forest, tree-lined waterways in semiarid regions and the nearby scrub.

This is mainly lightly timbered country with an open shrub layer and grassy groundlayer.

They are found all over the Australian mainland and there are occasional sightings in northern Tasmania.

The White-winged Triller is a breeding migrant to southern Australia in summer (August to March).

They overwinter in the inland and northern Australia and may also do so in Papua New Guinea and Indonesia.

Locally they are commonly seen from October in scattered trees on farms and woodland parts of the Warby Ranges and Springhurst Hills.

The White-winged Triller forages actively for insects on

the foliage of high trees and also ‘hawks’ insects in the air.

They hunt from a high perch where they may be seen chasing flying insects.

They also happily feed on the ground, eating mainly insects, and fruit, seeds and occasionally nectar.

They build small nests on horizontal branches or forks.

The nest is a small frail cup of bark, grasses and fine material, bound with spiders’ web.

They will breed in colonies, with many nests in one tree.

Both parents incubate and brood the nestlings.

Breeding season usually occurs from October to December where a clutch of two to three is incubated for roughly two weeks and they a further fledge two weeks later.

The best way to locate White-winged Trillers is to listen for their distinctive descending ‘chiff-chiff-joeyjoey-joey’ call in October – November as they are often very noisy during the breeding season.

We’ve never looked back. Our Home Care Package has been brilliant.

- Les & Jeanette

SUNCHASER: A male Whitewinged Triller in its breeding plumage.

PHOTO: Chris Tzaros (Birds Bush and Beyond)

Finally, respite for our youth

Friday, August 30, 2013

By SHANA MORGAN

MORE than a decade of hard work and struggles led to an exciting day for North East Support and Action for Youth (NESAY) yesterday: the official opening of its Linx2Home building.

The three-bedroom accommodation, attached to NESAY’s main office on Rowan Street, will act as respite care for young people who could become homeless without proper intervention.

Between four and six people can stay at the one time, but only temporarily as a circuit-breaker with the conditions they go to school, and work with staff and their own families to get back home.

NESAY has been knocked back for State Government and council funding, so yesterday was a celebration that the community managed to raise a total of $92,657 to

10 years ago 10 years ago

make the project happen.

Chief executive officer, Glen James, said the organisation has continued to push for the accommodation over the years because they know that early intervention is the best way to help troubled youths.

“It’s about our community looking after our young people,” she said.

Board chair, David Ryan, said the turning point was purchasing the Rowan Street building in 2011, allowing them to begin to create the Australian-first program.

“It’s only through the generosity of the community that it’s been able to get this

far,” he said.

Representatives from the Folk, Rhythm and Life festival in Eldorado, the Rotary Club of Wangaratta, the Lions Club Wangaratta and Wangaratta Turf Club were among the groups thanked for their donations.

NESAY has already received its first referral for Linx2Home, with the first resident to enter in a couple of weeks.

Ms James said they have committed to a two-year trial period, then will push for State Government funding again with evidence behind them.

Tim McCurdy (MLA, Murray Valley) was at yesterday’s celebrations, and said he is a strong supporter of the project and would continue to talk to the minister.

“She’s well aware that as we start to get a few runs on the board, I will continue to knock on her door to make sure that we can access some funding,” he said.

Dr. Armaan Singh DDS Melb

Dr. David Lin BDSc Melb – Principal Dentist

Dr. Carolyn Chong BDSc Melb

Ms. Sarah Bekker Dental Hygienist

CELEBRATIONS: NESAY chief executive officer Glen James and board chair David Ryan spread a positive message inside its new respite accommodation. PHOTOS: Luke Plummer

Probus groups kept busy in August

WANGARATTA PROBUS CLUB (MEN’S)

PROBUS in August was busy with a Probus Lunch at the RSL Wangaratta, two coffee mornings at Intermezzo Café, but overshadowed by the death of popular Probus member Mick McKenzie. His funeral is next Monday at St Patrick’s church.

Mick was a well known personality, originally from Boorhaman, and former Citizen of the Year.

Our guest speaker for the month was Cr Irene Grant, a representative on Wangaratta Rural City Council, who gave an interesting overall picture of opportunities for increased development, and the involvement of council and the community in Economic Development and Tourism in Wangaratta.

She said our origins from early days were based on agriculture, and from 1950s Wangaratta was a manufacturing town with Bruck Mills and the Woollen Mills the main employers.

It was soon realised that we needed diversification with more large employers and more than one type of industry.

This diversification is now growing in leaps and bounds.

Wangaratta has a bright future. A very enjoyable discussion. If you are interested in a coffee and chat with friendly fellows or a monthly Probus lunch, please call our Acting Secretary Ed Bradbury on 0402 142268 and come along and meet us.

WANGARATTA WEST COMBINED PROBUS

WE had a good roll up for our August meeting.

President Ron is rising to the challenge of putting some fun back into Probus meetings, so he will begin them with an amusing poem or suitable joke.

Guest speakers were Roslyn and Faye from Wangaratta Family History Association, who with other experienced volunteers have a vast amount of information and knowledge of how to trace ancestors – their history, births, deaths, marriages and all manner of stories families my want to know.

Roslyn, Faye and friends are at the Wangaratta Library each Tuesday and Thursday 10am to 3pm to help trace your family history.

The travellers came back from a winter break in Noosa, very enthusiastic about their experience, despite some unfortunate air-line mix-ups and hold-ups, they all

enjoyed the weather and excursions and all Noosa had to offer.

The club has a full agenda of activities planned for the rest of the year.

Leading up to the AFL finals, at the September meeting we are promoting a football theme, members will wear their footy scarves, beanies – maybe even an old footy jumper.

Some rivalry will no doubt be apparent.

A number of members attended the recent excellent performance of ‘Ladies in Black Musical’

There are such talented performers in our midst, not to mention the many behind the scenes volunteers who make these first class shows possible.

We will be inducting a new member at our next general meeting, however, for the first time in many years our club has some membership vacancies.

Anyone wishing to make inquiries with a view to joining, is invited to phone our secretary 0418 857 124 for information.

You will be made most welcome by our convivial members.

WANGARATTA APPIN PARK COMBINED PROBUS

AT our August 8th meeting, president Maureen welcomed members present and one guest.

This time of year with many people away travelling to warmer climates and some succumbing to winter ills, the apology list was quite large so we look forward to springtime and sunshine to welcome

members back into the fold.

Birthday greetings were extended to Kerry, Alan, Marianne and Kevin –cheers to them.

Business items were then attended to with further discussion on the new EFTPOS reader we intend purchasing for payment transactions as cheques are becoming redundant and even cash is not the preferred way of payment.

It’s “the way of the future” and we must keep up with the trends.

We have several activities for members to participate in and it would be wonderful to see more people at these functions.

So please come along and enjoy the company of fellow members as that is what Probus is all about –friendship, fellowship and fun.

Special Interest Groups are always busy with craft, book club, walking, games night, men’s breakfast, combined breakfast and two card groups.

Some members have recently seen ‘Ladies in Black Musical’, others attended a great casserole night at The Terrace Hall enjoying a chat, a drink and delicious food presented by members.

There are still great activities to be part of, with Father’s Day barbecue 5pm September 1 at Apex Park (bring a salad to share) then a full itinerary planned trip to Maidens Inn Moama from October 30 to November 3.

That’s followed by Melbourne Cup Day on November 7 at Helen Sheppard’s.

A Garden Trip on November 29/30 is also planned for members to enjoy some wonderful gardens with an overnight stay in Rye.

Of course there’s Christmas celebrations with a luncheon at Town and Country Tavern on December 7.

WANGARATTA PROBUS LADIES

PRESIDENT Christine welcomed everyone to the Wangaratta Club for our monthly meeting.

Sadly our non active members Glwad Kennedy and Merle Vantoff have passed away.

Our Social Club Dine Out was at The Precinct this month and we had six members attend.

We had a lovely evening and the food was delicious and the conversation was animated.

The Garden Club met at Shirley Sullivan’s home on July 28, which also happened to be Shirley’s birthday.

After exploring her garden with its abundance of potted plants in quirky containers they adjourned to the Milawa Hotel for lunch and celebrations.

Our Guest Speaker this month was Tony Rak and he spoke on his many tours to the Simpson Desert and the

ups and downs of what can happen in the desert.

He also spoke on outback hospitality he has encountered during his tours.

He has done 26 tours to the Simpson Desert but has also done tours from Katherine to Cairns and the Kimberley to Alice Springs.

It was a very entertaining talk and for those who stayed for lunch there were photo albums to look at.

PROBUS CENTRAL COMBINED

THE meeting on Friday, August 18 was opened by President Rob Lamond and Annie Buckingham was inducted.

Welcome to our club Annie.

The ‘Who Am I’ was about a 3rd generation to farm their ‘patch’, after a long life on the farm, as well as other activities, Ian Wiedemann and his wife decided to retire and swap houses with his son who is now 4th generation on the farm.

We currently have 64 members, 45 were present, 15 apologies, three on leave of absence and two visitors.

On Friday, August 4 we enjoyed “The Beggars Sing The Seekers” and on August 19, 15 members enjoyed “Ladies in Black’.

On Monday, September 4 - tour of Billson’s Distillery at Beechworth $15/head 11.00-12.00pm followed by lunch at Hibernian Hotel.

Please be at Bilson’s by 10.45am. Our next breakfast is at The Gateway on Thursday, September 14 at 8.30am.

Thursday, October 5 – a silo art tour of nearby north-east towns, with lunch at Devenish.

Sunday, November 19 to Friday, November 24 the Caravaners are booked to go to Barwon Heads.

Thursday, November 16 – Crazy Whist and a pasta lunch at Lamonds.

Wednesday, November 29-Thursday, November 30 – garden tour organised by Probus Appin Park. Guest Speaker: Tanya Leahy from Peechelba Wildlife Rescue Shelter, but it was more of a “show and tell” as she had brought along two of the 10 animals currently in her care, a kangaroo joey and wombat joey.

Tanya has been doing this work on her own for two years and has had 226 rescues in this time.

The young animals are like babies with their feeding eg. a kangaroo joey bottle fed every four hours every day, some even three hours and possums two hours every day. Wildlife carers receive no funding and raise money by selling kits which are like a first aid kit.

Northeast Health Wangaratta has given a humidicrib and other items.

TOUR OPERATORS ARE CASHING IN ON THE TOWN’S DARK PAST. AND A COPYCAT KILLER IS WAITING TO POUNCE...

FRIENDLY AND DELICIOUS: Happy members of Wangaratta Appin Park Probus who attended a Casserole Night at The Hall at the Terrace Retirement Village recently where a variety of scrumptious food was very much enjoyed by all.

Nur ses Nurses dispute backpayment ar rangements arrangements with Alpine with Health

OVERPAYMENTS AND UNDERPAYMENTS CAUSE ANGST FOR SENIOR NURSES

ALPINE Health is currently in dispute with nurses at Mount Beauty Hospital over incorrect allowance payments that date back to at least six years, with nurses alleging current overpayments are unfairly recouping senior nurses’ owed back payments.

According to a statement from senior nurses at the hospital, they allege multiple entitlements have not been paid for over six years, consisting of crib payments, annual leave entitlements, change of roster allowance and higher duty allowances.

However, they allege the current overpaying of night nurses’ crib allowances across the hospital is unfairly recouping some of those wages.

Former associate nurse unit manager at Mount Beauty Hospital, Lavon Garrett, said the health organisation had underpaid their afternoon shift crib payments, but is currently overpaying night nurses’ crib payments.

Crib payments are provided when nurses are unable to take a meal break.

In the nurses’ statement they said senior management at Alpine Health became aware of the lack of crib payments for senior nurses’ at Mount Beauty

Alpine Shire council rules out stance in debate on the Voice

THE Alpine Shire Council has ruled out taking a stance on the Voice to Parliament referendum.

“Alpine Shire Council is not taking a position,” a council spokesperson said.

“Council’s role will be to support equitable access for members of its community to information from all sides of the campaign in the upcoming referendum.”

The position of local councils was thrown into the public spotlight last month after Greater Shepparton Council threw its support behind the ‘Yes’ vote, supporting the establishment of an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to Parliament.

Some Melbourne councils have also voted to support the Voice, including the City of Melbourne, the Merri-bek City Council and Yarra Ranges Council.

The Rural City of Wangaratta council has confirmed it will not be taking a position.

As part of the Australian Government’s commitment to implement the Uluru Statement from the Heart, a referendum will be held on October 14.

REMUNERATION ROW: Former associate nurse unit manager for Mount Beauty Hospital, Lavon Garrett, wants Alpine Health to pay nurses’ owed wages before there is any agreement over changes to current payment arrangements.

been overpaid overall.

The Voice would be an independent and permanent advisory body that would give advice to the Australian Parliament and government on matters that affect the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

BY BRODIE EVERIST beverist@ nemedia.com.au

in November 2022.

They said these payments were reinstated, but the overpayment of night nurses is ongoing, meaning the continuing overpayment subtracts from their owed wages.

“This is wage theft,” the nurses’ statement reads.

“The underpayment to Alpine Health nurses need to be paid immediately.”

According to Ms Garrett, between six and eight currently employed senior nurses are impacted by the underpayments.

Nurses across Alpine Health are currently in discussions with the health provider over a Change Impact Statement (CIS), which is a tool used by workplaces to consult with workers on upcoming changes, to rectify the inconsistent payments.

The proposed CIS says where an individual has been overpaid and underpaid these payments will be reconciled to determine backpay, but Alpine Health will not recover money from any nurses if they have

However, the nurses’ statement says the CIS should have no bearing on their unpaid entitlements, as some nurses at Mount Beauty will lose money compared to nurses who have never been underpaid.

“They’re punishing us for owing us money,” Ms Garrett said.

Ms Garrett said the Mount Beauty nurses are asking for the two payments to be separated, as currently they must agree to the alleged overpayment, which some nurses dispute, before receiving money they are owed.

“All we are asking is for them to be dealt with separately,” she said.

In a statement sent to the Myrtleford Times and Alpine Observer, Alpine Health said they are aware of the inconsistent application of the nurses’ enterprise agreement and they have been “working with the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF) Victoria and the Victorian Hospital Industrial Association (VHIA) to address the issues surrounding the payment of these allowances”.

The said with support from the ANMF, Alpine Health have presented staff with a detailed CIS for discussion and consultation.

“The Change Impact Statement proposes an agreed understanding that will ensure the correct application of the crib allowance and a method of the treatment of historical payments over a six year period,” the statement reads.

“A series of consultations with clinical staff, the ANMF and Alpine Health are currently underway to discuss the Change Impact Statement and work towards an agreed way forward to resolve the issue, including ensuring that no clinical staff members will be left owing monies to Alpine Health.”

Alpine Health chief executive officer Nick Shaw also said the consultation process surrounding the CIS “provides staff the opportunity for discussion, questions to be raised, and alternate perspectives to be presented”.

“Alpine Health acknowledges the crib allowance has been applied inconsistently across the sites and recognises the importance of providing clarity to our staff on this issue,” he said.

“The consultation process provides the opportunity for that clarity and an agreed way forward to resolve the issue.”

The ANMF were contacted for comment but did not respond before deadline.

WORKSAFE has charged Benalla Health after an aged care resident suffered a fractured rib when a reclining chair failed while she was allegedly sitting in it.

The 93-year-old Morrie Evans Aged Care resident allegedly fell backwards when the back of the chair detached as a staff member allegedly tried to move it in October 2021.

The resident died a week later.

Benalla Heath faces a single charge under section 23(1) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act for failing to ensure, so far as was reasonably practicable, that persons other than employees were not exposed to risks to their health and safety.

It's alleged Benalla Health failed to maintain a system of work for ensuring chairs used to transport residents were regularly assessed for safety, maintained and tagged.

The matter is listed for a filing hearing at the Benalla Magistrates' Court on September 19.

Benalla Health charged over reclining chair incident: resident died Country festival joy

AN estimated 500 people attended the first Myrtleford Mountain Music Festival at Club Savoy between Thursday and Sunday last week, with travellers and artists coming from across the state and beyond for the event.

Co-organiser Heather Hoffman, who also performed with her husband David, said it was a great sign for the festival that it had been so well-attended in its first outing.

When I was first approached about joining this project, I knew instantly I wanted to be involved. As I sat there in the audience watching everyone perform last year, I said to my mum halfway through the show “I would love to be on stage with them all spreading the message”. I feel so proud to be part of this; I am surrounded by an amazing group of people who have been so kind enough to welcome me into their ‘P365 family’. I am officially the youngest member of the family but as we get closer and closer to November I am gaining so much knowledge and admiring everyone’s musical abilities. More importantly I am listening to everyone’s stories and learning about why they are all part of this project too. It is so rewarding spreading our message out there in the community and encouraging others to open up about their mental health. I’ve personally learnt that it is okay not to be okay, and to speak up when you are feeling down or feel like nothing will improve. There’s nothing to be ashamed of, so please know you are not alone. We would love for you to come along to join us in November and help us promote positive mental health in our communities.

SOPHIE LIDGWERWOOD VOCALS

PHOTO: Brodie Everist

RESPECT LOOKS LOCAL TO BOOST COMMUNITY AGED CARE

The aged care provider is offering up-front, sign-on bonuses of up to $5,000 and $1,000 for Registered Nurses and Personal Care Assistants*

For 100 years, Respect has proudly been serving older Australians through its high standard of care and community, and now the not-for-profit organisation is embarking on a significant recruitment drive to ensure more locals are represented across its growing network of homes.

The Australian aged care industry has recently experienced ongoing challenges around sourcing local talent to support community aged care services. However, Respect is hoping its new national initiative will further compliment the high level of care already provided across its homes with more local representation, including at St John’s. Respect is seeking interest from members of the community looking to work as Registered Nurses and Personal Care Assistants. And as part of its recruitment drive, the organisation is currently offering up-front, sign-on bonuses for locals interested in these positions: up to $5,000 for Registered Nurses*; and up to $1,000 for Personal Care Assistants*.

Both positions represent opportunities to engage in meaningful work and a rewarding career making a difference to the lives of others in the local community. While the Registered Nurse positions allow individuals to draw on, and grow, their broad nursing skills, the Personal Care Assistant opportunities do not require previous

qualifications and include support to pursue future credentials.

Jason Binder, Respect’s Managing Director and CEO, said the recruitment drive emphasises the organisation’s focus on supporting the Wangaratta community while ensuring residents continue to receive the highest level of care.

“As an organisation with a regional focus, we’ve been growing steadily throughout the past decade, and we’ve become known for our ability to run homes at a high standard while investing back into the local community,” he said. “This recruitment drive forms part of that focus – we know how important local communities are to our homes and so we are committed to employing local aged care workers.”

Mr Binder said the recruitment drive would ensure more Wangaratta locals are provided with career opportunities in aged care – of particular importance following the recent 15% pay rise across the industry. Similarly, with more proposed rate increases on the horizon, a career in aged care is set to become one of the highest paid care positions in Australia.

For more information on Respect’s current employment opportunities, or to apply, email recruitment@respect.com.au

*Terms and conditions apply

To help combat recent recruitment challenges impacting regional aged care, Respect wants to ensure more local workers are represented in its St John’s team.

Hoppet cancelled, but silver linings abound

THERE were a lot of very disappointed international cross country skiers around Mount Beauty and Falls Creek last week, (not to overlook a few more who were still in transit from the northern hemisphere), when they received the following email.

“Following an inspection of snow conditions on the course today (Wednesday), and taking into consideration the expected weather conditions on Saturday, the jury for the Kangaroo Hoppet has decided that it is not possible to hold a fair and safe competition and that the event should be cancelled,” it read.

However, by lunchtime Thursday these gloomy feelings had turned to smiles as organisers were able to announce that some quick overnight negotiations.

The Worldloppet Secretariat in Estonia had come up with a plan that would enable skiers to be credited with taking part in the Kangaroo Hoppet by completing a self-tracked 21km ski anywhere at Falls Creek over the next two days.

The Kangaroo Hoppet is part of the annual Worldloppet series of 19 long distance ski marathons spread across five continents.

There’s a special Worldloppet Master award given to skiers who have completed ten different events of the series and recorded this achievement with stamps in a special Worldloppet Passport.

There’s also a special clause that requires at least one of these to be from outside Europe, which makes an out of season ski holiday in the southern hemisphere a very appealing option for skiers from Europe, North America and Asia.

In this context, one can appreciate how it would feel receiving the cancellation news, having outlaid a few thousand euros or dollars (and if they were Icelandic crowns or Japanese yen,

make that hundreds of thousands) on what might well be your trip of a lifetime to Australia with the aim of getting that elusive Kangaroo Hoppet stamp in your passport.

Or even worse, if you were Massimo Presotto from Spilimbergo in Italy and had a passport with nine stamps and only needed one more to become a Worldloppet Master.

However, the stars aligned for Massimo.

On Saturday afternoon Massimo arrived at the Hoppet race office in Mount Beauty with his Strava record of 21m skied earlier in the day to receive his Kangaroo Hoppet stamp and his Worldloppet Master Diploma.

MASTERED: Kangaroo Hoppet chairman Allan Marsland presents Massimo Presotto (right) with his Worldloppet Master Diploma.

Milawa Gourmet Region opportunity

GARRY NASH & CO REAL ESTATE have been favoured with instructions to offer for sale ‘Milawa Muscat Retreat’, which has been developed, owned and operated by highly regarded chef and hospitality partnership, Peter & Denise Hoppach.

Peter and Denice’s vision came to fruition in 2009 when they decided to complement their existing three-bedroom residence with the construction of five accommodation units plus a commercial kitchen on their 8086m2(two acres) rural allotment.

Accessed either by a light filled, en-

closed walkway or rear patio, all generously appointed units have separate bathrooms and toilets, reverse cycle heating and cooling and benefit from rural aspects overlooking vineyards, grazing country and views to Mt Cobbler and beyond.

Strategically located in the Milawa Gourmet Region, guest are well positioned to thoroughly enjoy the many world class food and wine options nearby including Brown Brothers Winery, Milawa Cheese Company, Milawa Bread and The Olive Shop Milawa.

The accommodation provisions are ideal for groups of 12 who can enjoy the ‘on-property’ hospitality.

Alternatively, the tourist destinations of Beechworth, Bright and the King Valley are only short drives away.

The property and improvements are being offered for sale on a walk-in, walkout basis and represent an exceptional opportunity for buyers whom may wish to expand this established operation.

A full Information Memorandum is available upon request.

Riverside family home in Cambridge Estate

IN THE heart of the esteemed Cambridge Estate, this exceptionally wellmaintained quality home offers the epitome of comfortable, private family living.

Boasting a functional floorplan and an array of desirable features, this residence is sure to captivate those in search of their dream home.

With its spacious layout, this fourbedroom gem provides ample room for every family member to thrive.

The master bedroom comes complete with a full ensuite, ensuring privacy and convenience.

Additionally, a separate formal lounge room offers a tranquil retreat, perfect for parents seeking solace.

An all-weather alfresco entertaining area provides the ideal backdrop for gatherings, showcasing the unique parkland views and magnificent river red gums.

Whether it’s a barbecue with friends or a peaceful evening spent admiring nature’s beauty, this outdoor oasis is des-

tined to become a cherished haven for relaxation and enjoyment.

Situated on a generous 1,007m2 (approx.) allotment, this home offers the utmost in privacy.

Ideally located within the popular Cambridge Estate, you will enjoy a sense of community, whilst maintaining you own privacy and tranquillity in this unique and sought after location.

secure yard with dual access

• 3 bed, 2 bath & 2 living spaces, room for the whole family situated on a 504m2 allotment

• Master boasting ensuite & generous WIR

• Well appointed kitchen with plenty of bench space, dishwasher & great storage

• Open plan living & dining flowing seamlessly through to the spacious courtyard & yard

• Light filled formal living at front of the home

• 2 split systems & wall heaters, double garage with external access, high colourbond fence

3 2 2

FOR SALE $630,000

Best of Both Worlds

44 Cambridge Drive

• Residential living with the Ovens River only a short walk from your back gate.

• Exceptionally well maintained quality home providing a functional family floor plan

• Spacious 4 beds with full ensuite to master

• Formal lounge room or parents’ retreat

• Entertainers’ kitchen, quality appliances & open plan living set on 1,007m2 approx.

• All year alfresco entertaining enjoying unique parkland views & amazing river red gums

• Ducted gas heating, evaporative cooling, double garage plus additional storage

4 2 2

FOR SALE $894,000

Desirable Classic Home

15 Swan Street

• ‘Bellerive’ - where history and charm meets modern elegance and amenities

• Double brick home renovated in 2018

• Elegant kitchen, European Oak timber floorboards, 2pac cabinetry, over bench touch lighting, soft close drawers

• Upgrades inc. plumbing, wiring, windows new carpet laid over original Murray Pine

• French doors out to an undercover alfresco

• Oversized shed with a wood fire, cedar work benches, power, lighting, and double door

3 1 2

FOR SALE $1,060,000

Allure Luxe

5 Murphy Street, Wangaratta

• Thriving beauty business positioned well along the main street of Wangaratta’s CBD offering plenty of foot traffic and visibility.

• Full training w brand partners after handover

• 5 days per week trading with 2 late nights

• Take control of the business at well below set up cost. Wholesale side, selling its own line of products to its strong database of clients and customers.

• Opportunity to add services and specialties

BUSINESS FOR SALE FOR SALE $100,000 + SAV

No GST, Going Concern

Invest or Occupy

104A Murdoch Rd, Wangaratta

• Located between popular Clydes on Murdoch and Oak FM

• Current 3 year lease expires 8th June 2024

• Tenant negotiable with the 3 x 3 Options (for owner occupiers)

• Net rental income of approx. $14,780 per annum + GST

• High exposure location close to Cathedral College & Our Lady’s schools

• 50% regional stamp duty concession avail.

COMMERCIAL INVESTMENT FOR SALE $269,000

No GST Going Concern

Milawa Muscat Retreat

1422 Snow Road, Milawa

• Providing luxury accommodation in the Milawa Gourmet Region since 2009

• Peaceful, rural setting between Milawa and Oxley townships overlooking Victorian Alps

• Five generous accommodation suites – one being accessibility compliant

• Large commercial kitchen, laundry and separate toilet (ideal for functions)

• Small vineyard and established gardens

• 36 solar panels, plenty of water via tanks & well

BUSINESS & FREEHOLD FOR SALE $1,325,000 WIWO

No GST Going Concern

Wangaratta

763m23 22

Renovated with a great Shed

For Sale $495,000-$515,000 View by appointment, wangaratta.nutrienharcourts.com.au/L19193554

Nutrien Harcourts Wangaratta

Paul Reid

M 0417 537 520

Harcourts Wangaratta

Wangaratta

762m24 22

Central, Quiet & Space

For Sale $595,000

View by appointment, wangaratta.nutrienharcourts.com.au/L22184166

Nutrien Harcourts Wangaratta

Danial Siperki M 0400 027 473

Harcourts Wangaratta

Moyhu 5 Market Street

3300m23 21

Shedding Supreme. Renovated home and genuine yard For Sale $765,000-$840,000 View by appointment, wangaratta.nutrienharcourts.com.au/L19190720 Nutrien

Wangaratta 5 Filandra Street

813m23 22

Quality Built

For Sale $890,000-$949,000

View by appointment, wangaratta.nutrienharcourts.com.au/L23810217

Nutrien Harcourts Wangaratta

Danial Siperki M 0400 027 473

Harcourts Wangaratta

4.9Ac3 22

Family Living In Oxley

For Sale $985,000

View by appointment, wangaratta.nutrienharcourts.com.au/L21808529

Nutrien Harcourts Wangaratta

Paul Reid

M 0417 537 520

Harcourts Wangaratta

Londrigan 73Ac

6

“Nawarrah Park” Rural Opportunity on 73Ac

For Sale $1,100,000 View by appointment, wangaratta.nutrienharcourts.com.au/L22638826

Nutrien Harcourts Wangaratta

Hugh Amery M 0487 777 311

Harcourts Wangaratta

Waldara 15 Fairway Drive

967m24 32 Luxury & Exclusive For Sale $1,100,000-$1,185,000 View by appointment, wangaratta.nutrienharcourts.com.au/L19193873

Wangaratta

1442m24 22

Location, Quality Build and Presentation at the top end

For Sale $1,165,000-$1,280,000

View by appointment, wangaratta.nutrienharcourts.com.au/L19193618

Nutrien Harcourts Wangaratta

Joe McKenzie M 0423 655 179

Harcourts Wangaratta

Wangaratta 24 Vernon Terrace 1345m24 22

throughout For Sale View by appointment, wangaratta.nutrienharcourts.com.au/ L19190413

Joe McKenzie M 0423 655 179 Nutrien Harcourts Wangaratta

Wangaratta 42-48 Osboldstone Road 6070m2

For Sale

View by appointment, wangaratta.nutrienharcourts.com.au/ L22947041

Hugh Amery M 0487 777 311 Nutrien Harcourts Wangaratta

L19192248

Hugh Amery

M 0487 777 311 Nutrien Harcourts Wangaratta

Joe McKenziePaul ReidHugh AmeryDanial Siperki

GENESIS GV80 30D AWD

By CHRIS RILEY

LAUNCHED here in 2020, GV80 is Genesis’ first and largest SUV in a lineup that now boasts three of them.

At just under five metres in length and with a kerb weight of about 2300kg, it’s a large, impressive-looking vehicle.

The styling is tasteful, chiselled and eye-catching, highlighted by an imposing, almost heraldic, crest-shaped grille that is flanked by quad, twin-bar LED headlights -motifs that are repeated at the rear of the car.

Competitors include Lexus, Volvo and of course the German contingent.

STYLING

In the context of recent offerings from Kia and Hyundai, the styling of GV80 is fairly conservative and starting to age already.

Despite being the range topper, there’s no electrified version of this wagon either -- not yet anyway.

GV80 is offered in four flavours, with a choice of three powertrains, rear- or allwheel drive, five, six or seven seats, as well as an optional Luxury Pack.

It’s priced from $92,200 for the 2.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder rear-wheel drive 2.5T.

The same model with allwheel drive costs $5000 more.

Next comes the diesel 3.0D AWD, priced from $105,200 followed by topof-the-line twin turbo petrol 3.5T AWD at $109,700 -- all prices are before on-road costs.

Our test vehicle, the 3.0D AWD, was spec’d up with the 6-seat Lux pack, bringing the total price to $118,700.

GV80 was the subject of

some minor modifications towards the end of last year, including the switch to a raised, easier to use infotainment control dial.

Augmented reality draws on a front camera to add real views of the road ahead to the navigation when you’re following a route.

Believe it or not, the Luxury Pack takes things a step further, with Nappa leather, 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, three-zone climate, remote control parking, soft close doors, plus an 18-way power adjustable driver’s seat with ‘Ergo Motion’ massage function, along with heating and ventilation for second row passengers.

GV80 is covered by a 5-year unlimited kilometre warranty and extensive after sales program.

ENGINES / TRANSMISSIONS

The BMW-esque 3.0-litre, all-aluminium ‘straight’ six diesel produces 204kW of power at 3800 rpm and 588Nm of torque from 15003000 rpm.

It’s exclusive to the Genesis range and we’re informed will not be used in any other Kia or Hyundai -- but never say never.

It’s paired with an eightspeed traditional auto, with paddle shifts for finer control.

SAFETY

Five-star safety comprises 10 airbags, including a front centre side airbag, and an extensive Genesis Active Safety Control suite of technologies. These include a multifunction Forward CollisionAvoidance Assist (FCA) system, Driver Attention Warning (DAW), Blind-Spot Collision Avoidance-Assist

(BCA), Smart Cruise Control (SCC) with Stop and Go and Machine Learning functions, and a Surround View Monitor (SVM) with 3D function.

DRIVING

The cabin is light, bright and airy, and a comfortable environment to spend an extended period.

The vibe is a cross between Lexus and Volvo, with a deep, wide sweeping dash that provides the platform for the large, low-profile touchscreen.

It’s underpinned by an unusually long, thin air vent that extends across the dash from one side of the car to the other.

The broad centre console has been de-cluttered, with a tempered glass rotary knob replacing the usual transmission lever.

Another circular control supplements the touchscreen, along with handwriting recognition.

The 18-way power-adjustable leather front seats are wide and comfortable, with heating, cooling and massage available.

The second row in our test vehicle was split into two individual seats, separated by a console, with third row seats that are best suited to occasional use.

The second row can be flipped or raised at the touch of a button.

The part-time all-wheel drive system distributes torque to all four wheels as required and it also comes with an electro-mechanical limited slip rear diff

Our test vehicle sat on 22-inch wheels with chunky 265/40 series Michelin rubber.

The well-insulated diesel provides quiet, effortless lin-

ear performance, with maximum torque available over a wide band, from 1500 to 3000 revs.

The eight-speed auto is smooth and refined, with only the occasional glitch.

There are four drive modes – Eco, Comfort, Sport and Custom -- along with fairly superfluous multi-terrain settings (I mean, who in their right mind is going to take one of these things to Fraser Island).

Punch the accelerator and the GV80 gets moving, more quickly than it actually feels, with effortless roll-on acceleration.

Widely spaced wheels and big meaty tyres, reduce body roll and supply plenty of grip in corners.

The Electronically Controlled Suspension with Road Preview actively adjusts the GV80’s performance characteristics to deliver the smoothest possible drive.

Using a front camera to detect potential potholes or speed bumps, the system adapts damping to accommodate obstacles and reduce wheel impact from aftershocks.

In the latest update, it has been refined to provide an even more refined and comfortable experience.

The diesel model can tow a 2722kg braked load, with a maximum tow ball weight of 182kg.

Fuel consumption from the 80-litre tank is a claimed 8.8L/100km.

Surprisingly, we managed to better this figure, with 8.2L/100km showing after some 612km of mixed driving.

A tyre repair kit is supplied in case you have a flat, with a pressurised cylinder of goo to get you going again.

AT A GLANCE

Note: These prices do not include government or dealer delivery charges. Contact your Genesis dealer for drive-away prices.

SPECIFICATIONS (Genesis GV80 3.0-litre turbo-diesel AWD five-door wagon)

RATINGS: Looks: 8.0/10;

SUMMING UP

It’s not electric, but it will do for now.

You get plenty of bang for your buck with the GV80 including a comprehensive after sales perks program.

Genesis offers guaranteed buy-back too.

ENGINE:

Capacity: 3.0 litres

Configuration: 3.0-litre turbo diesel, in-line 6-cylinder, 24

Valve, Double Overhead Camshaft, Variable Geometry Turbo (VGT) single turbocharger, with water-to-air intercooler

Maximum Power: 204 kW @ 3800 rpm

Maximum Torque: 588 Nm @ 1500-3000 rpm

Fuel Type: Diesel Combined Fuel Cycle (ADR 81/02): 8.8 L/100km

CO2 Emissions: 232 g/km

DRIVELINE:

8-speed automatic, with Active on-demand electronically controlled all-wheel drive

DIMENSIONS, WEIGHT AND CAPACITIES:

Length: 4945 mm

Wheelbase: 2955 mm

Width: 1975 mm

Height: 1715 mm

Turning Circle: 11.98 metres

Kerb Mass: 2277 kg

Fuel Tank Capacity: 80 litres

STANDARD WARRANTY:

Five years / Unlimited kilometres

■ EYE CATCHER: GV80 . . . better value than competitors.

Rural City Connection

Advisory Committee Vacancies

Are you passionate about Sport? About improving active recreation in Wangaratta? Then you should become a part of an enthusiastic group of people who are passionate about sport and recreation within our community.

Nominations are open for membership to the Rural City of Wangaratta Sport and Recreation Advisory Committee. Appointments to the Committee are on a 3-year basis, and selection will be determined with consideration of an established skills matrix. Meetings are held quarterly, and your input will help inform Council direction in the areas of sport and recreation.

Nomination forms and further information may be obtained on the council website or by:

- contacting Rural City of Wangaratta on 5722 0888email request to council@wangaratta.vic.gov.au

- From Council’s Customer Service Team at the Wangaratta Government Centre, cnr Ford and Ovens Sts, Wangaratta

Completed forms are due by 4pm Friday 29 September 2023. They can be submitted via email to council@wangaratta.vic.gov.au

Or mailed to:

Chief Executive Officer

Rural City of Wangaratta PO Box 238, Wangaratta VIC 3676

Expressions of interest Summer in the Parks

Expressions of interest are now open for local organisations interested in hosting events for this year’s Summer in the Parks program. Each year a series of free events are held in our local parks for the community to come together and celebrate Summer.

You might host an outdoor fitness class, a market or a festival, or perhaps a puppy play date!

If you would like to host an event between 1 December 2023 and 14 February 2024, please let us know, www.wangaratta.vic.gov.au/ summerintheparkseoi

Public Interest Disclosure Policy 2023

Council is considering revising Major Council Policy, the Public Interest Disclosure Policy 2023. This is being revised as part of an Audit and Risk Committee recommendation to ensure the policy is reviewed by legal practitioners to ensure it is legally viable to clarify the processes relating to public interest disclosures, including the types of matters that may result in a valid public interest disclosure and to whom disclosures can be made, and to satisfy the provisions of the Local Government Act 2020 (Vic).

All submissions and any proposed changes will be considered by Council prior to the policy being adopted. Submissions will be received up to 5.00pm on 29 September 2023.

To view this policy please visit, https://www.wangaratta. vic.gov.au/Your-Council/Public-notices.

Public

Coffee Conversations with the Economic Development Team

Small business owners and leaders are invited to a monthly meet up with the Economic Development team to voice their thoughts, ask questions and brainstorm ideas to further the success of their businesses as well as the economic development of our municipality. Meet ups will held on the first Tuesday of every month, launching on 5 September 2023 from 8am to 9am. No appointments needed, please drop in at your own convenience.

For more information, call 03 5722 0888 or email economicdevelopment@wangaratta.vic.gov.au.

Wangaratta Digital Hub

We are excited to announce the Wangaratta Digital Hub is now open!

Come and see us for device-support, meeting rooms, internet access, and co-working spaces Tuesdays to Thursdays, 9am-5pm, or book a meeting room via digitalhub@wangaratta.vic.gov.au

Please take a moment to fill out our short feedback form and help shape the Digital Hub's future https://gqb1bara. paperform.co/

Kindergarten Enrolments Open

If you are looking to send your child to kindergarten in 2024 Wangaratta Children’s Services have places available!

There are integrated and sessional programs available for both 3 and 4-year-olds.

For more information, please visit https://www.wangaratta.vic.gov.au/ Residents/Families-and-children

Nominations are now open for the Rural City of Wangaratta’s Australia Day Awards 2024. Anyone can nominate a citizen, young citizen, community event or project that has inspired them over the last year. Nominations close at 4pm, Friday 3 November 2023

Support Service Survey:

Do you work with/support families who have young children?

The Rural City of Wangaratta has received funding from the Department of Education (DE) to investigate the feasibility and value of adopting and implementing a central registration and enrolment scheme (CRES) for kindergarten in the Rural City of Wangaratta. We would like to hear your thoughts and experiences on kindergarten registration and enrolment and how this could be simplified. Please follow the link below to complete https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ CRESSupportService

Tenders

RFT5409 Workshop Pit

Tender closes at 2pm Tuesday 5 September 2023

Further details may be obtained by visiting Council’s website at, https://www.wangaratta.vic.gov.au/YourCouncil/Working-with-Council. To discuss upcoming projects in your community please contact Council on 03 5722 0888.

Positions vacant

For further information on these positions please visit https://www.wangaratta.vic.gov.au/Your-Council/ Careers

INPERSONBYPHONESELLING

37 Rowan Street, Wangaratta 3677 5723 0101 classifieds@ nemedia.com.au

WHENTO BOOK BYEMAIL

ACAR BUY ONLINE

2 WEEKS REGIONAL WITH PICTURE from $42

General Classifieds: wangarattachronicle.com.au

Employment: northeastjobs.com.au

Real Estate: northeastproperty.com.au

WANGARATTA’S MARKET PLACE WITH OVER 40,000 READERS EACH WEEK IN PRINT AND ONLINE

PROPOSED OPTUS 5G UPGRADE EXISTING OPTUS MOBILE PHONE BASESTATION LOCATED AT WATER RESERVOIR, CNR NORTON ST AND DOCKER ST, WANGARATTA VIC 3677 WWW.RFNSA.COM.AU/3677002

(OPTUS SITE ID: M1139)

1. Optus is proposing to upgrade the existing facility located at the above address. The proposed upgrade consists of the: Replacement of three (3) existing panel antennas with three (3) new panel antennas less than 2.8m in length; units; and the installation of ancillary equipment associated with the operation and safety of the facility.

2. Based on the description above, Optus regards the proposed installation as Maintenance in accordance with Schedule 3, Part 1, Division 4 of the

invite you to provide feedback about the proposal. Enquiries and/or comments optusplanning@skyaus.com.au or via mail at

2 bedroom house, large yard, Burke Street, Wangaratta, $300 per week, bond plus first months rent. Ph 0434 069 245.

DOG TRAINER, Frank Vickers, behavioural solutions, 0418 314 610.

LAWNMOWING, quality work at a competitive price.

Phone Paul 0431 945 320.

JOBS AT INDIGO

Municipal Building Surveyor Yackandandah

Visitor Information Centre

MUSIC/PERFORMING ARTS

TEACHER REQUIRED

Expressions of interest are invited from suitably qualified persons to teach Music and Performing Arts. How to apply: Please contact the Principal to discuss position requirements and days. (03) 5721 4431. principal@sbwangaratta.catholic.edu.au

Applications close: September 22, 2023. This school community promotes the safety, wellbeing and inclusion of all children.

Jobs at Strathbogie Shire Council

Senior Environmental Health Officer

Applications close 9am, 11 September 2023

Customer Service Officers

Applications close 9am, 11 September 2023 www.strathbogie.vic.gov.au

Find the widest range of jobs in the North East at

To Visit Visited

CHRISTMAS stuff, caravan accessories, garden tools and accessories, homemade crafts and plenty more.

9 Kurrajong Lane, Glenrowan, 9am - 2pm.

To Visit Visited

MOVING sale, dining set, fridge, desks, bedside tables, bikes, bbq, clothing, household items, collectables, 9 Corncob Boulevard, Wangaratta, Saturday, September 2, 8am-12 noon, no early callers please.

VIVI

Smokin Hot 20’s Sweet Lil Spicy

Awesome GFE 0435 218 318

SWA10618XE

MARKS Mowing, reasonable prices, ride on mowing, edging, clean up, spraying and any waste removal. Ph 0427 603 156.

PAINTER, old school, for all your painting needs. Commercial, industrial renovations.

Phone Julian 0412 597 482.

Classifieds Work!

Phone:

MECHANICAL and earthmoving repairs.

Pre-season repairs and servicing, breakdowns and call-outs on Ag and earthmoving equipment, dam cleaning, boundary prep and drainage.

Phone Tenny 0400 232 760

Classroom Teacher

(FTE .8: School Year 2024: 1 Year Fixed Contract)

Borinya 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.

We are seeking an outstanding educator with a passion, to work in a diverse environment, to make a real difference through creative and supportive teaching practice.

Applications close on Friday, September 1, 5pm. For further details on how to apply & position description please visit our website: https://www.borinya.catholic.edu.au/contact Borinya is committed to promoting the safety, wellbeing and inclusion of all children.

Borinya embraces diversity and social inclusion and encourages people from diverse backgrounds to apply.

VICTORIAN

CARE AGENCY Exciting Opportunities Await: Join

Emailyouradvert______________classifieds@nemedia.com.au

EMPLOYMENT

Galen

Catholic College

based on their gifts and talents.

Employment opportunity!

We are currently looking for an enthusiastic person to join our team. While we are looking for a person with some experience in the pump or outdoor power equipment industry. Even If you have provided.

Happy Fathers Day Mick.

HILL, Keith. Beloved Brother-In-Law and Uncle to Pam, Bryan and family. Cherished memories, forever in our hearts. Our love and thoughts are with you Maur. Rest in peace.

Daily

Organiser Technology and VET Technician

Key Responsibilities: of pumps equipment

To be successful in this role, you will need to: your feet

Senior Payroll Coordinator

Permanent Part Time Role (25 hours per week) Hybrid Working environment. Friendly and fun team culture.

About Us: Brown Family Wine Group, an innovative, family-owned, multi brand wine business, is one of Australia’s most trusted and successful wine companies. We are in an exciting period of growth having recently expanded to five brands - Brown Brothers, Devil’s Corner, Pirie, Tamar Ridge and Innocent Bystander.

We are a proud and passionate business who are strong on values and culture. Most recently we have been certified as “A Great Place to Work” and are committed to honouring this recognition throughout all aspects of the business.

The Opportunity: Reporting to the Head of HR, Risk & Safety, the Senior Payroll Coordinator will be responsible for administering, coordinating, and maintaining all payroll related functions for 250+ employees. This exciting opportunity will see you manage and coordinate our payroll process including but not limited to:

This an immediate start Full Time position. If you think this is for you, phone or drop a resume into Wangaratta Pump Shop, 71 Greta Road Wangaratta Phone: 57221955, ask for Brendan Email: wangpump@bigpond.net.au

2012 Nissan Dualis, 6 speed manual, petrol, new clutch, new tyres, new radio, very tidy, 213,000km, $9900 ono, (ZAQ898). Ph 0427 368 901.

SOLD

2014 Mazda CX5 Maxx Sport, AWD, 2.2l TurboDiesel, 6 sp Auto, Reg Dec 2023 (1DT2XG), ODO 122,400, towbar, RWC supplied, $20,500 ONO. Ph 0447 381 481.

What’s Required:

What’s on Offer: discounts on all products

More Information: Further information and a position description may be obtained by emailing Allyce Henwood at careers@brownfwg.com.au.

Applications close September 22, 2023.

HOLDEN Cruze SRi-V, (1OK9GX), great first car, 1.6L turbo, auto. Top of the range including heated seats, Bluetooth, Sat.nav, 6 air bags. Registered to Nov. 2023. RW certificate. $10,600. Couple minor scrapes on passenge r side. Contact Brad 0488 095 109.

NISSAN Navara, dual cab ute, JN1CNUD22 A0026712, suit wrecking, 2 engines, 2 radiators, bull bar with electric winch, tow bar, good axles and gear box, $500. Ph (03) 5764 4332.

2012 Kuhn rotary mower GMD 600 Gii, used 4 seasons from 2015, shed stored, excellent condition $7000 ono, ph 0411 954 489.

Dear Dad,

You gave me life, raised me in the best possible way and taught me to walk and talk.

and drive under your wings.

From my earliest memories you’ve always been there by my side, supporting me and encouraging me to be the best person I can. Even in my teenage years when I turned into a bit of a rebel, you still loved and supported me.

Alas I didn’t have your passion for sports or smarts with money, but your guiding hand was always there in whatever endeavour I tackled. My love for you has grown so much over the years, and I could never come close to repaying you.

But I just want you to know that in my eyes, you are the greatest Dad on the planet.

I love you so much. ~ Your eldest son Chris.

POMPONIO –ARMSTRONG, Maria and Chris. Congratulations for your future happiness together.

~ Love from Mum Silvana, Papa Michele, Loui, Jude, Miranda, Angelo, Sonia, Olivia and Sophia Pomponio.

50TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY

CAVALLIN - Angelo and Julie

HILL, Keith A. 5/4/19/193727/8/2023

Not only an awesome Uncle but an awesome Mate! Glenn. In our hearts you will always be. We treasure the time we spent together. ~ Glenn, Fiona and boys.

HILL, Keith. Beloved Brother-In-Law and Uncle to Pam, Bryan and family. Cherished memories, forever in our hearts. Our love and thoughts are with you Maur. Rest in peace.

KUBOTA T2380 Twin 23hp, hydro 48’ cut, serviced, books, $4600. Ph 0419 539 653.

FIREWOOD, mixed wood, bulk loads only.

Telephone Northeast Firewood 0448 933 999.

REDGUM rural fence posts, 6ft, $10, located Whitfield. Ph 0408 338 187.

TOP quality pasture hay, small squares, located Whitfield. Ph 0408 338 187.

TYRES new and secondhand, trailer, rims, wrecking. New hours 9am to 5pm, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, 44 Newman Street, Wangaratta. Ph 0428 257 221. Adzam Tyres.

50

th

Wedding Anniversary

September 1, 2023

Mum and Dad, we commemorate your eternal love for one another and lifetime of happiness together.

Thinking of you both on this special day.

~ From your loving family.

DEATH NOTICES

BRADSHAW, Joyce “Joy”. Loved sister of Janice and sister-in-law of Jim Canny (dec) Loved Aunt of Glenn, Joanne and Robyn and their families.

Thanks for a wonderful 86 years as sisters and best friends.

HILL, Kieth. Loved brother-in-law of Terry and Barb. Dearly loved Uncle of Darren and Linda, Michelle and Travis, Ashley and Lisa, Mark and Zoe, Leanne and families. Treasured memories.

BRADSHAW (nee Cribbes), Joyce ‘Joy”. 20/2/1936 – 24/8/2023

Loved wife of Robert “Bob” Bradshaw (dec).

Daughter of Joyce and Thomas Cribbes (both dec). Joy was a beloved sister, friend, aunt (great and great great), and a passionate gardener. Her love of plants and the outdoors was a passion she shared with us on frequent trips to the Warby Ranges, around North East Victoria and overseas. Joy was generous and caring to her family and has always been a treasured part of our lives. Rest in peace.

BRADSHAW (Cribbes), Joyce Marina “Joy”. 87 years, 6 months, 4 days began tip toeing through the tulips with her garden rake amongst autumn leaves on August 24, 2023, along with many petals, “rambling” roses, twigs, scents, sunshine, rain, manure, seeds, compost, breezes, secateurs, mulch, spade, cuttings, winter sweet, blossoms, vases, trees, thistles moths, wind, bees, sprouts, mulberries, weeds, wisteria, grasses, kangaroo paws, soil, water lilies, thistles, eucalyptus, dust, violets, magnolias and forget me nots!

“Que, Sera, Sera to the green green grass of home” ~ Much love Nanette… your Baby Sister.

BRADSHAW (nee Cribbes), Joyce “Joy”.

Loved sister of Graham (dec), sister-in-law to Dianne.

Much loved Aunty of Matthew, Miranda, Warwick and Timonthy, Great Aunty to Olive, Wilbur, Harvey, Boudica, Jed, Connor, Ethan, Harry and Maya.

A life well lived with love and friendship. Time now for rest.

HILL, Keith Alan. 5/4/37 – 27/8/23

Passed away peacefully at Northeast Health Wangaratta.

Much loved husband of Maureen.

Loving son and son in law of Ellen and Robert (both dec) and Ettie and Grant Gephart (both dec).

Loved and loving brother of Hubert and Shirley (both dec), Rob and Beth (dec).

Dearly loved brother-in-law of Terry and Barb, Val and Bob (both dec), Rod and Val (both dec), Pam and Bryan, Daryl and Valerie, Coral and John,

Adored Uncle Keith of his many cherished nieces and nephews.

“When I am sad and lonely, And everything goes wrong I know I’ll hear your whisper, “Cheer up, and carry on,” Each time I see your photo, You’ll smile at me and say “Don’t cry, I’m only sleeping, We’ll meet again some day.”

HILL, Keith Alan.

Passed away August 27, 2023.

Cherished brother-in-law to Coral and John. Loved Uncle to Dale, Jodie and Brett. Adored Great Uncle to Taya, Kai, Summer, Campbell and Isla. Treasured memories will be held forever in our hearts.

JOHNSON, Kerry Brian.

13/1/1951 - 24/8/2023

The family are saddened to announce the passing of Kerry Brian Johnson. Kerry passed away peacefully at Illoura Aged Care. Aged 72 years.

Loving son of Jim and Jean Johnson formally of Baddaginnie.

Dearly loved brother to Janis, Denise, Diane, Nola, Wendy, Robert, Graham, Ellen and their families.

Cherished father and father-in-law of Melanie and Wayne, Christian and Sara, Kayla and Wayne, and Cassandra.

Adored Poppy to Jasper, Lucy, Mia, Alana and Phoenix.

Loving Godfather to Jason. “Gone but never forgotten”

JOHNSON, Kerry Brian.

13/1/1951 - 24/8/2023

Loved father and father-in-law of Melanie and Wayne, Christian and Sara.

Loving Poppy of Jasper and Lucy. Former husband, dear friend and travel buddy of Margie O’Connor.

JOHNSON, Kerry.

13/1/1951 – 24/8/2023

Lifelong friend to Doug and Di.

Will miss the beers around the potbelly.

Rest well my friend.

Personal Notices

may be placed before 2pm the business day prior to publication

classifieds@nemedia.com.au Phone: 03 5723 0101

McGAURAN, Darcy John.

20/7/2011 – 28/8/2023

Passed away from Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy on August 28, 2023.

Much loved son of Christian and Nita, loved brother of Ella. Our little man, Gone too soon.

Adored grandson of Bernie and Irene McGauran, nephew of Shaun and Michelle, cousin of Rhys and Noah. Much loved grandson of Carmel and Ray Anderson, nephew of Janet and Steve, Leah and Rick, cousin of Lucy, May, Maxine, Molly, Jay and Ryley.

McGAURAN, Darcy John.

Fond memories of a beloved classmate, student and friend to all at Wangaratta Primary School. the school community, our deepest condolences go out to Nita, Christian, Ella and their families.

HILL

The funeral service to celebrate the life of Mr Keith Hill will be held in the Holy Trinity Cathedral, Corner of Ovens and Ford Streets, Wangaratta on Monday, September 4, commencing at 1.30pm. Burial will follow at the Wangaratta Lawn Cemetery.

Keith’s service can be viewed by livestream at www.masonpark.com.au/live-streaming/

BEREAVEMENT THANKS

HUNTINGTON, Lorraine Florence.

FUNERALS

BRADSHAW

The service to celebrate the life of Joyce “Joy” Bradshaw will be held on Monday, September 4, 2023 in the Mason Park Chapel, 95 Mason Street, Wangaratta commencing at 10.30am. Burial will precede this service at the Wangaratta General Cemetery commencing at 10am. Guests are invited to bring a bloom from their own garden to acknowledge Joy’s love of gardening.

To view the livestream of Joy’s service, please visit: www.masonpark.com.au

Forever in our hearts and memories. John, Simon and Karen and their families wish to thank all our friends for the support and kindness during this sad time.

Special thanks also for the professional caring support for an extended period to both, Dr Malay Shah of Gateway Health and the wonderful nursing and care

at Ambulance Victoria Wangaratta, the Emergency and Surgical teams at Northeast Health. Finally, the care and compassion from Ben, Christine and the team at Mason Park Funerals for managing a beautiful farewell. Thank You.

OATES, June. Passed away August 31, 2021.

JOHNSON

The memorial service to honour and celebrate the life of Mr Kerry Brian Johnson will be held in the Mason Park Chapel, 95 Mason Street, Wangaratta on Tuesday, September 5, 2023, commencing at 10.30am.

Following the service in the chapel Kerry’s family would like to invite you to join them as they scatter Kerry’s ashes at Reef Hill’s in Baddaginnie. Kerry’s service will be livestreamed and can be viewed at www.masonpark.com.au/live-streaming/

Dearly loved Aunty of Sharon, Michael and Jordan.

Gone are the days we used to share, But in our hearts your always there, Never more than a thought away, Loved and remembered every day.

OATES, June.

August 31, 2021

The tears in our eyes we can wipe away. The ache in our hearts will stay. Forever in our memory. We miss you mum.

~ Greg, Kate, Carol, Doc, Des, Helen and families.

FUNERAL DIRECTORS

McGAURAN

The Funeral Service to celebrate the life of Darcy McGauran will be held in the Mason Park Chapel, 95 Mason Street, Wangaratta on Thursday, September 7, 2023, commencing at 10.30am. A private family burial service will follow.

memory of Darcy to assist the Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy would be greatly appreciated. Donations can be made online at www.saveoursons.org.au/pages/donate

To view the livestream of Darcy’s Service, please visit www.masonpark.com.au

The only family owned funeral home

Proud Member of Australian Funeral Directors Association

John & Christine Haddrick

5722 2525

northeastfunerals.com.au

All Hours

Spring lights up Oxley table tennis action

THE vibrant charm of spring blossomed at the tables in Oxley hall as eager participants gathered on Monday night with excitement.

Players ranging from novices to seasoned veterans stepped up to engage in matches that went beyond mere competition, encouraging interactions and new friendships.

Names such as the photogenic Jason Mullins and the high flying spinner, Allister Olsson added to the diverse lineup, each player bringing their unique skills and playing styles to the fore.

Dynamic duo Debbie Brunken and Richard Morgan cooked their opponents with their remarkable teamwork, while Mick Gervasoni and Adam Bosley formed an instant connection on the court, sharing strategic tips and appreciative smiles.

In the youth category,

SCOREBOARD

JUBILEE GOLF CLUB

AUGUST 26

Ladies Stroke

Winner: Yogi Naidoo 72.

the competition intensified as the skilled players showcased their prowess.

Phoebe Bosley and Archie Crispin stood out, captivating the audience with their agility and strategic gameplay.

As the evening pro-

gressed, the spirit of spring seemed to infuse the participants with renewed energy.

The matches between Joyce Fisher, Clive Booker and Kate Cole and Sue McGregor were a testament to the friendly nature of the event, with players applaud-

Stableford - A Grade Winner: Adrian Speziale 37 .

B Grade Winner: Andrew Walker

36. C Grade Winner: Brian Luxford 35.

ing each other’s moves and engaging in light banter between points.

The most intense showdown of the night was between the Erica Pike, Martin Butcher and Manni Poulos, Lauren Olsson pairings, with veteran players like Alison

69:14:56, runner up on a countback was Leo McCoy nett 56.NTP 8th Angelo Garraffo.

Stephens and June Uebergang demonstrating remarkable sportsmanship and determination.

Cheers from the spectators including John Fisher echoed through the hall as points were won and lost, all in the spirit of celebrat-

handed, not winning any prizes, however, all enjoyed the social interaction with members of many other clubs.

ing both the game and the season.

In the end, William Bonwick emerged as the longest rally champion, his steady focus and agility earning him the well-deserved title.

The singles championship was claimed by Lauren Olsson against Graham Stephens and their impeccable coordination and mutual support set them apart.

All participants in the Social Table Tennis succeeded in creating a flourishing atmosphere where the joy of competition harmonised with the warmth of social interaction, leaving everyone eager to return for more in the seasons to come.

Adults and secondary school students of all ages and abilities are welcome to join the weekly social competition on Monday night, beginning at 7:00pm.

Bring your own bat, $2 entry and a plate to share

Plum Digital came out on top after five sets.

Ball Winners: Josie Fitzsimons 75, Libby Smith 75.

NTP: 4th Di Murphy, 13th Vicki Moorehead, 17th Kellie Roberts.

Saturday, August 26

Monthly Medal Stroke

A Grade Winner: Glenn O’Connell (Medal) 64. Runner up: Steve Fisher

69. B Grade Winner: Zac Guilfoyle 68.

Runner up: Nigel Cooper 71. C Grade

Winner: Atilla Kungl 72. Runner Up: Peter Ford 73. D Grade Winner: Brian Luxford 71. Runner up: Mark Flack

72.

Ball Winners: Shane Andrewartha

70, Martin Van Rhee 73, Ju-

lian Bau 73, Jack Reiter 73, Ian Mills

74, Joshua Ormond 74, Jacob Schonafinger 74, Jared Adamo 74, Peter Geldens 74, Ben Honeychurch 74, Andrew Walker 74, Kevan Oshea 74, Tom Arnold 74, Mark Hall 74, Steve Smith 74, Tom Arnold 74

Eagles: Glenn O’Connell (9th), Tom Arnold (9th), Shane Andrewartha (16th).

67.

Best Scratch: Shane Andrewartha

Super Nine

Club Shirt: Glenn Oconnell 22

Aroma Deli: Tashi Tenzig 22

2 Balls: Zac Guilfoyle 21

c/b. NTP: 4th Shane Andrewartha.

Sunday, August 27

Mixed Foursomes

A Grade: Jack Reiter 40. B Grade: Rick Harnwell 36. Foursomes : Di Murphy and Shane Andrewartha

82.

Foresomes net: Angela Mitchell and Steve Fisher 75.

Ball Winners: Glenn O’Connell (2)

36, Jacob Schonafinger 34, Michael McKenzie 34, Trevor Morris 33.

NTP: 4th Glenn O’Connell-Val Ellis, 8th Rick Harnwell, 13th Rick Harnwell.

Tuesday, August 29

Joan Rosser Day Aggregate Stableford

Winners: Josie Fitzsimons and Vicki Moorhead 70 . Runners Up: Di Murphy and Marilyn Pane 64.

NTP: 4th Wendy Hogan, 8th Wendy Hogan, 13th Pauline Mercer, 17th Wendy Hogan.

Wednesday, August 30

Ball Winners: Keith Moorehead 36, Pat Earnst 35, Martin VanRhee 35, John McKenzie 35, John Batchelor

34, Ric Chivers 34, Peter Geldens 34.

Wednesday, August 30

9 Hole Stableford Winner: Mathew Nunn 18. Runner Up: Mark Dean 17. Third: Allen Mercer 15.

NTP: 8th Jim Darcy.

WANGARATTA GOLF CLUB

WGC Competitions: Week ending

August 27

Men’s Competition: 9 Hole Stableford

August 23 - Winner: Tom McAtee

18 Points. Runner Up: Craig Donoghue 16 Points.

NTP 11th: Craig Donoghue.

Women’s Competition: 9 Hole

Stableford

August 24: Winner: Barb Thomas

15 Points. Runner Up: Sue Miller 13 C/B Points.

Men’s Competition: 18 Stableford

August 26A Grade Winner: Ian Rundell 39 Points.

A Grade Runner Up: Trevor Cooper

38 Points. B Grade Winner: Drew

Winter 38 Points. B Grade Runner Up: Bill Dodd 37 Points.

Ball Winners: Ethan Bell, Tom McAtee, Matt Ring, Rob Holloway, David Altair, Callum Honey, Craig Donoghue, Ian Hunt.

NTP: 4th Rob Holloway, 7th Tom

McAtee, 9th Trevor Cooper, 11th David Altair, 13th Ethan Bell, 16th Ethan Bell

Secret 6: Ian Rundell.

Birdie: Ian Rundell, Chris Martens, Ethan Bell.

Raffle Winner: Sue Chatfield.

Medley Stableford: 9 & 18 Hole

Competition

August 27 - 18 Hole Winner: Trevor Cooper 34 Points. 18 Hole Runner Up: Kurt Schubert 31 Points.

TARRA GOLF CLUB

RESULTS Saturday August 26. Due to conditions and football finals a par three stroke event was played on the composite course with the men’s winner being Ken Miller

Ladies winner: Fay Phillips. 85:32:53. Runner up: Lucia DaPos nett 57.

Monthly Awards: Captains Trophy Angelo Garraffo.

Birdies Xavier Palamarczuk.

Gobblers: Lindsay Steer.

Due to football finals golf to be played on Saturday, September 2 will be organised on the day

Hit off times for Saturday’s are 11:30am roll-up for a 12noon start, we ask members to be early to enable the days program to be organised.

New members are always welcome at the Tarrawingee Golf Club, the joining fee is $100 the contact number is 0428122590 or by contacting a member of the club.

Ladies golf

On Tuesday, August 29 Tarra ladies played a stableford event for the monthly Milawa Hotel Award.

The winner was Lucia Dapos with 22 points.

Next week will be the September Monthly Medal.

CROQUET

RESULTS for Monday, August 28 are as follows:

Elaine McDonald and Elise Downes d Christine Ireland and Wendy Burgess 7/4, Andy Barbero and Cheryle Beckley d Robyn Muller and Susan Fischer 7/2, Joan Dyson and Lauren Kazenwadel d Gabi Heywood and Wendy Waddington7/3, Nathan Reynolds d Margaret Bennett 7/5.

On Monday, Andy Barbero played a Barnes-Wallis, “Bouncing Bomb” jump shot from beside hoop three which bounced four times, eventually jumping over a ball in hoop four to score that hoop.

On Wednesday Joan Dyson (8 Hcp) played two Advantage handicap games against Terry Wilson (4 Hcp), starting three hoops in front.

Terry started at minus two needing nine hoops to win while Joan started at one needing six hoops to win.

Joan won the first game 7/8 and the second game 7/7 (Terry needed nine).

Also on Wednesday, six members attended a Social Day at Shepparton Croquet Club, but, returned empty

Playing days are Monday, Wednesday and Saturday commencing at 1pm.

Visitors are welcome to come down and enjoy some games with our members.

Please arrive 15 minutes early to allow for the draw to be done.

Late arrivals will be included in the next game.

The club is located at 46 Ryan Avenue, Wangaratta.

For further information please contact President Susan Fischer on 0417217009 or Secretary Terry Wilson on 0417326739.

TABLE TENNIS

RESULTS of Round 10

Wednesday, August 23

A Grade

Nathan Vincent Contracting (C Dagoli, R Voss, N Vincent) def Berkshire Boralma (M Comensoli, K Brown, J Maletta) six rubbers to five.

Nathan won all his singles matches and Corey took two.

The defeated team had some strong performances winning four singles with two wins by Mark, and Kim and John notching up one each.

Kim and John both pushed Corey out to seven sets in their singles rubbers but Corey hung on to win both these matches. Doubles rubbers were shared.

Plum Digital Hub (A Lindner, A Lindner, K Parker) def. Somerset Communications (D Stone, J Wright, J Loughnan) eight rubbers to three.

The winners were too strong notching up six singles wins and both doubles rubbers.

Andrew took three singles, Austin won two and Ken added one.

John won two singles and James added one for the defeated side.

B Grade

Plum Digital Hub (K Kazenwadel, Aaron Plum) def Blue Raven (A Holmes, A Higgins) three rubbers to two.

Klaus and Aaron won a match each and Andrew Higgins made it two all by winning both his singles.

It then came down to the all important deciding doubles.

Unfortunately it was a doubles disappointment for the Andrews as

N.E. Agricultural and Industrial (P Densten,T Tatulaschwili) def Somerset Comms (P Fitzgerald, F Harris) three rubbers to two.

The Phils always enjoy a competitive match, Phil Densten took this one over five sets and trustworthy Ted won both his singles, securing the teams overall win.

The doubles was a thriller, with all players drawing on their tenacity and skill.

Phil Fitzgerald and Frank enjoyed the win though, after six sets.

Frank also added a singles win for the losing side.

C Grade

Nathan Vincent Contracting (D Hudson, M Curran) didn’t muck around def N.E. Agricultural and Industrial five rubbers to nil.

Dave and Matt showed that they are both in fine form in the lead up to semi-finals.

The scores were very close between Matt and Jake but Matt’s smacking backhand was working well, and despite Jake’s efforts it was another win for NVC.

Plum Digital (P Hughes, S Algar, S Knox) def. Somerset Communications (J Lindner, T Koop, J Hughes) six rubbers to five.

Stephen secured two singles wins and Paul and Seth had one each.

Plum Digital also won both doubles rubbers to secure the overall team win.

For the losing side, Jesse had two singles wins and Julie came away with three.

A necessary doubles win was just out of reach for the losers and as they are out of contention, will look forward to watching the semi-finals.

Good luck to those teams who have advanced to the semi finals next week.

The pavilion will be open at 6pm Wednesday for hit-up and Junior players of all abilities are also welcome at this time for coaching and for new players to learn the game.

NEW Tuesday morning social table tennis at the same Showgrounds venue is between 10am and 12noon each Tuesday morning.

Enquiries: Tom (Club president) 0429 809 927, John (Junior coordinator) 0400 182 553 or Maxine (Tuesday social) 0403 209 857.

PRECISION: Alison Stephens, Sue McGregor, Mick Gervasoni, and Erika Pike enjoy a hit at Oxley table tennis on Monday night.

Junior netball premiers crowned

WANGARATTA Netball Association Saturday morning competition winners were crowned on Saturday at Barr Reserve.

Magpies Black only just got over the top of Rovers Brown in Premier League A.

Premier League B saw Myrtleford Black run away convincing winners over Rovers Navy.

Milawa White grabbed a seven goal win over Bright in Section 1.

Section 2 was the closest grand final of the lot with Myrtleford Red snatching a one-goal victory over Jellybeans.

The Diamonds were strong winners in section three, downing Dream Team.

Results:

Premier League A: Magpies Black 25 def Rovers Brown 22.

Premier League B: Myrtleford Black 44 def Rovers Navy 22.

Section 1: Milawa White 21 def Bright 14.

Section 2: Myrtleford Red 23 def Jellybeans 22.

Section 3: The Diamonds 30 def Dream Team 10.

WEBSTERS CLAIM TIPPING TITLE ON COUNTBACK

By BAILEY ZIMMERMANN

THE Wangaratta Chronicle

- Travel & Cruise North East 2023 footy tipping competition was so close it couldn’t be decided by just one tipster alone.

After Max Webster’s departure from Websters Electrical earlier in the year and having listed him down as the company tipster in the Chronicle tipping competition, Max’s father Mick Webster and the team thought they would have some fun with it.

The tips were taken in turns among the workplace each week with Trevor Cooper, David Ryan, Robert McQuade, Kristen McQuade and Mick rotating through the tips regularly under Max’s alias.

Heading into the final round with ‘Max’ at the top tied with Brett Anderson from APCO Wangaratta, both tipsters picked six winners to finish on 143, with the Websters team prevailing on count-

back, tipping a perfect nine twice to Brett’s once.

Mick said prevailing in the thrilling countback was a group effort.

“To win was a matter of always putting in your picks and not missing a week,” he said.

“There was a period when Rob and Kris were away for a month, so we got Geoff Webster to do the picks for a week and he picked nine winners, which put us in the lead for that week.

“We then included Geoff in the pickings and he always did well.”

The Websters’ team won the much coveted first prize of accommodation at Dreaming of Buckland, on the edge of Mount Buffalo National Park, donated by Travel and Cruise.

Second placed Brett won accommodation at Amora Hotel Riverwalk and for the second year in a row, Beth Watson from the Pinsent Hotel won a $200 voucher at the very company she works.

SECTION 3: The Diamonds.

SECTION 2: Myrtleford Red.

PREMIER LEAGUE B: Myrtleford Black.

SECTION 1: Milawa White.

PREMIER LEAGUE A: Magpies Black.

CHAMPS: Magpies Black players celebrate their win. PHOTO: Kurt Hickling

SHINING IN GLORY: Mick Webster, Kristen McQuade and Geoff Webster were just some of the tipsters who carried the Websters Electrical team to footy tipping glory in the Wangaratta Chronicle tipping competition.

PHOTO: Kurt Hickling

Rangers head into grand finals at home this Sunday

NORTH East Baseball Association played their two junior grades grand finals last Sunday at Targoora Park, Wangaratta before the three senior grades semi-finals.

In the first game played, Wangaratta Rangers Under 15s were up against Wodonga Warriors.

Rangers’ first batter got on base from a Warriors fielding error and was able to steal two bases to get himself home before Rangers lost their next three batters, all struck out at the plate.

Warriors lost their first three batters the same way and the signs were there that we were in for a tight close game.

It was a pitcher/catcher sort of game with the Rangers team striking out nine of the 23 batters that faced

them, while the Warriors combination struck out 11 of the 21 Rangers batters that faced them.

Blake Boon from the Warriors was the only batter from both teams to have a safe hit all game.

Warriors won a very tight game by one run, three runs to Rangers two to be the premiers.

In the Under 12s Grand Final, Albury Bears played Porepunkah Panthers.

Although both teams have some very good young players coming through their ranks, the Bears must be congratulated on their win (final score not available to scribe).

Wangaratta Rangers Orange played Albury Bears in the B Grade Semi.

After having only four

The Grand Final games to be played this Sunday at Targoora Park, Murdoch Road, Wangaratta.

A Grade Albury Bears vs Wangaratta Rangers Black at 2.30pm.

B Grade Wangaratta Rangers Grey vs Wangaratta Rangers Orange at 12pm.

C Albury Bears vs Wodonga Warriors at 10am.

Softball training and practice continues each Saturday at Targoora Park, Wangaratta from 1pm to approximately 3pm.

All equipment is supplied.

Rangers batters face their pitcher in their first turn at bat, Bears were first to score when they brought in one run before, they lost their third out in the first innings. Rangers first batter in their second dig got on base from an error by Bears catcher and was brought home to even the score before they lost their third out and Bears yet to bat to even the innings.

Belief is building for the Devils

IF there’s ever a time to knock off the league title winners and favourite for the cup, Sunday is the day.

Wangaratta City will go into their semi-final clash with Albury City as underdogs but they have belief they can knock the heavyweights over with a home ground advantage only adding to that confidence.

The two sides have a rich rivalry and have faced off twice this season for a win each, but the result this weekend is all that matters.

Wangaratta City coach Raff Molinaro said there couldn’t be a better time to be facing their enemies.

“They beat us in the grand final last year so it’d be nice to get one back,” Molinaro said.

BY WILLSON MACK wmack@ nemedia.com.au

“Playing them in a semifinal at home is probably the best time to be playing them for us.

“We beat them at home earlier in the season which is a big confidence booster and gives the players belief that we can knock them off.”

United’s forward line is their strength with Melkie Woldemichael booting 27 goals this season.

“Their forward line is experienced, quick and has scored a lot of goals for them this season so we need to play the game in our front half,” Molinaro said.

With some good accurate field throws, Rangers shut down Bears without adding to their score, in fact Bears did not worry the score book in their next four turns at bat, while Rangers Orange added one run in their fourth innings and two more in the fifth to hold four runs to one lead at the top of the sixth inning.

Bears started to bat some safe hits this turn at bat and

the errors started to creep into Oranges game, allowing Bears to get two runs in their turn at bat to be just one run behind at the top on the seventh innings.

Rangers Orange got breathing space when they added unearned runs in their batting dig then gave Bears a run from errors before getting their third out to win five runs to Bears four and entry into this Sunday’s Grand Final against club teammates Rangers Grey.

Rangers Black played Porepunkah Panthers in the A Grade Semi.

After losing their first two batters, Panthers third batter hit deep to leftfield for a two baser and was brought home by their next batter before they lost their third out. Rangers Black had their

first three batters all get home from errors by Panthers in their fielding then lost their next three batters, all put out at first.

Panthers went three up, three down in the second innings then their fielding errors continued, and Rangers scored another 12 runs (all unearned bar one) before they lost the third out.

Panthers misfortunes continued in the third innings when a collision in their fielding at left field saw a player injured and had to leave the field and when another player was ejected from the game, they ran out of players and the game was called off

Wangaratta Rangers Black won 17 runs to two and a place in this week’s Grand Final.

“I think United have only had 16 goals scored against them this season and we’ve scored six of those so it could be one of those games where there’s a few goals at both ends.

“At training this week we worked on our defensive end which will hopefully go a long way to us getting the result we’re after.”

The Devils are at full strength for their semi-final showdown despite battling injuries all season.

“I’m going to have a good time watching back match footage and deciding the best 11 to play against them,” Molinaro said.

“I think last weekend was the first time we haven’t had a fresh face on the bench all season because we’ve got everyone back.”

Lady Devils face fierce rivals in semi-final

By NATHAN DE VRIES

This season has seen some truly incredible matches between Wangaratta and United, with the two sides having won twice from their four encounters this year.

United had the advantage early, taking a 3-4 win in

round three and a 1-3 victory in round six, but the tide has since turned.

The Lady Devils’ 4-1 and 4-2 wins over United in the back end of the season will fill them with confidence they can get the job done as they go head-to-head once more.

Skipper Beth Cope said the side was buzzing with energy ahead of the mustwin match.

“It’s pretty exciting - on Monday everyone was excited even the div two la-

dies who lost on the weekend, they’re still piling into training to support seniors, which is amazing.

“It was a great win for us (last week), good to just get one on the board in finals and get the ball moving.”

Cope said her team were at the level to challenge United in the final, a benchmark out of reach in previous years.

“The past couple of years, United have just been a team that you needed to match, and it feels like this year

we’re at that level where we can match with the best teams in the league,” she said.

“They won the league last year, maybe that’s playing on them, like bit of pressure - but for us, we’ve got nothing to lose.

“They’ve got a fair few mature age bodies through the centre of the park, so their strength is in the centre.

“If we use utilise our strengths and play to the widths of the pitch and make them run, we’ll burn them.

“We have faith in anyone who’s on that pitch to dominate Paula (United key striker Paula Mitchell).

“We don’t tag, it’s just whoever is nearer, it’s their job.

“She’s an unbelievable player, but she has struggled to score goals against us which has been quite nice to see.”

The senior Lady Devils take on Albury United tomorrow from 5.10pm at LaTrobe Ground 1 for a spot in the division one women’s grand final.

FIRED UP: Hannah Swindley and the Lady Devils are keen to rip into ALbury United tomorrow.

PHOTO: Kat De Naps

Photography

AFTER storming through the first round of finals last weekend, the senior Lady Devils are fired up to take on old foes Albury United on Saturday for a spot in the grand final.

SEMI-FINAL: Vitaly Leschen and Wangaratta City take on Albury United at South Wangaratta Reserve on Sunday.

FINALS PREVIEWS

Pitched battle awaits Demons and Bright History repeats

as Blues and Dees face off on the court

By NATHAN DE VRIES

BY NATHAN DE VRIES ndevries@ nemedia.com.au

SUNDAY’S semi-final between Bright and Milawa will likely come down to the wire.

The two sides which progressed from the first week in finals are alike in so many ways, with dominant performers across the ground and equally strong forwards, mids and backlines.

However, only one can keep playing this season, so Sunday’s match at North Wangaratta is sure to be explosive.

Milawa co-coach Matt Graham said it’ll come down to the forwards converting on their looks at goal.

“Goals will be at an absolute premium and we need to make sure we take our opportunities because if we don’t, we could be on the wrong end of the result,” he said.

“Bright and ourselves know each other’s games very well, I think we stack up quite evenly across the board.

“I think the forwards being able to capitalise is going to come from who wins that midfield battle, I think that’s going to be the determining factor of the day.

“If we get first use of the ball from the midfield and we’re able to enter our forward line the way we need to and we’re supposed to, then we’re going to end up with hopefully high percentage shots.

“Goals are going to be like gold on the weekend, they’re going to be very hard to come by.”

Milawa’s Jamie Allan is in fine form, booting 29 goals from just five matches this year, including seven against North Wangaratta last week.

Sebastian De Napoli and Harry Allan are also dangerous if they find the Sherrin in their forward 50.

However, Bright’s multipronged forward approach features the league’s leading goal kicker Cooper Thomason along

with Guy Campbell and Riley O’Shea, a potent combination which will be tough to handle.

Bright coach Paul Harrison said the match-ups on the Demons’ danger players will be crucial to get right.

“It’s probably going to be a couple of goals either way, so consistency and a huge work rate across four quarters is going to be the key,” he said.

“We’ve both got strong midfields - we’re probably a little bit better on the inside and they may be a bit better on the outside – but apart from that, our backlines, our forward lines probably match up fairly well.

“It comes down to a match-up

thing - we’ve got Brad Nightingale, Max Stevens, Nick Howell, the likes of those guys who can step in and play a role with ease, but it just depends on match-ups.

“It’s just going to be on the day whoever can win more one-onones across the ground and be a bit more consistent throughout the whole game.”

Bright and Milawa go head to head in their semi-final from 2pm this Sunday at the North Wangaratta Recreation Reserve, with the winner to face either Greta or Bonnie Doon next weekend.

It’ll be an equally fierce contest in the reserves match from 12pm, with Bonnie Doon taking on Benalla All Blacks.

Bombers and Bulldogs fight for finals

By NATHAN DE VRIES

AFTER surpassing their opponents in the opening round of A grade netball finals, Bonnie Doon and Tarrawingee will go head to head this Sunday at North Wangaratta to keep their season alive.

The semi-final will determine which team takes on the loser of Saturday’s Milawa-Greta match for a spot in the grand final.

With both sides so powerful through the home and away season, and with the unsuccessful squad out the door, the match is sure to be a thrilling one.

Tarrawingee coach Jackie Everitt said the Bombers would

be a difficult hurdle to overcome.

“In our last game against them they shut us down and had a pretty solid victory against us, but finals are a different game,” she said.

“They’ve got some really good players - you’ve got young Portia (Keatch) in goal shooter, Steph Ward in goal attack, she sets a lot of their attacking moves up, and Mia Tanner is also very good, the current joint best and fairest winner (with Tarrawingee’s Tegan White).

“One of the biggest things that came out of our match with Bonnie Doon is they jumped us at the start, and we were just playing catch-up net-

survival

ball for the rest of the game.

“We’ve got to be ready at the get-go.”

Bonnie Doon coach Michelle Tanner said her side had to stick to their game plan, and the result would go their way.

“As long as we continue to play our brand of netball and stick to our systems I’ll be happy,” she said.

“It will be a great game.

“The girls are already winners in my eyes, coming as far as they have - I’m incredibly proud of each and every one of them.”

Tarrawingee takes on Bonnie Doon this Sunday at the North Wangaratta Recreation Reserve from 2.30pm.

MILAWA and Greta facing off against each other at Tarrawingee in an A grade final for a place in the decider after finishing in the top two – is it last year already?

Incredibly, tomorrow’s A grade qualifying final is a repeat of last year’s, the only difference being who finished on top.

Milawa has been nigh untouchable this year, their only loss coming from Greta just three weeks ago.

Demons’ coach Kerrie Gray said the Blues can never be counted out.

“Greta aren’t to be taken lightly, they’re a side with a lot of depth and a lot of experience,” she said.

“They play well in finals, finals is their jam – they’ve been here many times and they’ll be really tough on the weekend.

“We always knew they’d bounce back after we had a convincing win against them early.

“You can play great netball all year, but it all comes down to showing up on the day, and on that day they wanted the win more than we did and they were rewarded.

“It was a really good lesson for us and a timely lesson going into finals.

“We’ll turn up on Saturday and bring our best game, we’ll have a great match against them because I know they’ll do the same.”

With two teams of this calibre up against each other, mistake mitigation and a powerful start will be crucial to either side getting the win.

“Both us and Greta are fast out of the blocks, so the first quarter will be fiercely contested and I think both teams will settle as the game goes,” Gray said.

“We match up really well across the court, we both have really strong shooting circles, but we equally both have very strong defensive circles.

“I can’t say that we have the upper hand in an area or Greta has the upper hand in an area, we’re two well-matched sides.

“If we want the win, we just need to be really clinical and really polished in what we do, and take the game on like we have all year.”

Greta coach Milly Mathewson said her side was charged up after a strong second half of the year, and would take the fight to Milawa.

“I think if you have a look back through our season we’ve definitely come home strong,” she said.

“We had a big change up to the team this year and have tried lots of different things before settling on our best combos the second half of the season.

“I’m very excited to come up against Milawa again.

“We’re sitting at one win each from our prior meetings through the season, so I’m sure we’re in for a great match.”

The match gets underway from 2.30pm tomorrow at the Tarrawingee Recreation Reserve.

MASSIVE MATCH: Kelly Jackson and the Bulldogs face Bonnie Doon this weekend.

PHOTO: Kurt Hickling

MAN UP: If Milawa’s Sebastian De Napoli finds space in the forward 50, he can make Bright pay.

PHOTO: Nathan de Vries

SHOOTOUT: Bright’s Guy Campbell and the forward line will be vital in getting the Mountain Men over the line against Milawa.

PHOTO: Kurt Hickling

Moore’s the man inside 50

CALLUM Moore has added a Doug Strang Medal to his growing collection.

A three week patch of brilliance has seen Moore win the league goal kicking by a whopping 11-goals ahead of Yarrawonga sharpshooter Leigh Williams.

The former Richmond and Carlton player finished the home and away season with 75 majors at an average of 4.69 per game with 29 of those goals coming in his final three games.

“It’s nice to be recognised for something,” Moore said.

“But it probably goes down to the other blokes in the team who pretty much won me the award by kicking it down my throat every week.

“The players in the forward line also made my job easy by leading up and letting me do my thing inside 50.”

Moore’s one of the most versatile players in the competition despite standing at 193cm.

BY WILLSON MACK wmack@ nemedia.com.au

Along with dominating down forward, Moore’s been played in the ruck, as a midfielder and also on a wing at times throughout his stint in the O&M.

“I’ve always told ‘Reidy’ (Ben Reid) that I do my best work inside 50, it’s something I pride my game on,” Moore said.

“But like I said I’m lucky to be kicking this amount of goals and it comes down to the backs and mids getting the ball to me.”

Moore’s accuracy in front of goals has been questioned in the past but he’s turned that around the back half of the year.

“I had a slow start to the year in front of goals and there were probably some question marks around my goal kicking, especially

around the 25-30 metre mark,” he said.

“I got concussed against Albury (in round 14) and came out the other end kicking straight.

“I’ve been working on it a lot though and it’s definitely something I pride myself on now.”

Moore will have to continue his dominance now given Reid has been ruled out of the rest of the season with a bicep injury that required surgery, but he will have the help of Michael Newton who is set to return for this weekend’s first final.

“’Juice’ (Newton) has been training well over the past couple of weeks so it’ll be good to get him back in,” Moore said.

“My role shouldn’t change much with him coming back in, we work well together because we’re pretty similar players.”

Wangaratta faces Albury in tomorrow’s qualifying final at WJ Findlay Oval.

Regular season over for Hockey Dragons

WANGARATTA’S under 16 girls hockey side really ended the season on a high.

For the first time this season, all 11 girls were on the pitch, all it took was bribing them with pizza for after the game, and what a game it was.

In the first half the girls brought the teamwork, communication and that pure determination to do their very best.

The third quarter was by far the best with one goal for, only one against and not conceding any short corners.

Charlotte Marshall scored her first ever goal.

The Dragons should be proud of all of their achievements, individual skills and combination of effort and never giving up.

The under 14s played at home in Wangaratta this week against Falcons.

Jake Lane captained the side, with everyone playing some different positions given it was their last game.

THE INNER SANCTUM

DETERMINED: Henry Findlay drives the ball up the field.

SHOT: Lucy North takes a shot on goal. PHOTOS: Kylie Samson

WDJFL Allocation Night

The night many young up and coming 2023 graduating Auskickers look forward to is just around the corner!

The WDJFL and Wangaratta Auskick Centre have been working tirelessly over the past month on the allocation process, and next Wednesday the 6th of September the Auskickers will get to find out and meet their WDJFL club for 2024!

This year the WDJFL Allocation Panel has allocated over 70 kids out to the six WDJFL Wangaratta based clubs, a big task that involves many moving parts including, grading forms from the Auskick Centres and clubs, training sessions for the Auskickers and many discussions and meetings to get the process right.

We thank everyone involved for their commitment to the process and look forward to seeing the kids meet their new clubs next week!

James Wheeler, who normally plays in the forward line, was a standout in defence and there were some great passages of play with Rory Gibbs and Jake Lane in the forward line with

WANGARATTA’S WEEKEND OF FOOTBALL

It’s a mammoth weekend of football in Wangaratta, with WDJFL, OKFNL and OMFNL games across both days!

SATURDAY HAS 3 VENUES ACROSS 3 LEAGUES

IN ACTION –

Norm Minns Oval – WDJFL Preliminary Finals from 8:50am Tarrawingee Rec Reserve – OFKNL Semi Finals (Netball from 9:30am and Football from Midday)

WJ Findlay Oval – OMFNL Qualifying Finals (Netball from 9:15am and Football from 9:30am)

SUNDAY IS ACTION PACKED AS WELL WITH –North Wangaratta Rec Reserve – OKFNL Semi Finals (Netball from 9:30am and Football from Midday) Norm Minns Oval – OMFNL Elimination Finals (Netball from 9:15am and Football from 9:30am)

The sun will be out, and the grounds are looking in great condition, make sure you get out and support your teams and community this weekend!

some very exciting runs towards goals.

Thanks go to Joseph Robertson for filling in as goalie with Noah Fitzgerald away.

Best on ground went to Hamish Kerr for his continued efforts to tackle hard and take on the opposition, always pushing forward from the backline into the mid field.

The coach was proud of how the team has developed this season and persisted each game, no matter what the score was.

The division three women’s final game was against one of the top teams, Wodonga Maroon, and they beat them 1-0.

Every single player who stepped on the field played their absolute best.

Winning against one of the top teams shows that the Dragons ladies have become such a strong team that next year they will be the team to beat.

Best on ground went to goal keeper Carli Notman for her amazing skills defending the goals - not one ball was let through.

Goal scorer was Adelaide Croker from a short corner with the help of her teammates.

Club Development Lead Role

AFLNEB is excited to off a new role within the region that will be crucial in supporting local clubs and leagues across the region!

The role of the Club Development Lead is to lead volunteers (committees and boards) across all AFL Victoria affiliated community clubs. The CDL will work with volunteers to build their capacity and assist them in performing key duties whilst building self sufficiency in clubs. More information on the role and how to apply can be found via AFL North East Borders Social Media pages and on our website, or you can contact zac.hedin@afl.com.au.

The Whisper

A prominent O&K Senior Footballer from a potential Grand Final contender has been spotted jogging around the WJ Findlay Oval barefoot in anticipation of making the big dance on the 16th, there are fears with warmer weather on the horizon that his shirt could be joining his shoes on the sidelines soon.

SHARP SHOOTER: Callum Moore will be looking to continue his form in finals.

PHOTO: Melissa Beattie

Tough task lies task ahead for Magpies

By WILLSON MACK

WANGARATTA players are feeling fresh after their week off ahead of tomorrow’s qualifying final clash with Albury at WJ Findlay Oval.

The Magpies faced the bye in the O&M’s final home and away round but trained on Saturday ahead of their clash with the Tigers.

“We had a little scratch match on Saturday and got the Melbourne boys up for it as well,” coach Ben Reid said.

“This weekend will be a huge challenge for us, Albury are tied on points with Yarrawonga but sit behind on percentage.

“We sit one and one with them and the last game we played against them was weird, we ended up with 17 on

the field so we’re looking forward to getting another crack at them.”

Wangaratta were 14-points behind Albury at the half-time break in round 14 before injuries struck in the second half putting an end to their chances.

“We looked a little bit into the first half of that game, mainly just at what we were doing,” Reid said.

“We’re doing things better now than we were doing back then which is exciting.

“Albury are a strong club though and we’re going to have to be at our best to be a chance against them.”

Reid admitted finals is a different ball game.

“Finals footy is about doing the basics better than the opposition,” he said.

“The challenge for us will be bringing that manic pressure for longer than them, we know they’ll have their moments and so will we but if we can keep our pressure up we’ll be a chance.

“Pretty much all of our side has played finals footy which will be handy for us, even our first year players played thirds finals last year.

“Cam Barrett’s probably the only one who hasn’t played finals I think.”

Ruckman Chris Knowles will be up against a formidable opponent in Isaac Muller but Reid’s backing his big man in.

“’Knowlesy’ has had a big work load for us all year and he’s stood up every time so we’ll back him in,” he said.

“I feel like he thrives off

Do-or-die for Rovers in clash with ‘Dogs

By WILLSON MACK

WANGARATTA Rovers

were on the receiving end of Wodonga’s huge improvement just three weeks ago, but the Hawks will be looking to reverse that result at Norm Minns Oval on Sunday.

The Bulldogs’ brand of footy will be fresh in the minds of the Rovers’ players having fallen to Wodonga by 15-points in round 16.

Wangaratta Rovers coach Sam Murray is keen for the challenge.

of Wodonga.

“Their clearance work with (Angus) Baker and (Josh) Mathey is really good and it’s something we’re going to have to watch,” Murray said.

“All of the teams left are good with clearances and it’s probably something we’ve lacked so we’re going to have to try and improve in that area.

“We’ll be putting it on Brodie Filo, Will McCarthy and Cody Schutt to bring their best work in there.”

these types of match-ups.

“’Cal’ (Moore) will give him a chop out in the ruck at times too which will help him but we’re backing ‘Knowlesy’ in.”

Wangaratta will be without Reid who had surgery on his bicep last week, along with Jackson Clarke and Matt Kelly but will get Michael Newton and Daine Porter back into the side.

“Bar ‘Jacko’, Kelly and myself we’ll have everyone available,” Reid said.

“’Juice’ (Newton) and Daine are huge ins for us, ‘Juice’ has been training for two weeks and is looking really good and Daine comes back from a rest because he’s had such a big year.”

Wangaratta’s qualifying final kicks off at 2pm.

“It’s going to be big challenge but we’re confident that our best brand stacks up against anyone,” Murray said.

“We get ‘Pup’ (Michael) Clarke back in who’s an important player and we’ve been able to reintroduce Will Christie last week so that definitely helps.

“We just need to bring what we’re good at to the table and compete hard.”

Wodonga’s presence around the source has been as good as anyone’s this season and that was highlighted when they only had three less clearances than Yarrawonga in their loss last weekend.

Rovers aren’t known for their work around the contest but will need to tighten up in that area if they’re to get over the top

LAVINGTON’S NEXT FOR WANGARATTA MAGPIES

By WILLSON MACK

WANGARATTA A grade netballers get their first look at the 2023 O&M finals tomorrow.

The Magpies take on Lavington at WJ Findlay Oval with the Panthers winning both games this year between the sides which will no doubt leave Wangaratta nervous ahead of tomorrow’s qualifying final.

The margins were just four and two goals respectively from both games though as Wangaratta looks to stop the streak when it matters most.

Magpies coach Lou Byrne said it’s exciting to be playing finals.

“The girls enjoyed the weekend off but they’re looking forward to this weekend,” Byrne said.

“It’s exciting to be at finals time again, the club’s got four netball and three football sides which is a great effort.

“Finals is what you’re striving for all year so hopefully we can push pretty deep.”

Despite losing their last clash by two goals, Byrne said her side is quietly confident.

“Lavington are no walk in the park,” she said.

“Last time we had more of the ball, more turnovers but we just didn’t convert so if we can turn that around we’ll be okay.

“We’re feeling good though, confident in ourselves and confident in our teammates so hopefully we get the result we’re after.”

Panthers star shooter Christine Oguche will need to be stopped having topped the O&M’s goal scoring in just her first full season of A grade netball.

Byrne said it’s important all of her players play their role.

“Whatever changes get made throughout the game the girls need to play their roles,” she said.

“Everyone has a role to fill and that’s what can help you win finals.

“That comes back to trusting your teammates as well.”

The bigger ground at Norm Minns Oval should suit Rovers’ run and carry.

“We were happy when we heard we were playing at Norm Minns Oval,” Murray said.

“We haven’t had the best luck there in recent years but the faster deck should suit our run.

“It’ll be good to watch Saturday’s game at our ground and then stay in Wangaratta for our game on Sunday.”

The Hawks have got plenty of troops back since that clash with Will Christie, Michael Clarke and Dylan Wilson all returning in last weekend’s win over North Albury.

Unfortunately, Darcy Wilson and Will McCarthy will go out of last weekend’s match winning side with Murray Bushrangers commitments.

FINALS FEVER: Wangaratta has four netball sides playing finals this season with Ruby Croucher,Olivia Cavicchiolo, Hannah Grady and Abbey Moore to feature.

PHOTO: Kurt Hickling

BIG IN: Michael Newton returns for this weekend’s qualifying final clash against Albury.

PHOTO: Melissa Beattie

1.

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3.

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30 Ovens St, Wangaratta

P: 03 5722 9600 W: travelncruise.com.au

1. Collingwood & Melbourne

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5. Daicos misses maiden grand final.

6. St.Kilda makes first grand final since 2010.

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Websters

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Last week - 6 ToTaL - 143

1. Saints Vs Pies

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4. Marcus Bontempelli.

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6. Australia mourns as Pies bow out of Finals in straight sets!!!!!! (the mourning bit is what we won’t see)

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Last week - 5 ToTaL - 128

1. What 2 teams will play in the Grand Final?

2. Who will win the Grand Final?

3. Who will win the Norm Smith Medal?

4. Who will win the Brownlow?

5. What news headline Will we see during the finals series?

6. What news headline WoN’t we see during the finals series?

4. Zac Bailey

6. Dustin Martin resigns

1. Brisbane and Collingwood

2. Collingwood

3. Jordan DeGoey

4. Marcus Bontempelli

5. Brisbane cannot win at the MCG

6. Hawthorn will make Grand Final ‘24

Last

THE rural city is set to play host to a monster weekend of finals action from tomorrow. The Ovens and Murray Football Netball League will take centre stage in the heart of town at WJ Findlay Oval Saturday and at the showgrounds on Sunday. Both Wangaratta and Wangaratta Rovers will swap home grounds with both seniors football and Hannah Grady’s (middle) Magpies A grade netball in play. On the city’s outskirts, teams will be vying for an Ovens and King Football Netball grand final berth at Tarrawingee on Saturday, including Greta’s Cam Green (right), while others will be fighting for finals survival at North Wangaratta on Sunday. And at South Wangaratta, Vitaly Leschen (left) and Wangaratta City will play host to a final for the first time in a decade on Sunday, which will be capped off by a blockbuster Devils and Albury United showdown in the division one men. Other sports to be hosting finals this weekend include the WDJFL preliminary finals at the showgrounds on Saturday morning and the senior North Eastern Baseball Association grand final day at Targoora Park on Sunday.

or ‘Doon

EITHER Bonnie Doon or Greta will win their way to a grand final berth tomorrow at the Tarrawingee Recreation Reserve.

The two top footy squads in the senior competition will go head to head after taking the first week of the finals off

The winner will progress clear through to the decider, while the loser will take on the victor of Sunday’s Bright-Milawa match.

With stars across the ground, five Team of the Year players apiece, and a

BY NATHAN DE VRIES ndevries@ nemedia.com.au

spot in the grand final up for grabs, it’s all on the line.

Bonnie Doon coach Ken Murray said it would be a hard fought battle in the midfield.

“I think the senior competition is wide open, I think there are four really good sides in it and whoever brings their A game on the day can get the job done,” he said.

“We’ll largely be backing our midfield to get the job done.

“Greta’s (James) McClounan and (Lachie) Kennett are terrific players, but I think Matty Hedin, Campbell Smedley, Joel Sanford, Beau Smith are certainly more than capable of matching it with those guys.

“I think our midfield bats just as deep, if not deeper.

“It’s definitely a ‘watch out’ area for us, but I think the game is often decided in different areas, forward line pressure from either

them or us will go a long way towards deciding the outcome.

“I expect the mids will get enough looks during the day, they’re going to have their work cut out for them against some quality midfielders as well, but we certainly think we’ve got more than enough to take it right up to them.”

Greta coach Greg Newbold said the Blues would focus on their own game and ramp up their work rate across the ground.

“It’s a good time of the

year, the weather’s probably improved a little – it’s the time of the year you want to be playing, so the boys are looking forward to it,” he said.

“We know the way we work and how we play, it’s very team oriented.

“Obviously they’ve got players that if they get free they’re dangerous, especially if they’ve got momentum, that could be a problem, but it’s the same with us.

“I’m sure they’ll know the sort of team we’ve got and they’ll have their plans for

us as we’ll have plans for them.

“We’re looking forward to it, we’ve had to come from a long way back, gradually built over a number of years.

“Internally, we think we’re a pretty good team, so hopefully we can make it happen on the weekend.”

Greta’s and Bonnie Doon’s senior sides take to the ground for their qualifying final from 2pm this Saturday at Tarrawingee, at the conclusion of the reserves final between Greta and Bright.

PHOTO: Kurt Hickling