Bingo bonanza
Event MC Della Katessen performs ABBA’s hit-song Dancing Queen at a Drag Bingo night at Lynbrook Community Centre last Saturday.
More than 100 glammed up for the Casey Council celebration of Pride Month.
More on the event, turn to page 10
Voice for refugees
A community champion speaking out for refugees has been lauded in the King’s Birthday Honours List released late on 8 June.
Shabnam Safa was named as a Medallist of the Order of Australia (OAMs) for their bold deeds in the South East region.
Fueled by her own forced displacement, Safa has toiled for justice and a better system for refugees and migrants.
Shocked by her OAM accolade, she says she’s been driven by a sense of “moral duty” and “calling” in her work with groups such as Centre for Multicultural Youth, Community Refugee Sponsorship Australia and the Australian Refugee Advisory Panel.
She hopes the award spotlights the contribu-
tions of people from refugee backgrounds who “do incredible things and achieve major success despite facing structural barriers”.
“When you’re supporting refugees it’s not a feel-good phrase or charity work. It’s recognising people’s humanity and building policies and systems that reflect shared humanity regardless of who you are and where you come from.”
She embraces the crucial works and impact she has had on lives and communities.
But she says there’s so much more that needs to be done to include refugee voices and their lived experiences to create better policies that are not just good but “integral and crucial.”
More on South East honourees, turn to pages 4 and 5
(Rob Carew: 483044)
Roll up your sleeve and donate today!
National Blood Donor Week (9 to 15 June) recognises all of Australia’s blood donors who make a life-changing difference to the lives of strangers. City of Casey Mayor Cr Stefan Koomen recently visited the Narre Warren North Pop Up Blood Donor Centre to roll up his sleeve and donate blood for the first time.
Celebrating Casey’s Centenarians
Our community is rich with wisdom and experience, and we want to celebrate our most senior members.
If you, a family member, or a friend has reached the wonderful age of 100 or more, we would love to connect with you.
We are planning a special event later in the year to honour our centenarians and would be delighted for them to attend this memorable celebration.
Please visit our website for more information.
In partnership with the Melbourne Football Club, we are excited to offer the six-week #CaseyGirlsCan women’s football program.
This social and supportive environment is the perfect way to have a go at footy – for free!
www.trybooking.com/ events/landing/1401467
Lifeblood needs more than 1.7 million donations every year to meet the growing demand for blood products in Australia.
Eligible residents can book an appointment today by scanning the QR code or calling 13 14 95.
EOFY Business Breakfast
Kickstart your financial year with confidence and join us on Tuesday 24 June at the EOFY Business Breakfast at Bunjil Place.
Arm your business with crucial insights into tax changes and financial planning from expert speakers, Michelle Beadle from BJT Business Advisors, Helen Tobin-King from Invest Victoria and Trent Wiltshire from Grattan Institute.
Plus, you can network with local business leaders, exchange ideas and ask your pressing questions, all while enjoying a delicious breakfast.
Scan the QR code to book.
Cement your business’ place as a leader in business by applying for the Casey Business Awards 2025.
All applicants receive invaluable, tailored feedback from a panel of expert judges, while winners receive highly-publicised accolades and cash prizes.
Scan the QR code to find out more and begin your application.
Casey Conversations
Provide feedback on a number of consultations currently open on our community engagement platform, Casey Conversations.
• Doveton Pool in the Park playground design: help shape the design of the new park and open space.
• New dog park at Sweeney Reserve, Berwick: we are seeking your feedback on the on what the park will look like.
• Park and Play Hub: find out which sites are being upgraded in your community and and tell us what you think.
Head to the Casey Conversations website to find out more or scan the QR code.
Mayor Cr Stefan Koomen and Chloe at the Narre Warren North Pop Up Blood Donor Centre.
#CaseyGirlsCan 2025 women’s football program
Listing fees ‘ridiculous’
By Violet Li
Local real estate agents in Casey say the advertising costs on realestate.com.au had surged over the years, with one describing the pricing as “ridiculous and out of control”.
They acknowledged the market reach of the platform but said its pricing model of advertising costs had little flexibility and transparency, with costs now reaching over $2,500 per property in suburbs like Cranbourne.
Some agents are also encouraging vendors to consider alternative platforms to break out of the cost surge.
The claims came amid the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC)’s recent investigation into digital property advertising company REA Group, which is best known for operating the realestate.com.au platform.
The $32 billion ASX-listed giant confirmed to its shareholders on 27 May that it was being investigated by the ACCC. The consumer watchdog required REA to provide information regarding certain subscription offerings.
A spokesperson of ACCC said the investigation is at an early stage, and they’re yet to form a view.
John Deo, chief executive officer of LJ Hooker Casey, said REA put their prices up every year, and there was nothing they could do about it.
“It’s just getting ridiculous and getting out of control. The premier listing in our area (Hampton Park) is nearly $2,600. It’s the biggest thing on our marketing budget,” he said.
“Everything else is all a couple of $100. Our average marketing campaign is nearly $4,500. But our commission is only like $8,000 to $10,000. The advertising is nearly at 45 per cent.
“It’s going up in July. It’s going to be close to $2,800 or $2,900.
“And I don’t understand how their cost goes up because it’s purely Internet.”
Jo Mooney, director of Mooney & Co Estate Agents in Cranbourne, noted that the advertising costs on the platform increased about seven to eight per cent a year.
“They quote their market strengths,” she said.
She also noted that they were getting fewer inquiries now through the platform than they had in a very long time.
“And vendors are paying more to be on there,” she said.
Both Mr Deo and Ms Mooney pointed out the lack of transparency on the pricing model of its advertising fees. They tried to figure it out, but still, they had no idea.
Realestate.com.au offers different subscription tiers for agencies, which influence the base cost of listings. According to Ms Mooney, most agencies are on the Premiere +, which provides the biggest ads, to remain competitive.
It is understood that the cost for a real estate agency to list a property on realestate.com.au varies based on several factors, including the agency’s subscription tier and the property’s location, but the final numbers showed up, the agents found it difficult to pin down a coherent pattern.
“It’s postcode pricing, to a degree, but if it’s postcode pricing, should all be the same for one postcode, but it’s not,” Ms Mooney said.
For example, the cost of a Premiere for Cranbourne, Cranbourne East, North, and South is about $2,500, but Botanic Ridge, with the same postcode, is a little bit cheaper, which doesn’t make sense to Ms Mooney because the median house price there is higher than Cranbourne. Clyde, the abutting suburb with a different postcode, has a very similar median housing price to Cranbourne, but the advertising cost on a Premiere is about $1,200.
The pricing model bewildered Mr Deo as he discovered Hampton Park and Berwick share the same price for advertising, but the median house price in Berwick is nearly double that of Hampton Park.
“You can go five kilometres in towards the city, and the prices are averaging $ 1 million, and they’re paying the same price as us,” he said.
“It’s a very unfair system, the way they do the pricing.”
Ms Mooney said sellers don’t feel like they
have an option not to go to realestate.com.au, and the surging price was putting pressure on the agencies to lower commissions to offset the cost of the marketing.
“We used to pay for the marketing. We can’t afford to now because it’s such a substantial amount for each property,” she said.
“If you’re carrying multiple properties at all times, that’s a hell of a lot of money.”
She also said part of the problem was that agencies were locked in one tier of marketing subscription for twelve months, which lacked flexibility.
“What we should be able to do, and that would give home sellers control over what they actually invest and spend in marketing their property, is to take different-sized ads available on realestate. com.au and say to homeowners, how would you like your property to be marketed? Do you just want a standard ad? Do you want a feature? Do you want a highlight? Do you want Premiere? What do you want to do?” she said.
“Because that way, they’ve got some sort of control.”
Dean Tucker, the director of First National Real Estate Finning in Cranbourne, said there should be a conversation to educate people into choosing alternative property advertising.
“I always say it’s a two-pronged conversation. There’s the conversation about trying to sell the house, and then there’s the conversation about promoting the office or the agent. They’re two totally different things,” he said.
“The big ads are really about promoting the office and the agent. Selling the house is a totally different thing because you can sell the house with the smallest ad if the price is right, and the house looks nice, and it’s in the spot where people want to buy it.”
He said there was no bottom end for the price surge because the desire to get more exposure will lead to more varied and expensive packages.
“Look, at the end of the day, there’s nothing wrong, I suppose, with capitalism and that everybody wants to jump onto the same platform and then that they can effectively charge what they want,” he said.
“I think the deal has to be trying to educate people into choosing alternatives.”
Speaking about the ACCC’s investigation into the group, Mr Tucker said he was interested to see how the watchdog was going to do.
“I’d love it for them to go put some regulation on that market,” he said.
Ms Mooney said every business deserves to make money, but there is a real issue here with the group.
“The issue is that they are strangling the market. And the market is numb and bad,” she said.
REA was contacted for comments.
In its announcement to the shareholders, it says the group is committed to “providing choice, value and flexibility to its customers and consumers, and remains focused on delivering products and services that improve the property experience of buyers, sellers and renters”.
“The value that REA provides is underpinned by the 12.3 million people who visited realestate. com.au each month on average in the March quarter, with 6.4 million exclusively using realestate.com.au1.
“REA is cooperating fully with the ACCC and is unable to comment further for confidentiality reasons. REA will continue to comply with its disclosure obligations and will update the market on this matter as appropriate.”
The spokesperson of ACCC said the watchdog does not normally make comments on its ongoing investigations, noting that it conducts such work on a confidential basis.
“Naturally, the ACCC is concerned to ensure there is strong competition in the important real estate sector,” they said.
“As the investigation is ongoing, the ACCC won’t comment further at this time.”
Generally speaking, businesses are free to independently set their own prices as they wish.
The ACCC has no role in setting or regulating the prices of real estate ads.
Margaret back in the saddle
By Violet Li
After nearly five decades out of the saddle, 92-year-old Margaret Page fulfilled a lifelong birthday wish in Devon Meadows.
She climbed back on a horse, just as she did as a schoolgirl riding through the countryside.
The 92-year-old travelled from Frankston to Totoka Lodge in Devon Meadows on Thursday 29 May to celebrate her birthday. The lodge offered her a free surprise gift – a ride with the horse Alice.
“I can’t speak highly enough about Totoka Lodge,” Margaret’s son Roger said.
“Mum said it was very, very memorable, and she had a wonderful time.
“They (staff) led the horse around and were very attentive and very careful. They made sure she was safe, but also got a chance to have a bit of a trot and a fair ride around the complex. It was just fantastic.
“She stayed on the horse for about 20 minutes. She got a bit of time to get to know the horse. Groom the horse, too, which was nice. It was the most beautiful, placid, and accommodating horse, I have to say.”
When Margaret was a kid growing up, she lived on a farm. She and her twin brother, from very early on, would ride their horse to school, the only way for them to get to school.
So, the family wasn’t surprised when they found out Margaret’s 92nd birthday wish was to get a ride again.
“My wife actually said to her, what did you want to do on your birthday night? And she said, she’d been thinking about this (horseriding) for about ten years. She wouldn’t really have to go for a gallop on a horse,” Roger recalled.
“Mom’s pretty fit. She still plays netball. We weren’t overly surprised, but I wasn’t too sure. The last time she’d been on a horse, she said fifty years, but I reckon it’d been longer than that.”
It was hard to find a venue for Margaret, given her age. But finally, some of Margaret’s
friends from netball referred Totoka Lodge.
“Not only were they happy to help us out, but they also did it all for free,” Roger said.
“There was a birthday present for Mom. They had cake and decorations, and all sorts of things.
“It was quite funny. When we turned up, they said, Oh, we’ve got a beautiful horse for you. The horse’s name is Alice. And mom’s middle name is Alice.”
Margaret has a stoic characteristic, but still, she showed happiness.
“She said it’s probably one of her most memorable birthdays, and she really enjoyed a chance to be back on a horse. It was like reliving her youth,” Roger said.
“Mom often talked about growing up. And, of course, as she has kids, we would often go out and visit the family farm, but they didn’t have horses in the latter years.
“We never saw much of the horse-riding stuff. But mom would always talk about the horses they had and riding.
“It was really nice to see her actually doing it and connecting with the horse, and I guess it was bringing back all those memories of her childhood, which is nice to recapture because it’s an era that doesn’t exist anymore.”
Paula Scully (owner of Totoka Lodge, who arranged the experience), Margaret Page on the horse, and Chelsea from Totoka Lodge.
Margaret Page (right two) and her family (daughter-in-law Margaret and son Roger) and her friend (right one) had a great time at Totoka Lodge in Devon Meadows, where Margaret fulfilled her birthday wish to ride a horse again. (Supplied)
Helen’s work for veterans
By Ethan Benedicto
Kindness, love, and giving back to those in need are attributes that are never questioned, but provide clarity for Mrs Helen Louise Comport, as the King’s Birthday sees her awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia.
Helen was awarded for her service to veterans and their families, and is set to wear the medal in September this year during the official ceremony.
In the meantime, however, Helen, when she first heard the news, “was a bit shocked”.
“This is a recognition of what someone does, because there are a lot of people out there who do a lot of good things and help others.
“But you know, I didn’t really expect any recognition for it, I get my reward from being able to help and give to others,” Helen said.
Recovering from a broken shoulder, it was one of her sons who had opened the letter for her, breaking its news, and both were in a state of disbelief, though it was Helen more than anyone else.
“I couldn’t write properly, you know? It was painful to move it and try to write with my other hand, and I just said, look, could you do it?” she said.
“I said, ‘I don’t even know what this is, I think I need to fill in a form’, and he looked at it, and then we both found out.
“My son, he said, mum, this is bigger than the Margaret Golding Award, and I said, oh, I suppose it is - still very shocked.”
Helen was the founder of the Quilts of Valour (QOV) in Australia in the early 2010s, serving as its first president and secretary, continuing her duties until now.
A sister organisation had existed for some time in the United States, but it was a harrowing and eye-opening personal experience involving one of her sons, who served in Afghanistan, that became Helen’s driving force to find something that expressed love to those who served.
“One of my boys was serving in Afghanistan, and he was badly injured; he was in a really dark place, he’d lost mates, he nearly lost himself,” Helen said.
“Then, when someone gave him a quilt, he cried, thinking that someone did all that work to make one for him.
“When he finally came back home, he said to me, ‘mum, imagine if Australians did this for our veterans’, and I just thought, why not?
“Our main goal was to wrap veterans in the warmth and love of a quilt, to show them that Australia and Australians do appreciate them for putting their lives on the line.”
That was the first step, the second came from Helen asking one of her friends who had introduced her to quilting and told her the story.
Her friend then suggested that Helen write to a number of quilting magazines and publications, to see if there were others who were interested and willing to help in Helen’s newfound aspiration.
To begin, Helen expected a small reception,
thinking that perhaps a dozen or so responses with a number of helping hands.
“I was thinking that would be all, and at least we could give some to veterans and thank them,” she said.
However, word travelled far and reached the Victorian Quilters Guild, who soon published Helen’s letter of request in their quarterly publication.
Within days, Helen was flooded with emails and contact details, all with messages that read “how can we help?” and “we want to help you”.
The technical hurdle came soon after, with Helen recalling that it initially took her some time to organise a meeting, marking its beginning, and her first time accepting donations.
“I wanted to be sure that people understood that anything they did was going to a cause, so I worked on getting incorporated as an association, then getting an ABN, then getting a charity status,” she said.
“Us quilters, we have our bits and pieces, and that’s originally how quilting started, it was people using bits and pieces of fabric and then putting them together.
“We would join them together in these designs, these patterns and turn them into a quilt.”
When her son came home, there was a massive sense of relief that washed over her, but she also realised that there were parents and mothers who were in her same shoes, who did not get to see their children come back home.
Through her son, Helen was able to get in touch with a colonel in the army, who, in turn, sent Helen’s letter to all the families that had lost loved ones in battle, so that she and the Quilts of Valour
would make quilts for them.
“We gave quilts to children of veterans, we gave them to wives, mums, dads, siblings, whoever was affected by a loss,” she said.
“We wanted to say thank you, and give them something that wasn’t necessarily a medal, that’s the government’s role, but the quilt is us saying thanks for what they did.
“Throughout the years, we’ve had so many amazing responses from veterans who’ve received them.”
Helen recalled the time a veteran said to her that he had thoughts of suicide, but it was that gesture of receiving and being given a quilt that had shifted the trajectory in his mind.
For her, it was a revelation that maybe, “we might have saved a life”.
In addition to the QOV, Helen was also part of the Inner Wheel Club of Berwick and was the president from 2019 to 2020.
As of now, she operates as the club’s media administrator and historian, but was also a former newsletter editor.
In the professional field, Helen is a long-time and, in a sense, a decorated teacher with expertise in science and mathematics.
She taught at Margaret College in Berwick from 1999-2000, then at Haileybury College from 20012005, and finally, her longest tenure was at Beaconhills College from 2006-2020.
Throughout this time, Helen was still a very active member of the QOV and the Inner Wheel, being awarded the Margarette Golding Award for her efforts in the latter in 2022.
“It’s just a lovely thing really, helping people out,” Helen said.
“I think, if we all just gave one little thing each day, even a smile to someone, the world would be a better place.
“If people just take a bit of a step back and think, maybe that person’s having a bad day, if I just smile, it might just help.
”I think humans are naturally empathetic and want to help others; we, and I, get rewarded because we’re helping those people.”
Helen added that for many, asking for help is difficult, whereas providing a small helping hand can go a long way.
“You just feel good after helping someone, and I had to sort of tell myself, maybe they will feel good if I let them help me sometimes,” Helen said.
Recalling school teaching, she said she had the same sense of happiness and accomplishment, seeing the young grow and expand their knowledge - it was a fulfilling experience for Helen.
On the more fun side, Helen said that quilting and sewing have, and continue to be, one of her favourite pastimes, and being able to put that effort into something valuable like QOV adds a different layer to it.
“It’s sort of like a meditative thing, but I’ve got my sewing room, which is my happy place,” she said.
Looking ahead, Helen is keen for the official ceremony later in the year, but in the meantime, she has some duties to attend to with more quilts to be made, and responsibilities with both the QOV and Inner Wheel calling for her.
Environment crusader, teacher ‘stunned’ by OAM honour
By Ava Cashmore
When Judith Lynette Sise received the letter notifying her of the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM), she was stunned.
“It was a bit of a surprise in lots of ways,” she admits.
“I can think of lots of people who have done probably as much or more than me.
“But it’s also a surprise that’s quite pleasing — to think that somebody has recognised and is aware of what I’m doing.”
For more than two decades, Sise has been an advocate for conservation, the environment, and education.
Her contributions are deeply woven into the natural landscapes of the south-east suburbs, and the minds of young children.
She is the current President and Nursery Coordinator of Friends of Braeside Park, where she has volunteered since 2000.
She is also an active figure in the Greater Dandenong Environmental Group, Gardens for Wildlife, and the Field Naturalists Club of Victoria — just to name a few.
But Judith’s impact stretches far beyond committee meetings and planting days.
For more than 40 years, she inspired
generations of children as a primary school teacher, specialising in science from 2013 until her recent retirement.
“To me, I probably did better than [pursuing a career in zoology] because by becoming a teacher, you start to sow little seeds and ideas into children’s heads that hopefully will go through their whole life,” she said.
Her passion for conservation seeded early in life.
Growing up in central Queensland, she spent days cycling into the bush, raising injured joeys, and observing nature up close.
This grew to become a lifelong journey in education and action.
“I always liked science,” she says. “I had a teacher who opened up the whole world to us... from then on I was hooked.”
Despite her accomplishments — including winning the BHP Billiton Science and Engineering Teacher of the Year award in 2014 — Judith remains grounded and humble.
“It’s sort of like a pat on the back to keep on going,” she said.
Though Judith’s advocacy is unwavering and admirable, she can’t help but have frustrations with the current state of affairs.
“The hardest thing about caring for the environment is trying to change people’s perceptions,” she said.
“People have to be willing to accept change and to think differently. What we do has repercussions for not just ourselves but our whole community.
“I guess the biggest thing I would like to see is people thinking that we’re part of nature and biodiversity. We’re not above it.”
For her, terms like ‘loss of biodiversity’ don’t go far enough. “It’s destruction,” she stressed.
“The habitat hasn’t disappeared and hidden itself under the bed. It’s been destroyed.”
Sise says that a large problem is “Australia has a lot of nice people, but we need more good people”.
“They just want me to do it and not them,” she said.
Though she said it with a chuckle, she made her point clear, that to be good, you have to make hard choices sometimes.
“It takes a good person to stand up and say what they believe and ask for change.
“You don’t have to be argumentative and you don’t have to be rude, but it takes a lot of courage to stand up and say what you believe in.”
She finds hope in the younger generation, who she feels are becoming more environmentally conscious.
She also finds positivity in her tangible conservation work at Braeside Park.
“Most of the trees there have been grown in the last 35 to 40 years. We can make a difference.”
The OAM is just another reinforcement for Sise, that what she has done, and continues to do for the community is nothing short of laudable.
“It makes me feel that someone’s seen what I’ve done. They believe in what I’m doing — and they want me to keep going. And I will. Absolutely.”
Judith Sise OAM volunteering at the Braeside Park nursery. (Stewart Chambers: 482582)
Helen Louise Comport, founder of the Quilts of Valour Australia, has been recognised for her service to veterans and their families, and has been awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia.
(Ethan Benedicto: 483187)
Helen with one of the quilts that members of the QOV had made for a veteran. (483187)
OAM for service to refugees
By Sahar Foladi
An advocate who has helped shaped the lives of many through her relentless service in refugee support organisations is being recognised on the King’s Birthday Honour list.
The Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the General Division was awarded to Shabnam Safa, who has spent more than a decade working to make lives easier for refugees and migrant.
Driven by her own lived experience of forced displacement and hardships, she began to chip away at the systemic limitations faced by refugees and migrants and pave a smoother path for others to come after her.
“I feel shocked, surprised because I would’ve never anticipated this – it’s definitely an honour to receive this recognition,” Safa said on news of her OAM accolade.
“A lot of my work is not really driven to receive recognition – it comes out of responsibility and moral duty and it’s obviously still an honour to be seen and recognised this way.
“The systems are not made for them (forcibly displaced refugees).
“They are not just left out but sometimes punished by the system really.
“I don’t see work as a professional endeavour, it’s more where I feel the calling.
“Personally, I am conflicted about this award because it’s not individual work. I’m part of a major collective effort towards justice, recognition of the systemic barriers for marginalised people.”
The recognition is for a number of roles in refugee organisations, some of which have become a blur for her.
The list is extensive but it started when she was a second year university student. She along with other students like her realised the gaps in the systems didn’t cater to their reality.
“From that time, although I didn’t have official framing for it, that was all from lived experience to create better systems and policies and that just
rolled over into other things.
“Fast forward to Centre for Multicultural Youth for young people from refugees and migration backgrounds, highlighting their strength.”
Whilst in university she co-founded Noor Foundation, and became co-founder of ReConnect, a national training lead at Community Refugee Sponsorship Australia (CRSA), on the board of directors at CMY and is also on the Australian Refugee Advisory Panel.
She has taken a break from her role at CRSAalthough so far the highlight of her career – to study Masters in social and public policy. But she remains active with her community advocacy work for refugees and the Hazara community.
The spare time on her hands gave her the op-
portunity to pause and reflect on her personal and career growth.
She says everything she does is shaped by her forced displacement.
“Regardless of what I do in the next year or five years down the track it will be very much led by my principles.”
She embraces the crucial works and impact she has had on lives and communities. But she says there’s so much more that needs to be done to include refugee voices and their lived experiences to create better policies that are not just good but “integral and crucial.”
“When you’re supporting refugees it’s not a feel good phrase or charity work, it’s recognising people’s humanity and building policies and
system that reflect shared humanity regardless of who you are and where you come from.
“I hope this also helps spotlight the different faces and ways of people making change, what leadership is – the contributions of people from refugee backgrounds who continue to do incredible things and continue to achieve major success in life here in Australia despite facing structural barriers here.”
Finally, a message for the unknown person who nominated her.
“I don’t know who has nominated me but I thank them sincerely because I know it takes time and care to put together a nomination application.”
You’lllovelivingatCaseyGrangeVillage
Enjoyamodernretirementlifestyle,closetoshops,services andamenityinoneofVictoria’sfastestgrowingareas. Yourbeautifulvillaisonlythebeginning.Asanextensionofyour newhome,ourresidentssharebeautifulcommunityfacilities –fromtheClubhouse,tothepool,tothevegetablegarden–there’senoughspacetoentertainandenjoyyourself.
Shabnam Safa OAM has been recognised for her incredible service in the community through refugee organisations. (Supplied)
Shabnam Safa, pictured left, in traditional Hazragi dress and jewellery with her mother. (Abulfazl Zaki)
Charity’s feeling the pinch
By Violet Li
Cranbourne-based Backpacks 4 VIC Kids (B4VK) is feeling the pinch as donations drop in a tough economy, but hope remains as it held its Annual Giving Day to support children in crisis.
The charity held its flagship event on Friday 6 June at its Cranbourne West warehouse to thank its major donors, partners, and the community who had been on board with them throughout the year.
The goal for this year is to raise $85,000, and at the time of writing, about $34,000 has been raised.
Major contributions came from the Australian Toy Association ($10,000), Hafele Australia ($5,000), and One Tomorrow Charity Fund through APT Travel Group ($5,000).
Brigitte Stevens, partnerships and fundraising manager, said the number of donors stayed steady, but they noticed a shift: while people are still giving, the dollar amounts are smaller.
“We know that everyone is feeling the pinch right now. Cost-of-living pressures are real, and generosity looks different for everyone,” she said.
“At the same time, the need continues to grow. Orders and deliveries of our essential aid packs are up 37 per cent this year, but donated items
have only risen 6 per cent.”
The charity provides essential material aid to displaced children, including those entering foster care, emergency accommodation, or experiencing homelessness. Founded in 2014, it supplies age-appropriate backpacks filled with necessities such as clothing, toiletries, sleepwear, and comfort items.
According to the chief executive officer Sally Beard, the charity has helped over 12,000 babies, children and youth in this financial year, despite the financial hardship.
“We are stretching as much as we can in a very hard climate to raise the funds, but somehow the community gets behind us, and what we need is provided, and all the kids that ask us for help can be supported,” she said.
“Like most nonprofit organisations, we have the same number of people and companies, schools, and clubs who support us, but what they have to give is much less, so our challenge is finding more supporters, more donors who haven’t given to us before and would like to come on board and support our mission, support thousands of children by giving what they can.”
· To help children, donate via: mycause.com.au/ page/365527/b4vk-annual-giving-day
Hope shines in Kat’s ongoing battle with rare cancer
By Ethan Benedicto
Tests, diagnoses, treatments - a rare appendix cancer has been the harrowing battle that Kathryn Berecic has been fighting, but through grit, hope and determination, is one she is looking to win.
When she was 31 years old, Kat underwent what was meant to be a routine surgery for appendicitis.
It was discovered then, however, that her appendix had burst, and doctors told her in 2021 that the mucous-producing tumour cells had spread through her abdomen.
“It was like a cancer bomb going off in my belly,” Kat told Star News in 2022.
Halfway through 2025, Kat’s mettle has been tested, but it has not waned.
She has undergone multiple lengthy surgeries, including heated chemotherapy poured directly into her abdomen, 100 rounds of traditional chemotherapy, and a trip to Japan for adoptive cell therapy - a treatment that has kept her cancer stable for two years.
In the second half of 2024, it again began to spread, prompting another 12-hour surgery in January of 2025.
There is no calm in Kat’s waters; initial treatment for her trip to Japan saw her exhaust her Super, selling her home, and sourcing funds through crowdfunding.
Building on her self-determination, it was the amount of encouragement and support that she received, not just from her family, but from strangers who had come across her story.
“It was just the will to keep on living; I’m a pretty shy person, and so having to put myself out there was the most difficult thing you could ever imagine,” she said.
“But, I knew that it was my only option, that, if I wasn’t able to raise money for these treatments, I was going to die.
“So it was either become vulnerable and put yourself out there, or die, and I know it sounds
harsh, but those were my options.”
At the time of writing, Kat’s GoFundMe page is sitting at $200,503, just over halfway to the needed $400,000, and $59,750 to the goal of $250,000 on Rare Cancers Australia, for treatments in the United States, Germany and Japan.
Aside from her desire to keep on living, it’s simply love, love that serves as the fuel for her engine.
“I didn’t know my [initial] prognosis, because I never wanted to know,” Kat said.
“But based on others who have had this can-
cer, doctors have said I’m doing really well, that I’m truly an outlier.
“They told me to keep doing what I’m doing because it’s clearly working,” she said.
Life for Kat had taken a rather drastic turn in the last four years, where if the days were not filled with treatments and appointments, they were instead with endless hours of research for treatments available around the globe.
Laughing for seemingly sounding like a broken record, and for the lack of a better word, Kat said that there is no escaping the fact that it was, and is, nothing but love that is pushing her to keep going forward.
This is especially the case when it comes to Kat’s mental fortitude; there is no questioning her physical prowess, the countless treatments and surgeries she has undergone are a testimony to that.
However, Kat has recognised “how important the mind is in recovery”.
“Once you start going downhill mentally, it’s a really slippery slope that I won’t be able to get back from.
“But honestly, I believed that from day one, I’ve been surrounded by so much love, and just so much support.
“You can see that on the GoFundMe page and my Instagram, I’m constantly showered in love, and I truly, truly believe that that’s what’s gotten me through.
“I feel like these people have given me so much that I owe it to them to do the absolute best that I can do.”
Currently, Kat is self-funding an immunotherapy drug that costs $3000 per three weeks, which would normally be PBS funded for more common cancers.
After speaking to doctors and researchers from around the world, her options moving forward include histotripsy, a recent breakthrough in cancer treatment that was recently approved in the U.S. by the Food and Drug Administration in 2023.
Since not widely available, this would see Kat travelling States-bound to De Kevin Burns, a leading interventional radiologist who has the potential to eradicate the liver tumour in Kat’s arteries.
Transarterial chemoembolisation, or TACE for short, is another option, serving as a targeted treatment that delivers chemo directly into the tumour to kill or stop it from moving, and while a version exists here in Australia, a more developed treatment plan is possible in Germany.
The third option is dendritic cell therapy also in Germany, which has since progressed significantly after her last visit.
Recalling the time when Kat and her family decided to do crowdfunding for the initial trip to Japan, she said that she was just “blown away”.
“I was just overwhelmed, and it was the most beautiful, beautiful feeling, it just felt like everyone had my back,” she said.
Having been diagnosed in 2021, there is no question that the ‘norm’ in Kat’s life has been uprooted, and, while she sees herself as mostly a positive person, there are times when it simply catches up to her.
“It’s those times where the fear sets in and the sadness, just, it just comes around, you know?” she said.
“But then again, I get pulled out of that trance so quickly because there is just so much love around me.
“I’m also just so hopeful of those treatments, and I have so much confidence in them because of the research that I’ve done, the people around me, and the other patients who I’ve spoken to who have been on death’s door but had amazing results.
“I have that confidence, and even if they don’t work, there’s going to be something else; there are always options.”
· For more information on Kat’s GoFundMe page, visit gofundme.com/f/for-our-girl-kat
Kathryn Berecic is all smiles, as she told Star News that it was the support and love from family, friends and others that has kept her going. (Supplied)
Amelia from Bunnings was acting quickly in a backpack race.
Participants had a great time at the backpacking race.
Participants had a great time at the backpacking race.
The donations were waiting to be backpacked.
Understanding Climate Change with
Dr. Paul Fraser FTSE FRACI
Join us at Summerset Cranbourne North for an enlightening seminar with renowned climate scientist Dr. Paul Fraser, as he explores the science behind climate change and its global impact.
Dr. Fraser is an award-winning researcher who has been at the forefront of climate science since the mid-1970s. A key figure at the CSIRO and an honorary Research Fellow, he was instrumental in founding the internationally acclaimed Cape Grim Atmospheric Observatory on Tasmania’s west coast (pictured).
Throughout his career, Dr. Fraser has pioneered methods for measuring atmospheric greenhouse gases. His research confirmed that 60% of climate change is driven by carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel combustion, with the remaining 40% attributed to other greenhouse gases.
Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from one of Australia’s most respected voices in climate science.
Light refreshments will be served following the seminar.
Love the life you choose.
Free Climate Change Seminar
Friday 20th June followed by light refreshments RSVP today to secure your spot
Summerset Cranbourne North 98 Mannavue Boulevard, Cranbourne North 03 7068 5642 | cranbourne.sales@summerset.com.au
NEWS Beyond cancer and chemo
By Tracey Matthies
Breast cancer never made me sick, but the treatment certainly did.
My cancer is gone but now I’m left living with the aftermath of chemotherapy, immunotherapy, surgery and radiation because cancer isn’t always over when it’s gone and when the treatment ends.
I was diagnosed with a non-specific type, HER2 positive, grade three (fast growing) tumour in my left breast at about 10.30am on Thursday 19 December, 2023. Ladies – just get your mammograms. My tumour was only detected and diagnosed by a regular BreastScreen.
What followed was a flood of information and a maelstrom of tests, treatments and side-effects until I was finally told I was NED – No Evidence of Disease about 13 months later.
My official Health Record for that period shows 24 diagnostic imaging reports, including CT scans, with and without nuclear medicine, bone studies, PET scans, fluoroscopies, a lymphoscintigraphy (sentinel lymph node mapping to check for any spread of the cancer), ultrasounds, echocardiograms and even ordinary, bog-standard x-rays.
There were also 36 pathology reports. I was on a first name basis with the blood collectors.
But that’s a rather dry summary of three different types of chemotherapy, and the innumerable side effects of rashes, nausea, diarrhea, fatigue and even just the pain caused by breathing on the back of my hands at times, not to mention all the medications to deal with those side effects.
Forget about hospital in the home. I had my own pharmacy in the home, and we hit the PBS threshold much earlier that year than ever before!
There were countless GP appointments, surgery to place a port for ease of treatment and another for a lumpectomy, not to mention three emergency department admissions along the way.
As well as my amazing GP who was there whenever I needed him - just as he promised immediately after my diagnosis - my medical team exploded to include a medical oncologist, breast surgeon, radiation oncologist, heart specialist, lung specialist, physiotherapist, occupational therapist, oncology nurses, radiation techs and nurses, McGrath BreastCare Nurse, and lymphoedema nurse.
My daily life was driven by medical administration, making and attending appointments, treatments, check ups, tests, tests and more tests.
But it wasn’t all doom and gloom.
Fortunately, I found my support community quickly. As well as my husband and our sons, we had other family members and some very close friends who were, and still are, there with us. From phone calls and visits to dropping off meals, they held us up in the tough times.
I was also fortunate enough to have wonderful support from my employer, the Star News Group. They immediately made it possible for me to work from home and always encouraged me to take the time I needed when I wasn’t well enough to work.
A Facebook support group for Australian women with breast cancer let me know I wasn’t the only person going through whatever that
day’s experience was. There are 58 people diagnosed with breast cancer in Australia every day so someone else out there has been through it before me.
And the cancer community on X (formerly Twitter) was a bastion of support from people around the world where we got so close that I cried when two of my X friends died.
From day one I was assured that this was a beatable cancer, so I had a good headspace about my outcome.
Sure, I lost my hair to chemo, but it grew back.
In fact, it was just long enough at the time of my twin granddaughters’ fifth birthday party to have their initials shaved into the sides of my head. Yeah, I was the cool grandma that day.
But cancer isn’t necessarily over when it’s gone and when the treatment ends.
It’s certainly not over for me.
Before my own experience I didn’t know that cancer treatment could leave permanent after-effects. I thought I would just go through the treatment and then go back to life as it was before.
A lot of women in the Facebook support group get frustrated when people in their lives think they should be back to the person they were before cancer.
Most of us live with ongoing fatigue, tiredness beyond tired. We plan our days and weeks
to avoid overdoing it because we know how hard that fatigue will hit us.
I have to take hormone blockers for 10 years because my type of cancer, HER-2 positive, feeds on oestrogen, and hormone blockers can have side effects. I’ve already been switched to a second type of hormone blocker because the first one caused such severe joint pain that I could barely walk.
Blocking hormones affects bone density, so for the next couple of years I have to have infusions every six months to build up my bone density. And scans to check they are working.
But there’s more.
It’s called peripheral neuropathy, basically nerve damage caused by chemotherapy, the very thing saving my life.
It started with tingling fingers and toes and quickly turned into numb hands, fingers and feet. I was dropping things because I couldn’t feel them to grip properly.
Walking took all my concentration. I couldn’t get my car keys out of my pocket and walk at the same time. I stumbled on uneven ground.
Then I had a couple of falls because my feet weren’t feeling the ground properly.
That’s when my medical oncologist called a halt to the chemo. She said the risk of permanent damage was greater than the benefit of
more chemo.
Unfortunately, the damage had been done, and she now believes my neuropathy is permanent. So don’t be surprised when you see me moving slowly, sometimes with a walking stick. As if that wasn’t enough, I also have a persistent nighttime cough so bad that it leads to vomiting most nights.
My lung specialist believes it’s also permanent damage caused by radiation – another factor in saving my life. I’m going through testing to rule out other possible causes, but it seems like this is just one more thing I will just have to live with.
Am I grateful my cancer was detected early and successfully treated?
Absolutely!
Would I do anything differently if my cancer returns?
No, I would still follow the advice of the experts who have got me through this time. I might ask more questions about side effects and permanent after-effects, but I’d still rather be alive.
What I would ask is that the broader community be aware that the end of treatment isn’t necessarily the end of the effects for many people. Don’t be surprised when they have a rough day or week, when they’re frustrated that they will never be the person they were before cancer.
Just be there for them, with us.
Blood donations encouraged in national awareness week
By Ethan Benedicto
In light of Blood Donor Week until 15 June, the City of Casey’s mayor, Stefan Koomen, visited the Narre Warren North pop-up blood donor centre to roll up his sleeve for the first time.
In recognition of Australia’s blood donors who make life-changing differences to those in need, Koomen said that “with more than 1.7 million donations needed every year to meet the growing demand for blood products in Australia, I encourage all eligible residents to book an appointment today”.
Speaking on his first time experience, Koomen said that the staff were welcoming, and ensured that he was comfortable from “Bradley at the front-of-house to Lily and Chloe who looked after me during and after the donation”.
“The whole process was quick and easy, I was in and out within an hour, so it’s easy to go before or after work, or even during your lunch break,” he said.
Australian Red Cross Lifeblood recently re-
leased a statistic that detailed 9500 extra O positive and O negative blood donors were needed in the next seven days from 2 June, to ensure that Lifeblood can continue to meet the demands of patients across the country.
Lifeblood’s executive director, Stuart Chesneau, said that right now, “we’re seeing the highest rates of people rescheduling or cancelling their appointments since June last year”.
“Our O-type blood supplies are at their lowest level since October 2023; every day we issue close to 10,000 blood transfusions and medications to hospitals around the country to meet patient demand, and we can’t do it without people donating,” he said.
Chesneau added that O-positive and O-negative are the blood types most frequently ordered by hospitals and can both be used in emergency situations.
O negative is considered the ‘universal’ blood type, and is often stocked in ambulances and rescue helicopters so “it can be used to treat pa-
tients when their blood type is unknown”.
“Such as in times of trauma when large quantities of blood are needed in a short amount of time,” Chesneau said.
Fewer than seven per cent of the Australian population is O negative, making it one of the rarer blood types; however, its versatility means it makes up 16 per cent of the blood ordered by hospitals.
“What many people don’t know is that O positive is as safe as O negative for the majority of emergency transfusions,” Chesneau said.
“Some 40 per cent of people in Australia have O positive blood, meaning they too can help save lives in emergencies.”
Mayor Koomen has urged residents to take the time to donate, with centres located in Cranbourne West, Narre Warren North, Pakenham, Frankston, and Dandenong.
To book a donation, call 131 495, book online at www.lifeblood.com.au/ or via the DonateBlood app.
Casey’s Mayor, Stefan Koomen and Chloe at the Narre Warren North Pop Up Blood Donor Centre. (Supplied)
Star News editorial coordinator Tracey Matthies underwent chemotherapy to treat her breast cancer. (Supplied)
Tracey Matthies was immunocompromised during treatment and had to protect herself from possible infection on an outing with husband, Colin.
Tracey had just enough hair regrowth following chemotherapy to be the ‘cool grandma’ for her twin granddaughters’ fifth birthday party. She had S for Sophie shaved on one side of her head and L for Lily on the other.
As part of Victoria’s Big Build, we’re building the Metro Tunnel and its five new underground stations, with three stations now complete. Work is continuing on two stations, and we’re testing trains through the tunnel to make sure they operate smoothly and safely. We’re also removing 110 dangerous and congested level crossings, with 85 already gone and easing congestion by building better roads in Melbourne’s south east.
While we work, disruptions could affect your travel
Train disruptions:
Pakenham Line 9pm 13 June to 3am 16 June Buses replace trains between Dandenong and East Pakenham
Cranbourne and Pakenham lines 20 to 22 JuneThere will be changes to the way you travel on sections of the Cranbourne and Pakenham lines
Road disruptions: Closed roads and ramp
Princes Freeway, Berwick 11 June to 14 November Princes Freeway Citybound exit ramp to Clyde Road
Fowler Road, Dandenong South 20 June to 21 July At the South Gippsland Highway intersection
South Gippsland Highway, Dandenong South 5 to 21 JulyBetween Princes Highway and Dandenong Bypass
Bingo!: A full house of fun
By Violet Li
A Drag Bingo night was held at Lynbrook Community Centre over the past weekend, as Casey Council celebrates Pride Month.
According to City of Casey Manager Connected Communities Callum Pattie, more than 100 people of all ages attended the evening on Saturday 7 June.
“There were three rounds of number Bingo and two rounds of Music Bingo,” he said.
“There were lots of laughs had by all, and the feedback from attendees has been wonderful, with many asking when we will be hosting our next event!
“It was fantastic to see so many people having a great time with their friends and family and showing their support for the Casey rainbow community.”
Additional Casey Maternal and Child Health sessions
City of Casey is expanding access to its Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Service by offering additional sessions to support families who missed important child development checks.
Fortnightly Saturday sessions are now available at various locations across Casey, aimed at families whose children have missed their scheduled 2-year-old or 3.5-year-old Key Ages and Stages Assessments.
These assessments are critical for monitoring a child’s growth, development and wellbeing.
Councillors Michelle Crowther and Anthony Walter recently visited one of the sessions at Manna Gum Community Centre in Clyde North, where they spoke with attending families, including the Mamidi family, who brought their daughter Maya for her assessment.
Cr Crowther said improving access to the MCH service was one of her priorities since be-
ing elected.
“These vital assessments provide families with an opportunity to check their child’s growth, development, and overall well-being,
Hallam hub opens for ‘food
A new OzHarvest food rescue hub is set to open in the City of Casey in the coming week, looking to deliver 6000 extra meals each week.
Set to open on Thursday, 12 June, the new hub at SE Hub in Hallam will alleviate pressure from 12 local charities on the waitlist for hard-hit communities across Casey, Cardinia, Frankston, Greater Dandenong, Knox, Monash, and the Mornington Peninsula.
The OzHarvest manager for Melbourne, Christine Crowley, said that “food insecurity isn’t just about hunger - it’s about dignity, health and
the impossible decisions people face every day just to survive”.
The Hallam site is part of OzHarvest’s wider expansion plan to better support people in need, and has been made possible through funding from the Victorian Government’s Community Food Relief program.
Woolworths is also a national partner with OzHarvest, with dozens of stores across Victoria donating surplus food daily to help feed local communities.
According to OzHarvest’s 2025 Community
helping to identify and address any concerns early,” she said.
“I encourage all families to take advantage of these additional MCH sessions to support their
child’s development and well-being.”
Each assessment will include:
Growth and development checks: height, weight, speech, motor skills, social and emotional development.
· Oral health guidance and referrals (if required).
· Hearing and vision screening referrals (if required.
· Immunisation status review and referral (if required)
· Parenting support on feeding, sleep, toilet training, and behaviour.
· Referrals to specialists or early childhood services (where appropriate).
To make an appointment, contact 9705 5590, Monday to Friday between 8:30 am and 4:30 pm. For more information, visit: casey.vic.gov. au/maternal-child-health-services
rescue’ service OzHarvest
Needs Survey, it revealed that there is a national hunger emergency, with a 54 per cent increase in people being turned away by the 1500 charities OzHarvest serves across Australia.
“This is the toughest it’s ever been, and more than a third are reaching out for help for the first time in their lives,” Crowley said.
“Every meal we rescue gives someone the strength to get through the day, and with winter approaching, this new hub means we can reach more people faster, and in the communities that need it most.”
In Victoria alone, 81 per cent of the charities OzHarvest supports saw an increase in demand for food relief, with 77 per cent of charities needing more food to meet demand.
Nearly one third - 29 per cent - of people seeking food relief are also doing so for the first time ever.
On 12 June, 8am is the scheduled time for guests to arrive and for breakfast to be served, with an 8:30am tour of the new space. This story is developing, and more information is to be added once available.
Maya, Dinesh, Yashil and Kavi Mamidi; City of Casey Manager Child Youth and Family Bronwyn Saffron; MCH nurses Kimberley and Claudia; Cr Anthony Walter; and Cr Michelle Crowther. (Supplied)
Event MC “Della Katessen”.
Front from left: Tamara, Rachel, Anna, Miranda, behind are the event MC “Della Katessen”.
A feast for all. Event MC was “Della Katessen”, who visited every table and encouraged the teams to play hard. (Rob Carew: 483044)
A surprise birthday cake for Nevelda.
City of Casey Rainbow Advisory Committee Members Ren, Elsa and Kris (middle) with LGBTIQA+ Advisor Miranda (left) and the outrageous MC “Della Katessen”.
Rainbow flags, sparkling wine and Bingo cards made for a fantastic night.
Two Bingo winners with trophies and prizes, Lara (left) and Val (right).
Mayor’s keen to meet
By Ethan Benedicto
In light of the City of Casey’s May meeting having only 10 of the 80 registered attendees, Mayor Stefan Koomen is nevertheless keen to have the council back in person.
“Obviously, there were those who registered and did turn up, and it was good to see some residents there, but there were others who didn’t attend, and that was a bit unfortunate,” Koomen said.
“Overall, though it was a good meeting, it’s good to be back in person and good to have residents in the gallery.”
Looking ahead to the Tuesday, 17 June meeting, he added that the council as a whole is looking at ways to “fine-tune our registration process”.
“It’stomakesurethatthosewhoregisterarevalid and legitimate and that they do attend.
“Hopefully, we have better attendance at our next meeting, but we’ll continue to look at ways that we can improve the registration system.
“We did feel it worked quite well in maintaining a goodcouncilenvironmentandawayforresidentsto attend in a safe fashion,” Koomen said.
The first council meeting that was held in February this year was attended by well over 300 people,
the gallery brimming with verbal protests, conjectures, and disruptive behaviour that prompted the early adjournment of the meeting.
ForthenexttwomonthsofMarchandApril,both council meetings were held online, and it was recently introduced prior to the May in-person meeting that an 80-person gallery cap was introduced.
In line with occupational health and safety measures, as well as neighbouring councils’ similar limits to their galleries, the registration tickets sold out almost immediately as they opened.
However,asthenightofthemeetingapproached, with nine police officers and a number of security personnel present, only 10 residents attended.
Touching on the current limit of the gallery, Koomen said that he is confident of the council’s decision, and that it is “consistent with other councils”.
“It’s at the top end of the limit, and it’s also based on safety and risk assessment done by both the [council’s] security, and Victoria Police, so we’re confident that it’s the right way forward,” he said.
The upcoming 17 June meeting will open its online registrations on Thursday, 12 June, by 9am.
For more information on how to attend and register online, visit www.casey.vic.gov.au/registerattend-council-meeting
Dandy Little Aths rescue-bid deferred
By Cam Lucadou-Wells
Greater Dandenong councillors have deferred a motion to save the home of Dandenong Little Athletics Club as well as $200,000 of council funds earmarked for possible destruction.
On 10 June, Cleeland Ward councillor Rhonda Garad tabled the alternative motion to secure little athletics at Robert Booth Reserve, which is walking distance for neighbouring Casey suburbs Doveton and Eumemmerring as well as Dandenong.
The motion was designed to counter a council report proposing the 53-year-old club stays for one more summer while a $100,000 masterplan weighs up the closure of the grass track-and-field facilities.
The masterplan funding would come from $240,900 originally allocated by Greater Dandenong to decommission the Robert Booth facility this year.
Under a 2019 athletics development plan, the council had planned to relocate DLAC to the upgraded $6.6 million Ross Reserve athletics centre in Noble Park after 2024-’25.
In front of a gallery of DLAC children, parents and volunteers, Cr Garad instead proposed to keep the club at Robert Booth, spend $40,000 to repair the track’s sprinkler system and to reinstate the club’s public signage.
The reamining $200,000 would be returned to council general revenue.
Cr Garad paid tribute to the “extraordinary impact” made by club president David Daff and the club for the community.
She pointed out that during last summer, children were regularly doing “bucket runs” to water the track last summer due to broken sprinklers that should be repaired “without delay”.
Backed by a majority, Cr Sean O’Reilly moved to defer the item so it can be “fully considered” at a future council meeting.
“It’s more diligent that the council takes time to consider all the issues and come up with a motion that’s not drafted in a rush, but properly.
“(It) will absolutely touch on all of the points ... for the good of the club and all involved.”
Addressing the club’s members, mayor Jim Memeti said the deferral meant that the DLAC was “at the table” to make decisions with the mayor, chief executive and council directors.
The council would ensure the proposal was “what (the club was) happy with”.
“We really appreciate what you do for the kids of Dandenong.”
DLAC president David Daff had addressed the meeting, asking them why the council was trying to shut down a “local, accessible, budget-friendly activity”.
He argued that relocation would destroy the club, estimating that half of the families and members would drop out due to not having the time or means to travel to Ross Reserve.
Many of the kids live close to Booth Reserve, walking and riding their bikes down to the track after school.
Ross Reserve is about a 90-minute round-trip by public transport.
The reserve’s lush grass running track, long jump pits, discus, shot put and javelin fields have been home to DLAC for the past 40 years.
Since the 2019 council plan to close Robert Booth, the club’s membership had more than doubled in the past two years to 69 at present.
Community strengthening director Peta Gillies told the meeting that the 2019 plan was to invest in Ross Reserve to bring it “up to standard” and amalgamate DLAC with Springvale Little Athletics Club.
Keeping a second facility at Robert Booth was “difficult to justify” at the time due to its lower usage rates, ageing assets and not having a female and junior-friendly pavilion, Gillies said.
Booth Reserve presents “significant financial, safety and reputational risks” in its current state, according to a council report.
Gillies said the council officers recommended allowing the club to operate but with lower-risk “modified activities” next summer.
The council estimates about $416,000 is required to fix the “high-risk” areas and $250,000plus to fix the track’s drainage.
A full track reconstruction was estimated to cost
A leaders’ meeting
By Ethan Benedicto
School leaders from across the City of Casey gathered at the Akoonah Park Centre on the cool morning of Friday, 6 June, as Berwick MP and Opposition leader Brad Battin spoke to them about leadership.
There were 13 schools in attendance, with tables in the open space filled with eager youth as Battin delivered a seminar-style course on what it means to be a leader.
“Being a leader is not thinking about yourself, but instead thinking about things you can do to improve others,” he said.
“This includes others around you, and to pass it on to these kids, I just think it’s important to have that generational change of leadership in Victoria.”
Akin to the everyday school classroom, the conversations began lightly, touching on sport, the children’s favourite teams, and their hobbies.
But soon it became clear that the children were there to learn when Battin spoke of the qualities of a leader, and hands were quick to shoot up in the air.
Students spoke of resilience, perseverance, and determination, but many also spoke of kindness, consideration, and teamwork, as not many were shy about letting their voices be heard.
Schools present were Brentwood Park Primary School, Mirniyan Primary School, Beaconsfield Primary School, Clyde Creek Primary School, Harkaway Primary School and St Margaret’s Berwick Grammar.
Also in attendance were students from Topirum Primary School, Turrun Primary School, St. Michael’s Primary School, Haileybury College, Ramlegh Park Primary School, Hillcrest Christian College, and Berwick Fields Primary School.
Battin began the conversation by saying that there is “no such thing as a natural leader” and that, like many skills, it can be achieved through hard work and by anyone.
When asked on the way he delivered the message to the children, Battin emphasised that there is a balance struck between recognising their youth, but also their potential.
“These conversations, I would say, are not in a soft way; it’s letting the kids understand that the things they can do are sometimes going to take courage,” Battin said.
“It’s going to take passion, and giving these kids the permission that sometimes, things can go wrong as well.
“But as long as you can learn from that, you can be a great leader in the future.”
School teachers were also present during lunch, as pizza and fruit were served for the young ones during the event.
$2 million-plus in 2019, according to the council.
Daff says the costs are over-stated, arguing the council’s assessment was based on international adult standards. Requirements such as a 33-metre javelin run-up were not applicable for little aths, he says.
In order to stay at Booth Reserve, the DLAC has offered to help maintain, upgrade and repair the facility, or to share the venue with other sports.
The club will seek sponsors to help fund the repair effort, Daff says.
About $100,000 would fix the most urgent need – the track’s broken sprinklers, which the council had declined to fix, he said.
Gillies told the meeting that the standards were based on national risk standards, and were not adult standards “in their entirety”. There was no plan to bring the facility up to “world standards”, she said.
According to the council, it will cost $23,000 to keep the centre open for another season.
Brad Battin with St Margaret’s Berwick Grammar students.
(Stewart Chambers: 482806)
Dandenong Little Athletics members Mason, Joydeep, Charlie and Nathan on their home track. (429992)
Coach David Daff holding the high jump bar, Joydeep clears this height. (Gary Sissons: 429992)
Dandenong Little Athletics Club on the Robert Booth Reserve grass track. (429992)
Casey’s Mayor, Stefan Koomen, said that while it was unfortunate that not all of the 80 registered residents attended the May meeting, he is still looking forward to having the council’s discussions in-person, and with a gallery.
(Stewart Chambers: 442356)
Early moves vital against DV
By Ethan Benedicto
Early intervention remains a key process, as a new study found that one in three men report using intimate partner violence in their lifetime.
A media release by the Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) report, Ten to Men, found that 35 per cent of Australian men aged 18 to 65 years have used intimate partner violence in their lifetime.
It also estimated that 120,000 men nationally, each year, are starting to use it for the first time.
The project, an AIFS longitudinal study of boys and men, is the first national estimate of male intimate partner violence perpetration in Australia.
David Nugent, founder of Heavy M.E.T.A.L, said that as the numbers grow, so does awareness, but “one of the things that a lot of programs and services are not doing is that they are not empowering men to be better men”.
”They’re taking a position of judgement, and trying to push the point for the man to acknowledge that he’s a perpetrator of family violencethat does not empower men to want to change,” he said.
Heavy Men’s Education Towards Anger and Life has its core values rooted in early intervention, addressing behaviours, habits and emotions that have the potential to lead men to become part of the statistics.
There is no dismissing the certain facts and numbers, but Nugent is adamant that while there are facts, there are few to no support services that can properly address the root cause.
The AIFS report detailed that when it was first surveyed in 2013-2014, around one in four men reported ever having used intimate partner violence.
This has since increased to one in three men, with the same cohort as of 2022.
The director of AIFS, Liz Neville, said that the data set, which follows men over a ten-year period, “confirms the extent of the problem”.
“With an estimated 120,000 men starting to use intimate partner violence each year across Australia, we can see more clearly how delays in effective intervention can have devastating consequences.
“We hope these disturbing numbers provide impetus for further action by governments at all levels, underpinned by evidence,” she said.
Emotional-type abuse was the most common form of intimate partner violence, with 32 per cent of men in 2022 reporting they ever made an intimate partner feel “frightened or anxious”.
Nine per cent admitted ever “hitting, slapping, kicking, or otherwise physically hurting” an intimate partner when they were angry.
However, the study also found that high levels of social support and high levels of paternal affection both reduced the likelihood of men using
intimate partner violence.
To Nugent, his goal, since the 20-plus years he began with the group, was to “answer why (statistics) doesn’t bring change”.
“It’s a good thing that they have these statistics, saying that they can own their behaviour, but what are we going to do about it?
“We want men to reach out for help before police get involved, before courts get involved, before child protection gets involved, before she says, I need to take an intervention order, before she feels scared,” he said.
Nugent said that the success Heavy M.E.T.A.L. sees is from the duration of the courses, where he is “holding on to men”, and allowing them that space to be open, to express themselves, their frustrations, worries, wrongs and everything in between, in a judgement-free place.
Vulnerability is also a big factor, where men, constricted by their own rules set in bygone years by a patriarchal society, are seeing themselves chained to dated characteristics of what a ‘true man’ is.
Nugent reflected that these notions and teachings were given to men since they were young, and that he still comes across the same messages.
“I hear it from older people, where those ideas about not crying, telling men not to cry, to not be a sook, to grow some balls, to be real men,” he said.
“What happens in those messages while men are growing up is that it layers shame, and that shame is what we don’t know how to deal with.”
Likewise, men who felt strongly that they had a quality relationship with a father or a father figure during childhood, marked with affection, were 48 per cent less likely to report ever having used intimate partner violence.
The opposite is severe, where men with moderate or severe depressive symptoms were 62 per cent more likely to use intimate partner violence by 2022, compared to men without these symptoms.
The AIFS program lead for Ten to Men, Dr Sean Martin, said that the data provides “a set of risk factors to help support the development of effective policies and programs for young men”.
Martin added that “depressive symptoms and a lack of social connection are not an excuse” and that “violence is always a choice”.
A present issue Nugent has found in men is that men tend not to speak of their feelings or share their emotional experiences, since there is a chance peers, including themselves, will find it awkward.
Communication responding styles are a key strategic implementation at Heavy M.E.T.A.L., where Nugent said it is essential when it comes to delivering understanding from all parties involved.
Spearheading the work he has been doing for over two decades, Nugent remains steadfast that those uncomfortable situations amongst men need to be addressed at earlier stages.
“There are many signs that men want to do this, there are men out there that are hurting, and they don’t want to be in that position,” he said.
“They want to be good husbands, good partners, friends, fathers, they want to be good role models.”
Op Shop’s donation spree, giving back to the community
By Ethan Benedicto
Beginning in late May of this year, the Berwick Opportunity Shop on the corner of High Street has been on a donation spree, with charitable offerings from local CFA units to childcare services in the City of Casey.
The donations are an annual tradition, originally intended for CFA, SES, and other emergency services, but have since expanded to include other community-based services as well throughout the years.
The volunteer group’s president, Margret, said that they donate to almost 50 organisations throughout Casey, but also neighbouring LGAs such as Cardinia, and other areas in the hills.
When asked how it all began, Margaret said that “it was just from people who donated to us, and they realised that we donate all of it straight back to the community again”.
For Dawn, who is the group’s treasurer, said that “we feel good exactly because we give back to the community”.
Both Margaret and Dawn have been with the volunteer group for a little over 15 years, many other members along the same time frame, and some, even longer.
“We get a lot of support from the community with donations, and as mentioned before, I think it’s because they realise that it goes right
back to them,” Margaret said.
“And I think this kind of thing, giving back, it’s important these days, particularly with how things are, how expensive they can get - some people just find it hard.”
The donations began up north, with a cheque handed to Captain David Van Loon from the Menzies Creek CFA, with the following on 30 May to the St John of God hospital’s oncology wing, palliative care ward and the recovery
trauma unit.
The first day of June marked a trip to Macclesfield CFA to present a donation cheque, then on the following day was a visit to the Wild Days Wildlife Shelter, a family-run volunteer group caring for animal welfare.
The Casey North Community Information and Support Service (CNCISS) was also a recipient, followed by a direct donation to the CFA’s Rehabilitation Support Unit.
Other branches in Casey were also shown some love, from the Hallam CFA, Beaconsfield CFA, Clyde CFA and the nearby Berwick CFA. Dawn, reflecting on the struggles that many of their customers and families they know of face, emphasised the importance on how their donation’s expansion has also included the local Narre Warren Transit Soup Kitchen and Food Support, and other similar food drives in Casey, as well as community groups that tackle trauma and domestic violence.
“And with the prices, we try to do the best we can here, and it’s usually something everyone can buy,” Dawn said.
In the future, the volunteers at Berwick Op Shop are looking to continue the donation tradition in the coming years, fuelling the community spirit of nourishment and giving back to the people.
From left to right: David, Rita, Dawn, Margaret and Pam, volunteers of the Berwick Opportunity Shop and some of the many in the group who have travelled to hand out donations. (Ethan Benedicto: 483840)
David Nugent, founder of the Heavy M.E.T.A.L. Group, said that early intervention and providing those safe, comfortable spaces to have uncomfortable conversations about men’s behaviour is essential to quell the rising statistics on men committing intimate partner violence. (Stewart Chambers: 132948)
Clyde Road progress
The Clyde Road Upgrade has reached another major milestone following the completion of the foundations for the extra lanes being built on the Clyde Road overpass, allowing crews to commence centre median piling.
Crews have finished up these works on the outside of the overpass needed to support four extra lanes, which involved drilling 24 holes up to 17 metres deep and filling them with steel and concrete piles to create the foundations.
“The Clyde Road Upgrade is making great progress on the new-look bridge, with crews completing the piling on either side of the overpass,” Major Road Projects Victoria Program Di-
rector Brendan Pauwels said.
“You’ll now see crews working in the middle of the freeway to get the foundations ready for the centre median wall that will hold up the new lanes.”
Work has now shifted onto the Princes Freeway centre median, with 11 more foundations up to 1.5 metres wide being built to support the centre of the widened bridge and ensure long-term stability.
The centre median wall holding up the expanded bridge will be the largest piece of substructure formwork, standing at 5.6m tall and weighing over 570 tonnes once completed with
the foundations being built for the wall that will hold up the expanded bridge.
While works continue on the Clyde Road overpass, crews have closed the Princes Freeway citybound exit ramp at Clyde Road until Friday 15 November to undertake widening works. This includes extensive asphalt and drainage works, and construction of a 180-metre-long retaining wall which will also act as a safety barrier.
Crews are also working hard behind barriers on Clyde Road, constructing the new southbound lanes that will help reduce congestion and improve travel times.
Tiny Art Show returns
Connected Libraries announced the return of the Tiny Art Show in 2025, a free art competition for members aged 16 and over.
“The Tiny Art Show is a great way to spend a few cosy hours during the winter months,” Courtney Rushton, Branch and Adult Program manager, said.
“It’s open to all Connected Libraries members aged 16 and above, and there are great prizes to be won.”
Participants can collect a free mini canvas from any Connected Libraries location — Bunjil Place, Cranbourne, Cranbourne West, Doveton, Endeavour Hills or Hampton Park Library — then take it home and create a masterpiece using any art style or materials they like.
Finished artworks are returned to the library to be displayed and judged.
“The 2024 Tiny Art Show saw over 100 incredible entries, and we’re confident 2025 will be even bigger. There is so much creativity in our community,” Courtney said.
There will be two winners per library, one winner will be decided based on a public voting system, and a Connected Libraries staff member will choose the other.
Entries close Friday 11 July. For more information, visit: connectedlibraries.org.au/tinyartshow/
Clyde Road centre median works commence. (Supplied)
NEWS Expulsions: Expert opinion
By Ethan Benedicto
Expert opinion is in support of the announcement following the State Government declaring that school principals now have the power to expel or suspend students for behaviour outside of school.
Federation University professor Jenene Burke, who is also the deputy dean of the Institute of Education, Arts and Community, said that while the specifications of what this new power entails are not yet readily available, she thinks “it could be quite helpful to principals”.
“I know that as far as schools are involved, things happen outside of school gates that impact the school community directly.
“I think that there is a grey area there as to whether principals can actually deal with the fallout or the way students are reacting or things that students have done, but if it becomes clearer, then it’s going to be helpful for everyone,” she said.
Shadow Minister for Education, Jess Wilson, commented on the lack of parameters around what this new development has in store for principals.
Prof Burke touched on how these newfound powers could potentially impact or ‘exclude’, instead of supporting students with complex behavioural or social needs, adding that “it’s a thin wedge”.
“We’re talking about extreme behaviour that students might be engaging in after school, which I think could be a social problem, or a law and order problem, more than a school problem.
“All children have the right to education, but
‘Fantastic
By Cam Lucadou-Wells
since they “need more support”.
“Perhaps there needs to be additional support to what schools can typically offer, because these are big social problems with kids who are troubled, which need to be managed in a range of different ways,” she said.
She also added that there has been an array of media coverage, not current, but consistent, when it comes to antisocial behaviour, and that if it were to happen on school grounds or outside, then the result delivered by a principal would remain the same.
“You can’t let kids behave like that around other kids; there is a whole lot of learning that needs to happen for them, and schools are in the business of learning,” she said.
“If kids are doing the wrong thing, the idea is to try to teach them to get it right next time, and I think it’s helpful if schools can respond to those things.”
“There are also restorative processes, which have been in schools roughly 20 to 30 years, where you sit down with children, you talk through what has happened, and you get them to try and think about why they behave in certain ways,” Prof Burke said.
“Think about how they have been harmed or have harmed, and what needs to happen for them to feel better about what happened, then to have an undertaking to move forward in some way, together - that can be really powerful.”
Schools around Victoria use these strategies to address children involved in incidents in schools, with Prof Burke also coining school counsellors as a present form of help for those in need.
She said that trauma-informed practices have become prevalent in the last five years, and that schools as a whole have been working with students in terms of “developing trauma-informed practices that they can use”.
there’s also a right to protect the school community, the people within it and ensure that these people feel safe and secure.
“If that is compromised by the behaviour of certain students, then principals are obliged to act,” she said.
However, Prof Burke said that she is not in favour of expelling students, and that students, at times, do need that form of suspension to “cool their heels” and to let things settle down.
While principals and teachers might implement these strategies, she also added that there needs to be care around vulnerable children, and children who are behaving in antisocial ways,
Early intervention on what could potentially signal antisocial behaviour remains integral, so that the plausibility of expulsion remains thin down the line.
Prof Burke said that “principals don’t actually expel or suspend a lot of children, it’s only in really extreme cases”.
She highlighted that, by the same token of early preventative measures, the recent announcement by the State Government of the Positive Behaviour Support Program and other similar approaches can help provide students that space to address possible antisocial, or potentially dangerous behaviours or habits.
“The things that we teach students are to identify potential issues before they occur; what are the signs leading up to, maybe an incident that’s about to escalate, and how they can diffuse these difficult situations.
“Relationship-building exercises, communitybuilding exercises in-school, classroom exercises, these are places where people learn to treat each other decently,” she said.
Prof Burke believes that the development of powers for principals to address outside-ofschool behaviour is important, but so are the endeavours that schools must take to address these behaviours in-house, before it reaches that critical stage.
journey’: Journeyman pens his epic life’s tale
Peter Jerijian was inspired by the Beatles when he landed in London in the late 1960s, leaving behind his Armenian family in Lebanon who viewed the budding bass guitarist’s long hair with disdain.
Six decades later in Dandenong, the grandfather reflects on a worldly, well-travelled life in his self-published memoir Bouncing Back: Tales From a Passionately Lived Life. He recounts the words of Beatles frontman John Lennon who said that people can tell their story through lyrics or music.
“Everyone has a different way of telling their story,” Jerijian says.
His book started as a Covid-19 project, a way of filling in the quiet nights at home.
Writing in English – which is not his first language – was a challenge. But he stuck at it for five years, unearthing surprisingly vivid memories as far back as his childhood.
“Some say Armenians are resilient. When I start something and I believe in something, I don’t stop until I finish it.”
Bouncing Back spans 77 years of a life well lived in Lebanon, London, Melbourne and South Korea.
Ever resourceful, Jerijian been a bass guitarist in a pop band, etcher, machine engraver, screen printer and English-language teacher.
All the while mastering several languages including Armenia, Arabic, English, French, Turkish and Korean.
He grew up in a “riches to rags” situation, after his parents and cousins fled the 1915 Armenian genocide to take refuge in Lebanon.
Finances were modest but he was enriched by a loving community in Bourj Hamoud, a town near the vibrant capital Beirut that was then known as “Petit Paris”.
“We can’t thank enough the Lebanese who at the time took as in. You later realise how lucky you were.”
After landing in London as a young man, he discovered the haunts of the Rolling Stones and the Beatles – “my dream places” like Abbey Road studios, St John’s Wood and the Bull and Bush pub.
He lived in a bedsitter and played in nightclubs with pop bands The Conquerors and later The Lords.
“It was fantastic. It was like a dream for us singing on the stage, playing music with all the bands in London.”
Holding a work permit, he was also focused
on survival and began carving his career as a machine engraver.
There he met his Ethiopian fiancee. Together they moved to Melbourne where she had family in the mid-1970s.
Jerijian enjoyed married life in Melbourne –which he viewed as a similar but tidier version of London.
However in the 1990s, life turned cruelly and he fell to his lowest point. He divorced, as well as lost his screenprinting business during the
national recession.
He met close friend Rosemarie, boarding with her in a place opposite Chisholm Tafe.
They took in overseas students as boarders, and became steeped in new cultures and foods.
In the early 2000s, an inspired Rosemarie embarked on teaching in Japan and South Korea.
Jerijian followed, quitting his job, learning how to teach as a volunteer at AMES in Noble Park and finding plentiful work teaching Eng-
lish to children and parents. Now back in Dandenong, he reflects on his “fantastic journey”.
“There are sad parts of this story - I had to cry sometimes. The best part was in those years when I was in a band and a drama group, and I started becoming a man.”
Bouncing Back will be launched at Armenian Community Centre, 8-14 Police Road, Springvale on Saturday 21 June, 4.30pm. Details: peterj313@hotmail.com or 0435 786 736.
Well-travelled Dandenong author Peter Jerijian with his memoir Bouncing Back. (Gary Sissons: 482305)
Professor Jenene Burke from Federation University has supported the new powers of principals, but has also stressed the measures to be taken before expulsion becomes an option.
(On File)
SEMMA urges premium review
By Philip Salama-West
The South East Melbourne Manufacturers Alliance (SEMMA) has called for an immediate review of WorkSafe’s and says that the Victorian Government’s recent decision to maintain a hold on WorkCover premiums at 1.8 per cent doesn’t do enough to aid struggling Victorian manufacturers.
Honi Walker, CEO of the industry body, said “Manufacturers have seen significant premium increases despite not making any claims. Holding the rate isn’t enough - we need a full review of WorkSafe now, not in 2027.”
SEMMA argues that the hold does not go far enough to aid manufacturers and has called for an immediate review on WorkCover, rather than waiting for the independent statutory review currently scheduled to take place in 2027.
Honi Walker argues that the financial strain being placed on manufacturers warrants immediate action.
“That’s still two years away – what can we expect to pay in 2026-27 if the review hasn’t started? We are not responsible for the financial issues of WorkCover – but we are being made to pay for it,” said Ms Walker.
This is the latest of several disputes that SEMMA has had with the state government this year, with the body most recently calling for a cap on land tax rates which it labelled ‘gouging’ and ‘an unjustified cash grab’.
SEMMA also argued in its pre-Budget submission in February that the Federal Government should halve the company tax rate for manufacturers.
Honi Walker has called for more cooperation from the Victorian Government in developing policy that won’t have an adverse impact on manufacturers.
“While we understand that WorkSafe is experiencing financial instability, manufacturers are once again the cash cow for government to fill
their coffers,” said Ms Walker. “We’d like to see transparency in the calculation process and we invite the Minister for WorkSafe & TAC Ben Carroll to join us for an Industry Roundtable,” she said.
SEMMA has released its Australian Manufacturing Blueprint – 2025 & Beyond, which details a number of strategies including capping business tax rates and reducing business loan rates, as part of its overarching policy objective to enable economic growth in manufacturing from 5.9 per cent (currently) to 10 per cent GDP by 2030.
SEMMA President Peter Angelico has argued for a business-led approach, saying “Let industry
lead our policy makers to successful economic evolution, ensuring we retain our Sovereign Capability across all sectors, encourage capital investment and grow wages, boost skilled careers, and lift our standard of living.”
This is the third year in which the Allen Labor Government has kept average premiums at 1.8 per cent. The government noted that last financial year, WorkSafe provided $3.4 billion in tailored support to more than 104,000 injured workers while helping more than 26,000 injured workers to return to safe and sustainable work.
Deputy Premier and Minister for WorkSafe and the TAC Ben Carroll has stated that the gov-
ernment has consulted with employers, unions, mental and occupational health experts in creating its policy.
Bridget Vallence, MP for Evelyn and Shadow Minister for Finance, has voiced criticism of the Victorian Government’s handling of WorkSafe, arguing that the government has failed to respond to key recommendations of the Inquiry into the Workplace Injury Rehabilitation and Compensation Amendment (WorkCover Scheme Modernisation) Bill 2023, claiming that employers, unions, and injured workers are being ignored, and that businesses are still struggling from the 2023-24 increase in WorkCover premiums of 42 per cent.
“The Liberals and Nationals call on the Allan Labor Government to immediately respond to the WorkCover Bill inquiry and extend the freeze on WorkCover premiums for 24 months. Labor can’t manage money and can’t manage the WorkCover scheme, and it’s Victorian businesses and injured workers who are paying the price,” said Ms Vallence prior to the release of the 2025-2026 state budget.
Ben Carroll has noted that though the average rate remains stable at 1.8 per cent, individual WorkCover premium rates do fluctuate on a case by case basis, determined by specific factors such as worker wages and the frequency of safety incidents in a given workplace, and are also influenced by 500 separate rates for specific industries. WorkCover, the state government points out, has provided invaluable care and relief for Victorian workers.
“WorkCover is about standing by people –giving workers peace of mind and helping businesses through tough times. We’ve strengthened the scheme so it can continue to deliver on that promise. We are taking a balanced approach to ensuring the long-term viability of Victoria’s workers compensation scheme and passing on the benefits directly to workers and employers,” said Mr Caroll.
SEMMA chief executive Honi Walker.
Balla Balla Community Centre
Deep Release & Relax – Winter Solstice Sessions
Take time out to unwind and reset with calming group sessions in the lead-up to the Winter Solstice.
These music and imagery experiences include gentle relaxation, guided themes, and music to support personal reflection. Each session ends with creative expression through drawing and discussion.
Please bring a yoga mat, cushion, blanket, and wear comfortable clothing.
Suitable for adults.
• Monday 16th and 23rd June 7.00pm -8.30pm
• Bookings essential – book online www.balla. balla.com.au or phone 5990 0900. Morning Melodies
Are you young at heart, looking for some company, or just want to enjoy a lovely morning out? Join us at Morning Melodies for heartwarming performances filled with the songs you know and love! Enjoy live entertainment, a cuppa, and a freshly baked scone with jam and cream - all while making new friends along the way.
Book early to secure your spot! You won’t want to miss this uplifting morning of music and connection. Morning Melodies is held on 2nd Tuesday each month and bookings can be made online www.balla.balla.com.au or by phoning 5990 0900
Bakhtar Community Organisation
Bakhtar Community Organisation is pleased to introduce Becoming Whole Again, a 6 – 10 week psychoeducational group program designed to support the mental health and wellbeing of newly arrived refugees and asylum seekers in Victoria. Commencing on Thursday, 13 June at 11AM, the program will take place at Bakhtar Community Organisation, 23–47 Gunns Road, Hallam VIC 3803. Facilitated by experienced practitioners Kellie King and Matthew Shires, this trauma-informed initiative creates a safe, inclusive space to explore identity, healing, and belonging through storytelling, art, movement, and community connection. The program is designed to be fully accessible, requiring no reading or writing skills, and includes the use of easy English, visual aids, and interpreters or translated materials where available. Each
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participant will be guided in creating a personal Living Book, a visual journal reflecting their unique journey.
• For registration, please contact the organisation. M: (03) 9703 2555 Email: info@bakhtar. org.au
U3A Cranbourne
20 - 22 Bowen Street, Cranbourne
We are a social group for people over 50 with many interesting and creative activities. We have recently started a garden group as we have lovely gardens where we can plant vegetables, herbs and flowers and enjoy a tea or coffee outdoors when the weather is nice.
We also have lots of art and craft groups, calligraphy, scrabble, quilling, resin making and card making are popular classes.
On Thursday afternoons from 1 - 3pm we have a lively group of table tennis players. New players welcome, no past experience needed, come along and join in the fun.
We run beginner ukulele and guitar group, Ray leads the ukulele group and Maurie assists our beginner guitar group on Monday mornings.
We are a not for profit group, assisted by Casey Council to run our programs. Our membership fee of $50 per year entitles you to join as many classes as you wish.
Line dancing is held at Clyde Public Hall on Monday mornings,, a gold coin donation covers hire of this venue.
• Check out all our classes at www.u3acranbourne.org.au or phone 0493 991 919 for more information
Cranbourne Chamber of Commerce
Cranbourne Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with Frankston Business Collective, are proud to announce that the Victorian Small Business Commissioner, Lynda McAlary-Smith, is coming to Cranbourne on 19 June 2025!
The presentation will cover the role of the Victorian Small Business Commission in assisting small businesses, including: Helping small businesses know their rights and obligations to resolve disputes; Pre-mediation and low-cost mediation; Guidance for small businesses in areas such as retail leasing rights.
• Date: Thursday 19 June 2025 Doors open 6.30pm
• 7pm Presentation by Lynda McAlary-Smith, Victorian Small Business Commissioner
• VENUE: Merinda Park Learning & Community Centre, Cranbourne North
• FREE for Members, $20 for Non-Members
Casey Winter Arts Festival
Time: 20 June - 20 July
In 2025, we are inviting you to “Cozy up” at the Winter Arts Festival and get to know the talented local artists who make our community shine. Whether it’s exploring exhibitions and demonstrations, enjoying a live show, or participating in hands-on workshops, this festival invites you to experience the rich variety of artistic expressions that make our local arts scene so unique.
Theatre companies, artists, crafters, dancers, community groups, venues and libraries are hosting an exciting range of events and activities for people of all ages, so join us and discover the diverse voices shaping our creative landscape.
• To see the programs, visit: casey.vic.gov.au/ winter-arts-festival
Broadway Legends concert
Cranbourne Chorale presents “Broadway Legends” with guest artists Teresa Ingrilli and Stephen Coutts. Afternoon tea is included and served after the performance.
• 22 June, 2.30pm at Cranbourne Community Theatre, Brunt Street, Cranbourne. Tickets: cranbournechorale.com.au/events, 0438 358 032 or at the door; $25/$20/under 12 $5.
U3A Casey – Chair Yoga
Seniors are invited to try out this new gentle exercise, stretching and breath control class, provided by U3A Casey. Chair Yoga improves your flexibility, posture and strength.
No equipment is needed – just you and a bottle of water!
After a first try-out, U3A membership to continue with Chair Yoga, or any of the other 75 classes, is $60 (Jan to Dec) or $30 (July to Dec).
A small additional weekly class fee will be required, which will reduce depending on numbers enrolled.
• When: Mondays from 12.00 pm to 1.00 pm
• Where: Hunt Club Family Community Centre, 40 Broad Oak Drive, Cranbourne East.
Enquiries:
• Visit our website at www.u3acasey.org.au
• Phone our office on 0493 280 458
Men’s Shed Junction Village Inc.
The Men’s Shed provides a facility for men’s mental health where men can come and enjoy each other’s company in a non-judgmental environment. Men are able to share ideas and life experiences, plus learn new skills which benefit themselves and the local community.
Our members are proud of their efforts in producing wooden toys to donate to the Salvation Army Toy Fund. However, making wooden toys is not a requirement of membership, and you can make your own projects if you prefer.
Retired men are most welcome to visit the Shed and have a chat/cuppa to check out our fully equipped Shed (lots of “toys” to play with!) and see what we do for the community. They do not need any woodwork experience as Shed members are happy to pass on their experience in an enjoyable and friendly atmosphere.
Shed members can also be seen cooking a sausage at Bunnings, displaying our projects at Botanic Ridge Village, or heading off to visit other sheds around the state (All good fun!)
We are located at 41 Craig Road, Junction Village and open on Mondays from 9.00 am to 11.30 am and Wednesdays and Fridays from 9.00 am to 2.30 pm.
• For more information and a tour of our Shed, contact Garry on 0408 141 734.
Cranbourne Senior Citizens Club
Cranbourne Senior Citizens Club meets weekly for a range of different events, including bus trips, community days, games, coffee and chat, bingo, dancing and carpet bowls.
Not a member? Doesn’t matter, come along and join the fun.
Weekly activity times - Line Dancing Mon.10am12pm, New Vogue and Old Time Dance Tue. 1pm3:30pm, Carpet Bowls Wed. & Sat. 11:30am2:30pm, Bingo Thur. 11am-2pm.
• For all enquiries or bookings contact Marilyn mobile 0432 107 590.
• Find us on facebook https://www.facebook. com/groups/487808127399953
Hibbins-Hargreaves stars
By Jonty Ralphsmith
Dandenong Stingrays co-captain Noah Hibbins-Hargreaves and top Gippsland prospect Willem Duursma were the stars of the show for Vic Country in its first game of the Under-18s National Championships.
Vic Country lost with the last kick of the game as WA’s Hudson Walker converted a set shot from 40 metres out on a slight angle to give the Sandgropers a 12.9(81) to 11.12(78) victory.
But Hibbins-Hargreaves was the player who gave Vic Country a sniff of causing an upset over their highly fancied opponents, kicking back-toback goals in the last quarter.
His first was from 40 metres out deep in the pocket and second came from a coolly converted set shot from a similar distance.
It continues a trend of Hibbins-Hargreaves kicking clutch goals across the past 18 months, always standing up for the Stingrays at their time of need, most recently by kicking the sealer last week.
The smooth-moving, strong-marking forward finished with a game-high four goals, particularly influential in the second half.
Duursma, meanwhile, was influential through the midfield, finishing with 26 disposals, four tackles and four clearances.
Other strong players for Vic Country were topfive prospect Josh Lindsay (Geelong Falcons) and Carlton father-son prospect Harry Dean, an intercept defender from Murray Bushrangers.
Hibbins-Hargreaves headlined 12 locals in action for Vic Country.
PLAYER BY PLAYER BREAKDOWN
Noah Hibbins-Hargreaves: Has well and truly put his name on the map as a bona fide top-20 prospect. His four goals all came in different ways and showcased various skills, including his brave marking, opportunism at stoppage, clean hands, forward craft and most tellingly, his clutch finishing. He’s laid the platform for an excellent championships.
• Zach O’Keefe: The utility finished with 12 disposals and four tackles, and he was particularly prominent early, with his clean ball-handling, attack on the footy and kicking efficiency impressive. Nearly kicked a critical goal from the arc in the last quarter, but it was touched on the line.
• Willem Duursma: Worked hard and showed his toughness and aerial capacity at various stages, with a 50-metre darting pass inside 50 to set up a Jesse Mellor shot on goal highlighting an exceptional third quarter. As well as his flashiness in open play, he showed off elements of his game that have been questioned.
• Marlon Neocleous: The bottom-aged small for-
ward who played in Traralgon’s 2024 premiership was promoted to the squad following injuries/illness to teammate Tom Matthews and
GWV’s Harley Hicks. Finished with 1.1 from eight disposals and had some dangerous moments when the ball hit the deck inside 50 and
worked up the ground to be a link player.
Toby Sinnema: The Melbourne Next Generation Academy winger from Devon Meadows was a touch quieter but still ran his lanes well on the wing, getting forward to have a shot on goal and providing an option in transition play, to finish with 10 disposals.
• Jobe Scapin: The slightly-built Gippslander played well above his weight class, finishing with a game-high six tackles, five of which came in the first half. Threw his weight around against bigger bodies and got rewarded by effecting some turnovers. Only found the 10 disposals but felt far more influential.
Mitch Stevens: The Adelaide father-son prospect won most of his 19 disposals in the first half, providing run and getting some overlap handballs, while taking some intercept marks. Always looked to set the game up with his kicking and pressured a WA opponent late in the game to save a crucial goal to keep his side in front.
Darcy Szerszyn: The bottom-aged Dandenong defender showed glimpses which franked his selection in the squad. Took a huge intercept mark in the middle of the ground in the third quarter and had composure against a WA forward line which applied pressure throughout. Callum Smith: After a strong month of footy leading Dandenong’s midfield, Smith was one of Vic Country’s best, getting an opportunity in the engine room and taking it with both hands. Finished with a team-high five clearances, with his contested ball-winning a feature. Like many on the day, 14 disposals belied his impact, with his morning highlighted by a terrific running goal from 45.
Max Lee: The Dandenong co-captain had a huge first quarter, playing his preferred halfback position, which helped Vic Country counterattack and set up a quarter time lead. Was quieter as the game went on but a huge spoil in the dying stages prevented a WA shot on goal. Wil Malady: Was the star of the show early, with two goals in the first quarter and causing real problems for the WA defence with his contested marking. Would only kick one more behind for the rest of the day, and finished with just six disposals, but all of those were marks and he was never outmarked.
• Tairon Ah-Mu: The strong Dandenong key forward took a big mark and kicked a critical goal midway through the fourth quarter to get Vic Country back within touching distance. That was one of two goals he kicked, but, like Malady, he threatened all day and anchored the forward line with his strength. Also played the second ruck role well, finishing with seven hitouts and looking dangerous when he took it out of the ruck on multiple occasions.
Ireland breaks ice on debut as Casey hold on against Pies
By Jonty Ralphsmith
Desperate, superior, stronger in the contest, but woefully inaccurate.
That was the story for Casey on Saturday night as it held on for a 7.15(57) to 7.6(48) victory at Mission Whitten Oval against a Collingwood VFL side it should have put away by halftime.
Collingwood’s only two goals to the break came via free kicks to tall ruck/forwards Iliro Smit and Mason Cox, yet Casey kicked just three goals itself to lead by 10 points at the main break.
Underlining their first half dominance, led by AFL-listed Jack Billings, the Dees were plus12 in contested possessions and plus-eight in tackles, while only allowing the Pies three uncontested marks in their forward half to the main break.
Billings was well supported by VFL-listed Mitch Hardie and consistent youngster Bailey Laurie in the midfield, the latter scoring the only first quarter goal.
A holding the ball tackle by teenaged halfback Mitch Kirkwood-Scott late in the second quarter was symbolic of the intensity and defensive application the Dees brought.
Casey continued to flex its muscle after the break, with Bailey Laurie helping Casey win 10 consecutive clearances at one point in the third quarter.
Taj Woewodin missed two gettable shots in quick succession to continue the frustrating lack of polish in front of goals, before a deliberate rushed behind by Pies defender Sam Glover gifted Luker Kentfield a straight forward goal.
First year AFL rookie Ricky Mentha’s sustained forward half pressure was then rewarded in stoppage time of the second quarter, with his major extending the margin to 25 points.
But the Pies went on to kick the next three either side of the last break, trimming the margin to just seven.
The Dees were able to neuter the Pies mo-
mentum, though, with Billings extending the margin beyond two goals at the 22-minute-mark of the last quarter, with a set shot deep in the pocket.
Flashy Nar Nar Goon local Paddy Cross then kicked the sealer, an accidental soccer off the ground in the goal square that dribbled through.
The victory lifts Casey into the top 10 ahead of a winnable clash against Essendon this Saturday night at ETU Stadium, Port Melbourne.
IRELAND DEBUTS
Buln Buln junior and first year Casey Demon Patrick Ireland broke through for a debut on Saturday night.
It follows five goals in his past two games in the Gippsland League, and he has been named emergency multiple times in 2025.
The medium forward kicked a second quarter goal in the low-scoring affair, taking a mark and converting the set shot from 40 metres out.
The Gippsland Power graduate made the list following his fabled 111-goal season for 2024 Ellinbank premiers Buln Buln last year.
The debut came on a weekend of great significance for Ireland’s 2025 local club, Leongatha.
Parrots junior and former Essendon captain Dyson Heppell played his first game back at his home club since retiring from the AFL, with his VFL club Port Melbourne having a bye.
Ireland made the move to the Gippsland footy powerhouse for the betterment of his
footy.
BALDI PLAYS HIS ROLE
Riley Baldi’s brilliant season back in the VFL continued on Saturday, containing Collingwood Brownlow Medallist Tom Mitchell. Mitchell finished with 25 disposals but had his impact nullified, with the hard-nosed Baldi playing well to contain him at stoppages. Baldi had just 15 disposals, his lowest possession tally of the year, but laid 14 tackles to deny Mitchell first hands on the footy and the ability to feed the Pies ball users with his usual work at the coalface.
FORMER DEE PERFORMS
Speaking to the Pakenham Gazette last week, Dees coach Taylor Whitford spoke glowingly of 2023 and 2024 runner up best and fairest Roan Steele’s rise to the AFL via May’s Mid-Season Draft.
But he also quipped that he hoped for a quiet performance from the newly-listed Pie when Casey faced them the following week.
He would’ve been nervous when Steele got Collingwood within seven points midway through the final term, giving the Pies a chance of sniffing victory of a game they trailed in all the key metrics.
Casey went on to win, but the former Casey Demon ran hard and had some important moments across his 20 disposals.
Ricky Mentha applied pressure in the forward half. (Rob Carew: 466727)
Dandenong’s Noah Hibbins-Hargreaves celebrates one of his four goals with Gippslander Jobe Scapin. (Paul Kane/AFL Photos)
Bakes leads Burra to victory
By Blair Burns
Keysborough has moved to fifth spot on the Southern Division 2 ladder after defeating one of the hot premiership favourites East Malvern in a threepoint thriller.
After a fast start from the Burra, the game went down to the wire as the Panthers reduced a 44-point deficit to hit the lead late in the final quarter.
But Ethan Bakes stood up for Keysborough and kicked his seventh goal to give his side the win and cap off one of the great individual performances.
It has been an up and down season for the Burra who have proven they can beat some of the best sides, with wins against Chelsea Heights (seven points) and East Malvern (three points).
But as you tend to see with younger sides, Keysborough has been plagued by inconsistency with some disappointing recent losses against Highett (75 points) and Mordialloc (40 points).
Coach Chris Smith said he was pleased with the response the side showed, and the team’s “maturity and character” to hold firm when the Panthers were charging.
“To start like we did and hit quarter time being 6.2 to 0 … we were over the moon,” he said.
“But the best thing to come out of it was the fact they hit the lead in the last quarter and we were able to respond.”
Smith said the went back to the basics and had some honest conversations after the big loss to Mordialloc last week.
“We have had a strange year, we had two really good wins going into the Highett game and got wiped off the park, then the same happened with Mordialloc last week,” he said.
“This week we peeled it right back and said let’s not worry about where it puts is on the ladder, let’s just bring pressure and intensity.”
When Keysborough played East Malvern back in Round 1, the Burra managed just four goals for the entire match (losing by 69 points).
But on the weekend, the team had already kicked four goals halfway through the first quarter, with six unanswered goals on the board by the time the siren sounded for the first break.
The Panthers couldn’t get it forward and when
SOUTHERN FOOTBALL NETBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 2 REVIEW - ROUND 9
they did, the absence of star Isaac Morrisby left a void which couldn’t be filled.
As the game progressed, East Malvern continued to bridge the gap as it reduced the margin to 25 points at half time, and then 12 points at three-quarter time.
But despite the late resurgence from the Panthers as they hit the lead in the final term, Keysborough held on to win its fifth game of the season.
“We have a young group who are starting to get
a bit of belief and understanding in what we are doing, the blueprint is there for our boys,” Smith said.
“It feels like we have turned a corner a bit and we are now a really dangerous side.”
Keysborough will shift its focus to another big challenge this weekend against Hampton Park.
“We are seeing a couple of years of hard work coming to the forefront, but if you’re not on this week, then all of a sudden you’re eight next week,”
Smith said.
“We just have to turn up and get to work; we will embrace every challenge that comes our way and hopefully get a few more wins.”
In other games, Mordialloc pumped Endeavour Hills by 85 points as William Avery booted four goals.
Caulfield Bears defeated Frankston Dolphins by 23 points, while Chelsea Heights was too strong for Highett as it won 14.12 (96) to 9.12 (66).
The Round 9 clash between Doveton and Hampton Park will be played between Rounds 13 and 14 when the other teams have a bye.
SOUTHERNDIVISION2
Goals: Ethan Bakes 7, Thomas Shaw 2, Geoffrey Humphreys, Simon Marchese, Kyden Vella.
Best: Ethan Bakes, Bryce Sutton, Thomas Shaw, Matthew Collett, Geoffrey Humphreys, Nathan Ramea.
EastMalvernGoals: Aaron Gitlits, Austin Hogan, Charlie McGaw 3, Hayden Chrzanowski, Tom Shanley.
Best: Logan Berryman, Aidan Cellini, Charlie McGaw, Koby Van Lieshout, Aaron Gitlits, Miller Synman.
Endeavour Hills Goals: Lucas Archer, Ethan Landman, Jarrod Marolla, Sam McLean, Ryan Peters.
Best: Baron Grant, Mitch Grant, Jacob Daly, Ben Swift, James Archer, Lachlan Twyford.
MordiallocGoals: William Avery 4, Mason Bailey 3, Adam McGarry, Caoimhin O’Donnell 2, Luke Barnhoorn, James Davis, Josh Dickerson, Toby Plant, Luis Soto.
Best: James Davis, Joshua Gibbins, Luke Barnhoorn, Mason Bailey, Luis Soto, Toby Plant.
Berwick Springs outlast Carrum Patterson Lakes in thriller
By Dylan Beaumont
Berwick Springs has confiscated the season’s momentum in Southern Division 3 with a gigantic victory against Carrum Patterson Lakes 10.10(70) to 9.14(68).
The Titans forged a comeback from 10 points down at three-quarter-time, kicking three goals in the opening seven minutes of the final term to take the lead.
From then on, it was goal for goal until the final bell.
Co-coaches Hayden Stagg and Chris Johnson were the best for Berwick Springs and Ty Ellison slotted another four goals.
Liam Hickman kicked three goals for Carrum Patterson Lakes, who slid to second on the ladder behind St Kilda City.
Lyndhurst ended their match half the score of St Kilda City, 8.6(54) to 16.12(108).
It was the only match for the week with a margin of over 10 points.
The pair of Jacks, Hazendonk and Griffiths, were great for Lyndhurst.
For the winners, Alex Goldman (five goals) and Max Lewis set their side alight.
A last push in the darkening stages of the match was not enough for South Mornington, who succumbed to Hampton 7.12(54) to 9.5(59).
Madden Griffin’s two goals and Harrison Harbrow’s best-on-ground effort were sufficient for the Hammers victory.
The action-packed round was consistent, with Black Rock prevailing by a solitary point against Heatherton 12.14(86) to 13.7(85).
A late Ned Fallon goal locked away the premiership points for Black Rock, who have surreptitiously moved into top-four territory.
Aaron Cloke and Sam Gibbins had four goals each for their respective teams, with Black Rock’s Stewart Mathieson and Blake Gordon’s efforts proving insurmountable for Heatherton.
Skye felt the rewards of a hard fought tussle against Ashwood 12.8(80) to 11.4(70).
Matt Long’s four-goal, best-on-ground effort
and Michael Boland’s flair were electric for the Bombers.
For Ashwood, the Hocking family played inspired football but they fell painfully short of a third win on the season.
Next week, Skye will head north to Berwick Springs in a challenging clash.
First placed St Kilda City will visit South Mornington, while Lyndhurst and Ashwood will hope to fight relegation off against each other.
Neighbouring suburbs Hampton and Black Rock play off while Carrum Patterson Lakes round out the weekend at Heatherton.
Results R9: Carrum Patterson Lakes 9.14(68) def by Berwick Springs 10.10(70), Lyndhurst 8.6(54) def by St Kilda City 16.12(108), Black Rock 12.14(86) def by Heatherton 13.7(85), South Mornington 7.12(54) def by Hampton 9.5(59), Skye 12.8(80) def Ashwood 11.4(70).
Ladder: St Kilda City 24, Carrum Patterson Lakes 24, Berwick Springs 24, Black Rock 20, Heather-
ton 20, Hampton 16, South Mornington 16, Skye 16, Lyndhurst 12, Ashwood 8.
FixtureR10: Berwick Springs (3) v Skye (8), Ashwood (10) v Lyndhurst (9), South Mornington (7) v St Kilda City (1), Heatherton (5) v Carrum Patterson Lakes (2), Hampton (6) v Black Rock (4).
DIVISION4REVIEW
Hallam’s four-quarter performance has granted itself another speck of self-confidence after smashing Dandenong West 16.8(104) to 5.11(41) in Southern Division 4.
Dandenong West is the only team who has posed a threat to Hallam as it stands, and a first quarter burst had everyone else convinced.
But after quarter time the Hawks outscored Dandenong West 15.8 to 3.6...a complete domination.
With Jack Sharlassian held to one goal, Matt Neve stepped up with four goals and Zach Dalton was superb.
Lyndale has fired back at their doubters, dismantling Doveton 24.13(157) to 6.3(39).
The winners slammed on at least five goals in each quarter, fuelled by Mark Stevens’ effort of 10 goals.
Leighton Te Huia was strong in victory, while Doveton’s Matthew Carter fought hard.
Narre South has recaptured its winning ways, eclipsing Moorabbin 20.13(133) to 9.15(69).
Nicholas Green kicked seven goals, becoming one of the Saints’ most prominent players, if not already.
Riley Lucas was a ball magnet on the day as Narre South recorded their second win of the season.
Daniel Otto kicked four goals for Moorabbin and Rhys Cupid played exceptionally.
In a tight squeeze, Clayton emerged with a 12-point victory over South Yarra, 13.11(89) to 12.5(77).
The victory carries Clayton to second on the ladder, overtaking Dandenong West.
The efforts of Brayden Hunt (three goals) and Edward Haynes fell short for the Lions, who were overrun in the third quarter 5.3 to 3.0.
Josh Paola kicked four goals and Joshua Durand ensured his side collected the win.
Hallam is suspected to have an easier week against Doveton this weekend, while Narre South will face a true test in Clayton.
Dandenong West will endeavour to bounce back on the road against South Yarra and Lyndale can grow their winning streak if they perform against Moorabbin.
Results R9: Dandenong West 5.11(41) def by Hallam 16.8(104), Moorabbin 9.15(69) def by Narre South 20.13(133), Clayton 13.11(89) def South Yarra 12.5(77), Doveton 5.9(39) def by Lyndale 24.13(157).
Ladder: Hallam 36, Clayton 28, Dandenong West 24, Lyndale 20, South Yarra 16, Moorabbin 12, Narre South 8, Doveton 0.
R10:
Fixture
Hallam (1) v Doveton (8), Narre South (7) v Clayton (2), Lyndale (4) v Moorabbin (6), South Yarra (5) v Dandenong West (3).
Jack Hazendonk fires out a handball for Lyndhurst against St Kilda City. (Gary Sissons: 482706)
Keysborough star Ethan Bakes (16) celebrates after kicking the most important of his seven goals to win the game. (Rob Carew: 482712)
