Gloves on for planting day
The Brooklyn Recycling Group (BRG) – a partnership of local construction and demolition recyclers based in the Brooklyn industrial estate – has invited the community to join a planting day event.
BRG members City Circle Group, Gypsum Fertiliser & Sales, Delta Group and ResourceCo are teaming up with Melbourne Water and the Friends of Lower Kororoit Creek (FLKC) to plant about 700 native plants to strengthen a growing habitat corridor along the creek. BRG said the event builds on the success of earlier community planting efforts, including a major event in June led by former FLKC president Geoff Mitchelmore.
The event will continue to ’infill’ the area to further enhance the corridor’s natural values, according to BRG. Melbourne Water’s Waterways and land officer Gerard Morel said the project will bring lasting environmental benefits.
“This location is a large corridor of nature, and will be greatly improved with these additional plants – attracting more birdlife and improving the overall health of the nearby creek,“ Mr Morel said.
Council clean-up
By Sam Porter
A report into the behaviour of the previous Brimbank council has found it “struggled to ensure good governance and demonstrate appropriate behaviour” while some councillor conduct “could be consideredabusive”.
In a decision which was supported by councillors at the time, the local governmentministerappointedmunicipal monitors to oversee the council between February and December 2024 to help resolveongoingissues.
The council in question was elected in
November 2020 and sat until November 2024.
The tenure of the two monitors, Janet Dore and Penelope Holloway, was extendeduntilJune30,2025attotalcostto Brimbankratepayersof$144,000.
In a report to the local government minister, which was released this week, the monitors concluded that some councillors did not fully understand their role and responsibilities, did not respect staffandeachother,andstruggledtowork togethereffectively.
Monitors highlighted some councillors demonstrated inappropriate behaviour
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towards the chief executive, senior staff and each other, and made the assessment that some councillors had “engaged in abusive and bullying behaviour to the extent that it caused mental distress to seniorstaffandtocouncillorcolleagues”.
Somecouncillorsandseniorstaffwereso distressedtheysoughtmedicalassistance, accordingtothereport.
The report cited examples of behaviour betweencouncillorsincluding“unfounded accusations being made on social media, shouting, snide comments, ‘ambushing’ behaviourincouncilmeetingsandthreats aboutretribution”.
Monitorsnotedpoorcouncillorrelations were “amplified” in the lead up to and after the 2023 mayoral election, with relationships becoming “even more toxic” after an altercation in a public council meeting erupted, resulting in a councillor walkingout.
Another reason cited by monitors for the previous council’s underperformance related to how council meetings were conducted, specifically in relation to notices of motion and public question time.
Continued: Page 4.
Friends of the Lower Kororoit Creek president Jason Hocking. (Ljubica Vrankovic) 507188_01
Brimbank crime on the rise
By Sam Porter
Crime in Brimbank has increased with the municipality recording 18,876 offences in the twelve months to June, up 7.5 per cent from the previous year which recorded 17,551offences.
The latest Crime Statistics Agency data show theft from motor vehicles continues tobethemostcommoncrimeinBrimbank at 3045, followed by breaches of family violenceorders(1651)andothertheft(1628).
Incidents of criminal damage (1396) and motor vehicle theft (1131) came in as the fourthandfifthsubgroupsofoffencetype.
Thetopfivesuburbsforcrimeremainthe same.
St Albans was the biggest crime hotspot (3846) followed by Sunshine (3385), Deer Park (1509), Sunshine North (1489) and SunshineWest(1453).
Brimbank Local Area Commander Inspector Matt Bui said police are working totacklecrimeespeciallyinStAlbans.
“Victoria Police provides a 24-7 response to the St Albans area, with targeted patrols taking place around the clock, including at shoppingstripsandpublictransporthubs,” hesaid.
Houses remain the top location for
offencesrecordedat5466,followedbycrime incidents taking place on local streets and footpaths (3258) and single-level carparks (917).
There was a reduction in offences occurring in driveways (655) — down 35 from last year — as well as in court (592) — down38fromthepreviousyear.
Acrossthestatetheftfrommotorvehicles remains the fastest growing and most common crime, with 86,351 offences recorded,up39.4percentthepreviousyear.
“Number plates are the most common items stolen, accounting for almost 40 per cent of motor vehicle theft offences,”
499188_02
Multipurpose space: A grant for good
North Cyprus Turkish Community of Victoria members are ready to get started on a new project after receiving a $7500 grant as part of the federal government’s strongercommunitiesprogram.
President Dr Lutfiye Ali said the grant will be put towards a multipurpose space toaccommodateadiverserangeofstudent cohorts.
InspectorBuisaid.
“Not only is it an inconvenience to car owners, number plate theft is often at the centreofmoreseriousoffending.
“Stolen number plates are often used by offenders to hide the identity of a vehicle when committing other crimes such as burglaries, ram raids, petrol drive offs and toevadepolice.
“There are also simple measures the community can take to prevent falling victim – install anti-theft screws, always lockyourcar,removevaluables,neverleave your car unattended while running, and wherepossible,parkoffthestreet.”
Libs sure the west can turn
The Liberal Party is confident a blue wave from the west can help it win control of Spring Street in next year’s stateelection.
Star Weekly sat down with opposition leader Brad Battin and his envoytothewesternsuburbsWestern Metropolitan Region MP Moira Deeming at her office in Caroline SpringsonThursday,October2.
Should the Liberals get elected, Mr Battin said his first priority in the westernsuburbswouldbeaddressing crime.
“The first thing I would prioritise is probablythethingeveryonespeaksto me about, crime– it’s got to be about what we are going to do to address crime,”MrBattinsaid.
“We talk about it across Victoria, but the west has been hit the hardest and we have seen it too often in the media.“
The former cop also said a government he leads would invest $100 million in rehabilitation for youthoffenders.
AccordingtoMrBattin,theLiberals are still deliberating infrastructure commitments.
Thepairwasaskedabouttheparty’s previous difficulties attracting voters inthewest.
Established in 1956, the centre provides a vital space for the Cypriot Turkish communityofVictoria.
“It has been the heart of our community forover70years,”DrAlisaid.
“I also appreciate how inclusive it is. We have many different community groups that use the centre to celebrate their social and cultural traditions and practices.”
“The space will promote inclusive participation from students of all ages. This project aligns with our broader vision of fostering connections and increasing engagement with the centre among younger members of the community,” Dr Ali said. “The news motivated us to get started with the project, to work towards our goal to create a warm and welcoming communityspacethatbenefitspre-school, schoolanduniversitystudents.”
Dr Ali said grants are important to community groups and organisations as they are mostly volunteer-run and operate withlimitedresources.
“Such grants allow us to bring projects to life and, more importantly, bring the community together—not just through the outcome, but through the process of undertakingprojects,”shesaid.
“The act of designing and building together brings in students, parents, young people, and regular volunteers from the community so it creates valuable volunteering opportunities, in turn fosteringsocialconnection.”
Youth change makers program open to applications
YoungpeopleinBrimbanklookingtolead, learn and create positive change in the community can now apply for council’s ‘Brimbankchangemakers’program.
The free six-month program is open to young people aged 18 to 25 who live, work orstudyinBrimbank.
Council said the program is an opportunity to learn from experienced facilitators and trusted leaders to bring ideastolife.
Participants will gain hands-on experience through workshops, co-design sessions and networking opportunities
withlocalleaders.
Workshops will be held every two weeks on Thursdays between 5-7pm starting October 23 at Brimbank Learning Futures at Visy Cares Hub, 80B Harvester Road, Sunshine.
Brimbank youth council member Zehra Glamocic encouraged young people to get involved.
“Brimbank change makers is an opportunity for young people who are passionate and want to make a real differencetoourcommunity,”Zehrasaid.
“It’s going to be exciting to see the
next generation of Brimbank leaders come together, grow, share ideas, and work on projects which will benefit our community.”
According to council, every participant in the program will have the opportunity toworkalongsidelike-mindedpeers,build confidenceandcollaborateonmeaningful ideas,withguidanceateverystep.
Participants can apply by visiting www.trybooking.com and searching for ‘Brimbankchangemakers’.
Applications for the program close Sunday,October19.
“ProbablypointAisbeingpresent,” MrBattinsaid.
He said he meets with groups, farmers and attend forums and frequentlystaysintheregion.
MsDeemingsaidpeoplewestofthe Yarraarethirstyforpoliticalchange.
“We all have stakes. I have four children, this isn’t just for political power, I am worried about my children’s future. This is a really seriousfight,”MsDeemingsaid.
The opposition leader said funding youthmentalhealthfacilities,working to cut red tape for small businesses and working with developers to build infrastructure before residents move intonewestateswerepartofhisplan.
HealsosaidtheAvalonemployment precinct should be the “next big thing”andtheLiberalswouldsupport theprivatesectordeveloptothearea.
Star Weekly asked Ms Deeming what she had achieved since being appointed as the Leader’s Representative to the Western SuburbsinApril.
Ms Deeming said she has been coordinating the party’s strategy in the west for infrastructure and drafting legislation, including a plan tooverhaulthepublicservicesector.
“All the things you want to achieve, youachieveingovernment,”shesaid.
North Cyprus Turkish Community of Victoria member Hasan Kajim, vice president Ahmet Mehmet, president Lutfiye Ali and her grandson Ezra (5), and treasurer Yuksel Siva. (Damjan Janevski).
Call to reassess rate caps
By Sam Porter
Brimbank council has made a recommendation to the state government to reassess rate caps as part of this year’s statutory review of the rate capping framework,whichoccurseveryfouryears.
The rate cap for 2025-26 was set at three per cent under the state government’s Fair Go Rates system, equal to the forecast ConsumerPriceIndexforthesameperiod.
Brimbank resident Emma Mendelsohn said she would be concerned if the current ratecapwasincreased.
“From my perspective I would prefer to
see better accountability and auditing of where the money is being directed because we’renotseeingitintheappropriateplaces,” MsMendelsohnsaid.
“What’stheextramoneygoingtobeused forandcanwehaveaplanforthat?”
Ms Mendelsohn said she would like to seeastrongerinvestmentintonewsporting facilities in the municipality as well as increasedtreesandcanopies.
“The fire levy [emergency services and volunteers fund] has upped [council rates] by ten percent so I’d say most people would struggle with even a five per cent increase,” MsMendelsohnsaid.
Brimbank mayor Cr Thuy Dang told Star Weekly rate capping and a culture of cost shifting from other levels of government has been impacting council’s financial performanceforyears.
“We, like all councils, really need to put the case forward for sensible change to ensure our operations remain financially sustainable,”mayorCrDangsaid.
“Factors requiring consideration in Brimbank’s situation include our community’s significant reliance on our services, the need for continual investment in social cohesion and the management of contaminated land. We are also expecting
Melbourne’s West to bear greater costs relating to climate change and increasing temperatures.
“The timing of the annual rate cap announcement by the minister, which happens in late December, also disrupts the annual budgetary planning cycle, putting projects at risk and forcing us to make decisions that may not be in the community’sbestinterests.”
A government spokesperson told Star Weekly “councils may apply for a higher rate cap if they can demonstrate a need for spendingonservicesorprojectsthatrequire arateriseabovethecappedamount.”
Sleepout at the airport to raise homelessness awareness
Melbourne Airport is inviting people to swap their beds for their cars to raise awareness and funds for those affected by domesticviolenceandhomelessness.
On Thursday, October 16, participants will spend a night sleeping in their car atop Melbourne airport’s T4 carpark for a glimpse into the often harsh reality of hiddenhomelessness.
The annual event aims to raise $100,000 in support of Juno Services and McAuley Community Services for Women, which provide vital advocacy and crisis support acrossMelbourne’snorthandwest.
With family and domestic violence a leading cause of homelessness in Victoria, many are forced to seek shelter in vehicles, overcrowded housing or unsafe environments.
McAuley’s CEO said demand for support continuestooutstripsupply.
“Each night in Victoria up to 200 women and children are staying in motels without the support they need. The Sleepout will help raise vital funds, but also much-neededawareness.”
In 2022-2023 alone, more than 36,000 womenandchildrenwerereportedtohave turned to specialist homelessness services afterfacingdomestic/familyviolence.
MelbourneAirportCEOLorieArgussaid the event was a powerful reminder of an often-unseencrisis.
“Each year thousands of women face the unimaginable reality of homelessness, with their car often becoming their last resortforshelter,”shesaid.
Juno CEO Tanya Corrie said the
Students’ big battery excursion
Students from Sunshine North’s Harvester Technical College have explored one of the world’s biggest batteries, discovering first-hand the opportunities a career in renewableenergycanoffer.
More than 15 students studying a certificate II in electrotechnology toured the Melbourne Renewable Energy Hub in Plumpton–aprojectco-ownedbySECand renewableenergyinvestorEquisAustralia.
The school visit is part of a series of educational tours hosted by SEC and Equis, designed to engage students of all ages in the career opportunities offered by thecleanenergytransition.
On site, students saw the project’s 444 batteryunitsand335-tonnetransformers.
Together, these form a 600-megawatt battery energy storage system capable of strengthening Victoria’s electricity grid by storingenergyandreleasingitduringpeak demand,accordingtoSEC.
The students also heard from onsite electricians and engineers about their career journeys and what it’s like working on one of the world’s largest battery projects.
Harvester Technical College electrotechnology teacher Jason Aquilina said taking his class to the hub was a valuableexperience.
“It not only brought the theory to life but also inspired my students to embrace sustainable technologies through applied learning,”hesaid.
“Exploring the latest innovations opened their eyes to the exciting career opportunities in the renewable energy sector, preparing them to be the future leaders and innovators in this rapidly growingindustry.”
Due to be completed in late 2025, the hub will have the capacity to power about 200,000homesduringhigh-useperiods.
fundraisersentamessageofsolidarity.
“Too many women and gender diverse people are forced to choose between returning to violence or facing homelessness,”shesaid.“Thesleepoutsays ‘I see you’, while helping us walk alongside peopleastheyrebuildtheirlives.”
The Sleepout will take place on Thursday 16October. ToregisterfortheCarSleepout, visit www.melbourneairport.com.au/ community.
Harvester Technical College students have explored one of the world’s biggest batteries. (Supplied)
Juno CEO Tanya Corrie, McAuley Community Services for Women Lived Experience Advisor
Diana Connell, Juno Strategic Projects Manager Tess Power, and Melbourne Airport Stakeholder and Partnership Lead Michelle Goulos atop the carpark at Melbourne airport where the sleepout will take place. (Jack O’Shea-Ayres)
Dangerous roads identified
Three busy Brimbank roads were rated among the worst in the municipality after new data revealing the most dangerous roads in Brimbank and Victoria was released.
The Australian Road Assessment Program (AusRAP) road safety star ratings covers major arterial and highway networks in metropolitan and regional Victoria and rates sections of roads between one to five stars with a lower star rating identifying a road as more dangerous.
InBrimbank,McIntyreRoadinSunshine North, Keilor Park Drive, and Sunshine
AvenueinKeilorDownswereratedamong the worst in the municipality and were all placedinthetwo-starcategoryforsafety.
On a 1.3km section of McIntyre Road, 64 fatal and serious injury crashes were recorded in the five years between 2019 and2023.
Sections of the Old Calder Highway, the Western Highway, Green Gully Road, Ballarat Road and the Melton Highway werealsoratedtwostars.
AusRAP ratings are calculated using a range of risk factors and information, such as average daily traffic, speed limit, number of lanes in each direction, and
lanewidth,amongotherfactors.
The information can be overlaid with crash data to understand how infrastructure contributes to crashes and crash outcomes, enabling road authorities to identify potential road works that will reduce risk of crashes and prioritise correctiveinvestment.
RACV head of policy James Williams said the release of AusRAP ratings was an important step towards improving road safety and reducing the risk of serious injuryandfatalitiesonVictorianroads.
“Weknowthatsomeroadsaresaferthan others, and these star ratings give us the
Milestone in school tree-planting initiative
Ardeer South primary school has reached a major environmental milestone after planting 1800 trees and plants on the school’s property since 2021.
The school started planting trees as part of the ‘more trees for a cooler greener west’ program, which aims to improve air quality, create more shade and cool down the school grounds during summer.
The program also seeks to boost the number of trees in the western region of Melbourne which has below-average tree canopy cover and high heat vulnerability.
Principal Andrea Markham said the
results of the school’s tree planting campaign has been extremely positive.
“Alreadyinthosetwoyearsit’screateda canopy around the school … We take part inbiodiversityauditseveryyearandwe’ve noticed since having the trees around the perimeter of the school we’ve increased the amount of wildlife,” Ms Markham said.
“It promotes caring for our school environment too. The kids that planted those trees a few years ago have now seen what the benefit is to our school environment.”
More recently, students at the school planted trees as part of National Tree Day, which took place on July 27.
“The year six students designed that area to be what they were calling ‘our backyard forest’ and then they worked with their prep buddies to plant the 50 trees on National Tree Day,” Ms Markham said.
“It’s about embedding those sustainability practices across our school and promoting sustainability with our kids and you can see that journey that’s happened in the last five years.”
Drivers targeted over AFL grand final long weekend
Seventy-three driving-related offences were recorded in Brimbank on the grand final long weekend as part of a statewide policing operation targeting high-risk driving behaviour, with increased roadside alcohol and drug testing conducted over the four days.
Twenty-three drivers were pinged for disobeying road signs and signals in the municipality and 21 drivers were caught speeding.
While no drunk drivers were recorded, there were five drug drivers caught by police.
Therewerealsothreeunlicenseddrivers caught, two seatbelt offences recorded, seven mobile phone offences tracked and seven unregistered vehicles driven.
Three drivers were disqualified from driving and two impoundments were made by police.
Across the state, 5088 offences were detected by police during the operation.
Speedingwasthemostcommonoffence with police catching 2179 drivers.
There were 192 drink driving offences recorded from 106,519 preliminary breath tests and 138 drug driving offences
evidencetoproveit,”hesaid.
“Each additional star rating halves the risk of deaths or serious injuries. Upgrading a road from two stars to three stars halves the number of serious crashes likelytooccur.
“We know that there are limited funds for road upgrades, and AusRAP provides governments with the data to be more targeted and to make decisions from a safety-firstperspective.”
RACV said it supports upgrading all major roads to a minimum three-star AusRAP safety rating, with all new roads designedandbuilttoatleastfourstars.
Council clean-up
Whilethemonitorsacknowledged the previous council had “good written meeting procedures and governance rules” they recommended council review its procedures for notices of motion, which monitors said were used by councillors too often and on issues unrelatedtolocalgovernment,oras awaytopromotethemselves.
Inresponsetotheissuesraisedin the report, the monitors presented a 10-point plan to improve governance. The plan was adopted by the previous council and promptly agreed to by the current council.
The plan covers the roles of councillors, the role of the chief executive, governance rules, and council policies as well as topics on respect, maintaining strategic vision,andadvicerelatedtocouncil meetingprocedures.
Councillors in the current council undertook an intensive induction process over the first six months after the 2024 election, with monitors observing goodwill amongstthecouncillorsthroughout theprogram.
“Weareconfidentthatthecurrent council can turn the page in the reputational history of Brimbank City Council if the commitment and approach so far is continued,” thereportsaid.
”This will require firm leadership by both the mayor of the day and theCEO.”
In addition to the feedback to reviewnoticeofmotionprocedures, themonitorsrecommendedcouncil report regularly to the community andtheministeronitsperformance againsttherevisedten-pointaction plan.
Brimbank mayor Thuy Dang released a statement following the releaseofthereport.
from 2775 roadside drug tests too.
Road Policing Assistant Commissioner Glenn Weir said it was concerning to see high strike rates for drivers caught over the legal limit for alcohol and drugs.
“It was also concerning to detect so many unauthorised drivers over the weekend – these are people who have typically have their licence removed for committing a serious offence and are continuing to drive when they shouldn’t, puttingotherroadusersatrisk,”Assistant Commissioner Weir said.
“I am pleased to see the report acknowledges that council has made significant progress towards improved governance and we will continue to keep a focus on this,” shesaid.
“I have written to the minister for local government to acknowledge the observations made in the report.
“Alongwithmyfellowcouncillors, we are collectively committed to working together for the benefit of theentireBrimbankcommunity.”
Ardeer South primary school foundation students (front) Esther, Andy, Vincent, Lopeti, Eva, Siveth (back) Emanuel, Aurora , Ahmad, Lydia, Zikra and Minaal. (Ljubica Vrankovic) 503436_01
‘Incredible’ fire response
By Sam Porter
The community has rallied to support a Hillside family who lost their home and belongings in a house fire on Tuesday, September23.
Thirty firefighters fought the blaze at the Whitmore Place home of James Bell, Rochelle Ellis, and their three children Zayne(7),Izaiah(9),andAva-Leigh.
Thefamilyescapedtheblazebutsuffered burns.
The care we’ve received from this community has truly lifted us up during one of the most difficult times
- Rochelle Ellis
Mr Bell and Ms Ellis were rushed to the Alfred Hospital in serious conditions while Izaiah and Zayne, who was in a critical condition, were transported to the Royal Children’sHospital.
Neighbour and family friend Louise SheehansaidMsEllisandIzaiahhavesince been released from hospital, and that Mr Bell and Zayne — who both suffered more severeinjuries—aremakingslowbutgood progress.
Ms Sheehan was asleep when the fire started.
thatthefirewascausedbyanoilheater.
She also said the youngest child, Ava-Leigh,onlysufferedminorburns.
After the incident, Sydenham Hillside PrimarySchool,whichisattendedbyZayne andIzaiah,openedupitsgymfordonations andreceivedanoutpouringofitemsforthe family.
MsEllisvisitedtheschooland,inasocial media post, thanked community members “for the incredible love, kindness and support”theyhadshownthefamily.
“Losingourhomehasbeenheartbreaking but the care we’ve received from this community has truly lifted us up during one of the most difficult times,” Ms Ellis wrote.
“Please know that your compassion has made a huge difference to our family. We feel very blessed to be part of such a caring school community and we will always rememberthewayyouralliedaroundusin ourtimeofneed.”
Ms Sheehan also put a callout on social media, telling residents they could leave donationsforthefamilyatherhouseifthey couldn’tstopbytheschool.
“I looked to the right and the house was justinflames.”
Ms Sheehan expressed gratitude for two of her neighbours, Zac and his wife Tahlia, whoimmediatelytookaction.
“At the time I had no idea what had happened. The neighbour in between our two houses knocked on my door and mentioned there was a fire so I grabbed my kids and went out the front and just saw smokeeverywhere,”MsSheehansaid.
“They’ve lost everything. The house will have to be demolished and rebuilt,” Ms Sheehansaid.
The day after the incident Mr Bell’s sister, Laressa Turetahi, started an online ‘gofundme’campaignforthefamily.
Onthefundraisingpage,wheredonations havesurpassed$140,000,MsTuretahiwrote
“I came back and there were bags of clothes, boxes, everything on my doorstep and I just burst out into tears,” Ms Sheehan said. “This is unbelievable. The community thatweliveinisabsolutelyincredible.”
Sydenham Hillside Primary School will sell bandanas at the school office from October 6, with proceeds going directly to theBellfamily.
Donations: https://tinyurl.com/ muyyvxjw
Smiles light up at colourful Brimbank lantern festival
Hundreds of Brimbank locals gathered on Saturday, September 27 to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Lantern Festival — a harvest festival celebrated by many communities inAsiawhereitiscurrentlyautumn.
Australian Vietnamese Arts and Culture president Mai Nguyen said the event was enjoyedbyall.
“The Mid-Autumn Festival, or Moon Festival, is the second largest festival in Asian communities,” she said. “It is also knownasthechildren’sfestivalheldonthe day that the moon is fullest and brightest, thetimeofharvestinginmidautumn.
“To celebrate this people display lanterns, children carry lanterns, and have a parade to celebrate, lighting up the streets.”
Ms Nguyen said the lantern-making workshop was the highlight of the day with more than 100 lanterns made by participants.
“This helps the children and family to learn new skills, connect with other families and have their own handmade lanterns to keep at the end of the parade,” shesaid.“Two-hundredandfiftypre-made lanterns were also handed out and there were not enough. We will have many more next year to cope with the number of participants.”
The story of Chú Cu?i, a Vietnamese folktale,wasalsotoldthroughperformance in English and Vietnamese., with children singinganddancingalong.
“There were participants from all backgrounds, all ages and genders,” Ms Nguyensaid.
“Theinteractivedancesattractedsomany people. You could see their happiness. It clearly showed the celebration and the giving of thanks for the harvest, which was reflected in the shared activities and celebratorymood.”
Hundreds of locals gathered to celebrate the Mid-Autumn lantern festival. (Supplied)
Rochelle Ellis and James Bell with their children Ava-Leigh, Zayne and Izaiah. (Supplied)
School holiday fun
Kids in Brimbank were able to enjoy a rangeofactivitiesovertheschoolholidays.
At Sunshine Plaza shopping centre children got up close and personal with slithery, scaly friends as part of a reptile-handlingshow.
Over at Brimbank shopping centre, youngsters were treating their ‘pets’ at a pop-upvetclinicevent.
Brimbank Shopping Centre senior centre manager Linda Vella said the response to the mini vets activity was extremelypositive.
“It is a great opportunity for the kids to learnaboutanimalcarewhilstalsohaving fun – and of course they are all proud to take home their honorary veterinarian certificate at the end of the session,’ Ms Vellasaid.
Star Weekly photographer Damjan Janevskiwentalongtocapturetheholiday fun.
Rieko, 4. 505940_01
Theo, 1. 505940_02
Zahra, 5. 505940_03
Jayden, 7. 505940_04
Daisy, 6. 505940_05
Timothy, 12. 506813_01
Kyra, 3, and Frankie, 1. 506813_02
Ruhaan, 6. 506813_03
Anaya, 3. 506813_04
Oscar, 6. 506813_07
Hannah, 4. 506813_06
Orlando, 8. 506813_05
Colourful mural inspires
Six local emerging artists have completed a colourful new mural at St Albans Community Centre as part of a four week mural mentorship program.
The‘creativepathways’program,funded by Brimbank council, was led by artist and muralist Lukas Kasper who guided participantsthroughouttheentirecreative process.
The locals selected for the program included Ziggy Firth, Astrid Lempriere, Ayelet Brooks, Victoria Duggan, Riley Magras and Ana Hanson.
Mr Kasper said through the program the artists have learnt skills to expand their practice.
“Bytheendofittherewasahugebond.It was like a little art crew family. On the last day they were talking about how excited they were to meet up again and paint. The
connectionwasjusthuge,”MrKaspersaid.
The group worked to the theme of ‘flora and fauna’, with each artist designing their own concepts for what the mural could look like.
Elements from each of the drawings were then combined to create the final artwork.
“Every participant did incredibly well. I’vedonealotofmentorship-typeprograms before but never have I experienced a group of artists who are so keen to learn and grow. Being able to see that firsthand wasincrediblyrewarding,”MrKaspersaid.
“ItwasalmostlikebytheendofitIwasn’t mentoring a bunch of artists. It was more like I was painting an artwork with a group of friends.
“Congratulations to everyone who was a part of it.”
Briefs
Copper thieves
Police have charged a man and are still looking a second man following copper wiring theft in Fraser Rise on Thursday, October 2. It is alleged two offenders stole copper wiring from a construction site on Taylors Road before fleeing in a vehicle about 4.20am. The vehicle was tracked to Edith Street in Tarneit where the offenders got out and fled on foot. One man was arrested by police and but the other managed to escape. The 27-year-old Tarneit man has been charged with theft, trespass, going equipped to steal and dangerous driving while being pursued. The investigation remains ongoing.
Derrimut company charged
A chemical manufacturer in Derrimut has been charged by Worksafe after a man died in a fire when working inside the factory in October, 2023. The 44-year-old man was working when an explosion and fire occurred during the blending of flammable liquids, causing fatal injuries. ACB Group faces three charges for failing to provide or maintain a safe working environment including failing to train workers on the need for bonding and earthing controls, and the maintenance or replacement of equipment used for blending and transferring flammable liquids and failing to supervise workers to ensure they used appropriate controls.
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Ziggy Firth, Astrid Lempriere, Ayelet Brooks, Victoria Duggan, Lukas Kasper, Riley Magras and Ana Hanson. (Damjan Janevski) 506226_03
A boarding pass to history
Australia’s first government-owned domestic airline, Trans-Australia Airlines (TAA), which later rebranded to Australian Airlines, made significant contributions to the aviation industry since its inception in 1946. The TAA museum is the sole aviation museum dedicated to preserving historic domestic aviation development in the country. Sam Porter spoke to museum president John Wren about the airline and his time working for TAA.
Tucked away in a street eight kilometres from Melbourne airport stands an unassuming museum. Models of planes, vintage airline memorabilia,artwork,mechanicalaircraft components and other inventions are displayed in what used to be the TAA/ Australian Airlines computer centre.
Museum president John Wren oversees the museum’s operations. He’s a knowledgeable and passionate spokesperson for the old airline, having worked there for 33 years from 1965.
“Iwassellingalloftheaircraftanddoing the contracts, and then getting the aircraft modified in our workshops, taking the aircraft to America and doing the deal over there, getting the check — the good part — and coming back and doing the next one,” John said.
Through his role selling aircraft, John wasinvolvedinmanyareasofthecompany and had a “good exposure” to TAA. He started in engineering and was eventually seconded to flight operations. He planned ferryflights—thetransportationofaircraft withoutpassengersorcargo—andworked with Japanese pilots to create contracts and run flight ops simulator training for them as well as working in finances and catering too.
Johnofferedatourofthemuseum,which is laid out in chronological order of the airline’s history.
TAA was established by the federal government in 1946 after it recognised a need to form a national domestic airline network post WWII. It was at this time that John’s father began working for TAA as an engine shop inspector.
“My father, he was here on day one in September ‘46 when the first flight went, and he did 33 years,” John said.
John’s brother also worked for the airline for 43 years.
“He was in sheet metal, and he was making or repairing bits of the aircraft. Anything that had aluminium on it,” John said.
Displayed in the first section of the museum is a large, framed poster of the illustrated Nola Rose, the design slightly surrealist. Nola Rose, a model who was discovered at Bondi Beach, became the face of TAA in the 1950s and for decades to follow. At the bottom of the poster reads the airline’s famous slogan, ’Fly TAA the friendly way’.
TheRoyaltourin1954markedahistorical moment for TAA as the first airline in the country to fly ruling British royalty. Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip took six TAA flights as part of the tour. A signed photograph of the royal family is displayed next to a letter sent on behalf of the Queen.
Further into the exhibition, John pulled out what he said is one of the most fascinating items in the room. It’s a radio navigational sextant, also known as a periscope sextant, used to navigate flights over water in the 1950s and 1960s.
The device, fitted with an eyepiece, extendedupthroughtheroofoftheaircraft, and allowed planes to be navigated by the stars.
“Captain Cook, he used a less modern version [of the periscope sextant] but it was the same principle,” John said.
AnotherniftyinventionJohnhighlighted was the black box, invented in Melbourne in the 1950s.
TAA marked many firsts for the aviation industry across Australia and the world, however not all of them are bragworthy.
John pointed out an old newspaper clipping. The headline read ‘Bomb threat to airliner.’
During the last Brisbane to Sydney flight on July 19, 1960, a hijacker armed with a bomb and a rifle fired a shot into the aircraft ceiling after the first officer tried to calm him. Forty-three passengers and six crew members were on board and it would become the first skyjacking in Australia. The captain aided the officer with the intervention and successfully restrained the hijacker.
John seemed keen to move on with the tour.
“Notproudofitbutthesethingshappen,” he said.
Around the corner stands a row of mannequins dressed in brightly-coloured airhostessuniforms,fittedwithminiskirts and blazers. The arrival of a new decade.
Museum volunteer Elizabeth Watkins, more frequently known as Libby, worked as an air hostess for TAA and QANTAS from 1968 to 1971.
“I had to leave because I got married, which was the rule at the time. You had to leave when you got married or retire at
35,” Libby said. “We were very happy and choofed along in those days. One day you might have the prime minister on and the next day you’ve got some drunk in the back seat.”
LibbyservedSirJohnGorton,SirWilliam McMahon and Gough Whitlam during her time as an air hostess — a period when the prime minister travelled via domestic airline carriers.
“You always had to be on your best behaviour. Everyone got good service but they had to get extra special service.”
The airline’s acquisition of the Airbus A300 in 1981 brought about significant change.
John said the capacity jumped from 130 people on TAA’s previously largest aircraft to over 300 on the Airbus.
“We all got pagers to have ready if anything went wrong, to keep it going, because being a new aircraft type we wanted to give a good impression,” John said.
“The thing went for a whole year with absolutely nothing going wrong with it. It was a marvelous aircraft…and then a guy from catering [driving a forklift] ran the
forks into the door sill at the back and he ruineditsowehadtomanufactureanother one,” John said.
Five years after the Airbus acquisition, in 1986, TAA became Australian Airlines, which was subsequently purchased by QANTAS in 1992 and merged with the private company the following year.
John described the people he worked with at TAA “like a big family.”
“I got up in the morning and always was happy to come to work…and the people were ultra friendly,” he said.
The museum was started by members of the TAA/Australian Airlines 25 Year Club whowillgathernextyeartocelebrateTAA’s 80th anniversary.
“That’ll be a really big celebration from interstate and overseas too,” John said.
“We’re keen to have people come and see the history that we’re trying to keep here and explain to people if they’ve got questions.”
The TAA/Australian Airlines museum is located at 7 York Street, Airport West and is open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdaysbetween10am-2pm.Admission is by a suggested donation of $5.
Main: President John Wren holding a photo of TAA’s first aircraft, the Douglas DC-3, and standing in front of a model of the airline’s last aircraft — the Airbus A300. Left: Airborne Express engineering director Al Wiseman and John Wren in 1982. (Supplied) Centre: Museum president John Wren with volunteers Eddie Creaney and Libby Watkins. Right: President John Wren holding the radio navigational sextant. (Pictures: Sam Porter)
Annual Keilor Village Market Day is fun for all
The Keilor Village Market Day is an event that brings together the heart of the community,offeringfunandexcitementfor peopleofallages.
While the market day is popular for its vibrant atmosphere, unique stalls, and local treasures, its food with the Lions Club sausage sizzle and freshly baked scones are alsoagreatdrawcard.
Older adults are encouraged to take part in such events. Days like this are a good opportunity for seniors to get out and enjoy the simple pleasures of life, from browsing
marketstallstosocialisingwithfriendsand makingnewconnections.
For many older individuals, days spent indoors or at home can sometimes feel isolating. The Keilor Village Market Day Fair provides a much-needed break from the routine, offering a chance to embrace the lively buzz of the market, connect with others, and enjoy the fresh air. Whether it’s discovering hidden bric-a-brac treasures, finding a great bargain, or simply chatting with vendors, these moments can greatly enrichanolderperson’sweekendsociallife.
The fair is also an ideal environment for seniors to engage in light exercise, from leisurely strolls between stalls to carrying home a few choice items. Such light physical activity helps maintain cognitive sharpness, making decisions about what to buy, bargaining for deals, and generally interacting with fellow market-goers.
Formanyolderpeople,communityevents like this provide a sense of independence and joy. Taking part in local events like the Keilor Village Market Day Fair can reduce
feelings of loneliness and encourage a positive mindset. The friendly atmosphere makes it easy for anyone, regardless of age, tofeelwelcomedandappreciated.
For seniors, the Keilor Village Market Day Fair offers a chance to explore the village, visiting the open display units and community centre, at your own pace and potentially meeting some of the friendly residents.
It’s not just about finding great bargainsit is about making new connections, and havingalighthearted,relaxeddayout.
Art follows the curve
Delve into the inner psyche of artist Ned Brook in a free exhibition that gives internalstatesformthroughsculptures.
Brook creates his works by drawing flowing forms and then inputting them into3Dsoftware.
He then brings the art to life through 3D printing and the manipulation of metal — contorting, bending and twisting the materialintocurvedstructures.
Brook said his work is informed by his experiences living with mental illness, whichislinkedtolanguage.
“Some people meditate. I can’t meditate so I use art as a tool for expressing stuff
that’s difficult to explain with words,” Brook said. “If I can work in a space that involvesverylittlelanguagethenit’sagood spaceformetooperatein.”
Brook has experience in cattle farming, volunteer firefighting, and has worked as anarborist.
Hesaidthenaturalworldheavilyinspires hiswork.
“Ispendalotoftimeoutdoors...It’smore curves rather than straight lines. The city doesn’t really inspire me at all because it’s just concrete and steel and everything’s square because humans seem to like squarethings,”Brooksaid.
“Each exhibition for me is like a step in a newdirection.It’sanexampleofwhereI’m at at the moment… I’m always looking for thenextmove.”
‘In Plain Sight’, supported by Brimbank council, is showing at the Bowery Gallery, 33PrincessStreetStAlbans,untilSaturday, October18.
The exhibition is open from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, and from 9am to 12.30pmeachSaturday.
Suspenseful thriller in Bacchus Marsh
A thrilling drama filled with suspense and mystery will be performed by a local community theatre group in Bacchus Marshthismonth.
Moonlite Theatre will perform Rope –the classic suspense play by Patrick Hamilton–acrossseveraldatesthroughout October at the Holy Trinity Anglican ChurchHall.
The play, based on a true story, is full of thrilling and edge-of-your-seat moments and follows two friends who believe they have gotten away with murder and decide tohostadinnerparty.
Moonlite Theatre vice president Tim
Hawthorne said there will be eight cast membersintheplay.
“We thought we’d do a thrilling drama ... we’vedonequiteafewcomediesasoflate,” MrHawthornesaid.
“It follows the same theme of the play –two of the main actors who think they’ve committed the perfect murder, they’ve decided to hold a dinner party … to see if anybody would pick up on the clues from what they’ve committed a few hours before,”hesaid.
“[Itwill]leavetheaudienceontheirseats withallthetwistsandturnsofwhether[the charactershavebeen]foundoutornot.”
Mr Hawthorne said that the group is always looking for new members for a variety of roles – including actors, backstagecrewmembers,orwriters.
Rope will be performed from 8pm on Friday, October 17, and Friday, October 24, and from 2pm and 8pm on Saturday, October 18 and Saturday, October 25 at the Holy Trinity Anglican Church Hall, 19 Gisborne Road, Bacchus Marsh.
The production is by Arrangement with ORiGiN Theatrical on behalf of Samuel French,aConcordTheatricalsCompany. Details:trybooking.com/DBPIV
Stones in Kooyong re-created
Yarraville might be a long way from Kooyong and the 52nd anniversary of something doesn’t quite have the same cache’ as the 50th, but any excuse to get some of Australia’s greatest rock musicians together and recreate a legendary concert from a legendarybandiswellworthit.
That’s the thinking behind Yarraville Live presenting The Rolling Stones Kooyong Concert 52nd Anniversary show on Saturday, October11.
Featuring the exact set list that the Stones played on a sweltering afternoon at the Kooyong tennis stadium in 1973, the Monkey Men, a collective of Australian musicians including You Am I’s Tim Rogers and Davey Lane, the Wolfgram sisters and Jack Howard from Hunters and Collectors, will play a track-for-track tribute, just as they did at a sold-out show at the Corner Hotel earlier this year.
The Monkey Men, who also include formerReneeGeyerkeyboardistBruce Haymes, Even drummer Matthew Cotter, Tex Perkins bassist Stephen Hadley, guitarist extraordinaire Andre Warhurst and Ben Marsland on horns, have been playing Rolling Stonestributeshowsfor12years.
“There’s a reason why we’ve been doing this show annually since 2013, becausepeoplefrothit,”saidMonkey Men and Yarraville Live booker, JamesYoung.
Ticketsareonsalenow,andinclude dinner and show packages, reserved seatingandgeneraladmission.
SupportactEzraLeewillbeonstage at 8.30pm, with the Monkey Men followingat9.30pm.
Yarraville Live is held at the Yarraville Club. Tickets and information: yarravilleclub.com.au
Exploring the urban landscape together: Teens to lead
There is nothing lame about going on a walk when you do it in style– and tap into yourtalents.
On Friday, October 10, folks from Wyndham,thewestandtheworldoverare invited to Werribee for a night walk that promisesintrigue.
Nightwalks with Teenagers is a walking performance created with local youth who plan, design and lead a public walk through Werribee at night, exploring the urbanlandscape.
Focused on the power of walking together,theperformanceinvitesteensand adults to have a unique social experience
in a shared place and time, where people letlooseandarefreertobethemselves.
Theaimofthissessionistoembracethose coming on the journey with and sharing moments of silence that are not awkward butofferthechanceforcontemplation.
Developed through workshops and rehearsals with the internationally renowned Mammalian Diving Reflex, each performance is co-created with local teens, drawing on their stories, talents and personalperspectives.
MammalianDivingReflexisagroupthat crafts performances by creating theatre productionsandsocialeventswiththeaim
of bringing people of diverse backgrounds together.
The group and mission is named after a reflex found in mammals, which increases the chances of survival when plunged into a cold watery environment, a metaphor for surviving difficult times by trusting the body.
The group will meet out front of the Wyndham Cultural Centre for a 7.30pm start and commence the two-hour walk fromthere.
More: https://www.wyndham.vic.gov. au/whats-on/nightwalks-teenagersmammalian-diving-reflex-0
a night walk
Moonlite Theatre vice president and cast member Tim Hawthorne with cast members Chantelle Fernandez, Lukas Duffy, Ashton Crewther, Isabelle Haigh Lucia Kelly, Irene Hogan, and Carl Reeson. (Supplied)
‘In Plain Sight’ by Ned Brook is showing at the Bowery Gallery until Saturday, October 18. (Ties Urie Photography)
A similar night walk in Brussels. (Bea Borgers)
Gunlom Falls reopens: A timeless Kakadu treasure
AFTER six years, Gunlom Falls is back on the tourist trail.
The falls - one of the Northern Territory’s most iconic travel destinations - reopened earlier this year, marking the first time the tourism drawcard has been accessible to thepublicsince2019.
Located on Jawoyn Country in the southern region of the UNESCO World Heritage dual-listed Kakadu National Park and a much-loved location featured in classic Australian film Crocodile Dundee, Gunlom Falls offers iconic cascading falls, a breathtaking natural infinity pool with sweeping views across the escarpment, crystal-clear plunge pools and shaded picnicareas.
As the jewel in the crown of Kakadu National Park, Gunlom Falls’ reopening is being welcomed by visitors from around Australia and around the world.
Gunlom Falls’ campground is also operational again and works on a first-come, first-served basis. For many, camping is a highlight when visiting the area with relaxing walks in nature, incredible birdwatching, swimming in cooling plunge pools and opportunities to sharestoriesaroundthecampfirebeneath endless starry skies.
The journey to Gunlom Falls is all part of the adventure. To get there, it’s about a four-hour drive from Darwin or two hours from Jabiru, with sealed roads leading to the turn-off and an unsealed stretch into the campground and falls. The drive itself sets the scene: wide skies, red earth, and the changing colours of the Territory landscape.
cascade at full force against ancient landscapes below.
Visitors can also choose to witness the full magnitude of Kakadu National Park from above with a scenic helicopter flight during the wet season, when waterfalls
GunlomFallsalsositwithinalandscape rich in Aboriginal culture, where stories stretch back tens of thousands of years. Visitors are reminded they are on Jawoyn Country, and taking time to understand this cultural context adds invaluable depth totheexperience.
For those who remember Gunlom Falls from years gone by, the chance to return feels like reconnecting with an old friend. For first-time visitors, it’s an opportunity to discover one of the Northern Territory’s mostmagicalplaces.
Either way, a visit to Gunlom Falls is the kind of experience that stays with the visitor forever.
Gunlom Falls. (Tourism Australia, James Fisher)
Getaway to Gunlom. (Tourism Australia, James Fisher)
Relaxing at Gunlom Falls (Credit Tourism NT)
Enjoying the Gunlom Falls Top Pool. (NT, Jonathon Clayton)
Nature’s infinity pool at Gunlom. (Tourism NT, Jewels Lynch)
Cultural Elegance: Murray Princess River Cruise, Aida Opera & Adelaide Retreat
8 Nights
5 February 2026
Your Holiday Includes
Full-Board River Cruise
4 night Murray River cruise on board PS Murray Princess with all meals and sightseeing
Burke Salter Boutique Winery tasting
“Murray River Cup”
Event Experience
Ticket to Franco Zeffirelli’s legendary production of Aida at the Adelaide Oval Fully Escorted
Barossa Valley Tours
Walking tour of Swan River
Swan Reach Museum (gold coin donation on entry)
Sunnydale Woolshed Show
Sunnydale Native Wildlife Shelter
Aussie Barbecue – cooked and served in a bush setting on the banks of the Murray River
Ngaut Ngaut Conservation Park tour
Scenic tender boat ride
Hotel Stay
4 night four-star stay in Adelaide at the Stamford Plaza Adelaide with breakfast
Full day Barossa Valley tour with lunch and wine tastings including: Saltram wine estate, lunch and wine tasting at Lambert Estate, visit to Barossa Valley Chocolate Company, photo stop at Menglers Hill Lookout, vineyard tour & wine tasting at Jacob’s Creek visitor centre, stop at Beerenberg Farm and free time in Hahndorf to explore the historic German settlement
All Flights, Taxes & Transfers
FRANCE'S FINEST
Paris to Avignon or vice versa
15 DAYS | 1 COUNTRY
13 GUIDED TOURS
SET SAIL: MAR-NOV 2026; MAR-NOV 2027
From $10,795pp in Standard Stateroom
From $14,095pp in Veranda Stateroom LYON & PROVENCE
Avignon to Lyon or vice versa
8 DAYS | 1 COUNTRY
7 GUIDED TOURS SET SAIL: MAR-NOV 2026; MAR-NOV 2027
From $6,495pp in Standard Stateroom
From $8,295pp in Veranda Stateroom
Roundtrip from Paris, France
8 DAYS | 1 COUNTRY
6 GUIDED TOURS
SET SAIL: MAR-NOV 2026; MAR-NOV 2027
From $6,395pp in Standard Stateroom
From $8,195pp in Veranda Stateroom
AVIGNON, FRANCE
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
WANT YOUR EVENT LISTED? Community Calendar is made available free of charge to not-for-profit organisations to keep the public informed of special events and activities. Send item details to Star Weekly Community Calendar, Corner Thomsons Road and Keilor Park Drive, Keilor Park, 3042, or email to westeditorial@starweekly.com.au by 9am Wednesday the week prior to publication
Seniors Festival events
A range of seniors festival events are being hosted by Brimbank council. An Active ageing exercise class will be held on October 8 from 11.30am-12.30pm at Sunshine Leisure Centre, 5 Kennedy Street, Sunshine. Seniors can attend a ‘taste and connect’ event including a guided market tour, live saxophone music, and delicious tastings from local Vietnamese and Indian favourites on October 8 from 10.30am-2pm at St Albans Community Centre , 33 Princess Street, St Albans. A pride pickleball event encouraging participation from all LGBTQIA+ residents and allies will take place on October 10 from noon-3pm at Keilor Basketball Netball Stadium, 135 Stadium Drive, Keilor Park.
communitysupport@brimbank.vic.gov.au
Mad Pride badge-making workshop
Mad Pride is an international movement that reclaims the word Mad as a valid identity and source of pride, challenging the idea that it should only be associated with shame or illness. Join this free event to connect with like-minded people, share stories and create badges. The event will be held on October 10 from 10-3pm at Sunshine Library - 301 Hampshire Road, Sunshine.
artspaces@brimbank.vic.gov.au
Taste of Egypt community festival
All are welcome to come and experience Egypt. There will be traditional food available, kid activities and rides, plants, homewares and more. The festival is hosted by St George Coptic Orthodox Church and will take place on October 11 from 9am-5pm at 77-79 Henry Street, St Albans. Kids activities run from 11.30am-4.30pm.
https://shorturl.at/DtU2V
Women’s only conversation English Duke Street Community House is inviting locals to make friends, learn new skills and practice English in this fun and free women’s social group. Tuesdays during school terms, 9.30am-noon, at Duke Street Community House, 27 Duke Street, Sunshine.
9311 9973, or dukest@dsch.org.au
Popcorn Musical Fun and Learning
Join Popcorn Musical Fun and Learning, a free, evidence-based early education program that combines music, play, and connection for families with children aged 0-5 years. Running for eight weeks, on Tuesdays, 10.30am12.30pm, this program is designed to incorporate singing, stories, and fun activities to support your child’s development. Running from February 11 onwards at the Sunshine Heights Playgroup Centre, 105 Glengala Road.
9663 6733, or events@ds.org.au
Crafternoons
Duke Street Community House is inviting locals to a free adult social opportunity to get together and be creative. Learn a new craft or bring along your own craft projects. Tuesdays during school terms, 12.30-2.30pm, at the Duke Street Community House, 27 Duke Street, Sunshine.
9311 9973, or dukest@dsch.org.au
Brimbank Book Group
Be inspired by thought-provoking books with a group of like-minded, literary fans with our Brimbank Book Group. All welcomed. This group, for adults, meets on the first Monday of the month, from 2-3 pm, at Deer Park library. Bookings are not essential, but please feel free to register your interest.
library@brimbank.vic.gov.au
Over 50’s club
The Keilor Over 50’s Recreation Club meets at Kealba Hall, 24 McShane Drive, Kealba, on Tuesdays, from 10am-3pm, and Wednesdays, from 7-10pm. Have a coffee and a chat, play social table tennis, pool and card games, go on organised outings and enjoy barbecues. First two visits are free then annual membership fees apply.
Graeme, 0404 809 640, keilorover50@gmail.com, or www.keilorover50.com.au
Western Athletics function Western Athletics is celebrating 30 years since the amalgamation of Werribee, Footscray and Sunshine athletic clubs. A function will be held on October 18 at the Yarraville Club. To express your interest or send updated contact details please contact us.
info@westernathletics.com.au
Deer Park Probus Club
The Deer Park Probus Club meets at the Deer Park Club, 780 Ballarat Road, Deer Park on the second Wednesday of the month from February to December. Meet at 10am followed by lunch available from 12pm. The club offers bus trips, lunches, morning melodies etc. New members welcome.
Peter, 0412 604 713 or Pat, 0413 126 714.
Keilor Park Tennis Club social night
Join the club on Monday nights for a free social hit and get to know other club members. All levels are welcome. Female players are also required for Thursday competition from 10am-2pm and also for the B-grade mixed team on Wednesday, 7-9pm.
keilorparktennis@gmail.com
Sunshine Community Brass
Sunshine Community Brass is looking for trumpet and percussion players to join its vibrant band of musicians. With more than 90 years of history, the band rehearses at 45 Furlong Road, North Sunshine, on Tuesdays, from 7.30pm.
Andrew, 0419 444 620
Create & Chat
Dig out your craft projects and get inspiration from fellow like-minded crafters with the create and chat sessions at Sunshine Library, from 10-11am, on the first Tuesday of every month. All skill levels are welcome.
library@brimbank.vic.gov.au
Women working together
A program connecting women aged 50 and above and in need of assistance, with mentors and mentees. Open to women across the western suburbs, including Brimbank.
9655 2131, EmploymentSupport@ cotavic.org.au, or cotavic.org.au/ our-programs/employment-support/
National seniors meeting
On the first Wednesday of every month at 1.30pm, the metro west branch of national seniors meets at the Deer Park Club, with meals available to purchase. The group also holds lunches on different Fridays each month, as well as activities such as theatre visits, bus trips and more.
0425 713 004, or esley1.collins@outlook.com
Learn to Relax Group
IPC Health’s Living Well team is running a free Learn to Relax Group at IPC Health Deer Park, 106 Station Road, every Tuesday at 11am. This group is for people 18 years and older who are interested in learning how to relax and finding ways to effectively manage their stress. Registration is required.
livingwell@ipchealth.com.au, or 1300 472 432
Card games
Love playing the card game 500? Card games are played every Monday, from 7-10pm, at the Sunshine RSL offices, 99 Dickson Street, Sunshine. Leisa, 0425 768 808
This week’s photographer’s choice picture is of award-winning florist Liza Cagorski. (Ljubica Vrankovic) 504499_11
Dr. Tony Stubbs, Eye Surgeon, says that just about anyone can have their vision restored and be rid of their glasses for most of the time. And this is without the use of laser surgery.
Dr Stubbs formerly at the Royal Victorian Eye Hospital who has worked with the Fred Hollows eye department at the Prince of Wales Hospital in Sydney, says he began his career through the inspiration of his father, Dr Maxwell Stubbs.
“My father was a pioneer in cataract implant surgery from 1963! He has now passed away but some of his patients still come in for a check-up. Not only is this inspirational, it also demonstrates that good surgery outlasts the surgeon,” Dr Stubbs says.
A specialist who helps people who have been advised they are unsuitable for laser surgery, Dr Stubbs is also committed to demonstrating that age, corneal distortion or astigmatism are no barriers to eliminating the need for glasses.
One of my best moments was treating a 12-year-old girl who was struggling at school because of poor vision due to congenital cataracts even with the use of thick glasses. Now 10 years later, she still has 20/20 vision without glasses. That inspires me.
“Seeing my patients’ bright smiles after surgery, as they stop squinting and can read without glasses, is definitely the best part of my job.”
No referral is needed and no out-of-pocket expenses are incurred for an assessment to enable all options available to be considered.
SPORTS QUIZ
1. Which Wallabies halfback is expected to miss the rest of the season due to surgery on his injured hamstring?
2. An uproar broke out at the Brownlow Medal ceremony when which St Kilda player received just two votes during the Round 20 section of the count?
3. 2025 Ballon d’Or recipient Ousmane
4. After the US, which country finished second in the medal tally of the 2025 World Athletics Championships?
5. And how many medals in total did Australia win at the event?
6. Which WNBA player received her fourth MVP award this year, the most in league history?
7. Bad Bunny was recently announced as the headliner for which sporting event?
Which country was the winner of this year’s Women’s Rugby World
And what nickname does that country’s team go
A volleyball match consists of how many players per team?
Which Matildas star recently made her catwalk debut at Paris Fashion Week?
12. Williams driver Carlos Sainz, once with Ferrari, achieved what result at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix?
13. Who won the 2025 AFL Brownlow Medal?
14. And who won the 2024 NRL Dally M Medal?
15. Which Swedish former tennis player, who played in the ‘70s and ‘80s, retired at the age of 26?
16. In the preliminary final, Brisbane Lions player Dayne Zorko was fined for grabbing Collingwood’s Mason Cox’s what?
17. Which South African cricketer has ‘un-retired’ from white-ball formats and is available for international selection again?
18. Which discarded opening batsman scored a century for Australia A against India A in a first-class match?
19. Which Australian singer performed the national anthem at the AFL Grand Final?
20. Before this year’s Grand Final, how many premierships did Geelong and the Brisbane Lions each win this century?
21. The 2025 Ryder Cup golf tournament was recently held in which US state?
22. What milestone did AFL Women’s players Ebony Marinoff and Ally Anderson both become the first players to recently celebrate?
23. Which veteran Aussie cricket allrounder recently suffered a broken forearm during training, looking set to miss the T20 tour to New Zealand?
24. Which cricketing nation won the 2025 Asia Cup?
25. Which English cricketer will replace Ollie Pope as vice-captain for the upcoming Ashes tours?
26. Who won the 2025 Norm Smith Medal for best on ground at the AFL Grand Final?
27. And how many players have won the Norm Smith Medal more than once?
28. What positions did NRL Grand Finalists Melbourne Storm and Brisbane Broncos finish on the ladder at the end of the premiership season?
29. The UFC recently held Fight Night 260 in which Australian city?
30. And which Australian stadium still holds the record for the two highest ever attendances at a UFC event?
YOUR NEW CAREER ... starts here
Star Weekly seeks an enthusiastic Full or Part time Sales Executive to work across our print, digital,
and online platforms.
Star Weekly is an independently owned company which prides itself on its long history of community experience but also its investment in the future.
The successful applicant will need to possess good people skills to enable them to meet with local businesses to sell solutions through our advertising platforms to help promote their business.
Applicants will need their own reliable vehicle for which we will provide an allowance.
The position is salaried, plus we offer an open ended commission scheme.
Send your application letter and resume to: Advertising Sales Manager, Mandy Clark mandy.clark@starnewsgroup.com.au www.starnewsgroup.com.au
To solve a Sudoku puzzle, every number from 1 to 9 must appear in: each of the nine vertical columns, each of the nine horizontal rows and each of the nine 3 x 3 boxes. Remember, no number can occur more than once in any row, column or box.
ACROSS
1 Scarcity (6)
4 Swiss family who were marooned (8)
10 Extravagant (9)
11 Vision (5)
12 Reflected sound (4)
13 Sulk (4)
14 Of birth (5)
16 Ancient harp (4)
17 Members of a trust (8)
20 Shoeless (8)
22 Widespread reputation (4)
25 Beneath (5)
26 Facial features (4)
28 Passport endorsement (4)
30 Once more (5)
31 Social exclusion (9)
32 Weather (8)
33 Facade (6) DOWN
1 Fuel oil (6)
2 Inebriating spirit (7)
3 Probe (4)
5 Proposal (8)
6 Of Jakarta, for example (10) 7 Ghost (7) 8 Anonymous (8)
9 Storage container for grain (4)
15 Choice (10)
18 Inflexible (8)
19 Pole marking scoring area (8)
21 Spread from the centre (7)
23 Building (7)
24 Tack whacker (6)
27 Container for flowers (4)
29 Faux (4)
1 What is the largest state by area in
2 In which year was the planet Neptune discovered?
3 Esther Summerson is a character in which novel by Charles Dickens?
4 Located in Barcelona, La Sagrada Familia is a Catholic church designed by which famous architect?
5 What is the name of the traditional Korean dish typically consisting of fermented cabbage?
6 Recipient of the 1976 Archibald Prize, SelfPortraitintheStudio is an artwork by which Australian painter?
7 Who is the artistic director and
8
10 Known for its canals and medieval
No. 290 No. 258
Cheap low emissions travel
By Chris Riley, Marque Motoring
Toyota’s small but practical Yaris is often overlooked in the rush to buy larger more powerful models.
But for environmentally conscious buyers the hybrid-powered pocket rocket offers a very real alternative to fully electric vehicles.
The three cylinder hybrid powertrain offerssuperlowfuelconsumptionandwith it incredibly low engine emissions.
In many ways, you could say it is the perfect city car.
Styling
Yarishascomealongwaysincethedebacle over its name when introduced as the Toyota Echo back in 1999.
It is now one of the most popular cars on the road with more than 360,000 sales over four generations.
There are three grades to choose from: Ascent Sport, SX and ZR - priced from $28,990. SX takes the price to $32,390 while the sporty ZR enters the ledger at $34,590all prices before on-road costs.
The high performance, three-door GR Yaris is priced from $55,490.
Premium paint adds $500 and two-tone paint (black roof) is $450.
YarisCrossisbasedonthesameplatform and starts from $31,790 plus on-roads in front-drive form.
All grades apart from the GR are poweredbythesamethree-cylinderhybrid powertrain these days.
The new 1.5-litre three-cylinder powertrain develops more power than its four-cylinder predecessor, while using substantially less fuel and cutting emissions.
In fact, it offers the best fuel economy of any Toyota, using just 3.3 litres of fuel per 100km and producing just 76 grams of CO2 per kilometre.
Standard kit includes cloth trim and manual aircon, 15-inch steel wheels, analogue speedo, built-in navigation, active cruise control, automatic high beam and speed sign recognition.
There’s also LED daytime, tail and stop lights, auto-fold mirrors with LED turn signals, and rear privacy glass.
SX adds 16-inch alloys, climate air, premium steering wheel and shift knob, LED headlights, indicators and rear combination lights, keyless smart entry, smart-start ignition button and soft-touch instrument panel.
Top-of-the-line ZR gains 16-inch alloys, sports front seats, rear spoiler, head-up display,sportsfrontseatsaswellasNanoe-X air filtering technology.
SX and ZR feature a 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster.
Auto lights are standard, but the wipers are manual and so is the rear-view mirrorso we discovered.
Toyota seems to have adopted the approach - if it’s not present then best not to mention it.
Yaris is covered by a five-year unlimited kilometre warranty.
Infotainment
Infotainment comes in the form of an 8.0-inchtouchscreen,withBluetooth,voice recognition, built-in navigation, AM/FM and DAB+ digital radio, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, along with generic six-speaker audio. What it doesn’t get is a wireless charge pad.
TherearetwoUSB-Cportsinthefrontbut none for rear seat passengers. Allgradescomewith12monthsofaccess
to Toyota Connected Services, including Safety and Security features, Multimedia Connect and Driving Insights - all accessible through the myToyota Connect app.
Safety Yaris gets a five-star rating for safety with eight airbags including a centre airbag for the front.
It has a reversing camera plus sensors that can detect vehicles or pedestrians at intersections when making turns, active cornering assist and a secondary collision braking.
Autonomous emergency braking (Car-to-Car and Vulnerable Road User) as well as lane keep assist (LKA) with lane departure warning (LDW), emergency lane keeping (ELK) and an advanced speed assistance system (SAS) are fitted as standard on all variants.
There are also front and rear parking sensorsandaparkingsupportbrakesystem that can warn the driver of objects around the vehicle and even apply the brakes if necessary.
ZR variants gain Blind Spot Monitor, Safe Exit Assist and Rear Cross Traffic Alert.
Engines/transmissions
The 1.5-litre three-cylinder powertrain drives the front wheels through a CVT-style,continuouslyvariableautomatic transmission.
Operating on the Atkinson Cycle, the petrol engine’s 67kW and 120Nm are supplemented by a 59kW and 141Nm electric motor-generator and a compact lithium-ion battery.
Combined system output is 85kW (combined torque is not stated).
Driving
The all-new Yaris is shorter and sits lower than its predecessor, with a longer wheelbaseformaximuminteriorspaceand stability.
Unlike its predecessor it is available only infive-doorhatchbackform;thethree-door model is reserved for the performance-
flagship GR model.
Duringdevelopmentofthecar,MrToyota himself, Akio Toyoda, stepped in to delay the launch of the car for 12 months.
The first draft was initially larger and heavier, which would have made it more expensive, and he wanted the fat trimmed.
A sporty exterior design comprises a prominent cascading grille, longer bonnet, sculpted door panels, dynamic character lines and a shorter rear overhang.
The interior offers an open, spacious and comfortable cabin with ample headroom, a wider centre console and an up-market ambience with combination cloth and pseudo suede trim.
Ascent Sport has an all-black interior; SX gains silver highlights while ZR is distinguished by sporty red inserts.
Stepping from the massive Tundra directly into the diminutive Yaris was a professional challenge.
The new platform permits the driver'sseattobesetlowerandfurther back, creating a more engaging driving position and helping to lower the centre of gravity by around 15mm.
The steering wheel is set closer to the driver,withwidertiltandreachadjustment.
It’s reasonably comfortable in front, however there’s virtually no legroom in the back, making Yaris more of a 2+2 proposition.
Electric steering assistance is tuned for a light touch at low speed and a responsive feeling at high speed.
A 270-litre cargo area incorporates a two-level boot floor, while larger items can be accommodated with a 60:40 split-fold rear seat.
A space saver spare is provided in the event of a puncture.
Yaris hybrid can be operated in a fuel-saving Eco mode or more responsive Power mode.
As a full hybrid, it can also operate on electric power alone, which contributes noticeably to its urban-cycle fuel consumption of just 2.8L/100km.
The hybrid transaxle adopts a compact dual-axis structure with the power-control
unit installed directly above it, resulting in a small, lightweight system.
The chassis has been engineered to improve dynamic qualities, reduce body roll and improve braking stability and stopping distances.
The revised front MacPherson struts and rear torsion-beam layout includes reduced friction, softer springs and an increase in rear roll stiffness.
Theregenerativebrakesfeatureventilated discs at the front and drums at the rear.
The thrummy three-cylinder engine in combination with the electric motor is surprisingly responsive, but a bit raucous under hard acceleration.
There’sjusttheonegear,buttheBposition provides additional engine braking when travelling downhill.
Drive mode select offers a choice of three modes: Standard, Power and Eco. EV mode canalsobeselectedwithadifferentswitch.
Power mode is the one you want when there’s someone up your clacker.
Because of its size elbow room is at a premium. This becomes obvious with a drink bottle in the centre cupholder betweenthefrontseats,whichmakesforan awkwardcombinationwiththehandbrake and driver’s elbow.
Believe it or not ZR even gets head-up display, but of course you can’t see it with polarised sunglasses.
We discovered this by chance when we happened to tilt our head sideways. Until then it had remained invisible.
With a 36-litre tank, Yaris takes standard 91 RON unleaded, with fuel consumption a claimed 3.3L/100km.
We didn’t quite achieve this figure, but 800km at a rate of 4.0L/100km is fairly impressive.
No range anxiety here.
Summing up Yaris ZR certainly packs a lot into its tiny frame.
It’s attractive, well equipped, does not usemuchfuelanddoesn’tcostmuchtobuy. Ifyou’rejustlookingforsomethingtorun aroundtownin,whatmorecouldyouneed?
Yaris ZR certainly packs a lot into its tiny frame. (Pictures: Supplied)
The sun was out and the cricket bats were pulled from the sheds as cricket season got underway. While some competitions were called off, there was plenty of action across the region. Star Weekly photographer LJUBICA VRANKOVIC was out shooting the action.
Cricket season is underway
Greenvale Kangaroos sit and wait. 507979_07
Mernda players waiting to bat. 507983_08
Bundoora’s Jason Kaminski. 507982_01
Mernda’s Max Russell. 507983_01
Merrifield Panthers. 507987_01
Bundoora’s Vikram Kumar. 507982_08
South Morang’s Benjamin Zychla. 507985_21
Greenvale Kangaroos’ Prabhnoor Bhalla. 507979_03
Laurimar’s Rian Boddy and Jonathon Mcaleer. 507985_01
South Morang’s Elakian Elango. 507985_04
Caroline Springs Falcons stay focused
By Tara Murray
Caroline Springs is hoping to fire at the right time of the year in the Victorian Turf Cricket Association Roy Picone Shield season.
The Falcons have been among the pacesetters the past two seasons before falling short in the semi finals.
With a strong squad again, coach Ian Shattock believes they can be among the contenders.
He said things were looking good across the whole club early on.
“It’s looking good apart from the weather,” he said. “We’ve got a couple of new players and got a few new players across the board.
“It’s the best numbers we’ve had in the last few years.
“There’s a lot of numbers through the lower grades with people coming back into
cricket and some come from other clubs but live locally.”
Shattock said they had kept most of its first XI side together.
He said the group wanted to build on what they had done last season.
“We’re looking strong again and hopefully we’ll have another good season,” he said.
“It didn’t go our way last year and we’re determined to take the next step this year.
“We’vegotanewbowlerandanewbatter, who has a good ability to make runs.”
Shattock said they had lost Jermaine Levy ??, but felt they had enough depth to cover the loss.
The Falcons have a number of younger players who had had big pre-seasons who they’re hoping will also step up.
Jack Herring who was best on ground in the under-18 grand final a couple of years ago is hoping to play a few more games in
the seniors this season.
Aaryan Kadam played in the second XI last season and has been training the house down, while Mohammad Mehdi, who played in the semi final last season opening the batting has improved as well.
“There’s a few Caroline Springs juniors and it’ll be good to see them along with the likes of Braedon [Mulheran] and Flynn [Rice] who came through last year.
Shattock said having come so close last season, the whole group was determined this season not to suffer the same devastation.
“Hopefully we can go the whole way,” he said.“We’vegotthetalentthere,weneedto take our opportunities this year.”
The opening round of the VTCA season on Saturday was postponed with not enough grounds ready for play.
Caroline Springs is due to face Pascoe Vale Hadfield this Saturday in round two.
Lions sign Fernando
By Luke D’Anello
Life just got harder for batsmen in the Victorian Turf Cricket Association.
Powerhouse Deer Park has secured the signature of contracted Sri Lankan player Vishwa Fernando as it chases a three-peat of senior division premierships.
Theleft-armpacemanhasplayed28tests for a return of 81 wickets at 32.03 apiece. Fernando has also made international appearances in the one-day and T20 formats.
‘‘Really happy to have him. It was a last-second thing, just worked out for us, and we made it happen,’’ Lions coach Mick Andreadis said.
‘‘The players that we’ve got, a lot of them are well-credentialed and have a lot of contacts. It was a bit of a jigsaw, but it just worked out with his schedule. We’ve got him for the start of the season and then at the end if we need him.
‘‘Because he’s a contracted player overseas, he could get a call-up any time. It’s a bit of a risk, but one we thought we’d take.’’
The acquisition of Fernando is another signal of intent from the Lions in their bid to taste more success.
The club boasts a star-studded line-up featuringthelikesofFawadAhmed,Daniel Sartori, Aaron Aye and Aaron Shellie.
‘‘That’s the plan, try to recruit the best players available to add to the group, and he (Fernando) was one to look at,’’ Andreadis said.
DeerParkhas,however,lostpremiership captain Dean Russ, who has joined Victorian Sub-District Cricket Association outfit Werribee.
‘‘Obviously we wish him all the best. He was great for us and the best captain we had,’’ Andreadis said.
Paceman Lachlan Fitzgerald, who collected 25 wickets at 15.56 last season, will test himself in the Premier Cricket ranks after joining Footscray.
Andreadis said the Lions were not short of depth, which would create competition for spots in the first XI.
‘‘Our squad is a lot deeper. We’ve got a lot of young players as well in the twos, so we’ve got a lot of avenues. We can pick and choose,’’ he said. ‘‘And playing with good players, international players ... it’s a good place to be at the moment.
‘‘We’re having a lot of fun and we’ll try and turn it into results as soon as we can get on the park.’’
While expectations remain high, Andreadisisacutelyawareofthequalityof the VTCA’s top flight.
‘‘The first thing you’ve got to do is try to makesureyour(finals)spotisguaranteed,’’ he said.
‘‘Youdon’twanttolooktoofarahead.Get to the semi and then have a look and see what you can do from there, and obviously try to do it again.
Albion’s girls football program is continuing to go from strength to strength, with several AFLW players investingtimetohelpitgrow.
The Cats will have under-10, under-12, under-14 and under-16 teams next season up from just one team in 2022 when they first fielded a girlsteam.
Western Bulldogs young forward Kristie-Lee Weston-Turner will coach the club’s inaugural under-16 girls team.
Weston-Turner, who was taken by the Bulldogs as the number one draft pick in 2023, grew up in the western suburbs.
The Cats’ Kane Roach said they were excited to have someone like Weston-Turnercomeonboard.
“It’s huge,” he said. “We are absolutely stoked and she’s keen to kick off her coaching development andgetintocoaching.
“We have been talking and she’s really keen to fit it around her work as aprofessionalfootballer.
“Shegrewupintheareaandstarted her footy at Sunshine Heights. She wants to make an impact on the next generationwhichisreallycool.”
Roach said they had been really lucky with their girls program so far consideringitsstillinitsinfancy.
He said they were 12 months ahead of schedule with where they thought theprogramwouldbe.
“We’vegrown300percent,”hesaid. “Four teams means we have the full juniorpathway.
“It’s massive as we’re in a disadvantaged area and not a growth area.
“Many other clubs have tried and notbeenabletodoit.”
As well as having Weston-Turner on board, the club is set to launch the Kearney Girls Footy Academy, run by North Melbourne AFLW star Emma Kearney.
The North Melbourne premiership captainandherpartnerandteammate Kate Shierlaw live locally and have been running one-on-one sessions with players and been involved at the Cats.
We’ll try to stop them if we can and, if not, we’llgiveitourbestshotforthreeinarow.’’
Deer Park is scheduled to face senior division newcomers Altona North on Saturday after the opening round of the season was postponed.
‘‘Yarraville are always hard to beat, Sydenham (Hillside) have recruited, and they want to win one (a premiership) too.
Shierlaw, Weston-Turner and Essendon AFLW Strength and conditioning coach and athletics coach Maddy Koeleman-Wilson will also provide specialist coaching as partoftheacademy.
Roach said it’ll be the first junior academy like this in the region which isreallybigfortheclub.
Cats’ girls boost
Mohammad Mehdi. (Ljubica Vrankovic) 464005_06
Vishwa Fernando. (AAP Image/David Gray)
Crows are still confident despite losses
Sunshine’s list of outs could be cause for alarm.
But the Victorian Turf Cricket Association Isaacs Howarth Shield outfit has secured an impressive list of ins, meaning expectations remain high after last season’s grand final appearance.
A new-look line-up provides reason for excitement, according to club legend and coach Troy Stone, who has returned to the top job for this summer.
Sri Lankan first-class player and star all-rounder Pramud Hettiwatte headlines the departures after hitting 451 runs and claiming 30 wickets in 2024-25, as he sharedthecompetition’splayer-of-the-year award.
Last season’s coach Shafraz Mohamed, DilipTharaka,CharithFernando,Charitha Jayampathi and Isuru Yaddehige have also exited.
On the plus side, the experienced Arosh Janoda has arrived from senior division club St Albans in a recruiting coup for the Crows.
Udara Ranasingha (Greensborough) has signed on as an assistant coach, while
Dilum Weerarathna has crossed from Craigieburn after 23 wickets in the top grade last season.
Leg-spinner Melisha Deshapriya (Taylors Lakes) and attacking opening batter Muhammad Shakeel (Brunswick) have come from the Victorian Sub-District Cricket Association.
“With what we’ve been able to replace (thedepartures)with,I’mveryconfidentin a finals appearance,’’ Stone said.
“We’ve added a lot of depth across both grades, so there’s probably 10 new players in the firsts and seconds, which is a good result.
“There are a couple of boys who we lost due to different circumstances who we would have loved to have kept, but that’s cricket in this day and age.
“The guys we have added have either played sub-district first XI or senior division, so really confident in what we’ve got.’’
Stone described match-turning all-rounder Janoda as a ‘‘massive inclusion’’ for Sunshine.
“Itwasaninterestingone.Heapproached
us and was looking at changing clubs. We jumped at the chance and had a couple of meetings with him and told him what we needed out of him and the direction and the leadership we want him to show the group,’’ he said.
“He’s been a star player for a long time andIwon’texpectanythinglessindivision 1. He hasn’t played lower than this, so a big season ahead I believe.’’
Janoda claimed 23 wickets last season and hit two half-centuries with the bat, logging 271 runs.
The Crows are also set to enjoy increased competition for spots in their top team this season.
“We’veprobablygot16playerscapableof playing first XI. In previous years, it’s been 12 and 13,’’ Stone said.
“There’s a little bit of unknown, but the unknown is the exciting part.
“These guys just go out and play with freedom, and give them the freedom to do so, I believe the results will come.’’
Pepi misses medal
By Tara Murray
Caroline Springs’ Cooper Pepi almost claimed the Western Football League’s top honour, finishing second in the Barry Priest Medal at the league’s awards night. Having won the best on ground medal in the grand final in a losing side, Pepi was one of three players in contention to win the Priest Medal heading into the final round.
Yarraville Seddon’s Michael Selsby, Pepi and Hoppers Crossing’s Josh Pickess all in contention late.
Selsby ended up on 30 votes to win the medal, finishing one vote clear of Pepi and Pickess another two votes further back.
Albion’s Caleb McPherson also finished in the top five, after finishing in the top three in the division 2 medal last year. Itcouldn’thavebeenamuchbiggerweek for Selsby.
He and his partner had a baby on Thursday night before Selsby claimed two best and fairests in the following two days.
In a video message, Selsby said it was a special honour.
“What an honour and what an enjoyable yearitwas,”hesaid.“Firstofall,mypartner for supporting me throughout the year.
“All the partners in the room can attest to when we don’t have such a hot game, it’s not a great mood they come home to.
“I would like to thank the support crew around the club, Yarraville Seddon Eagles themselves, everyone from the trainers to the coaching staff, you guys have been amazing this year.
“It’s a really exciting time at the Eagles, a really young crew. I look forward to next year and the following years to come as I thinkwe’regoingtodosomedamageinthe league moving forward.”
Pickessclaimedthemostvaluableplayer award which was voted on by the coaches.
Meanwhile, West Footscray’s Jai Haines and Wyndhamvale’s Lewis Stanton were on the edge of their seats heading into the final round of counting in the Alan Smith Medal.
Briefs
EDFL
Taylors Lakes has added some more pace to its line for next year’s Essendon District Football League division 1 season. Korey Flavel-Wood joins the Lions from Westmeadows where he has played in the past two division 2 grand finals. He was named in the EDFL division 2 team of the year in 2024 before an injury interrupted 2025 season. “Korey brings youth, speed, elite skills and goalkicking to our forward line and midfield,” the Lions said.
FV
Westgate Sindjelic has announced a coaching change for next year’s FV state league 1 north-west season. The club took to social media to announce that it has mutually parted ways with senior head coach Anthony Barbieri and assistant senior coach Matthew Sanders alongside Paul Tona. “We would like to thank them all for their incredible hard work, dedication and commitment they have shown our great club since joining,” the club said.
NWMCA
The pair were sitting equal first in the award for the best player in the division 2 with one round remaining.
Haines had 32 disposals in a big final round win against Tarneit, while Stanton kicked eight goals in a demolition job against Albanvale.
As luck would have it, neither would poll in the final round leaving the pair to share theAlanSmithMedalafterpolling21votes each.
North Footscray’s Matthew Serafin also finishedon21votesbutwasineligibleafter being suspended during the season.
It was also a tie in the women’s best and fairest with Yarraville Seddon’s Akec Makur Chuot and Parkside Spurs’ Rita Ceravolo sharing the top honour this year after finishing on 18 votes.
In the division 1 netball, Sunshine’s KiraleeCollingsfinishedsecondinthebest and fairest behind Spotswood’s Kimberley Phillips, with Philips winning by one vote.
Caroline Springs’ Olivia Craske finished third on 17 votes.
It was a tough start to the North West Metropolitan Cricket Association George Luscombe Shield season of Kealba-Green Gully on Saturday. Facing the Chargers, the Cougars had a big chase on their hands as the Chargers made 4-300 from 32 overs. Dr Alamgir took two wickets for the Cougars. The Cougars then finished 6-121 in reply. The Cougars are set to face Tarneit Central in a one-dayer this Saturday in round two.
Cricket
Both the opening days play of the Victorian Turf and Victorian Sub-District cricket associations were played off. The VTCA made the call on Tuesday and the VSDCA the following day with too many grounds not ready for the start of action. The VTCA said its one-day games would be postponed, while the VSDCA’s opening rounds now become one-dayers which are set to get underway this weekend. FOR BREAKING NEWS, VISIT Web: starweekly.com.au
Brimbank & North West Star Weekly @starweeklynews @star_weekly
- Luke D’Anello Arosh Janoda has joined Sunshine. (Ljubica Vrankovic) 440861_05
Michael Selsby. (Ljubica Vrankovic) 412087_03
New St Albans coach is excited by the challenge ahead
It’s a clean slate for new St Albans coach Shaun Thompson in the Essendon District Football League division 1 competition.
Thompson, who had been an assistant coachattheclub,hassteppedintothehead coaching role after Zammy Muhtari stood down.
Thompson said it was a challenge he was up for.
“I’m really excited to take over from Zammy and it’s going to be a good challenge,” he said. “It’s something I aspired to do and I’ve done a really long apprenticeship at reserves footy.
“I did seven or eight years at Hillside and then came across to St Albans the past four years, two years as a reserves coach and two as a senior assistant coach.”
Thompson said having been at the club the past four years would make the transition easier for him and the playing group. He said he already had an idea where the club needed to improve.
It hasn’t been the ideal off season for the Saints with a number of key players departing.
Brandon Coletta, Nathan Carroll, Thomas Eckel and Alex Lancaster are among those that have signed elsewhere. Former skipper Jack Sims has retired despite claiming the best and fairest this year.
Thompson said they would use this as an opportunity.
“It’s not an ideal start with people
exiting,” he said. “It gives the younger guys an opportunity.
“I see this as a transition period rather than a rebuild with some of the older statesmen moving on.
“We’re going to have some youth. There’s excitement to focus on them.”
While they’ve lost a number of players, Thompson said the likes of skipper Jake Galea, Joshua Klaromenos, Mason Dipetta and Jayden Kretiuk had all re-signed.
Hesaidthat31playershadre-signedand he had interviews lined up with another 17 players.
Thompson said one area they know they need to improve is depth.
With injuries to a number of key players this season, the Saints struggled at times
Eagles ready to go
By Tara Murray
Sunshine Eagles have kept their core group together as they look to stay at the top of the table in the Baseball Victoria summer league premier 1 first nine competition.
The Eagles last season broke through for its first top grade premiership in 37 years and are keen to make sure it’s not just a one off.
Eagles coach Stuart Clayton said the group was keen to have another real crack at it this year.
“We’re back at it again,” he said. “We;re looking forward to it.
“It’s always good to have a break but you can’t wait to get into it. We know it is our premiership until the end of the season.
“We’re excited to get back in and we know what it takes and hopefully we can go again this year.
“We’ll have a red hot crack.”
The Eagles have kept their core group together again for this season despite
import rule changes.
Clubs can now have multiple imports which could change things.
“We lost our import, who was our catcher and picked up another catcher who arrived on Thursday and will be ready to go.
“Billy Parsons is staying in America and not coming back this summer.
“Some clubs will have two or three imports and it will be a tougher season. We’ve focused on home grown talent and we’re looking forward to the future.
“We’re setting the base for the next five to six years.”
Aidan Duda is the new import for the Eagles and met a lot of the playing group on the weekend leading into the season.
Nathan Rumbelow, who didn’t play last season as he was injured will be back for the Eagles giving them more depth.
Clayton said they were keen to see the development of some of the younger players this season.
Devin Leahy played in Australia’s
and eventually ended up missing finals.
Thompson said having got games into young players this year, it would help in that area.
“The young guys are the keys and we’re heading down a different pathway,” he said.
“It’sablankcanvas. KyanKretiukClarke ... is ready to take the next step for the club.
“Brodie Lyons-Jones on the wing is only 19. They’re ready for more senior experience and more game time.”
Joining Thompson in leading the way for 2026 is former player Ben McManus who has taken on the football manager role.
Tara Murray
Flyer Bourne wins top award
Southside Melbourne Flyers forward Isabelle Bourne has been awarded the Tiana Mangakahia Award as the most valuable player of the WNBL Townsville Tip Off ‘25.
Bourne led the Flyers to two wins across the weekend, torching defences in both games and announcing herself as a player to watch heading into the 2025-26 season with her new team.
In the Flyers win over Perth, 102-74,Bourne,whoisastarwiththe Keilor Thunder, scored a team-high 20 points with the Lynx simply unable to contain her versatility as she went to work inside the paint and stretched the floor as an outside shooter.
As well as her scoring, Bourne’s all-round game was on full display, recording seven rebounds, seven assists and two rebounds.
On day two of the tournament, the Flyers handled the Lightning, 67-48, and Bourne again was influential, recording 14 points and seven rebounds in the win. Across the weekend, Bourne’s efficiency was sublime, shooting 72 percent from the field.
Bourne received top votes in both of her games, followed by Bendigo SpiritsIsobelBorlaseandTownsville Fire’s Courtney Woods.
Votes were submitted by the head and lead assistant coach of all eight teams at the end of each game on a 5-4-3-2-1 basis.
under-18 team at the World Cup, is one Clayton is keen to see.
TheEaglesseasonkickedoffonSaturday against Sandringham, with Sunshine winning 3-1.
Clayton said before the game they were as keen as mustard to get out there.
He said like last season they would work their way into the season and hopefully play their best at the right time.
“We’llstartthesamewayaslastyear,”he said. “We won’t have Darryl George until the middle of November with Melbourne Aces.
“Our pitchers have had a bit of a break which has been good. There’s no pressure and we’ll see how we go before Christmas.
“You just have to finish in the top eight and then it’s even from there. We’re aiming to finish as high as we can.
“If we can stay injury free we have a good line up.”
In other club signs for the club, it will have two women’s sides with some real growth in that program.
Named in honour of the late Tiana Mangakahia - a much-loved figure in basketball who recently passed away at the age of 30 following a courageousbattlewithbreastcancer - the award represents the same grit, determination and passion which defines Tiana’s legacy.
Long time friend of Mangakahia, VanessaPanousissaidherfamilyare proud to have an award named after the same grit and determination that defines her legacy.
“The way Tiana played basketball throughout her whole life was with toughness and grit and I and her family are really excited to have this award named in her honour,” said Panousis.
“Herlegacythroughoutherlifehas been toughness, grit and resilience both on and off the court. Any challengethatwouldcomeherway... she handled it with grace and always withasmileonherfacewhichwould always lift up others in the room.”
Jamie Young. (Ljubica Vrankovic) 465514_08
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