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WEDNESDAY, 7 JANUARY, 2026

YEAR IN REVIEW... STORIES OF THE YEAR Fay Salem lives near Williamstown Road and was among those campaigning for a truck curfew on the road. (Damjan Janevski) 502879_01

Tunnel of division 12533599-HC07-22

A decade of construction and disruptions came to end in the last weeks of 2025, with the West Gate Tunnel finally opened to traffic. The first vehicles entered the tunnel just after midnight on 14 December. The project was first proposed by toll operator Transurban and given the go ahead by the state government on 8 December, 2015. Originally projected to cost $5.5 billion, the final price-tag for the West Gate Tunnel project is $10.2 billion. The opening of the West Gate Tunnel coincided with the introduction of a a night-time and weekend no-truck zone

would be on Williamstown Road between Geelong Street in Seddon and the West Gate Freeway in Yarraville. It is in place on weekdays from 8pm to 6am, and over weekends from 8pm Friday to 6am Monday, much to the delight of local campaigners who feared the tunnel would result in even more truck traffic on Williamstown Road as drivers sought to avoid tolls on the freeway as well as truck bans on streets nearby. However, not everyone was happy with the new tunnel. In October, ahead of its opening, the Maribyrnong Truck Action Group (MTAG) released a report stating

there were design flaws in the tunnel’s exhaust stacks would result in thousands of residents in the inner-west being exposed to harmful pollution. MTAG said this highlighted the need for filters to be installed in the stacks something the government has resisted, stating that stack’s current exhaust fans would be sufficient. The government also came under fire in March when it released designs for the Newport Level Crossing Removal Project, which includes the closure of Champion Road. Hobsons Bay council said it was “extremely disappointed” with the state

government’s decision to proceed with the controversial closure despite strong community opposition. Council said it had presented the government with a number of alternatives to closing Champion Road, which it argues will cause traffic gridlock, risk public safety and damage the environment. The state government has continually defended the decision to close Champion Road, arguing that the presence of fuel pipes along the train lines and its close proximity to the Newport rail yards, meant a sky rail option like that proposed for nearby Maddox Road, wasn’t feasible.

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2025 YEAR IN REVIEW ... NEWS

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A‘toxic’ culture: Report 9 July Sexual harassment, bullying, a drinking culture and an excessive workload were some of the issues that made Hobsons Bay council a toxic workplace, a new report has found. A listening and support process into council’s workplace culture was established at the beginning of this year following a series of complaints by employees to WorksSafe about safety issues at the council, resulting in the suspension of then chief executive Aaron van Egmond. Mr van Egmond has since resigned. The listening and support process, led by former Mitchell Shire chief executive

Brett Luxford and former Court Services Victoria executive Jewil Fulton, released its final report on July 1 after hearing from 138 current council employees. Based on their testimonies, Hobsons Bay council was deemed to have a “toxic” workplace culture in which employees felt unsafe and fearful. One of the contributing factors was sexual harassment, including six incidents that were directly reported and several others reported by bystanders and witnesses. Sexual comments and repeated requests for dates and drinks were among the examples cited, but none of the victims were prepared to make formal complaints and witnesses and bystanders felt fear or retri-

bution if they spoke up, the report stated. Instead they sought to protect victims by alerting them to the presence of the alleged harrasser and making sure they were never alone with them. Systemic bullying was also observed, including the existence of a so-called ‘blacklist’ of employees that members of council’s leadership group wanted to force out of the organisation. The consumption of alcohol, both onsite and offsite, was highlighted, with participants reporting feeling pressured to join in, while racist and derogatory language, a lack of cooperation between departments, excessive workloads causing employee burnout and out of date policies

and procedures were among the other issues identified. “This report highlights significant concerns about behaviour that are, quite simply, unacceptable in any organisation,” said Hobsons Bay mayor Daria Kellander. “I know that staff want to see real change, and we are committed to the ongoing change and healing process that is in place.” The report made a series of recommendations, including that council immediately implement a ‘culture change program’ centred around employee empowerment, safety, and high performance and emphasise integrity and governance in hiring its new chief executive.

Voice for change 8 October

Altona Village Traders Association’s Ilch Mickovski presents long-time Altona hairdresser Cheryle Johnson with a retirement gift . (Damjan Janevski)493331_04

Cheryle is ready to make her final cut 13 August Cheryle Johnson has been cutting hair at her Altona salon for so long, she’s not sure when she started. “I reckon it might’ve been 61 or 62,” said Ms Johnson when asked what year her Pier Street salon opened. Born in 1946, Ms Johnson turned 79 recently and claims to have opened the sa-

lon with the support of her parents when she was 16, meaning it must’ve been 1962. But then she said she’d had the business for 64 years, meaning 1961 must’ve been the starting point. But while the date she opened is uncertain, the closing date isn’t. At the end of this month, Ms Johnson will hang up her scissors for the final time, retiring from the only job she’s ever had. “I’m really sad to be going, but it’s just

time for me to pull back a little bit,” said Ms Johnson whose last day of trading will be 29 August . “I’m going to turn into a hobby for family and friends.” Despite trends and technology changing, she said most important aspect of hairdressing remained the same: conversation. “It’s a massive social life, it’s wonderful,” she said.

First Metro Tunnel trains pass through the western suburbs 3 December Commuters from the inner-west were among the first passengers to ride the Metro Tunnel when it opened on Sunday morning after nearly a decade of construction. The first train through the Metro Tunnel from Sunbury entered the tunnel at 10.04am on 30 November, having stopped at stations such as Tottenham, West Footscray and Footscray along the way. Videos posted to social media showed passengers chanting ‘tunnel, tunnel, tunnel’ as the train approached the entrance near

South Kensington station before cheering and clapping when it finally entered. Premier Jacinta Allan and Transport Infrastructure Minister Gabrielle Williams were among the passengers on the first service which departed Sunbury at 9.28am. Ms Allan said the Metro Tunnel was the biggest change to Melbourne’s rail network in 40 years and would benefit commuters right across the city. “This project is about fairness. It means getting to work, uni and home faster – saving you more time, wherever you live,” she said. “Today belongs to the thousands of Vic-

2 MARIBYRNONG & HOBSONS BAY STAR WEEKLY Wednesday, 7 January, 2026

torians who have spent the past decade building the Metro Tunnel – without you, none of this would be possible.” ‘ Over summer Metro Tunnel services will run between West Footscray and Westall stations every 20 minutes from 10am to 3pm on weekdays, and from 10am to 7pm on weekends, with some weekend services extending to Sunbury and East Pakenham. This timetable will continue until 1 February when the so-called ‘Big Switch’ occurs and the tunnel is fully integrated into Melbourne’s rail network, with the Sunbury, Cranbourne and Pakenham lines running exclusively through it.

The inner west could turn a shade of teal at next year’s state election, with the launch of a community independents group modelled on the successful federal political movement. Voices of the Inner West of Melbourne has begun advertising around Maribyrnong and Hobsons Bay in the hope of emulating the voices campaigns in federal seats like Kooyong and Goldstein which resulted in teal candidates Monique Ryan and Zoe Daniel being elected. Having been a supporter of Ms Daniel’s Goldstein campaign, Yarraville resident Anthony Warren realised the inner west was ripe for something similar. “The inner west has similar demographics. There are a lot of inner east people coming to our area and there’s a lot of challenges in terms of our area.” But because the state seats of Footscray and Williamstown are both Labor strongholds, Mr Warren felt that many of those challenges were not being met. He said early feedback the group had received showed many others felt the same way. “There was a general apathy in the sense that they were very safe Labor seats, and that people felt the Liberal opposition prioritised the outer-west. “The inner west is more progressive, they’re more climate minded and lot of those values tend to resonate more, ” said Mr Warren who nominated climate and integrity as well as more local issues such as flood mitigation on the Maribyrnong River and air pollution from truck traffic, as the issues the group would focus on. While no candidates had yet been chosen, Mr Warren said the seat of Footscray would be the primary target. “At the last state election there was around a 12 per cent primary swing away from (Labor incumbent) Katie Hall. “That was in 2022 and now in 2025, there’s a lot of demographic shifts which favour the local area being more marginal.” Much of the swing against Ms Hall went to the Greens and Victoria Socialists, but Mr Warren said a community independent was more likely to actually win. “There is an opportunity for leverage through the middle, for people who may not vote Green, and they may not like what the Coalition’s offering.”

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2025 YEAR IN REVIEW ... COMMUNITY

Tank demolition support 27 August It’s a tale of two letters, delivered two years apart, containing two very different messages. In May 2023, residents of Williamstown’s Techno Park Estate received a letter from Hobsons Bay council informing them that they were being evicted. Because their homes in the former migrant hostel sat on industrial zoned land and were surrounded by fuel tanks from Mobil’s Altona refinery that were considered a major safety hazard, they had to go. In July 2025, after fighting to remain,

Techno Park residents received another letter, this time from Mobil, telling them that its large white tanks which were recently used to justify attempts to evict them, were now to be demolished. “We are now planning to demolish a number of tanks, former refinery process units and associated infrastructure that are not required to support our reliable supply of fuel to Victoria,” said a Mobil spokesperson of the demolitions which are due to start this month. Techno Park resident John O’Hagan said while Mobil was demolishing the tanks for its own reasons, the letter was

still a relief. “It just removes the original justification that the council had which was safety which it never really was,” said Mr O’Hagan, noting that the tanks had not been in use for some time. “I suppose highlights the puzzling nature of the council’s original decision to evict everybody.” Mr O’Hagan was a member of the Save Techno Park campaign which fought the eviction attempt and ultimately succeeded in having it stopped. The leadership of Hobsons Bay council when the eviction notices were sent,

including the chief executive, the mayor and all but two of the sitting councillors, have since left their positions. Their replacements, including current mayor, Daria Kellander, have been vocal in their support of Techno Park residents remaining in their homes. However, Mr O’Hagan cautioned that with residents of only one of the estate’s five blocks having their application for existing use rights approved – giving them the legal right to live there regardless of zoning changes – the fight was not over. “There’s still applications for the other four blocks to go into council,” he said.

Truck curfews coming 19 November

Williamstown North Primary student Natalie Gray after having her head shaved at a school assembly on Friday to raise money for cancer research. (Damjan Janevski) 467747_03

Natalie’s big shave for a special cause 2 April Williamstown North Primary student Natalie Gray is slowly getting used to her new haircut after having her long blonde hair shaved off in front of the whole school at a special assembly on Friday.

The year 6 student was taking part on the World’s Greatest Shave fundraiser for leukaemia research and certainly lived up to the name, with her locks – described by friends as ‘luscious’ and ‘gorgeous,’ – replaced by a buzz cut that wouldn’t look out of place in the army. Any regrets Natalie might have will

be tempered by the amount of money she’s raised, with the 11-year-old attracting more that $12,000 in donations, well above her initial target of $10,000. All proceeds will go towards cancer research, a cause especially close to Natalie’s heart following the death of her father, Daniel, to brain cancer in 2021.

100 years of learning at Footscray High’s Barkly Street campus 11 June Celebrations are underway at Footscray High School to mark the 100th anniversary of public education at its Barkly Street campus. The first of two events commemorating the milestone took place last week, with former students returning for a morning tea on 4 June . While Footscray High’s Barkly campus is now co-educational, for 95 of the last 100 years the site was home to Gilmore College for Girls, meaning most of its former students are women.

Footscray High School’s health and wellbeing nurse Julie Clements said the school’s co-ed status took a bit of getting used to for some of the older alumni members “They were shocked when they came into the school and saw the boys there,” said Ms Clements of the former students, some of whom were in their 90’s. “And a very young 90’s too.” Old school memorabilia preserved by the Footscray Historical Society was also on display at the morning tea and will be again at a second, larger celebration on 22 June, where more than 200 former stu-

dents are expected to attend. “We’ve got a smoking and healing ceremony, we’re planting an indigenous tree and a time capsule,” said Barkly campus teacher Oki Gardner of the 22 June celebration. Ms Gardner said it was amazing to see the pride that alumni members still had in the school, but that the celebrations weren’t just about acknowledging the past and present, but also ensuring the Barkly campus endures into the future too. “We hope this place is still a school in 50 years.”

Local residents have hailed the announcement that truck curfews will soon be enforced on Williamstown Road, but the bulk tanker industry has warned it will hit operators in the hip pocket. On Sunday 16 November, the state government announced that a nighttime and weekend no-truck zone would be implemented on Williamstown Road once the West Gate Tunnel opens next month. The no-truck zone will be enforced on Williamstown Road between Geelong Street in Seddon and the West Gate Freeway in Yarraville on weekdays from 8pm to 6am, and over weekends from 8pm Friday to 6am Monday. Williamstown Road will join nearby Somerville Road, Francis Street, Buckley Street, Moore Street, Blackshaws Road and Hudsons Road in having no-truck zones. “We were absolutely elated and so relieved,” Save Willi Road campaign president Graeme Hammond said of the news. Save Willi Road comprises local residents concerned that the opening of the West Gate Tunnel would result in even more truck traffic on Williamstown Road as drivers sought to avoid tolls on the freeway as well as truck bans on streets nearby. While disappointed the state government waited until a month before the tunnel opened to announced the curfews, Mr Hammond said the new restrictions would help him and other Williamstown Road residents sleep at night. “Our biggest concern was that trucks avoiding the tolls on the freeway would be roaring down Williamstown Road all night every night,” he said. “It’ll make a huge difference.” However, chairman of the National Bulk Tankers Association, Justin Keast, slammed the curfew, saying that along with having to pay tolls to use the new tunnel, further road closures were just another cost trucking companies would have to pass on to consumers. “Every product on the shelf will increase as soon as the West Gate Tunnel opens, a minimum increase of $130M per annum to the residents of Victoria,” Mr Keast said, adding that it would impact safety too. “Reducing productivity along with safety, whilst increasing everyone’s cost of living, should not be a sound outcome for any industry.“ The no-truck zones will be enforced by smart roadside cameras, with exemptions for trucks delivering groceries, parcels and other essential services.

Wednesday, 7 January, 2026 MARIBYRNONG & HOBSONS BAY STAR WEEKLY 3

2025 YEAR IN REVIEW ... HEALTH

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Opening date revealed 10 November The new Footscray Hospital will open on Wednesday 18 February. Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas made the announcement on Wednesday morning during an interview with ABC Melbourne, who were broadcasting at the old hospital site on Gordon Street. The announcement of 18 February as opening day means it will also be patient move day; when those staying at the old hospital will be transported 1.3 kilometres to the new hospital on the corner of Geelong and Ballarat roads. Beginning at 7.30am, it’s estimated that

about 180 patients will be transferred on the day, while the relocation of services, equipment and 4500 staff, will begin two weeks prior. Western Health chair Professor Jill Hennessy said 18 February will be a milestone day for Melbourne’s west. “We can’t wait to open the doors of this world-class facility to our patients, consumers and community,” Professor Hennessy said. “Our new Footscray Hospital will be a symbol of excellence and innovation in patient care for generations to come, transforming healthcare in Melbourne’s west.” Western Health chief executive Profes-

sor Russell Harrison welcomed the announcement and said staff were focused on being fully prepared for the move and opening. “This exciting milestone is the result of years of careful planning and dedication from countless people across Western Health, in conjunction with the Victorian Government and our partners – and that meticulous preparation is ongoing,” Professor Harrison said. “We are focused on ensuring a smooth and safe transition to our incredible new site and then continuing to provide the very best care to our patients and consumers.”

The 18 February opening will be almost five years to the day since construction work on the the $1.5 billion hospital began in March 2021. The new hospital will have a capacity of more than 500 beds, 200 more than its predecessor, allowing it to treat an estimated 15,000 more patients and 20,000 more presentations at its emergency department each year. It’s expected the new hospital will open below capacity, with the amount of beds to be scaled up over time. The future of the Gordon Street site is still to be determined, with housing, a school and a park among the options.

Ride takes heart and soul 20 August

Mighty West Heart Foundation Walking Group members complete their walk for Women’s Health Week at the Williamstown Botanical Gardens on Friday, September 5. (Damjan Janevski). 500661_04

Walking for better women’s health 10 September Altona Meadows resident Ian Watson never imagined he could start a walking group. Mr Watson was just an ordinary guy in his 60’s who worked as a retail manager and barracked for the Western Bulldogs when a health crisis forced him to retire. With no ready-made solutions to improving his health, Mr Watson found the courage to step outside his comfort zone and start a walking group under the Heart Foundation’s umbrella. The Mighty West Heart Foundation

Walking Group began in 2019, with only three walkers joining Mr Watson in his morning treks around Hobsons Bay. Even while numbers remained low, Mr Watson maintained his commitment to keeping the group going, heading out for walkers every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Slowly the number of walkers grew to the point where Mighty West is now the largest Heart Foundation walking group in the western suburbs, with 297 members. Such is the success of the group, that Mr Watson was approached by the Jean

Hailes Foundation to hold a series of walks to promote Women’s Health Week from September 1-5. After weeks organising the three walks and promoting them across social media, local libraries and community centres, Mr Watson was joined by hundreds of women as well as many men for the walks last Monday, Wednesday and Friday. For the final walk of Women’s Health Week on September 5, Mr Watson was joined by a group including Hobsons Bay councillors and Heart Foundation representatives for a morning stroll around the Williamstown Botanical Gardens.

A remarkable Aussie has made a quick stopover in Braybrook as part of a 200-day, 20,000km duathlon across the country to raise awareness and funds for heart health. Forty-year-old Dawn Beaumont, also known as the queen of hearts, is hoping to raise $2 million for the Royal Flying Doctor Service and Heart Foundation research team as part of the 200-day running-cycling journey. Beginning in her hometown in Adelaide, Ms Beaumont has travelled through every Australian state and territory, and will head onto Tasmania after passing through Victoria. “There’s definitely been days where it’s been rough. It’s all for a good cause so that gets you moving and you’re going ‘this is bigger than what I’m doing, it’s what I’m trying to do it for’,” Ms Beaumont said. Ms Beaumont was inspired to take on the run-ride challenge after she successfully performed CPR on her mum who went into cardiac arrest at the age of 53. “That’s definitely opened my eyes to cardiovascular disease and the fact that it is the biggest killer of women in Australia,” she said. “It’s one of those silent killers, unfortunately. It’s important to know what your heart is doing. Even if you think you’re okay it doesn’t hurt to get it checked.”

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4 MARIBYRNONG & HOBSONS BAY STAR WEEKLY Wednesday, 7 January, 2026

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SECTION

Williamstown High School 2025 VCE RESULTS “Congratulations to the students from the class of 2025 on achieving outstanding VCE Results.

90+

80.25

10.9%

44 students received an ATAR above 90

Median Study Score

Median ATAR

% of Study Scores above 40

25%

51%

Of our students received an ATAR above 90

Of our students received an ATAR above 80

Congratulations to our Dux Declan Rumble who received an ATAR of 98.90

50 One perfect study score in VET Music Performance.

Congratulations to James Greenham our VCE Vocational Major, outstanding student of the year.

School Council, Principals and staff at Williamstown High School wish all the graduates well in their future studies and careers.

Williamstown High School Congratulations to the students from the class of 2025 on achieving outstanding VCE results. School Dux: Declan Rumble (98.9) 44 students achieved a 90+ ATAR: Declan Rumble Rivi Zdraveski Chloe Wilson Amelia Mountford Jack Thurston Connor Frisby Callum Patel Maddison Camillo Chloe Hodgman

Anais McColl Liam Kaye Darcy Schneider Thomas Williams Lucius Satchell Samuel Thornton Matthew Page Auston Hoang Meera Kavar

Liam Waters Lachlan Reynolds Stella Olsen Cara Egry Madison Tueno Charlotte Short Angus Naden Archie Bentley Annabel Hough

McKinley De Jager Alexandra Kokolios Imogen Taylor Miller O'Neill Stephanie Lonie David Paull Abiye Woldemariam Lily Keegan Ella Macleod

James Cribb Vince Mandado Viola Coladonato Frankie Norris Charlotte James Amelie Miller Sudes Salahadin Hagos Julian Clarke

103 students achieved 40+ Study Scores.

Bayview Campus (Years 7 to 9) Bayview Street Williamstown 3016 Phone: 9399 9228 www.willihigh.vic.edu.au

School Council, Principals and staff at Williamstown High School wish all our 2025 graduates well in their future studies and careers.

12823507-MC50-25

Pasco Campus (Years 10 to VCE) Pasco Street Williamstown 3016 Phone: 9397 1899

1student achieved a perfect score of 50 in an individual subject: Francis Bond – VET Music Performance

Wednesday, 7 January, 2026 MARIBYRNONG & HOBSONS BAY STAR WEEKLY 5

2025 YEAR IN REVIEW ... PEOPLE

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Diplomat’s healing memoir 13 Augsut The title might refer to terror attacks in the Indonesian capital, but the genesis of Grant Dooley’s memoir, ’Bomb Season in Jakarta’, is another more personal attack that the Williamstown born former diplomat suffered. “I had a big panic attack in 2019,” said Dooley, who has also been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. “One way to deal with it, suggested by the counsellor, was to journalise my experiences because I couldn’t talk about them.” And journalise Dooley did, a process which not only helped his mental health, but resulted in author being added to diplomat, financier, linguist, sailor and Williamstown Football Club committee member on a long and impressive resume. However it’s Dooley’s time as a diplomat at the Australian Embassy in Jakarta that forms the basis of the book and from where it gets its name. Dooley moved to the Indonesian capital in 2004 after his wife, also a diplomat, got posted there. At the time, Indonesia was in the midst of a wave of terror attacks carried out by Islamic extremists, including the bombing of Jakarta’s Marriott Hotel year earlier and most infamously, the Bali bombings in 2002. After securing work at the Australian

Williamstown-born former diplomat Grant Dooley has released a new book, Bomb Season In Jakarta. (Damjan Janevski). 494886_01

Embassy himself, Dooley was taking a break from language training when the terrorists struck again. “It was a truck bomb that killed 11 people,” said Dooley of the attack on the Australian Embassy on 9 September, 2004. That it occurred at the same time of year as the previous bombings became a source of black humour for embassy staff. “They were all in August, September and October so we’d ask each other what we’re doing for bomb season.”

While it became the title of his book, the bombings only formed a small part of the “shit” that Dooley experienced and which resulted in him writing it. In fact the embassy bombing was just the start. “We had the bombing, the (Boxing Day) tsunami, the plane crash in Yogyakarta that killed five Australians,” recalled Dooley of the plane full of Australian diplomats and journalists trailing then Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, which crashed in

March 2007. Dooley was supposed to be on board but changed his flight the day before. His friend who took his seat was killed. Then there was a riot out the front of the embassy that he and his colleagues got caught up in and the discovery of a website identifying the best places to assassinate Australian diplomats. “It was like the frog in boiling water, we thought we were coping and we weren’t,” said Dooley of the cumulative effect of these experiences which finally caught up with him years later. As well as a coping mechanism, Dooley said he wrote the book to change the perception of Australian diplomats representing the country overseas. “It’s not all canapes and champagne,” he said of working for the Department of Foreign Affairs. Dooley joined the diplomatic ranks from the Navy, where he worked as a linguist, having joined as a 16-year-old fresh out of Williamstown’s Paisley High School. These days he’s living back in Melbourne working in finance, having left diplomacy more than a decade ago. He still comes back to Williamstown to watch the Seagulls (his sister Meredith is the president), sail at the Hobsons Bay Yacht Club and visit his elderly mother. Bomb Season in Jakarta is out now through Affirm Press.

Sommerville Road ‘set up for failure’ says injured cyclist 19 February Cheryl O’Connor shouldn’t have been on her bike at all on the morning of 22 January when she was hit by a truck at a busy Yarraville intersection. “It was just all those stars aligning incorrectly,” lamented Ms O’Connor of the turn of events that left her with two broken legs. “The only reason I was riding was because my car was getting fixed. “I’d gone to have a remedial massage after I pulled up a little bit sore from a triathlon.” Due to what happened next, it’ll be the last triathlon the 46-year-old mother of two competes in for a long time. “I was riding along Sommerville Road where it’s one lane of traffic and a bike lane until it gets to the intersection where the road splits into two lanes and the bike lane continues in the left lane making it narrower,” said Ms O’Connor of the road infrastructure leading up to the intersection with Williamstown Road that she believed contributed to her crash. Heading west towards her Kingsville home, Ms O’Connor was planning to to go straight through the intersection when she noticed a semi-trailer coming up behind her that also wanted to go straight. With two cars waiting to turn into Williamstown Road blocking the right lane, the semi-trailer merged left to go around them. “I was in the (bike) lane and I could hear him behind me and I tried to get as close to the footpath as I could and was going to attempt to jump my bike up onto the footpath but he hit me before I could do that.” The next thing Ms O’Connnor remembers is lying in the gutter outside the Carnovale Pharmacy on the corner of Sommerville and Williamstown roads and seeing bits of her bike strewn across the asphalt. “My left shoe had been ripped off and there was incredible pain in both legs and there was a lot of people who stopped,” she said of the immediate aftermath. “People from the pharmacy came out, two ladies on their way to a funeral stopped as well as a mum on her way to an appoint-

ment and two other gentlemen.” The next person on the scene was the driver of the semi-trailer, who’d parked on the other side of the intersection and rushed back to apologise and offer assistance. “I was not in the best frame of mind and just said ‘how didn’t you see me,” said Ms O’Connor of her response. “I had lights on my front and back flashing, a white helmet, light coloured top and back pack with reflective bits on it.” The truck driver was too distressed to continue his route and had to be picked up by a colleague. Police have since spoken to the 37-yearold man from Tarneit, as part of their investigation, but will taking no further action. Ms O’Connor said she couldn’t remember the driver’s name or the company he worked for, but bore no ill will towards him. “He did the wrong thing but the road there is set up for failure,” she said. “The fact that there’s no way the truck can fit in that left lane unless they’re in the bike lane as well, it’s not a great set up.” Pierre Vairo from western suburbs cycling safety group, Bike West said the road infrastructure in the inner-west, combined with the amount of truck traffic, made these type of accidents inevitable. “The roads around here kill and maim cyclists and very little has been done about it,” said Mr Vairo, who demanded more bike paths, bollards and barriers to separate cyclists from motorists. Maribyrnong council were contacted for comment. After two rounds of surgery and two weeks in hospital, Ms O’Connor is now recovering at her sister’s home in Torquay. Being wheelchair-bound has meant she’s had to leave her two-storey house in Kingsville. While being immobile and separated from her kids has led to some ‘darker days’, Ms O’Connor said she’s already looking for a new bike to get her back on the road. “I’ve been looking on Facebook cycling groups to see if I can find a replacement. I loved that bike so I want the same one.”

6 MARIBYRNONG & HOBSONS BAY STAR WEEKLY Wednesday, 7 January, 2026

Cheryl O’Connor competing in a triathlon before being hit by a truck while cycling in Yarraville last month. (supplied) 460062_01

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NEWS

Jabulani (Zoos Victoria)

Little rhino, big milestone Werribee Open Range Zoo’s superstar rhino calf, Jabulani, has officially reached the tonne, now clocking in at more than 1000kg. Consuming up to 20kg of food each day, the one-year-old southern white rhino is growing on a healthy trajectory since his birth last August. Savannah keeper Lance Weldhagen said Jabulani was born quite small at 55kg but has made great strides. “Jabulani was pretty small when he was born, he was just ‘feet and ears’ back then, but compared to now, he looks just like a miniature rhino at a thousand kilograms,” Mr Weldhagen said. “Jabulani’s daily food consumption of 20 kilograms is the equivalent of around 100 big macs – but minus the fat content of a big mac – he’s on a grass diet, so a lot healthier.” Jabulani, who is described, was born to

16-year-old father Kifaru and 12-year-old mother Kipenzi and his successful birth in August 2024. Kipenzi, who was hand-reared herself and had never seen or experienced successful mothering, has reportedly been doing well with her calf and nurturing him. Southern white rhinos are native to Africa and are classified as near threatened with as few as 10,080 remaining in the wild. They face increasing threats including poaching for the illegal trade of rhino horn and habitat destruction and fragmentation as human populations and infrastructure grows. Members and visitors to Werribee Open Range Zoo can see Jabulani and his fellow rhino crash on a Safari Bus Tour, which runs throughout the day and is included with entry.

Environment Protection Authority (EPA) Victoria has prohibited a recycler in Brooklyn from accepting more plastics, after finding the warehouse full of badly managed waste, obstructed firefighting equipment, discarded cigarette butts and exposed electrical equipment. The prohibition notice bans Victorian Recyclers from accepting plastics at its factory on Clelland Road until it reconfigures and reduces its waste stockpiles to meet EPA’s guidelines. An EPA inspection on 18 October, 2025 identified an immediate risk of harm due to the significant fire load and the presence of multiple potential ignition sources. The company must report back to the EPA by 26 January.

Rate cap set Councils, including Maribyrnong and Hobsons Bay, are facing a rate cap of 2.75 per cent in 2026-27, the state government has announced. The decision accepted the recommendation of the Essential Services Commission and limits the amount Victorian councils can increase their revenue from general rates and municipal charges. Councils may apply to the Essential Services Commission for a higher rate cap if they can demonstrate a critical need for spending on services or projects that would require a rate rise above the capped amount. FOR BREAKING NEWS, VISIT Web: starweekly.com.au Maribyrnong & Hobsons Bay Star Weekly @starweeklynews @star_weekly

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

Heritage walks

Arts and Community Centre in Altona. As an extension of this sometimes we host guest speaker events for women in the community. Dione, 9398 2511 or LJAC.com.au

Enjoy a leisurely one/two hour walk around Williamstown and nearby suburbs with guide John. Walks start at 9-30 am each Tuesday outside the Visitor Information Centre in Nelson Place. Call John Becroft on 0418377336 for details.

Williamstown seniors The group meets every Tuesday at 1-3pm at Denis Reserve. It is a small group looking for more seniors both male and female. Members enjoy two hours of singing as well as afternoon tea. Cost is $5 for the afternoon. Marlene, 0402 769 204

Bridge club The Williamstown Bridge Club has bridge sessions each week on Weds night at 7.25pm and Friday afternoon at 1.25pm for experienced players and a supervised session Friday 10am at Hobsons Bay Sport & Game Fishing Club, 17 Altona Road, Altona. All levels welcome and partners can be provided. Sandi 0417 315 760, Alan 0430 309 255or visit www.bridgewebs.com/ williamstown

Altona North Combined Probus The Altona North Combined Probus Club meets on the fourth Wednesday of each month at Altona Sports Club. Includes a speaker, organised trips and outings, and a friendly atmosphere. Lesley, 0414 481 442

Westgate diabetes support group National seniors meeting

Meets on the first Tuesday of each month at Altona bowling club at 10am. Elaine, 0415 030 996

Mainly music

This week’s photographer’s choice picture is of St Monica’s Primary School students Jonah, 12, Vivien, 8 and Carlos, 11, who helped the school win a statewide science award for the second year in a row. (Ljubica Vrankovic) 523766_01

A music-playgroup program for kids and their carers from birth to school age. Held every Thursday from 9.30-10.30am during school terms at Westgate Baptist Community, 16 High Street, Yarraville. The cost is $7 per family, per week. Jenny, 0401 651 012, Ruth, 0409 635 468 or westgatebaptist.org.au/ mainlymusic/

communication, leadership and public speaking skills. Meetings are held on the first and third Thursday of every month from 7-9pm at Laverton Community Hub, 95-105 Railway Avenue, Laverton. Helen, 0474 498 052, or aerospeakerstm@gmail.com

7.30pm-10.30pm to learn social square dancing for beginners in a safe and friendly environment. The teaching is in a group but is self paced so there is no pressure to maintain a rate of learning. Janine, 0421 371 883, or contact@ essendonsquares.com

AeroSpeakers Toastmasters Club

Social square dancing

Chit chat Tuesdays

The AeroSpeakers Toastmasters Club welcomes all who want to improve their

Come along to the Maribyrnong Community Centre on Thursday nights from

A ladies chit chat group which is on every Tuesday from 1.30-3pm at Louis Joel

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 lesley1.collins@ outlook.com

Footscray CWA Meet on the fourth Monday of every month from 7-9pm at Footscray Scout Hall next door to Footscray Police Station, 4a Hyde Street. cwaofvicfootscray@gmail.com or https:// www.facebook.com/CWAofVicFootscray/

Wednesday, 7 January, 2026 MARIBYRNONG & HOBSONS BAY STAR WEEKLY 7

2025 YEAR IN REVIEW ... COMMUNITY

STARWEEKLY.COM.AU

Emmanuel Pace AKA ‘Manny the Clown’ performed at the inaugural Sunshine Collective Market in June. 481609_01

Winni Wizard and the Ditzy Dizzard was s a kids comedy show at Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Pictured is comedians Lisa Gatenby (Winni Wizard) and Jacob Sacher (Ditzy Dizzard). 465765_01

The Ice Queens cheerleading team members Taylor Hallas, Laura Yildirim, Emily Hopkins and Bridget Bayliss used money raised by recycling drink cans to buy new bows for their uniforms. 488505_01

2025 through the lens Star Weekly photographer Damjan Janevski was out and about across Melbourne’s western and northern

suburbs throughout 2025. He shares his favourite pictures from the past year.

Elephants arrived at Werribee Open Range Zoo in February. 468666_01 St Albans Secondary School students Paul (front), Luca, Cindy, DT, Talia, Thien, Ryan and Xai took to the stage for Spamalot in August. 496630_01

Brookfield resident Jacqueline Licitra’s elaborate Halloween decorations in her front yard entertained passers-by in October. Pictured is Jacqueline with her grandsons Maddix, 3, and Zanon, 1. 511243_01

Iva Rosebud starred in Club Kabarett, Melbourne’s bold new circus-cabaret in April. 471695_01

Zoe, 11, who played Duffy in the Melbourne season of Annie the Musical at the Princess Theatre in July. 489773_01

8 MARIBYRNONG & HOBSONS BAY STAR WEEKLY Wednesday, 7 January, 2026

Thomas Stockdale won race four at the Kyneton Cup in early November. 516055_01

Dancers Mai Vu, Mai Nguyen, Ngoc Huynh, Thoa Tran, and Tina Nguyen and Brimbank councillor Thuy Dang (seated) brought festive fun to St Albans in November. 517610_01

Natalie Davis and Beth Johnson organised Tyldenvania to celebrate Halloween in the town of Tylden. 514408_01

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STARWEEKLY.COM.AU

From Cornwall with love By Tania Phillips Cornwall is considered one of the most remote and yet beautiful counties in England. And the county’s North Coast with its dramatic cliffscapes, craggy coves, boundless white-tipped breakers and kilometres and kilometres of golden sands is a jewel in the crown, a hikers paradise – beloved by it’s local residents including local fisherman Jeremy Brown, who is more than happy to extoll it’s beauty, heritage and culture. Part of a five-generation fishing family Jeremy lives in Port Isaac – a quintessential Cornish Fishing village – known for its narrow, winding streets lined with charming, whitewashed cottages that overlook a picturesque harbour – locally referred to as the Platt. It has gained fame as the fictional village of Port Wenn in the BBC series Doc Martin with many a visitor searching the historic village for the “Grumpy Doc’s” landmarks according to the seasoned fisherman and part-time singer. However, Jeremy and his fellow members of Fisherman’s Friends – a group of local men who have been taking sea shanty’s to the world through their two successful movies, musicals and their forthcoming first Australian tour – are slowly changing that. Bringing the tourism focus back on the beautiful landscape and vibrant living culture. Fishing heritage dates back to the early fourteenth century in Port Isaac. It’s a village that has always been deeply connected to the sea, with fishing continuing to play a significant role in the lives of its residents. The village’s name comes from the Cornish Porthysek, meaning ’corn port’, a nod to its historic role in the grain trade. “People actually do turn up now and look for someone from the Fisherman’s Friends and not just the grumpy old Doc,” Jeremy laughed. “It’s been a goal of mine in a way – to have some people come to Port Isaac to see the home of Fisherman’s Friends. People have always come to Port Isaac it’s such a pretty place – but then we got a certain amount of the Tourism which was just people looking for the Doc’s House and what have you. “Even though we’ve got members in from other Ports now – Padstow and Boscastle – it is the home of the Fisherman’s Friends and people do make a beeline for it but of course the village sells itself - it’s so pretty.” And on Wednesday nights Jeremy, an

Down on the Platt at Port Isaac where Fisherman’s Friends first performed. If it looks familiar its probably because it’s better-known to a lot of the world as Port Wenn thanks to the TV Show Doc Martin.

original member of the group, formed to raise a bit of money for charity back in the 90s, can often be found in the pub singing sea shanties with the rest of the community. The band on stage on those nights is The Yarnigoats who do a lot of the Fisherman’s Friends repertoire as well as their own music. Local gigs are few and far between for the Friends these days. “Very occasionally about three times this year – on our group WhatsApp chat – we just say is anyone free on Friday and we just do an impromptu gig,” he said. “But we can’t advertise it these days because it causes chaos down there. If we advertise it we get 2000 people turn up – paramedics, police and marshals have to come because there’s no parking in the village – it’s all out of the village. “The old sea shanties are obviously from the days of sail so we’re going back hundreds of years. “But for some reason they’ve got some sort of resonance with people. When we first started singing we had no ambition other than to raise a few pounds for charity. We started singing in the open air at Port Isaac – it’s a bit of an amphitheatre and it sort of lends itself to it.” The beauty and setting of the village evokes the past and the fishing culture. “Everything rolls downhill to the harbour,” Jeremy says. “It’s a very small harbour and it’s straight into the open ocean from there. You’ve got the North Atlantic right out there and the

No need to make rustic backdrops for photos, movies or TV shows in Port Isaac in the breathtaking county of Cornwall in the UK.

gales literally come right on through and they sweep up the streets and we have to move all the boats.” He said visitors invariably always find themselves at the bottom of the village at The Platt – a concreted area where the fishermen (like Jeremy’s son who is one of just a few professional fishermen left in the town) keep their dingy. The Platt is also where Fisherman’s Friends got their start and still pop up from time to time. “You can get a beer and just sit on the Platt or you can go up to our local pub where some of the filming in our films took place and enjoy the atmosphere and have a sing.” Jeremy believes the best thing that has come out of the adventure of Fisherman’s Friends is the revival of pub singing – of singing just for the joy of it at your local

Fisherman’s Friends original member Jeremy Brown is part of a long-standing fishing family in the Port Isaac District. He’s also a staunch supporter of his home village and keeping the fishing culture alive and vibrant. (Supplied)

and of keeping that part of Cornish Culture alive. Of course, the band’s trip to Australia is another bonus – and it helps that it’s in the English winter when work is not so busy. “Singing has not really taken us around the world because we’ve all still got our regular jobs,” he said. The group’s first Australian tour starts in Adelaide on 7 January and closes out in Perth on 25 January and takes in all States and the ACT. Tickets on sale head to the fishermans-friends website for more information.

Dedicated travel content delivered to an untapped audience weekly. To advertise in our Travel Today section, please contact Gayle Williams e: gayle.williams@starweekly.com.au t: (03) 8318 5777

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• All advertisements must be pre-paid. For $29.00 you get a 4 line, ONE ITEM ONLY advertisement, restricted to “For Sale” or “Motoring” items only for private advertisers, run initially for 13 weeks or until sold. Additional lines will be charged at $3 per line per publication. • After your advertisement has run for 13 weeks you must call us each fortnight to renew it for a further 2 week period AND reduce the price of your item by a minimum 5% for items in the “For Sale” section or 3% for items in the “Motoring” section. This process may continue until you have sold your item. If we do not hear from you we will assume you have sold your item and your advertisement will not appear. • The sale price must be included in the advertisement and the only alterations you may make are to the PRICE of your item. • Business advertisements, rental hire, pets & livestock and real estate are not included in the offer. • The publisher reserves the right to decline any booking for the purpose of ongoing gain.

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12 MARIBYRNONG & HOBSONS BAY STAR WEEKLY Wednesday, 7 January, 2026

SPORTS QUIZ 1. Which Twenty20 cricket team defeated Perth Scorchers in the 202526 Women’s Big Bash League final?

9. What age was Paul Lim when he became the oldest to win a match at the Professional Darts Corporation world championship?

3. In which NBA season did the Los Angeles Lakers become the inaugural winners of the NBA Cup in-season tournament? 4. Owen Wilson’s character in the television series Stick formerly played what sport professionally?

2. Nelson Asofa-Solomona played for Melbourne Storm before quitting rugby league to pursue a career in what sport?

10. Sherrone Moore most recently coached which US college football team?

5. NBL CEO David Stevenson has suggested a new team would likely be based in one of which three states or territories? 6. For breaches of the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program, Quentin Folliot was suspended by the International Tennis Integrity Agency for how many years?

12. What sport is El Capitan associated with? 13. Who is the oldest active NRL player? 14. Who was presented the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize? 15. Oracle vs. Emirates is a famous rivalry in which competition? 16. What is Tiger Woods’ real first name?

18. And which event did he first win gold in?

8. Townsville-born Alex Ferlazzo competes in the men’s singles of which winter sport?

Coco Gauff

11. Which Australian athlete was nicknamed ‘The Boy from Bowral’?

17. At which Olympics did Michael Phelps win his first gold medal?

7. After not playing for almost five years, 44-year-old quarterback Philip Rivers recently signed with which NFL team?

19. What is Coco Gauff’s highest achieved singles ranking: world No.4, world No.2 or world No.1?

25. And in which year did they add a women’s event?

20. Alongside Russia, what was the only other country banned from competing in the 2024 Olympics?

26. What is a lacrosse ball made out of?

21. The ANBF governs which sport? 22. US athlete Ilia Malinin recently became the first figure skater to land how many quad jumps in a single program, subsequently beating his own world record score by almost 10 points? 23. On a dartboard, are the inner sections of the number 10 red or green?

27. Which sport is nicknamed ‘chess on ice’? 28. Which fielding position in cricket stands beside the wicketkeeper? 29. How many New York teams are in the NHL? 30. Which sport does Zac Efron’s character Troy Bolton play in the High School Musical film franchise?

24. In which year was handball added to the Olympic program?

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Wednesday, 7 January, 2026 MARIBYRNONG & HOBSONS BAY STAR WEEKLY 13

PUZZLES SUDOKU

No. 271

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

easy

8 2 3 1 4 5 8 2 3 6 4 2 9 4 9

9 1 5 6 1 2 3 2 8 6

7 9

DECODER 18 3

18 15

17 21

S 23

Today’s Aim: 14 words: Good 21 words: Very good

9 4 5 7 8 2 6 3 1 7 3 6 1 4 9 5 8 2 1 8 2 5 3 6 4 9 7 6 9 4 3 5 1 7 2 8 8 5 7 2 9 4 3 1 6 2 1 3 6 7 8 9 4 5 4 7 8 9 1 5 2 6 3 5 6 1 4 2 3 8 7 9 3 2 9 8 6 7 1 5 4

2 1 5 3 4 9 6 8 7 3 7 4 8 2 6 1 5 9 6 9 8 5 7 1 4 2 3 5 2 7 4 3 8 9 1 6 8 3 9 1 6 2 5 7 4 4 6 1 9 5 7 2 3 8 1 8 3 2 9 4 7 6 5 7 4 2 6 8 5 3 9 1 9 5 6 7 1 3 8 4 2

I O

E E T

3 LETTERS ADD ADO ADS AID BOW EEL EGO FED GEE IDS ILL IOU IRE LIE MAR NIP NOR OFF OKS ORE PEN TEE WHO YOU

No. 271

A C C O R D

5 LETTERS ABATE ABODE ALIGN ALIVE AMISS AWARE BEARS BERET CANAL CRATE DEALT DYING EAGER EATEN EDGES EERIE ELUDE EVERY EXUDE FLORA HOSTS

4 LETTERS EARL EBBS FLEE GULP KEEL LILY MEET MIEN POPE SASH SLAM TALL TRAY USES

INANE KNOTS LADLE LAPEL LEERY LOVES NOTED PIXIE RISER SATIN SCANT SEDAN SHREW SLAIN SLEPT SLEWS SOLED SPEAK STAFF START STEAM STUDY

SWING TEASE TENET TENOR TILDE TOILS ULTRA

7 LETTERS ANTENNA APOSTLE GOATEES LEOTARD REALISE SNUFFER

6 LETTERS ACCORD ASSURE FRONTS ORIENT

8 LETTERS CELLISTS HANGOVER HYSTERIA TABLOIDS

09-01-26

No. 378

QUICK QUIZ

Who was the first wife of Roman emperor Nero?

The smoky spirit mezcal is derived from which plant?

Which band had hits with the songs Dreams (1993), Linger (1993) and Ode to My Family (1994)?

Dorothea Brooke is the heroine of which 19th century English novel?

Comedians James Acaster and Ed Gamble co-host which podcast?

True or false: the shoe company Dr. Martens was founded by a British doctor?

What long-distance hiking trail spans 4,265 kilometres from Canada to Mexico?

How many US states begin with the letter ‘n’?

Insert the missing letters to make 10 words – five reading across the grid and five reading down. NOTE: more than one solution may be possible

F R A N K R O B I N A T O N E N O V E L C R E S T

WORDFIT

chip, chips, chit, city, hips, hiss, hits, itch, itchy, physic, PHYSICIST, physics, pitch, pith, pithy, pits, pity, schist, ship, ships, sips, sits, spicy, spit, spits, this, tips, tipsy, yips

4 7 2 5 8 1 6 9 3 8 3 6 7 9 2 4 5 1 5 9 1 6 4 3 8 7 2 9 1 3 8 5 4 7 2 6 6 8 4 9 2 7 3 1 5 2 5 7 3 1 6 9 8 4 1 2 8 4 6 9 5 3 7 7 4 9 2 3 5 1 6 8 3 6 5 1 7 8 2 4 9

I S

Using the nine letters in the grid, how many words of four letters or more can you list? The centre letter must be included and each letter may only be used once. No colloquial or foreign words. No capitalised nouns, apostrophes or plural nouns ending in “s”.

29 words: Excellent

hard

10 11 12 13

medium

easy

9-LETTER WORD

1 6 5

J W M V T Y Z K P O Q D U

19 22

15 20

19 25

S X

14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

8 4 6

5x5

R C G I B L A F N E H S X

2 1

4 3 8

hard

6 9

No. 303

14 MARIBYRNONG & HOBSONS BAY STAR WEEKLY Wednesday, 7 January, 2026

The 2006 film She’s the Man, starring Amanda Bynes (pictured), is a modernday retelling of which of Shakespeare’s comedies?

10 What was the name of artist Frida Kahlo’s spouse? ANSWERS: 1. Claudia Octavia 2. The Cranberries 3. Off Menu 4. The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) 5. Twelfth Night 6. Agave 7. Middlemarch 8. False; he was a German doctor 9. Eight 10. Diego Rivera

6 8 6 1 5 7 4 5 4 9 3 1 2 7 1 7 8 3 9 4 2 6 5 6 1 3 4

S P E A K S C A N T A B A T E T I L D E T E N O R S O L E D U L T R A S W I N G E X U D E A I D L A D L E Y O U G E E M E E T D Y I N G F R O N T S O K S S N U F F E R S L A I N T A L L E A R L T A B L O I D S P O P E L I E A P O S T L E R E A L I S E S L A M H A N G O V E R F E D F L E E L I L Y E V E R Y G O A T E E S I R E A C C O R D N O T E D S A S H M A R I O U T E A S E W H O I N A N E S T A R T B E A R S E E R I E B E R E T S A T I N S L E P T S E D A N S L E W S

3 4

8 5

17 18 19 21 22 23 26

medium

Inhabitant (8) Abstinence (8) Childish (7) Pressurised dispenser (7) Light rainfall (6) Holiday spot (6) Fringe (4) Tableland (7) Meeting for an exchange of ideas (7) Sheath (8) Sing to (8) Unaffected (7) Settle (7) Help (6) Slip-on shoe (6) Ballot choice (4)

1 2 3 5 6 7 8 9 16

DOWN

Formula (6) Large rope (6) Climb (5) Light-headed (9) Disadvantage, disservice (9) Impugn (5) A spice (6) Plummet (4) Require (4) Source of wisdom (6) Schnoz (5) Incapable of being seen (9) Provider of information (9) Tropical climbing plant (5) Slave (6) Interfere (6)

1 4 10 11 12 13 14 15 19 20 24 25 27 28 29 30

No. 271

7 3

QUICK CROSSWORD

High quality, bargain price By Alistair Kennedy, Marque Motoring Yet another new name for Australian buyers to grapple with, Jaecoo is one of three sub-brands from the Chinese Chery brand. Chery is the leading exporter of Chinese vehicles worldwide with Australian sales more than tripling over the past 12 months. Marketed as the group’s premium brand, Jaecoo was launched here in March 2025 with the J7, a mid-sized SUV powered by either petrol or plug-in hybrid powertrains. It was joined recently by our test vehicle, the J8 family-size SUV. Although they are built on different platforms, they do share many of the same design elements, most noticeable being what Chery describes as its Waterfall Grille with 20 vertical chrome and piano black bars and the Jaecoo name in the centre. The J8 differs also in that it only comes with a single power option, a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine although it seems likely that a PHEV will follow. Although J8 is significantly larger in all dimensions than the J7 both are five-seaters. It’s highly likely that a third row will be added later to allow it to compete against similarly-sized vehicles like the Hyundai Santa Fe, Nissan X-Trail, Kia Sorento and Toyota Kluger. Jaecoo J8 comes with two variants, the Track 2WD priced at $49,990 and the AWD $54,990 Ridge. Both prices are driveaway.

The Jaecoo J8 is one of the best offerings yet from China, certainly the best SUV. (Pictures: Supplied)

RATINGS Looks: 9/10

Styling

Performance: 7.5/10

Chery’s design team, headed by a former Mercedes-Benz stylist, have done an impressive job with its two Jaecoo vehicles. Both have an understated but stylish appearance, one that proved to be real head-turners wherever we drove, invariably followed by the need to explain that Jaecoo was the upmarket version of the Chinese carmaker Chery. The 320mm extra length of the J8 over the J7 is the most obvious difference between the two siblings with its stretched, slightly tapering roofline just crying out for that extra row of seats. There’s LED lighting all round, both external and internal, with a light bar connecting the tail lights.

Safety: 8/10

Interior The quality and premier feel of the Jaecoo J8 extends into the cabin. The front seats are heated and ventilated with massage function and four-way lumbar support. The Ridge variant adds heating and ventilation to outer second row seats. The driver gets an eight-way powered seat with extended thigh support, four-way lumbar support and memory function. The front passenger has six-way power adjustment. The rear seats get their own air conditioning controls and a folding centre armrest. There’s even an in-built fragrance system in the Ridge that uses replaceable cartridges, located below the dashboard to release a choice of scents through the interior of the vehicle. One feature that we haven’t encountered are speakers built into the front seat headrests. We received a few phone calls during our test – backseat drivers indeed. Boot space is a huge 738 litres expandable to a van-like 2021 litres with the rear seatbacks folded. Note that these measurements are to the roof. Both variants come with a full-sized spare wheel.

Engines/transmissions The Jaecoo J8 is powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine that produces 183kW of power and 385Nm of torque from 1750rpm. It is paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and comes in either

Thirst: 7/10 Practicality: 8/10 Comfort: 8.5/10 Tech: 8/10 Value: 8.5/10

front-wheel drive in the Ridge and all-wheel drive in the Track. The engine requires a minimum of 95 RON premium unleaded fuel.

Safety Jaecoo J8 was yet to be tested by ANCAP, however given that it shares all of its safety features with the J7 which was tested in May 2025 and received the maximum five-star rating, that would seem to be assured. Track has eight airbags including front centre and driver’s knee. Ridge adds side airbags for the outside rear seats. Both variants get Chery’s advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) package that includes forward collision warning, autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, traffic jam assist, integrated cruise assist, blind spot detection, rear collision warning, rear cross traffic alert and braking, lane departure prevention with emergency lane keeping, driver monitoring system and tyre pressure monitoring. The Range variant adds extra drive modes, torque vectoring and continuous damping control. There are also four lane deviation and three driver inattention/speed limit monitoring systems. All can be turned off temporarily although, fortunately, they are nowhere near as intrusive as others we have come across One thing that impressed us, with both the Jaecoo models that we’ve tested, was that the vehicle will not move unless the driver’s seatbelt is fastened. Such an obvious safety but one that very few other manufacturers have adopted. We understand that ANCAP may add to its testing regime in future.

Infotainment In contrast to the portrait format of the Jaecoo J7’s infotainment screen the J8 reverts to the conventional landscape design. The touch screen is 12.3-inch and

is butted up against a driver’s information cluster of the same size to display as a single, panoramic screen. Both screens are crisp, clear and easy to access. There’s inbuilt satellite navigation that can be displayed on both screens. There are USB-A ports at both front and rear with fast-charge USB-Cs in both locations. 12-volt power outlets are located in the front and in the boot and there is a 50W wireless charger in both variants. Audio is through an impressive 14-speaker Sony surround sound system. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are both wireless.

Driving There are retractable handles on all four doors that open automatically when the key fob comes in range. Unlike most other vehicles with such door handles that can be awkward to open those in the J7 open fully square for easy opening. Visibility isn’t great with about half of the narrow rear window blocked by the rear seat headrests. The A-pillar is wide and sharply angled which, together with the large side mirror, does restrict left-side vision for the driver. As is rapidly becoming the norm, almost all vehicle functions are accessed through the touchscreen rather than using physical controls. While these are among the many important safety features in the vehicle, and no doubt many drivers will appreciate them, they can be quite intrusive and frequently require the driver to look at the touchscreen instead of the road ahead. They can be turned off although with most vehicles they then default back on when the engine is stopped. Fortunately, with the Jaecoo that’s not the case and, apart from the driver distraction alert, they remain off until turned on again. Another problem we found was the

location of the gear selector on the right-hand steering wheel stalk. Typically, that is the location of the right turn indicator or windscreen wiper controls. On a number of occasions, we inadvertently moved the vehicle into neutral when we went to use either the indicator or wipers. The drive experience from the Jaecoo J8 is predictable enough for a large boxy and relatively heavy vehicle but that applies equally to most vehicles in the medium SUV field. It does what the typical family owner wants and does it well. It provides a smooth, quiet and comfortable ride both around town and on the motorway. Steering is light Note that, unusually for a relatively large vehicle, J8 does not have any towing rating. Both variants get an adjustable head-up display.

Summing up Although the Jaecoo brand doesn’t have the badge prestige of European vehicles of similar size the J8’s driveaway price starting from just under $50,000 it offers incredible value for money. The standard Jaecoo warranty covers eight years and unlimited kilometres. There’s also 12 months of complimentary roadside assistance, that can be with the opportunity of extending for the full warranty period provided that the vehicle is serviced throughout at authorised Jaecoo dealers. Another Jaecoo initiative is a ‘Future Price Promise’ that guarantees a minimum resale value subject to specific conditions being met including the aforementioned servicing criteria. The Jaecoo J8 certainly gets our nod as one of the best offerings yet from China, certainly the best SUV. The combination of its, excellent interior space and comfort, safety equipment and pricing make it well worth checking out.

Wednesday, 7 January, 2026 MARIBYRNONG & HOBSONS BAY STAR WEEKLY 15

2025 YEAR IN REVIEW ... SPORT

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Lalor United’s Solomon Sunray. 488179_09

Keilor’s Daniel Poelsma. 488186_10

Footscray’s Paula Nailovolovo in June. 481972_18

Keilor’s Adetomi Ayilara. 488186_27

Sport through the Star Weekly photography lens Star Weekly photographer Ljubica Vrankovic captured all the sport action across Melbourne’s western and northern

suburbs throughout 2025. She shares her favourite pictures from the past year.

Gisborne’s Elijah Bretherton. 496381_17

Myra Wood in action in for Craigieburn in August. 497759_32

Don Geodes in action in November.520809_21 Ashleigh Palmer won the women’s 400m at the Lancefield Gift in November. Also pictured as Grace Carter, Genevieve O’Brien, Lucy Zotti, Ella Tobin and Alex Tzilantonis. 517333_26

Footscray’s Kerry Nease during the women’s grand final in August. 499386_04

16 MARIBYRNONG & HOBSONS BAY STAR WEEKLY Wednesday, 7 January, 2026

Ameir Majur on the court for Melton. 508552_12

Craigieburn’s Darren Wotu. 518147_02

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2025 YEAR IN REVIEW ... SPORT

Perfect end to season 10 September It was the perfect storm for Newport Storm in its inaugural FV state league season as it claimed the state league 5 west championship on Saturday. The Storm has been the top side all season and headed into the final round with the championship already sewn up as it led by four points. The Storm finished the season with a 1-0 win against Ocean Grove on Saturday to put the icing on the cake. Storm’s Zayed Halloum said it was an amazing achievement for the group. “I think the celebrations will go on for a little bit during the week,” he said. “It’s

very exciting and well deserved by the boys in particular. “We said at the start of the season, the ambition and goal was to finish right up the top and to be competing for the title. “It was always there, it was very challenging.” Halloum said there had been a lot of challenges throughout the season being the team to beat. He said the vision had always remained and it was a credit to the staff and players for battling through it and putting in the whole season. Halloum said it was nice knowing that their fate was in their own hands. The Storm had a bye in the second last

round when results went its way to secure the championship. “Heading into our final two matches, I think it was positive that we didn’t have to rely on other sides,” Halloum said. “There was pressure on the team, players and staff and they handled it really well. “They were our most challenging matches of the season.” While in the end it didn’t have to win the final match, Halloum said they approached the match as if it was like a final. “Essentially we wanted to go out there and leave everything on the pitch,” he said. “We got the result we were after. “We were able to win it that way and not

rely on anyone. We’ve been able to achieve that throughout the year and achieve the ultimate success across the whole season.” The Storm will stay in state league 5 next season as part of a competition restructure. It will become state league 5 north-west with the teams from this year’s state league 4 north and west competitions and the top two teams from state league 5 north and west this season. Halloum said they were ready for the next challenge. He said growing the whole club was a focus for next season as they look to further grow and provide a home for players in Newport.

CYs claim title in a thriller 3 March

Astin Hewett looks to break through. (Ljubica Vrankovic) 520090_14

Crusaders are champions once again 17 December The Western Crusaders remain the champions of the Gridiron Victoria division 1 competition, winning an eighth straight Vic Bowl. After just one loss this season, their first in a number of years, the Crusaders were able to turn the tables on the only team to beat them, the Geelong Buccaneers, in the decider on Saturday. After a delayed start, the Crusaders were able to come away with a 21-6 win and their eighth title in a row. Crusaders’ Tyson Garnham said it was really special to win another one. “Eight in a row is amazing,” he said. “It was an interesting day to say the least with the game delayed by one and half hours. “We kept everyone focused and were able to come through in the end.” With lightning in the Melton area, the action at Macpherson Reserve was halted across a number of matches. It meant the division 1 game which was meant to start at 3.30pm, started about 5pm. Garnham said they just tried to stay re-

laxed during the period of waiting. “Once we knew it would be a long wait we tried to be distracted as we didn’t want to burn a lot of energy,” he said. “The other team stayed locked in for the whole hour and a half.” There had been some talk of the game being called off if the lightning didn’t disappear. Garnham said under the rules they would have claimed the championship, but said it would have been a hollow victory. “We wanted to play,” he said. “We would have played them whenever. “We would have played them today [Sunday] if we had to. The Buccaneers beat us last time and we weren’t at strength. “It would have been disappointing, it was good to get out there.” Once out there, the Crusaders were focused on the task at hand. Garnham said the defensive group had done a lot of work studying footage of the Buccaneers after the last match between them. “A lot of their looks and plays, we knew what they were going to do,” he said.

“We were able to lock down a lot of their key players they had last time.” With a healthy offence, the Crusaders were able to take advantage of holes in the defence and score. “We had a lot of penalties which made it difficult,” Garnham said. “When we got the third score that sealed the game in my mind. “They still fought it out to the end, but we knew they had run out of time. We had to do everything in our control to make sure we beat them.” Garnham was named the player of the match. He scored two touchdowns in the win. He said it was a nice honour to cap off the day. “I couldn’t have done it without the team and without our quarterback Astin Hewett who threw me a lot of the ball.” It was a big day for the Crusaders. In the under-15s, the Crusaders beat Croydon Rangers 22-6, while their under-18s lost of the Rangers, 26-22. Garnham said it was really big for the club to have three sides in the grand final.

Williamstown CYMS held strong late to come away with the North West Metropolitan Cricket Association women’s western region T20 premiership on Sunday. The CYs, who were going for their second women’s premiership, faced a Yarraville Club side keen to win a flag in their first season. It was a match that went down to the wire, with the CYs doing just enough to come away with victory. CYs team manager Maree Holden said they were all pretty excited to have claimed the premiership. “I’m tremendously proud of them throughout the season, they are a good bunch of girls,” she said. “They’ve had fun on the field all season.” The CYs playing group made the decision heading into this season to join the NWMCA as they felt it was the best option for them. Holden said the group felt this was the best place for everyone to have the chance to learn. The CYs finished on top of the ladder after the regular season, with the Clubbers one of their main competitors. They started the season against each other, before finishing it against each other on Sunday in the grand final. “We didn’t think we were favourites,” Holden said. “We were a little bit nervous about Yarraville Club, they have been terrific all season and it’s been tremendous to see their improvement. “The first game of the season we got over the line and they beat us throughout the season.” On Sunday, the CYs won the toss and decided to bat. They made 3-134 from their overs. Skipper Emma Bradwell top scored with 45 not out at the top of the order. Bradwell made 382 for the season at an average of 191 after going out just twice for the season. Holden said she thought that they didn’t have enough runs on the board. “I was a bit nervous,” she said. “I didn’t think it was enough. They have the players that can rattle up the score quickly.” The Clubbers fell just short, finishing 6-118.

Wednesday, 7 January, 2026 MARIBYRNONG & HOBSONS BAY STAR WEEKLY 17

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Gellibrand go back-to-back 26 March It was a case of dejà vu for Gellibrand as it sealed premiership success against Moonee Valley in the Victorian Turf Cricket Association. After beating Moonee Valley in the Evans-Clark Shield grand final last season, the two teams managed to win through to the Roy Picone Shield grand final this season. It would be the same result with Gellibrand winning another hard fought grand final and securing the premiership. Gellibrand coach James Ryan said a couple of weeks ago that they had exceeded their expectations this season.

A premiership was the icing on the cake. “It’s very special, it was a special day for the club,” he said. “It’s the first time in the club’s history that it has gone back-to-back in the first XI. “It’s pretty hard to achieve.” Moonee Valley was bowled out for 157 on day one of the match. With day two postponed due to rain, Gellibrand had to wait nearly a week for the run chase. Ryan said they thought it was a very chasable total, but the weather during the week had made it a bit of an unknown. “It was a funny week,” he said. “There had been a bit of rain on Thursday and we knew it would be a tough challenge. “It was a pretty gettable total and we

were confident we could get the runs. It was a gritty win in the end.” Ryan said it was nervous watching on the sidelines after going out early in the day. He shouldn’t have worried with skipper Paul Hetherington at the crease. Hetherington finished 37 not out as Gellibrand finished 7-158 to claim the premiership. Jacob MacDonald top scored with 46. Hetherington was named player of the match. He was the key to his side winning its semi final too. The match was also Hetherington’s last as captain after 102 having made the decision to step down. Ryan said he would continue to play on. “He has had a pretty special finals series,”

Ryan said of his captain. “He stepped up and he deserved to be man of the match.” As well as Hetherington stepping down as captain, Ryan will step down as coach saying with work commitments it was too much. The pair had let the club know midway through the season that they would step down. “It’s a good way to go out,” Ryan said. “We’ve left the side in a good place.” After a number of near misses in division 4, Gellibrand has earned two promotions in as many seasons to be set for division 2 next season. “It’s funny how quickly it turns,” Ryan said.

Phoenix celebrate promotion 22 October

Altona North’s premiership side. (Supplied)

Joy as Altona North secures double titles 26 March Altona North made it two premierships in the space of a couple of months after holding its nerve in the Victorian Turf Cricket Association Isaacs Howarth Shield grand final on Saturday. Having beaten the top three senior division teams on the way to the T20 title, Altona North had its focus on the division 1 title as well. In control after day one of the grand final with Sunshine, Altona North had a few nervous moments on Saturday before steadying to come away with the win and trophy. Altona North chairman of selectors Ian Denny said it was pretty special. “It was pretty good,” he said. “There are always nerves come grand final time and we didn’t start off well. “They put on 30 or 40 for the first wicket [on day two]. We dropped a couple of catches and could have dropped our heads.” Altona North had made 9-177 on day

one of the match before having the Crows in trouble at 5-45 at stumps. Denny said after the slow start on day two, which had been postponed due to rain, they had a few bowling changes and changed their tactics as well. “Their number six and seven batsmen are really good players,” he said. “They looked to play their shots. “We then looked to try and strangle them as we were giving them opportunities to score. “We were able to strangle them and got them out that way. “ The Crows managed to get to 5-90 to give their side some hope. The wickets started to fall and continued to fall as they were bowled out for 126. Jinang Shah and Nathan Patrick took four wickets each for Altona North. Man of the match was Joe Harrison for his 63 after coming in at number eight on day one. Denny said Harrison was the player he thought changed the match. “He dragged us out of trouble,” he said.

18 MARIBYRNONG & HOBSONS BAY STAR WEEKLY Wednesday, 7 January, 2026

“We were 6-90 and he was enormous. “There were just over 300 runs scored and he scored 60. Our bowlers Jinang and Nathan bowled well too.” Denny said one of the biggest things that impressed him was the way the group came together in the lead up to the grand final. Thomas Taylor had to head back to England in the lead up to the grand final. “They stuck together,” he said. “It drove them to be closer together as a team, losing the best player in the competition.” While the celebrations will last for a while, Altona North will soon have to start thinking about playing in the top flight next season. Denny said a lot of work had been done to get them into this position. “We set up this plan when I joined three years ago,” he said. “We’ve got a good group, a pretty stable group. We will have to pick up a couple of players. “Clubs like Yarraville Club and Deer Park have some quality players [who we will face].”

An investigation into Altona East Phoenix’s final round match with Uni Hill Eagles has cleared the club, paving the way for the Phoenix to celebrate their promotion into FV state league 1 north-west. The Phoenix’s final round match state league 2 north-west match with the Eagles was abandoned in the 43rd minute after Eagles players’ alleged racist comments were directed at one of their players. The Eagles decided to pull their players from the pitch. Scores were locked at 0-0 at the time. In a statement, Football Victoria confirmed it received a report in the days following the match from Uni Hill Eagles alleging racist comments directed at one of its players during the round 22 clash with Altona Phoenix. The Phoenix released a statement from president Leigh Karafillis in early October, saying that Football Victoria had concluded its investigation into the abandoned game and determined Altona East Phoenix didn’t breach FV’s grievance, disciplinary and tribunal bylaw or spectator code of conduct. With the investigation concluded, it confirmed the Phoenix’s second placed finish behind Lalor United. The top two teams get promoted. “This season was built on hard work, resilience, and belief,” the Phoenix said on social media. “From the very beginning, we set our sights on promotion — and today, we can proudly say we achieved exactly that. “Our PAOK family has been part of every step — this success belongs to all of us. “With Football Victoria’s investigation now concluded, we can finally celebrate what we’ve worked so hard for — promotion secured. “This promotion is for every player, coach, volunteer, committee member, supporter, and family who has worn and still wears black and white with pride over the last 45 years of our wonderful history.” Speaking on the club’s social media, coach Paul Donnelly said this season was a bit of a rebuild and they were starting from scratch. “Promotion was put out there at the start, one of the goals nice early,” he said.

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Bulldogs claim premier title 19 March Yarraville Footscray celebrated for a couple of days after claiming its maiden Bowls Victoria weekend pennant premier division title. The Bulldogs were able to knock off two-time defending champion Deer Park for a second time in the finals series to claim the championship on the long weekend. Bulldogs bowls manager Wayne Roberts said it had been a good couple of days afterwards celebrating. The Bulldogs hadn’t made finals in the top flight since 2006 and had never made it into a premier league grand final, with

its highest premierships coming in division 1. “It’s a big result for the team and I’m proud of how they played on the weekend,” he said. “They were outstanding and it was really tight all the way through. “It was a bit of a relief. It was emotional for myself and a couple of others who have been through the low times. “There were a few tears shed on the greens for a few of us. It’s good to see the players get the rewards.” The Bulldogs knocked off Deer Park in the semi finals, before the Parkers beat Melbourne in the preliminary final to get through to a fourth straight grand final. Roberts said in the grand final, Deer

Park started the better of the teams in the grand final, but they were able to stick with them. The two teams then traded the lead before the Bulldogs managed to hold a 12 to 14 shot lead for the dying ends. The Bulldogs were able to hold on to that lead. With the margin 14 shots heading into the final end, the match was called with Deer Park no chance of winning. The Bulldogs claimed the win 79 (14)65 (2). Cohen Litfin and Craig Mills both won their rinks, with Litfin’s rink winning by 10 shots. Nathan Black was in trouble in his rink

but won the last five or six ends to bring it back to a 21-17 loss. Mahoney’s rink lost 17-15 to Mark Casey in the rink that was called off before the end, having been close all day. Roberts said there had been a lot of support for their supporters who had made the trip across to Dandenong to watch the grand final. “There was a great turnout and a lot of support,” he said. “There was a big party on the green with members.” The Bulldogs will now play off in the state titles in April in Moama. He said they were looking forward to that event and any success there would be a bonus.

Glory for Altona North 3 September

The CIty West Falcons celebrate with fans. (Ljubica Vrankovic) 495489_98

Fourth championship for City West Falcons 19 August The City West Falcons had to use every trick in the book to claim a remarkable fourth straight Victorian Netball League championship on Wednesday night. Already the most successful club in VNL history, the Falcons pulled off a second half comeback that will go up among their best in history. The minor premiers were down and out for the count in the first half against the Hawks in the grand final. After losing to the Hawks in the semi finals, the side’s only loss of the year, the Falcons found themselves down by nine goals in the second quarter on Wednesday night. The young Hawks were up and about and the Falcons looked headed for grand final heartache. There was a pulse and things started to turn to the Falcons way. It was back to just three goals at the final break with the Falcons crowd getting into the game. The Falcons hit the front in the last quarter before it was back on the centre pass. It gave the Hawks the opportunity to win the game in the final minute. But a missed shot from Jessica Tetley was rebounded by Charity Nasalio and it was quickly done to Jane Cook to put the Falcons in front.

Maggie Lind, Olivia Cameron and Jane Cook celebrate. (Ljubica Vrankovic) 495489_60

Cook would score the sealer in the dying seconds, with the Falcons winning 60-58. Falcons coach and birthday girl, Marg Lind, said it was pretty incredible what they had done. “I can’t believe that,” she said. “It nearly caused a heartache on the bench for a number of the staff. “All the homework we did, we threw out the door as it wasn’t working. We had to swallow our pride and rethink it “I thought we were done and was philosophising on the bench thinking we weren’t going to come back from this. “Then just this little piece of hope and it came.” Lind said she felt quite confident coming into the game that they would win, but was rethinking her thoughts midway through the game. She said the Hawks came ready to play.

“I thought they were outstanding and they played a really smart game in the first half,” she said. “We didn’t react early enough, it was that momentum in the second half. “We got a bit of momentum and I think our experience in the end really counted for something in that last five minutes. “It was really hard to watch.” Lind said the message to the group at half time was about reducing the margin to four goals heading into the final quarter to give themselves a chance, which they did. While they had momentum, Lind wasn’t sure they would have the legs to run out the game. Adding to the drama, Falcons centre Montana Holmes left the court with a foot injury in the third quarter. Lind admitted afterwards they believe that Holmes had torn her plantar fasciitis. Maggie Lind has been battling a tibialis posterior muscle injury and shouldn’t haven’t been playing. Jane Cook revealed after the game that she had also injured her hamstring in the Hawks semi final loss. “We were cooked and I think they were cooked too,” Lind said. “Everyone threw so much at it, the last quarter was just a drag. “It was who could get the opportunity when it counted. We got that one little opportunity.”

Altona North wasn’t leaving anything to chance in its fight for promotion in the FV state league 3 north-west competition. After missing out in the final round last season on goal difference, Altona North has locked in promotion with two rounds remaining. Not only did the side seal promotion, but with other results falling its way it locked up the title. Coach Bob Stojcevski said it was nice to achieve what they set out to do at the start of the year. “We set high challenges for the team and we have achieved two and there’s another two to go,” he said. “We were celebrating that we got promoted on the weekend but winning the league was not on our minds. “We thought we might achieve that this coming weekend. The celebrations stayed the same, just the songs were different.” Stojcevski said he didn’t want to go through the pain of last season again as the side watched its promotion hopes go by the wayside. With the club celebrating 50 years, it makes the achievement even more special. “It’s not often you can combine two milestones in the same year,” he said. “From everyone’s perspective, the committee, supporters, everyone is so over the moon that it has all come together and we’ve won a championship. “It makes it more special.” While promotion and the championship is sealed, the task isn’t finished. Stojcevski said they still had two more objectives they wanted to hit. “We want to win the last two games,” he said. “We want to win every home game which we have never achieved in our history. “It doesn’t impact the table, but if you win all your home games that is 33 points. “The players and myself want to achieve that. “Now we’ve won the league, the state league 3 final is thrown on the agenda.” Stojcevski admits that it will be tough to stay focused, the group had trained really well in its first session after claiming the title.

Wednesday, 7 January, 2026 MARIBYRNONG & HOBSONS BAY STAR WEEKLY 19

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20 MARIBYRNONG & HOBSONS BAY STAR WEEKLY Wednesday, 7 January, 2026