Many members of the community gathered at Bunjil Place for this year’s National Reconciliation Day event.
Hosted by the City of Casey, this year’s core theme in the journey to reconciliation is ‘All in’ This theme aims to encourage every member of the community to participate in reconciliation and embrace their own journey.
More photos page 4
Final works are now underway for Stage 1 of the Pakenham Revitalisation project, bringing the Main Street Gateway precinct closer to completion.
These upgrades are designed to make the town centre safer, easier to get around and more enjoyable for residents, businesses and visitors. Final elements of the upgrade are currently underway, including the installation of a new roundabout, landscaping, lighting, road pavement, kerb works, raised pedestrian crossings, seating and bins.
Over the coming weeks, the community will see some temporary changes to traffic and access while the finishing works take place.
From 1 - 8 June, access around the Railway Hotel will temporarily change, as one lane will be closed to enable final kerb works to be completed. During these works, Station Street access will temporarily reopen to traffic, and parking bays will be temporarily closed on both sides of Main Street, near the Railway Hotel.
From Monday 8 June, construction will begin on a new roundabout at the intersection of Main Street, Station Street and Drake Place. To complete these works safely and efficiently, half of the roundabout will be closed at a time.
To support the roundabout installation, Station Street will be temporarily closed to through traffic from 8 – 22 June. This will be followed by
a closure of Drake Place from 22 June – 6 July to complete the remaining works. During the Drake Place closure, nearby parallel parking (near Railway Hotel) will also be temporarily unavailable to allow for the safe installation of new lighting, seating and landscaping.
While these final works are being completed, two-way traffic will be maintained along Main Street, with traffic controllers onsite to direct traffic through shuttle flow. To minimise disruption to businesses and the community, asphalt works are expected to be carried out at night.
While the council will work to minimise disruption, the community may notice temporary impacts such as increased traffic, noise, dust and
lighting. Local businesses are still open, with traffic management and signed detours in place to guide motorists around the area and keep the community moving. The council kindly ask all road users to follow traffic signs and drive safely through the area. Short term delays are expected, so please plan ahead.
The council appreciates the community’s patience, cooperation and understanding as we work to build a better Pakenham.
All works included in the Stage 1 Main Street Gateway precinct are expected to be completed in July 2026, conditions permitting.
For the latest updates and more information about the project, visit www.cardinia.vic.gov.au/ pakenham
By Corey Everitt
It was an emotional day on Spring Street this week as both parties put their differences aside to honour Neale Daniher AO, with Pakenham MP Emma Vulin taking a leading role in paying tribute to the man who gave “kindness, generosity and hope.”
On Tuesday 2 June, Parliament began its sitting week, the first day since Daniher lost his 13year battle with motor neurone disease (MND).
Vulin, who is battling MND, was brought to tears while speaking about the difference Dani-
her made for people with MND and their families across the country, including the personal contact he made with Vulin shortly after she announced her diagnosis in 2024.
“He did not have to, because he did not know me from a bar of soap, but he invited my partner Matt and me into his home,” she said.
“We sat with Neale and his beautiful wife Jan and had an honest conversation about what was ahead.
“He did not sugar-coat things. He told me what I needed to know about maintaining independence, the equipment I would need, planning
ahead and the realities of this disease.
“But he also gave me and my family something incredibly important: he gave his kindness, generosity and hope.”
Premier Jacinta Allan spoke about the legacy of the former Victorian and Australian of the Year.
“For a long time, a diagnosis of MND carried a terrible darkness: too few answers, too little awareness, too little research, too little that families could hold on to. Neale changed that,” she said.
All speakers honoured Daniher’s wife, Jan,
who has always been by his side and remains a leading campaigner for FightMND. They also passed on their thoughts to her, their children and the extended Daniher family.
Opposition Leader Jess Wilson honoured Daniher not only as a Victorian and Australian, but also as a constituent in her electorate of Kew.
“Neale was truly among the best of us. He was a husband, father, brother, friend and role model, someone who faced one of life’s cruellest challenges with a level of courage, grace and good humour that few of us could ever hope to match,” she said.
By Afraa Kori
Carrying the pressure and responsibility of a growing community, Cardinia Shire Council will take its wish list case to Canberra this month at the National General Assembly (NGA) of Local Government.
Held on June 23 to 25, NGA is the largest meeting of local government leaders in Australia and comes just months before Victoria heads to the polls in November.
This year’s assembly introduces a new Urban Forum to run alongside the highly successful Regional Forum, and a range of key speakers.
It is expected to bring many mayors, councillors and council executives to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing communities.
Cardinia Shire Mayor Cr Brett Owen will attend alongside Deputy Mayor Cr Liz Roberts and Chief Executive Officer James Collins. They will be joined by neighbouring councils including City of Casey and Greater Dandenong.
Cr Owen said the NGA provides a valuable opportunity to make their voice heard in Canberra and to highlight their advocacy priorities that align with the Federal Government.
Among the projects Cardinia Council will advocate for are the redevelopment of the Cardinia Life regional basketball and gymnastics stadium, essential parks and open space initiatives, the Lang Lang truck bypass and the strategic road sealing package.
He added that it would also provide an opportunity to follow up on Federal grant applica-
tions currently under consideration, including their submission to the Urban Precincts and Partnerships Program.
“Cardinia Shire Council values the opportunity to attend the NGA to discuss issues impact-
ing local government nationwide, while also bringing attention to the priorities that matter most to our community,“ Cr Owen said.
“We have been fortunate to hold productive meetings with Ministers and MPs in previous
years, and we look forward to continuing these conversations this year, both as an individual council and in partnership with the Greater South East Melbourne (GSEM) group of councils.”
By Afraa Kori
Beaconsfield cancer patient Bella Grambau’s search for answers at the world-renowned Mayo Clinic has ended with a clearer treatment pathway, but ongoing medical uncertainty following an intensive two-week assessment in the United States.
Bella, 20, travelled to the US on Sunday 17 May after a community fundraiser supported her family’s access to specialist international care.
She returned to Australia on 29 May after a series of appointments investigating her rare PTEN gene variant linked to Cowden syndrome.
The mutation, classified as a variant of uncertain significance, has left Australian specialists with limited guidance, with Bella believed to be one of only a handful of people worldwide with the specific genetic change.
Her mother, Syndi Grambau, the second day of the trip on 23 May was particularly distressing.
Bella experienced a fainting episode following blood tests and later vomited, with her condition worsening throughout the day.
A thyroid scan also identified a new nodule, despite Bella having undergone two previous surgeries earlier this year.
“She just had it all cleared out in January,” Syndi said.
“Itdoesn’tmeanit’scancerbutyourheartdrops again and it’s frustrating that things keep growing there despite having the two surgeries now.”
Blood tests also returned abnormal results, adding further concern during the early stages of the visit.
Specialists at Mayo reviewed Bella’s genetic profile but, like Australian clinicians, were unable to provide definitive answers due to the rarity of the variant.
Syndi said the challenge remains the limited research available.
“It’s very hard to label things when it’s a variant,” she said.
“They just don’t have the answers/research on her particular variant right now.”
Additional blood testing was completed during the visit, with results expected in the coming months.
Despite early setbacks, the family said the Mayo team provided a coordinated and detailed approach to Bella’s care.
Syndi said clinicians had reviewed Bella’s full history prior to consultations and worked across specialties in a collaborative model.
The family now has a structured plan involving endocrinology and oncology follow-up, ongoing scans and biopsies, and continued monitoring of thyroid nodules.
Bella has also been referred to a specialist in Sydney to explore a treatment option known as ethanol ablation.
The Mayo Clinic will remain involved in her care for the next 12 months, providing ongoing consultation, documentation, and treatment guidance for Australian specialists.
Syndi said the experience had been overwhelming but ultimately worthwhile.
“Before coming here we were so worried that we would travel halfway around the world only to hear “start from the beginning” and leave without any real direction,” she said.
“That weighed heavily on us, especially knowing how many people supported and believed in us to help get Bella here. Instead, we found the exact opposite.
“Every specialist collaborated, listened, explained things clearly and treated Bella with such kindness and respect.
“We leave feeling validated, supported and no longer alone in navigating this. While there are still unknowns and things we are continuing to process, we now have a clear pathway forward.”
She said the support from the community, which helped fund the trip, had been deeply felt.
“Because of you, Bella now has world-leading specialists helping guide her care moving forward. That is something our family will never forget.”
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rights and stay in control of y
• get support
Tuesday 16 June, 10.30am - 12.30pm
This event supports World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, recognised globally on 15 June each year.
By Jensy Callimootoo
Many members of the community gathered at Bunjil Place for this year’s National ReconciliationDayevent.
Hosted by the City of Casey, this year’s core theme in the journey to reconciliation is ‘All in’. This theme aims to encourage every member of the community to participate in reconciliation and embrace their own journey.
Inrecognitionofthis,manyfilledBunjilPlace on Wednesday 27 May and settled in for performances, yarn telling and Indigenous education sessions.
Uncle Lionel Lauch, a Gunditjmara Kirrae Wurrung-Bundjalung man and founder of Living Culture, shared indigenous knowledge through an immersive Yidaki performance and cultural storytelling.
Djarlo Dance Group also performed a traditional dance and facilitated an educational session.
fine of $254 and 1 demerit point. Police and speed cameras can be anywhere, so why take the risk? Chances are you will be caught. Anywhere. Anytime. Anyone.
By Corey Everitt
The Housing Industry Association (HIA) has launched its state election agenda in the latest suburb of Pakenham East, where it outlined policies aimed at encouraging and boosting “more premier developments like this.”
Hosted in a display home by SJD Homes on Thursday 28 May, the HIA unveiled an agenda focused on relieving the industry of regulatory burdens, boosting skilled labour and land supply, and fast-tracking planning processes.
“Victorians want and need more premier developments like this. Home building could be making this happen more often if the policy settings were right,” HIA Victoria President Glenn Mitchell said.
“But they are not and haven’t been for a long
time. Home builders, small and large, are consistently getting pushed down, and it’s being made harder and riskier than it should be.”
The industry is facing multiple challenges, HIA Victoria Executive Director Keith Ryan explained, including skilled labour shortages, a shift towards higher-density inner-city development, and an increasing regulatory burden.
The agenda proposes six key priorities: reducing the regulatory burden on builders; lowering property taxes and removing barriers to investment; building a stronger and larger construction workforce; making more land available to increase housing supply; simplifying and fast-tracking planning decisions; and expanding housing choice through more social housing.
“All builders want is a fair go,” Ryan said.
“None of them should come as a surprise to any politician or anyone in politics who purports to take an interest in housing.”
Among the many policies in the agenda, key proposals include cracking down on unlicensed builders, abolishing the windfall gains tax, reducing the probationary driver age from 18 to 17, and setting a defined target for social housing by 2051.
The agenda comes as the state government continues to push for rapid home growth to ease the housing crisis. This includes the target of building 800,000 homes between 2024 and 2034.
Special thanks were given to SJD Homes for providing the venue for the launch.
More information on the HIA’s agenda can be found on its website at hia.com.au.
The Art Show is back for 2026, with local artists set to delight this weekend.
This year’s Art Show theme is ‘Thinking Outside the Square’. Every year the show selects a theme to inspire and challenge artists, and this year’s theme invites a wide range of interpretations from literal to metaphorical.
The Art Show will be held at the Pink Hill Hotel in Beaconsfield, with public viewing fromFriday5toTuesday9June.Asalways,the exhibition showcases a diverse selection of mediums, styles, and subjects. There is painting, watercolour, sculpture, digital art, textiles and wearable art, and more to be enjoyed.
The Opening Night will be held on Thursday 4 June 2026 from 7pm.
The night includes supper, the iconic Wearable Art Parade and announcement of winners. Actor from Gemco Players Community Theatre, Ben, will be adding a touch of theatrics.
Tickets to Opening Night are $20 and can be repurchased at: · www.trybooking.com/DKCKI
Limited door sales are available.
General viewing entry is free, but a donation is appreciated: 5-8 June 2026 11am - 7pm and 9 June 11am – 5pm.
Purchase a glass of bubbly or stop for a meal or coffee and spend a pleasant time appreciating local creatives.
Keep up to date on the show’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/ArtShowPakenham
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By Corey Everitt
As the country grapples with a skilled labour shortage, calls are growing for Victoria to fall into line with other states by reducing the driving age to 17, with the proposal enjoying the personal support of a local Liberal MP to support young apprentices.
The Housing Industry Association (HIA) launched its state election agenda last week in Pakenham East, which included a call for the state government to investigate lowering the driving age.
“Victoria is the one state where you have to be 18 to hold a driver’s licence. We believe that needs to be looked at,” HIA Victoria Executive Director Keith Ryan said. Every state and territory except Victoria has a minimum driving age of 17 or younger.
Ryan said a lower driving age could improve access to apprenticeships, particularly for young people in regional Victoria.
Despite concerns about reckless driving, he suggested that young people should be afforded some good faith.
“I think that’s an important thing, not just for economic reasons but also for social reasons. It can make a big difference to young people’s lives. They deserve to be treated with some respect,” he said.
Although the Liberal Party has not adopted a formal position on the matter, it previously supported allowing 17-year-olds to obtain their Pplates in the lead-up to the 2022 state election under then-opposition leader Matthew Guy.
Narracan MP and former home builder Wayne Farnham said he personally supports the propos-
al and is concerned about the low retention rate among Victorian apprentices.
According to the Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions, the completion rate for a standard four-year apprenticeship sat between 50 and 51 per cent from 2020 to 2024.
“We have to look at why that is occurring. Why are people dropping out after one or two years?” Farnham said.
“We have to find out what the problem is and why people aren’t completing those apprenticeships. I think lowering the age for a licence is a good idea, personally.
“I think those types of things would help and would get younger people into apprenticeships earlier.”
Farnham said he would support the opposition looking into the matter further.
Across Emerald, the Ambulance Auxiliary is doing a call out for for any community group locations with an indoor indoor automated external defibrillator (AED).
The Emerald and District Ambulance Victoria Auxiliary is asking local community groups with AED to get in touch, as the auxiliary is looking to fund 24/7 publicly accessible cabinets for existing community defibrillators thanks to generous community donations and local fundraising.
AEDs are life-saving devices used to attempt to shock the heart back into normal function when a patient is in cardiac arrest and the new cabinets mean the defibrillators will be available 24/7 in a visible, outdoor, public location where they can be easily accessed in the event of a cardiac arrest, rather than inside buildings and available only during opening hours.
Cardiac arrest survival rates are significantly boosted by the swift action of bystanders who use publicly accessible AEDs and the latest Ambulance Victoria data shows that when first shocked by a public AED, an incredible 63 per cent of cardiac arrest patients survive.
Victoria has the best cardiac survival rates in Australia and the second best anywhere in the world, thanks to the high level of bystander intervention and early access to CPR and defibrillation, but every day, around 21 Victorians suffer a cardiac arrest and only one in 10 survive. For every minute CPR is delayed, survival decreases by 10 per cent.
The auxiliary will be working with local community groups to help determine the best locations for a purpose-built, waterproof, outdoor donated cabinet to ensure community AEDs are publicly available for anyone, at any time, in a lifethreatening emergency.
The new cabinets could mean the difference between life and death for someone in cardiac arrest.You don’t need training to use an AED. If someone is in cardiac arrest and an AED is available, simply open the cabinet to access the device and follow the instructions.
All local community groups, businesses, shop owners and sports clubs should also ensure their AEDs are registered with up-to-date details on AV’s AED registry, so Triple Zero (000) call- takers can direct people to them in an emergency.
Anyone can also search the AED registry to look on the map and see where AEDs are located in their local area.
The Emerald and District Ambulance Victoria Auxiliary has been an active part of the communi-
ty for more than 42 years and Ambulance Victoria Auxiliaries play an integral role in providing their local branches and community with equipment and education through fundraising initiatives, in addition to raising awareness of Ambulance Victoria and the work of its people.
Made up of community-minded volunteers, Ambulance Victoria Auxiliaries across the state have a proud history dating back more than 100 years.
If you have an AED in the Emerald and district area which isn’t publicly accessible 24/7, contact auxiliaries@ambulance.vic.gov.au to learn more about the available AED cabinets.
In an emergency call Triple Zero (000), Ambulance Membership 1800 64 84 84, Ambulance Victoria is funded through a combination of membership fees, patient transport fees, community donations and government funding.
By Jensy Callimootoo
A music legend from Casey has been left “extremely grateful” following a fire that broke out while his family of nine were in the home.
Kerrigan La Brooy, a country musician and entertainer that toured the world in the early 2000s, says he is thankful that his family made it out in time when a fire unexpectedly broke out in his Berwick home on the morning of Wednesday 20 May.
“At the end of the day, what makes me positive is that my wife and children are alive and well and nothing compares to that,” he told Star News.
The fire began in the garage about seven in the morning, said Kerrigan.
But it wasn’t until a tradesman coming to install a solar battery, noticed the fire and notified the family that prompted Kerrigan to act quickly.
“When I came out to greet him, he pointed behind me and I followed his gaze to see our entire garage, between the roof, plumes of black smoke just rising up and brown smoke,” he said.
His six children, the youngest being 13 were in the home at the time getting ready for school.
“Thank God it didn’t happen half an hour earlier we would have all been sleeping. And if it happened about half an hour later, I would have been dropping the kids at school,” he said.
“It chills my blood to say this, but one of my children was off that day because she had a TAFE meeting at 11 o’clock. So she would have been asleep in her bedroom and her bedroom is right on top of the garage.”
While authorities are still investigating the cause of the fire, Kerrigan believes the fridge in the garage is likely to blame.
Michelle La Brooy, says that because of her husband’s quick thinking the fire was able to be rapidly contained.
“When we were all evacuated from the house, my darling hubby got the garden hose and he was hosing the roof of the garage near the house and as a result of his quick thinking, he saved the house, the house didn’t burn,” said Michelle.
all alive. Material things are replaceable.”
ECU
CUW
ECU
SWE
Pakenham works because people show up.
Maybe you volunteer at Officer City Soccer Club. Maybe you supported Beaconhills College’s Relay For Life last week. Maybe you buy from the local small business down the road.
Each of these things strengthens community life in a different way. They remind us that people need places to belong, services they can rely on, and public spaces where they feel safe.
One of those public spaces is our local train stations.
The Allan Labor Government has announced it will remove permanent Protective Services Officers from 119 metropolitan and suburban train stations, including Cardinia Road and Officer. These are stations used every day by local families, students, workers and commuters.
PSOs provide more than enforcement. They provide certainty.
Their presence helps people feel that if something goes wrong, someone is nearby.
That matters, especially when crimes against the person at train stations, including assault, robbery and stalking, have increased by 74 per cent between 2021 and 2025.
Pakenham and Officer are growing quickly. More people are using our stations.
More parents are relying on public transport for their children.
More shift workers are travelling before sunrise or after dark.
This is why I’m asking you to print and sign
the petition using the QR code below. It calls on the Government to return PSOs to every station, every night.
Petitions are the most practical way a community can shine a light critical local issues and achieve change. Petitions show that local people care, pay attention, and expect basic services to be protected.
Pakenham is growing. Officer is growing.
Our sense of safety should grow with it.
Renee Heath MP, 103 Main Street Pakenham. Phone: (03) 5941 1112
In a world of online bookings and endless travel websites, nothing compares to the confidence of expert advice and personalised service. At Helloworld Travel Pakenham, our experienced team is passionate about helping travellers create unforgettable holidays and seamless business travel solutions. With years of industry knowledge and trusted travel partnerships, we provide personalised service and support every step of the way — before, during and after your journey. Our team proudly speaks fluent Spanish, Portuguese and Italian, allowing us to assist a diverse range of travellers with comfort and confidence. Travel is more than simply reaching a destination — it’s about creating memories and experiences that matter. That’s why so many local travellers and businesses continue to trust Helloworld Travel Pakenham.
Battery Zone Pakenham is 21 years old.
Battery Zone Pakenham stocks the widest range of batteries for all applications and fitments such as recreational to agricultural, cordless phone to mobile phone, all domestic disposable and rechargeable batteries.
We can replace most brands of drill batteries & for the harder to find or just not available types, we offer a Repack service in which we can replace or upgrade your old battery to near new condition.
We can supply this service to most compounds of cells from nickel-cadmium / Nickel metal hydride to lithium, lead acid, calcium, A.G.M and spiral cell.
We are a culture-focussed company with a strong commitment to teamwork and share a common goal of exceeding customer expectations by offering a comprehensive choice of battery products, knowledgeable and caring service, and the most affordable prices available.
While every customer has different needs,
you can rely on our consistent approach to doing business based on good old-fashioned honesty, respect and communication.
Why Battery Zone Are No.1
Expert Advice
You will receive expert advice using the most up to date testing equipment.
Local Specialists
We are your local specialists for hard to find batteries.
Our Guarantee
Your guarantee of quality & service is our 30yrs industry experience.
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We use only national brands for quality, back up & nation wide guarantee.
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You will find the largest range of batteries in store to suit all needs.
Battery Zone Pakenham, Shop 3/206 Princes Highway, Pakenham. Online Battery Shop. (03) 5940 1364.
With 14 years of experience in the travel industry, Amy is passionate about creating unforgettable holidays tailored to each client’s unique travel style.
Specialising in family holidays, Disney destinations, and luxury travel experiences, she loves helping travellers turn their dream holidays into reality.
Amy’s extensive travel knowledge allows her to share valuable insider tips, from hidden-gem restaurants and boutique hotels to unique offthe-beaten-track experiences that make every journey truly special.
Whether you’re planning a magical family adventure, a luxury escape, or the trip you’ve always dreamed about, Amy is dedicated to ensuring every detail is perfectly arranged.
Let Amy take the stress out of planning and help you create memories that will last a lifetime.
Helloworld Pakenham, 156 Main Street, Pakenham. Phone: (03) 5940 0611.
Pakenham Garden Club
Meets on the 1st Tuesday of the month, except in January and November.
In November, we meet on the 2nd Tuesday. We visit Gardens, Nurseries, Places of Interest, we have 3-4 Meetings a year, at the Cardinia Club in Pakenham, with a speaker, Raffle, and Plant Share.
After the meeting, we have lunch at the Cardinia Club. New members most welcome.
• Contact Mary - 0437 474 452
Cardinia Neighbourhood Policing Forum
The Victoria Police Neighbourhood Policing Forum welcomes local services and community members to talk with police about what issues are important in your community.
The forum will explore topics including: Current crime trends and crime prevention, young people, family violence, road policing, drugs and drugrelated crime.
The Neighbourhood Policing Forum will be run by a Victoria Police panel and questions will be taken from the audience throughout the event.
• Date: Thursday 4 June
• Time: 5:30pm – 8:30pm (Doors open 5:15pm)
• Location: Beaconhills College Pakenham - Year 9 Centre 30-34 Toomuc Valley Rd, Pakenham VIC 3810 *enter via Pakenham Road
• Registration is a must. To attend, please register by sending your details to: Cardinia-CEC-MGR@ police.vic.gov.au.
Cranbourne Seniors Club
• Morning Melodies with Gavin Chatelier, first Friday of the month, 11am-3pm; $15 lunch included. Details: Marilyn, 0432 107 590 or facebook. com/groups/487808127399953
Probus Club of Pakenham East
The Probus Club of Pakenham East warmly invites retired and semi-retired members of our community to join us.
We offer a variety of enjoyable activities to suit all interests, including dine-outs, ten-pin bowling, craft groups, walking groups, theatre outings, and gardening—just to name a few.
Our meetings are held on the third Tuesday of each month at the Cardinia Club, 71 Racecourse Road, commencing at 10:30am.
Each meeting begins with a short general session, followed by a break for morning tea.
This provides a great opportunity to chat and get to know fellow members.
The meeting then resumes with the introduction of a guest speaker.
At the conclusion of the meeting, members are invited to stay and enjoy lunch together.
• For more information or to express your interest in joining, please contact:
• President John: 0420 936 240
• Secretary Dorothy: probuspakeast@gmail.com Pakenham Seniors
People interested in a happy, social atmosphere and meeting new friends are invited to visit Pakenham Senior Citizens Clubrooms at 38 James Street on any Monday morning.
• The club has regular activities. Rooms are available to rent. Telephone 5941 1297. Singers wanted
• Cranbourne Chorale is recruiting for its non-auditioned adult community choir for mixed voices. Our repertoire is a mix of uplifting songs. Feel free to visit us without obligation; the first four sessions are free of charge. Wednesday rehearsals 7.30pm at The Factory, Building 5, 65 Berwick-Cranbourne Road, Cranbourne East. Details: Jenny, 0438 358 032.
Pakenham
Do you, or someone near and dear to you. Have Parkinson’s?
We invite those with Parkinson’s and their carers to join us for a cuppa and a chat.
• We meet between 10am and 12 noon on the third Wednesday each month at Officer Football Club at 20 Starling Road, Officer.
• For further information call Tracey on 0494 562 509.
Pakenham Probus
The Original Club in Pakenham for over 30 years.
Pakenham Probus welcomes retired people from the community for fun and friendship.
They meet at the Cardinia Club on the first Thursday of the month at 10am. They have the meeting, followed by morning tea and a chat.
Then a guest speaker is welcomed to enlighten or entertain. The group then stays at the venue for a pay yourself lunch and chat.
During the month, the group provides at minimal costs 10-pin bowling, craft activities, book club, tours, yearly holiday, 2 coffee mornings, dine out and a walking group.
• You can take part in whichever activities you want. Join and have a great time. Contact John Stitt: 0407766494
Inner Wheel Pakenham
If you are interested in building cherished friendships, serving our communities whilst making a difference in this world, come and see how the largest world wide womens organisation works together.
Inner Wheel of Pakenham are looking for more members to join for a new schedule of events this year.
Events included talks from guest speakers, movie days, coffee mornings, craft days and other special events.
Meetings are held on the 1st Thursday morning of each month.
• Please check out the Inner Wheel Australia website for more information, nnerwheelaustralia.org.au and contact the local Club at iiw. au.pakenham@gmail.com if you are interested in joining.
Learn to play bridge
Berwick Bridge Club is looking for new members.
There are two free beginners’ courses. One starting on Friday morning 6thth February 2026 from 10:00-12 noon and the second one on Monday night starting 2nd February 2026 from 7-9pm. Both courses run for 10/12 weeks. Lessons are held at Brentwood Park Neighbourhood House, 21A Bemersyde drive Berwick. No partner is re-
quired.
• To reserve your place, please phone Maree on 97022348.
Little learner’s playgroup
Join Aspire Pakenham centre every Friday morning from 10:30-11:30am for free playgroup sessions for your little one. It’s the perfect opportunity for children to play, explore and make new friends, with a new theme every week. Hosted by Anglicare Victoria, the event will be held at the community centre, 75 Army Rd in Pakenham.
Cardinia Prostate Cancer Support Group
Meeting on the first Thursday of each month at Outlook Community Centre, 24 Toomuc Valley Road, Pakenham
• All are welcome. For more information please contact Span Hanna on 0422917386 or email spanetc@hotmail.com
Berwick Bridge Club
Enjoy playing cards? Are you looking for some exercise for your brain that is both fun and challenging?
• Berwick Bridge Club is looking for new members. For more info please phone Maree on 9702 2348.
Get Involved with Pakenham Central Probus
If you are retired or semi-retired, Pakenham Central Probus offers you a dynamic and friendly club. Activities include dine outs, outings, coffee mornings, walking group, craft group, ten-pin bowling, trips as well as concerts and theatre outings. Monthly meetings are held in Pakenham on Thursdays with reports on the Club’s activities, interesting speakers and opportunities to socialise and sign up for any of the activities that interest you. There’s never a dull moment—good company, great experiences, and memories to cherish. Come along for a visit to see if the Club suits your needs.
• Contact: our Jan 0417 371 004 or email pakenhamcentralprobus@gmail.com
Garfield Exercise Group
• As part of the Bunyip Friendship Hub, they meet at the Garfield Football Club rooms on Tuesdays at 10am.
Garfield Sewing Club
Come along with your sewing machine or use one of ours and join a group of sewers creating clothes, quilts, crafts, repairing and upcycling. All skill levels welcome but a gold coin donation. This event is held every Tuesday during the school term at Garfield Scout Hall.
“Our vision as a Christian community is to honour each individual’s experience of God, while sharing the love of Jesus”
Sunday’s service was conducted by Pastor Jo Crisp and o0ur guest speaker from Frontier Services was James. We welcomed Berwick UCA congregation to our service.
Margaret McKay had an activity for the children which was based on the work of Frontier Services.
There was a very warm welcome for James who immediately commented on the plaque for Rev. John Flynn who was a former minister at this church which is in the front garden.
We heard the amazing story of the Jesus feed-
ing the 5000 from John’s gospel. Just like Jesus many of the bush chaplains have performed remarkable feats in their outback territories. They have worked with the bush populations who have faced cyclones, fires and floods. James told the story of the township of Buchan when John Flynn had been the minister and how Frontier services had helped rebuild the small church after fires and COVID.
Bush Chaplains like Jenny in Cunnamulla who supported a resident and helped her move into a nursing home – even helping her pack up her home. And Noel in Northern NSW who helped the community and in particular a blind man even when he lost his own home. Julia in Oodna-
datta helped the build a church and community centre because they were needed.
After the service we had morning tea and then shared a sausage sizzle with the funds going to Frontier services.
Rev Dr. Denham Grierson launched his latest poetry book “Honey from the Rock” . Accompanied by music from the Assembly of God Denham read some of his poems and his editor made comments about his poetry.
Homework Hub Begins week 2 of term. (28/4)
3.30-5.30pm
· Playgroup Wednesday mornings. 9.30am Elders gathering in May 21st 1.30pm · Church Council Note May’s meeting is can-
Art Show
The Art Show is back this weekend at the Pink Hill Hotel.
The Opening Night will be held on Thursday 4 June 2026 from 7pm.
The night includes supper, the iconic Wearable Art Parade and announcement of winners.
Tickets to Opening Night are $20 and can be repurchased at: www.trybooking.com/DKCKI
Limited door sales are available.
• General viewing entry is free, but a donation is appreciated: 5-8 June 2026 11am - 7pm and 9 June 11am – 5pm.
The Art Show is back this weekend. (File: 407483)
• Available every second Wednesday at 2pm at MoyYan Neighbourhood House in Garfield. Inner Wheel Club of Berwick
The Inner Wheel Club (IW) Berwick is a ladies international friendship club which raises funds to support local charities and other worthwhile causes.
They have a dinner meeting on the first Monday of the month and enjoy a range of activities including guest speakers, morning teas, book club and craft afternoons
• For more information, visit their Facebook page or contact iiw.au.berwick@gmail.com
Berwick Springs VIEW Club
Affiliated with The Smith Family, the Berwick Springs VIEW Club is a not-for-profit organisation, with the aim to fundraise to support Learning for Life students.
The club currently supports 10 students of varying ages with their education expenses.
The club meets on the first Monday of each month in the Berwick Springs Hotel function room from 11.15am, where members enjoy a lunch and then host a guest speaker.
Throughout the year, the club has a couple of special fundraisers, as well as casual morning tea and lunch for interested ladies.
The club is always looking for new members in all age groups.
• For more information, contact Shirley on 0438 191 759 or email berwicksprings.viewclub@ gmail.com
U3A Casey
Did you know that U3A Casey now has 471 members and operates out of multiple venues across the Casey area?
It offers 65 different classes, ranging from exercise/movement/dance groups to literature, crafts, music, discussion groups and more.
• If you want to keep both your mind and body active after retirement, then visit u3acasey.org.au
Casey Cardinia Life Activities Club
Weekly social activities with dancing, trips away via coach, a weekly morning coffee club, monthly Saturday country pub lunches, monthly Tuesday dine-outs, a weekly walking group, a weekly table tennis group, seasonal daytime musical theatre outings, entertainment function days and more.
• Thursdays 2pm for socialising and low-key dancing at Brentwood Park Neighbourhood Houseat 21A Bemersyde Drive or Wednesdays 10am for coffee and chats at the new François cafe in front of Myer in Fountain Gate. Details: Garry0409 785 400
celled
Friendship Group May 6th 1.30pm
· Sunday 14th June. Church AGM”
· Safe Church training 28th June at Cranbourne.
Please ensure that the doors are locked when you leave the building and the heating/cooling and lights are off.
Please continue to contribute to the Lazarus Food Relief which is being run by the COPTIC church who are providing hampers for the community which they distribute each Saturday at 2.00pm. A box is in the foyer for donations.
Matthew 28 V20 “Remember I am with you always, to the end of the age ”
By Jensy Callimootoo
A submission has been made urging the Casey Council to prioritise the city’s extreme rise in family violence in what has been classed as an “epidemic in Casey”
Dalal Smiley, chief executive for Wellsprings for Women made a poignant submission at the May council meeting calling on councillors and officers to make changes to its action plan for the next year and invest in significant safeguards that protect women and families.
It also urges the council to advocate to the state government to establish immediate preventive measures.
It comes as Casey’s family violence incidents in the last year have risen by more than 10 per cent, making it the highest recorded incidents across the state.
While Casey remains the largest municipality in population, Smiley emphasises that these figures are still alarming.
According to data collated from police, between 2024-25, 6519 family violence incidents were reported in Casey. This is in comparison to the previous year, which recorded 5737.
These numbers do not include incidents reported to local agencies and social services.
The CEO says she was prompted to make a submission to the councillors following the release of the 2026-27 Casey draft budget and advocacy action plan, which did not outline the urgency of the crisis impacting women and young children.
Smiley labelled the violence as an “epidemic in Casey” and urged the council to establish a saturation model similar to the frameworks in Ballarat to address the “inadequacy” in services.
“We noticed that the conversations and concerns seem to remain within the family violence sector,” she said.
“While the broader community is just unaware that this is a deeply troubling epidemic that impacts on the welfare and wellbeing of communities directly or indirectly involved.”
She says that the omission of family violence as a priority for the council’s advocacy committee “took her by surprise”
“So I thought I will bring this issue to Council’s attention as it is about time someone spoke out,” she said.
Endemic to Casey, Smiley labels the suburban isolation and local underemployment as an inherent barrier.
And that the ever-growing region is reporting such high numbers in family violence incidents due to an amalgamation of many factors.
Including the undermarkings of inequity bolstered by economic dependency, social isolation, health disparities and rigid traditional household structures.
Smiley describes the “deeply gendered” nature of economic disadvantage as a catalyst to the erasure or lack of financial autonomy making it especially difficult for a woman to leave an abusive situation.
In turn, this further reinforces rigid expectations of male dominance.
“The local growth-corridor economy is heavily dominated by construction and manufacturing
[high-paying, male-dominated] versus healthcare and retail [lower-paying, female-dominated],” she said.
“This creates a wider localised gender pay gap than the state average, leaving women economically dependent on male earners.
“When structural factors trap women in financial dependency, it empowers a perpetrator’s financial abuse.
“It also leaves women with fewer resources to physically or financially escape a violent household.”
Despite the rise in violence against women, according to numerous indicators, Casey still reports lower than the Victorian average on key community and gender equality measures.
“Socioeconomic disadvantage does not cause family violence on its own. Gender inequality does,” said Smiley.
“However, when a municipality sits below the state average on gender equality measures, the resulting social disadvantage acts as a powerful accelerator.
“In Casey, structural health and economic disadvantages reinforce male control, entrench rigid gender roles, and isolate women.
“This creates an environment where the gendered drivers of violence can operate with fewer structural disruptions, leading directly to the higher incident rates seen in local data.”
Wellsprings for women alone helped 295 Casey clients in the last few years with the number of new clients or victims from Casey growing from 36 per cent in 2021, to 45 per cent of all new clients in 2025.
These clients are typically under their care for more than 20 days in comparison to those not from Casey.
The saturation model referenced by Smiley focuses on concentrated and coordinated preventive actions that are centralised in the community. In turn, this addresses the structural changes that are needed to inhibit gendered violence.
It focuses on ‘saturating’ a local area so that all the different connections a person has (home, school, work, online and in their community), reinforce the same messages, attitudes, beliefs and behaviours that support a region where people are safe, equal and respected.
The groundwork for this model in Victoria was first established in Ballarat in May 2024 following the murder of three women in the community.
It was dubbed ‘Respect Ballarat’ and garnered nearly $10 million in investment from the State government to deliver.
Smiley says that the City of Casey is in great need of this model and that if this epidemic is not rapidly addressed, the crisis will get much worse.
“This is a serious issue that requires similar attention to how Governments invested in tackling smoking addiction through Quit campaign, skin cancer through Slip, Slop and Slap,” she said.
“These campaigns and their associated funded activities over time produced results and cultural shifts,” she said.
“The longer we neglect violence against women the more new challenges emerge that drive gender equality even further backward such as the Manosphere.”
Smiley says that Casey Council will need to take a leadership role and rally a working group of local agencies who work in family violence response and prevention to begin the development with the state government.
“There is compelling evidence that Casey can put forward to persuade the government,” she said.
By Justin Schwarze
Pakenham showed Powelltown no mercy on Saturday as the Lions won by over 200 points for the first time in recent history in round eight of Outer East Division 1.
Taking advantage of the huge deck at Toomuc Reserve, Pakenham’s attack was unwavering and relentless, booting 33 consecutive goals in the contest to win 35.19 (229) to 1.2 (8).
The onslaught was started by Matt Ryan, who buried one from 35 to open his account.
Ryan Martini was next up, snapping truly on his right boot, followed by Nash Butler splitting the big ones on the run.
Luke Ryan then handballed off to his brother, who put through his second from close range.
The big key forward then clunked another in the square and snapped another on his left.
Ryan soon had his fourth with yet another massive grab in close range, making no mistakes with another kick around the corner on his left boot.
Josh Haggar then got on the scoreboard with an excellent pickup before using space to belt it home.
Following that, Aden Quirk burst through the centre stoppage and found Ryan on the lead, who nailed his fifth for the quarter.
Tanner Stanton then cleaned up his own mess as he hit the post but then intercepted the kick in and ensured he finished the second time around.
At quarter time, Pakenham led 9.6 (60) to no score.
The one-way traffic continued in the second, with the Lions registering the first 14 scores of the quarter, including nine goals, before the Towners hit the scoreboard with a behind just before halftime.
Ryan was already up to seven majors after two in the second, while Cachia helped himself to a pair, Stanton brought his tally to three and Hall kicked a consecutive trio of goals.
It was a trend that flowed on for the rest of the game as Pakenham did not take the foot off the pedal, booting another nine through the big sticks in the third term.
Stanton moved to five goals for the afternoon, as did Hall, while Ryan slotted his eighth.
Sam Wellwood kicked truly to start the fourth, before three straight majors to Ryan saw him enter double-figures and boot his 11th.
A highlight came at the 18-minute mark of the last when Ollie Sail drifted down from defence and turned on the jets as the big man stunned his defender with some footwork before putting it through on the run.
After Lewis Davies converted the Lions’ 33rd unanswered goal, Max Rees finally found the goals for the visitors.
And it was a ripper as he scooped up the footy off hands, before pirouetting and spinning away from Sail, wheeling onto his right boot and watching it skid through.
Quirk and Rhys Clacy put the icing on the cake, scoring goals to conclude bloodbath.
“There was a real strong focus on a lot of running and work rate to be implemented during the game,” Pakenham senior coach Justin Stanton said.
“I didn’t want guys running around at half pace, I wanted us to dial up our intensity, dial up our running and our work rate because I wanted the guys to be sore postgame so that they were still getting kilometres into their legs.
“They got that against Yarra Junction, they got that against Powelltown.
“The most important thing above all is focus wise, we wanted to come out of it injury free if we could.
“There’s a lot of luck involved in that, but we’ve been able to tick that box also.
“We go into the King’s Birthday weekend with a group that’s looking forward to the weekend off but in a good position to tackle Alexandra after the break then we get into the second half of the season.”
The Lions have won their recent fortnight 66.41 (437) to 2.6 (18), now holding the best percentage in the competition.
A lot of that is thanks to the forward efforts of Ryan, as his bag of 11 on Saturday brought his fortnight tally to 20 goals.
Ryan has been immensely impactful in his return to the Pakenham colours, now sitting equal-first in the league for goalkicking, tied with Alexandra spearhead William Stewart.
“In simplistic terms, he gives us a tall target up forward,” Stanton said of his key forward.
“I coached against him when I was at Nar Nar Goon and he was at Cora Lynn and a champion of the West Gippy league has been Nathan Gardiner and that combination of Gardiner and Matty was a real handful for clubs to manage.
“Gards was the beneficiary of hitting the scoreboard but it was the work that Matty would do that would allow Gards to benefit.
“He forces the opposition to make a decision whether they want to defend him one-on-one or if they want to orchestrate a team defence that allows them to have an additional player play on him.
“That challenges the opposition for them to make decisions and Matt’s juggled both this year.
“He’s a smart footballer, he knows where to lead, he draws the football and that’s what we’re looking at.
“We wanted to have a real team-first mindset around sharing the football when we go inside 50 and we showed glimpses of it against Yarra Junction.
“As much as Matty drew a lot of the football, we had over 70 inside 50s, we wanted to ensure we were picking the best option and not just who was hot at the time.
“It was a focus on picking the best option, the safest option and the option that’s less likely to generate a turnover.
“So those areas and the stoppages were pleasing to see that we were able to play the manner that we wanted to and not create any bad habits, which was good.
“We had a focus pregame around stoppages and how we wanted to transition the football out of stoppages inside 50.
“We just wanted to make sure the balance was right and exiting by handball versus exiting stoppages with just a hurried kick inside 50.
“Also, just the way we set up at stoppages was another thing we wanted to focus on going into the game, making sure we’re generating good habits and we don’t have all of our midfielders on the offensive attack with the expectation that we were going to win it, because we felt that was going to generate some bad habits going into big
games coming up.”
AROUND THE GROUNDS
Emerald was downed by a strong four-quarter effort from Seville on its home deck.
Inaccuracy has been a big issue for the Bombers this season and Saturday was no different, with David Johnson’s men recording the same number of scoring shots as the Blues in the first half but trailing 6.5 (41) to 3.8 (26).
The hosts put the game away with a lethal third, slotting seven goals to one to push their advantage to 52 points at the last change.
And the second half was all Seville with the premiership-hopeful Blues piling it on to win 17.11 (113) to 5.13 (43).
Josh Neal booted four for the hosts in victory, while Ewan Wadsworth, Luke Spaulding and Steve Kapahnke were the best for the Bombers.
Yarra Glen pulled out a gritty result over Yea, overcoming a one-point three-quarter time deficit to taste victory 9.13 (67) to 8.9 (57).
Star forward Josh Hawkins is starting to heat up as he slotted four goals for the River Pigs. Alexandra’s strong second half boosted it to edging out Belgrave on the road 12.11 (83) to 11.9 (75).
The Magpies held a 15-point buffer as the players headed for the rooms at halftime, but the Rebels swung into the lead with five goals to one in the third.
Both teams registered four majors in the last with the visitors hanging on as superstar key forward Stewart managed a bag of five.
Yarra Junction had the bye.
All teams have the week off over the upcoming long weekend.
By Justin Schwarze
ROC put together a strong comeback and edged out Olinda Ferny Creek in a nailbiter in round eight of the Outer East Premier Division A Grade netball competition.
The Bloods started hot at Rob Porter Reserve, leading by four at quarter time and six at halftime. But the Kangaroos were a different team out of the main break, rolling to outscore the visitors 12-5 in the third and hit the front by one entering the last.
And ROC was able to hold on, playing the crucial moments right to break even in the frame and scrape out a 41-40 triumph.
Isabella O’Shanassy starred in goal for the Roos, netting 37 of the 41 goals.
Gembrook Cockatoo was no match for Monbulk on the road, being comprehensively beaten 82-31.
The Brookers got off to a horror start that they weren’t able to recover from, scoring just two goals in the opening frame to the Hawks’ 27. Mia Cole, Madelyn Bowden and Anaya O’Neil were stellar in the loss.
Mount Evelyn’s demolition job of the league continued as the Rovers smashed Healesville 8127.
Warburton Millgrove secured a massive confidence booster with the Burras mauling Upwey Tecoma 86-16.
An entertaining clash at Wandin North Reserve saw the Bulldogs use their class and just get by Woori Yallock 50-43.
The hosts led by just one at the last change but strong execution down the stretch aided Wandin in controlling the fourth.
Pakenham’s season is building nicely as the Lions thrashed Powelltown on their home deck and jumped into second on the ladder in Division 1.
The DNA of the Lions was apparent from the first centre pass as they completely controlled the possession and completely shut off any avenue towards goal for the Towners.
After coach Matt Cooke explained that he wanted to see his side capitalise better off turnovers, Pakenham took the first term 26-2 in impressive fashion.
Scoring slowed in the second as Powelltown adjusted, but the visitors still couldn’t penetrate the lethal backline that the Lions boast.
The Towners scored just once in the term,
PREMIERDIVISION
AGRADE
MtEvelyn81defHealesville27,UpweyTecoma16defby WarburtonMillgrove86,ROC41defOlindaFernyCreek40, Wandin50defWooriYallock43,Monbulk82defGembrook Cockatoo31.
BGRADE
MtEvelyn77defHealesville22,UpweyTecoma20defby WarburtonMillgrove79,ROC76defOlindaFernyCreek24, Wandin51defbyWooriYallock62,Monbulk67defGembrookCockatoo56.
CGRADE
MtEvelyn51defHealesville5,ROC54defOlindaFernyCreek 23,Wandin41defWooriYallock34,Monbulk27defby GembrookCockatoo30,ByeWarburtonMillgrove.
DGRADE
MtEvelyn64defHealesville6,ROC37defOlindaFernyCreek 15,Wandin22defbyWooriYallock46,Monbulk38def GembrookCockatoo18,ByeWarburtonMillgrove.
17UNDER
MtEvelyn62defMonbulkMaroon17,ROCBlue81def OlindaFernyCreek1,WooriYallock53defWandin20,ROC White22defWarburtonMillgrove10,MonbulkGold35def GembrookCockatoo11.
15UNDER
PakenhamLionsGold12defbyROCBlue46,WandinBlue18 defbyMonbulkGold35,MonbulkMaroon41defROCWhite 15,PakenhamLionsMaroon53defWooriYallock22,Bye WandinRed.
DIVISION1
AGRADE
Yea48defbyYarraGlen57,Seville60defEmerald36, Belgrave56defAlexandra44,PakenhamLions73defPowelltown10,ByeYarraJunction.
BGRADE
Yea40defbyYarraGlen50,Seville61defEmerald30, Belgrave36defAlexandra32,PakenhamLions100def Powelltown15,ByeYarraJunction.
CGRADE
Yea36drewYarraGlen36,Seville48defEmerald24,Belgrave40defAlexandra7,PakenhamLions77defPowelltown 7,ByeYarraJunction.
DGRADE YarraGlen27defYea21,Seville40defEmerald16,PakenhamLions53defPowelltown10,ByeBelgrave,ByeYarra Junction. 17UNDER
PakenhamLionsGold61defSevilleWhite14,SevilleBlue37 defEmerald19,Alexandra22defPakenhamLionsMaroon 21,ByeYarraJunction.
leading to Pakenham holding a 39-3 advantage at halftime.
Powelltown was then again suffocated in the third, putting up another single-goal quarter while the Lions added 15 of their own to lead by 50 goals at the last change, 54-4.
The visitors had their strongest period in the last, scoring six times, but Pakenham saw out the massive 73-10 win.
Eliza Molino at the back was judged best on court, while Charlize Reid and Emma Jones played crucial roles in the Lions banking the four
points in emphatic style.
Emerald wasn’t able to keep up with Seville’s high-octane attack, going down on the road.
The Blues asserted themselves early, more than doubling the Bombers in the first at 15-7.
And they continued to have the contest on their terms, extending the margin every quarter to push out to the 60-36 result.
Alexis Gibson, Erin Anzin and Mackenzie Fox were all among the best for Emerald despite the loss.
Belgrave got on the board for the first time this
season with a 56-44 victory over Alexandra.
The Magpies fell behind by one at quarter time before hitting the front at halftime.
The match was closely-contested as Belgrave led by just one at three-quarter time before owning the final term, outscoring the Rebels 17-6 to secure the four points.
Yarra Glen tasted victory away from home against Yea 57-48.
The River Pigs took advantage of a 42-38 threequarter time buffer to hold onto the victory.
Yarra Junction had the bye.
By Justin Schwarze
ROC Netball Club legend Sarah Smith is breathing rarified air as the champion attacker played her 500th game for the club on Saturday.
Smith has been donning the Kangaroos’ colours for 31 years, as her journey began in under13s in 1995.
The three-decade period with the same club was something that Smith held close to her heart as her unwavering loyalty has led to lifelong friendships and memories.
“When you look at the fact that it’s been 31 years, it’s so consistent in my life,” she reflected.
“For 31 years of my life, I’ve had training Thursday nights and gamedays on Saturday.
“As you get a bit older, you do start to reflect on the fact that that’s your life and how much of a part it’s played.
“And all the people you meet and netball acquaintances you make over the years, it just becomes life.
“Every Thursday and Saturday that’s where you are, there’s people that you love hanging out with.
“It’s the people that I know, it’s people I’ve spent so many years with, like Amy Jones, Nic Robbins and Laura Quinn, you kind of underestimate how much time you spend with them.
“Thursday nights are not only training, we’ll often sit there till midnight having our catchups and it’s become such an outlet for my life.
“I think that in itself is super special because with all the changing and movement, it’s just home.”
The milestone comes after years of success for ROC, including multiple premierships at both junior and senior level, while also being inducted as a life member of the club in 2017.
Saturday’s milestone game was capped off with a bang as the Kangaroos’ B Grade side steamrolled Olinda Ferny Creek 76-24.
“It was a bit more nerve racking than I anticipated,” Smith said of the day.
“It was a bit of a different feeling, when it’s finals it’s all about the team and it’s a team sport but that was such a personal accolade and I did underestimate that feeling of it.
“It was very special, my sister flew in from Queensland to surprise me so that was lovely.
As you get a bit older, you do start to reflect on the fact that that’s your life and how much of a part it’s played,” ROC legend Sarah Smith
“It was nice to feel that appreciation and excitement of all those years at the club with lots of cool people.”
It’s the second 500-gamer ROC has celebrated this season after Smith’s longtime partner in crime on the court and great friend off the court Amy Jones reached the number in April.
And the connection between the two is some-
By Blair Burns
Cardinia Storm secured their first points against a top-four side when they defeated Monash on the weekend in the Men’s Metro 1 South competition, winning 5-3.
Going into the game, Monash had conceded just one goal in seven matches, but the Storm were confident and ready to put the pressure on the visitors.
Cardinia couldn’t have asked for a better start as the side jumped Monash and slotted two goals in the first quarter to take an early 2-0 lead.
For the first, Adam Welcome linked with the midfield and found Troy White on the baseline as he converted.
Thanks to a brilliant assist from Gray Singh, the Storm had their second with Peter Turner slotting the goal … they were flying.
Welcome was feeling the groove and after setting a goal up earlier, he wanted one of his own as he took the lead to 3-0.
Monash were always going to come out firing in the second half and the test was whether Storm could absorb the pressure.
The strong opposition converted two short corners and got itself back in the game, but Daniel Albrecht stepped up for Cardinia to set up Turner for a second goal, 4-2.
Singh scored the fifth and final goal for the Storm as they claimed a morale-boosting victory over Monash.
With a full list of players, it was a great showing and keeps Cardinia inside the top four.
Cardinia fell short 3-0 against Southern United in the Women’s Metro 1 South competition, but it wasn’t through a lack of effort.
Southern is the top side and went into the clash as the heavy favourites, but the Storm started well and managed to lift to the level required.
The first half was a stalemate as both sides
failed to convert on any attacking opportunities … defence was winning out.
Just before half time, there was unfortunately an injury to Cardinia goalkeeper Sarah Dunlopthis meant that the Storm had to play the second half with one player short and no goalie.
The defence worked hard together, led by captain Rachael Quill, as they minimised Southern’s scoring opportunities and kept them to just three goals in the second half.
The club will now enjoy a well-earned week off due to the King’s Birthday long weekend and will prepare for round nine when play resumes next weekend.
thing Smith noted as pivotal over her career.
“That’s very, very special, I love playing netball with her and I’ve played netball with Amy since I was nine years old,” Smith reflected on sharing the milestone alongside Jones.
“It was amazing.
“Throughout the juniors was amazing, we were really lucky to be very successful.
“I went through with an amazing group of girls and there were lots of premierships, there was also lots of team bonding.
“In the buildup, all the people that reached out and shared their memories was pretty special.
“Then, taking that into seniors, you meet so many people over the years.”
By Blair Burns
Casey Cannons won its fourth game of the season in the Men’s Vic League (MVL1) competition as Tristan Chaffey led his side to a 3-1 victory over Craigieburn.
The win helped the Cannons push closer to the top four and it was thanks to a standout performance from renowned star and goalscorer Chaffey, who slotted all three goals for the game.
Casey has now won two games in a row and will be heading into a midweek clash against Yarra Valley tonight with great confidence.
Unfortunately, the other men’s sides were unable to get the same result, both beaten by a strong opposition.
The MVL1 Reserves went down 7-2 against Craigieburn and despite their best efforts, they were unable to stop the dominant midfield.
Craigieburn continued to apply pressure throughout the game and while the Cannons’ goalkeeper Ryan McLeod had plenty of saves, the home side overwhelmed Casey.
Tadhg McCurran produced a moment of brilliance to find the back of the net, while Ryan Pruscino scored his second goal of the season.
In the Men’s Metro 2 South competition, Casey put up a good fight but ultimately fell short 3-1 against Maccabi.
Lochlan Gillespie had a special moment for the Cannons as he produced a strong attacking play to sneak a shot past the goalkeeper and score for the first time this year.
Casey was outclassed in the WVL1 match against KBH Brumbies, going down 4-0 at the final whistle.
The WVL1 Reserves battled hard throughout their match against the Brumbies, but were beaten in a 2-1 thriller.
Charlotte Davis found the back of the net to give the Cannons a hot start, but KBH was
(Rob Carew: 499258)
too strong.
However, there were some positives over the weekend for the club with wins in the Women’s Pennant E South East competition as the Cannons had a 4-2 win against ToorakEast Malvern.
Emily Noney played one of her best games of the year for Casey and was a serious threat forward of centre with three goals - Shannon Salter was the other goalscorer.
The Cannons also had a healthy 2-0 victory in the Pennant D South East against Old Haileyburians.
As we have seen many times throughout this season, Jessica Rowland fired in attack and scored both of her team’s goals.
The Women’s Metro 2 South side fell short in an even contest 1-0 against Collegians.
By Justin Schwarze
A professional performance from the Pakenham Warriors Women saw them claim a comfortable win over Sunbury in round nine of the Big V Championship.
At Cardinia Life on Saturday night, the Warriors came out of the gates slowly and struggled offensively in the first quarter.
The Jets took advantage, shooting 50 percent from two-point range to hold a two-point buffer at quarter time.
But a switch flipped in the second with the visitors going cold and Pakenham heating up at the other end.
Briahna Whatman nailed three triples and Grace Graham connected on a pair as the Warriors shot 5/6 from downtown in the period, while Sunbury was the complete opposite at 0/6.
Pakenham took the quarter 22-11 and jumped into a 41-32 halftime lead.
And the Warriors set the tone to open the second half, with Stella O’Loughlin jumping a passing lane to intercept a poor pass, leading to Graham knocking down another triple.
Bridget Mullings then used great footwork to spin into a post hook for two.
The offence continued to hum throughout the quarter as Pakenham scored 20 points in the paint and shot over 73 percent from two-point distance, extending the buffer to 18 points entering the fourth.
Sunbury opened the final period with the first six points to pull within 12, but eight points in the term from O’Loughlin helped her side fend off any late retaliations and win 86-70.
On an off-night for Tazsa Garrett-Hammett, multiple players stepped up and the scoring contribution was evenly spread.
Whatman was a fantastic floor general, leading Pakenham in both the scoring and assist categories, finishing with 19 points and 11 assists.
O’Loughlin posted 12 points, six rebounds and three steals while Mullings produced a double-double of 15 points and 12 rebounds on an efficient 6/9 shooting.
Graham continues to ease her way back into the system as she recorded 13 points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals on 5/8 shooting and 3/4 from deep.
The Warriors still sit third with a record of 8-3, and will enjoy a week off over the long weekend.
When they return to the court in round 10, they will travel to face reigning premier Bulleen.
The Pakenham Men struggled offensively and fell well short of Sunbury 88-68.
After a poor first that saw the Warriors fall behind by eight at quarter time, they responded in the second with a solid defensive effort to get back into the contest.
Ryan Batte then shook his defender with a step-back three at the buzzer to put Pakenham in front at halftime 39-38.
And the third was tight, before the Jets burst out to a 10-0 run to end the quarter, leading 64-54 heading to the fourth.
Atien Acuel jammed home a put-back from a Jamie Blanchard miss early in the last to cut it back to six, but Sunbury answered with Ishmael Sanders pulling up in transition with a behind-
the-back dribble to stop on a dime and rise up into a three.
And Sanders was feeling it, receiving the ball off a pin-down and getting a sliver of daylight from Batte, using the space to knock down another triple.
He wasn’t done there, getting free off another textbook pin-down screen to cash another one.
And his fourth triple for the quarter was essentially the dagger, moving along the baseline to relocate to the corner off another off-ball pick before putting it in, pushing the margin to 21 points with three-and-a-half minutes remaining.
Sanders’ barrage saw him finish with 35 points
and six rebounds, hitting 9/15 threes.
Nae Hightower led Pakenham in defeat with 16 points, while Acuel notched a double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds on 6/11 shooting.
The Warriors shot just 37.3 percent from the field for the game and went 6/27 from deep while losing the rebound count by 10.
Pakenham still remains in the finals hunt with a 5-5 record placing it fifth on the ladder.
The Warriors are back at Cardinia Life after the week off, hosting Championship newcomers and fourth-placed Gippsland United in a game that could prove to have huge ramifications down the stretch of the season.
