Star Weekly - Sunbury Macedon Ranges - 19th May 2026
Put Hume on the map
By Georgia Tacey
Hume tourism operators are calling out for more state support as they say Greater Melbournehasbeenleftbehind.
Twelve of Hume’s tourism operators –Living Legends, AFL Max, Animal Land Children’s Farm, Arundel Farm Estate, Hume Tennis and Community Centre, Mantra Melbourne Airport, Marnong Estate, PARKROYAL Melbourne Airport, VisitorServicesCentreMelbourneAirport, Urban Surf, and Quest Apartments – have signed a joint letter to Tourism Minister NatalieSuleymanexpressingtheirconcern about the state government’s Visitor Economy and policy approach for Greater Melbourne.
The operators said Hume is a significant contributor to Victoria’s overall tourism performance,employingmorethan15,000 peopleandgeneratingmorethan$8billion of the state’s $46 billion visitor economy output.
Greater Melbourne is not just a transit point; it deserves to be recognised as a destination in its own right - Andrew Clarke
However,LivingLegendschiefexecutive
Andrew Clarke said Hume is not receiving itsfairshareofsupport.
“Webelieveit’sessentialfortheVictorian Government to adopt a more balanced approach to tourism advocacy that includes both regional and metropolitan areas,”hesaid.
“Greater Melbourne is not just a transit point; it deserves to be recognised as a destinationinitsownright.”
Through the letter, tourism operators have called for the state government to support a more balanced approach to tourism advocacy for both regional and metropolitan visitor economies, and highlightGreaterMelbournedestinations.
They have also called for the state government to consider the creation of a Greater Melbourne Visitor Economy Partnership or network to serve as a collaborative bridge between the government, local councils and tourism
operatorstodrivesustainablegrowth.
“The absence of a policy position for Greater Melbourne means that operators need to do all the heavy lifting on marketing and promotions and intergovernmental engagement to contribute to a thriving Victorian tourism economy,” Mr Clarke said. “Local tourism businesses are already grappling with the challenges of uncertainty due to global forces, increased costs to do business and the wider community suffering from the cost of living. We hope that the Victorian Governmentcansupportourefforts.”
The advocacy comes as it was revealed during Hume council’s 11 May meeting that the municipality had lost out on two bigtourismdevelopments.
Marnong Estate, which was set to be expanded to include additional day
spas, a hotel and function centre, had its planning scheme amendment refused by the planning minister due to green wedge planningprotections.
TopGolf, which was announced as part of Melbourne Airport’s Elite Park precinctplanin2024,wasrevealedtohave withdrawn its planning application due to federalgovernmentdelays.
A Melbourne Airport spokesperson confirmed that TopGolf was not going ahead, with the Elite Park also affected by thedelays.
Cr Naim Kurt, in moving a recommendation to write to the tourism minister, said the local visitor economy was one of council’s most significant economicdrivers.
“To have two opportunities slip through our fingers has been really disappointing
to see and I think it’s highlighted the need for us as a council to get on the front foot and push for further tourism advocacy for ourcommunity,”hesaid.
“We know that through the state budget funding exists for the city of Melbourne, andalsoexistsforouterregionalareas,but we don’t have any funding for our growth communitiesaswell.
“There’s effectively a donut around Melbourne where no tourism funding is comingin.”
As part of the letter to the tourism minister, council will back tourism operators’ calls for greater support for growth areas like Hume, and to ensure tourismbenefitsaregivenconsiderationin anyfutureplanningapplications.
The state and federal governments were contactedforcomment.
Living Legends’ Andrew Clarke, Animal Land’s Glen Ryan, Marnong Estate’s Sylvia Koopmans, Adele Ioannou with horse Efficient from Living Legends, Arundel Farm Estate’s Elizabeth Portelli, URBNSURF’s Casey Reihana and AFL Max’s James Podsiadly. (Damjan Janevski) 551601_02
War memorial move flagged
By Georgia Tacey
Hume council is looking to move the Bulla War Memorial as part of its development of a Bulla Parklands Masterplan.
Council is seeking community feedback to help form the masterplan while includes a proposal to move the war memorial from the corner of Bulla Road and Green Street amid safety concerns.
Council said if it gets a strong enough response from the feedback, it will consider whether relocation within the Bulla Parklands is possible.
The Bulla Anzac Day committee sup-
ports the move of the war memorial to an area in the parklands. The committee said it would help services be conducted in a quiet and peaceful way. Through the masterplan, council will investigate ways to improve the parklands’ accessibility, amenities, landscape and wider environment.
An opportunities paper prepared for community consultation listed a number of projects and ideas, including a new connection along the existing bluestone heritage wall down to Deep Creek and Quartz Street, and a new pedestrian crossing on Bulla Road.
Council will also investigate a spot for a public toilet which the community has been calling for, as well as picnic facilities, upgrades to the play space and lighting improvements.
Access to the Alister Clark Memorial Rose Garden was included in the opportunities paper, as well as restoration of the Golden Sun Moth habitat and vegetation works.
A number of challenges were also identified with the parklands, including heavy traffic on Bulla Road, the steep topography of the nature reserve preventing access to Deep Creek, as well as heri-
Sunbury
students
Sunbury teens have set sail over a fourday adventure thanks to the Rotary Club of Sunbury.
Henry Wakelin, Ethan Buckley, Courtney Rewha and Emmett Brunacci were the recipients of the Rotary Youth Sailing Challenge, a new initiative brought by Sunbury Rotary for students to experience four days sailing the historic tall ship Enterprize.
The teens set sail in the April school holidays from Gem Pier Williamstown, and Henry said it was an experience they’d never forget.
set sail around the bay
He said the first day was the roughest for him and his fellow sailors, with high winds making for a challenging start.
The group of four alongside crew members sailed around Port Phillip Bay, working as part of the crew.
The teenagers got to try all aspects of sea life, hoisting sails, navigating the ship, and learning the discipline and teamwork required at sea.
Navigating the ship proved a real challengeforHenryandhisteammates, especially when they were tasked with turning the vessel.
“But because it’s a sailing ship, it can’t sail too far into the wind. So you have to do some tricky manoeuvres to get it to turn through the wind and get it the other way,” he said.
“We messed it up so many times, it was a real challenge. We actually broke a sail from it, a 30-year-old sail because we messed up our tack, but we got it done eventually.”
Now back firmly on solid ground, Henry said he can’t wait for the next chance to get back out to sea.
Hume council considers return of resident of the month awards
Hume council is considering reinstating its resident of the month awards.
At the 11 May council meeting, councillor Karen Sherry said her colleagues had expressed interest in restarting the initiative that recognises residents who are making a difference locally.
The resident of the month initiative after it stopped around the Covid pandemic. Cr Sherry said each councillor would be able to select a resident of the month, based on community service. The resi-
dent would be invited to attend a council meeting and receive a certificate for their achievements.
“Ibelievethisisagreatwayforthecommunity to get more involved with council and get to know councillors, especially in this day and age of people feeling quite divorced or more isolated from government,” Cr Sherry said.
Cr Ally Watson said this will help celebrate individuals in the community who are making a difference.
tage overlays of the buildings in the area.
Council wants to know how people use the parklands, what parts of the parklands they visit, including the Bulla Railway and Bohemian Market, and what would help people stay for longer in Bulla Parklands, alongside the potential for the relocation of the Bulla War Memorial.
Feedback is open until 24 May, with a draft masterplan to be prepared by September.
Council said it aims to have the finalisedmasterplanendorsedbyMarch2027. Details: participate.hume.vic.gov.au/ bulla-parklands-masterplan
Push for selective entry school
Hume council will write to the state government in a bid to establish a local selective entry school.
At its 27 April meeting the council endorsed councillor Naim Kurt’s notice of motion to advocate to the state for a local selective entry secondary school. Cr Kurt said there are no options in the northern suburbs for students who are gifted and want to get ahead.
“There are 6000 students every year applying for about 1000 places which are made available in selective state schools,” Cr Kurt said.
He said a local selective entry school should also have equity entry requirements for students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.
“It would assist in responding to our rapid population growth, expanding access for high achieving students and also reduce the need for long-distance travel to existing schools.”
Victoria’s four selective entry schools are located in the Yarra, Wyndham, Port Phillip and Casey municipalities.
As part of the 2025-26 state budget, the state allocated $1 million towards a plan for a maths and science focused selective entry school in Melbourne’s north-west.
“With the completion of that business case, hopefully we can see something proposed hopefully for the City of Hume,” Cr Kurt said.
Cr Jarrod Bell said the old Victoria University campus in Jacksons Hill, Sunbury has beautiful buildings and is the perfect location for a selective entry school.
“Why not have the Harvard of selective entry?” Cr Bell said.
“We would blow them out of the water.
“The government already owns the site, it’s already been a school all they need to do is make that decision.”
Cr Sam Misho supported the motion but said nothing may come from writing to the state.
Cr Kurt contended that the state is delivering Hume Tech School in Broadmeadows because of council advocacy.
“We can really shine a light on the positive actions that are happening around us,” she said.
“I think that this provides a real opportunity to shine a light on those people that are doing things that can inspire others to get involved and strengthen social connections and build a stronger sense of belonging.”
Council officers will prepare a briefing for councillors about reinstating the awards.
“People ask ‘What’s the point of sending letters? What’s the point of sending correspondents? What’s the point of advocating for projects?’ - sometimes we get results,” Cr Kurt said.
Hume council officers will engage with the department of education and send a letter to the education minister seeking a commitment for future discussions on this issue.
Sunbury teenagers were among those selected to travel on the Enterprize (Supplied).
Draft budget wins for Sunbury
By Georgia Tacey
Community consultation has helped shape Hume’s draft budget for 2026-27.
The proposed budget, currently out for the final round of community feedback, is shaped by $154 million in capital works, with plenty of projects planned for Sunbury.
The biggest funding boost is proposed to be $7.92 million to commence the new Jacksons Creek Vilana Drive Community Centre, while a further $3.12 million is slated to go towards completing the Mitchells Lane reconstruction between
Horne Street and Wilsons Lane.
A new draft budget inclusion from the first round of community consultation was $100,000 towards a lighting upgrade for the car park across from Sunbury Aquatic and Leisure Centre, among other projects slated across Hume.
Citywide, the draft budget proposed to spend capital works funding across three areas, including $48 million on roads, footpaths and transport, $33 million for parks, reserves and open space, and $21.5 million on buildings and facilities.
Council is proposing to raise rates by an average of 2.75 per cent - the maximum
allowed under the state government’s cap on rates increases - while it is proposed that the waste charge will be set at $306 with a kerbside waste service charge of $407. A report to the 11 May council meeting said the draft budget’s operating surplus of $101.5 million is primarily attributed to non-cash developer contributions and capital grants.
Residents addressed the meeting to make their pitch for projects they would like to see included in the budget, which councillor Karen Sherry said all councillors should take into account before the final budget is adopted.
Garden donated to Riddells Creek couple
Riddells Creek Nursery’s Garden Angels project has awarded a couple with a new outdoor space.
Riddells Creek locals Peter and Eleanor Butland have received a complete garden makeover from the project, after their daughter Amanda entered them into the project, saying his dedication to the fire service and community made them deserving of the makeover.
“We didn’t know anything about this, it was my beautiful daughter who applied
for it and then we won it,” he said.
“It was a fantastic prize to get. I believe it’s a fantastic thing that Geordie is doing.”
Peter said he and his wife love to sit out in the garden, with a new seating area included.
“It’s so tranquil and it’s beautiful … I spend a lot of time and I sit in the garden.
“Once [the plants] grow in, that’s going to attract a lot of birds into the area.”
Before, Peter said his yard was just a paddock, but now it’s a slice of paradise
Time to prepare your property for winter
As autumn sets in, Macedon Ranges council is encouraging residents to get their properties ready for the cooler months ahead.
The council said simple tasks like clearing leaves and cleaning gutters can help reduce risks during winter and beyond, with free green waste disposal week coming up for residents.
From Monday 25 May to Sunday 31 May, Macedon Ranges residents can visit the resource recovery facilities in Kyneton, Romsey and Woodend to dispose of eligible green waste at no cost.
Mayor Kate Kendall encouraged residents to take part in this initiative, calling it the perfect time to clean up.
“I encourage residents to take advantage of the free drop-off week or
use their voucher before it expires— every small action helps keep our neighbourhoods tidy and well-maintained heading into the cooler months,” she said.
Residents are also reminded of their responsibilities when burning off at their properties.
The council said its community local law rules and regulations still apply even though the official fire danger period for the region is now over, which means burning off is not permitted on properties less than half an acre, and permits may be required to burn off for larger properties, half an acre and above.
“I want councillors to give consideration to what’s been presented here from Dallas, from Tullamarine, from Sunbury, from Attwood from all the places that the speakers have spoken about tonight for this coming budgetbecausethisisstilladraft,”shesaid.
“It will be finalised in May and if it cannot be accommodated, it should be given very serious consideration for the next budget because we’ll be taking ideas from 1 July.”
Community consultation on the draft budget is open until 26 May.
Nominations for the 2026 Hume Young Leaders Awards are now open with a range of categories to enter.
This year Young Leader of the Year, Emerging Young Leader and Young Group of the Year will be among those awarded.
At the 11 May Hume council meeting, councillor Jarrod Bell urged the community to nominate and back a local young person.
“Find that young person, be that person who believes in them, be that person who sees the potential in them that maybe others don’t see,” he said.
He said it is a pleasure to attend the awards event each year.
“Over the last number of years, these awards have really celebrated and highlighted the contributions of so many dedicated young people in so many different categories,” he said.
Other awards categories you can nominate a young person for are the Young Advocacy Leader, Young Environmental Leader, Young Refugee Leader, Young Creative Leader, Young Aboriginal Leader, Young Entrepreneurial Leader, Young Inclusion and Accessibility Leader and Young Sports Leader.
out the front of their granny flat.
“It’s just very serene. To go there from what we had in the very beginning to what it is now, it’s just beautiful.”
Riddells Creek Nursery owner Geordie Taylor said the Garden Angels project is about helping deserving locals in need of some extra help in their garden.
The project took Geordie over 12 months to complete, with help from other locals, including the Riddells Creek Men’s Shed.
“Our city is a young exciting place to call home and we have such an amazing group of young people who are jumping head first in making a difference to their community,” Cr Bell said.
Nominees must live in Hume and be between the ages of 12 and 24 years.
Submissions must be received by Sunday 14 June.
Details: https://tinyurl.com/592papxs
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Eleanor Butland, Geordie Taylor and Peter Butland with members of Riddells Creek Men Shed. (Damjan Janevski). 549585_06
Children sail into creativity
A new picture book called ‘Sailing, Sailing’ transformed a local playgroup’s favourite toys into characters, their artwork into vibrant designs and their songs into a narrative. The book launched in Dallas on 1 May and Courtney Black joined in to hear the story behind Sailing, Sailing.
In Dallas, a partnership between a local playgroup and a non-profit arts organisation has helped a group of neurodivergent and diabled children create their own vibrant story.
Artists and writers from Kids Own Publishing (KOP) engaged with children from the Dallas Playconnect+ playgroup to create a book, ‘Sailing, Sailing’.
Playgroup facilitator Cheryl Paine said creating the book was a personal, meaningful journey for children and families.
“The concept of Sailing, Sailing is actually based on a song that I sing each week with our children,” Paine said.
“When the children are a bit unfocused I’ll say, ‘has everyone got their sailing hand ready?’ then I’ll start singing.”
While moving her hand like a boat over waves she would sing, ‘Sailing, sailing, over the ocean – Sailing, sailing, over the sea – Sailing, sailing, over the ocean – Sail back home to me.’
“I think it just captured the hearts of the KOP team.”
Theplaygroupwasabletocreatethebook after being offered a $20,000 Hume council grant from the Dallas Brooks Community Hub.
“The book has given us a purpose and an outcome,” Paine said.
“Over five weeks the KOP team came in andengagedwiththechildrenintheirplay.
“They made special allowances for our children in how they directed and participated in the activity of art, because a lot of our children won’t sit for very long.
“We had our big plastic stand-up tray with all different lots of paint in it and our children were doing a sensory play experience with the paint.
“Then at the end of it they took these great big sheets of paper, laid it on top and lifted it up and then created these fabulous big pieces of art.”
On each page of Sailing, Sailing there are vibrant layers of paint which KOP lead artist Viet-My Buiveit said speaks for itself.
“All the artwork in the book is made by
All the artwork in the book is made by the children’s hands, they are expressing themselves so beautifully and so vibrantly through artwork
- Viet-My Buiveit
the children’s hands, they are expressing themselves so beautifully and so vibrantly through artwork,” she said.
“The way KOP works is that all the books are children-led, so the narrative and the artwork is all by the kids, and we don’t direct anything.
“It is a bit more challenging when they’re non-verbal but we wanted to really champion the fact that Neil and Lincoln communicatebeautifullyintheirownway.
“We wanted to try to put a book together that seemed true to them.”
Buiveit and her team led finger-painting, water play, and collage activities, encouraging the children to make their own artwork.
“Lincoln loves water play so I thought to combine art-making with the thing that he already naturally gravitates towards,”
she said. “He was just obsessed, he almost wanted to climb in and swim in the paint. He was just making so much art, and I didn’t really have to demand anything different of him.”
Buiveit said she observed the children playing and communicating by pointing, jumping and making noises.
“We noticed that the kids gravitated towards certain toys, so we thought, we can make those toys the characters of the story.
“We wove together a narrative based on snippets of conversations we heard and that’s how the book came to be.”
Paine said while the words appear random in the book, there is a larger story around them.
“A lot of our children are non-verbal, so they might just say random words like, ‘what, what, what’, or ‘splash, splash, splash’, which really came in through the book,” she said.
One of the pages was entirely inspired by how Neil, 2, played with Velcro fruit toys.
“Neil started cutting the fruit toys and saying ‘that, that, that’s an orange’, and then he chopped a green Kiwi - so that’s what’s on his page.”
Neil’s mum Meg Talekar said creating thebookwasanewanduniqueexperience.
“At home, he normally doesn’t do the type of things that we did so it was quite eye-opening for me to see that. It gave me something to sort of take home and learn from,” Talekar said.
“Neil was so interested in the fruit platter,sowestartedputtingtogethersome art around the fruits, we used paper to put the different colours together and make a game out of it.
“I’m hoping that it is a memory [for Neil] that no photo or video can capture.
“I hope the book that he has helped put together will become one of our favourites at home for bedtime stories.”
Talekar said participating in the Dallas PlayConnect+ playgroup has been really valuable as a first-time mum with a non-verbal child.
“Since coming here it seems like his speech is starting to improve and get better,”shesaid.“It’sanicesettingtocome in and have a bit of a break, spending time with people and sharing experiences and the roadblocks that they have experienced and how they overcame those.”
This Dallas playgroup is facilitated by Playgroup Victoria and one of the many federally funded PlayConnect+ playgroups for children aged up to six with a disability and/or developmental concerns.
Playgroup Victoria programs and social impact manager Louise Buckle-Smith said PlayConnect+ playgroups are a safe, accessible space for families.
“It’s challenging for somebody that’s had a baby and things can be flowing normally and then all of a sudden there’s a bit of a halt, where something’s not quite right,” Buckle-Smith said.
“The highest emotional journey from there on is where they’ve got to connect to services and get a diagnosis, a lot of them are going through that period.
“PlayConnect+ really is for families to haveanunderstandingofwhatservicesare in their community that can also support them.”
Buiveitsaiditwasapleasuretocreatethe book with PlayConnect+, and she hopes to work with children from all backgrounds.
“People might think that neurodivergent kids have limitations when making something like this, and I just want to totally dispel that.
“Your child might not speak in a conventional way, but they are so rich internally.
“All children are innately creative, and they just choose to express themselves in totally different ways.”
TheKOPcommunitypublishingprogram is open to communities and organisations workingwithupto20childrenaged12and under.
Kids Own Publishing: https:// kidsownpublishing.org.au/
This page of Sailing Sailing was inspired by Neil. (Supplied: Mylie Nauendorf)
Above: Meg Talekar and Neil (centre), celebrated the book launch with playgroup facilitators Cheryl Paine (left) and Houda Musafa (right). (Pictures: Courtney Black) 553133_08
Below: Neil, 2, played a big part in the book’s creation. 553133_06
The playgroup members with Sailing Sailing lead artists.
(Supplied: Mylie Nauendorf)
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Serving up edgy veggies
The winners of the 2026 Edgy Veg awards have been crowned, with one cafe taking home an award for the second year in a row.
Macedon Ranges Wholefoods and Woodend Cellar & Bar had the most vegelicious dishes, after record numbers of votes poured in for the competition’s fifth year.
MacedonRangesWholefoodstookthetop cafeawardforthesecondyearrunning,and owner Kat Elise couldn’t be more thrilled.
“I’m even more proud of winning for the second year in a row than I was for the first, I didn’t think it could get much better than that,” she said.
The cafe’s take on Turkish Bride Soup helped secure the win.
“When we did the jaffle [last year], that was sort of an all round dish from kids to tradies to the older generation, but soup, I felt was a bit more niche,” she said.
“I wasn’t too sure how we would go this year, but it was so well received.
“TheMacedonRangescangetquitechilly, and it just hit the spot.”
One voter described the soup as leaving you with a wholesome, warm feeling, while another said the flavour was beautiful.
Woodend Cellar & Bar was the winning restaurant in the Macedon Ranges, serving up Faux Gras, a fully vegan take on the French delicacy Foie Gras.
Owner Adam Halliday said this was the bar’s first time winning at the awards, after coming a very close second in 2025.
“”We put a lot of time and effort to get the dish right and it’s nice that it’s actually paid off,” he said.
Mr Halliday said the french delicacy of fatty liver prepared by force feeding ducks or geese was transformed into a savoury
Sponsors and Veg Action representatives with the Macedon Ranges winners of the Edgy Veg Awards.
Snap Fitness Woodend’s Eligh
mousse of roasted mushrooms, cashew butter and a house-made jam was the creation of chef manager Shae Thompson, which is now permanently on the menu.
“I have tried both, and they are both delicious and the [Faux Gras] is very similar to what the real thing should be,” he said.
“We had a lot of people reach out to see and said ‘please tell me this is going on the
menu permanently’ which it has.”
Voters said the dish was hard to beat, with one voter saying they “licked the jar clean” after running out of bread for the jam.
The Edgy Veg Awards run annually in May, with restaurants and cafes across Macedon Ranges and Mount Alexander putting forward their vegelicious dishes, with the public deciding who wins.
Faces of the west
Each week, Star Weekly photographers are out and about capturing the people and events across Melbourne’s western and northern suburbs.
Macedon Ranges mayor Kate Kendall congratulated both Macedon Ranges Wholefoods and Woodend Cellar & Bar on their wins.
“We’re incredibly proud to support this initiative that inspires veg consumption while championing the talented chefs, cafés, restaurants, farmers, producers, and businesses in our own backyard.”
Pictured is RT Edgar Real Estate’s Jason York,
Blume, Macedon Ranges Wholefoods owner Kat Elise, Woodend Cellar & Bar owner Adam Halliday, Community Bank
Gisborne and District representatives David Thomas and David Gormley-O’Brien, Healthy Loddon Campaspe health broker Jasmine McCulloch, and Veg Action Macedon Ranges Sustainability Group members Chitra Stern and Lucy Campbell. (Tiffany Warner Photography)
Sunshine Primary School’s Robert Suffolk with students Huy, Kail, Kasen, Max and Ayla. (Damjan Janevski) 551428_04
Jackie Ly and her daughter Isla, 3, learn about keeping cats safe indoors. (Damjan Janevski) 550492_05
Sleepless Footscray organisers Victoria Marinho and Stewart Bruce. (Damjan Janevski) 550998_04
Vinnies Footscray is hosting a fashion parade fundraiser. (Damjan Janevski) 550494_05
Belong exhibition curator Zahraa Al Zubaydi. (Damjan Janevski) 551193_01
Wyndham councillor Susan McIntyre at Saltwater Community Centre ahead of its 10th birthday. (Damjan Janevski) 552005_03
Study examines creek turtles
Turtles around Jacksons Creek are at the centre of a new study into how manmade forever chemicals in the environment affect the animals that live in it.
Environmental Protection Authority Victoria (EPA) scientists have joined researchers from CSIRO, the Arthur Rylah Institute and other agencies in a next-generation project measuring PFAS levels in Victorian turtles.
EPA said turtles were excellent subjects for scientists to study for this project, due to the wide range of prey they feed on, and how pollutants build up in their bodies over their long lives.
Researchers have been out and about along Jacksons Creek around Diggers Rest and Bulla to study the turtles, as well as the Murray River and Darebin Parklands.
EPA Victoria senior scientist in emerging contaminants Phoebe Lewis said the study would use advanced techniques known as omics, which assess thousands of molecular markers in the animal to detect changes to vital processes such as metabolism, reproduction and the immune system.
“So instead of just testing for PFAS in the water, we are testing how those levels
have affected the turtles,” Dr Lewis said.
“It means the animal becomes a living indicator of ecological health, and it helps us as a regulator to trial new tools that can help us to protect environmental values in future.”
As part of the research, scientists have taken tiny blood samples of turtles in the waterways before releasing them back into their habitat.
Along with PFAS, CSIRO will analyse the fats, proteins and metabolites in the samples. These biological “fingerprints” can reveal disruptions to vital processes and provide early warnings of harm –
Live and local in Lancefield for a good cause
A night of music and community is coming to Lancefield.
The Lancefield Mechanics Institute will light up at the end of May for Live and Local, featuring music and family fun.
Local bands from the Macedon Ranges will be performing in a special concert.
Three-piece pop and rock band The Whiskey Rogues will bring a taste of classics from the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s, before Riddells Creek’s very own Paper Jane will take the stage and play a taste of their Melbourne Americana sound.
Romsey’s favourite food truck JoJo’s
will be keeping everyone fed, with patrons able to bring their own alcohol along too.
Lancefield Mechanics Institute committee member Angelique Mott said it’ll be a night filled with good music, tasty food and family fun, with all ticket sales going towards upkeep and improvements at the institute.
“People can come and dance and sing, and it’s a great fundraiser for the hall,” she said.
“We’re a not-for-profit … and any money we get, it goes towards the main-
tenance of the hall [because] there’s always things to do.”
She said the hall, which was built in 1877, is always in need of works to get it in good condition and a community asset, with painting and replacing some windows next on the comittee’s list.
Live and Local will take place from 6pm at the Lancefield Mechanics Institute on Saturday 30 May.
Tickets are $15, with kids 15 and under free.
Tickets and details: trybooking.com/ DKYBQ
long before visible damage or population decline.
Dr Lewis said the project had given EPA researchers the opportunity to work in a team on the cutting edge of environmental science, and was a great example of inter-agency collaboration.
“There are global concerns about the long-term impacts of chemical pollution, and we know we need new ways to measure and understand those impacts,” Dr Lewis said.
“This research has the potential to transform the way we protect our waterways and the biodiversity they support.”
Meningococcal B vaccines to be free for students
Victorian teenagers will soon be able to receive free meningococcal B vaccines.
Health Minister Harriet Shing announced the free vaccines for the life-threatening disease will be made available to year 10 students from 1 January, 2027.
The state government said that while the vaccine is already available privately through GPs, it comes at a cost of more than $250 out of pocket.
The rollout of the free vaccine will cost $9 million.
“This free vaccination program will save lives and give parents the peace of mind that their teenager is protected from this awful disease,” Ms Shing said.
It will be available through existing school immunisation programs via GPs, pharmacies, local council immunisation services, and Aboriginal health services.
Year 10 students (or age equivalent) have been found to be one of the highest risk groups of contracting the disease, the state government said.
It also aligns with the timing of the meningococcal ACWY vaccine given to Year 10s under the National Immunisation Program (NIP) schedule.
The state-funded meningococcal B vaccination program will help lift immunisation coverage.
Lancefield Mechanics Institute committee members Bronwyn Wilson, Deidre Knell, Angelique Mott and Guy Walter. (Damjan Janevski). 552208_03
Friends farewell wetlands
After 35 years of plantings, Friends of Emu Bottom Wetlands Reserve are wrapping up the group with one final working bee.
President Christina Cheers said the group has completed all the works needed as part of the original masterplan for the wetlands, planting more than 28,000 trees and shrubs.
“We’ve done our job, I think at Emu Bottom Wetlands,” she said.
Formed in 1994, the friends group alongsidethelocalcommunityhaveplayed an important role in restoring the natural environment of the wetlands, undertaking weed control and revegetation works.
Ms Cheers said when the group first started, the wetlands needed lots of improvement after it was used as farming land.
“As far as the natural vegetation was concerned, it was all gone,” she said.
“There were 17 remnant trees left there.”
Hume council and the group drew up a masterplan in 1994, and the group through various community working bees and planting days turned the wetlands into the thriving reserve it is today.
“It’s a lovely area now for people to enjoy and for the wildlife to enjoy,” Ms Cheers said. “It’s been wonderful to see the birds coming back to the area … it’s a delight.”
With the last working bee coming up for the group, Ms Cheers said she’s sad to say goodbye to the group.
She hopes in the future people will be interested in taking the reins and helping to continue to revegetate the reserve.
The last working bee will be held on Sunday 24 May from 10am to noon at the Emu Bottom Wetlands.
Entry is off Racecourse Road, Sunbury. A celebratory lunch will be included.
Briefs
Wear Orange Wednesday Victoria State Emergency Service (VICSES) is encouraging all Victorians to wear orange on Wednesday 20 May in recognition of Wear Orange Wednesday (WOW Day), a day of appreciation for SES volunteers held annually during National Volunteer Week. VICSES Woodend Unit volunteer Kristi Gilbert encouraged the community to take part and recognise the importance of volunteers.
Train changes
Buses will replace trains on the Sunbury line from 11.30pm Friday 22 May until last service on Sunday 24 May between North Melbourne and Sunbury. All replacement buses start or finish at North Melbourne. Only S1 Stopping All Stations bus stops at Footscray. A shuttle bus service will operate from North Melbourne to connect passengers to Parkville and Arden.
FOR BREAKING NEWS, VISIT Web: starweekly.com.au
Sunbury & Macedon Ranges Star Weekly @starweeklynews @star_weekly
Friends of Emu Bottom Reserve members Ian Sutherland, Garry Barlett and Christina Cheers. (Damjan Janevski) 552624_01
MY PLACE
Isabella Rosinsky is the friendly face you always find at Goonawarra Neighbourhood House. She recently caught up with Georgia Tacey to talk about the neighbourhood house and its wider importance during Neighbourhood House Week, as well as why she loves being in the Sunbury community.
What’s your connection to Sunbury?
I’ve been working at Goonawarra Neighbourhood House for the past four years. Before that, over several years in my role as inclusion manager at Playgroup Victoria, I established many playgroups for children with additional needs, in the Sunbury area, and got to know a lot of the locals.
What do you like about Sunbury?
Sunbury is such a unique suburb that still hasacountrytownfeeltoit. Consequently, manyoftheresidentsstillhavethatcountry hospitality and are very welcoming and accepting of others.
Is there anything about Sunbury you’d change or like to see?
Asacommunityworker,I’malwaysstriving to get new residents from the estates involved in activities and looking for ways to bring old and new Sunbury together.
Can you tell us a bit about your role at Goonawarra Neighbourhood House?
I’ve been the manager of Goonawarra Neighbourhood House for the past four years. As a small organisation with few staff,myroleendsupcoveringawiderange of tasks – from cleaning up to marketing and promotions to strategic planning. You name it.
How has Goonawarra Neighbourhood House celebrated Neighbourhood House Week?
We had Soup Lunch Week at Goonawarra Neighbourhood House for Neighbourhood House Week, which culminated in The Great Goonawarra Bake-off on Thursday.
Why are neighbourhood houses so important?
Neighbourhood houses are unique, location-based organisations that provide a wide range of services to the local community. They are important because they are experts on the local area and they do a lot of work building social capital in
FROM THE ARCHIVES
Star Weekly looks back through the pages of our predecessors
35 years ago 21 May, 1991
Independent panelist Dimity Reed has slammedtheShireofRomsey’splanned $2 million residential and golf course development and recommended that it be abandoned.
20 years ago 23 May, 2006
A row between Hume Council and residents near Deverall Road, Sunbury, has erupted following an application for a 12-metre-high factory shed to be built in the area.
the community through activities and community-based projects.
Is there anything happening at the house coming up or you’d like to highlight? We have a wide range of activities happening at the house that can be viewed on our website however the things I’d like
to highlight are: Our Year 7 Girls Podcast program – this is a very exciting initiative, and I can’t wait to see the outcome; our Community Pantry that is open 24-7; and a video we are currently working on that shows community members how they can go about advocating for, or campaigning on an issue they want to see changed.
15 years ago 17 May, 2011
Rupertswood Battery members are reeling at news their artillery group has been disbanded after operating at Sunbury’sSalesianCollegefor34years.
10 years ago 17 May, 2016
Wildlife campaigners may seek an injunction to stop plans to cull about 150 kangaroos at Woodlands Historic Park, near Melbourne Airport.
Isabella Rosinsky. (Damjan Janevski) 553075_05
Boosting women’s health
By Christopher Carter, CEO, North Western Melbourne Primary Health Network
Even though Australia has one of the best andmostaccessiblemedicalsystemsinthe world,it’simportanttonotethatsometimes overtheyearsithasn’tbeenwithoutfault.
One substantial area in which it was for decades less than ideal was women’s health. A combination of lack of focused funding, inadequate training and policy priority meant that conditions such as endometriosis, menopause and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) didn’t always receivetheattentiontheydeserved.
Across Melbourne’s north and west there are these days, thankfully, plenty of GPs very well aware of the pain and discomfort causedbywomen’shealthconditions.There are also specialist women’s health services availableatMeltonHealthandCommunity Services and the Joan Kirner Women’s and Children’scentreatSunshineHospital.
Now, too, though, we have a whole new facility dedicated to the field. Funded by the Australian Government, there is a endometriosis and pelvic pain clinic in the west, one of 33 operating around the country.
Based at Werribee Medical and Dental Care, it provides expert, multidisciplinary services for endometriosis, PCOS, and other conditions. It also supports women experiencing symptoms of perimenopause andmenopause.
And that’s important, because it means women can discuss these matters without theanxietythatsometimesmayarisewhen talking about them with their regular GPs. It also means that for thousands of women and girls in the outer western suburbs they
can find help and support much closer to home.
Endometriosis affects at least one in seven, often causing chronic pain and fertility issues. Many women can endure years waiting for a diagnosis, which may have a devastating impact on their daily lives.
Stories for other conditions are distressinglysimilar.
Now,though,thingsarelookingup.
Patients don’t need a formal diagnosis of endometriosis or a referral from another doctor to visit the Werribee Endometriosis and Pelvic Pain Clinic (as it’s formally known).
The focus is firmly on early access to intervention and support, to make sure treatment and management is as easy as possible.
And if Werribee is too far away to reach easily, telehealth appointments are available.
Werribee Medical and Dental Centre is a fully bulk-billing clinic. It is located at 1-5StationPlace,Werribee,3030. Call (03) 8734 0333 or visit werribeemedicalcentre.com.au for operating hours and to book an appointment.
Support for endometriosis and pelvic pain is available at a new clinic in Werribee.
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
WANT
North West District Pipe Band
North Western District Pipe Band meets every week at the Diggers Rest Bowling Club. They’re looking for any pipers or drummers out there, retired or beginners, for social play outs.
Hank, 0412 160 576
Sunbury Ladies’ Badminton Club
Is serving up! Come along and enjoy a shot of badminton. It’s fun and good for your fitness - Win, Win! Social and competition games are played every Thursday morning (excl. Public / School Holidays) from 9.30am-noon at the Eric Boardman Stadium, Wilsons Lane, Sunbury. All skill levels are welcomed.
sunburylbc@gmail.com
Messy Play in Sunbury
Join in the Messy Play fun with this toddler-focussed program, including messy and sensory child-led play. The program will run from 10–11.30am on Tuesdays, Wednesday and Thursdays.
www.sunburyhouse.com.au, or 9740 6978
Young Voices of Macedon
A community choir for children of the Macedon Ranges and beyond, Young Voices of Macedon rehearses at the House of the Rock, 247 Station Road, New Gisborne.. The choir has separate programs for young children aged five to eight and older children. Rehearsals assist children in developing vocal technique, part singing skills, and general musicianship, across popular, classical, folk and music theatre styles. Rehearsals run on Thursdays, from 4.15pm, with afternoon tea and play time. yvmacedon.org.au
Yoga in Sunbury Yoga classes at Sunbury Neighbourhood House focus on supporting participants to slow down and move well. Special attention is given to mindful awareness of movement that builds strength in a healthy and safe way, Monday and Friday mornings. www.sunburyhouse.com.au, or 9740 6978
Hume Men’s Shed
The Hume Men’s Shed (Sunbury) is a non for profit organisation, meeting every Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings at 158 Evans Street, Sunbury. The group caters for men be it carpentry, welding, metal work, gardening or just to chat. sunburymensshed.com, or 0438 677 425
Macedon Ranges Photographic
Society
Are you into photography, just starting out, or a fully fledged professional? The Macedon Ranges Photographic Society is your local camera club for friendship, photographic outings, workshops, guest presenters, competitions and more. Come along to a meeting on the first and second Monday of the month. Doors open at 7pm and the meeting starts at 7.30pm at Jubilee Hall, 52 Smith Street, Macedon. www.macedon-ranges-photography.org. au, or info@macedon-rangesphotography. org.au
Craft and conversation
Head down to the Sunbury Library on Mondays from 1-3pm for the craft and conversation group. The program is free and open to people aged 15 years and older. https://bit.ly/39BIu2O
Chill Out Sunbury
Chill Out Sunbury is a free event for 12 and 18 years old to participate in activities such as trivia, games, and more. Happening
every Wednesday, 3.30-5.30pm, at the Sunbury Youth Centre, 51-53 Evans Street. https://bit.ly/3lmVgVhv
CWA Woodend Eves
The CWA Woodend Eves Branch is part of the Central Highlands group and meets every third Tuesday at 7pm at the Woodend Golf Club. All women are welcome. cwawoodendeves@gmail.com
Art group
The Woodend Art Group holds classes and workshops in the studios in the Woodend railway station complex. It also has a social Tuesday where members and interested people can come along in the morning, have a coffee and paint together in a social environment.
Colin Robinson, 0407 426 252
Shuttles and pickleballs
Macedon Ranges Badminton Club is inviting residents to come and play badminton, or pickleball, or both at Macedon Community Centre. Badminton is played on Tuesdays from 7.30pm and Thursdays at 9.30am. Pickleball is played on Mondays at 6.30pm, Wednesdays at 10.15am and on Tuesday from 10am at the Romsey Recreation Centre. David, 0419 589 425, or macedonrangesbadminton@gmail.com
Community. Connect. Create. If you are needing support or looking for a social group to join, you can visit Community. Connect. Create, which is an online resource listing support and
community groups in the Macedon Ranges. If you would like your group listed or would like to work to help this project grow please email: fiona@communityconnectcreate. com.au
Communityconnectcreate.com.au
Amateur radio club
The Macedon Ranges Amateur Radio Club meets on the third Saturday of the month at the Woodend RSL Hall, 32 Anslow Street, Woodend, at 10am. If you are interested in amateur radio or already have a call sign, this could be for you. http://www.mrarc.org.au
Take off weight naturally Struggling to lose weight? Struggling to get motivated? Want to try and do it in a friendly and less stressful atmosphere? Come and join TOWN (Take Off Weight Naturally) every Thursday at 9am at the Sunbury Neighbourhood House, 531 Elizabeth Drive, Sunbury. Rhonda, 0409 740 924
Kyneton Badminton Club
Kyneton Badminton Club is a welcoming, fun and social group that plays on Mondays, at 7pm at the Kyneton Toyota Sports and Aquatic Centre, Victoria Street. All skill levels are welcome. kynetonbc@gmail.com
Sunbury Macedon Ranges
Masonic Lodge
Meets monthly on the second Wednesday of the month at 7pm, 73 Main Street, Romsey. New members welcome.
Paul, 0479 127 476, or Rob, 0428 260 647
Rotary club
The Sunbury Rotary Club meets every Tuesday at the Ball Court Hotel, 60 Macedon Street, Sunbury, from 7pm. sunburyrotary@gmail.com
Sunbury Ladies Probus Club
The Sunbury Ladies Probus Club meets at 9.45am on the fourth Wednesday of each month at the Sunbury Football Social Club rooms.
Pat, 0433 789 754, or Sylvia, 0417 170 142
Sunbury Combined Probus Club
The Sunbury Combined Probus Club meets every fourth Thursday of the month at the Sunbury Bowling Club at 10.30am. Jo, 0410 834 272
Sunbury Men’s Probus Club
Join the Probus Club of Sunbury on the first Wednesday of the month at the Sunbury Bowling club at 10.15am. It’s a friendly men’s group open to visitors and new members, with a number of great events held each month.
Lindsay Brown, 0405 177 478
Breast Cancer Support Group
On the first and third Tuesday of the month breast cancer survivors are invited to head along to the Gisborne Golf Club at 10.30am to take part in a breast cancer support group.
Lesley, 0484 691 226
This week’s photographer’s choice picture is of award-winning cabaret artist Miss Friby, who is taking over the historic Bluestone Church Artspace in Footscray. (Damjan Janevski) 552322_01
Soccer at The Substation
The Substation in Newport is about to play host to a new billboard art project that puts women’s soccer front and centre.
‘Grassroots Never Dies, Worldwide’ is an exhibition of photography and embroidery from London-based textile artist Nicole Chui made in collaboration with local Melbourne soccer club, Brunswick Zebras.
The exhibition is an extension of Chui’s original project ‘Grassroots Never Dies,’
which was based on the London-based grassroots team she co-founded; Baes FC; a grassroots football community for women, trans, and non-binary people of Asian heritage to play soccer.
Thetitleofbothexhibitionsisinspiredby the community organising involved in local grassroots soccer, especially during periods of transition, and the difficult yet necessary changes needed to build a strong founda-
tion for the future.
Known for artwork that is messy, brash, and disruptive, Chui’s work explores her identitythroughsoccer,butalsoothersports forms of movement, especially dance.
Before focusing on art, Chui spent 10 years training to be a ballet dancer.
Grassroots Never Dies, Worldwide will be launched The Substation on Thursday 21 May alongside fellow artist Megan Stread-
Jackson returns home in new exhibition
Hume artist Kim Jackson’s exhibition has arrived at Sunbury’s Hume Global Learning Centre.
Jackson’s collection of works, titled Return, spans over a series of mediums, as she returns to her own past ideas and imagesasameansofquarryingdeeperinsights into changing feelings and exploring the potential of her imagery to communicate with the shifting emotions of her viewers. Featuring florals and plants, the series of pieces are designed to work togetherasacohesivegroup,Jacksonsaid.
“My hope was that each piece would strengthen the other and that I could create a sense of resonance through colour relationships and repetition of motifs,”
shesaid. “Thiswasimportantbecausethe art works are quite different in their composition - I’ve incorporated installation, soft sculpture, embroidery, drawing and painting.”
The Westmeadows-based artist said she was inspired by her recent return to theareawhereshegrewup. “Movingback toWestmeadowsandreturningtothearea I grew up in brought back a lot of memories, particularly of being at my grandparents, where being in and tending to the garden and being surrounded by flowers were central,” Jackson said.
“My uncle would grow orchids, and most of the vegetables we would eat, and the memories of being in that garden still
hold so much emotional weight for me.
“When I was making the work last year, I was grappling with grief related to my own health situation and some family circumstances, and making work related to plants and flowers provided an anchor and a lot of comfort.”
Jackson said being in the studio and creatingwasawayforhertostopandslow down. “I found myself making things that required me to work really slowly and deliberately, so that being in the studio felt like a way into a sense of contemplation, where I could really explore and enjoy the physicality of the material I was working withandalsohaveaspacetoprocesswhat was going on,” she said.
Catch the finest work-in-progress at Wyndham Cultural Centre
If you want to see some of Melbourne’s best creatives in action, then Werribee is the place to be on Friday 19 June.
The Green Room Project Showcase will be on full display at the Wyndham Cultural Centre from 7-9pm.
This initiative unleashes a new wave of emerging writers, each delivering original 10-minute plays that ignite the stage with raw emotion, striking originality, and unforgettable voices.
A collaboration between Wyndham Cultural Centre Theatre and Melbourne Writers’ Theatre offered the opportunity
for local playwrights to develop a fulllength play.
Participants were supported at every stage by an experienced dramaturg, which is a literary adviser, researcher, and editor in theatre, opera, or film who guides a playwright, for those who might not be familiar with the term.
Throughout the process, the emerging talent tried their hands at hands-on writing workshops, a script development session, a rehearsal and a live showcase. In this showcase evening, you will have the rare opportunity to see these
pieces as work-in-progresses, and experience stories that are on the path to becoming complete, finished plays– theatre in its most daring stage.
The show is suitable for audiences aged 18 years and older due to adult themes and strong coarse language.
It is also worth noting that this performance may contain smoke, haze and strobe lighting.
Both exhibitions will be launched from 6pm and will be followed at 8pm with a screening of the art installation ‘Margaret and the Grey Mare’ in The Substation Main Space.
Fresh from a standout run on Australian Idol,hometownfavouriteJacintaGuirguisis headingbacktoBacchusMarshforaspecial live performance that has already sent local fans into a frenzy.
Better known by her many fans as Cynta, she will perform a second show by popular demand at Royal Hotel on Sunday 24 May following a string of impressive performances which landed her a spot in the top six on this year’s season of Australian Idol.
Demand for a first show on Saturday17Maysawticketsflyoutthedoor, with organisers revealing tickets sold out before the show could even be officially posted online.
The show is expected to draw huge crowds, with the venue preparing for capacity attendance and advising ticket holders to arrive early.
Local performers Paul and Nath will kick off the afternoon’s entertainment from 1pm ahead of Cynta’s highly anticipated appearance later in the day.
Fans lucky enough to secure tickets have also been told there may be queues while staff check ticketing and issue wristbands for those staying beyond 4.30pm for the main performance.
For Bacchus Marsh locals, the performance marks a homecoming celebration for one of the region’s rising music stars after her breakout success on national television.
The show kicks off at 6pm on Sunday 24 May, and tickets are priced at $15. Details and tickets: https://events.humanitix.com/cynta-second-hometownthank-you-show.
Kim Jackson at her exhibition at Sunbury Library. (Damjan Janevski). 552487_01
Royal Hotel owner Tracey Seiarra with former Australian Idol Superstar Jacinta Guirguis. (Damjan Janevski) 548740_02
SPORTS QUIZ
1. This year’s Giro d’Italia started in which country?
2. Adidas recently unveiled a FIFA World Cup advert starring Lionel Messi, David Beckham and
3. Name the current world No.1 women’s tennis player.
4. Padel is a combination of which two other sports?
13. Players have threatened to boycott which major tennis tournament due to pay disagreements?
y million dollars? face left or right?
14. Which Australian cricket all-rounder scored a halfcentury and took four wickets in this years PSL final?
Is the Melbourne C trophy awarded to th jockey, the owner or the horse?
15. Soccer player Mary Fowler competes for which English Women’s Super League club?
NBA player Victor Wembanyama’s conventional offse training included tim with which group?
16. Which F1 driver has taken pole position and won each of the last three Grands Prix?
Stars from which TV series were selected torchbearers for the Milano Cortina Winte Games?
17. Which 22-year-old Australian batting allrounder scored a century in the current edition of the IPL?
22. Which Australian cyclist recently suffered a raceending crash in the Giro d’Italia?
27. How many weight divisions are officially recognised in professional boxing?
After the MCG, whi AFL stadium has the highest capacity?
18. Which NFL player has the most touchdown passes in the sport’s history?
23. Swimmer Alexa Leary recently missed out on selection for which upcoming sporting event?
28. In 1993, what type of animal was infamously released onto the field during a Sydney Swans match?
10 Which NBA tea won the lottery for first pick in the 202 Draft?
19. How much did the AFL fine Carlton over the Elijah Hollands on-field mental health episode?
24. Which site in Melbourne will be a hub for fans to gather and watch the Socceroos during the 2026 FIFA World Cup?
29. Which nation traditionally marches last during the Olympic Games Opening Ceremony?
11 What colour j does the leader o general classifica of the Giro d’Ita wear?
20. Which Australian city is constructing a golf course in order to host the LIV Golf and Australian Open tournaments?
25. A domestic cricket team in which country recently encouraged fans to work at their games rather than at home or the office.
30. The 2027 Cricket World Cup will be hosted by South Africa, Namibia and which other nation?
12 Which co has won the Men’s Rug World Cu
21. The Melbourne Victory FC AWT soccer team exclusively features players from which country?
26. Actors Kevin Costner, Tom Hanks and Sydney Sweeney have all recently attended matches of which sporting league?
Mary Fowler Fowler
PUZZLES
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.
1 Office of the Pope (6)
4 Understood by a select few (8)
9 Fault (7)
11 Reindeer (7)
12 Quality of being experienced (11)
13 Determined (3)
14 BLT, e.g. (8)
16 Become liable to (5)
19 US city (5)
20 Tissue death (8)
22 ‘Born’ (3)
24 One who studies the development of words (11)
26 Tsar’s wife (7)
27 Flyer (7)
29 Faith (8)
30 Biological molecular catalyst (6)
1 Boll (3)
2 Baltic region (9)
3 Made well (5) 5 Football (6) 6 Defeating soundly (9) 7 Picture puzzle (5)
8 Fake (money) (11) 10 Jerk (6)
12 British parliament (11)
15 Bleaching (9)
17 A physical science (9)
18 Buddhist temple (6)
21 Electrical generator (6)
23 Cyber message (5)
25 Commonly used edible bulb (5)
28 Cereal (3)
Today’s Aim:
16 words: Good 24 words: Very good 32 words: Excellent
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”. C A D N T E D A I
3 LETTERS
1 Which Russian playwright wrote TheCherryOrchard Three Sisters and UncleVanya?
2 Greenware is the term for pottery that has not yet undergone what process?
3 What was the name of the moon in BearintheBigBlueHouse?
4 Fleetwood Mac’s three principal songwriters were Stevie Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham and which other member?
5 The headquarters of the UN are located in which city?
6 Which British singer topped the 2026 Triple J Hottest 100 with the
7 Rhodesian Ridgeback dogs were originally bred to hunt what animal?
8 Which conflict is widely recognised to have ended with the Good Friday Agreement of 1998?
9 Name the three countries whose national flags feature a dragon.
10 Caleb McLaughlin (pictured) plays Lucas Sinclair in which scifi TV show?
New MG IM is superb driving
By Alistair Kennedy, Marque Motoring
Another week, another new brand name, although in this case it’s actually a new sub-brand.
It’s called IM and it’s the new premium electric division of MG. Think Lexus to Toyota,GenesistoHyundai,etc.
And just to confuse matters further we’re told that its complete name is ‘IM Presented by MG’. Good luck with anyone actually adhering to that. To keep things simple, we’ll just stick with the IM nametag here.
ThetwofirstmodelsaretheIM5andIM6, not to be confused with MI5 and MI6 which aretheUKgovernment’sSpyCatchers.
IM5 is a sedan, IM6 is an SUV, both around the same length with variations of fastback styling but with the IM6 around 200mmtaller.
IM6 comes in three variants. The entry-level Premium has a 75kWh lithium-ion battery charging a single, rear-mounted battery. It’s priced at $60,990 driveaway.
The mid-spec Platinum model uses a 100kWh Nickel-metal hydride (NMC) battery, also with a single rear motor. Driveawaypriceis$69,990.
Top of the range is the IM6 Performance, priced at $80,990. It uses the same 100kWh NMC battery as the Platinum, but has a second, front-mounted motor providing all-wheeldrive.
Styling
Design of the IM6 is very smooth with none of the boxiness that used to identify SUVs. In that respect it can easily be mistaken for what’s likely to be its closest competitor, the TeslaModelY.
The most common feature that attracted attention from passers-by was the unfamiliar badge that sits on the front and rear of the vehicle. It features two bars at a 45-degree angle with small round dots on either side. Just for fun, we checked and found that dot-dash-dash-dot in Morse CoderepresentstheletterP.
Whilewecouldn’tfindanysignificanceto this,thereisafunctionalaspecttothebadge at the rear where, pushing the left-hand dot openstheboot.
TheonlycluetotheIM’sfamilyconnection is also at the rear where the ‘MG Motor’ badgeappearsontheleftside.
There’s a patterned black plastic trim along the side and also at the rear below a fullwidthlightbar.
As expected, all lighting is LED with the front wraparound headlight assemblies incorporating the turn indicators sitting aboveverticaldaytimerunninglights.
There’s much more character at the rear of the car than what we found a fairly bland front.
Afull-lengthfixedpanoramicglassroofis standard on all variants. It’s double-glazed butdoesn’tcomewithaslidingsunblind.
Entry-level Premium runs on 20-inch alloy wheels, with Platinum and Performance step up to 21-inch alloy with differingdesigns.Performanceincludesred brakecalipers.
Fiveexteriorcoloursareavailable.Athena White is standard. Ares Black, Rembrandt Grey, Raphael Beige and Nevis Blue are $1000options.
Interior
The dashboard has two screens. Spanning most of the top of the dashboard is a 26.3-inchscreenthatcombinestouchscreen multimedia features on the left and an adjustable driver’s instrument cluster on theright.
A smaller, 10.5-inch, touchscreen sits on an angle at the base of the dashboard within easy reach of the driver. Virtually every feature that operates the vehicle is controlled from here, many in combination with two rollers on the steering wheel. Even adjustingthesidemirrorsisdonehere.We’ll lookatthisissuelaterinourDrivingsection.
There is a choice of two quilted soft-touch syntheticleatherseatsineitherDoverBeige orHighlandGrey.
A ventilated wireless smartphone chargingpadisstandard.
Boot space in the IM6 Performance is 646 litres with the rear seatback folded, expanding to 1600 litres when they are folded. There’s also a 32-litre front storage space, ideal for keeping charging equipment. No spare wheel, only the typicallyunreliabletyrerepairkit.
Both driver and front passenger get poweredseatswithheating,ventilationand adjustablethighsupport.Rearseatsarealso heated.
Powertrain
IM6ispoweredbytwomotorsthatcombine to provide outputs of 572 kW and 802 Nm from The IM6 Performance is based on the same 800V architecture that’s been used in vehicles such as the Kia EV 6 and Hyundai Ionic 5. That higher voltage provides greater powerdeliveryandfasterchargingtimes.
Driving range on the WLTP combined cycle starts at 450km from the Premium 75 kWh up to 555km in the Platinum 100 kWh, dropping down to 505km with the heavier Performance.
The CCS Type 2 charge port is located at the rear left-hand side with an 11kW onboardchargingunit.
Maximum DC charging power from the 100-kWh battery is listed at 396 kW with a claimed DC charge time from 30 to 80 percentof15.2minutes.
There is a Vehicle to Load (V2L) feature withamaximumof6.6kW.
Infotainment
There are only two USB ports in the IM6, oneinthefrontandoneintherear.Bothare USB-C.
Audio in all variants is through a bespoke 20-speaker system that includes four sky speakersintheheadlinerthatcanbepaired with the vehicle’s 256-colour ambient lightingsystem.
IM6 is compatible with the MG iSMART smartphone application to remotely control functions monitoring, charging and checking vehicle location and route planning.
Safety
MG IM 6 was tested by ANCAP in July 2025 and received the maximum five-star rating. All three variants get the same features includingtheMGPilotsuite.
In addition to seven airbags there is a comprehensiveAdvancedDriverAssistance System(ADAS)withalargerangeoffeatures include autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane support system, hill hold, blind spot detection, rear cross-trafficalert,drivermonitoringsystem, 360-degreecameraandsensors,rainynight mode,andautomaticparkingassistance.
Driving
Entry through the pop-out flush door handles is keyless either by touching the door handle, pressing on the key fob, using an NFC key card or the MG iSmart mobile app.
Large windows and side mirrors provide excellent visibility in these directions enhanced by side camera images that are projected onto monitors on either side of the dashboard when turn indicators are activated.
The big problem, and it’s quite serious, is rear vision. Although the rear window is quite large it lies at such an angle that it only provides a narrow slit from the driver’s mirror.
To compensate, there is a rear-pointing camera that is activated from the steering wheel buttons and displays the view onto a third monitor, this one in the centre of the dash. There are three timing options, 10 seconds, 30 seconds and two minutes after whichtheimagedisappears.
Call me old-fashioned, but I want to be abletoseewhat’sbehindmeatalltimes.
8
7
8.5
7
9
6
7
The IM6 Performance model comes with air suspension that is operated by buttons on the side wall of the boot. It can adjust ground clearance across a range of 70mm.
There’s bi-directional steering that can turn the rear wheels up to 12 degrees of rear-wheel articulation that allows a low-speed ‘crabwalk’ mode to assist access totightparkingspots.
Turning circle is a class-leading 10.2 metres. By way of comparison the MG ZS smallhatchbackneeds10.4metres.
With virtually every feature controlled through one or other of the touchscreens, we were faced with the usual dilemma of having to locate and adjust even the most basicoffeatures.
There is no start/stop button. All that the driver needs to do is depress the brake pedal, select either Drive or Reverse and moveaway.
Being an EV acceleration is instant and spectacular, to such an extent that the zero to 100km/h sprint can be done in just a claimed 3.4 seconds. That’s supercar territory.
Acoustic glass windows, active noise cancellation and soft-touch materials combine to provide an impressively quiet cabinridequalityintheIM6Performance Summary
ThenewMIbrandtakesMGintoalevelthat the ex-British, now Chinese, brand could hardly have envisaged a decade ago. Gone isanysuggestionofthe‘cheapandcheerful’ tagthatearlyMGmodelscarried.
Technophiles will love the IM5 and IM6 and will revel in working through the myriadofhigh-techfeatures.Traditionalists –guiltyascharged–willbefrustratedbythe relianceonthesamethingandbythelackof physicalcontrols.
To keep it in perspective there is plenty of scope for creating shortcuts including the ability to turn off some ADAS features with a single touch as well as voice activation to minimise using the screens and the annoyingalerts.
Where both parties will agree is on the superbdrivingqualities.
Gone is any suggestion of the ‘cheap and cheerful’ tag that early MG models carried. (Pictures: Supplied)
A weekend of big match ups
There was a plenty of big match ups on Saturday across all sports. Star Weekly photographer Ljubica Vrankovic was out shootingsomeoftheaction.
Craigieburn’s Maddison Albrecht. 553481_01
Craigieburn’s Mietta Datson and Burnside Heights’ Kynesha Barker. 553481_06
Keilor’s Nick O’Kearney. 553484_02
Greenvale’s Daman Aujla. 553484_10
Rupertswood’s Matt McDonald. 553487_04
Albion’s Joshua Bench. 553488_05
Albion’s Cody Bench goes to lay a tackle on Spotswood’s Sam Leitch. 553488_12
St Albans’ Finn Urie. 553487_03
Keilor Park’s Caitlyn Crameri. 553479_03
Gisborne’s Amanda Crooks. 553479_12
Kyneton’s shooting coup
By Tara Murray
Bird is the word for Kyneton in the Riddell District Netball League.
Having already pulled off one of the biggest signings in the league’s history in Kristiana Manu’a, the Tigers last week announced the signing of Ellie Bird.
Bird, who had already played a few games for the Tigers as a hidden player in the stats, shot a massive 73 goals for the Tigers in their win against Melton South. Bird played more than 100 games at the top level in New Zealand, while also playing in the Super League in the United Kingdom.
Tigers’ David O’Hare said it was massive to get someone of Bird’s experience into
the side.
“It helps having friends in low places,” he said.
“One of the girls in the A-grade team knew she was in Melbourne and she wasn’t doing much with her netball wise and asked did she want to come on board?
“She’s 6’4 or 6’5 and players of that height don’t come along very often, particular ones that have pretty much played at the highest level in New Zealand.”
O’Hare said it had taken their midcourters a little bit to get used to feeding Bird.
He said the performance against the Panthers was a really positive one.
“Melton South isn’t the strongest opponent, but they have a lot of good kids,” he said.
“They didn’t have the height to match Ellie.
“We’re not reading too much into it.
O’Hare said they would take some confidence after getting their first win of the season.
He said they felt they were still a work in progress.
“We felt like we were unlucky not to get the win against Lancefield on Anzac Day,” he said.
“We didn’t get on the winning side of the scoreboard but it is one of the best games I’ve seen us play since I’ve moved to Kyneton.
“We’re starting to come together and see what we’re capable of.
“We’re looking forward to the next few
Hawks put in the hard work to hold Tigers
By Tara Murray
Woodend-Hesket is trying to get the balance right in the Riddell District Football League.
The Hawks have been able to put scoreboard pressure on in most of their matches, but defensively haven’t been as strong as they would have liked.
On Saturday, the Hawks showed some positive signs in the second half against Lancefield, to run away with a 16.13 (109)-9.8 (62) win.
Hawks’ coach Al Rae said it took them a while to get going.
“We played OK in the first half,” he said. “The scoreboard wasn’t showing it.
“They had a little period in the second quarter where they kicked a few goals.
“It was a bit scary at half time with the scoreboard close.”
Rae said they tried to close down the game in the second half and play low risk football.
It paid off as they kicked 11 goals to four for the half.
Rae said he was happy with how the team responded.
“We were able to get some goals,” he said. “We weren’t able to blow them away though.”
Rae said a number of younger players really stepped up in the performance.
Angus Taylor had 22 possessions in game number two.
Finlay Watt kicked nine goals in the under-17s on Sunday after playing in the seniors on Saturday.
The win was the Hawks second of the season.
Rae said outside of the Macedon game they had been pretty consistent.
“We were poor against Macedon, but we had a few excuses,” he said.
“We had six injuries on what we had.
“Apart from last week, we’ve played some good footy this year and we think we can do a little bit of damage.”
Rae said the next step for the group and closing the gap on the top sides was finding the right balance with how they play.
“We want to play an aggressive brand and play through the corridor,” he said.
“Then we want to lock down and re-
weeks.”
The Tigers have winnable games against Melton Centrals and Romsey the next couple of weeks, but O’Hare said they didn’t take anything for granted.
They were able to make it two wins in a row as they beat Centrals on Saturday, 6948.
Bird shot 65 goals for the Tigers.
The Tigers now sit seventh on the ladder. Across the program. O’Hare said their B-grade side team had shown a lot of positive signs including pushing ladder leaders Wallan.
He said the C-grade side which has a lot of players that have come up from their under-19s had some good signs as they focus on the future.
Magpies on top
Wallan is the only undefeated team left in the Riddell District Football League after knocking off Diggers Rest in the top of the table clash on Saturday.
Both the Magpies and Burras entered the match in good form and the match lived up to expectations.
The Burras led by 27 points after kicking with the wind in the first quarter.
An eight goal to one second quarter for the Magpies saw them lead by 15 points at the main break, That margin was reduced to 10 points at three quarter time.
The Burras hit the front in the 18th minute after kicking five of the first six goals in the final quarter.
Lachie Smart then fired back for the Magpies with the next two, before one to Nash King had the Magpies leading by 14 points after 25 minutes.
It was a long final quarter with the Magpies finishing the stronger of the two teams, winning 17.9 (111)-13.7 (85).
Smart finished with four goals for the Magpies, while Mitchell Day kicked five goals for the Burras.
Steven Boyall was named the Magpies best, while Oleg Markov and Tye Browning were standouts for the Burras.
That result and other results, has seen Macedon move to the top of the table, but the Cats have played an extra game on both the Magpies and Burras.
tain the play at the end of quarters and when they get a run on.
“We’ve scored 100 points in three or four of our games out of six, but we’re leaking a bit.
“It was quite good in the second half not to do that.
“We want to close that gap and we think if we play well, we can push the good teams.”
The Hawks face Riddell this Saturday before two weeks off with the bye and the competition wide King’s Birthday bye.
Rae said they were hoping to get a couple of players back.
“Will Wiseman in the ruck and Tom Gawthorp at full forward,” he said of who might return.
“It will help. It has been hard with a lack of height.
“Aussie Corbell has been in the ruck the last three weeks. He’s a good developing ruck but hadn’t played for a few years.
“We threw him in the ruck a bit earlier than we planned.
“Then we have a couple of weeks off, so we’re aiming high this weekend.”
In other results, the Cats had a big win against Romsey, 17.15 (117)-7.12 (54).
Michael Rutledge kicked six goals for the Cats in the win, with Blake Watson named their best.
Nathan Blair was the Redbacks best.
Riddell made it three in a row with victory against Melton South, 13.12 (90)-8.5 (53).
Zak Saad kicked five goals for the Bombers.
Kyneton returned to the winners list with a 25.16 (166)-6.6 (42) win against Melton Centrals with Tigers playing coach Ethan Foreman kicking seven goals.
Woodend-Hesket beat Lancefield in the other match, 16.13 (109)-9.8 (62).
Alec Binns. (Ljubica Vrankovic) 550550_18
Tough night for Warriors
By Tara Murray
The Western Warriors were no match for the red hot Hawks in the Victorian Netball League on Wednesday night.
The Hawks showed why they are the team to beat in the first three quarters to lead by 29 goals heading into the final quarter.
The Warriors showed some fight in the final quarter but the match was already over with the Hawks winning 79-47.
Warriors’ coach Kim Bailey said the Hawks were just too good.
“They’ve got strength all over the court,” she said. “Very, very impressive team and I’ll be surprised if anyone beats them this year, they were that good.
“Our first three quarters, we let them
score too many goals and we didn’t shoot enough.
“Our last quarter we have to take something out of it,”
The Warriors had no Mia Lavis due to load management while Sarah Croft was out injured.
Bailey said being short handed made it a little tough, but the Hawks were just clinical.
“You look at our stats, they were relatively low,” she said.
“I think we had 26 errors which is probably too much, but then you look at Hawks errors and they had 11, stats don’t lie.
“Just a quality team, quality ball handlers, we tried and we loved our endeavour and loved how we kept going.
“We tried some different combinations.”
The Warriors hopes weren’t helped with Kim Borger exiting the third quarter with a corkie.
Poppy Douglass played through a thumb injury she sustained in the second quarter.
Bailey said they would take some positives out of the final quarter.
“I think one of the shining lights was Amanda Umanski who came on and did a really good job,” she said.
“We shot 17 goals in the last quarter, you shoot 17 goals per quarter, compared to 11 you are in the contest.
“Amanda, I think it’s the first time that she has stepped on the court this year, so happy with that.”
Umanski finished with 19 goals.
Bailey said Olivia Ellis was a standout
Sunbury teen Autumn Brown is one of a kind
By Tara Murray
Sunbury’s Autumn Brown isn’t who you would normally expect to be in the field in a Gridiron match, let alone competing at a national championships.
The teenager fell in love with the sport as her father played a key role for the Western Crusaders, who won nine straight Vic Bowl championships.
She started playing last year in the under-15 competition as a 12-year-old. Despite it being a mixed competition, she is believed to be the only girl.
“I used to help out with my dad’s team and my parents asked me if I’d like to join the under-15s when I come of age, so I had to wait until I was 12,” she said.
“I thought maybe playing gridiron during my off season from [rugby] league would help me develop my skills better for league like tackling and running the ball hard.
“I wanted to try something new. It’s cool knowing I play something that my dad lovesplayingandwegettochataboutplays and he has been able to help me a lot. “ Brown has been playing rugby league since she was six-years-old.
Her experiences on the rugby league side saw her given the starting position of running back in the Crusaders under-15 side, which won the title and Brown was named the Crusaders rookie of the year in that team.
At the start of this year, her dad was selected to represent the Victoria Eagles men’s state team.
During one of the training sessions the under-16 Victorian Eagles were holding tryouts for the state team.
While her parents thought she was too young, the coach encouraged her to join in for more training,
She made the team after they had to confirm with American Football Australia if in fact she was able to play.
“It feels pretty cool knowing I’m the only girl playing this sport not only in the local league but also playing at the national competition,” she said.
“I’m grateful that my parents allow me to play this sport.
“I love that I get to hit all the boys, connecting and making new friendships.
“I love playing running back. I get to run the ball, take hard hits and bounce back up to do it again.”
Brown said her Crusaders teammates are like her brothers and they always have her back.
She said many players don’t even know that they are playing against a girl
“When it comes to try outs for the state team, I think maybe some of the boys underestimated me, but once we got to
Queensland with the state team, we all mixed in really well and had the best time together, have made some pretty cool friends from the other teams in Vic,” she said.
“When we were in Queensland I overheard dad saying to his daughter “that’s the girl that plays gridiron, she’s a gun”
Brown said its hard to choose between rugby league and gridiron.
She said with no pathway for gridiron for females, she’ll look at going as far as she can with rugby league.
“I love them both but rugby league will always have a place in my heart,
“I can only play juniors unless a senior women’s league gets up and running again.
“I have hopes and dreams to one day make it on the big screen for rugby league. Remember my name, Autumn Brown.”
out in defence with a measured performance, while Kali Dolphin had a good game in the midcourt.
The Warriors finish the first half of the season with a 2-1-6 record.
Bailey said they will now start to look at the second half and what they can do to get a few more wins on the board.
“We’ve closed that chapter and we’ll regroup on Monday night and a mid-season review,” she said.
“What has worked and what hasn’t worked you need to think about the context of the losses, we’re had two losses that have been over six goals.
“Every other loss under six goals, even though we have been exposed the last two weeks, we’ve got to be realistic that we’re not far off it.”
Big V
The Sunbury Jets had a tough night against the McKinnon Cougars in the Big V men’s championship division on Saturday night. The Cougars started the game well and led by nine points at quarter time. They were able to hold onto that lead throughout before finishing the better of the sides to claim an 80-64 win. Ish Sanders top scored for the Jets with 15 points. The Jets sit fourth on the ladder with seven wins. In the women’s championship division, the Jets lost to the Cougars, 107-48.
EDFL
East Sunbury got its third win of the Essendon District Football League women’s division 1 season on Saturday. Facing Taylors Lakes, the Thunder won, 4.5 (29)-1.3 (9). Erin Carroll, Molly Connell and Haylee Tomasini were named the Thunder’s best. The Thunder sits fifth on the ladder after five rounds. Elsewhere, Gisborne lost to Keilor Park and the Sunbury Lions lost to Roxburgh Park. The Sunbury Kangaroos match with Tullamarine was cancelled due to the funeral of a former Tullamarine player on Saturday.
Ballarat FL
The Sunbury Lions early season struggles have continued in the Ballarat Football League. The Lions headed to Bacchus Marsh on Saturday and were on the backfoot early as they trailed by 35 points at the first break. The Lions were able to reduce the margin back to 17 points heading into the final quarter, but with the Cobras finishing strong, lost 12.11 (83)-7.13 (55). Daniel Johnston kicked three goals for the Lions. Cody Bramble was named their best. After six rounds, the Lions sit in seventh spot.
Ballarat NL
The Sunbury Lions were too strong for Bacchus Marsh in the Ballarat Netball League on Saturday. In a good test for the Lions they were able to lead at every break. The second quarter was when the Lions did most of the damage, as they shot 16 goals to five. They eventually won, 50-32. Caitlin Hill shot 19 goals.
Autumn Brown. (Supplied)
Autumn Brown. (Supplied)
Bulldogs building nicely
By Tara Murray
Gisborne is starting to put it all together in the Bendigo Netball League.
It has been an interrupted start to the season for the Bulldogs, with byes and split rounds.
On Saturday, they produced one of their best performances of the season, beating Eaglehawk, 60-33.
Bulldogs’ coach Tarryn Rymer said it was pleasing to put out a performance like that.
“We had a really good win,” she said.
“It was our best four quarters that we’ve put out for the year, especially in attack.”
Rymer said it can be tough not playing for two weeks in a row in the middle of the season and it showed a little bit against Castlemaine when they returned to the court in the previous round.
She said it helped that most of the squad
played elsewhere as well,
The Bulldogs three defenders all play together in the Victorian Netball League, with Rymer saying having that connection makes a big difference for them.
“They were able to pick up where they left off.”
The attacking end is a new line up with Torie Skrijel and Charlee Duff-Tytler combining for the first time.
With no Claudia Mawson, the pair have been thrown in the deep end this season.
“There’s been some good connection and it’s coming along nicely,” Rymer said.
“There’s nothing better than throwing players in the deep end and build their own connections.
“Both are excellent movers and holders and it’s finding that balance of who is doing what and when.
“That connection is continuing and it’s
going to take some time. They are finding their feet in there and it was good yesterday [Saturday].”
The Bulldogs sit second on the ladder with a 4-1 record with only a loss to Kangaroo Flat in round one.
Rymer said with teams not getting four points for a bye, it has taken a while for the ladder to sort itself out.
She said they were happy with how the season had gone so far.
The Bulldogs will have another week off with interleague this week.
Rymer will coach the Bendigo side that will face an Ovens and Murray team in Bendigo.
Charlee Kemp, Tilly Shepherd and Kirby Elliott are all part of that team.
“It’s back to that traditional style of playing another league,” Rymer said.
“We’ve had one training session and we’ll have a couple more this week.
“We’re keen for a strong hit out. We don’t know what to expect.”
Meanwhile in the senior football, Gisborne won another thriller as it beat Eaglehawk, 14.18 (102)-14.11 (95).
The Bulldogs came from behind for the win, kicking three goals to none in the final quarter.
Fraser Phelan-Smith. (Ljubica Vrankovic)
Sharks break through against St Albans
By Tara Murray
Rupertswood got on the board in the Essendon District Football League division 1 competition in the best possible way on Saturday.
The Sharks had been competitive in the first five rounds without being able to get a win on the board in their return to division 1.
On Saturday, that changed as they were in control from start to finish against St Albans, winning 21.17 (143)-12.13 (85).
Sharks’ coach Brad Fox said it was not only pleasing to get a win, but have a really good one.
“We clearly played our best footy of the year by the length of the straight,” he said.
“We haven’t been awful. We’ve felt like we’ve been awful as I think the group is setting some pretty high standards for themselves.
“The disappointment has been real. We’ve been in a position to contest winning four of those first five games.”
On Saturday, the big difference for the Sharks was being able to put scoreboard pressure on early.
With the wind in the first quarter, the
Sharks kicked five goals to one.
Fox said the first quarter was OK, but it was the second quarter when they kicked three goals against the breeze which was valuable early.
A six goal to one third quarter put the Sharks in complete control before it was a goal scoring feast in the final quarter.
“We were very happy with the third quarter, it started a little slow, almost getting a little bit uptight but it finished off well,” Fox said.
“The last quarter was a little bit disappointing. I think we kicked seven and we let them kick seven.
“I think the boys were already in, we’ve had our first win of the year mode, a little bit relaxed.
“I’d rather not finish the game that way, but a terrific game with 38 shots on goal.”
Fraser Phelan-Smith kicked six goals for the Sharks, while Mitchell Johnson kicked five goals.
Fox said they had looked to change their forward set up.
“It was based around getting more isolation where we thought we had good mismatches with direct opponents,” he
said. “And it worked really well
“Most weeks we’ve had as many goalkickers as we’ve had goals. Where today all of our goals have come from six players.
“It hasn’t been Fraser’s best start to the year, he’s had a couple of reasons why, but today [Saturday] we welcomed him back.
“It was the Fraser of old. It was the way that he used the ball, at other times that was really valuable for us.”
The two goalkickers were named in the Sharks best three along with Ned Crotty, who kicked three goals from the wing.
It was a good day all round for the Sharks as their reserves side won its first game in three years.
Joint premiership coach Clayton Bonello played in that game, his first game of the season.
Fox said having had 14 to 15 blokes out each week and a lot of their taller guys, they were yet to field their strongest side this season.
He said barring any more injuries everyone but Ben Borg and Jackson Pranauskas should be back by midway through the season.
The Sharks face Taylors Lakes this week.
Hawks sneak home
Lancefield pushed Woodend-Hesket all the way on Saturday in the Riddell District Netball League on Saturday. Lancefield entered the match undefeated, while the three-time reigning premiers had only one loss for the year.
It was a match that was close all day.
Scores were level at quarter time, before the Tigers led by two goals heading into the main break. It was just one goal the difference heading into the final quarter.
The Hawks saved their best to last as they outscored the Tigers 15-8 in the final quarter to win 49-43.
Kaylia Stanton shot 41 goals for the Hawks, while Shanae Brundell shot 25 goals for the Tigers.
The Hawks sit third on the ladder with a 5-1 record, while the Tigers sit in fifth with a 4-1 record.
In other matches, Riddell had a big win against Melton South.
The Bombers shot at least 20 goals in each quarter on the way to a 96-35 win.
Shelby Holter shot 46 goals for the Bombers, while Tilly Allen shot 35 goals.
Macedon continues to build as it came away with the points against Romsey, 59-41.
The Cats led by six goals at quarter time and increased the lead to 12 goals at half time.
The margin continued to grow to 20 goals heading into the final quarter.
Romsey finished strongly but the damage had already been done.
Hetty Donoghue shot 47 goals for the Cats.
Maddison Thompson shot 21 goals for the Redbacks.
Ladder leaders Wallan continued its good form as it beat Diggers Rest, 59-38.
A 15-4 first quarter set up the win for the Magpies, who are undefeated.
Rebekah Konstantopoulos shot 30 goals for the Magpies, while Isobel Robertson shot 21 goals for the Burras.
Kyneton made it two wins in a row as it beat Melton Centrals, 69-48 Star shooter Ellie Bird shot 65 goals for the Tigers.
Torie Skrijel. (Ljubica Vrankovic) 484134_03
553487_23
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