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Delivering hope By Jamie Salter The year of 2021 brought new trials and victories to Sikh Volunteers Australia (SVA) founder Jaswinder Singh who tackled the coronavirus pandemic, floods, storms and personal hardship while selflessly serving his community. Over the past year, the charity produced more than 129,370 meals to those in need. It all started after Mr Singh travelled from Haryana, North India to settle in Australia in 2014. He said he wanted to give back to his new community. “We just wanted to do something and we wondered what our contribution was going to be and how we would be remembered,” Mr Singh said. From that thought, the charity comprised of first generation migrants was formed and has been growing ever since - now with about 500 volunteers. Although the charity was named Sikh Volunteers Australia, about 50 per cent of its volunteers are from varying religions including Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism. In 2021, the charity celebrated the Sikh festival Vaisakhi at Bunjil Place, where 300-plus volunteers were called to the stage and awarded for their efforts. “When you see them all up there in their traditional clothes, you can understand it’s not a Sikh group anymore and that is what we’ve successfully established,” Mr Singh said. “Being such a multicultural community, we have created a bond and I think that’s our best achievement.” For the second year in a row, SVA combated Covid-19 lockdowns and delivered 1500 meals a day by utilising software called Routify which mapped out delivery points for its drivers. The team ran the massive operation while managing social distancing and supply shortages. But the pandemic brought about Mr Singh’s most difficult challenge of the year when his
beloved father Balwinder Singh died in May. Mr Singh was truly heartbroken when travel restrictions prevented him from attending his father’s final rituals. “He’s the one who taught me everything and told me how to help others but at his final day, I was not there,” Mr Singh said. “I wanted to be with my family but I couldn’t. “A lot of people have been through that - the only thing I got from it was how it actually feels to be in lockdown. “Everyone has sacrificed a lot to overcome this pandemic.” The pandemic was not the only disaster in which SVA assisted the community with in 2021, with teams heading out to respond to the NSW floods in early April as well as local storms in early November. Mr Singh said ASV was built to assist the nation as a whole, rather than a single suburb. “We want to create an organisation that will keep on performing like this regardless if we are not there or not; a self-driven organisation that looks after the community where if someone requires help and the organisation has the capacity, they will go and help without question,” he said. SVA received the Victorian Multicultural Award for Excellence in 2021 and Mr Singh has been nominated for City of Casey’s Australian of the Year. Although SVA has been showered with achievements, Mr Singh said that was never the aim of the charity. “Our motive is to give back to the community but now they are giving back to us in terms of respect and in terms of honour, and I accept them in a humble way, but that is not our goal,” he said. The charity is fully funded by community donations, led by Dasvandh - a concept that the 10th part of one’s income should be donated to charity. Continued page 3
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Hero neighbour injured Cranbourne North resident Russell Irwin was assaulted with a tomahawk after coming to the defence of his neighbour. Iwrin heard his terrified neighbour’s screams for help after a group of three armed men broke into her Lindenow Court property just after 7pm on Monday night, 1 February, launching over his fence and approaching the armed thugs. A bloodied and bruised Mr Irwin suffered a fractured skull, seven lacerations to the head, a puncture wound to the back of his thigh and cuts and bruises on his back. Police say one of the thugs used a weapon to strike Mr Irwin on the head before the group, believed to be armed with a tomahawk, rifle and baseball bat, fled on foot. A GoFundMe page was established to raise money for Irwin that he would lose as a result of his injuries, with $6000 raised in the first 24 hours. The final total was in-excess of $8479. Mr Irwin’s cousin, Bree Martin, told Star News he managed to climb back over the fence before attempting to stop the offenders. “One of the offenders pulled out a rifle and threatened him with that,” Ms Martin said. “At this point Russell’s blood was boiling. He’d just gone from fighting two of the attackers and had tried to rip their balaclavas off so he could see them before he was struck by the third.“ “Russell would rather cop the blow instead of a woman. He wouldn’t look at it like he’s a hero”.
Russell Irwin leapt to the defences of his helpless neighbour in February. 227581 Picture: SUPPLIED
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Jaswinder Singh delivers From page 1 In 2017, 34 volunteers donated $1000 each to purchase the food van and equipment, starting the service that has been running twice a week for the past seven years. A new facility is currently in construction in Cranbourne West and is set to be completed by February 2022 which will allow SVA to produce 10,000 meals a day. Mr Singh said the charity was also establishing a fleet of vehicles to respond to disaster situations.
“If a disaster situation comes anywhere in Victoria, we want to be in the position to be able to send a van full of food there and have two other vans for volunteers and equipment - that way the first van can start offering immediate relief,” Mr Singh said. “We want to fleets like this so we can send them in different directions at the same time and that way we can utilise the volunteers’ power to offer relief.” Mr Singh said the initial disasters the char-
ity responded to helped the SVA streamline its service. “The first big crisis we responded to was the Bunyip bushfires in 2019,” Mr Singh said. “We learnt a lot there, that place was one and a half hours away and we went there believing there would be 100 people, but there was much more. “Now we send someone ahead to give us on the ground information regarding the numbers.”
Mr Singh has many plans for the years to come and said he was hoping to develop a support service run by paid professionals to combat loneliness within the community. “I consider myself fortunate, a lot of people want to do this but didn’t get the right opportunity,” he said. “More than others, I have supported myself.” Mr Singh thanked all the SVA volunteers for their contribution throughout 2021.
Community supports family in wake of tragedy Community groups rallied around a shattered family who lost their four-year-old son in a tragic house fire in Dandenong in July. Rithish Kirushnaneethan died in his family home on Sunday 25 July despite desperate attempts to rescue him from his bedroom. The Victorian Tamil Association as well as a separate Go Fund Me page were set up to collect cash and donations for the griefstricken and homeless family. More than $100,000 was raised with all proceeds put towards Rithish’s funeral expenses as well as accommodation, furniture, clothing, and food for the family. The asylum-seeker family lost all of their savings and belongings in the awful inferno. Tamil Community Association secretary Murugesu Paramanathan said the association was also overwhelmed by donations of cash, clothes, furniture and white goods. Friends close to the family say they believed a heater and possible gas leak may have been involved in the fire. They had moved into their home from Perth just two weeks before the fire. Go Fund Me page co-organiser and Greater Dandenong councillor Rhonda Garad said the family was gutted, with the mother par-
Rithish Kirushnaneethan. 245331 ticularly distraught by the tragic loss of her son. “She said her son wanted to go to bed early and so she was cooking in the kitchen and just saw the flicker of flames and them the whole area was on fire. “She is beyond broken.”
$100,000 was raised for the family of Rithish Kirushnaneethan after a tragic house fire. 245331
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Former refugee’s plea for help Former Afghan refugee Barat Batoor described what people in Afghanistan would be experiencing as the Taliban forced its way into homes and overtook the government in August. Batoor fled for his life from Afghanistan in 2012 and works as an organiser for Asylum Seeker Resouce Centre. Kabul’s international airport was swarmed by desperate masses pleading to be saved by foreign governments. “They have started searching houses look-
ing for people like political figures, social activists and pilots,” Mr Batoor said. “The news came as a big shock. I haven’t slept properly for the last couple of nights.” He said the looming humanitarian crisis was devastating for Australian Hazaras – the fourth largest diaspora in the world with many of them in Melbourne’s South East. Batoor called on the Australian government to offer more support to help family members of the Australian-Afghan community. “We have a moral obligation and practical
obligation to help these people,” Mr Batoor said. “Australia should play a bigger role to at least open 20,000 extra places for re-settlement.” Bruce Labor MP Julian Hill accused Prime Minister Scott Morrison of “lethal negligence” for his “deliberate delays” in resettling eligible Afghan migrants. He said Afghans in Australia waited on average 43.6 months for a partner visa compared to up to nine months for people from Western Europe or the USA.
Barat Batoor was worried for his friends and family in Afghanistan during the Taliban’s Picture: SUPPLIED takeover in August. 247918
Steven Spoljaric shows his style. 190166
Spolly makes Tyler’s top 10
Is journeyman Steven Spoljaric the greatest local cricketer of all-time? Picture: GARRY SISSONS 4 STAR NEWS
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The power of the people has come to the fore. In one of the early editions of Tyler’s Top Ten, some social media comments surfaced on how Steven Spoljaric could fill the ‘best individual seasons’ on his own. 1. Cranbourne (DDCA 2014/15): New club, no worries. A lazy year with 711 runs @ 79, and 33 wickets @ 13.12 gets the job done for his third Wookey in four years here. Spolly bowled okay In R4 against Lyndale, finishing with match figures of: 41 overs, 21 maidens, 11/59. 2. Kingston Hawthorn – Formerly known as Hawthorn Monash (VPC 2007/08): One of the finer Premier Cricket seasons of all-time. He started like a house on fire; including all cricket (twenty-20s), Spolly had 531 runs and 20 wickets BEFORE the Christmas break. In this season, he won the prestigious Jack Ryder Medal with: 579 runs @ 34.06, 35 wickets @ 25.37 and to cap it off… he took 16 catches. It’s almost insulting how good this guy is at cricket. 3. Cranbourne (DDCA 2015/16): What’s better than six Wookey Medals? Seven Wookey Medals! The gun all-rounder belted 578 runs @ 57.80 with the bat and sent back 37 batters @ 9.11 and didn’t win the league medal. Teammate Matt Chasemore won the award with 561 runs @ 46.80 and 19 wickets @ 15.90. Genuine robbery. 4. Parkfield (DDCA 2010/11): His first Wookey Medal season almost gets forgotten… probably because he only made 757 runs @ 94.63, passed 50 in seven of his 11 knocks and only took 17 wickets @ 15.65. 5. Parkfield (DDCA 2013/14): All these seasons are a bit silly in terms of pure dominance, but his last season at Parkfield is certainly up there for ultimate mickey taking. Just a laconic 672 runs @ 67.20 with the stick and 27 scalps @ 13.26 with the ball. This season was highlighted by a R11 performance where Spolly bowled for 33.5 overs, 14 maidens, 6/54. A spell that was complimented nicely by his 42 not out in the second dig.
6. Cranbourne (DDCA 2016/17): After one of the bigger robberies in Wookey Medal history the year before, Spoljaric found his rightful place back at the top of the mountain. The return was done with 681 runs @ 85.13 and 25 wickets @ 18.40. 7. Parkfield (DDCA 2011/12): Another fine all-round season, left a bit in the tank with the bat by his standards, averaging below 50. But he made up for it with the ball. 490 runs @ 49 with the willow, and 26 wickets @ 12.54 with the Kookaburra. If this is not even in your top five, three, or one best seasons as a player, you’re simply really, really good at cricket. 8. Springvale South (DDCA 2017/18): Sometimes league medals are all about timing your run. In a similar year to the most recent Wookey Medal winner – Ruwantha Kellepotha – Spoljaric scored 457 runs @ 45.70 and collected 26 wickets @ 10.62. But Spolly didn’t win. Kellepotha won the award last year – albeit in a one day season making it all the more impressive – with 353 runs and 35 wickets, reaching the league record for votes. Two remarkable seasons for the journeyman, in ‘17/18 and ‘15/16, both without league medals. 9. Springvale South (DDCA 2018/19): Business as usual for Spolly at the Bloods. But in this season, he didn’t bowl as much as previous years. However, what he left behind with the ball, he certainly made up for with the bat. 752 runs @ 50.13 with eight scores over 50. Just seven wickets for the year with the ball, with three coming in one innings. Like previous years, he launched out of the gates, entering the Christmas break with 457 runs to his name. 10. Bundalaguah (Sale-Maffra CA 2019/20): Continuing the trend of setting the tone at his new club, Spolly made his mark pretty early out in the country. 576 @ 44.31 in his first season with the bat, complimented by 29 wickets @ 12. 28 with the ball. It’s a pretty easy game for the nearly 45-year-old. cranbournenews.starcommunity.com.au
2021 YEAR IN REVIEW CRANBOURNE
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Sending wrong signal
Crash course in care
Special day out for mums
Bean has the true Aussie Spirit
Wellness centre a long time coming
Local rises to Ultimate Tag challenge
Cranbourne rocked by RSL sale
A character lost to sport community
Cup secures prime date
Award for Kerrigan
Demons commit to Casey
First steps for change
School focus on culture and country
Dashcam captures horrific footage
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The start of their school journey
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Turning over a new leaf
Endangered birds take flight By Danielle Kutchel
By Mitchell Clarke
The Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne are the place to be this season. Wander through the twisting paths and drink in the display put on by an array of native Australian plants. if you’re lucky, you might even spy a small visitor to the gardens, like a shy bandicoot or jewel-coloured bird. Turn to pages 8-9 for a sample of the sights.
The critically endangered Orange-bellied Parrot has received a helping hand from Pearcedale’s Moonlit Sanctuary. In April, staff from the sanctuary’s breeding program were involved in a release of more than 30 of the birds at three sites across Victoria. The Pearcedale parrots are expected to meet up with migrating wild birds and head to their breeding grounds - hopefully, to get down to business and boost the population.
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Nurse Kate, concierge Michael and nurse Louise at the Cranbourne vaccination hub. 246845
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Mikayla is ready to get vaccinated. 246845
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Queues at the vaccination centre. 246845
Teacher charged Mental health fix Vaccine surge By Danielle Kutchel
A Cranbourne school teacher has been suspended from teaching following allegations of child sex offences. Mount Evelyn man Brian Wallwork, 47, was stood down from his position at St Peter’s College in Cranbourne after being charged with 17 offences including sexual penetration of a child under 16. Maria Kirkwood, director of Catholic Education for the Diocese of Sale, said the charges
were not related to Wallwork’s time at St Peter’s College. “The allegations that led to the suspension do not relate to the staff member’s time at St Peter’s College,” she said in a statement. “Diocese of Sale Catholic Education Ltd made reports to the appropriate authorities immediately upon receiving details of this matter. “Our highest priority remains the health, safety and wellbeing of our students. “Support has been offered to students and
staff at the college.” The Victorian Institute of Teaching register shows that Wallwork’s teaching registration was suspended on an interim basis on 23 April. A spokesperson for the institute said the organisation was “unable to comment on individual teacher registration disciplinary matters beyond what is currently available on our website”. Wallwork will appear before the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court for a committal mention on Friday 4 June.
By Danielle Kutchel
Politicians have welcomed the recommendations handed down in the final report from the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System. In total, the report makes 65 recommendations to improve the struggling system. Some of these include the provision of beds, establishment of new local, area-based and statewide support services incorporating crisis response, collaboration with helpline
Wallwork will appear in court on Friday 4 June.
services, the establishment of community collectives for mental health in each local government area, the establishment of mentally healthy workplaces, support for mental health programs in schools and provision of support across all age groups. The State Government has committed to implementing every recommendation in the report. The report also uncovered a system riddled with problems, including inequitable access to services, an overreliance on medication as
treatment, an under-supply of community based services and a system that was struggling under the weight of demand. Welcoming the report, Cranbourne MP Pauline Richards said State Government recognised that the profound failures of the current system had sadly cost lives. She said the report would provide a plan for a new system, built from the group up and guided by expertise of those with lived experience of mental ill-health. “Mental health impacts all of us in Cran-
bourne. If it’s not our own direct experience, it’s people we know and love,” Ms Richards said. “This year we’ve lived through a global pandemic and all the stresses that have come with it. Now, more than ever, we need a new mental health system for all Victorians.” Bass MP Jordan Crugnale said the recommendations would ensure that residents in the Bass electorate would have access to better treatment, care and support closer to loved ones. Continued page 2
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By Danielle Kutchel Young people have flocked to Cranbourne’s mass vaccination hub to be vaccinated against Covid-19. Lengthy queues were seen at the vaccination hub at Cranbourne Turf Club following the State Government’s announcement that those aged between 18 and 39 were now eligible to receive their jab at Victoria’s state-run
vaccination centres from this week. Those within the age bracket were simply asked to give informed consent to the vaccine. People choosing to provide informed consent are required to sign a document showing they are aware of the extremely rare but serious risks associated with the AstraZeneca vaccine, including the risk of thrombosis thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS). The risk is around 1 in 25,000 after the first
dose of AstraZeneca, and the risk of death from a vaccine-related clot is less than 1 in 500,000, according to infectious diseases and vaccine expert at the University of Sydney, Professor Robert Booy. A Monash Health spokesperson said the change in criteria had boosted the number of people booking in to get their shot of antibodies. “With the change to Covid-19 vaccination
eligibility in Victoria, there are already over 2000 people aged 18 to 39 booked for AstraZeneca vaccinations this week across Monash Health’s vaccination centres, with bookings steadily increasing,” a spokesperson said. The AstraZeneca vaccine will still be available to 18 to 39-year-olds at participating GPs, respiratory clinics and Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations as well. Continued page 4
A GoFundMe page has been launched for a “hero” dad who was savagely assaulted with a tomahawk after rushing to the aid of his distressed neighbour in Cranbourne North. Russell Irwin, 41, heard his terrified neighbour’s screams for help after a group of three armed men broke into her Lindenow Court property just after 7pm on Monday night, 1 February. Without hesitation, the single father of three children, aged eight, nine and 13, jumped into action, launching over his fence and approaching the armed thugs, who had just ransacked a bedroom. Police say one of the thugs used a weapon to strike Mr Irwin on the head before the group, believed to be armed with a tomahawk, rifle and baseball bat, fled on foot. The occupants of the house, who are understood to have known the offenders, were not injured. A bloodied and bruised Mr Irwin suffered a fractured skull, seven lacerations to the head, a puncture wound to the back of his thigh and cuts and bruises on his back. Mr Irwin’s cousin, Bree Martin, told Star News he managed to climb back over the fence before attempting to stop the offenders. “One of the offenders pulled out a rifle and threatened him with that,” she said. “At this point Russell’s blood was boiling. He’d just gone from fighting two of the attackers and had tried to rip their balaclavas off so he could see them before he was struck by the third. “I know if they didn’t have weapons, they wouldn’t have been able to hurt him like that. He wouldn’t have let them and instead they’d be running away from him.” She said Mr Irwin was extremely lucky to walk away with non-life threatening injuries. “Someone’s life could’ve ended. He was very, very lucky. If it wasn’t for his size and build, if it was a smaller male, it could have ended differently,” she explained. “Crime in this area is just out of control. You see so much of it happening and you think it’ll
A paramedic provides first aid on scene.
Mr Irwin sustained lacerations to his back. never happen to someone you know, so when it does, it’s shocking. As a family we all look after each other and we’re very close.” Ms Martin said the incident had highlighted the kind of man her cousin is. “Russell would rather cop the blow instead of a woman. He wouldn’t look at it like he’s a hero,” she said. “I’ve always looked up to my cousins. If I’ve ever been in trouble, I’m the first to ring my cousins and they’re always there. They would
Russell Irwin is being touted as a hero. literally do anything for anyone.” Mr Irwin’s other cousin, Kara, said he had shown “unsung bravery and willingness to sacrifice himself in order to save another”. “There is not enough men in this world like him, those whose first instinct is to protect his fellow man,” she said. “This man has not voluntarily signed up and vowed to protect others like the police, a soldier, a firefighter. This man is a rarity in today’s society and if this world was filled with
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men like him, what a beautiful world it would be.” Mr Irwin, who is a boilermaker, is expected to be out of work for some time. Money raised from the GoFundMe will go towards medical bills and everyday expenses. In just under 24 hours, more than $6000 had been raised. Anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
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From lockdowns, tragedies and local heroes, it’s been a big year in news, as this selection of Pakenham Officer Star News front pages shows. CRANBOURNE
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A 44-year-old Langwarrin man was charged over the attack. 225618
Petition for care funding
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A gunman dressed in camouflage clothing has been charged after he allegedly kidnapped a young woman and threatened her with an assault rifle at the Cranbourne West Lost Dogs’ Home. A 44-year-old Langwarrin man, was charged with kidnapping, false imprisonment, aggravated burglary, armed robbery and firearm offences following the “traumatic” incident on Monday night, 11 January. The victim, a 23-year-old animal ranger, had just parked in the carpark off Thompsons Road when the man allegedly ambushed her at about 10.45pm. At first, the victim mistook the armed offender for a police officer, but he allegedly began making demands before pointing a firearm to his victim, detective senior Sergeant Glen Close told reporters on Tuesday. “He basically asked her to comply with his directions otherwise he’d shoot her,” S/Sgt Close said. It’s then alleged he lead her into the shelter and bound her with cable tyres before asking her about cats. “He was asking about where the cats are stored and talking about that he doesn’t like that animals are killed. He seemed to sort of have the belief that animals are potentially treated in a cruel way and are potentially killed at the premises,” S/Sgt Close added. The victim, who wasn’t physically injured during the incident, was able to free herself before raising the alarm. “To be confronted like that, in a dark, sort of remote location ... (she’s) obviously very traumatised but otherwise OK,” S/Sgt Close said. No animals were harmed or taken during the incident. Lost Dogs’ Home spokeswoman Suzana Talevski said the organisation was “shocked and extremely concerned” about the incident. “The Home has a zero tolerance policy when it comes to violence against our staff in any shape or form,” she said. “Our main priority is the welfare of our staff and we are providing all the support possible
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Detectives were on scene at the Lost Dogs’ Home in Cranbourne West on Tuesday morning. 225618 to the animal transport team member who was a victim in this horrendous ordeal. “The Lost Dogs’ Home is working with Victoria Police on this matter and thanks the community for their outpouring of support for our staff.” A large police presence, including members from the Critical Incident Response Team
The Lost Dogs’ Home was “shocked and extremely concerned” about the incident. 225618
(CIRT) and the Dog Squad, descended on the animal shelter on Monday night in search of the man. Detectives remained on scene on Tuesday before police confirmed a man was being questioned. He was later charged with kidnapping, false imprisonment, aggravated burglary, armed
robbery and firearm offences. Police also executed search warrants in Langwarrin and Carrum Downs as part of the investigation, and seized three firearms. The alleged offender was remanded in custody and was due to front the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Tuesday afternoon. He hadn’t yet appeared in court at the time of print.
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Drugged-out driver who killed four cops at traffic stop gets...
22 years in jail By Cam Lucadou-Wells An ice-addled truck driver who hardly slept for days before fatally running down four police officers in a freeway emergency lane has been jailed for up to 22 years. Mohinder Bajwa Singh, 48, of Cranbourne pleaded guilty to four counts of culpable driving causing the death of Victoria Police officers Leading Senior Constable Lynette Taylor, Constable Glen Humphris, Senior Constable Kevin King and Constable Joshua Prestney. He also pleaded guilty to three counts of trafficking illicit drugs - ice, cannabis and 1,4-butanediol. Without braking, Singh’s prime mover ploughed into two parked police vehicles and Richard Pusey’s intercepted Porsche in the Eastern Freeway emergency lane about 5.36pm on 22 April 2020. In sentencing, Supreme Court judge Paul Coghlan said “chilling” dashcam footage showed the police officers had “no hope” as they stood next to their vehicles. Their deaths were “entirely unnecessary” and “should have been avoided”. “Their deaths were caused by you,” Justice Coghlan told Singh on 14 April. In the days before the crash, Singh used and trafficked drugs, spoke often of being stalked by witches and stick figures, and took little time to rest. He was so impaired on ice he was incapable of properly controlling a vehicle at the time. At most, he rested for just five hours in the 72 hours before the crash. His level of sleep deprivation was equivalent to driving with a 0.3 blood-alcohol reading. Justice Coghlan noted Singh’s mental health issues including a meth-induced psychosis at the time. But Singh still knew he shouldn’t have been driving under fatigue and the influence of ice. He knew that he was “doing the wrong thing” - and the decision to drive was his.
Truck driver Mohinder Bajwa Singh, 48, was jailed for a minimum 18-and-a-half years for the deaths of four police officers. Picture: FACEBOOK His proposition that he’d acted out of a fear of losing his job was “illusory” and “selfish”. Hours before the crash, an associate was told by Singh that “the witches are coming and we have to leave.” “I had never seen anyone as drug f***ed in my life,” the associate later told police.
“He hadn’t slept for eight days”. About 4.30am that morning, Singh told his son that “a witch was messing with his head, that a witch was following him, that a witch was pulling him towards her”. Before Singh set out on the fateful journey, a work colleague told Singh’s supervisor at Connect Logistics’ depot in Abbotts Road Dandenong South that Singh shouldn’t be driving. The supervisor, who was a lay pastor, spoke and prayed with Singh before Singh reluctantly agreed to deliver a load to Thomastown. The supervisor has been charged with manslaughter in relation to the crash. Justice Coghlan said Singh believed that the prayers made it less likely that the stick figures would return. He signed a ‘fitness to drive’ form, and left the depot just before 5pm - only stopping to supply ice to an associate in Abbotts Road. During the next 38 minutes, the truck was observed several times dipping across lanes and into the emergency lane. Justice Coghlan noted an observer “prophetically” told his mother minutes before the crash: “This dude’s going to f***ing kill someone”. Singh had not appeared to have reacted or braked until after the crash - despite the activation of the truck’s collision warning system two seconds earlier. Police found 83 grams of cannabis and 3 grams of meth in the truck, three cannabis plants being grown at his house and 23 diazepam tablets in Singh’s Camry and home. Singh was taken to hospital and initially deemed unfit for interview. He later told police that he didn’t want to work because he was “sleepy and tired”. “I can still see them in front of my truck and I tried to slam the brakes on ‘em and I couldn’t stop it, I couldn’t stop it.” Over the days before, Singh sold and used drugs on several occasions, including a 12-hour bender on ice and 1,4-butanediol with a female in a Dandenong Motel room.
By Danielle Kutchel It’s been another month of record adoptions at The Lost Dogs’ Home. Victorians in lockdown appear to be looking for comfort and are finding it in the soft eyes of a fur-friend, with hundreds of animals adopted from the Home’s Cranbourne and North Melbourne shelters over the month of August. For more, turn to page 12
He was observed by some of his drug associates as “off his head”. One of whom told him “he would kill someone if he didn’t get some sleep”. Justice Coghlan noted Singh reported ghosts and supernatural phenomena since age 5. From 2016, Singh recommenced smoking, snorting and injecting ice on a daily basis. He took it to stay awake while driving trucks, he said. He was also reporting seeing lights and dead people such as World War II soldiers, but didn’t report mental health issues during several visits to GPs. Justice Coghlan said Singh had “some” prospects of rehabilitation. He also noted the “thoughtful, considerate, powerful and moving” victim impact statements by the police officers’ partners, children, parents, grandparents, siblings and colleagues as well as eyewitnesses. Many of them delivered them in-person and in front of the culprit. “We can only hope as a community that as time goes by, some amelioration of their suffering can come about,” Justice Coghlan said. After the sentence, the officers’ families stated “justice has now been served” but “no amount of punishment can replace the loss of our loved ones and the missing place at our tables that will be felt by us for the rest of our lives”. They thanked people from across Victoria, Australia and the world for their “outpouring of love”. “We are consoled by the fact that our four will not be forgotten as we continue to carry them in our hearts.” Singh, who has served 357 days in pre-sentence custody, was jailed for up to 22 years. The maximum jail term for each culpable driving charge was 20 years. He will be eligible for parole after 18-and-ahalf years. Singh was disqualified from driving for 10 years.
Sally Laity shares the love with Cola at the Lost Dogs Home Cranbourne. 249723 Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS
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Fed up with floodwaters
Greg Flood and local business people stranded by three-day floodwaters across Centre Road and Rimfire Drive, Hallam. 259111 Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS
Hallam businesses say they have been left repeatedly high and dry by long-dwelling floodwaters across Centre Road and Rimfire Drive. Most recently on Wednesday 17 November, both lanes of Centre Road were deeply submerged for three days due to overflow from the adjoining Hallam Valley flood plain. Eclipse Security Systems owner Greg Flood said local enterprises were effectively stranded from customers and deliveries. “Some of these small businesses have suffered really badly in the pandemic, and now they haven’t been able to get customers.” About seven cars were drowned in floodwaters, trucks damaged and staff ferried by 4WD to get to work. Read more page 3
Violence dismay By Marcus Uhe The 2020-21 financial year produced some of the highest figures for sexual offences and family incidents in Victoria in the last five years, according to data from the 2020-21 Victorian Family Violence Database. A ‘family incident’ includes offences such as family violence, interfamilial-related sexual offences, and child abuse incidents attended by police, according to the Crime Statistics Agency. The database included statistics on sexual assaults in Victoria for the first time, in re-
sponse to the Victorian Government’s commitment to building an evidence base under the Family Violence Reform Rolling Action Plan. Crime Statistics Agency chief statistician Fiona Dowsley noted the value of the publication of sexual assault data through the database. “For the first time, this year’s database provides an in-depth look at sexual assault data in Victoria, including the overlaps between family violence and sexual assault,” Ms Dowsley said.
“Monitoring and publication of this data is important for increasing understanding so responses to both sexual assault and family violence can continue to be improved.” Along with state-wide statistics, figures were also grouped by Local Government Areas with the City of Casey ranked sixth for recorded sexual assault offences in the last financial year with 488, and Greater Dandenong not far behind at ninth on 431. Cardinia Shire Council was significantly lower at 154 offences, however, when compared to Casey for cases per 100,000 people,
they ranked similarly at 130 compared to Casey’s 132.1. Greater Dandenong was considerably higher on the cases per 100,000 figure at 262.2. Casey was also in the top 10 LGAs for the number of emergency room presentations for sexual violence injuries between July 1 2016 and June 30 2021. There were a number of key findings from the data. There was an increase of 10.8 per cent in the number of sexual offences recorded by police, up from 13,589 in 2019-20 to 15,062 in 2020-21. Continued page 7
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It’s a simple question: R U OK? But those three little words can have a massive impact on a person’s life, as R U OK? Day ambassador Bruce Allen knows too well. The former Narre Warren South resident has struggled with depression for much of his adult life. Growing up in Wodonga, he didn’t know much about depression when he started university at the tender age of 17. On a visit back home he dropped into the local GP and was prescribed anti-depressants,
but didn’t think much of it; he took the medication, finished the script and didn’t renew it. A year later, his mother was diagnosed with cancer. Bruce was close to his mum and dropped out of uni as he travelled regularly back home to visit her. She passed away not long after his 21st birthday. This sparked his second episode of depression. Bruce threw himself into work, abandoning his studies completely. “I didn’t have the mental capacity to grieve
and study at the same time,” he recalled. “I was back on medication by then … but I still didn’t do a lot of self-care.” He still saw his GP, but didn’t see any other medical practitioners. “I thought I’d medicate my way out of it, that it was a passing phase, I was grieving.” By his mid-20s, mental health was a recurring issue for Bruce. He saw a psychiatrist for the first time but his treatment was still heavily focused on medication. By the time he reached his 30s, Bruce was married with two young children.
The next 10 years passed in a blur of new jobs, family moves and continued medication. “I had resigned myself to the fact I was going to be like this forever - I was on medication and that was the way I was going to deal with it,” he said. He saw different psychiatrists but didn’t make a connection with any of them. But in 2018, life came to a head. He separated from his wife, was being bullied at work and began having severe suicidal thoughts. Continued page 5
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Looking back on lockdown By Marcus Uhe and Shelby Brooks After the horrors of 2020, we all thought Covid-19 was behind us, but before long we were back into the familiar constraints of a lockdown. We first went into a circuit breaker lockdown between 12 to 17 February amid chaotic scenes at the Australian Open as fans were removed from the stands mid-game to comply with stay-at-home orders. After a locked-down Valentine’s Day we had 14 weeks of bliss where community events, including the winter sports which completely missed out on their 2020 season, made a rollicking return. But as the days got shorter and the maximum temperatures plummeted, case numbers began to rise, sending us into a 14-day lockdown from Monday 28 May to Thursday June 10. By then frontline workers had begun to get vaccinated in what was our best strategy to combat the pandemic. We would go on to spend the entire winter bouncing in and out of various restrictions regarding hospitality, visitors and mask requirements. Between Friday 16 July and Tuesday 27 July we were back in our homes as the Delta variant tightened its grip. We were granted just seven days of freedom before we received the dreaded news that we would be back under stay-at-home orders for our sixth lockdown for what was initially expected to last just one week. One week became two and before we knew it, it was 21 October when we emerged from our enforced winter hibernation and began readjusting to a new Covid-normal. The Casey and Greater Dandenong local
Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS
People queued for vaccinations. 246845 government areas were considered Covid-19 epicentres in November due to persistent high case numbers and low vaccination numbers. Casey hit a peak of active cases in late October with 2617 in the community.
Even late in the year, December saw the emergence of our newest holiday season ornament, the Omicron variant, hanging around like a nosey relative on Christmas Day. In early December the City of Casey had the unwanted recognition of being one of the first
LGAs in Melbourne to record a positive case of the variant. Remember to follow the health advice and get your booster shot when available to give us our best chance of making the pandemic yesterday’s news.
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Equestrian Charity Equine Pathways Australia in Narre Warren is empowering people with disabilities and helping them find their tribe. Founder Julia Battams previously worked with Equestrian Australia and with athletes with disabilities, training them for the Paralympic Games and world championship competitions. Athletes are supported by qualified allied health professionals who help them set and achieve goals in their riding and training, and adaptive equipment is used to provide a safe and supportive environment for athletes. The program is about creating a supportive, safe community where people can learn new skills and meet others like them. EPA offers recreational, vocational and high performance programs, depending on the athlete’s preference. The strong social bonds between participants have quite literally saved people’s lives, participant Mel Diplock explained. She came to EPA after an accident in 2009 and major spinal surgery in 2010 left her with a disability.
Equine Pathways Australia provides a safe and supportive environment for athletes with Picture: SUPPLIED disabilities. 253144 “It’s quite dramatic to say this but I can openly say I wouldn’t be alive without EPA,” she said. “It was that bad, the depression. I can
pretty much guarantee there wouldn’t be one participant who hadn’t said at one point, ‘I wouldn’t be here without EPA’ -it means that much to people with disabilities.”
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Kelly’s Hotel in Cranbourne redesigned the structure of their parma during lockdown. 241695 Picture: SUPPLIED
The team at Kelly’s Hotel in Cranbourne made the most of their downtime in lockdown by redesigning their signature chicken parma. They decided to shave the ham instead of using a single slice of ham to create more adhesiveness between the white sauce and the cheese atop the parma, which had previously fallen off during transit from the kitchen to the customer. Head chef Damien Quinn believes the new structure also adds to the overall flavour of the meal. cranbournenews.starcommunity.com.au
NEWS
‘Forest of protection’ State-run vaccination sites across Victoria including the Cranbourne Turf Club are being transformed into an Australian-themed ‘forest of protection’ creating a friendly environment for children aged five to 11 years to receive their vaccination. Eight vaccination centres will feature fun imagery of native Australian animals, as well as entertainers, activities and showbags designed to help make the vaccination experience positive for children and their families. The state-run sites have been designed to cater for children who need additional support during their vaccination process such as a visual distraction, virtual reality headsets and the Buzzy Bees ice pack. The child-friendly vaccination hubs also provide low-sensory booths and are able to cater for specific needs. Acting Premier Jacinta Allen said the themed vaccination centres would help ease the stress of children and families receiving their vaccination. “We want to create a vaccination experience that is positive for the whole family,” Minister Allen said. “The forest themed hubs have been designed to provide a welcoming and accessible experience for children of all backgrounds and abilities.” “By getting your child vaccinated, you are providing them with direct protection against COVID-19 and reducing the risk of transmission to loved ones and in schools.” From 1pm Wednesday 5 January, parents and guardians can book at one of the 18 staterun vaccination centres offering child vaccinations online or through the coronavirus hotline.
Online bookings require a unique email address, which can be the child’s address or another one belonging to a parent or guardian. Children who get vaccinated at one of the eight chosen sites will also receive a show-bag with items that can help with distraction, including a colouring-in book by First Nations’ artist Emma Bamblett, coloured pencils, stickers and fidget spinners. Children will also be able to place a leaf with their name on it on the ‘eucalyptus vaccination tree’ that grows with every child vaccinated, with parents also able to add a leaf after receiving their third dose. Parents and guardians are encouraged to also check for paediatric vaccination appointments at their local GPs and pharmacies across Victoria. Parents and guardians of children between five and 11 are recommended to book in their child’s first dose in the lead up to the program commencing Monday 10 January. The paediatric Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine reduces Covid-19 risks for children and has the additional benefit of reducing risks of transmission to older contacts. For more information and to book your children’s first dose,visit coronavirus.vic.gov. au/vaccine Bookings can also be made via the Coronavirus Hotline on 1800 675 398 or via your local pharmacy or GP. The forest-themed sites will also be located at Sandown Racecourse and Frankston Community Vaccination Hub, among others across Victoria.
Children’s vaccination centres will be less stark and more appealing. 248123
Police brief: Langwarrin learner charged A learner driver and his supervisor, both from Langwarrin, had a New Year’s Eve to forget after being intercepted by Colac Highway Patrol officers on the Great Ocean Road. The 25-year-old driver was caught driving at an alleged speed of 75 kilometres per hour, exceeding the 60 kilometres per hour
speed limit, at approximately 9pm on Friday night. Breath tests were conducted on both the learner driver and his supervising driver, with the supervising driver, also 25, providing an alleged blood alcohol concentration of .086. Supervising drivers are required to ad-
here to the alcohol condition applicable to their licence. The learner was issued an infringement notice for allegedly exceeding the speed limit, while the supervisor will be summonsed to appear before a Magistrate for allegedly exceeding the zero alcohol condition on their licence.
A learner driver and his supervisor from Langwarrin were caught alledgedly speeding on New Years Eve. 253041
Victorian road toll climbs By Jamie Salter The number of lives lost on Victorian roads has increased from the previous year, causing the Victorian Government to reaffirm its focus on tackling road trauma. Over the past year, 236 people died on the Victorian roads, compared with 211 in 2020 meaning many Victorians are spending their first summer holiday without a family member, friend or colleague. The year-on-year increase was primarily impacted by an increase in the number of lives lost on metropolitan roads, where there were 117 deaths compared with 84 in 2020. There was also an increase in single vehicle fatal crashes, which accounted for 46 lives lost, compared with 33 last year. Tragically, 36 people died while not wearing a seat belt, well up on the five-year average of 23, while 96 fatalities were in vehicles more than 10 years old that often lack modern safety features. There were 20 pedestrians in metropolitan Melbourne and nine in regional Victoria who lost their lives, while 10 cyclist fatalities were down on the 14 recorded in 2020. Motorcyclist deaths increased to 41 from 32 in 2020 and were equal with the five-year average, with 26 of these occurring on metropolitan roads. Despite the state-wide increase, regional Victoria recorded its second-lowest number of lives lost on record with 119 deaths compared with 126 in 2020. Crashes on highspeed roads continued to be a challenge in regional Victoria where people are often fatigued driving longer distances. cranbournenews.starcommunity.com.au
Transport Accident Commission chief executive officer Joe Calafiore reminded people to drive safely in 2022. “Whether you’re driving, riding or crossing the road, please make the right choices – pay extra attention, share the road safely, click in your seat belt, stick to the speed limit and don’t drive drunk or on drugs,“ Mr Calafiore said. “Victoria’s road safety agencies are working together to protect Victorian road users and will continue rolling out the measures required to achieve this, but we can’t do it alone - everyone has a role to play in keeping our roads safe.” Victorian Road Safety Minister Ben Carroll agreed there was more to be done to end road trauma. “Far too many families feel the pain of losing a loved one or having their lives changed forever due to serious injury, which is why we’re continuing to make significant investment in education, technology, infrastructure and vehicle safety to end road trauma,“ Mr Carroll said. “We have looked out for each other over the last two years and now as Victorians enjoy travelling and the holidays in the new year let’s carry that attitude with us and help each other stay safe by being calm and taking it easy on the roads.” The government will continue to work with the Road Safety Partnership, industry partners, and the community. The Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030 and Action Plan works across policy, education, technology, enforcement, vehicle safety and
Victoria recorded 236 lives lost in 2021. infrastructure to improve safety for vulnerable road users. The strategy sets targets to halve road
deaths and significantly reduce serious injuries by 2030 and sets the state on a path to zero road deaths by 2050. Thursday, 6 January, 2022
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2021 - THE YEAR THAT WAS …
Highfielde Avenue reserve playground Berwick was also shut down. 247684
Getting ready for Halloween in Berwick. 254236
Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS
Bournevale drive reserve playground Berwick was closed during lockdown. 247684 8 STAR NEWS
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Thursday, 6 January, 2022
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Kids chasing bubbles at Blackburne Square Berwick. 232748
Police confront protesters at the Revival Christian Church Narre Warren on Sunday 30 May. 239185
Max a 5yo from Bangholme next to an old truck at Wyuna Farm. 227978 cranbournenews.starcommunity.com.au
2021 - THE YEAR THAT WAS …
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Nat making a chocolate bouquet. 246286
Berwick Business Group at Eighty One Bistro & Taphouse Berwick. 234552
Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS
Author Jo Watson with her book at the giant Bandicoot. 233374
Debbie Andrews (Farm Officer) with Joey who is 80!! 250804
Sid the Sloth bunkers down with a book at Hampton Park library. 251997 Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS
FOCUS ON … DANCE, MUSIC AND DRAMA
Fun and easy rock and roll classes with Suzie Citizens Hall on the corner of Codrington Street and the South Gippsland Highway Both nights offer beginner and advanced rock ‘n’ roll classes open to all with no partner required. The program also includes a special class at the end of the night for partners only to learn
some of the different styles associated with rock ‘n’ roll including swing, west coast, jive, triples, line and partner dances and cha cha. The classes are designed to be fun and easy to follow for those aged 10 upwards. Dancing is great for fitness, co-ordination, balance and memory, with many people form-
ing great friendships through the classes. Rockn Suzies also runs a monthly charity dance at the Pakenham Hall which has been running for 15 years. A different band plays each month. Everyone in the community is welcome and encouraged to attend. For information call Sue on 5940 9791 or 0400 216 670.
* Rock ’n’ Roll * Swing * Jive * Westcoast Beginners & Advanced
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Rockn Suzies dance classes are now in their 19th year teaching at Pakenham and Cranbourne. Pakenham classes are held in the library complex on the corner of John and Henry streets. The Cranbourne class is held at the Senior
Classes held at Cranbourne & Pakenham CRANBOURNE TUESDAY NIGHTS Starting 11th January at 7pm PAKENHAM WEDNESDAY NIGHTS Starting 12th January at 7pm Double vaccinated COVID rules apply $10 per night - No Partner required
Dancing is great for fitness, co-ordination, balance and memory. cranbournenews.starcommunity.com.au
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Shelby learns about asparagus. It was a cold day. 243431
Our journalists on the job 2021 proved challenging for many industries, including those who work in the media. Although lockdown saw journalists confined indoors more than usual, our reporters still had opportunity to connect with local communities. Whether that was visiting small businesses, schools or community events, our journalists loved meeting people from all walks of life. Here’s a few behind the scenes photos of our journalists out and about on jobs this year.
Dani holds her own among the press scrum.
Cam and Gabi give a thumbs up for being back in the office together. 259860
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Marcus stops by Burden Park Bowling Club. 259230
cranbournenews.starcommunity.com.au
Shelby and Taylah at a press conference in Emerald after the storms in June. 240894
Dani and Shelby speak at Lakeside College about being journalists. 237494
Thursday, 6 January, 2022
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STAR NEWS 11
2021 - THE YEAR THAT WAS ...
NEWSMAKERS
Best quotes for the year “For those girls, they had never seen education before. They were so excited, so motivated. Their dreams were to be a doctor, a lawyer, someone. But now, all their dreams are gone.” Lida Hazara, founder and president of Women for Change said after Afghanistan’s capital city Kabul was taken over by Taliban forces. A young girl died in hospital days after her unconscious body was pulled from the water at Lysterfield Lake on 16 January. “Behind every one of these numbers is a person - a brother, a sister, a father, a mother, an aunty or an uncle. A drowning affects so many people and it’s so tragic but it doesn’t need to happen. Drownings are preventable,” Life Saving Victoria’s Dr Bernadette Matthew said. “When corruption occurs in the public sector it hurts all of us. We expect our public officials to behave responsibly and with integrity, and for public resources to be used for the intended purpose to benefit the Victorian community,” Counsel assisting IBAC, Chris Carr said as part of the joint IBAC-State Ombudsman investigation Operation Watts looking into alleged rorting of public funds by some Victorian MPs. “This man has not voluntarily signed up and vowed to protect others like the police, a soldier, a firefighter. This man is a rarity in today’s society and if this world was filled with men like him, what a beautiful world it would be.” Local hero Russell Irwin’s cousin Kara after Russell defended his neighbours from a violent attack. “Fostering is not always easy, particularly when for instance they may die young, or be reunified against the child’s best wishes but in so many other ways it’s one of the best things I can think of to do,” Cranbourne foster parent Zoe said as part of Foster Care Week from September 12-18. (September 16 edition)
“I have never seen a collection of this scale before and I’ve been working as an art dealer for 18 years. There have been five generations of this family who have looked after these pieces for 140 years and they were put into the spare room of the current Cutts home in Berwick,” Amanda Benson, head of Fine Art and Antiquities for Lloyds Auctions. Pearcedale’s Aaron Blitz raised money for Lymphoma Australia after he was diagnosed with cancer. “It’s like being an old man doing chemo at 24. You have your good days and your bad days and all you can do is enjoy your good days and get out and do things,” Mr Blitz said. “People needed a way to restore their humanity, because it was being cut away by the detention system. I wanted that person to know there was someone that did recognise him or her as a human being and they were not forgotten, and they have our respect,” Narre Warren South resident Elaine Smith said. Ms Smith was listed in the Queen’s Birthday honours on Monday 14 June for her services to refugees. “I like how you can just go into another world and let all your feelings out. As a character it’s a good way to let everything flow in you, and your imagination comes within the character.” Eleven-year-old Inuki Mannapperuma on playing the role of John Darling in a theatre production. 21/1 Michael Schiavello’s passion and enthusiasm for sports and commentating has taken him all over the world to commentate major sporting events. “I was just a regular kid with a regular background, no formal study ad no diplomas on my wall, but I made it to the top of the TV world and sports commentating world,” Narre Warren’s sports commentator Mr Schiavello said.
Horror maker Kozakis on third ARIA high
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Noble Park North’s Nick Kozakis received yet another ARIA nomination in November for the Best Video award after directing Won’t Sleep by Tones and I. It was his third consecutive ARIA nomination. Inspired by his love of horror films, Kozakis, co-director Liam Kelly and producer Tim Whiting staged the spectacular at the Palais Theatre in St Kilda. The video pays playful homage to popular horror movies as well as Michael Jackson’s Thriller. With more than 100 cast and crew, it was the biggest, most expensive clip made in
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Australia, Mr Kozakis said. “As a horror enthusiast, it was fun and it was very stressful,” Kozakis said. “We shot over two days, and there was not a single weak link.” Kozakis previously worked with Tones and I on her smash hit Dance Monkey in 2019. Unfortunately Kozakis was unsuccessful with the award going to Vance Joy for his title, Missing Piece. Kozakis was raised in Noble Park and now lives in Noble Park North in order to stay close to his parents.
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Rex name shame By Mitchell Clarke Almost one year since alleged corruption was exposed within the City of Casey, a former councillor is still fighting to clear his name. Former Springfield Ward councillor Rex Flannery, who resigned as deputy mayor just days before the State Government sensationally sacked the entire council in February 2020, says the events of the past 12 months are still “eating” him up. He has now officially requested that his name is removed from both a councillor honour board in the customer service centre and a wall plaque in Bunjil Place. “I have never had any involvement into this alleged corruption scandal and therefore I do not wish to have my name associated with past or former councillors who may have brought our City of Casey into disrepute,” he told Star News. “People look at your name and they see that you’re from Casey Council and immediately they put you in that same mould, which couldn’t be further than the truth. “It’s just horrible to have been a councillor in that term. It gives you a sickening feeling in your gut and now I have to live with that.“ Mr Flannery argues his name should never have been placed on the plaque celebrating the $126 million Bunjil development because at the time he didn’t support the project. “I guess I’ve eaten a little bit of humble pie with Bunjil Place. I’ve been able to see the value that place brings to the community but at the time I was against the development and I wasn’t once consulted (about having my name included),” he said. He also claims former ex-ward partner, Sam Aziz, stated to him that he “wished he never had my name added to the plaque”. “That was the only time I agreed with him,” Mr Flannery said. While Mr Flannery hasn’t accused any former councillor of committing wrongdoing, he said anyone found guilty from the IBAC hearing should immediately have their honours stripped. “They need to have their plaques removed
Rex name shame Almost one year since alleged corruption was exposed within the City of Casey, a former councillor is still fighting to clear his name.
Final Stage
Rex Flannery, pictured in late 2015, wants his name stripped from council. 148005 from anywhere within the City of Casey ... whether it’s a plaque in the botanical gardens or in Bunjil Place, I want them removed so they have absolutely no recognition anymore,” he said. “They’ve disgraced themselves and they’ve disgraced the council. They’ve taken something away from me that I totally enjoyed. I loved serving the Casey community. I just want some clarity as to what way it’s going to go.” Since his resignation, Mr Flannery has been working in an operating theatre at a local hospital. He said he has every intention to run for council again in 2024.
Bunjil Place. associated with the 2016-20 term.” Casey’s governance manager Rhys Matulis said: “Given the IBAC investigation, it would be inappropriate to comment on that matter. Council has received and will consider Mr Flannery’s request in due course.”
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“I want to get back into serving the community again. I want to run again and I want to get my name back on the honour board for the right reasons. At the moment it’s a dishonour board,” he said. Star News understands Mr Flannery has put forward his request to be heard by the administrators at the next council meeting, slated for Tuesday 2 February.“It’s up to them now but a year later, this is still eating at me. I need closure and this is one way that I can get it,“ he said. “I played no part in any downturn or sacking of the council and I feel it’s my duty to say that I don’t want to be a part of or in any way
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New school to open doors Students in the Clyde Creek area will start 2022 in a brand new school, as part of the State Government’s work to deliver a local school for every Victorian student. State Member for Bass Jordan Crugnale today announced the new Clyde Creek Primary School building has reached practical completion, ahead of staff and students starting school in Term 1, 2022. “Clyde is growing each day and more families are calling this beautiful area home,” Minister Crugnale said. “We welcome Clyde Creek Primary into our school network. It has been amazing to see it come to life this last year and I really look forward to meeting the students, their families and all the staff at the first bell in 2022.” The school will have an administration and resource intensive learning building, two learning neighbourhood buildings, a Performing Arts and Physical Education (PAPE) building, including an indoor multi-court, two hardcourts, sports field, bike shelter and playgrounds. In the 2018–19 State Budget, $271.7 million was allocated to schools across the state for land acquisition including funding for Clyde Creek Primary School. In 2020, the school shared in $438.6 million of funding for new schools. Clyde Creek Primary School is one of 14 new schools and campuses opening its doors in 2022, alongside Clyde Secondary College and Bass Coast College - San Remo Campus. Every new Victorian primary school being built will have a kindergarten on site or next door, to reduce the burden on parents and carers. In the past seven years, the Government has invested more than $10.9 billion in building new schools and more than 1700 school upgrades, creating more than 13,500 jobs in construction and associated industries. With 62 schools opening between 2019 and 2024, the Government is well ahead in its work to open 100 new schools by 2026.
The new Clyde Creek Primary School. 263386
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Builder appointed for new specialist campus at Clyde Creek Primary School
Sofio’s silverbeet is 2.25m tall.
Just can’t beet that By Jamie Salter Picture: SUPPLIED Better facilities are on their way for students at Clyde Creek Primary School with the appointment of a builder for the school’s new specialist campus which will provide 50 places for primary-aged students with an intellectual disability. State Member for Bass Jordan Crugnale announced on Friday 24 December that Commercial Industrial Construction Group (CICG) has been appointed to build the new specialist campus at Clyde Creek. Ms Crugnale said the campus would provide children in the area with a dedicated facility to nurture their development. “Clyde Creek families are a step closer to cranbournenews.starcommunity.com.au
getting the great local specialist school facility their kids need to thrive,” she said. “It is yet another great example of the school building boom that is happening right across Victoria.” Clyde Creek Primary School principal Jodi Bray will also lead this campus. A full enrolment policy providing detailed entry eligibility criteria for the specialist campus will be released in term three of 2022. The school shared in the $122.4 million allocated for new schools in the 2020–21 State Budget.
The State Government has invested $5.6 billion to deliver more than 1400 school upgrades, supporting over 5000 construction jobs. Under the state government’s school building boom, a total of 100 new schools will opened by 2026. Minister for Education James Merlino said the boom would aim to ensure Victorian children started their education journey on the right foot. “We’re making sure that our schools have the best facilities, our classrooms have the best teachers and that every child is given every chance to succeed,” Mr Merlino said.
Local green thumb Sofio Raiti was surprised to find his silverbeet has grown to reach 2.25 metres tall. The Cranbourne resident said the vegetable has been growing for about six months and “just grew out of control“. “I’ve never seen it this tall before,“ he said. “The leaves were very wide and big and the top is all seeds now.“ Sofio almost lost his silverbeet in recent stormy weather but was relieved to find it in tact. He has been growing his own vegetables since about 1992 and his impressive garden features peppers, eggplant, lettuce, beans, and tomatoes. Sofio will plant more silverbeet in autumn next year. Thursday, 6 January, 2022
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The peop le receiving of Cranbourne are hospital identificat care close a step closer to ion of a bourne Com preferred to home, with the site for the munity Hosp CranParliamen tary Secre ital. McGhie, tary for was joine Health, line Richa d by Cran Steve Tuesday rds and Bass MP bourne MP Pau9 Jordan Crug of land at February to anno nale on bourne 65 Berwick-Cranb unce that a parce East, had ourn l ferred site. been selec e Road, Cran ted as the The prefe preCasey Com rred site is withi n the so-ca Commun plex and takes ity Centre. in the Balla lled Now that Balla the prefe sen, the City of Case rred site has process been choy will enga to “disp ge in ose” hospital of the land the formal can be so that According built. the to the that the Balla Balla City of Casey, this displaced Commun within ten ity Centre means years. will be Conversat ions with about its the comm future are unity centr submission ongoing, e s on the open. sale of the and community site will soon be Ms Richa rds said Complex the land had been criteria”. chosen beca in the Casey use it “fits She said the Cranbour getting a community ne was “fortunat the grow e” to be hospital ing comm in the centr unity. A comm e of Margie Raman, unity cons Pauline Richa Leaver of lobbied ultative the Vic Healt for rds committee members the hospital for h Building MP, Judy Davis, Liz has Authority Barton, Steve ect woul said they were pleasseveral years and safe, weatherp celebrate d soon McGh roof entry ed that the the choo Ms Barto points for sing of the ie MP, Jordan Crugn Committe begin. projn said the elder site. 22790 ale MP, David bourne e mem she has new hosp ly. ing change 7 watched Ballantyne existing ital woul ber Judy Davi over 50 Cran- will s said the country town hosp d give peop of Monash “This is to a majo years from a be managed ital services in Health and le metropoli small r growth the regio town anym going to help. We’re hope. tan need Deanne by Monash corridor n, and s and not a Health. “This is with an The services provi ulation,” ore - we’ve got a huge bonu requirements. such a growlittle hick nity she said. ded at the expansion goes,” she s as far as ing popof Liz Barto those curre new site will Mon said of the the comm ash Heal be ntly The new munity consn, a retired nurs th u- Care Cranbour hospital. Centre andat the Cranbour provided by e and ultan tal ne Integ will take major hosp With a back t on the comm fellow com- serviwill provide integ ne Commun rated pressure ittee, agree itals - enab rated comm ity Hospi- critic ground ces, spec hopes to d. in build ialist al care ling them off nearby unity healt be of the hosp able to have inpu ing design, she care, mental healt appointments, to focus h gency care and acute healt on diagnostic paed h services, and more h issues, pose” - fromital to ensure that t over the desig dental serviiatric procedures. emercomplex n after-hou pathology and it is “fit things like surgeries ces, linen, to rs urgen for purimaging, stora It’s expe the size and dialysis, cted of lifts and ge for infectious bilitation services.t care, day surge ry and reha- later this year, that construct the provi It will servi ion sion of with the 2024. ce the grow Cranbour hospital will begin th to open ne and Cranbour Clyde whilscorridor around in ne Commun t compleme 10 new nt- state community hosp ity Hospital is one governme itals nt, at a cost being built by of The site of the the Cranb new of $66 milli ourne East. community hosp on. ital in 227907 Pictures: STEWART CHAMBERS
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Testing times A surge in demand for rapid antigen tests (RAT) has hit Pakenham pharmacists who are currently experiencing a lack of supply. Rapid antigen tests are a faster way to test for Covid-19 than traditional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests. Although the rapid tests are now available to purchase at participating pharmacies, supermarkets, and other retail outlets, many locations are facing a supply shortage. Cardinia Lakes Pharmacy owner Ron Whitney said he has had difficulties obtaining stock from his wholesale provider. “Stock levels everywhere are no good now,” he said. “We had more than 200 rapid antigen tests in the week before Christmas and we sold out on Christmas Eve. “We get a couple hundred phone calls a day from people looking for the tests and a lot of foot traffic.” Mr Whitney said despite placing big orders for the rapid tests, he will have to limit the purchase of the product to about two tests per person to ensure stock does not run out. “We have orders in with our wholesalers but we don’t know how much we will get,” he said. “I feel for the members of the public who need them.” Pakenham’s Good Neighbour Pharmacy head pharmacist Matthew Gauke said the recent demand for rapid antigen tests has been “ridiculous”. “I’m getting a phone call every five minutes,” he said. “It really picked up a couple days before New Year’s Eve – it’s worse than toilet paper!” The pharmacy has only been selling rapid tests for about three to four weeks and Mr Gauke said it was difficult to get his hands on the highly sought-after kits.
Australians can now receive their booster shot after four months. 256374
Reduced wait time for Covid-19 booster shots Cardinia Lakes Pharmacy has sold out of rapid antigen tests. 263845
People are now eligible to receive their Covid-19 booster shot four months after they received their second vaccination, instead of the previous time frame of five months. The change recommended by the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation came into effect on Tuesday 4 January. Wait times for the booster shots will be reduced further on Monday 31 January to just three months to increase protection against infection with the Omicron variant. Booster doses are not mandatory but are recommended to reduce the risk of symptomatic infection, severe illness and death from Covid-19. People who are 18 years and older and
“I can’t buy them from our pharmaceutical wholesaler,” he said. “We didn’t see the high demand coming and I don’t see it getting better anytime soon.” A concern for local pharmacists has been whether the Federal Government would provide the rapid antigen tests free of charge. But on Monday 3 January, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said rapid antigen tests would not be made free. “We’ve invested hundreds of billions of dollars getting Australia through this crisis. But we’re now in a stage of the pandemic where you can’t just make everything free because, when someone tells you they want to make something free, someone’s always going to pay for it and it’s going to be you,” Mr Morrison said on Channel Seven’s Sunrise program.
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have waited four months since their second dose can now receive the booster shot. Federal Health Minister Greg Hut said Australia has delivered more than 2.5 million boosters. “This is the start of the process where people who are four months or more from their second dose will become eligible for the booster,” Minister Hunt said. “And I think this is a great thing. “There is enough vaccine for every Australian to have their booster already in country and all orders are being met.” The change to wait times comes just before Australia’s Covid-19 vaccination program will be extended to all children aged five to 11 from Monday 10 January. Victoria recorded 14,020 locally acquired cases on Tuesday 4 January.
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SPORT - 2021 IN REVIEW
GENERAL SPORT
Our champions overcome By Nick Creely and David Nagel While 2021 has provided some bright moments, the challenges felt by our local sporting community from the Covid-19 pandemic have once again been profound. However, through thick and thin the rich sporting region of the south-east has seen many achievements to celebrate, and give optimism that 2022 will be one uninterrupted and allow the community to more widely come together as one. The major sporting story of 2021 was the Tokyo Olympic Games in July where some of our local athletes truly shone on the international stage. Amy Lawton (Emerald, hockey), Heming Hu (Dandenong, table tennis), Laetisha Scanlan (Berwick, shooting), Sergei Evglevski (Berwick, shooting), Bec Henderson (Narre Warren, athletics) all represented the local region and their country with immense pride, Scanlan, 31-year-old, in particular got close to a memorable Olympic medal, finishing fourth in the women’s trap final, while Amy Lawton had a very promising Olympic debut campaign for the Hockeyroos. While the results didn’t quite go our locals’ way at times, there were so many things to smile about, with Bec Henderson putting in a great effort in race-walking, Sergei Evglevski showed tremendous spirit, while table tennis champion Heming Hu was a captivating athlete to watch. Another story that pulled at the heartstrings was at the Berwick Montuna golf course, where people from all walks of life can together to remember their great mate – Ash De La Rue. His was a life tragically cut short by cancer, leaving behind a loving family - including a young son. But his was a life that will never be forgotten. Two of De La Rue’s great mates, Justin Stanton and Jeff Bernard, organised a golf day they lovingly named Flynn’s Sporting Journey as it was held to raise funds for young four-year-old Flynn as he progresses in his chosen endeavours, be they academic or sporting. “Ash was just one of these guys who was actively involved in a number of areas throughout the community, as well as being a construction manager at Mirvac,” Stanton said. “He touched a lot of people in different ways, either by providing them with employment, or just being involved socially. Jeff and I decided that if we put a golf day together, we’d try and raise some money to put into a trust account for Flynn that Ash’s sister Sheridan could manage. “It was just one of those things where the local guys wanted to do something to acknowledge the passing of Flynn’s dad Ashley and have this as an annual event.” With the majority of sporting competitions such as Big V basketball, state-league soccer, hockey and winter baseball managing to get a season start, Covid-19 had the final say in the end with all competitions cancelled with an eye on 2022. Disappointment was evident across the region at the cancellation of community sport, and with a sense of dejà vu after 2020; the importance of staying connected was all the more important. But there were still so many wonderful achievements from local clubs, leagues and sportspeople before Covid hit once more. At the elite level, reigning A-League Men premiers Melbourne City officially moved into its new base at Casey Fields. The local boxing scene was in full force in April, with the Doveton Boxing Club sending three boxers over to compete against Tasmania in the annual regional tournament, finding great success with 13-year-old Isaac Johnson picking up a win, 26-year-old Eden Hansted also showed terrific signs with a win, while 38-year-old Shane Lynch fought hard in his matchup. Emerging para-athlete Jack Howell is another athlete to keep an eye on as he gears up for the Paris Paralympics in 2024. Howell – a student from Kambrya College in Berwick – is a para-athlete booming in ablecranbournenews.starcommunity.com.au
Berwick teenager Izzy Rampant was one of the stories of 2021. 257768 bodied triathlons, with the dream of reaching the Paralympics. The 17-year-old was born with a congenital amputation of his left hand from the wrist. “I still have growth and development to gain in the sport, but to already be competitive shows that I have the potential to race at an elite level in the future,” he said. Casey Basketball Association (CBA) continued its rapid rise in the world of Victorian basketball with September’s announcement that the Cavaliers will join the Coles Express NBL1 South competition in 2022. “We are excited to join NBL1 South as it’s something we’ve been striving towards across the last few years,” Casey general manager Tammy Bower said. “For us, being in NBL1 South is the reward for our hard work – I feel we’ve put in a lot of effort in to being the best in everything we do and joining NBL1 South is an amazing outcome for everyone involved in our association. “Our players, coaches, board members, staff members and volunteers have done an amazing job getting us to this level and we’re ready to take the step up.” One youngster who defied Covid-19 was Berwick teenager Isabella Rampant who pushed the negativity of lockdowns to one side to smash out an incredible 100-consecutive days of CrossFit workouts at her local gym. The 14-year-old - better known as Izzy ticked off the magical milestone on her ongoing journey at Cardinia CrossFit in Pakenham in November. “Through Covid lockdowns we did Zoom classes. I had equipment at home and it became something to do every day,” she said. “It was lots of fun and there was always someone else on Zoom so I had someone to chat too as well. You would see them every day, it was really good and it helped me keep sane mentally.” And a review of 2021 would not be complete without a look back at the win of King Magnus in the $500,000 Listed TAB Cranbourne Cup (1600m). Heavy rains – that almost called a halt to the cup meeting at his home track – turned into a perfect storm for Cranbourne trainer Robbie Griffiths after the popular local claimed his first home-town cup success. Griffiths, who now trains in partnership with Mathew de Kock, has been a familiar face at Cranbourne for 30 years, when a young jockey decided to dip his toes into the training ranks after rising weight became a burden on
Pictures: STEWART CHAMBERS
Robbie Griffiths and Mathew de Kock celebrate the win of King Magnus in the $500,000 TAB Cranbourne Cup (1600m). 257758 his riding career. Griffiths trained his first winner in 1992 – Go Raami – and won his first Group-1 in 2016 when The Quarterback won the Newmarket Handicap. But you get the feeling that the Cranbourne Cup win ranks right alongside that Group-1 in terms of importance. “This is big, this is very special because to win your hometown Cup, especially this year, the inaugural running of the TAB Cranbourne Cup, in our first year as a partnership, it’s very, very special,” Griffiths said post-race. “Neil Bainbridge (Cranbourne Turf Club chief executive officer) and the team have done a fantastic job so it’s very special.” King Magnus, a six-year-old gelding out of Magnus/Influential Miss, was having just his second start in heavy going, running last of 13 the only time he had stepped out on heavy ground at Sandown in June last year. But King Magnus had been a model of consistency since then, finishing top two in six of his eight starts since that poor effort at Sandown, that came after putting on a buckjumping display.
Jockey Lachlan King settled King Magnus midfield, but made a sweeping run around the home turn to emerge as a leading contender. King Magnus dug deep in the home straight, surging with 100-metres to run to hold off the late efforts of race-favourite Our Playboy, with So Si Bon back in third. Griffiths said King Magnus will now have a well-deserved break before possibly being targeted at a huge prize in the autumn. “He’s going to have a break now, we spoke to Greg Carpenter (handicapper) the other day about nominating him for the All-Star Mile,” Griffiths said. “Whether he’s good enough I’m not sure, but he’ll have a lot of backing, people will follow him, that’s for sure.” The Cranbourne Cup meeting was almost abandoned before the first race, with three leading riders inspecting the track after unseasonal heavy rains had the track teetering on a heavy-10 rating. But the rains, that had caused so much damage later in the week, finally eased to allow the program, which carried a record $1.6million in prizemoney, to proceed. Thursday, 6 January, 2022
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STAR NEWS 17
SPORT - 2021 IN REVIEW
CRICKET
Dreams can come true By Nick Creely and David Nagel Hallam Kalora Park brushed aside the disappointment of recent years securing its first DDCA Turf 1 premiership since 2001/02 - a 20-year period not lost on the many loyal Hallam people who were in full voice all the way through a thrilling grand final against Berwick. But the premiership cup could legitimately have gone into the hands of Berwick skipper Matthew Chasemore if not for a few brief little moments, and that is ultimately how tightlyfought and fierce the clash was. It was utterly absorbing. Every single ball, wicket, and run seemingly had implications. It was a grand final truly befitting its title. The momentum swung so rapidly, and so intensely that it was almost hard to keep up. The Hawks batted first, with opener Ben Hillard gritting out one of the more important half-centuries of his career, compiling 54 to help his side post a tricky 7/151. Man of the match Steven Gilmour’s 30 in the context of the game was clutch – he turned the strike over beautifully late in the piece and held the Bears at bay when it looked like they were going in for the kill. The Bears looked buried in reply, falling to 7/84 after a superb bowling performance from the Hawks quicks – particularly Will Whyte and Steve Gilmour – but James Wilcock (34) and Brendan Rose (33) almost got Chasemore’s side home, before Kevin Kean’s catch put the Hawks back on the top of the Turf 1 tree with just seven runs separating the two sides. There was a sense of euphoria for Hallam Kalora Park captain Jordan Hammond in the aftermath of an incredible premiership victory. It was the club’s first Turf 1 flag since 2001/02, where Jordan’s father John was the skipper in that premiership glory, ending a drought spanning almost 20 years in emotional scenes at Frawley Road. Jordan’s uncle Richard, a club great coached the side this season too. “It’s unbelievable, its personally one of the best feelings I’ve ever had in sport,” he told Star News. “Apart from last year playing with Casey, I’ve been playing with these boys for about eight or nine senior seasons, the same group of blokes, so it’s been a long time coming. “There’s three or four that I’ve played cricket with for 15 years, from being juniors, Ryan Hillard, Ben Hillard, Rob Parker and even guys like Jagveer Hayer who left at the start of the year, Leigh Booth, Lee Brown, it’s unbelievable. “That’s why I play cricket, to be with my mates - I don’t play to get money or for shits and giggles, I play to win and for my mates, and that’s the reason why the other 10 blokes play. “We’ve fallen short a few times, but every year we’ve just gotten better - finally this year we went this step further, I honestly can’t believe it.” The prestigious Alan Wookey Medal for champion Turf 1 player went to none other than Ruwantha Kellepotha, who compiled a season almost needed to be seen to be believed. The Berwick star leggie – who has now moved on to Premier Cricket with Casey-South Melbourne – belted 375 runs at 37.5 for the season, and took an astonishing 43 wickets at 11.9. In Turf 2, the Gartside Medal went to Dandenong West all-rounder Gurpreet Singh, who put together a season featuring 233 runs at 21.2 and 26 wickets at 12.7. Narre Warren (4/94) saluted with the Turf 2 premiership, defeating Dandenong West (92) in a dominant performance. Quick Josh Dinger was the star of the day, snaring incredible figures of 6/21. Cardinia’s home-ground fortress at Gunton Oval was rocking long into the night after the Bulls secured an emotional 28-run victory over Kooweerup in the 2020/21 West Gippsland Cricket Association (WGCA) Premier Division grand final. The Bulls compiled a moderate 9/111 from their compulsory 40 overs – an innings which included just two sixes and no fours – before a 18 STAR NEWS
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Thursday, 6 January, 2022
Hallam Kalora Park broke a two-decade drought in the Dandenong District Cricket Association. 232575
Picture: ROB CAREW
Cardinia won its first WGCA Premier Division title since 2008/09 in a gruelling 2020/21 grand final against Kooweerup. 232697 Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS relentless bowling performance saw the home side secure its first top-flight premiership success since 2008/09. The victory was the high-point of an emotive period for the Bulls, with the passing of stalwarts Ian Campbell and Wayne Snooks leaving an indelible mark on the club. “I’m all over the place right now, out of control, it’s overwhelming and there are tears everywhere,” said a reflective Ricky Campbell – Ian’s son - after playing his part in the Bulls’ success. “This year was all about keeping my place in the team and doing this for Snooksy and the old man. “We’ve done it now and I can’t believe it. I’m so proud of the club, so proud of our team, and so proud that we could pull this off for those two blokes in particular.” The Bulls victory was chock-full of merit, defeating a Kooweerup side that has won an
astonishing seven premierships in the last 11 years. Premiership captain Jake Prosser said he was still confident, even with the Demons seemingly in command at 2/50 from 15 overs in reply. “We like to build pressure on our home ground and teams crack and that’s been the story for most games this year,” Prosser said. “We don’t give away singles and we try to bowl maidens, it’s a simple game plan. The ground is slow and teams get frustrated and they eventually make mistakes. It’s a massive advantage playing here…we’ve been undefeated here all year.” Up-and-coming Bull Travis Wheller secure the Lex Duff Medal, courtesy of a game-changing spell of 3/24, which included the key wickets of Kooweerup guns Chris O’Hara and Jess Mathers in the space of three balls. The premiership capped off a memorable
season for one Bull in particular, with superstar spinner Dwayne Doig claiming the 600th wicket of an astonishing career, earlier in the season against Pakenham. Cardinia captain Jake Prosser won the Premier Division Player of the Year Award, with Lucas Carroll (Devon Meadows – District), Gavin Hackett (Nyora- Sub District), David MacDonald (Emerald – B Grade), Scott Kunziak (Merinda Park – C Grade), Jaxon Burdette (Emerald) and Nadun Alwis (NNG/Maryknoll – D Grade), Nicholas Whitelaw (Officer – E Grade) and Shannon Allum (Clyde – F Grade) also taking top honours in their particular grades of competition. And Kooweerup champion Jess Mathers gave us all an insight into his recent battles after being diagnosed with testicular cancer early in 2020. The Demons’ superstar bravely told his story in the hope it would help men take better care of their health and to listen to their bodies. cranbournenews.starcommunity.com.au
SPORT - 2021 IN REVIEW
FOOTBALL
Big guns left smouldering By Nick Creely and David Nagel The AFL Outer East competition (now known as the Outer East Football Netball League) will be left wondering what could have been after Covid-19 ravaged yet another season of football and netball. And it was promising to be a season with many twists and turns, and one with storylines that almost write themselves. Coming into the season, one of the great storylines was the return of Cranbourne legend Marc Holt to his home club after a stint with Karingal, while Beaconsfield – under master coach Mick Fogarty – were looming as the team to beat. While sitting there quietly, going about its business with no fuss or flair was 2019 reigning premiers Narre Warren, with a few changes to its list but hungrier than ever to defend its Premier Division mantle. But after many stops and starts, the season ended for good on Saturday 10 July, as the gravity of the situation facing Metropolitan Melbourne worsened by the day. Despite a second-season in a row of no grand final day, no joyous celebrations after a year of hard work, sweat and tears, there were many aspects to reflect on. Beaconsfield were crowned minor premiers in Premier Division, winning all of its eight matches, Cranbourne finished second with five wins from eight matches, while in third Narre Warren had six wins next to its name. Pakenham and Olinda Ferny Creek rounded out the top five with wins apiece and will be hoping to build on that momentum in 2022. In Division 1, Monbulk finished top-of-thetable, with Mt Evelyn, Gembrook Cockatoo, Officer and Seville making up the top-five in what was an incredibly even and balanced season. Individually, Holt was crowned the leading goalkicker of the competition with 30 goals in Premier Division and loomed as a huge xfactor heading towards finals, while Division 1 saw another great sharpshooter, Monbulk’s Taylor Joyce, lead the competition tally with 33 goals. Despite playing under 10 games, the Outer East announced its league best and fairest winners, with Narre Warren superstar Trent Cody rewarded with the Premier Division’s Shane Smith Medal. The Magpies midfielder/half-forward - who was named skipper of the Premier Division Team of the Year - was a class act in 2021, averaging 22 disposals and two goals per match this season, combining sheer power through the middle and a strong goal sense to dominate the competition. In Division 1, Officer midfielder Anthony Bernardo and Seville forward Nathan O’Keefe clinched the Harold Ramage Medal for League Best and Fairest with 11 votes. The first-year Kangaroo was the dominant midfielder of the competition in 2021, ranking number one in the competition for disposals, second for clearances and third for contested disposals. O’Keefe - the champion goal kicker - was a class act for the Blues this season and also named as Team of the Year captain, averaging 23.5 disposals per match and almost three goals a match. In netball, Cranbourne star Tara Cecil clinched the top award for 2021, taking out the Jodie Chandler Medal for Premier A Grade League Best and Fairest. In Division 1, Gembrook Cockatoo star Paige Laner took out the League Best and Fairest after an outstanding season, sharing the award with ROC’s Samantha Neil. The pair finished on 11 votes. But the headlines didn’t stop after the season came to a close, with the Outer East undergoing a significant re-jig for 2022. Cranbourne (Southern Football League), Doveton (Southern Football League), and Beaconsfield (Eastern Football League) all departed the competition at the end of the season for a variety of reasons, with the three clubs citing new opportunities and further chances for growth in the future as major catalysts. The competition itself switched from AFL Victoria Country to a Metropolitan League in 2022 in readiness for what will be a new-look cranbournenews.starcommunity.com.au
Travis Tuck and his Berwick teammates adapted well to life in the powerful Eastern Football League Premier Division in 2021. 234453 Pictures: ROB CAREW competition next season, releasing a new-logo as well as it looks to create more certainty and stability for its clubs in the future. Berwick, meanwhile, proved very competitive in its first season in the powerful Eastern Football Netball League Premier Division. The Wickers – who transferred across from Outer East - suffered a heartbreaking twopoint loss to Noble Park in round one, but would go on to win three of their nine games played to finish the season in seventh position on the ladder. Full-forward Harry Money would kick 24 goals to finish second on the league goal-kicking table. And what was shaping up to be a brilliant conclusion to another wonderful season in the West Gippsland Football Netball Competition (WGFNC) was cut short as Covid-19 continued to play havoc with the great Australian games of football and netball. The 2021 season started with a bang, with returning Cora Lynn star Anthony Giuliano kicking a goal after the siren to give the Cobras a three-point victory over Inverloch-Kongwak. But, when Covid-19 finally won the battle – and the season was ended on Saturday 10 July – only 11 rounds of the WGFNC season had been completed with Phillip Island once again being the trend-setters. The Bulldogs were declared minor premiers after winning 10 games and ending the season with an impressive percentage of 302.99, almost double that of their nearest pursuer Inverloch-Kongwak (nine wins – 156.80). Tooradin-Dalmore, Nar Nar Goon and Cora Lynn finished equal on eight wins, while a low-scoring – but equally hard to score against – Garfield rounded out the final’s contenders with seven wins from its 11 games. Other minor premiers for the season included Phillip Island in the reserves, Garfield in the thirds and Tooradin-Dalmore in the fourths. From an individual standpoint, Cora Lynn’s Nathan Gardiner kicked 50 goals to take out the league goal-kicking award in the seniors, with Tom Mclean (Bunyip) kicking 26 goals in the reserves, Will Taylor-Eagles (Phillip Island) slotting 27 goals in the thirds, and Anthony Mirauta (Tooradin-Dalmore) bagging an impressive 37 goals to take home the fourths goalkicking award. Despite only 11 games being played, it was still enough time for the best players in the
The great Marc Holt led the Outer East competition for goals in 2021. 235194 league to stand out from the pack with former Melbourne and North Melbourne star Cam Pedersen continuing his domination of the league – winning a second-consecutive league best and fairest award…polling 16 votes to defeat equal runners-up, his Phillip Island skipper Jaymie Youle and Gardiner from Cora Lynn. Ben Miller from Kooweerup polled 17 votes to win the reserves, Duoth Jock from Cora Lynn jagged 12 votes to claim the thirds medal, while Ben Tenace-Greenall from Garfield attracted 17 votes from the umpires to take out the fourths. Inverloch-Kongwak were announced as Club Champions for 2021 after a super-consistent season across all grades. In netball, Korumburra-Bena goaler Kim Hillberg won the A Grade medal, polling 18 votes to win by three from Tooradin-Dalmore’s Alex Maher, with Inverloch-Kongwak’s Amy Hodge winning the B Grade award with 18 votes. Other award winners in netball were Abby Morgan (Inverloch-Kongwak – C Grade - 22), Esther Allan (Nar Nar Goon – D Grade - 17), Sienna Green (Warragul Industrials – 17 Under – 20), Lily Coco Mewett (Phillip Island – 15 Under – 22), Kira Wilson (Warragul Industrials – 13 Under – 24) and Torah Boyd Metselaar (Inverloch-Kongwak – 11 Under – 16). Minor premiers for the season were Dalyston (A Grade, Phillip Island (B Grade),
Inverloch-Kongwak (C and D Grade), Kooweerup (17 Under) and Korumburra-Bena (11, 13 and 15 Under). There were some great reunions that took place in 2021 with Kooweerup and TooradinDalmore staging two great events throughout the season, while in the Ellinbank and District Football League (EDFL) it was fantastic to see Lang Lang open its state-of-the-art new facility at Caldermeade for its opening-round clash against Poowong. And the future of the WGFNC is looking bright after its member clubs voted unanimously to form their own entity and become an incorporated association. Until now, the clubs - Bunyip, Cora Lynn, Dalyston, Garfield, Inverloch-Kongwak, Kilcunda-Bass, Kooweerup, Korumburra-Bena, Nar Nar Goon, Phillip Island, Tooradin-Dalmore and Warragul Industrials – were an entity as part of AFL Gippsland. The vote resulted in 18 presidents – those of the 12 football clubs and six independent netball clubs – become directors of the league, giving them the ability to have more say in the future direction of the WGFNC moving forward. From an operational point of view nothing much changes, but the clubs now have more power in making decisions that impact the financial security and competition structure in the future. Thursday, 6 January, 2022
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STAR NEWS 19
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20 STAR NEWS
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Thursday, 6 January, 2022
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