Star Weekly - Brimbank North West - 14th April 2026

Going the extra mile for charity

Two Brimbank locals, Joel Bentley and his father Julian, are gearing up to participate in the Shitbox Rally this August.

The rally challenges participants to drive across Australia in cars valued at $1,500 or less, to raise money and awareness for the Cancer Council.

Last year, Joel took part in the rally with a friend, driving from Perth to Darwin and raising $10,000. Inspired by the experience, he has decided to participate again, this time with his father.

The father-son team will drive a $500 Hyundai Accent from Adelaide to Darwin over nine days, alongside a convoy of other participants. While they’re not too worried about their car breaking down, they know the rally’s support crew will be there to help.

The Shitbox Rally holds personal significance for the pair, as Joel notes that nearly one in two Australians will be diagnosed with cancer by the age of 85. Any funds they can raise above the $10,000 they raised last year will be a bonus.

The adventure and the cause are both important motivations for Joel and Julian as they prepare to hit the road in August.

Ad ban falls short

By Sam Porter

Brimbank council has criticised the federal government’s new gambling advertising reforms, with mayor Virginia Tachossaying“theydonotgofarenough”.

The legislation, which comes into effect on 1 January 2027, aims to protect Australians, particularly children and youngpeople,fromgamblingharm.

As part of the reforms, TV gambling ads will be limited to three per hour from 6am-8.30pm, with a complete ban during livesportbroadcastswithinthosetimes. Radiogamblingadswillalsobebanned duringschoolcommutetimes.

Furthermore, the use of sports players andcelebritiesingamblingandodds-style ads will also be banned alongside ads

appearing in sports stadiums and on players’andofficials’uniforms.

Lastly, gambling ads on online platformswillbebannedunlessusersare over 18 and have the option to opt-out of gamblingadvertising.

Mayor Tachos said “Brimbank has long called for a complete ban on online gamblingadvertisingandwillcontinueto pushforstrongeraction.”

“With many residents from lower socio-economic backgrounds, our community is particularly affected. We know gambling losses place significant financial strain on households, deepen disadvantage, and contribute to wider socialandhealthchallenges”.

Last year Brimbank council presented a motion at the National General

Assembly of the Australian Local Government Association, calling for full implementationofall31recommendations of the federal parliamentary inquiry into online gambling harm, published in 2023.

An inquiry recommendation pushed for a comprehensive ban on all forms of advertisingforonlinegambling.

“This motion received strong national backing”,CrTachossaid.

“We need decisive national leadership. Anything less risks allowing preventable harmtocontinue”.

IPCHealthchiefexecutiveJayneNelson agreed the new regulations don’t go far enough.

“IPC Health is calling for a total ban on gambling advertising, for all channels,

especiallytelevision”,MsNelsonsaid.

“Gambling advertising and sponsorships should be banned, as they havebeenfortobaccoandalcohol.”

As part of the announcement, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the federal government was “getting the balance right” by “letting adults have a punt if they want to but also making sure Australian children don’t see betting ads everywheretheylook”.

“What we don’t want is kids growing up thinking that footy and gambling are the samething”,MrAlbanesesaid.

IPC Health support: 1300 472 432 (business hours) or visit www.ipchealth. com.au

Gambler’s Help Victoria: 1800 858 858 (24hours)

Sunshine upgrades announced

By Sam Porter

Sunshine residents and businesses will have a new plaza, arts hub and urban art afterthestategovernmentannounced$7.5 million will be invested into new urban renewal and precinct activation projects.

The projects, announced on Tuesday 7 April, will be delivered in partnership with Brimbank council and will include a new plaza on Clarke Street which will be used for community events.

Also included in the plans is a modular arts hub on Clarke Street which the state government said would support a multicultural urban art gallery and program.

A range of urban art installations will be built across Sunshine too as part of the projects.

Gojo Ethiopian Cafe and Restaurant owner Daniel Alemar said it’s a great outcome for businesses, especially for locals.

“I’m so happy for Clarke Street. I’m hopingit’sgoingtobecomeasecondCBD” , he said.

Mr Alemar opened his business on ClarkeStreetin2011andsaidthestreethas sometimes felt quiet and unsafe.

However, one thing he has always loved about the street is the vibrant

multiculturalism of the businesses and the local community.

“People from all countries open their doors. Even price-wise, it is very reasonable” , Mr Alemar said.

He believes the new projects will draw more tourists travelling to and from Melbourne Airport.

“Everything is here, the train station is close,thepublictransportisveryclose”,Mr Alemar said.

The state government said it is also funding upgrades to the Sunshine library forecourt including better lighting and open space as well as $20 billion in the Sunshine Precinct, which includes $4

School unveils sparkling new loos

Ardeer Primary School is celebrating a flush of success following the longawaitedupgradeofitsstudentbathrooms.

Principal John Mifsud said student and parent feedback had been overwhelmingly positive.

“It’s really significant for the school” , Mr Mifsud said.

“Maintaining a clean, safe and welcoming environment is not a one-off project, it’s an ongoing priority.

“We want our students to feel proud of their school and to take responsibility for the spaces they use every day”

The refurbishment works were completed as part of a $499,553

investment from the state government to make the bathrooms cleaner, more hygienic and more pleasant to use.

On social media last month, Laverton MP Sarah Connolly announced the upgrades were complete.

“Say hello to the brand-new vibrant and clean toilets that our students love and deserve. No more dark and dingy spaces” , Ms Connolly said.

Mr Mifsud said it had been around 18 to 20 years since the bathrooms were last updated.

He said the recent refurbishment provides modern, safe and wellmaintainedfacilitiesthatsupportstudent

Caroline Springs company fined

A Caroline Springs rendering company has been fined $10,176 by the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) after it was caught illegally dumping construction waste.

According to the EPA, Perfect Touch Rendering Vic was caught dumping the waste on a vacant private plot of land at a development site after the owner of that land installed CCTV specifically to catch dumpers in the act.

The CCTV captured a driver and passenger illegally dumping 10 cubic

billion for the Sunshine Superhub. Laverton MP Sarah Connolly said the $7.5 million investment is critical to unlocking the CBD of the west.

“Sunshine has a vital role to play in connecting Melbourne’s west to the broadercityandbeyond,andwe’regrateful for this investment from the state which marks a significant step towards bringing that vision to life” , Ms Connolly said.

Brimbank mayor Virginia Tachos said the investment supports local businesses, attracts new commercial investment, and delivers the high-quality housing, public spaces, experiences and opportunities the community deserves.

Tax agent barred for alleged kickbacks

A tax agent, with companies registered in thenorthandwestofMelbourne,hasbeen banned from practice after being found “not to be a fit and proper person” Parampreet Singh Rajput’s registration was terminated by the Tax Practitioners Board (TPB), with a four-year ban on reapplying.

Mr Rajput’s company, P&G Accounting Solution Pty Ltd, which trades as KPG Taxation,wasalsoderegisteredwithafouryear ban on re-application. He is also a director of an additional seven companies that have had their respective tax agent registrations terminated by the TPB.

They are KPG Taxation Craigieburn Pty Ltd, KPG Taxation Derrimut Pty Ltd, KPG Taxation South Morang Pty Ltd, KPG Taxation Brisbane Pty Ltd, KPG Taxation Shepparton Pty Ltd, KPG Taxation Sydney Pty Ltd and KPG Taxation Tasmania Pty Ltd.

His case awaits a final review hearing, after Mr Rajput applied to be heard at the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART).

The TPB found that Mr Rajput committed multiple breaches of the Code of Professional Conduct under the Tax Agent Services Act 2009.

comfort.

“We hold high expectations for our staff, students and families, and that extends to the environment we provide,” he said. “If we expect excellence in learning and behaviour, it’s our responsibility to ensure our facilities reflect those same high standards”

Mr Mifsud said the upgrades are as much about fostering a sense of pride and belonging as they are about the new facilities.

“[The students] are more respectful of the infrastructure of the new buildings and much more comfortable than they were previously” , he said.

for illegal dumping

metresofindustrialwastefromatraileronto the block within the new housing estate at Fraser Rise.

EPA west metropolitan regional manager Julia Gaitan said the company cleaned up the mess they left and have the cost of the fine on top.

She said the incident “should be a warning to other businesses that the waste they create has to be disposed of properly or they face a costly alternative”

“The CCTV clearly showed the offending vehicle which we were able to trace back to

Perfect Touch, who were not so perfect in this case,” Ms Gaitan said.

According to the EPA, the state government has established the multiagency Illegal Waste Dumping Taskforce, spearheaded by EPA, to combat the growing issue of illegal waste dumping in public spaces.

The EPA stated it has made persistent illegal dumping from the construction and demolition sector its priority focus.

Details: epa.vic.gov.au/illegal-wastedumping-taskforce

These included Mr Rajput’s company being found by the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia to have contravened the Fair Work Act, and Mr Rajput failing to notify the TPB within 30 days.

Hehadallegedlyinstructedanemployee to make “kickback” payments to him for their full wages and superannuation – which the TPB found was “deliberate, extended over significant periods, and had serious impacts on vulnerable employees”

Mr Rajput was also found to have allegedlymadefalse,misleadingstatements totheAustralianTaxOffice,andengagedin tax evasion by incorrectly reporting figures in several income tax returns, resulting in significant tax shortfalls.

Mr Rajput applied to the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART) for a stay and review of the TPB’s termination decisions for himself and his related entities.

On 26 March 2026, the ART refused to stay all nine termination decisions. The matters will now proceed to a final hearing in the ART.

TPB chair Peter de Cure said the TPB wascommittedtoprotectingthepublicand ensuring the integrity of the tax profession and the tax system.

“Practising in the tax agent profession is a privilege. Most of our registered tax practitioners work hard every day to support our community,” he said.

“It is the conduct of a few such as this that undermines community confidence in our tax profession and ultimately the tax system.”

RSL rises from ashes

By Sam Porter

Sunshine RSL has announced it will go ahead with its Anzac ceremonies after a significant fire tore through the building’s kitchen and bowling club room last month.

President Garry Collins said while efforts to rebuild are progressing well, there is no set completion date at the moment.

“We were hoping to be in the section that’s reviving but we’ve come across a roof problem so that’s going to take a bit longer” , he said.

Despite the challenges, Sunshine RSL will push on with a commemoration march on Sunday 19 April, starting at 2.30pm.

The march will begin at Lynch Gardens, at the corner of Hertford and Hampshire Roads in Sunshine, concluding at the Sunshine RSL carpark at 99 Dickson Street.

Mr Collins said the Sunshine City Band will be present alongside army and air force cadets, club members, scouts, guides and community.

“It’s a very pleasant day. It’s a big day for the cadets. They love it, the kids love it” , he said.

“I think people are proud to be walking through Sunshine. People come out of their shops and follow us in waves”

The march will conclude with a ceremony, and after-service sausage sizzle and light refreshments.

On Saturday 25 April, the RSL will host its Anzac day dawn service, starting at 6am withtheceremonycommencingat6.45am.

Mr Collins said plans for the service had to be modified this year due to the recent fire.

“Unfortunately, we won’t be able to use the existing part of the club as it’s still under builders’ control” , he said.

“There’s a lot of work to be done in there at the moment but we have the same type of service out in the carpark.

“We’ll have a speaker system set up which will be as good as what we’ve had in the past”

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Community cricket club recognised

Grand United Cricket Club has been named as the runner up for the ‘community club of the year’ in Cricket Victoria’s Community Cricket Awards.

Club president Alan Hale said it’s great for the club to be recognised.

“It’s a little bit of recognition for our whole club and the way we operate it and our values, making cricket accessible for boys and girls and adults as well” , Hale said.

“We really pride ourselves on having a good cricket program with people being able to enjoy themselves at our club. For a long time, we’ve done a lot of great things” Hale said the club’s free cricket blast program for kids aged four to eight years old, and its free membership for under-10s and 11s players during the 202526 season have contributed to a positive

club community while attracting many first-time participants to the sport.

“One of the great things as well is that we had our first female junior coach of the club, Roma,” Hale said.

“She’s done some fantastic work with the under-10s team.”

Hale has been part of the club since he was seven years old.

He said it’s common for children to join the club and remain members into adulthood.

“Seeing young people join the club as children and watching them progress into senior cricket, that’s what I love most” , Hale said

“It’s the friendship and bonds built through our great club”

Earlier this year the club also celebrated its 100th anniversary.

‘Disappointed’ by driving behaviour

Fifty-four drivers were clocked for speeding in Brimbank over the Easter long weekend during a fiveday statewide crackdown.

Victoria Police increased visibility and targeted driving offences from 2 -6 April as part of Operation Nexus. In Brimbank, eight drink drivers, three drug drivers and one other driver under the combined influence of alcohol and drugs was caught. Police recorded 10 disqualified drivers and five unlicensed drivers in the municipality along with 17 unregistered vehicles.

Fifteen drivers were pinged for disobeying signs and signals and ten others were caught for mobile phone offences.

There were also four impoundments, two seatbelt offences and two cyclist offences recorded.

Across the state, 7567 offences were recorded with speeding making up almost half of all offences.

Road Policing Acting Assistant Commissioner Justin Goldsmith said all traffic penalties are completely avoidable if motorists stick to the rules.

Mr Collins said the RSL provides weekly social media updates regarding progression of site works.

“We’re working quite hard. Even though we’re not in the club we’ll still be looking after our veterans and harvester day club offsite” , he said.

“Keep them together, keep their heads up”

“Despite our repeated warnings that we would be out in force, disappointingly we have detected thousands of infringements for breaching the road rules over Easter,” Acting Assistant Commissioner Justin Goldsmith said.

Notification of Changes to Bin Collection Days in Some Areas

Due to high growth within the City of Melton, some households will experience changes to their bin collections from Monday 4 May 2026.

Affected households will have received a letter in the mail detailing their new collection days and changeover week information.

If you want to check if your household is affected by the changes, visit melton.vic.gov.au/binchanges or scan the QR code.

Family’s reel contribution

Operating from the 1920s through the 1970s, the Sunshine Picture Theatre served as a vibrant entertainment hub for locals in Melbourne’s west. For many years, the Kirby family operated the theatre, with son Roc Kirby later going on to found Village Roadshow. Sam Porter got in touch with the Sunshine Historical Society to explore the Kirby family’s legacy, the early film industry, and residents’ cherished memories of the theatre.

Brimbank resident Shaun Crosbie said he still holds fond, if hazy, memories of attending Sunshine Picture Theatre as a boy.

His strongest recollections are of watching cartoon serials at the theatre –episodesoffilmsshowninweeklysegments – from the late 1940s to the mid-1950s.

“Each week the serial invariably ended with the hero, generally in the white hat, in mortal danger of being run over by a train, hanging by his fingers dangling over a cliff or frantically pursuing a runaway coach heading for a cliff”, he said.

“You had to come back next week to see what eventuated.”

It was during the ‘golden years’ of film and cinemas were rapidly expanding to suburban districts around Melbourne post-World War II.

The western film genre was also surging in popularity.

“The stars I can remember are Hopalong Cassidy, Tim Holt, Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, and the Lone Ranger although I think their horses were more important”, Shaun said.

“The best part of the Saturday afternoon outing would be if you had a few pence [left] over to buy, on the way home, some liquoriceblocksor,evenbetter,somepotato cakes wrapped in the daily newspaper”.

It was thanks to a man named George Kirby that Shaun holds such cherished childhood memories of the theatre.

A Sunshine Advocate article published in 1938 described how George Kirby and hisfamilycametotheworkingclassregion in Melbourne’s west seven years earlier, taking over the management of Sunshine Picture Theatre.

“... Which at the time was about to close altogether so bad were the conditions in Sunshine”, the article read.

“However, by dint of hard work and sacrifice, the family weathered the depression and the last few years has witnessed a steady improvement in the popularity of the theatre”.

The article detailed a grand reopening of the theatre attended by a large crowd of locals after George oversaw major renovations of the building.

“The renovations reflect great credit on Mr G. Kirby, who has shown by his enterprise and energy the confidence he has in Sunshine”, the article stated. George was also heavily involved with the community.

According to the article, he served as president of the Druids Cricket Club and as senior vice-president of the cricket association, while also being active in cross-country and the local football club.

“His theatre has always given cheerfully in the cause of charity”, the Advocate article read.

FollowingthesuccessofSunshinePicture Theatre, George would later open cinemas in Altona, Bacchus Marsh, Sorrento and the Roxy Theatre in Maidstone.

Among the locals who attended the theatre in Sunshine were the late Kevin and Florence Wanders.

Their daughters Prue Wanders and Kym Parker (neé Wanders) recall their parents reminiscing about the theatre while courting as a young couple in the early 1950s.

“We always heard stories from mum and dad”, Prue said. “Mum and dad always said that Mrs Kirby would stand there and check their mouths before they went in, for chewing gum, so no one would put chewing gum under the seat”.

Kym said the whole of Hampshire Road was a social hub at the time.

“It was quite a busy part of Sunshine acrosstherebecausetherewastheMasonic Hallonthecornerwheretheyusedtogofor dancing”, she said.

“When [the theatre] was up and running they used to allow community groups to go in there at no charge.

“Afewdoorsdownwasthechurch.That’s where mum and dad got married in 1955. They were together 67 years”.

Prue described a community that “used to have a ball” dancing at the Masonic Hall before heading to the theatre.

“I think everyone back then was hardworking and it wasn’t a rich community. That was their fun, going out together and having a good time. That was their life”, she said.

In his book, ‘On With the Show’, author John Cain interviewed Roc Kirby, the son of George.

Roc said he saw the Sunshine Picture Theatre as ‘establishing’ his father, mostly because it was a lot more successful than the first theatre he opened in Parkdale.

In the book, Cain mentioned how the whole family helped out at the Sunshine business.

Roc, who attended Sunshine Technical School at the time, got his start in the industry by selling candy bar items in the theatre aisles, and later learnt how to operate the projector.

Following the success of his other theatres,GeorgeformedtheKirbyTheatres company, appointing Roc as director, the book explained.

The young director would go on to open a franchise network of ‘Village Drive-In’ theatres throughout Melbourne, including in Sunshine and Brooklyn, and eventually

establish the Village Roadshow company.

Long-time Sunshine resident and real estate agent Richard Popczyk was another regular at the Sunshine Picture Theatre.

While his memories are fuzzy he does remember getting up to a bit of mischief with his friends.

“It was interesting because the picture theatre was elevated so it sloped down. We used to take [jaffa balls] out of the bag and watch them roll down to the front. It was just a fun thing”, he said.

“To me, in that age, the only thing you could go to was the pictures. There was no TV to my knowledge then. It was always exciting to go to the movies”.

The Sunshine Picture Theatre continued operating until the 1970s.

Richard crossed paths with the building againinthemid-1990sasarealestateagent auctioning off the site.

The building was later purchased by property investor Kevin Wanders who renovated the building into offices with his daughter Prue.

“Dad sold the theatre in 2005 to Centre Com and they’ve had it ever since”, Kym said.

The sisters reflected on their parents’ fond memories of Sunshine and the former theatre, a building which Heritage Council Victoria described as “a relatively well-preserved pre-WWII cinema” of “historical, architectural and social significance to the City of Brimbank“.

“We would spend many weekends just around the table, having a cup of tea and talking about the good old times”, Kym said.

Prue added: “I would’ve loved to have seen the clothes and the dancing and the cars. It would’ve been an awesome era to be in”.

Postcard sized art prize

The Hobsons Bay Arts Society is once again gearing up for its major annual event, the 5X7 Art Prize.

Now in its 12th year, the popular community art prize offers big rewards for small works, with all entries no larger than postcardsizeor5X7.

Morethan500 entries havebeen received forthisyear’scompetition,withartistsfrom all five western suburbs municipalities sending intheir miniature masterpieces.

The theme of the 2026 competition is “Nostalgia,“ resulting in a “wonderfully

The Work Studio

• Coworking & Serviced Offices with 24/7 Access and NBN connectivity

• Catering for individuals to large enterprises

• Fully furnished with desks and chairs

• Includes all outgoings and internet

• Amenities include phone booths, meeting and boardrooms, large training & conference rooms, kitchen and dining, breakout and quiet areas

• Flexible lease terms

• Move in immediately

• Lots of parking options

• Security concierge at lobby level

• Located next to Sunshine Public Transport Super-Hub

diverseresponse,“accordingtotheHobsons Bay Art Society’s exhibition coordinator KirstenCraggs.

The competing artworks will be on display at the gallery at Louis Joel Arts and Community (LJAC) centre in Altona from 11-30 April. The winners will be chosen by a judging panel that includes Hobsons Bay mayorDianaGrima.Allartworksondisplay will also be available for purchase. The 5X7 Art Prize is supported by Hobsons Bay council and will be displayed at the LJAC gallery.

Briefs

False flyer

Police have warned about a flyer being distributed in the Kealba area, as well as a social media post, which detailed false information nominating an address linked to sex offences against children. The pamphlet claimed to have been distributed on behalf of Victoria Police and Brimbank council. “This information has been investigated and is not correct“, the Victoria Police social media post read. “Police are now investigating the distribution of the flyer”.

Phone donations drop-off Kororoit MP Luba Grigorovitch announced on social media her office is now an official drop-off point for DV (domestic violence) safe phone donations. “If you have an old mobile phone sitting in a drawer, you can now drop it off and help someone experiencing domestic violence stay safe and connected”, she wrote. “These donated phones are repurposed and provided to victim-survivors to access emergency support, services, and a safer future”. The phone drop-off location is at Ms Grigorovitch’s electorate officer located at 2/11 Commercial Road, Caroline Springs. There is a safe phone collection box in the office locals can use for donations.

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Premium co working and private offices now available on the fifth floor of an A grade building close to Sunshine Station. Excellent views, natural light and flexible options for individuals and teams. Contact us now for more information and to book an inspection.

MY PLACE

Neil Hunichen moved to Sydenham in 2000 after enjoying 25 years of family life in Gisborne. He works as a bike coach for AusCycling, teaching primary school students about safe cycling and road safety awareness. He spoke to Sam Porter about his community.

Whatdoyoulikeaboutwhereyoulive?

What I like about Brimbank is the connectivity to local parks and open spaces such as Organ Pipes National Park, yaluk barring Park, (formally Sydenham Park) the Taylors Lakes Linear Trail to Green Gully Reserve, and Brimbank Park. I also like the cycling path along the Maribyrnong River Trail to Canning Park and riding into the city via the recently opened 2.5-kilometre Dixon veloway from Footscray to Docklands. There’s close access to Watergardens and Keilor Downs shopping centres as well as public transport with trains to the city and Vline services to Bendigo and beyond. I have my great family, good friends and neighbours living close by. There are wonderful eating places close too such as The Curry Story at Aqua Gardens shopping Centre.

Haveyouseenmanychangesinthearea?

I’ve noticed worsening traffic congestion on our roads and concerning driver behaviours such as driving through red lights and driving aggressively. Also, very concerning e-bike and scooter behaviour among teenagers such as riding illegal bikes, riding without lights on bikes, and not wearing helmets and high visible clothing. There’s been an increase in youth crime in our local area too which is concerning. Positive improvements include more shared user paths with safe cycling connectivity.

COMMENT STARWEEKLY.COM.AU

Honour the Anzacs

Each month, Stephanie Martinez will share an exciting craft project designed to inspire and spark creativity.

Stephanie starred in the first season of Making It on Network 10, where she discovered and ignited her passion for crafting.

JoinStephanieassheexplorestheendless possibilities of crafting and turn everyday materials into something extraordinary.

What, if anything, would you change aboutwhereyoulive?

I’dliketoseebetterroadtrafficmanagement and parking spaces designated for larger SUVs, tradie utes and commercial vehicles in local shopping centres. Also, shared paths and cycling paths along the rail line

from Watergardens to Keilor Plains onto Sunshine Station. The illegal dumping of rubbish is still an ongoing concern.

Security cameras need to be considered and installed at dumping hot spots. There’s also been an increase in repulsive graffiti and tagging throughout Brimbank.

This month, Stephanie is creating an Anzac poppy brooch.

Where’s your favourite local place to spend time?

yaluk barring Park at Keilor North, Jacksons Creek and the three rivers at the confluence of the Maribyrnong River on its journey to Yarra River, Docklands. I also love walking and cycling to Watergardens and local park reserves with my grandchildren.

What’s something people would be surprised to know about you?

I’ve been a volunteer with Leo’s Club (juniorLionsClub)ofEssendonsinceIwas a 16-year old and have now been an active memberoftheTaylorsLakesLionsClubfor 14 years. I’ve spent 25 years as a volunteer with Gisborne SES (state emergency services) and witnessed a lot of road trauma and a few aircraft crashes, and I was the unit controller in 1985 for over five years.MyfirstcareerwaswithAnsettasan Avionics Technician. It followed with 13 career changes, with my last job at Bosch Asia Pacific, developing advanced vehicle diagnostic and electric vehicle technical training resources. I was actively involved as a volunteer at Brimbank Bicycle Education Centre for several years and was involved in road safety and bicycle education programs for over four years. My lifelong passion is educating children about road safety awareness and safe cycling along residential footpaths and shared paths.

Anzac poppy brooch

Materials

Black button

Hot glue gun

Step 1: Using the template, cut out all pieces from the glitter foam sheets.

Step 2: Place one red poppy on top of the other, turning it slightly so the petals sit between each other. Glue them together in the centre.

Step 3: Fold each petal into the centre and glue down. Glue the black button in the centre of the poppy. Glue the green leaf to the back of the poppy.

Step 4: Glue a safety pin to the back of the poppy.

Fuel drives food demand

By Cade Lucas and Sam Porter

Fuel price rises caused by the war in Iran are filtering through to food relief services, with Helping Hands Mission and Foodbank Victoria reporting a sharp increase in demand since the conflict began.

Helping Hands Mission relationships manager Adam Volpato said there’s been a 12 per cent increase in clients accessing services when comparing the first half of March with the second half.

“We’re absolutely seeing an increase in levels of anxiety in clients accessing services regarding increased fuel costs” , Mr

Volpato said.

“We normally get about six new [community pantry] registrations per day. At our peak, we reached 13 new registrations on a single day”

Mr Volpato noted the school holiday period places an additional strain on locals’ budgets too.

“They’re definitely feeling the impact of the cost of living in general”

HelpingHandsMission,whichrunsservices in Sunshine and Airport West, is currently absorbing the increased fuel costs to ensure services remain unchanged.

“If locals want to donate to us, whether that be food or general household goods

that we can sell in our shops to fund our programs, it certainly goes a long way” , Mr Volpato said.

Foodbank Victoria chief executive Dave McNamara said many people are seeking food relief through Foodbank for the first time.

“The spike’s about six per cent over the past two weeks and that’s across the state,” he said.

Despite being Australia’s largest hunger relief charity, Mr McNamara said Foodbank was not immune from the effects of the energy crisis either.

“We run a fleet of vehicles, our trucks and vans run on diesel to get food out and

Managing

Community pantry ignites quiet connection

A new community pantry in the west is doing more than putting food on the table.

Inchurch’s community pantry and food bank is creating a space where people feel seen, heard and supported, covering a wide range of issues facing the Caroline Springs and surrounding community.

Born out of a recognised gap in services across the eastern corridor of the municipality, the pantry in Ravenhall is already becoming a lifeline for residents in Caroline Springs, Aintree, Thornhill Park, and Burnside.

For many facing food insecurity, accessing help has long meant travelling to

hubs in St Albans or Footscray, a challenge recently made harder by rising fuel costs and limited public transport options.

Operating from Unit 6, 32 Rockfield Way, Ravenhall, every Friday morning, the pantry has taken a different approach from other food banks in the area.

Visitors are invited to select their own groceries off the shelves, all in a bid to restore a sense of dignity and choice, with a coffee always on offer.

INCommunity Care Services managing director Carly Alexander said the community pantry is targeted at creating a welcoming environment for those seeking

help, assistance or a simple chat.

“It’s about more than ‘come and get food’ . It’s about coming in, having a chat, and feeling connected,” Ms Alexander said.

“It’s less about the number of people and more about the effect of the specific conversations.

“We’re trying to fill a gap. What’s come out of it is really positive.”

Those from the Caroline Springs and surrounds areas are invited to the community pantry every Friday between 9.30-11.30am at Unit 6, 32 Rockfield way, Ravenhall.

in,” he said of Foodbank Victoria’s operations which are run out of a new warehouse in Altona.

To help ease the burden, Foodbank Victoria recently received $900,000 from the state government as part of efforts to help it and other food relief services deal with the increased cost of helping others.

Unfortunately, Mr McNamara is concerned that more assistance will be required, with both the war and the resulting energy crisis unlikely to be over soon.

Donate to Helping Hands Mission: helpinghandsmission.org.au

Donate to Foodbank Victoria at: foodbank.org.au/vic

Free dental care for kids expands

The state government is expanding its Smile Squad free dental program to include students at low-fee non-government schools across the west and north of Melbourne.

“No child or family should be left behind because dental care is too expensive,” said Premier Jacinta Allan.

The program, which launched in 2019, has already visited over 1,000 public schools, seen more than 160,000 students, and delivered more than one million oral health packs.

“This means even more kids can access early intervention and ongoing dental care at school,” explained Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas.

The expansion will initially include 54 schools across the state, with a phased roll-out to all low-fee non-government schools to follow.

“This expansion ensures all students have equal access to dental care, regardless of the school they attend,” said Deputy Premier and Minister for Education Ben Carroll.

The program is a win for families, with regular dental checkups costing up to $400 per child per year.

Mayor’s message

Cr Lara Carli

It’s exciting to see the City of Melton Night Markets back again after the success of last year’s events. Last Friday, we held the first in a series of five Night Markets at HomeCo. Woodlea Town in Aintree and it was wonderful to see the community enjoying the entertainment and each other’s company.

This year, the markets are travelling around the City of Melton with the next one at Opalia Plaza in Weir Views on Friday 17 April. Join us from 5pm-9pm as we celebrate the diversity of our City through food, market stalls and vibrant performances. I’m especially looking forward to seeing the Chinese Lion dancers! For information, visit melton.vic. gov.au/night-markets.

Recently, I had the pleasure of joining members of Melton City Council’s Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) on their visit to Victorian Parliament, where they presented to the Hon Natalie Suleyman MP Minister for Youth, Steve McGhie MP, Member for Melton and Luba Grigorovitch MP, Member for Kororoit, and shared the key challenges and opportunities facing young people across the City of Melton. It was fantastic to support and listen to the voices of our emerging young leaders. Well done to all our YAC members. The future is bright with leaders like these.

Finally, with Anzac Day approaching, it is important that we pause and remember our fallen soldiers and all those who fought so bravely for the country we call home today. I encourage you to try to attend one of the local Anzac Day services or take a quiet moment to reflect on the importance of this special day. Lest we forget.

Feel free to contact me about Sugar Gum Ward or our City more generally on 0409 951 020 or email at: lara.carli@melton.vic.gov.au

Anzac Day service changes

Council’s offices, libraries, leisure centres, pound and the Melton Recycling Facility (including the Recycle Centre and Resale Shop) will be closed on Anzac Day, Saturday 25 April 2026.

Bin and hard waste collections will not be impacted, due to Anzac Day falling on Saturday.

For information, visit melton.vic.gov.au/public-holidays

Free hard waste collection or drop off

Don’t forget to take advantage of your hard waste collections or drop-off entitlements.

Each household receiving a Melton City Council kerbside bin service is entitled annually to:

•Two free Council hard waste collections (up to 3 cubic metres each), or

•Two free drop-offs at the Melton Recycling Facility (up to 1 cubic metre each), or

•A combination of one of each. These entitlements apply to both tenants and property owners. Bookings for hard waste collections need to be made by 30 June 2026 to utilise 2025/26 entitlements.

For information, visit melton.vic.gov.au/hard-waste.

City of Melton Heritage Festival 2026

This year’s Heritage Festival will run from Friday 24 April to Saturday 9 May, with a range of free events and activities on offer for all ages.

From ghostly tours of the Willows Homestead, to sketching at the Rockbank Inn Ruins, or celebrating 100 years of the Toolern Vale Fire Brigade - there is something for everyone.

Try your hand at traditional crafts including wood carving and letter writing and hear from local authors and historians about the stories that make the City of Melton unique.

To see the full program, visit melton.vic.gov.au/heritagefestival

Hilltop Ward with Cr John Verdon

This year is flying by, and it’s hard to believe that it’s already mid-April. The school holidays are just about over, so I hope everyone had a great break, and everybody who celebrated had a wonderful Easter with family and friends. With term two starting next week, it’s timely to remind drivers to take extra care on our roads, especially around school zones during peak drop-off and pick-up times.

Across our community, some important infrastructure projects are underway to support our growing population.

Council is investing in community spaces, including exciting improvements at Norm Raven Reserve in Diggers Rest. We’re upgrading the playground with new, inclusive play equipment, improved footpaths, new garden beds and trees. The playground will be closed until mid-2026, while works are being undertaken.

Council also recently completed night resurfacing works on Plumpton Road

between Holden Road and Diggers Rest-Coimadai Road. Council undertakes an extensive Annual Sealed Road Renewal Program to help keep local roads safe, smooth, and reliable for everyone who uses them. Visit melton.vic.gov.au for information about resurfacing works in your area.

Developer works are progressing on new traffic lights on Melton Highway at Banchory Avenue, Hillside, with traffic changes including restricted right-hand turns into Banchory Avenue and detours via The Parks in place until late 2026.

Nearby, Melton Highway duplication works near The Regency have been completed, delivering improved traffic flow and safety. This important upgrade was delivered by VicRoads, and we thank the Victorian Government for their continued investment in our City.

Feel free to contact me regarding Hilltop Ward or Council related issues on 0418 444 883 or email at John.Verdon@melton.vic.gov.au

Making self-care a priority for a healthy, happy retirement

Retirement is finally your time. After years of working, raising a family, and putting others first, it’s time to turn that care and attention toward yourself.

Self-care isn’t about indulgence—it’s about staying healthy, feeling good, and making sure you enjoy life on your own terms. If you’re wondering why self-care is important for seniors or looking for self-care tips for seniors that fit into your routine, you’re in the right place. Small daily habits and meaningful lifestyle changes can make a big difference in your well-being.

Let’s explore ways to create a self-care plan that works for you.

How to Build a Self-Care Routine That Works for You

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to self-care. The key is to find activities that make you feel good and fit naturally into your life. Here are some simple ways to start:

1. Keep Your Body Moving: Exerciseisn’t justaboutfitness—it’saboutfeelinggood andstayingactiveinawaythatworksfor you. Whether it’s gentle stretching or a daily walk, movement is a key part of self-care.

Try: A brisk walk around the neighbourhood to boost circulation.

Gentle stretching or yoga for flexibility andrelaxation.

Swimming or water aerobics for a low-impact workout.

Gardening—itkeepsyoumovingwhile giving you a sense of accomplishment. Find something you enjoy and keep it consistent. The more you move, the better you’ll feel.

2. Keep Your Mind Engaged: Your brain needs exercise, too! Keeping your mind active helps improve memory and focus. Try: Reading books, newspapers, or listening to audiobooks.

Playing crossword puzzles, Sudoku, or card games.

Learning something new, such as painting, playing an instrument, or speaking a new language. A little mental stimulation each day can help keep your mind sharp and your spirits high.

3. Stay Social and Connected: Self-care isn’tjustaboutalonetime—it’salsoabout meaningful connections. Spending time with loved ones or engaging in social activitiescanboosthappinessandreduce stress. Some ways to stay connected include regular phone or video calls withfamilyandfriends,joiningaclubor hobby group, volunteering in your local area, and attending social events at a retirement village.

4. Put Yourself First in Retirement: This stage of life is yours—so make self-care a priority. A well-balanced routine can help you stay independent, healthy, and engaged in the things that bring you joy. If you’re looking for a community that values well-being, Centennial Living Retirement Villages offer welcoming spaces where health,happiness,andconnectioncome first.

Self-care isn’t selfish—it’s the key to a happy and fulfilling retirement. Want to learn more? Contact our team by visiting www.centennialliving.com.au or call 1300 098 000 today!

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

WANT YOUR EVENT LISTED? Community Calendar is made available free of charge to not-for-profit organisations to keep the public informed of special events and activities. Send item details to Star Weekly Community Calendar, Corner Thomsons Road and Keilor Park Drive, Keilor Park, 3042, or email to westeditorial@starweekly.com.au by 9am Wednesday the week prior to publication

Keilor Anzac Day Ceremony

Locals are invited to attend an Anzac day ceremony from 11am on Saturday 25 April at the Keilor Cenotaph, Keilor Community Hub, 504b Old Calder Highway, Keilor. Keilor Football Club will be hosting a home game against Pascoe Vale Football Club on the day, and players and supporters will attend this year’s ceremony. A community barbecue will follow at the Keilor Sports Club.

Fred Ackerman, Keilor Historical Society, 0418 170 372

Deer Park school holiday activities

Come to commUnity+ Neighbourhood House for gardening, cooking, and kids’ first aid programs. Everything is free, and all ages and abilities are welcome. The Neighbourhood House will also run its ‘sprout and grow’ gardening program on Wednesdays and Thursdays during the April break. Holiday activities will take place at 822 Ballarat Roadd, Deer Park. Find out more and register.

tinyurl.com/42d7tedb

Women’s only conversation English Duke Street Community House is inviting locals to make friends, learn new skills and practice English in this fun and free women’s social group. Tuesdays during school terms, 9.30am-noon, at Duke Street Community House, 27 Duke Street, Sunshine. 9311 9973 or dukest@dsch.org.au

Over 50’s club

The Keilor Over 50’s Recreation Club meets at Kealba Hall, 24 McShane Drive, Kealba, on Tuesdays, from 10am-3pm, and Wednesdays, from 7-10pm. Have a coffee and a chat, play social table tennis, pool and card games, go on organised outings and enjoy barbecues. First two visits are free then annual membership fees apply. Graeme, 0404 809 640, keilorover50@ gmail.com, www.keilorover50.com.au

Sunshine Community Brass

Sunshine Community Brass is looking for trumpet and percussion players to join its vibrant band of musicians. With more than 90 years of history, the band rehearses at 45 Furlong Road, North Sunshine, on Tuesdays, from 7.30pm. Andrew, 0419 444 620

Deer Park Probus Club

The Deer Park Probus Club meets at the Deer Park Club, 780 Ballarat Road, Deer Park on the second Wednesday of the month from February to December. Meet at 10am followed by lunch available from 12pm. The club offers bus trips, lunches,

morning melodies etc. New members welcome. 0427 495 584

Keilor Park Tennis Club social night

Join the club on Monday nights for a free social hit and get to know other club members. All levels are welcome. Female players are also required for Thursday competition from 10am-2pm and also for the B-grade mixed team on Wednesday, 7-9pm. keilorparktennis@gmail.com

Brimbank Book Group

Be inspired by thought-provoking books with a group of like-minded, literary fans with our Brimbank Book Group. All welcomed. This group, for adults, meets on the first Monday of the month, from 2-3 pm, at Deer Park library. Bookings are not essential, but please feel free to register your interest. library@brimbank.vic.gov.au

Create & Chat

Dig out your craft projects and get inspiration from fellow like-minded crafters with the create and chat sessions at Sunshine Library, from 10-11am, on the first Tuesday of every month. All skill levels are welcome. library@brimbank.vic.gov.au

Women working together

A program connecting women aged 50 and above and in need of assistance, with mentors and mentees. Open to women across the western suburbs, including Brimbank.

9655 2131, EmploymentSupport@ cotavic.org.au, or cotavic.org.au/ our-programs/employment-support/

National seniors meeting

On the first Wednesday of every month at 1.30pm, the metro west branch of national seniors meets at the Deer Park Club, with meals available to purchase. The group also holds lunches on different Fridays each month, as well as activities such as theatre visits, bus trips and more. 0425 713 004 or lesley1.collins@ outlook.com

Card games

Love playing the card game 500? Card games are played every Monday, from 7-10pm, at the Sunshine RSL offices, 99 Dickson Street, Sunshine. Leisa, 0425 768 808

Keilor Day View Club

The Keilor Day View Club meets at 11am on the first Thursday of each month at Green Gully Soccer Club, Green Gully Reserve, Club House Place, Keilor Downs. The club

is inviting locals to come along and enjoy a meal and fun with a friendly group of ladies. Robyn, 0425 387 880

St Albans senior citizens

St Albans Senior Citizens group meet at the centre at the corner of Alfrieda and William streets, St Albans, on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, from 9am-2pm. Annual membership: $10. Cost: $1 entry on attendance day. Roma, 0435 991 064

Caroline Springs Rotary

The Rotary Club of Caroline Springs is inviting new guests to join its meetings in person or via Zoom. Meetings are held every Wednesday at the Western Emergency Relief Network in Ravenhall, from 7pm.

rotarycarolinesprings@gmail.com

Sunshine Repair Cafe

Do you enjoy fixing things or have skills in mending clothing and textiles? Kororoit Neighbourhood House is looking for volunteer repairers for the newly launched Repair Café in Brimbank. Events happen once a month and are an opportunity to meet others in the community and share your skills while helping fix broken household items.

sunshinerepaircafe@kcnh.org.au or 0413 434 082

Al-Anon Family Groups

Al-Anon Family Groups is offering help and hope to anyone living in an unhappy home because a loved one drinks too much. There are no contracts to sign, just a voluntary donation to cover room rental. Confidentiality is protected. Confidential meetings held at the Delahay Community Centre, 70 Copperfield Drive every Wednesday, from 1-2.30pm. New members welcome. No appointment necessary. Helpline, 1300 252 666

Musicians Wanted

Westgate Concert Band is seeking new members. Do you play Woodwind, Brass or Percussion and are looking for a welcoming place to play enjoyable and challenging music? Rehearsals are held Saturday mornings during school terms, 9am-noon, at Braybrook College. westgateconcertband@gmail.com

Deer Park Lions Club

Deer Park Lions Club is looking for new members. It holds dinner meetings on the first Wednesday of every month at the Deer Park Senior Citizens Club, 119 Station Road, Deer Park. Michael, 0417 307 572

Faces of the west

Each week Star Weekly photographers are out and about capturing events and people across the western and northern suburbs.

FROM THE ARCHIVES

Star Weekly looks back through the pages of our predecessors

40 years ago 16 April, 1986

A new $9 million post-secondary education institution will be built in St Albans. It will serve 300 students by Februarynextyear.

30 years ago 17 April, 1996

Hoons on trail bikes and driving high-poweredcarsarewreakinghavoc in Brimbank’s residential streets, claims the Albanvale Resident’s Association.

20 years ago 18 April, 2006

Debris flew across the Western Ring Road in Sunshine last Tuesday when twosemi-trailersandfourcarscollided attheBallaratRoadexit.

10 years ago 19 April, 2016

A second multi-deck carpark could be built at Sunshine to help ease parking congestion.

Comedy tips on annoying parents and other old people

Matty Grey has the antidote to one of the biggest conundrums in kids comedy shows with his internationally renowned act 101 Ways to Annoy Your Parents and Other Really Old People.

In case you stopped to question what the act show actually involves— yes, it is exactly what the name says.

The stand up comedy is designed both for adults and kids, aiming to reach both ontheirownlevelwhilenotboringanyone.

“It taps into the fundamentals of childhood, parenthood and blends them,” Grey said.

“I call it Simpsons-esque humour because the kids love it and the adults get it.

“I had the idea for the show in the back of my head for well over a decade.”

The maestro said his strong inner child will keep the action flowing and the audience attentive.

“Iama49-year-oldwithseriousattention deficit issues, so my shows are designed to be non-stop stimulation all the time.

“We don’t pause for a downturn at all, we keep going at one speed.”

Parents won’t be sent home with a

disadvantage either.

“We will also be teaching parents a few extra ways to annoy their kids as well,“ Grey said.

“It is an incredibly educational show, so everyone should definitely come along.”

The show was debuted by Grey in 2023 and has been a hit for three years running at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

The show will run at the Wyndham Cultural Centre in Werribee 3-4pm on Sunday 26 April.

Tickets: https://tickets.wyndham.vic. gov.au/Events

HALO hits a high note

BoweryTheatrewillbefilledwithpowerful vocals, ethereal harmonies and palpable energy this month as the HALO vocal ensemble presents its HALO & Friends concert in Brimbank.

Ensemble founder and musical director Liona Tatafu said HALO was formed about seven years ago and consists of members who are all close friends.

“It’s our first original show. We’re taking on a new direction,” she said.

“Everyone’s going to be seeing the new HALO and hearing all our original music.”

The show will comprise 12 performers, many of whom are from the western

suburbs, with the evening being emceed by rapper Strictly D.T.

“Healwayskeepsthingslightandfunny,” Tatafu said.

Some of the ensemble’s musical inspirations include Tori Kelly, Maverick City Music and Kirk Franklin.

“It’s very much gospel, soul…lyrical, funky, upbeat vibes,” Tatafu said.

“Vocally, it’s very harmony heavy.”

Shesaidensemblemembersloveworking together to develop layered harmonies and musical arrangements.

“[The audience] is going to feel it too with the words of love and community,” she

said. “I’d definitely love to encourage the audience to get up and dance. Be prepared to sing and cry, all the emotions. It’s gonna be super fun.”

The HALO & Friends concert will run from 6.30pm to 10pm on Saturday 18 April at Bowery Theatre, 33 Princess Street, St Albans.

“It’s community, it’s family, it’s love, it’s unity. It’s just bringing people together,” Tatafu said.

The event is only for people aged 18 and over.

Ticket prices and more info: creativebrimbank.com.au

Whether you’re a seasoned artist, or can barely draw a stick figure after a couple of wines, you’ll be in safe and slightly sassy hands at Drag, Paint andSipasitmakesitswaytoBacchus Marsh’s Royal Hotel on Saturday 23 May.

Drag, Paint and Sip is the fabulously fun event hosted by the iconic duo Terry Dactyl and Sabrina Chevrier, who have teamed up to deliver a night of colour, camp, and a little controlled chaos.

The event will guide participants in creating their very own cheeky artwork, topped off with a glitter-paint coating, all while they sip, giggle and enjoy live drag performances throughout the show.

Chevrier said this is the pair’s first time joining forces to mix entertainment, creativity, and a good dose of fun and laughter into one jam-packed event.

“While people usually attend my workshops for a more transformational women’s experience, this one is intentionally a little more lighthearted and will be open to people of all genders,” she said.“Terrybringstheentertainment, the humour, and the sass. I bring the creative element, guiding you through a painting experience that’s easy, fun, and doesn’t take itself too seriously.”

All painting supplies are provided on the day, with a step-by-step guided session giving participants their very own canvas masterpiece to take home, all set to the tune of Terry Daktyl’s glorious drag performances.

“We’re really excited to bring this to life and share a night that’s all about fun, expression, and not overthinking it,” Chevrier said.

“We are a lot of things, but boring isn’t one of them!”

Get your tickets at: https:// www.eventbrite.com.au/e/ drag-paint-sip-bacchus-marshtickets-1985038733287.

208 litres of Tasmanian rock delivered to the western suburbs

Tasmanian band 208L Containers visit Melbourne for the first time later this month to launch their new record Soft Monstrous Masses! and like the new Spirit of Tasmania, which is currently docked at Williamstown, the Hobart four-piece will be coming to the western suburbs too. Unlike the costly new ferry which is too big to go any further, 208L Containers are making their way up the Maribyrnong to Footscray and Mama Chen’s, where they’ll be playing tunes from their fourth record on Friday 24 April.

Describedvariouslyas“absurdistrockers straddling the line between post-punk and pub rock,” and “imagine John Clarke riffing over a slightly warped Minutemen cassette,” 208L Containers will be supported on the night by two Melbourne based four-pieces with somewhat more conventional descriptions.

Noisy post-punk is the label Ze Wisenheimer give their music.

Shy pop songs done loud is the even plainer self-assessment provided by Sylvia of the sounds punters can expect from the

first band on the bill.

Doors open at 7.30pm and tickets are $12 plus booking fee or $15 on the door.

Those unable to make the Footscray show, or who want to go back-to-back, can also catch 208L Containers on Anzac Day, Saturday 25 April at the Curtain Hotel.

Details: https://mammachens.com. au/26-04-24-208l-containers/

To solve a Sudoku puzzle, every number from 1 to 9 must appear in: each of the nine vertical columns, each of the nine horizontal rows and each of the nine 3 x 3 boxes. Remember, no number can occur more than once in any row, column or box.

ACROSS

1 Melodious (7)

5 Sketch (7)

9 Agile (9)

10 Spanish for 'coast' (5)

11 Greek god of music, poetry, etc. (6)

12 Person who deserts a party to join another one (8)

14 Electronic novels (1-5)

15 Teaching period (4)

19 Slender support (4)

20 Dog with a curly coat (6)

24 Stressed (8)

25 Japanese robe (6)

27 'Well done!' (5)

28 Childish (9) 29 Ritual (7) 30 Unity (7)

1 Zany (6) 2 Church caretaker (6) 3 Scientific workrooms  (coll) (4,4) 4 Be ominously close (4) 5 Discourse (10)

6 Go up; climb (6)

7 Put back (8)

8 Interim period (8)

13 Intricateness (10)

16 A major city in Türkiye (8)

17 Trader (8)

18 League (8)

21 Situated within the building (6)

22 Beginner (6)

23 Roy or Ginger (6)

26 Curly hairdo (4)

Today’s Aim:

9 words: Good 14 words: Very good 19 words: Excellent

No colloquial or foreign words. No capitalised nouns, apostrophes or plural nouns ending in “s”. C E E D A D C E N

3 LETTERS

1 Along with Edmund Hillary, who was the first person to climb Mount Everest?

2 Where is the world's largest desert located?

3 True or false: hippos are unable to swim?

4 Who wrote the screenplay for Rocky?

5 What is the bestselling girl group of all time?

6 Name the spacecraft that carried the first astronauts to the moon.

7 Which is smaller: a virus particle or a bacterial cell?

8 What character does John Travolta (pictured) play in the 1977 film SaturdayNight Fever?

9 In what year was Earth Day first celebrated?

10 What name is singer and actor Stefani Germanotta better known by?

SPORTS QUIZ

1. Which winter sport consists of cross-country skate skiing and rifle shooting?

2. Is a riposte a defensive or offensive move in fencing?

3. Nestory Irankunda plays what position for the Socceroos?

4. Italy officially missed out on a 2026 World Cup slot after losing to which country?

5. Who is the current men’s world No.1 tennis player?

6. ‘Enforcer’ is a term used in which sport?

7. Ryan Corr stars in which 2015 romcom with an AFL term as the title?

Which team nickname is shared by an AFL team and Philadelphia’s NFL team?

NBL player Bryce Cotton recently became the fourth person to score how many points in a single season?

The Newcastle Northstars are a team in which league?

How many nations will compete in the 2026 FIFA World Cup soccer tournament?

12. How many AFL teams are based in states other than Victoria?

13. Australian rugby union coach Mick Byrne has ended his two-year tenure in charge of which country’s national team?

14. Which Australian pop icon will perform at this year’s AFL grand final?

15. Which Italian F1 driver leads the drivers’ championship after the first three rounds?

16. Which cricketing state stunned Victoria in the Sheffield Shield final to claim its second consecutive title?

17. And which fast-bowling allrounder was player of the match, scoring a half-century and taking six wickets?

18. Which high-speed field sport often described as the ‘fastest game on grass’ originated in Ireland?

19. How many Australian Opens has tennis legend Novak Djokovic won?

20. British-born Williams F1 driver Alex Albon races under which country’s flag?

21. Which two teams featured in the NBL 2026 Grand Final Series?

22.NRL player Tui Kamikamica plays for which club?

23. English cricketers Harry Brook and Jacob Bethell were recently let off with a warning after a nightclub incident in which country?

24. Which Matildas star recently signed a $10 million deal with Adidas?

25. Which sponsor is the premier partner of the AFL?

26. Which US state will host the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final?

The Tour of Flanders road race is held annually in which country?

28. James Warburton recently stepped down as the CEO of which Australian sporting competition?

29. Tiger Woods recently turned down the captaincy of the US team in which golfing tournament?

30.Who is the current captain of the Port Adelaide Power?

Star Weekly seeks an enthusiastic Full or Part time Sales Executive to work across our print, digital, social and online platforms.

Star Weekly is an independently owned company which prides itself on its long history of community experience but also its investment in the future.

The successful applicant will need to possess good people skills to enable them to meet with local businesses to sell solutions through our advertising platforms to help promote their business.

Applicants will need their own reliable vehicle for which we will provide an allowance. The position is salaried, plus we offer an open ended commission scheme.

Send your application letter and resume to: Advertising Sales Manager, Mandy Clark mandy.clark@starnewsgroup.com.au www.starnewsgroup.com.au

Huge news in big SUV dept

By Chris Riley, Marque Motoring

It’s not so long ago that the first Hyundai topped the $70,000 mark.

The 2015 Genesis was good, but would buyers be prepared to pay that much for a Korean car, everyone wondered?

FastforwardandwenowhaveGWM’sfirst vehicle to pass this milestone – its flagship Tank 500UltraPHEV seven-seatoff-roader. And once again we find ourselves pondering whether buyers will stump up this sort of money to buy a Chinese vehicle this time.

In its defence, the large SUV is a substantial offering with plenty to offer those in the market for a large, luxurious wagon with some real off-road capability.

Styling Tank 500 shares its body on frame underpinnings with GWM’s Cannon Alpha utility.

There are two powertrains and three grades from which to choose, all of them hybridsofonesort ofanother.

The range kicks off with the Ultra HEV, a conventional petrol-electric hybrid priced from$73,990.It’sfollowedbytheVantaHEV from $75,990 and finally the plug-in Ultra PHEV, the subject of our review priced from $77,990 – all prices are driveaway.

HEV versions are self-charging hybrids and come with seven seats, while the PHEV is a five-seater that can be plugged in and charged, and operate in fully electric mode to further reduce fuel consumption.

Both of the hybrid setups are based on a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine.

Also of note, the Tank 500 is a real 4WD, withtorqueondemandall-wheeldrive,dual range transmission and plenty of ground clearance for tackling the rough stuff

So, while it might sound expensive, it stacksupprettywellagainstthecompetition which includes the likes of Toyota’s Prado, the Ford Everest and Pajero Sport etc.

The styling is big, boofy and conservative with chunky tyres and lashings of chrome trim in evidence plus an aggressively styled radiator grille that would not look out of place on the front of a Ram pickup.

TheTankisobviouslytargetedattheolder cashed-up age group who like their shiny toys and are prepared to pay for them.

Ditto the cabin fitout which has a plush, heavily-upholstered look with wood trim and an inset instrument panel, rather than the more common minimalist approach. The old folks will love it.

They won’t love the heavy tailgate with its sparewheelhoweverwhichrequiresquitea bitofeffort to operate at times.

Not sure what the tailgate icon on the key fob is either because that sucker ain’t going anywhere, especially if you’re parked on a hill.

ThePHEVisexceptionallywell-equipped, with three-zone climate air, Nappa leather-accented trim, power-adjust front seats that are heated, cooled and provide massage, plus a second row with its own climate controls and power folding function, a power-adjust heated steering wheel, plus three digital displays including head-up display and a panoramic sunroof.

Highlights include the GWM app which provides remote access, a classy dashboard timepiece that spins to the correct time when the car opens, kid-pleasing side steps that pop-out automatically on approach and touchscreen controls for the little ones to fiddle with that are incorporated in the rear, fold-down centre armrest.

It lets passengers control the radio, climate settings, ambient lighting, and seat comfort features.

Watchoutparents.

Other features include LED lights, hands-free auto parking, auto high beam, traffic sign recognition, auto lights and wipers, front and rear parking sensors and an auto-dimming rear-view mirror.

Tank 500 is covered by a seven-year unlimited kilometre warranty, seven years roadsideassistanceandsevenyearscapped price servicing, plus eight years on the high voltage battery pack.

Infotainment Infotainment consists of a 14.6-inch centre touchscreen, with Bluetooth, built-in navigation,AM/FMandDAB+digitalradio, wired and unwired Apple CarPlay and AndroidAutoplus12-speakerInfinityaudio with active noise cancellation.

Head-up display is also fitted and comes intoviewoccasionallyifyouhappentowear polarised sunglasses. Why can’t they spend the time to fix this issue?

There’s USB A and C ports front and back, as well as 12-volt outlets front and back, but no 12-volt outlet in the rear for powering a car fridge.

Wireless phone charging is also provided and another USB port near the rear vision mirror to power a dash cam.

Safety

Tank 500 scores a full five stars for safety in crash tests.

A sophisticated safety lineup includes seven airbags, with a centre airbag that provides added protection to front seat occupants in side impact crashes, plus a 360-degree camera with overhead transparent mode.

Autonomous emergency braking (Car-to-Car,VulnerableRoadUser,Junction & Crossing, Backover and Head-On) as well as a lane support system with lane keep assist(LKA),lanedeparturewarning(LDW) and emergency lane keeping (ELK), and an advancedspeedassistancesystem(SAS)are standard.

Engines/transmissions

Providing the motivation is a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine, together with a 120kW electric motor and 37kWh battery that delivers a combined 300kW of power and 750Nm of torque, the latter from a low 1750 rpm.

The nine-speed transmission with paddle shifters is reported to be China’s first longitudinal nine-speed hydraulic automatic transmission.

Driving

Justshyof5.1metresinlengthandweighing close to three tonnes (2820kg), the Tank 500 is noshrinkingviolet.

But it gets moving surprisingly quickly for a big feller, especially the PHEV with a 0-100km/htimeof6.9seconds.

Overseas there’s also a version with two electric motors and a larger 59kWh battery that produces 635kW and a staggering 1195Nm of torque. Bring it on baby!

A 150kW electric motor is integrated into the9HATtransmissionandsitsbetweenthe engineandgearbox,whichisdescribedasa P2layout.A37.1kWhbatteryisplacedatthe rear ofthechassis.

As well as the ability to operate in high and low range, driving modes include: Eco, Normal, Sports, Snow, Sand, Rock, Mud, Auto, Expert. Not sure what the last one is about.

There are also three levels of adjustment for the steering plus adjustable regenerative braking.

With a 70-litre tank, it takes standard unleaded and offers combined fuel consumption of 2.1L/100km if you keep the batterycharged(andthisoneisnotiddlerso some commitment is required).

The just-drive-it brigade can expect 8.4L/100km or more. Energy consumption meanwhile is a heavy 27.2kWh/100km, so it’s going to eat through the charge fairly quickly.

A fully charged battery will deliver a pure electricrangeofupto 120km(NEDC).

The PHEV can be charged from 30-80 per cent charge with a 50kW DC fast charger in 24 minutes, while 15-100 per cent with an AC charger takes some six hours and 30 minutes.

Remember that’s not a full charge, but if youinstallaWallboxathomeyoucanexpect it to be ready to go again in the morning.

The PHEV also offers Vehicle-to-Load capability which means it can be used to powerAC accessories.

Brakedtowingcapacityacrosstherangeis 3000kgandasyoucanseeitpacksafull-size spare on the swing tailgate (which will be a bugger to get off in the event of a flat).

Cargo capacity is 1400 litres with the rear seats folded or 640 litres with them in use, with an artificially high luggage floor to accommodate the batteries.

OntheroadtheTankisquickoffthemark, but can be difficult to off the line cleanly, with even a dab touch of the accelerator delivering a jerky response.

Ridequalityisnotbadbutcouldbebetter, and we are not aware whether this vehicle has been put through GWM’s Australian tuning program.

If it has, it’s nowhere as good as the H6 PHEV that we drove recently.

The weight of the vehicle helps offset jar and rebound and on well-formed roads.

Push too hard however and this same weight will lead to oversteer in corners,

whichcauses theback to step out.

In terms of off-road ability, the figures suggest it could be a contender.

There’s under-body protection, dual range four-wheel drive, ground clearance of 224mm and a wading depth of 800mm, which all bode well, along with locking front, centre andrear differentials.

Retaining mechanical linkages allows power to be sent directly to a single wheel if needed, ensuring traction even in the roughest conditions.

Approach angle is 30 degrees, departure angle is 24 degrees and breakover 22 degrees.

Tank Turn Assist allows the vehicle to performatight,pivotingturnbylockingthe rear wheels while the front wheels steer in theopposite direction.

This enables the vehicle to manoeuvre easily in narrow spaces, enhancing its off-road capabilities.

Buttheproofisinthepudding,solet’ssee Great Wall tackle Beer O’Clock Hill as it did withthesmallerTank300–thenitwillhave somethingto crow about.

You can select between EV, HEV and Intelligent hybrid modes. EV prioritises the battery,HEVseesitoperateasaconventional hybrid and Intelligent is described as the idealoptionforlong-distancecommutes. Experimentation showed it favoured the petrol engine.

HEV proved to be the preferred mode. Sitting at 100km/h on flat motorway for more than 30km saw the vehicle use hardly any fuel or battery.

We clocked up 750km in our week behind the wheel of the Tank 500, with an average 8.8L/100km fuel consumption and 6.0kWh/100km of energy consumption, but no composite figure.

After 515km and with 15 per cent battery and a range of 155km remaining, we opted to recharge the battery using an AC charger whichtookfour hoursand40 minutes.

The first time we plugged it in the vehicle failed to start charging and it was necessary to remove and reinsert the plug a couple of times before it got going, confirming it was indeed charging. Good thing we checked. Once it had finished charging it was reluctant to go into Drive and it was necessary to turn the car off and one a couple of times.

A tab on the scrollable info screen reveals the car had 845km of EV range and 2314km of fuel range, but these figures actually represent the distance travelled by the car in entirety. Moreover, you have to dive into the centre touchscreen to keep tabs on the remaining combined range.

Other idiosyncrasies include the indicators which often fail to cancel, poor AM radio reception and it took us some time to work out how to activate blind spot warnings, which turns out to be associated with something called Smart Dodge. And we never did discover how to reduce the distance to the car in front with the adaptive cruise control engaged.

Summing up

The Tank 500 PHEV is surprisingly likeable, offering a heady mix of luxury and off-road ability in a hi-tech package. It’s good buying now but we’d opt to watch and act, to wait and see where GWM takes this model which probably won’t take long given the rapid evolution of Chinese vehicles.

Onceuponatimeittookcarmakersyears to test and evaluate new models, but these days it seems to have contracted to mere months.

Buyersthemselvesappeartohavebecome part of the test phase. Don’t you think?

Wet weather for football

Eagles are ready to build

By Tara Murray

The Western Eagles are taking the lessons learned from last season as it aims to be one of the challengers for the FV state league 2 north-west competition.

The Eagles finished mid table last season and showed plenty of positive signs and are keen to build on that this year.

Coach Paul Falzon said there had been some good signs so far, but there was still a long way to go.

“We are happy with way we went through pre-season,” he said.

“During the pre-season we were improving with each session and each practice match where we played some quality oppo-

sition.

“Last year was the first year in division two that the club has competed in for quite some time.

“Although a mid table finish was OK, we felt that we could of finished much higher on the table.

“This year we will take all the lessons learnt from last season and build to become more competitive and become one of the challengers in the league.”

Falzon said there had been a bit of a change to the squad in the off season.

He said several players hadn’t played much in the pre-season and were still finding their feet.

“We have signed a total of 12 new players

that have joined us and have integrated very well with the existing players,” he said.

“Losing George Dioudis to a season long injury during the pre-season is a setback and we’re still looking to get back some key players back from injury that didn’t play much during pre-season.”

TheEaglesstartedtheseasonwithadraw and then a win, before the Easter break.

Falzon said they were disappointed not to get the whole three points in round one against Altona North.

He said Geelong Rangers are a quality outfit and they were very happy to get the points away from home as I believe they are going to be very hard to be at home.

There was no rest during the Easter break

with the Eagles facing National Premier League side Avondale in the fourth round of the Dockerty Cup-Australia Cup.

Falzon said there were some really good signs out of that game despite losing 3-1.

“The squad was very happy to play one of the best teams in the state,” he said.

“The players stuck to a game plan that wasalittledifferentthanweusuallyplayand really put on an impressive performance.

“Taking the lead twice during the match and not progressing through to the next round was a little hard to take.

The Eagles were back in action on the weekend in the state league 2 north-west competition against Uni Hill Eagles, after deadline.

Jets girls ready to play after big pre-season

By Tara Murray

Western Jets’ girls coach Kathryn Chatelier couldn’t have asked for much more in her first off season in charge of the Talent League side.

Chatelier took over the coaching midway through the Jets season last year, meaning there was a lot of learning on the go.

Now with half a season and an off season under her belt, she’s keen to get things underway this season.

“It’s been a really strong pre-season,” she said before the Jets season opener.

“There’s been no big hiccups and we’ve got a really connected group.

“The top age has moved on and we have another half come into the squad. They have integrated really well.

“We’ve ticked all the boxes so far which is encouraging.”

Chatelier said having had a full pre-season together had been really beneficial for not just her but the whole group.

She said it was a good chance to get

to know the players and start to focus on things they didn’t get a chance to look at last season.

“LastyearIwasthrowninandwasonthe run,” she said. “I’ve got to know the players on and off the field and that has shown in the connection and the game plan.

“We can have a bit more planned with the development. It has been fun.”

Chatelier said their list this year was about a 50-50 split between top age and bottom age players.

Shesaidtheyhadafew19-year-oldsstay with the club as well.

“We’ve got some exciting talent in our top age year and some exciting prospects coming through the bottom age,” she said.

“There’s some good young talent coming through both groups.”

The Jets had four players as part of the Vic Metro summer hub, Kiara Boyd, Jacinta Eteuati, Tayla Olivieri and Addison West.

Chatelier said all four had been doing the hard work in the hopes of being drafted.

“All four have put their foot down in the pre-season and are working really hard on

their strengths and the reasons why they’re in the metro hub.

“They have got better and have all had external help from a fitness point of view.

“There’s a few more knocking on the door.”

Boyd has been named captain of the Jets squad with Olivieri and West named vice-captains.

Piper Dixon, Makaylah Brne and Charli Parsons-Jones make up the leadership group.

Chatelier said the group had some high level talent and some were really underrated outside of the Jets.

The Jets kicked off their season on Saturday against the Northern Knights, after deadline.

Chatelier said they were itching to get out there.

“Once the boys started it became really real and we wanted to be done with pre-season and get out there,” she said.

“Youneverknowwhattoexpectinround one.They[theKnights]havesomegoodtalent in the program.”

Early change to coaching team

Western Suburbs’ has had an early coaching change in the FV state league 1 north-west competition.

The side lost its opening two matches of the season before it had a 3-1 loss to Victorian Premier League ladder leaders Northcote City in the Dockerty Cup-Australia Cup on the Easter weekend.

Scores were locked at 1-1 at the end of regular time, before Northcote City found two goals in extra time to take the win, 3-1.

Western Suburbs said that coach Jim Gacovski resigned from his position following the Northcote City game.

“We would like to thank Jim and his assistant Doug Mladenovic for their efforts and wish them all the very best,” the club said on social media.

The pair had returned to Western Suburbs this season, having previously coached the club in 2024.

The pair joined Western Suburbs midway through that season and coached the side to eighth on the ladder. Western Suburbs said that Bill Georgopoulos will coach the side against Sydenham Park in round three of the FV state league 1 north-west match, which was after deadline.

Georgopoulos is no stranger to the state league 1 north-west competition, having coached Westvale Olympic the past five seasons.

He coached Westvale to promotion in 2022 and 2024, with the side finishing fifth last season in its first season back in state league 1.

In other Dockerty Cup matches on the Easter weekend, Melbourne Knights suffered a shock loss to Yarraville Glory, 1-0.

Goulburn Valley Suns beat Green Gully, 2-1, to continue the Cavaliers tough start to the season.

Albion Rovers progressed to the next round after beating Heatherton United, 1-0, while Westvale is also through after beating Langwarrin, 1-0.

North Sunshine Eagles won through with a 4-2 win against Collingwood City, while Western Eagles lost to Avondale, 3-2

Caroline Springs George Cross beat South Springvale, 2-1, while Keilor Park was too good for the Brimbank Stallions, winning 2-0.

St Albans Saints and Sydenham Park are also through to the next round after wins against Ballarat City and Lalor United respectively.

Titles for Coleman, Ryan

By Justin Flynn and Tara Murray

Emerging bowls star Harry Coleman became the youngest winner of the Victorian Open at just 15, defeating some highly ranked opponents along the way.

Coleman, from Inverleigh, defeated former Victorian state representative and current Queensland member Mark Armstrong in the final at Traralgon.

Coleman began playing bowls for Inverleigh in Division 11 before crossing to City of Geelong’s Premier Pennant side. Seeking a better standard of bowls, he now plays for Deer Park in the Metro Pennant Premier Division.

“I don’t think it has completely sunk in yet, it’s like a dream come true,” Coleman

told Bowls Victoria’s Melanie Allen.

“Each year my goal is to go one step better for these major events and to go all the way was, and is, just so unbelievable.

“To be the youngest person to do it makes it even more special, extremely privileged. To win at this age has only been possible due to the support of my family.”

Coleman defeated Maffra’s Brett Hodgins and Moama’s Matt Robertson 21-4 in both round 1 matches and went straight through to the round of 128 players where he was too good for East Maitland’s Martin Gray, 21-14.

It was the same scoreline in the round of 64 with Coleman getting past Traralgon’s Ian Hilsley 21-14.

Traralgon’s Shane Chapman was no

match for Coleman in the round of 32 with the youngster recording a 21-3 win and in the round of 16 it was a 21-18 win against former Victorian representative Leigh McIlvenny (Lorne).

The quarter-final match against Melton youngster Oscar Jones went the way of Coleman, 21-16.

Club Tweed’s Kobe Barton, who won the tournament in 2025, was Coleman’s semi-final opponent and after trailing 2-6, he prevailed 21-14 to set up a final match against Armstrong, which he won 21-16 after opening up a 12-3 lead after nine ends.

“Over the past year, I have been incredibly fortunate to be involved in some great sidesandsurroundedbysomeofthegame’s most experienced players,” Coleman said.

Early lessons after tough start for Lions

By Tara Murray

Taylors Lakes’ coach Steve Burns hopes his side has learned from an early lesson in the Essendon District Football League division 1 competition.

The Lions were in action on Good Friday and suffered a 33 point defeat at the hands of West Coburg.

Burns said it was better to have a performance like that early in the season.

“They were good and Cole [Harvey] has them playing a good structure,” Burns said of West Coburg. “They were fitter than normal.

“We didn’t get going until possibly the last quarter but they might have put the cue in the rack as well.

“We had two really hard practice matches where we weren’t awesome as well.”

Burns said they were better than they had been in the practice matches on Good Friday.

He said many of the stats showed they

were still in the game for much of it, but there was one area that killed them.

“Turnovers cost us badly and they got nearly 60 points through turnover and we got only 2.6, 18 points,“ he said.

“That cost us the win. The skills cost us and we have to get better across the board.

“It was good to get it out of the way first up and it sets the standard for what we need to do and where we need to be for Moonee Valley in two weeks.”

Burns said there were some early positive signs from some of their recruits and said they will only get better.

He said Brandon Coletta was huge for them in defence while Korey Flavel Wood and Daniel Sargent showed positive signs after all crossing to the club in the off season.

Mitchell Jones, Rhys Bradley and Tom Ibarra all returned after missing most of last year with injury and will be better for the run.

James Vistarini, who returned to the

“It’s really helped with my game awareness and staying calm during big moments. Although calm, it was great to have Dean (Riva) behind the rink for support. He provided the reassurance to play the shot and I backed myself.”

Colemanthenturnedhisattentiontothe Victorian Under 18 State Championship at Sunbury from 7 to 9 April where, by the time the Independent had gone to print, he had reached the final after an epic semi-final match against Micah Oswin.

After getting out to a 10-2 lead, Oswin hit back and after 24 ends, it was 19-17, but Coleman picked up two shots on the last two ends to book a spot in the final against Wunghnu’s Jacob Cartwright on 9 April at 2pm.

Storm’s key recruits

Sydenham Hillside has wasted no time in adding to its squad for the next Victorian Turf Cricket Association senior division season.

After missing finals, the Storm has announced three new signings, all who have played overseas. The latest signing is that of Isaac Bird.

“A proven performer, Isaac brings elite experience having played for Auckland A cricket in New Zealand, along with strong premier cricket pedigree,” the Storm said on social media.

“After being on Sydenham’s radar for some time, we’re excited to finally bring him to Hillside.

“Coming off a stellar campaign with 600-plus runs and 30-plus wickets, Bird shapes as a genuine all-round match-winner and a major boost to our playing group.”

Fast bowler Jurgen Andersen also joins the Storm having come across from New Zealand.

He now lives in Australia.

club in the off season, missed round one in his return to the club, but should be good to go the next couple of weeks.

Burns said one positive out of round one was the senior debut of Anthony Di Gregorio.

Di Gregorio, a Taylors Lakes junior, played thirds football with Caroline Springs last year.

“He played really well,” Burns said.

“We haven’t had many really good kids coming through in recent years. A young guy in the side and see him perform was a positive for us.”

The Lions had the weekend off having already played in round one.

They face Moonee Valley and St Albans the next two weeks.

Burns said the coaches would get down and have a bit of a watch as those two sides play in round one.

“They’ve got a lot of new players and it’s been hard to get a read on them.”

In other round two matches, St Albans will be in action against East Keilor.

“Jurgen is a proven performer who brings extensive experience and leadership to our group,” the Storm said.

“These days living in Oz, Jurgen now lives locally with his young family and we can’t wait to see Jurgen out there wearing the Storm colours next season.”

The signings come after the club had previously announced the signing of Dan Lincoln for next season.

The club said it was excited to have Lincoln on board and was building towards a huge season.

“Dan brings outstanding experience to the Storm, having played county cricket with Middlesex and Kent, while also captaining England in the European Championship,” the Stormsaid.“Aprovenleaderandquality performer, Dan will add enormous class both on and off the field. We cannot wait to see him in Storm colours and making his mark at the club.”

Roos take their chances

By Tara Murray

Sunshine gave an early glimpse of what to expect this Western Football League division 1 season, with a strong first up win against Altona.

The Kangaroos who at times struggled in their first season back in the top flight, showed what a good pre-season could do on Saturday.

In tough conditions, the Kangaroos were able to make the most of their opportunities in front of goal, as they came away with a 14.3 (87)-5.9 (39) win.

Kangaroos’ coach Guy Barbuto said it was tough conditions but the playing group was able to find a way.

“It’s the worst I’ve seen,” he said of the

conditions. “It was biased towards one side of the ground and it was four seasons in one day, standard Melbourne.

“It wasn’t a great day for football.”

The Kangaroos were able to set the win up in the first half as they kicked nine goals straight to 1.5 to lead by 43 points at the main break.

Barbuto said having the lead made it a bit easier having that lead before the heavens opened up and made conditions even more tricky.

“Altona stuck to their processes all day and put a bit of pressure on,” he said.

They only had one goal at quarter time and kept them to four in the second half and that was the ball game.”

Xavier Kardachi kicked three goals for

the Kangaroos, while three other players kicked two goals apiece.

Barbuto said there were plenty of good signs out of the win.

“We’ve been healthy through the pre-season and we’ve had some luck with injuries,” he said.

“There were some hard luck stories at the selection table on Thursday night.

“The twos had a great win and for the club the progression shows right away.”

Barbuto said the win was a real team one.

He said Fred Valpied, who is back from Victorian Football League duties, Kardachi, Tom Davidson and Tom Schwarzenberg were all among the best.

Defensively the Kangaroos were strong

against the Vikings forward line which had a height advantage.

The Kangaroos will now face Hoppers Crossing in round two.

Barbuto said it would be a good test against an experienced line up which has some former AFL talent.

“It’s exactly what the club needs,” he said. “We knew we had a good group and we knew that we didn’t have to bring in big guys as we’re confident in the premier division players.

“That is what we have done and the spread of talent showed.”

Elsewhere, Albion beat Point Cook, while Caroline Springs lost the grand final rematch to Werribee Districts.

Nicholas Schiemer. (Ljubica Vrankovic) 546155_04

Coach warns not to underestimate Bears

By Tara Murray

Burnside Heights is hoping to take a few teams by surprise in the Essendon District Football League division 2 competition.

The Bears lost six key players in the off season, including captain Jordan Hughes, resulting in the side going in with an even younger team this year.

New coach Damien Gillman said the group still had plenty of confidence within it.

“We are going to catch a few teams out who will underestimate us with who we last from last year,” he said.

“We haven’t got many new guys in but we will have a red hot crack every week.”

Gillman, who was an assistant coach last season, said the season couldn’t have come quick enough as they wanted to get an idea of where they were at against good opposition.

Having lost six senior players it was always going to be a different looking side taking to the field in round one.

“The message is to control what we can

control,” he said.

“There will be ebbs and flows for us and it’s about having more flows than ebbs for us.

“It has been good so far.

The Bears start to the season wasn’t an easy one, as they faced last season’s grand finalists Westmeadows.

For the first half, the Bears were able to stick with the Tigers in tricky weather conditions.

They actually led by 17 points at the main break.

The Tigers then found another level in the second half to win, 11.8 (74)-8.10 (58).

Gillman said they were happy with a fair chunk of the match.

“We said keep doing what we had been doing in the first half,” he said.

“We are a bit younger and a bit less experienced and that was what cost us in the end.

“Their bigger bodies stepped up.”

Toby Pullens kicked two goals for the Bears.

Benjamin Ryan, Dante Iuele and Damon

Mariluch were named the Bears best.

Gillman said it was a real team effort with everyone playing their role.

He said that had been the focus pre-game and they had executed it.

The Bears will face Roxburgh Park on Saturday in round two.

The Magpies, who have come down from division 1, lost to the Sunbury Kangaroos in round one.

“Some of the guys and myself have not played up there,” Gillman said.

The Bears women’s division 1 side also kicked off their season on Saturday.

It was a different looking side having lost a number of players in the off season including Krissy Trang, Holly McGregor, Kayla Ravanello and Sina Mason.

Facing Westmeadows, neither side was able to kick a goal in the first half.

The Tigers got going in the second half to run away with a 5.15 (45)-0.1 (1) win.

Sarah Poni and Kiara Asani-Davis were named the Bears best in the loss.

The women also face Roxburgh Park this weekend.

VTCA

St Albans has signed Brayden MacDonald for the next Victorian Turf Cricket Association senior division season. The move will see MacDonald reunite with his former Gellibrand coach Paul Hetherington, who is now coach of St Albans. “Brayden brings skill, energy and a strong presence with the new ball,” the Saints said on social media. “We can’t wait to see him in Saints colours and making an impact this season.”

Dockerty Cup

Just 40 clubs remain in the Dockerty Cup with fixtures for rounds five and six drawn on Wednesday night. Round five of the competition will be played on the evenings of 21-23 April and 28-30 April. Among the match ups in round five include, Whittlesea United against North Sunshine Eagles, Keilor Park at home to Preston Lions, Eastern Lions against Westvale Olympic, Melbourne Srbija will take on St Albans Saints, Albion Rovers and Caroline Springs George Cross will do battle and Sydenham Park against Oakleigh Cannons.

EDFL

Hillside kicked off its title defence in the best possible manner in the Essendon District Football League women’s premier division competition. The Sharks were at home on Saturday in round one against last season’s minor premiers. In tough conditions, the Sharks set up the win in the first half as they led by 17 points at the main break. Abers came home hard late but weren’t able to convert as the Sharks held on to win, 4.2 (26)-1.9 (15). Nikita Wright was named best for the Sharks. In division 1, Keilor Park started with a win, while Burnside Heights and Taylors Lakes both suffered losses.

NPL

Green Gully Cavaliers fell narrowly short of their first win of the National Premier League season on Saturday night. Facing the Dandenong Thunder, the Cavaliers looked headed for a win after scoring through Nathan Simes in the 50th minute. The Thunder were able to get an equaliser in the 95th minute to share the points in a 1-1 result.

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