Retirementvillageresidentsandadvocates are raising their voices following the City of Geelong’s decision not to introduce a differential rating system for their propertiesinits2026-27budget.
In April, Fairer Differential Rates campaigners presented four petitions with hundreds of signatures requesting council reduce retirement village residents’ratesbyupto33percent.
Petitioners argued retirement village residents, many in their 80s and 90s, already paid for infrastructure maintenance through annual fees charged by their village and used public infrastructuresuchasroadsfarless.
They cited the precedent set by other Victorian councils who had introduced a differential rating system, including BrimbankCity,FrankstonCity,KnoxCity andMorningtonPeninsula.
However, the budget accepted by the councilinJuneincludednochangetothe ratingstructure.
In a response to the campaigners’ submissions, City officers stated the council could not afford to reduce retirementvillageresidents’rateswithout raising the rates of other categories, creating “inequity for other ratepayers, including older residents who choose to remainintheirhome”.
Fairer Differential Rates representative and Abervale Retirement Village residents and finance committees member Christine Kilsby said retirement village residents had been paying disproportionately high council rates for years.
“We believe it is time for the City of GreaterGeelongtofollowtheleadofthose councils that have already introduced a fairerdifferentialratingsystem,”shesaid.
“We have sent a letter and a formal submission to local members of parliament. Several have acknowledged our concerns, encouraged us to continue pursuing the campaign, and wished us everysuccess.
“Our next step will be to address the September council meeting, where each oftheeightretirementvillagesintendsto submitaquestiontocouncil.”
We should always be asking how our policies impact people with the least capacity to absorb rising costs - Emma Sinclair
In a letter to the campaign, the City’s executive director of corporate services Troy Edwards acknowledged retirement village residents’ concerns, suggesting a meeting in mid-August to “better understand” their position and “explore thematterfurther”.
CouncillorEmmaSinclairengagedwith residents from six retirement villages priortothecouncil’sbudgetdecisionand saidshehadbeen“incrediblyimpressed” bytheircampaign.
“One of the things I’ve taken away from these conversations is a greater appreciation of the financial pressures facing pensioners on fixed incomes,” she said.
“As a council, we should always be asking how our policies impact people with the least capacity to absorb rising costs. It’s an important equity conversation and one I will continue to havewithmycolleagues.”
Kiahna and Joeys fly high
St Joseph’s soared high and so did Kiahna Fallon (pictured) to defeat South Barwon in a top-three Geelong Netball League clash on Saturday 25 July. Fallon crossed to Joeys last season after playing all her junior netball at South Barwon and the youngster will play a crucial role with her VNL Geelong Cougars commitments finished for the season.
Despite the loss, South Barwon is in third spot on the ladder with two and a half wins ahead of fourth placed St Mary’s.
With five rounds remaining in the home and away season, the race to the finals is on.
Full story, page 27 with pictures (page 26) and scoreboards (page 23) rounding off our GNL coverage.
St Joseph’s has won more games than any other side this season with 11 victories, but sit second on the ladder on match ratio, having played two more matches than top side Newtown & Chilwell.
Tension as Barker returns
By Jena Carr
SurfCoastShire’slatestcouncilmeetingsaw the return of Paul Barker, a month after he stormed out of council chambers.
The Torquay Ward councillor attended council’s 28 July meeting despite tensions remaining between himself and other councillors after he abruptly left halfway through the 23 June meeting due to a disagreement over points of order.
Cr Barker stayed at the July meeting until it was closed to the public and left before councillors planned to discuss a confidential item.
“Council meetings over past years showed councillors being warned when they criticised council spending or incomplete costings,” he said.
“I’m not attending private briefings because sustained government problems
over many years have left me feeling unsafe in closed council environments.”
Mayor Libby Stapleton addressed the chamber ahead of agenda discussions and said councillors had a responsibility to ensure contributions were consistent and accurate to council obligations.
“We all come to the chamber with different perspectives, and robust debate is a healthy and essential part of local democracy,” she said.
“Points of order should be raised respectfully and in good faith...to ensure the matter can be heard and addressed appropriately.
“Our community expects us to test ideas, challenge one another respectfully, and make decisions based on correct information.
“Our governance rules are not simply about meeting procedure, as they
provide the framework for respectful debate, informed decision-making, and maintaining public confidence in local government.”
Even though he did not walk out of council chambers this month, Cr Barker did not hold back on his frustrations for council throughout the meeting.
“I minimise my engagement in this hostile environment...and I’ll be a minority vote, so it doesn’t really matter,” he said.
“I pine for a council where officers cease giving someone who failed Year 10 English cause for spelling and grammatical concerns.
“Council should not develop a habit of treating small emissions as acceptable, and many large governance failures begin as small details that nobody bothered to question.”
Recruitment begins for members to join grants panel
Greater Geelong residents are being encouraged to join the City of Greater Geelong’s Community Grants Assessment Panel.
The wonder returns in 2026
Geelong’s premier annual event for children has been announced for 2026.
Founded and produced by Geelong Arts Centre (GAC), Geelong Wonder Children’s Festival will return for its fourth instalment from 14 to 24 September.
While the full program has not yet been released, a number of events have beenannouncedalreadyincludingstage shows such as Room on the Broom, Emma Memma and Erth’s Dinosaurs.
For children who prefer the hands-on approach, interactive events such as the Wolfgang in the Stars Circus Workshop and free events Slow Star Village and
Experts Radio Lab have also been announced.
The Big Wonder Weekend street festival will be back for the second year on 19 and 20 September, bringing together roving performers and fun flavours for little food explorers, while the 78th Wonder Schools Showcase will spotlight emerging young performers from around the region.
GAC chief executive and creative director Rhys Holden said the event was one of the most exciting and important events on the Geelong calendar.
“We love opening a door for kids and their families to creative experiences,”
Golden Plains pop-up sessions
A series of pop-up sessions will be held across the Golden Plains to help strengthen communication and community engagement across the region.
Golden Plains Shire Council has invited community feedback on the development of its new Communication and Engagement Strategy 2026-2030.
Mayor Owen Sharkey said the strategy would guide how council communicated with residents, connected with communities
he said. “The festival brings together art, creativity and exploration for families, whiletransformingspacesacrossourcity.
It’s always inspiring to see children and their adults light up at unexpected live performances, interactive experiences or imaginative play.
“We’re thrilled to once again throw open our doors, and the doors to the city, to a festival filled with wonder and can’t wait to share the full program with you soon.”
Visit geelongwonderchildrensfest. com.au to start planning your Geelong Wonder Children’s Festival experience now.
Panel members help to assess grant applications and ensure funding is directed to projects that deliver positive outcomes. The grants program supports local projects, programs, activities and events and the independent panel is responsible for a process that is fair, transparent and community focused.
Up to eight panel members are sought for a three-year commitment.
“Panel members bring valuable skills, experiences and local perspectives that help identify projects which will have the most significant impact across Greater Geelong,” mayor Stretch Kontelj said.
“By independently assessing applications, the panel helps ensure grant funding supports initiatives that strengthen community connections and deliver social, cultural and environmental benefits.”
If you have the relevant skills and experience in community development, volunteer organisations, the arts, environment, or events industries, and financial and project management, the City wants you to apply.
“Serving on the Community Grants Assessment Panel is a unique chance to contribute to decisions that help local projects, programs and events thrive,” finance portfolio chair Cr Andrew Katos said.
“I encourage interested community members to apply and bring their valuable knowledge and insights to this important role.”
To learn more about the role or to submit an EOI, visit geelong.link/PanelEOI and expressions of interest close at 11.59pm on Wednesday 19 August.
to promote community engagement
and created opportunities for meaningful participation in decision-making over the next four years.
“This feedback will help us ensure our approach is transparent, effective, and reflectstheneedsofourcommunity,”hesaid.
“People connect with council in different ways and at different times, whether it’s through a local project, a council service, or an issue that matters to them.
“We want to hear from as many people
as possible about what’s working well, what could be improved, and how they would like to receive information from council.
“We’re also keen to understand the community’s expectations around engagement, when people simply want to be kept informed, and when they would like opportunities to have a greater say in council decisions.”
Community pop-up sessions will be held on Friday 31 July at Golden Plains Mobile
Library’s Cape Clear, Haddon, Linton, and Smythesdale stops, and Saturday 1 August at Golden Plains Farmers’ Market and Bannockburn Football and Netball Club.
Sessions will also be held at Golden Plains Mobile Library’s Meredith, Dereel, and Rokewood stops on 13 August, and Smythesdale Country Market on 15 August.
Visit goldenplains.vic.gov.au/ consultations for information and to provide feedback on the strategy by 6 September.
Torquay Ward councillor Paul Barker returned to council a month after storming out of the meeting. (Ivan Kemp) 248886_16
Geelong Wonder Children’s Festival is back this September. (Supplied)
Council special zone push
Geelong council has intensified its calls for the next Victorian government to implement a special economic zone (SEZ) intheheartofthecity.
AstheNovemberstateelectionlooms,the council and Geelong mayor Stretch Kontelj have proposed a five-year pilot program that would stimulate development in the CBD by fast-tracking planning approvals andslashinglandtax,stampdutyandother feesandcharges.
The proposed special economic zone would, according to a council statement, “unlockhousingandbusinessdevelopment, and help restore confidence, interest and investment in central Geelong and the
greaterregionbyextension”.
The idea of a special economic zone was first mooted at a City of Greater Geelong foruminMarchlastyear.
Mayor Kontelj quickly adopted the idea, with the concept included as one of the City’s priority projects in January ahead of thisyear’sstateelectionandraisedaheadof thefederalbudgetinMay.
With16approveddevelopmentsinCentral Geelong on hold due to market conditions, Mayor Kontelj said Greater Geelong was uniquely positioned to embrace the trial due to the city’s history of innovation and reinvention.
“We’ve led through manufacturing,
education, health, technology and clean energy, and now we have an opportunity to lead Australia once again,” Mayor Kontelj said. “A special economic zone could go a long way towards driving the private investment and economic development we desperatelyneed.
“We have vacant and under-utilised land incentralGeelongthat’sreadytogo,andwe needtoincentivisedevelopment.”
Councillor Trent Sullivan, the City’s economicdevelopmentportfoliochair,said thecouncilwouldalsoreducerates,services and administration fees and streamline planning processes as part of the proposed pilot.
Colour lifts spirits, improves mental health
By Jena Carr
Geelong’ssporting clubscanhelpsupport mental health among their younger members by hosting a Game Changers Colour Run.
Read the Play’s youth-led and co-designed Game Changers Leadership Team program will encourage sporting clubs across the region to host a Colour Run to support mental health amongst 14 to 20-year-olds.
St Joseph’s Football Netball Club member Bella Gilham (20) said the Game Changers Leadership Team designed initiatives to help improve young people’s mental health awareness.
“The inspiration behind the Colour Run was to have something fun and colourful for people to participate in,” she said.
“It’squiteimportanttohaveasafespace for a young person to go and express themselves with who they are, no matter if they’re there for the social side or the sport they’re playing.”
Geelong Amateur Football Netball Club member Eva Hammond (14) said the initiative would help make a positive impactonmentalhealthinyouthsporting clubs.
“It was a great chance to help people my age and put out an initiative that would help with mental health awareness, so I decided to put my hand up and give it a shot,” she said.
“It’saboutbringingawarenesstoallages regardlessofwhetherthey’reinfootballor netballandisaimedtobereallydiverseso that we could encourage everyone to get involved.”
Visit readtheplay-colourrun.netlify.app for more information or to host a Colour Run.
Update to heritage guidelines
By Matt Hewson
Geelong council has adopted an update to the heritage design guidelines in its municipalplanningscheme.
The Greater Geelong Heritage Design Guidelines 2026, which will replace those developed and implemented in 1997 pending ministerial approval, are intended to preserve buildings of historical significancewhilefacilitatingdevelopment.
The new guidelines were exhibited to the public for a month earlier in the year but drewnoobjectionsfromthecommunity.
Councillor Rowan Story said the lack of submissions from the public demonstrated the guidelines were “viewed as clear, user-friendly and a valuable resource for propertyowners,designersanddevelopers”.
“Greater Geelong’s built heritage contributes to local character, identity,
“It is important to protect and enhance our heritage through appropriate heritage designguidance.”
CrStorysaidtheupdatedguidelineswere necessary as the last 30 years had seen an increasedfocusonaccessibilityofbuildings andsustainabledesign.
“The first Harry Potter book was released in 1997, and things have changed a little sincethen,”hesaid.
“One example is that solar panels were a very new concept in 1997, but are now a commonadditiontobuildings.
“The Heritage Advisory Committee, the National Trust and the broader community supported the development of the guidelines, recognising the value of consistent and practical guidance for managingchangeinheritageplaces.”
“Many of these measures wouldn’t cost governments anything in the short term because they would unlock projects that simply aren’t proceeding today. Over time, increased development and economic activity would generate greater revenue whilecreatingmorehomesandjobs.”
Mayor Kontelj said he would like to work with both federal and state governments to “develop a solution for Geelong that could bereplicatedinotherkeygrowthcities”.
“If we can bring all levels of government together, we have a real opportunity to createanationalmodelforhousingdelivery, CBD revitalisation and regional economic growth,”hesaid.
Restoring dignity across Geelong
There is a call-out for volunteers ahead of a new mobile shower truck coming to Geelong soon to support people experiencing homelessness andhardship.
One Voice Australia will launch the shower service in the coming weekstodeliverfreehotshowersand hygieneproductstopeopleinneed.
Founder and chief executive Josh Wilkins said the service provided a “fully safe and enclosed space” with two private shower cubicles, fresh towels, hygiene products and hot wateravailablethroughthetruck.
“It will mean heaps for the homeless community as there’s not really access to hot showers in Geelong,” he said. “It’s a safe, secure, anddignifyingspace,andit’sjustlike having a shower at home, so...that if anyone needs a shower, then they comehaveashower.
“A lot of people who are experiencinghomelessnessdon’tlike going to the swimming pools as they arethenstereotypedandstigmatised aspeoplelookdownuponthem.”
Mr Wilkins said there was a “massive need” for the shower service.
“There’s a lot more people experiencinghomelessnessoutthere, and it’s just changing really quickly... so, a shower means a lot in so many ways,”hesaid.“We’refindingtheface ofhomelessnessischanging,sowe’re noticing that there are families who are sleeping in cars or single mums withkidsintents.”
Page turns on partnership
By Matt Hewson
Geelongcouncilhascommittedtosupport
the transition of its library services to a new company limited by guarantee that maintains a shared service with other regional councils and the Geelong RegionalLibraryCorporation(GRLC).
The change, mandated to occur before July 2031 by Victorian government’s Local Government Act 2020, will see the library network continue to deliver its services withlittletonoexpecteddisruption.
Analysis and review by both the City of Greater Geelong and GRLC, the council has backed the first of three options for
futurelibraryservicesoperatingmodels.
The other two options were withdrawing the City from GRLC and establishing a fully in-house service for Geelong only, or withdrawing and continuing to provide sharedserviceswithregionalcouncils.
While the City’s report noted all three models would have “broadly financially comparable” outcomes over the next decade, councillor and GRLC deputy chair Elise Wilkinson said the chosen model reduced the risks and provided a “more predictable,lessdisruptivepath”.
“The five member councils have worked togethersuccessfullyfordecadesnow,”she said.
“Libraries are one of the best examples of councils working together effectively to deliverbenefitsacrosstheregion.
“Wemaintainourregionalcollaboration, preserve relationships and shared knowledge and create a stronger voice when seeking state and federal support funding while also opening up options for otherfinancialavenuesasanewentity.
“A regional model provides a scale and capability needed to continue evolving libraryservicesascommunityexpectations change.”
Councillor Trent Sullivan said the transitionwasanopportunitytostrengthen the network’s governance, transparency,
Event celebrates Geelong’s rich diversity
By Jena Carr
Community members from all cultural backgroundsinGeelongcancometogether tocelebratediversityduringafreeevent.
The Islamic Society of Geelong will host activities, cultural performances, food stalls, and a variety of children’s activities duringitsCommunityFestivalonSaturday 1August.
Vice president Yasir Ismat said the festival aimed to strengthen community connections through a fun and family-friendlyatmosphere.
“It is an open festival for all the communities in Geelong, not just specific totheIslamiccommunity,”hesaid.
“It’s a celebration of the diversity of culture, while bringing the community together,justtohaveafunandrelaxedday witharangeofactivities.
“We are hoping that people from all cultures and backgrounds come together on the day...and this event will be a good opportunity for people to get to know each other.”
Mr Ismat said he was looking forward to seeing people come together regardless of
“Ijustwanttoseepeoplehappy,smiling, relaxing, and enjoying the event while interactingandmakingnewfriends.”
Henna, face painting, balloon twisting, and a jumping castle will also be available duringthefreefestival.
The Community Festival will be held at Norlane ARC from 10.30am to 3.30pm on Saturday, with the event open to everyone acrosstheGeelongcommunity.
accountabilityandstrategicalignment.
“Overthelast10yearswehavespentover $172 million into our library services and infrastructure,”hesaid.
“This gives us the opportunity…to show that the Geelong community is getting the mostitcanforthosedollars.Italsoenables ustohavedirectcontroloverthehoursand funding allocation to the buildings within ourmunicipality.
“We have some amazing membership numbers, some of the highest in the state…so making sure that we have the proper structures to protect the incredible amountoffundingthatweputintothisfor thecommunityisvitallyimportant.”
Helping start conversations about death
Talking about death is not always easy, which is why a local organisation is hosting an event to gettheconversationstarted.
Not-for-profit charity Compassionate Hearts on the Bellarinewillhostafreeinformation sessioncoveringarangeofend-of-life topics as part of the Dying to Know Daynationalcampaign.
Experts from Barwon Community Legal, Barwon Health, Compassionate Hearts on the Bellarine and Geelong Cemeteries Trust will speak on the importance of discussing topics such as funeral options and legal matters before it’s toolate.
Dying to Know Day, established in 2013, is a national day of action aimed at normalising conversations about death, dying and grief and encouraging people to prepare for theinevitablewithasenseofpurpose ratherthanfear.
“Open conversations about death and dying helps reduce the fear and stigma around death, helping us to live and die well,” Compassionate Hearts on the Bellarine chair Rob Grundelsaid.
“At Compassionate Hearts on the Bellarine, we believe that no one shouldfacedeath,dying,grieforloss alone.
“By encouraging open conversations, sharing knowledge and supporting our community, we helppeoplepreparewithconfidence, compassionanddignity.“
The information session will be held at Springdale Neighbourhood Centre, Drysdale on Monday 10 August from 2pm to 4pm. Email vol. coord@chob.org.au or call 0499 775 275toregister.
Have your say on how events can help the Surf Coast community
By Jena Carr
Surf Coast’s residents can have their say on how events can continue to attract visitors and connect communities.
Surf Coast Shire Council endorsed the draftEventsPolicyforpublicconsultation during its 28 July meeting, which seeks to guide how council supports, assesses and manages events.
Councillor Leon Walker said the region hosted hundreds of events each year, ranging from internationally “recognised
events and massive participation offerings”.
“Council supports and recognises the important role that events play in connecting communities and supporting economic outcomes,” he said.
“The events calendar for the Surf Coast is significant for Victoria, connecting communities, creating environments, encouragingandengagingwithactivities, and sustaining businesses.
“The events policy exists to provide a framework for guiding how events are
supported, assessed, and managed, ensuring they align with council objectives and community expectations.”
CrWalkersaidtheupdatedpolicywould outline the principles, scope and purpose for facilitating the delivery of significant events.
“Depending on the nature and scale of the event, they potentially deliver significant economic, environmental, social,andculturalbenefitstotheregion,” he said.
“For our community vision of leaving
the Surf Coast better than we found it, it would be great if their legacy for large events or a community foundation resource would be a great outcome for inclusion policy for our communities.”
The policy aims to improve clarity and outline the scope of the management of events across the Surf Coast Shire. Community members can provide feedback on the draft Events Policy at yoursay.surfcoast.vic.gov.au/ draft-events-policy by 27 August.
Islamic Society of Geelong vice president Yasir Ismat is looking forward to this Saturday’s Community Festival.
(Ivan Kemp) 568250_04
Celebrating individuality
By Jena Carr
Geelong’s new Rainbow Rack will help members of the gender-diverse community fully express themselves in a welcoming environment.
Geelong Rainbow launched the paywhat-you-can and gender-affirming service close to two weeks ago for trans, gender-diverse, non-binary and queer individuals to find clothing and items that aligned with their authentic selves.
President Parker Rettke said they couldn’t wait to start showing members of the LGBTQIA+ community through the space.
“We took it upon ourselves to create
something that was going to be, not just a retail experience, but a support service as well,” they said.
“Being able to affirm your gender externally is such an important part of transition, but also of being a queer person and finding your identity.
“A space like this that is private, safe, and gender affirming is a great place for people who might not feel comfortable in traditional retail settings.”
Rettke said the year-round initiative removed financial barriers while ensuring visitors could explore fashion and gender-affirming wardrobe items.
“Serviceslikethishelptosupportthose who are curious about exploring them-
selves without judgement,” they said.
“This provides personal attention, open-mindedness, and an open ear for people to talk about their journey and
Pollocksford Road Bridge repairs ready for next steps
By Jena Carr
Repairs will soon begin at the Pollocksford Road Bridge with a contractor identified to cover the asset’s design and construction.
Surf Coast Shire Council, which will manage the Gnawarre bridge works, decided during its 28 July meeting to award a contract amount of $2,092,601 to Duratec for repairs.
Councillor Adrian Schonfelder said
council would work with the contractor to develop a project timeline.
“I’m very fond of the Pollocksford Road Bridge, and patience is a virtue, so I’m looking forward to the bridge being restored and reopened,” he said.
“The bridge is a majestic structure, and an incredible asset, so...I sympathise with people who live locally, including myself, who have to travel further.
“It wasn’t maintained in the past, and
now we need to deal with the present situation and hope that, as far as traffic movements on the bridge, they can be appropriately managed.”
Pollocksford Road Bridge is a shared asset between Surf Coast Shire and Golden Plains Shire councils, with the costs shared equally.
Golden Plains Shire mayor Owen Sharkey said that working together with Surf Coast Shire Council helped deliver a
positive outcome for both local government areas.
“We’re looking forward to seeing work commence and moving closer to the day when this significant bridge can safely reopen to local traffic,” he said.
“The community has been eager to see progress on the Pollocksford Road Bridge, and I’m pleased that we’re now moving into the next phase of the project.”
who they want to become.”
Rainbow Rack is available strictly by appointment on Geelong Rainbow’s website.
Parker Rettke with items from Geelong’s new Rainbow Rack. (Ivan Kemp) 568287_02
Laura shines a light on EoE
Up until two years ago, Laura Wilson thoughtthathavingfoodconstantly getting stuck in her throat was normal.
The Waurn Ponds mother of two young kids has had issues with food for as long as shecanremember,butdoctorscouldn’ttell herwhy.
“There were plenty of episodes that I can recall of food getting stuck in my throat,” Laurasaid.
“I’dgotoafriend’shouseorouttodinner somewhere,andfoodwouldgetstuckinmy throat, so you would have to bang it down orspititout,anditwasjustanightmare.
“When I was 16, I had a piece of chicken stuck in my throat, known medically as a food bolus (a small ball of chewed food mixed with saliva), and needed to have surgerytogetitout.
“I had some investigation done into whatmayhavecausedit,butInevergotan answerastowhatitwas.
“Even after a couple of scans, there was no answer, so I just kept on going with knowing that there was something wrong withmebutnotknowingwhat.”
“I ended up getting a piece of lamb stuck in my throat, and I had to go back to the hospital,”shesaid.
“I went to the emergency department and had to have surgery again, but that’s whendoctorstoldmethatwhatIwasgoing throughcouldbeanactualcondition.
“Ididthesurgery,hadbiopsiesdone,and started on steroids, which has all been a totalgamechanger,andIstartedtobeable tobasicallyeatnormallyagain.”
Laura was diagnosed with eosinophilic
oesophagitis (EoE) two years ago. It is a chronic inflammatory disorder caused by the build up of eosinophils, a type of white bloodcell,intheoesophagus.
Receivingthediagnosishadabigimpact on Laura’s life as it has allowed the now 38-year-oldtofunctionnormally.
“Idon’tevenhavetothinkabouthowI’m eating now, which is what everyone else does, and it’s nice just to feel normal,” she said.“Evenhavingtwosmallkids,because I didn’t know what normal was, I’d start to introduce foods with them, but I was worriedaboutgivingmykidssolidfood.
“I can now go out and do activities with my kids or see my friends without having to worry about whether or not food will get stuckinmythroat.”
EoE is often caused by allergic reactions to specific foods or environmental allergens, but the tests to determine the exactreasoncanbelengthy.
“Maybe in 10 years there’ll be more research done, and there’ll be an easier way to find out what it is that people with EoEareactuallyallergicto,”Laurasaid.
“Therearealotofstepsinvolvedbecause you’ve got to do a strict elimination and have scopes done, so it’s not as simple as a skin pin-prick test (a medical method to identifyallergicsensitivities).
“The other thing is that some of the triggerscanbeenvironmental,soIstrongly suspect I have some environmental allergies,asacheapcandlecouldsetmeoff withheartburn,forinstance.”
National Eosinophilic Week will be held nextweek(2to8August)toraiseawareness foreosinophil-associateddiseases(EADs). EADsoccurwheneosinophilsbuildupin parts of the body, leading to inflammation andtissuedamage.
There are probably people in the community currently that don’t know that they have the condition and how much it’s impacting their life - Laura Wilson
Laura said National Eosinophilic Week wasanopportunitytohelpraiseawareness of EADs and encourage more medical research.
“These conditions exist, but a lot of people didn’t really know anything about itthemmorethan10yearsago,”shesaid.
“There are probably people in the community currently that don’t know that they have the condition and how much it’s impactingtheirlife.”
Geelong’s Catenary Lights along the Malop Street and Moorabool Street intersection will illuminate pink and purpleduringNationalEosinophilicWeek,
withthecoloursrepresentingeosinophils.
The lights are part of the #EOSLightUp campaign by ausEE, a national support and patient advocacy organisation for peopleaffectedbyEADs.
“We’re incredibly grateful to every landmark, council and organisation taking part in #EOSLightUp,” ausEE chief executiveandfounderSarahGraysaid.
“Theirsupportishelpingraiseawareness ofEADsacrossAustraliaandNewZealand and reminding people living with these conditionsthattheyarenotalone.”
Ms Gray said that for many people living with an EAD, like Laura, the journey towardsadiagnosiscouldtakeyears.
“Even after diagnosis, many people still feel isolated because these conditions are notwellunderstood,”shesaid.
“National Eosinophilic Week is about improvingunderstandingofEADsthrough awareness, evidence-based education and research.
“Every donation helps support medical research that aims to improve our understanding of these conditions and inform future advances in diagnosis and treatment.”
National Eosinophilic Week will conclude with ausEE’s annual Top 8 Challenge on Saturday 8 August to better support medical research into the condition.
The challenge will encourage people to remove the top eight allergenic foods from their diet for one day, including milk, wheat,egg,soy,peanuts,treenuts,fishand shellfish.
Visiteosaware.comformoreinformation about National Eosinophilic Week, to participate in the Top 8 Challenge or to accessfreeeducationalresources.
Geelong will light up pink and purple next week to mark National Eosinophilic Week. Jena Carr spoke with Waurn Ponds’ Laura Wilson about her experience living with an eosinophil-associated illness.
Laura Wilson has previously had to have surgeries to remove food that got stuck in her throat. (Ivan Kemp) 568148_08
Hockey pitch out of bounds
By Jena Carr
Dogs will no longer be allowed on the new hockey pitch at Torquay’s Banyul-Warri Fields to protect the facility’s intended use fororganisedsport.
Surf Coast Shire Council adopted the change to the Surf Coast Shire Dog Regulations during its 28 July meeting, ensuring the hockey pitch is a designated prohibiteddogarea.
CouncillorLizPattisonsaidthechangeto theregulationwouldhelpprotectthepitch’s synthetic playing surface from damage whilemaintainingitsongoingfunctionality.
“Sometimesthesesmallerpolicychanges reduce confusion and improve compliance because everybody understands the rules moreclearly,”shesaid.
“Dogs will be prohibited from the synthetic hockey surface, and that’s about protecting the significant investment and assetwehaveinthehockeypitch.”
The regulation change will mean that dogs will be prevented from entering or occupying the hockey pitch’s playing surfaceatalltimes.
Cr Mike Bodsworth said appropriate dog controls were needed to protect the new hockey pitch as the facility was not
Arts trail back for 16th year
Hundreds of artists will have their works on display as the Surf Coast Arts Trail returnsforits16thyear.
Venues across the Surf Coast will showcaseavarietyofartfrom300artists during the trail from Saturday 1 August toSunday2August.
Mayor Libby Stapleton said the trail would have something for everyone, providing an opportunity for residents and visitors to meet and talk with the region’sartists.
“We expect this year’s edition to be another wonderful showcase and celebration of the immense creative talentacrossourshire,”shesaid.
“The event is well established as a favourite on our Surf Coast Shire calendar, and has become a significant driver for our creative and visitor economies.
“People can immerse in their own journeys of discovery visiting studios, galleries and community spaces right across the shire, enjoying the famously warmtrailatmosphere.
“About 50 per cent of trail visitors each year travel from outside our shire, and during the past two events participating artists have collectively sold works totalling$420,000.”
People will also be able to purchase artwork, watch demonstrations and participate in workshops during the art trail’sopeninghoursfrom10amto4pm.
Thisyear’seventwillfeatureanewArts TrailAfterHoursguideofperformingarts and entertainment activities available afterstudiosandgallerieshaveclosed.
Visit Surf Coast Arts Trail’s website for more information about the artists and venues welcoming visitors this weekend, and surfcoastevents.com.au for the Arts TrailAfterHoursguide.
designated under regulations despite openinginDecemberlastyear.
“It’simportantthatwepressonandmake sure these changes are in place and can be enforced,”hesaid.
“There were gaps in the regulations that proved unhelpful for people with dogs and officers trying to make sure people comply with dog regulations, so that needed to be cleanedup.”
The Surf Coast Shire Dog Regulations were designed to enable the community to safely enjoy parks, beaches and other public areas through the designation of on-leash, off-leash, time-share and
prohibiteddogareas.
The dog control regulations apply to designated areas across the region in accordance with the Domestic Animals Act 1994 and went through extensive community consultation when updated in 2007.
The amendment to prohibit dogs on the hockey pitch was identified through council’s consultation on the 2026–29 DomesticAnimalManagementPlan.
Additional regulatory signage will be installed at the hockey pitch, and dog regulation maps will be updated to inform peopleofthechanges.
Registrations open for detox event
SurfCoast’scommunityshouldgetinearly and secure their spots for this year’s Detox YourHomeTorquay.
Torquay Works Depot will host the annual state government event, providing residents a safe and easy way to dispose of unwantedhouseholdchemicals.
Surf Coast Shire councillor Joel Grist said the event gave people the opportunity to remove old chemicals from their home while helping protect the environment, andthatplaceswereexpectedtofillupfast.
“This is always a popular event, and it regularlybooksout,sogetinearly,”hesaid.
“Many of us have unwanted or expired chemicals tucked away in the shed, garage orunderthesink.
“Detox Your Home makes it easy to get rid of these items safely, keeping them out of landfill and protecting waterways
andenvironment.”
The event has collected more than 14.5 tonnes of hazardous household chemicals during the last five years, including 2315kg atlastyear’sevent.
People will be able to drop off household cleaning supplies, garden chemicals, and garage products, including machine oil andbrakefluid,duringtheevent.
Paint, cosmetics and oils, including cooking oils, will no longer be accepted at the event, with people encouraged to dispose of paints free of charge at the new Paintback facility at the Anglesea Transfer Station.
The Detox Your Home event will be held from 9am to 1pm on 22 August, with registrationsrequiredtoattend. Visit surfcoast.vic.gov.au/Detox for more informationandtobookaspot.
Bird Tours
Visitors to the Surf Coast Arts Trail will be able to participate in workshops and watch artist demonstrations. (Bobby Dazzler Photography)
Artworks across a range of different medium will be on display during the Surf Coast Arts Trail. (Bobby Dazzler Photography)
Two friends rally with Sven
Bellarine Community Health nurse Beryl Downey will embark on a journey from AdelaidethroughtheOutbackinacarthat might not even make it to her destination.
Beryl and long-time friend Liz Loft are setting off on the Shitbox Rally from Adelaide to Darwin from 14 to 22 August to raise funds for cancer research and Beryl’s reason for taking part couldn’t be simpler.
“Just about everyone you speak to has been touched by cancer in some way,” she said.
“I have had close family members and friends affected. It’s such a prevalent diseaseinitsmanyformsandtakesahuge emotional and financial toll on sufferers and their families, not to mention the health services that care for them.”
The universe has missed out on some cracking human beings simply because we didn’t know then what we know now - Beryl Downey
Participants in the rally must travel in a carthatisworthlessthan$1500,butBeryl and Liz have had help from their sons with some mechanical tuition.
They named their team the Namaste Navigators in honour of their yoga classes together and named their 1992 Volvo sedan ’Sven’.
“So far I have assisted in a timing belt replacement, but I think brain surgery would be easier, removed a thermostat… and removed and replaced an idle control valve so Sven runs much more smoothly now,” Beryl said.
Along the way, the pair will stop overnightinremoteOutbackcommunities and camp under star-filled skies.
Despite being rally rookies, Beryl has full faith in Sven’s ability to go the distance.
“Sven is a dream,” she said.
“He’s like sitting in a very comfy lounge chair inside a brick. But you know the old saying, ‘they’re boxy but they’re good’well Liz and I certainly hope so.”
After 40 years of nursing, Beryl said the hardships of the road are a small price to pay for a cause this important.
“I have looked after so many people over that time that are no longer with us,” she said.
“They have suffered, their families and friends have been devastated, and the universehasmissedoutonsomecracking human beings simply because we didn’t know then what we know now.”
The two friends are bracing for a few bumps in the road but say that’s all part of the fun.
“I’m expecting some challenges along thewaybutthat’sokay-we’reheretohave some fun and raise as much money as we can, and if we suffer for it then it’s well earnt,” Beryl said.
“Bit concerned about what some of the toilet situations might be like though.”
Beryl and Liz initially wanted to raise $5000, but they have smashed that and are now hoping for $15,000.
As we went to print, the total had surpassed $12,500. You can donate by visiting bit.ly/3TsAkAw
Bellarine Community Health nurse Beryl Downey and long-time friend Liz Loft are setting off on the Shitbox Rally from Adelaide to Darwin.
(Michael Chambers)
Torquay road swept away to make way for
By Jena Carr
A portion of a Torquay road will be discontinued to allow for the continuing construction of the Wurdi Baierr Aquatic andRecreationCentre(WBARC).
Surf Coast Shire Council decided to discontinue the 12.5 square metre portion ofKuwarrkLaneduringits28Julymeeting.
Councillor Phoebe Crockett said service infrastructure locations, detailed car parking and road designs have resulted in the Wadawurrung Way and Kuwarrk Lane connectionpoints.
“The decision affects public rights as
the road is a public space, so it’s a matter of refining a formal council decision,” she said. “Wadawurrung Way will now connect Kawark Lane with the Surf Coast Highway, so this 12.5 square metre portion of road will no longer be required for road infrastructure.
“I’m satisfied that the road is no longer reasonably required for public purposes as public notice was advertised about the intention to discontinue the road and no submissionswerereceived.”
Thestage1designplansforWBARCwere endorsed in August 2023 and include an indoor25-metrepool,indoorprogrampool,
Nightlife program to boost safety
A new program aimed at creating a more welcoming and safe Little Malop Street precincthaslaunched.
The City of Greater Geelong’s new Nighttime Vibrancy Program has brought together 29 members from across hospitality,business,arts,education,design and government as part of a community of practice aimed at finding solutions to a rangeofissuesfortheprecinct.
The community of practice will include foursessionsfacilitatedbyindustryexperts, thefirstofwhichwasheldlastweek.
Participants, who were selected after an expression of interest process, can also applyforgrantsofupto$30,000“tosupport infrastructure improvements, creative installations, activations, events and other initiatives”,accordingtoaCitystatement.
Geelong mayor Stretch Kontelj said the program was an important step in creating
asaferandmorevibrantcity.
“Geelong’s nighttime precinct has enormous potential, and this program is about working together to make it more welcoming, inclusive and lively for everyone,”hesaid.
“By bringing together the people who knowthisprecinctbest,wecantestpractical ideas, learn what works and build on that success to strengthen central Geelong after dark.”
ProfessorNicoleKalmsisaleadinggender and place expert from Monash University’s XYXLabandacollaboratorontheprogram.
“This community of practice brings together people who understand that meaningful change happens through collaboration,” she said. “By sharing knowledge, evidence and lived experience, we can create more equitable outcomes acrossourcitiesandcommunities.”
aquatic centre
gym, allied health suites, and car parking area.
The plans also included a new Wadawurrung Way connection point from Surf Coast Highway, leading to the portion of road along Kuwarrk Lane determined to benolongerrequired.
Cr Paul Barker said he did not have a problem with discontinuing the road itself, but there needed to be more transparency aroundcosts.
“The relevant services have been consulted, and no public submissions were received,soI’mnotopposedtothephysical outcome,”hesaid.
“The cost will be funded through the aquaticcentre’s budget,butitdoesn’tstate the cost or whether the budget already contains a specific allowance.”
Chief executive Robyn Seymour later confirmed that costs associated with the discontinuance would be close to $2500, which included staff time and work with state government agencies.
Council approved to commence an engagement process and invite submissions about discontinuing the road during its 24 March meeting, with no submissions received from the community.
Little Malop Street during this year’s ROAM Geelong. (Supplied)
Support to reduce fire risk
Schools across Greater Geelong and the Bellarinecanbetterprotectthemselvesfrom bushfire risk thanks to state government funding.
Five school communities across the region will receive Bushfire Preparedness Vegetation Program grants to clear vegetation around buildings ahead of the bushfireseason.
Premier Ben Carroll said funding was allocated to schools identified on the Bushfire At-Risk Register, which identifies educational services at the highest risk of bushfires.
“We’re not just protecting school
communities this bushfire season; we’re giving them ongoing support for years to come,” he said. “It’s never too early to prepare for bushfire season, so labor is stepping in to protect school communities wellbeforebushfireseasonbegins.”
Funding will be provided to Point Lonsdale Primary School ($26,330.52), Wallington Primary School ($24,604.35), Anakie Primary School ($20,633.84), NorthernBayP-12College($19,569.64),and BelmontHighSchool($16,740.59).
Bellbrae Primary School in the Surf Coast region will also receive $29,603.74 through the Bushfire Preparedness
Production that will rock you
Local production company What’s On? has announceditsnewshowforearly2027.
Headed by husband and wife duo Paul and Lyndell Watson, the company will present fan favourite musical We Will Rock You, written by Ben Elton and celebrating the music of iconic rock band Queen at CostaHallon26and27Februarynextyear.
Set300yearsinthefutureinaworldwhere live music is banned and individuality is a crime, We Will Rock You follows a group of rebellious bohemians who fight to bring rockandrollbacktothepeople.
Featuring a live band and an 80-voice rock choir, We Will Rock You will also use What’s On’s pro-am model, giving young, emerging local actors the chance to perform alongside seasoned professionals inafull-scaleproduction.
“It’s about community, creativity and connection,” he said. “By combining professional performers with passionate local artists, we feel we’re creating opportunities that simply might not exist anywhereelseinregionalAustralia.
“Our pro-am model…gives audiences a production that rivals metropolitan theatre whilesimultaneouslyinvestinginGeelong’s growingcreativecommunity.”
What’sOn?alsoannouncedcreativeteam membersNathanFirmin(musicaldirection) and Venessa Paech (choreography) and leading cast member Chelsea Gibb, who willplaytheruthlessKillerQueen.
Ticketsareavailableatgeelongartscentre. org.au for Geelong Arts Centre members andgoonsaletothepublicon3August.
VegetationProgram.
Member for Bellarine Alison Marchant said regular vegetation works ensured school communities and buildings would besaferintheeventofabushfire.
“This funding is supporting schools across the Bellarine to prepare for bushfire season by investing in practical measures that reduce risk and protect school communities,”shesaid.
Member for Lara Ella George said it was greattoseethestategovernmentprotecting regional schools thanks to funding for vegetationclearanceandongoingsupport.
“This funding will help schools manage
bushfire risk and keep local students, teachersandfamiliessafer,”shesaid.
Minister for Emergency Services Vicki Ward said Bushfire Planning and Design experts would give schools a unique Vegetation Management Plan to ensure communitysafetyinthefuture.
“This funding gives peri-urban and regional families peace of mind that their local school is prepared for bushfire season wellbeforeitbegins,”shesaid.
Schools will receive ongoing support, with two visits by an accredited Bushfire Planning and Design expert every three years.
Lyndall Watson, Chelsea Gibb and Paul Watson at the We Will Rock You announcement this week. (Ivan Kemp) 567990_05
Hazlehurst brings powerful solo performance
One of Australia’s most beloved actors comes to Geelong this August in what critics have described as a “masterclass in thepoweroftheatre”.
Noni Hazlehurst will perform in one-woman play The Lark at Geelong Arts Centre(GAC)from12to15Augustinarole writtenspecificallyforher.
TheworkfollowsRoseGrey,a75-year-old publican whose life has been defined by hersmallinner-citypubTheLark.
As The Lark faces demolition, Rose must come to terms with her past before it overwhelmsher.
The work reunites Hazlehurst with internationally renowned playwright DanielKeeneandaward-winningdirector Matt Scholten, with whom she last worked onthecriticallyacclaimed2024production ofMother,anotherone-womanshow.
“The opportunity to work with Daniel
and Matt creating Mother was a rare privilegeandajoy,”Hazlehurstsaid.
GAC chief executive and creative director Rhys Holden expressed his excitement at seeing the work come to Geelong.
“For more than five decades, Noni Hazlehurst has captivated generations of Australians through an extraordinary careeracrossstage,screenandtelevision,” hesaid.
“We’re thrilled to welcome The Lark to Geelong, giving audiences the chance to experiencethisacclaimedproductionand an unforgettable performance from one of Australia’smostcelebratedactors.”
Visit geelongartscentre.org.au for more information.
Geelong rockers unite
By Matt Hewson
Punters will be treated to a bevy of some of Geelong’s best known and much loved rock bands next weekend.
Local live music showcase Pack Rats will feature savvy rockers The Kite Machine, Stay Gold Battle of the Bands 2026 winners Blyss, pop-punk legends Ivy Black and post-hardcore band Silverlake bringing all flavours of rock to the Barwon Club bandroom on Friday 7 August.
The Kite Machine frontman Levi Anderson said he was excited to play as part of the local lineup at the venue that was “like a home for pretty much every band that’s come up in Geelong”.
“If I had to handpick a lineup of some of the best local bands doing this kind of
thing, I’d be leaning on these guys,” he said.
“As far as a night of rock and roll in the BarwonClubinGeelong,itcan’treallyget much better in my opinion.”
Formed by Anderson in 2011 under a different name, the band was originally an outlet for his more acoustic original music.
A name change, a transition to an electric, prog-influenced style and some personnelchangeslater,TheKiteMachine solidified as the current trio of Anderson, Kane Sherriff (drums) and Liam Brennan (bass) in 2019.
Since then, they have released their self-titled debut album, hit number one status on Triple J’s Unearthed charts, received more than one million streams forboththeirsongsCharlotteandSinister
Take a trip back in time
By Matt Hewson
The music of London’s early 1700s comes to life this August when six of Australia’s finest chamber musicians converge on the Basilica of St Mary of the Angels.
Convened by ensemble leader and baroque recorder player Nicholas Dinopoulos – more regularly an opera and concert singer, conductor and artistic director – the London Calling concert will take concert goers back to the world of early 18th century London.
London chamber music was thrivingatthattimeduetotheinflux of European immigrant musicians and composers, bringing French, Italian and German influences to the coffeehouses, private salons and theatres of the day.
Dinopolous said the concert would be “a form of musical time travel”, taking the audience back to a city that served as a “musical melting pot” and a “magnet for composers from all over Europe”.
“In this program we have a number of these composers, ranging from Johann Christoph Peppusch and his contemporaries Johann Ernst Galliard, William Babell and Gottfried Keller,” he said.
“These are examples of these famed composers’ most intimate chamber music. We know that people at the time gathered in one another’s homes…for concerts and soirees, and at the interval at the theatre at the time there were also short pieces played to provide additional entertainment between the acts of the opera.
“This program represents both of these components…everything fromextrovertedallegrostosoulful adagios. And what I love about this music is the fresh inventiveness that these composers brought to these established forms.”
London Calling is at the Basilica on Friday 14 August. Visit trybooking.com/au/event/1566237 for more information.
Sound,touredtheeastcoastandhadtheir music played on major sport broadcasts including the NFL, Big Bash, F1 Grand Prix and Bathurst.
Anderson said he wasn’t sure how they had cracked the international sport realm – “it was a pretty exciting moment for us” – but the trio was firmly focused on enjoying playing live music together.
“We all have a pretty similar sense of humour…but I’d say from a creative point of view we all work slightly differently, so that helps shape everything,” he said.
“We don’t get into arguments, but we can push backwards and forwards on certain ideas. And generally, I think that means the final idea ends up being a better version of what it could have been.”
Visit barwonclub.com.au/gig-guide for more information.
Noni Hazlehurst stars in The Lark. (Supplied)
Nicholas Dinopoulos and ensemble present London Calling this August. (Supplied)
The Kite Machine: Kane Sherriff, Levi Anderson and Liam Brennan. (Supplied)
Vic Open dates announced
Australia’smostuniquegolftournamentwill return to Barwon Heads in January.
Held at 13th Beach Golf Links, the 2027 Vic Open will mark the 70th anniversary of the men’s championship and the 20th edition of the women’s event from 21 to 24 January.
Since 2012, the event has featured both the men’s and women’s tournaments running concurrently at 13th Beach, with equal prize money for both championships.
The Vic Open was the first event of its kind to feature the dual-gender format, which has been adopted by other tournaments around the world including the ISPS Handa World Invitational in Northern Ireland, the Scandinavian Mixed and the Jordan Mixed Open.
Golf Australia chief executive James Sutherland said the event had become one of the most unique and popular events on the golfing calendar.
“We’re thrilled to be returning to 13th Beach Golf Links again in 2027,” he said.
“To celebrate the 70th anniversary of the men’s championship, and the 20th staging of the women’s event, at a venue that has become synonymous with the modern Vic Open makes next year’s tournament even more special.
“One of the things that makes the Vic Open so special is the atmosphere around the course and the fun vibe. Fans are able to get up close to the players, and it creates an experience that is welcoming and enjoyable for families, casual fans and avid golfers alike.”
Member for Bellarine Alison Marchant said the Victorian government was proud to support the event through its Regional Events Fund.
“The Victorian Open not only provides anup-close,worldclasssportingeventbut boosts our region’s economy and showcases the Bellarine to the world,” she said.
Making communities across Golden Plains stronger
Golden Plains Shire community groups and organisations can apply for funding to delivervitalprojects,activitiesandprograms across the region.
Applications for council’s Community Strengthening Grants will open from Saturday 1 August for grants of up to $7000.
Mayor Owen Sharkey said grants were available across three categories including Environment and Sustainability, Healthy Connected Community, and Community Inclusion.
“By investing in community-led initiatives, we’re helping residents and local groups strengthen connections, build skills and create vibrant, inclusive communities where everyone can contribute and thrive,” he said.
“These grants help bring our community to life by supporting local groups and organisations to deliver projects, programs and activities that create opportunities for people to connect, participate and make a positive impact.”
Council’s Community Grants team will be available to support community groups through the grant application process.
Grant applications will close at 2pm on 31 August, with $50,000 of funding available for this year’s program.
Nineprojectsreceivedfundingthrough last year’s grant program, including $7000 grantsforTurtleBendCommittee,Friends of the Woady Landcare, Ross Creek Landcare Group, Golden Pens-Write Side Up
and Skateboarding Victoria.
Grants were also awarded to Inverleigh Primary School ($6226), Dolphins Basketball Club ($3774), Rokewood Community Hub ($3000), and Teesdale Cricket Club ($2000) during last year’s program.
Visit Golden Plains Shire Council’s website or contact council’s Community Development and Grants Officer on 5220 7111 or at communitygrants@gplains.vic. gov.au for more information about this year’s program.
2026 men’s Vic Open winner Cameron John walks off the first tee at 13th Beach. (Ivan Kemp)
521169_20
Mauboy sings up a storm
ARIA award winning music queen Jessica Mauboy gave a free pop-up concert at Queenscliff Ferry Terminal as the final stop of the Always Live Victorian Vibes tour. Supported by local rising star NORA and alt-rock band Cloud Control, the event drew hundreds on Saturday 25 July and @rcstills provided these pictures.
Jessica Mauboy thrilled the crowd. (Pictures: @rcstills)
Cloud Control perform.
Cloud Control hits the stage.
Bellarine Secondary College Year 12 student NORA impressed with her version of Valerie.
The Guide
GRANTCHESTER
ABC TV, Saturday, 7.30pm
All good things must come to an end, and so it is with British crime-solvingvicar-and-cop series Grantchester which begins its 11th and final season. Each of our main characters is at their own crossroads as we find them in the summer of 1963.
Vicar Alphy (Rishi Nair, pictured) reconnects with his estranged mum; Geordie (Robson Greene) is weighing up a promotion; Leonard (Al Weaver) discovers he has a paternal side; and there’s a life-changing event on the cards for Miss Scott (Melissa Johns). You can also expect plenty of mysteries to solve along the way as things start winding up in this village that’s never been as quiet as it looks.
Friday, July 31
THE BLOCK Nine, Sunday, 7pm
HOME AND AWAY
Seven, Monday, 7pm
Having taken the term “cliffhanger” quite literally ahead of the show’s Commonwealth Games break, HomeAndAwayreturns tonight with Levi’s (Tristan Gorey, pictured) life hanging in the balance after his dramatic plunge from a remote clifftop. Now Cash (Nicholas Cartwright) and Mali (Kyle Shilling, pictured left with Cartwright) are facing a race against time to save their mate. Not an easy task when there is no phone reception and help is several hours’ walk away. Meanwhile, back in Summer Bay, Dana (Ally Harris) and Sonny (Ryan Bown) face the fallout from her failed marriage proposal, and a newcomer (Angus McColl) with a connection to Marilyn (Emily Symons) causes a bit of fuss.
ABC TV (2) SBS (3)
The British Stole. (Final, PG, R) 11.00 Race Around The World. (M, R) 12.00
head of the show’s turns he balance after ash (Nicholas h n task ral hours’ ailed l) with a of fuss.
After mixed results in Daylesford last year, you might have expected The Blockto play it safe… perhaps returning to a lucrative former location. But instead, a seachange to Mount Eliza on the Mornington Peninsula is on the cards for 2026. Tucked away between the bush and the bay, the upmarket coastal suburb boasts enticing water views, which will hopefully have a calming influence on the contestants as they face one of the most challenging design briefs yet (quiet luxury), and contend with all living together in one share house for the duration of the 12-week build. In Sunday’s premiere, host Scott Cam and foreman Dan welcome the new teams to site, where five massive house frames and endless possibilities await.
ABC News At Noon. 1.00 Portrait Artist Of The Year. (PG, R) 1.50 Treasure & Dirt. (Maln, R) 3.00 Race Around The World. (PG, R) 4.00 Murdoch Mysteries. (PG, R) 4.45 Long Lost Family. (R) 5.30 Antiques Roadshow. (R) 6am Morning Programs. 8.00 DD India News Hour. 9.05 For The Love Of Dogs. (PGa, R) 10.05 Canada’s National Parks. (PGa, R) 11.05 America’s Great Trails. (PGal, R) 12.00 WorldWatch. 2.00 Queens That Changed The World. (PG, R) 3.00 Nula. 3.30 The Cook Up. (PG, R) 4.00 Garma Festival 2026 Opening Ceremony. 5.30 Letters And Numbers. (R)
6.30 Hard Quiz. (PG,R)
7.00 ABC News.
7.30 Monty Don’s Rhineland Gardens. Monty Don travels along the Rhine River.
8.30 Saint-Pierre. (Mav) Anarchaeologist isfound dead ata dig site.
9.15 Spicks And Specks. (PG,R) Hosted bycomedian Adam Hills.
9.45 Would I Lie To You?
10.20 ABC Late News.
10.35 New Zealand Spy. (PG,R)
11.00 Murdoch Mysteries. (Ma,R)
11.45 Rage New Music. (MA15+adhlnsv)
5.00 Rage. (PG)
6am Children’s Programs. 12.55pm Talking Tom Heroes. 1.20 PJ Masks. 1.50 Kangaroo Beach. 2.30 The Makery. 3.00 Play School. 3.25 Wiggle. 4.05 Andy’s Aquatic Adventures. 4.20 Santiago Of The Seas. 5.30 Talking Tom Heroes. 5.55 PJ Masks Power Heroes. 6.45 HexVets And Magic Pets. 7.05 Gardening Australia Junior. 7.35 Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures. 8.00 Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! 8.50 Steven Universe. 9.40 MythBusters “There’s Your Problem!”. 10.05 Late Programs. ABC FAMILY (22)
6.00 Mastermind Australia. Aspecial episode spotlighting the season’s best contenders. 6.30 SBS World News. 7.30 Mastermind Australia.
face off inthe Grand Final. 8.35 WWII With Tom Hanks. (Premiere, PGaw) TomHanks narrates anexploration ofWorld War II.
10.20 SBS World News Late. 10.50 The King. (MA15+a) 11.45 Breaking Point. (MA15+a,R) 5.00 NHK World English News Morning. 5.30 ANC Philippines The World Tonight.
SBS VICELAND (31)
SBS WORLD MOVIES (32) 6am Morning Programs. Noon MOVIE: Jedda. (1955, PG) 1.35 Stompem Ground 2022: Footprince. 2.00 Island Echoes. 2.30 The Cook Up. 3.00 Nula. 3.30 Going Places. 4.00 Garma Festival 2026 Opening Ceremony. 5.30 Nula. 6.00 Bamay. 6.35 Tales From Zambia. 7.30 MOVIE: Yolngu Boy. (2001, M) 9.20 MOVIE: Last Cab To Darwin. (2015, M) 11.30 Garma Festival 2026 Opening Ceremony. 1am Barunga Festival. 2.00 On The Road. 3.00 On The Road. 4.00 On The Road. 5.00 Late Programs. NITV (34)
6am Morning Programs. 9.00 The Crow’s Egg. (2014, PGa, Tamil) 10.40 Dog Day Afternoon. (1975, Malv) 12.55pm All Quiet On The Western Front. (1979, PGav) 3.45 Where The Wild Things Are. (2009, PGahv) 5.40 Paperback Hero. (1999, PGalsv) 7.30 Spy Game. (2001, Mlv) 9.50 Unforgiven. (2013, MA15+v, Japanese) 12.20am The Assassination Of Jesse James. (2007, MA15+v) 3.15 Blindspotting. (2018, MA15+lv) 5.00 Where The Wild Things Are. (2009, PGahv)
6.00 Sunrise. 9.30 The Morning Show. (PG) 12.00 Seven’s National News At Noon. 1.00 Your Money & Your Life. (PG) 1.30 The Great Outdoors. (R) 2.00 Glasgow2026 Commonwealth Games. Day7: Highlights. 4.00 Seven News At4. 5.00 The Chase Australia.
6am Morning Programs. 8.40 CBC The National. 9.30 BBC News At Six. 10.00 France 24 English News. 10.30 Front Up 2001. Noon DW The Day. 12.30 Fanny: The Right To Rock. 2.15 The Mormons Are Coming. 3.25 Bamay. 4.05 WorldWatch. 6.05 Inside The Huddle. 6.35 Over The Black Dot. 7.05 Jeopardy! 7.35 Big Fat Quiz Of Telly 2026. 9.20 History’s Greatest Mysteries. 10.10 The UnBelievable. 11.00 The Expanse. 12.35am Vikings: The Rise And Fall. 2.25 NHK World English News. 5.00 Al Jazeera. 6am Morning Programs. Noon Better Homes. 1.00 Escape To The Country. 2.00 The Great Australian Doorstep. 2.30 Weekender. 3.00 Feel Good Road Trips. 3.30 Harry’s Practice. 4.00 Animal Rescue. 4.30 Better Homes. 5.30 Escape To The Country. 6.30 Bargain Hunt. 7.30 The Americas. 8.30 Escape To The Country. 11.30 Bargain Hunt. 12.30am The Great Australian Doorstep. 1.00 Under The Hammer. 1.30 Room For Improvement. 2.00 Harry’s Practice. 2.30 Animal Rescue. 3.00 Late Programs.
6am Morning Programs. 11.30 My Favorite Martian. Noon Poirot. 1.00 The Brokenwood Mysteries. 3.00 Antiques Roadshow. 3.30 MOVIE: One Million Years B.C. (1966, PG) 5.30 The Travelling Auctioneers. 6.30 Antiques Roadshow. 7.30 Find My Country House Australia. 8.30 MOVIE: No Time To Die. (2021, M) 11.45 Poirot. 12.40am Antiques Roadshow. 1.10 1.40 MOVIE: One Million Years B.C. (1966, PG) 3.30 My Favorite Martian. 4.00 Gideon’s Way. 5.00 The Travelling Auctioneers.
6am Morning Programs. 10.30 Bewitched. 11.30 My Way. 11.45 Snackmasters. 2.30pm Baywatch. 3.30 Seinfeld. 4.30 Addams Family. 5.30 Bewitched. 6.30 Baywatch. 7.30 MOVIE: Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince. (2009, M) 10.30 MOVIE: Birds Of Prey. (2020, MA15+) 12.30am Arrow. 2.10 Arrow: Hitting The Bullseye. 3.00 Formula E: Driver. 4.00 Barbie: A Touch Of Magic. 4.30 Bubble’s Hotel. 4.50 LEGO Friends: The Next Chapter. 5.10 Hop. 5.30 Beyblade Burst: Quad Drive. 6am Morning Programs. 12.30pm Storage Wars. 1.00 American Pickers. 2.00 Pawn Stars. 3.00 Timbersports. 3.30 Tougher In Alaska. 4.30 American Resto. 5.00 Storage Wars. 5.30 American Pickers. 6.30 Pawn Stars. 7.30 AFL: Friday Night Countdown. 7.55 Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Day 8: Evening. 8.30 Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Day 8: Night. 10.00 Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Day 8: Late. 11.10 MOVIE: The Forever Purge. (2021, MA15+) 1.20am Late Programs.
THE TRAITORS AUSTRALIA 10, 7.3
10, Tuesday, 7.30pm
Dressed to kill:
In the wake of wildly successful UK and US versions, this cut-throat reality competition has been brought back to life for Australian audiences, with BigBrother host Gretel Killeen overseeing the murder and mayhem. Having survived various TV Real DragRace LoveIslandand more), the 22 contestants might think they’re ready for anything. But when Killeen selects a handful to become her duplicitous Traitors, everyone becomes a suspect. Surely the smart money is on alums Shane Gould, Kirby Bentley, Henry Nicholson and AJ Antonios to outwit, outlast and outplay the others?
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TheTraitorsAustral
TEN (5, 10)
7.30 Love It Or List It Australia. (R) Afamily isfeeling cramped intheir home.
8.30 Have You Been Paying Attention? (Malns,R) Celebrity panellists compete tosee who can remember the most about events ofthe week.
9.30 10’s Late News. Coverage ofnews, sport and weather. 10.30 The Big Bang Theory. (PG,R) 11.30 10 News+. (R) 12.00 Home Shopping. (R)
5.00 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R) 5.30 Postcards. (PG,R) 6.00 10 News+. Hosted byDenham Hitchcock and Amelia Brace. 6.30 Deal Or No Deal. (R) 7.00 Millionaire Hot Seat. (PG,R)
10 COMEDY (52, 11)
10 DRAMA (53, 12)
VIC
Gretel Killeen hosts TheTraitorsAustralia
Sea change: Scott Cam welcomes a new cast of ‘Blockheads’ to Mount Eliza.
10.35 Little Disasters. (Mdls,R) Police and Social Services investigate jointly. 11.25 Rage. (MA15+dhlnsv) Continuous music programming.
6am Children’s Programs. 2.30pm The Makery. 2.45 Wiggle. 3.00 Play School. 3.25 Octonauts: Arctic Adv. 4.25 Little J And Big Cuz. 5.15 Lu And The Bally Bunch. 5.40 Super Monsters. 6.05 PJ Masks. 6.25 Emerald. 7.05 Let’s Go Bananas! 7.30 Teenage Boss: Next Level. (Return) 8.00 Kids BBQ Championship. 8.40 Chopped Jnr. 9.45 Fresh Off The Boat. 10.05 Late Programs.
6am Morning Programs. Noon Garma Festival 2026 On The Ground. 3.00 Tales From Zambia. 4.00 Over The Black Dot. 4.30 Faboriginal. 5.00 Murder In Big Horn. 6.00 Home, Land & Sea. 6.40 The Other Side. 7.30 Alone Australia. 8.40 MOVIE: Dark Age. (1987, MA15+) 10.20 Rock Prophet: Link Wray. Midnight Garma Festival 2026 On The Ground. 3.00 Late Programs.
Sunday, August 2
6am Morning Programs. 8.00 DD India News Hour. 9.00 For The Love Of Dogs. (PGa, R) 10.00 The World From Above. (PG) 11.00 BBC News At Ten. 11.30 France 24. 12.00 Garma Festival 2026 On The Ground. 3.00 WorldWatch. 4.00 Sailing. Sail Grand Prix. Portsmouth. H’lights. 5.00 Going Places. (PG, R) 5.30 Churchill’s Bid To Abolish Britain.
6.30 SBS World News. 7.30 Dan Snow’s Odyssey. DanSnow embarks ona trek inspired byHomer’s Odyssey 8.50 Breakaway Femmes: The Forgotten Tour De France. (Ml,R) Alook atthe women’s Tour deFrance.
stage. From Switzerland. 2.15 Those Who Stayed. (Ml,R)
3.40 Hitler And The Reichstag Fire. (Mav,R) 4.35 Bamay. (R) 5.00 NHK World English News Morning. 5.15 Euronews. 5.30 ANC Philippines The World Tonight.
6am Morning Programs. 12.05pm The Real Stories Of Basketball. 1.55 Cryptoland. 2.25 If You Are The One. 3.30 WorldWatch. 5.30 Mastermind Aust. 6.30 Record-Breaking Waterparks. 7.30 Record-Breaking Fighter Jets. 8.30 Icons Unearthed: Harrison Ford. 9.20 MOVIE: Blade Runner. (1982, MA15+) 11.25 Hudson & Rex. (Return) 12.15am WWE Legends. 1.55 Late Programs.
6am Morning Programs. 12.35pm The Prestige. (2006, Mav) 3.00 The Blockhouse. (1973, PGalsv) 4.40 Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner. (1967, PGal) 6.40 Bridge To Terabithia. (2007, ahv) 8.30 Solace. (2015, MA15+asv) 10.25 Disobedience. (2018, s) 12.30am Unforgiven. (2013, MA15+v, Japanese) 3.00 The Boy And The Heron. (2023, PGalv) 5.15 Late Programs.
8.30 Glasgow2026 Commonwealth Games. Day9: Night. From Glasgow, Scotland. Hosted byBruce McAvaney, Matt Shirvington, Emma Freedman, Mel McLaughlin, Jason Richardson, Johanna Griggs, Matt White, Rebecca Maddern, Trent Copeland and Lizzie Jelfs.
4.00 Glasgow2026 Commonwealth Games. Day9: Early morning.
6am Morning Programs. 12.30pm Secrets Of Beautiful Gardens. 1.30 Feel Good Road Trips. 2.00 Escape To The Country. 3.00 Horse Racing. Phar Lap Race Day. Jockey Celebration Day. Qld Cricket Foundation Charity Raceday. 5.00 Dog Patrol. 5.30 Escape To The Country. 6.30 Bondi Vet. 7.30 The Yorkshire Vet. 8.30 Lewis. 10.30 Escape To The Country. 11.30 Late Programs.
6am Morning Programs. 2pm Rides Down Under: Aussie Truckers. 3.00 Motor Racing. Night Thunder. High Limits World Tour. Night Grand Final. Replay. 4.00 American Resto. 5.00 Counting Cars. 5.30 Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Day 9: Fringe. 7.00 Pawn Stars. 7.30 MOVIE: Godzilla. (1998, PG) 10.20 MOVIE: Battle: Los Angeles. (2011, M) 12.45am Late Programs.
7.30 MOVIE: Legally Blonde2: Red, White And Blonde. (2003,PGl,R) Alawyer juggles her commitments. Reese Witherspoon, Luke Wilson, Jennifer Coolidge.
9.30 MOVIE: New Year’s Eve. (2011,Ml,R) Intertwining stories ofcouples and singles set onNew Year’s Eve inNew York. Michelle Pfeiffer, Zac Efron, Ashton Kutcher.
11.50 Wild Cards. (Mv,R)
12.40 Space Invaders. (PGa,R)
1.30 Next Stop. (PG,R)
2.00 The Incredible Journey Presents. (PGa)
2.30 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R)
4.30 Global Shop. (R)
5.00 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R)
5.30 Helping Hands. (PG,R)
6am Morning Programs. 1.25pm Rugby League. NRL Women’s Premiership. Dragons vRoosters. 3.15 Rugby League. NRL Women’s Premiership. Canberra Raiders vNorth Qld Cowboys. 5.10 MOVIE: Silver Bears. (1978, PG) 7.30 MOVIE: Lethal Weapon 2. (1989, M) 9.45 MOVIE: Cold Sweat. (1970, M) 11.40 MOVIE: Villain. (1971, MA15+) 1.40am Late Programs.
6am Morning Programs. 12.50pm Premier League Stories. 1.25 Motor Racing. Formula E World C’ship. Tokyo ePrix. 2.35 Motor Racing. Formula E World C’ship. Tokyo ePrix. 3.45 Adam Hills Foot Fault. 5.05 MOVIE: Rams. (2020, PG) 7.30 MOVIE: The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers. (2002, M) 11.05 The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power. 12.15am Late Programs.
TEN (5, 10)
6am
ABC TV (2) SBS (3)
9) 6am Morning Programs. 9.00 Insiders. 10.00 Offsiders. 10.30 World This Week. (R) 11.00 Compass. (PG, R) 11.30 Praise. (R) 12.00 News. 12.30 Landline. 1.30 Monty Don’s Rhineland Gardens. (R) 2.30 Race Around The World. (M, R) 3.30 The Assembly. (PG, R) 4.10 Grand Designs. (PG, R) 5.00 Back Roads. (PG, R) 5.30 Antiques Roadshow.
6.30 Compass: The Way We Care. 7.00 ABC News. Alook atthe top stories ofthe day.
7.30 Race Around The World. (Ma) Elliot heads toMonaco.
8.30 Treasure & Dirt. (Mal) Nell gets into atight spot and isleveraged byPhelan. Ivan has astrange encounter with The Third Row.
9.30 Believe Me. (Malv) Worboys
10.20 Grantchester. (M,R)
11.05 Father Brown. (Mv,R) Amedieval murder iscommitted.
11.55 Rage. (MA15+adhlnsv)
2.40 Poh’s Kitchen On The Road. (R)
3.10 Doc Martin. (PGa,R)
4.00 Antiques Roadshow. (R)
5.00 Insiders. (R)
6am Children’s Programs. 3.50pm Talking Tom Heroes. 4.25 Little J And Big Cuz. 4.50 Gardening Australia Junior. 5.15 Zog And The Flying Doctors. 5.40 Super Monsters. 6.05 PJ Masks. 6.25 Emerald. 7.05 Let’s Go Bananas! 7.30 The Inbestigators. 7.45 The Lady Grace Mysteries. 8.10 Epic Adventures With Bertie Gregory. 8.50 Animal Park. 10.20 Late Programs.
(34)
6am Morning Programs. 11.30 Inside The Huddle. Noon Garma Festival 2026. 3.00 Garma Bunggul 2026. 4.00 Sunnies. 4.20 Rock Prophet: Link Wray. 6.00 Bamay. 6.40 Tales From Zambia. 7.30 Earth Oven. 8.30 MOVIE: Angry Inuk. (2016, PG) 10.00 MOVIE: Get On The Bus. (1996, M) 12.15am Garma Festival 2026. 3.15 Garma Bunggul 2026. 4.15
6am Morning Programs. 9.00 DD India News Hour. 10.00 PBS News Compass Points. 10.30 PBS Washington Week. 11.00 Cycling. Tour deFrance Femmes. H’lights. 12.00 Garma Festival 2026. 3.00 Garma Bunggul 2026. 4.00 Going Places. (PG, R) 4.30 Cycling. Tour deFrance Femmes. H’lights. 5.30 WWII Women On The Frontline. (PGa, R)
6.30 SBS World News. 7.30 Alexander The Great: Legendary Conqueror: The Making Of A Hero. (Premiere) 8.25 Las Vegas And The American Dream. 9.25 Castle Secrets. (Mav,R) 10.20 Kennedy: The World At War (1940-1946) (PG,R) 11.10 Guillaume’s Paris. (R) 11.45 Cycling. Tour deFrance Femmes. Stage2. 2.15 Framed. (Ml,R) 3.45 Hitler And The Reichstag Fire. (PGav,R) 5.00 NHK World English News Morning. 5.15 Euronews. 5.30 WorldWatch.
VICELAND (31)
6am Morning Programs. 12.30pm France 24. 1.00 Motorcycle Racing. Aust ProMX C’ship. 4.00 Cycling. Tour deFrance Femmes. H’lights. 5.00 WorldWatch. 5.55 The Food That Built The World. 6.40 Abandoned Engineering. 8.30 MOVIE: Commando. (1985) 10.10 Hudson & Rex. 11.00 Under The Bridge. 12.40am Sex Tape Italy. 1.40 Late Programs.
6am Morning Programs. 11.55 Bergman Island. (2021, Malnsv) 2pm Where The Wild Things Are. (2009, PGahv) 3.55 Monsieur Verdoux. (1947, PGa) 6.10 The Family Man. (2000, PGals) 8.30 Willy’s Wonderland. (2021, MA15+hv) 10.10 John Wick. (2014, MA15+v) 12.05am Solace. (2015, MA15+asv) 2.00 Disobedience. (2018, MA15+s) 4.05 One Of A Kind. (2023, Mlvw)
6.00 Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Day 9: Morning. 7.00 Weekend Sunrise. 10.00 Morning Show. (PG) 12.00 Sunday Footy Feast. 1.00 Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Day 9: H’lights. 2.30 AFL Pre-Game Show. 3.00 Football. AFL. Gold Coast Suns vMelbourne. From People First Stadium, Qld.
4.00 NBC Today. 5.00 Sunrise Early News. 5.30 Sunrise.
(62, 72)
6am Morning Programs. 12.30pm Your Money & Your Life. 1.00 The Master. 2.00 South Aussie With Cosi. 2.30 Better Homes. 3.30 The Yorkshire Vet. 4.30 My Greek Odyssey. 5.30 Australia’s Best Backyards. 6.00 Escape To The Country. 7.05 Dog Patrol. 7.30 The Coroner. 8.30 Vera. 10.30 Landscapers. 11.30 The Coroner. 12.30am Late Programs.
6am Morning Programs. 2pm Fishy Business. 2.30 Fish’n Mates. 3.00 American Resto. 5.00 Counting Cars. 6.00 Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Day 10: Fringe. 7.00 Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Day 10: Evening. 8.30 Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Day 10: Night. 10.00 MOVIE: In The Line Of Fire. (1993, M) 12.40am Late Programs.
6.30 The Dog House Australia. (PGa,R) Follow the staff atthe Animal
7.30 Love It Or List It Australia. Acouple are divided asto whether arenovation toopen their living spaces will transform their home. 9.50 Airport24/7. (PGad,R) Theairport faces ablackout and aplane has toturn back shortly after take-off with areported faulty engine. 10.50 Ambulance Australia. (Madl,R) Aman claims tohave jumped off Brisbane’s Story Bridge and the team races against time tosave his life. 11.50 FBI. (Mav,R) Anexplosion rocks aBrooklyn apartment complex. 1.00 Home Shopping. (R) 5.00 Hour Of Power. Religious program.
6am Morning Programs. 10.00 AFL Sunday Footy Show. (PG) 12.00 Wide World Of Sports. (PG) 1.00 GolfBarons. (PG, R) 1.30 Find My Beach House Australia. (R) 2.00 For The Love Of Pets. (PGm, R) 3.00 Taronga: Who’s Who In The Zoo. (PGam, R) 4.00 Ski Rescue Down Under. (PGl) 5.00 News. 5.30 Postcards. (PG)
6.00 9News Sunday.
7.00 The Block. (Return, PGl)
8.40 60 Minutes. Current affairs program, investigating, analysing and uncovering the issues affecting all Australians.
9.40 9News Late.
10.10 The First48: The Abnormals. (Mav) 11.10 Black Widow: The Consequences Of Bigamy. (Mal)
12.00 Murder In The21st: All In The Family. (Mv) 12.50 For The Love Of Pets. (PGm,R)
1.30 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R)
4.00 Skippy The Bush Kangaroo. (R)
4.30 CampByMe.
5.00 Today Early News. 5.30 Today.
6am Morning Programs. 1.25pm Rugby League. NRL Women’s Premiership. NZ Warriors vTitans. 3.15 Rugby League. NRL. Tigers vEels. 6.00 Getaway. 6.30 Poirot. 7.30 David Attenborough’s Asia. 8.40 Paramedics. 9.40 Emergency. 10.40 Major Crimes. 11.40 Midsomer Murders. 1.40am Late Programs.
6am Morning Programs. 11.30 LEGO Masters Aust Vs World. 2.15pm The Toys That Built The World. 3.15 Rugby League. NRL Women’s Premiership. Eels vKnights. 5.00 Cards And Collectables Australia. 5.30 MOVIE: The Lego Batman Movie. (2017, PG) 7.30 TBA. 11.55 Bel-Air. (Premiere) 1.55am The Summit. 3.25 World’s Greatest Transportation Marvels. 4.30 Late Programs.
6am Morning Programs.
6.30 10 News+. Hosted byDenham Hitchcock and Amelia Brace. 7.00 MasterChef Australia. (PG) Thejudges are challenged tocook head-to-head, before teaming upto take onthe top three contestants. 8.15 Watson. (Mav) Thefellows are taken hostage bya man with abomb strapped tohis acure for his daughter. 9.15 FBI. (Mav) Theteam uncovers adeeper conspiracy after ajournalist isshot while interviewing aprime minister. 12.00 10 News+. (R) Hosted byDenham Hitchcock and Amelia Brace. 12.30 Home Shopping. (R)
Monday, August 3
ABC TV (2) SBS (3)
6am Morning Programs. 10.45 Father Brown. (Mv, R) 11.30 Nigella At My Table. (R) 12.00 News. 1.00
Landline. (R) 2.00 Back Roads. (PG, R) 2.30 Home Delivery. (PG, R) 3.00 Race Around The World. (Ma, R) 4.00 Murdoch Mysteries. (PG, R) 4.40 Long Lost Family. (PG, R) 5.30 Antiques Roadshow. (R)
6.30 Hard Quiz. (PG,R)
7.00 ABC News.
7.30 7.30.
8.00 Australian Story. Australians tell personal stories.
8.30 Four Corners. Investigative journalism program.
9.25 Media Watch. (PG) Presented byLinton Besser.
9.40 If You’re Listening. (R) Presented byMatt Bevan.
10.10 Foreign Correspondent. (R)
10.40 ABC Late News.
10.55 The Business. (R)
11.10 Murdoch Mysteries. (PG,R)
11.55 Long Lost Family. (PG,R)
12.40 Rage. (MA15+dhlnsv)
2.45 Gardening Australia. (R)
3.45 Love Your Garden. (R)
4.30 Antiques Roadshow. (R)
5.30 7.30. (R)
6am Children’s Programs. 3pm Play School: Let The Music Play. 3.25 Wiggle. 4.05 Andy’s Aquatic Adventures. 4.20 Santiago Of The Seas. 5.30 Talking Tom Heroes. 5.55 PJ Masks Power Heroes. 6.45 HexVets And Magic Pets. 7.05 Batwheels. 7.40 Ninjago: Dragons Rising. 8.05 Young Sheldon. 8.30 Young Sheldon. 8.50 Secrets Of The Zoo. 9.35 Hard Quiz Kids. 10.05 Late Programs.
6am Morning Programs. 1.30pm Nganampa Anwernekenhe. 2.00 Strait To The Plate. 2.30 The Cook Up. 3.00 Jarjums. 4.35 Dreaming Big. 5.00 Harlem Globetrotters. 5.30 Garma Festival 2026 In Review. 6.40 Waterworld Africa. 7.30 Who Do You Think You Are? 8.30 Living Black. 9.15 One Mind, One Heart. 10.45 Garma Festival 2026 In Review. 11.45 Late Programs.
6am Morning Programs. 12.00 Cycling. Tour deFrance Femmes. H’lights. 1.00 WorldWatch. 2.00 Going Places. (PGa, R) 2.30 The Cook Up. (PG, R) 3.05 Jeopardy! 3.30 Letters And Numbers. (R) 4.00 Mastermind Aust. (PG, R) 4.30 Cycling. Tour deFrance Femmes. H’lights. 5.30 Garma Festival 2026 In Review.
6.30 SBS World News.
7.30 Scandinavia With Simon Reeve. (PG,R)
8.40 24 Hours In Emergency: State Of The Nation. (Mal)
9.35 Alone Australia. (Ml,R) Twocanoes take tothe freezing lake.
10.45 SBS World News Late.
11.15 Guillaume’s Paris. (R) 11.45 Cycling. Tour deFrance Femmes. Stage3. Genève toPoligny.156.5km hilly stage. From Switzerland and France. 2.15 While The Men Are Away. (MA15+s,R)
3.15 Before We Die. (Mlv,R) 4.10 Bamay. (R) 5.00 NHK World English News Morning. 5.30 ANC Philippines The World Tonight.
6am Morning Programs. 1pm Inside The Huddle. 1.30 Over The Black Dot. 2.00 Cycling. Tour deFrance Femmes. H’lights. 3.00 Cycling. Tour deFrance Femmes. H’lights. 4.10 WorldWatch. 6.10 Mysteries From Above. 7.05 Jeopardy! 7.35 8 Out Of 10 Cats. 8.30 History’s Greatest Mysteries. 9.15 The UnBelievable. 10.05 The Americans. 11.55 Late Programs.
6am Morning Programs. Noon That Good Night. (2017, Ma) 1.45 The Man Who Knew 3.45 The Silver Brumby. (1993, PG) 5.30 The Grass Harp. (1995, PGal) 7.30 Strangeness. (2022, Malns, Italian) 9.30 Two Tickets To Greece. (2022, Mdlnv) 11.35 The Humbling. (2014, Malsv) 1.35am John Wick. (2014, MA15+v) 3.30 Late Programs.
SEVEN (6, 7)
6.00 Sunrise. 9.00 The Morning Show. (PG) 12.00 Seven’s National News At Noon. 1.00 Clarkson’s Who Wants To Be A Millionaire UK. (PG,R) 2.00 Bridge Of Lies. (R) 3.00 The Chase. 4.00 Seven News At4. 5.00 The Chase Australia.
6.00 Seven News. 7.00 Home And Away.
7.30 The Voice. (PG) Theblind auditions continue.
8.50 Glasgow2026 Commonwealth Games. Arecap ofall the golden moments for Australia, including the great moments and stories ofthe athletes inGlasgow.
10.20 The Agenda Setters. (R) Anexpert panel tackles the biggest AFL topics.
11.20 The Agenda Setters: Rugby League. Anexpert panel tackles the biggest rugby league topics.
12.20 New Amsterdam. (MA15+av,R)
1.20 Harry’s Practice. (R)
2.00 Home Shopping. (R)
4.00 NBC Today.
5.00 Sunrise Early News.
5.30 Sunrise.
6am Morning Programs. 11.30 The Great Australian Doorstep. Noon Better Homes. 1.00 My Greek Odyssey. 2.00 Weekender. 2.30 Auction Squad. 3.30 Harry’s Practice. 4.00 Animal Rescue. 4.30 Better Homes. 5.30 Escape To The Country. 6.30 Bargain Hunt. 7.30 Doc Martin. 8.30 A Touch Of Frost. 10.50 Escape To The Country. 11.50 Doc Martin. 12.50am Late Programs.
6am Morning Programs. 2.30pm Motor Racing. Supercars C’ship. Perth Super 440. H’lights. 3.30 Motor Racing. Supercars C’ship. Perth Super 440. H’lights. 4.30 American Resto. 5.00 Storage Wars. 5.30 American Pickers. 6.30 Pawn Stars. 7.30 The Agenda Setters. 8.30 Aussie Gold Hunters. 9.30 Gem Hunters Down Under. 10.30 Outback Opal Hunters. 11.30 Late Programs.
7.30 The Block. (PGl) Theteams work ontheir guest bedrooms. (Ml) Ateam offooty experts tackles the AFL’s big issues and controversies.
9.40 Players. (Ml) Three ofthe AFL’s biggest stars talk about all
10.40 9News Late.
11.10 100% Footy. (Mal)
12.10 Tipping Point. (PG,R)
1.05 Hello SA. (PG)
1.30 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R)
2.30 Global Shop. (R)
3.00 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R)
4.00 Skippy The Bush Kangaroo. (R)
4.30 A Current Affair. (R) 5.00 Today Early News. 5.30 Today.
6am Morning Programs. 11.30 My Favorite Martian. Noon David Attenborough’s Asia. 1.00 Midsomer Murders. 3.00 Antiques Roadshow. 3.30 MOVIE: The Count Of Monte-Cristo. (1975, PG) 5.30 The Travelling Auctioneers. 6.30 Antiques Roadshow. 7.30 Death In Paradise. 8.40 The Madame Blanc Mysteries. 9.40 TBA. 10.40 Love Rat. 11.40 The First 48. 12.40am Late Programs.
6am Morning Programs. 11.30 Jeopardy! UK. 12.30pm Parental Guidance. 3.30 Baywatch. 4.30 Addams Family. 5.30 Bewitched. 6.30 Baywatch. 7.30 Seinfeld. 8.30 MOVIE: Shazam! (2019, M) 11.05 Seinfeld. 12.05am The 100. 12.55 Winter House. (Final) 1.45 Below Deck. 2.35 Jeopardy! UK. 3.30 Big Rigs Of Oz. 4.00
TEN (5, 10)
6.00 10 News+. Hosted byDenham Hitchcock and Amelia Brace.
6.30 Deal Or No Deal. (PG) Hosted byGrant Denyer. 7.00 Millionaire Hot Seat. (PG) Hosted byRebecca Gibney. 7.30 MasterChef Australia. (PG) Amateur cooks take tothe kitchen toimpress judges Andy Allen, Jean-Christophe Novelli. 9.10 Have You Been Paying Attention? (Malns) Celebrity panellists compete tosee who can remember the most about events ofthe week. 10.10 10’s Late News. Coverage ofnews, sport and weather. 11.10 The Big Bang Theory. (PGs,R) Leonard’s mother visits. 12.00 10 News+. (R) 12.30 Home Shopping. (R)
Tuesday, August 4
ABC TV (2) SBS (3)
6am Morning Programs. 10.30 Kitchen Cabinet. (R) 11.00 Lucy Worsley’s Victorian Murder Club. (Final, PGa, R) 12.00 News. 1.00 Grantchester. (M, R) 1.55 Back Roads. (PG, R) 2.25 Home Delivery. (PG, R) 2.55 Race Around The World. (Ma, R) 3.55 Murdoch Mysteries. (PGv, R) 4.40 Long Lost Family. (R) 5.30 Antiques Roadshow. (R)
Mysteries. (Mv,R)
12.45 Long Lost Family. (R)
1.30 Rage. (MA15+dhlnsv)
2.45 Gardening Australia. (R)
3.45 Love Your Garden. (R) 4.30 Antiques Roadshow. (R)
5.30 7.30. (R)
6am Children’s Programs. 4.05pm Andy’s Aquatic Adventures. 4.20 Santiago Of The Seas. 5.30 Talking Tom Heroes. 5.55 PJ Masks Power Heroes. 6.45 HexVets And Magic Pets. 7.05 Batwheels. 7.40 Ninjago: Dragons Rising. 8.00 Young Sheldon. 8.25 Young Sheldon. 8.45 Secrets Of The Zoo. 9.30 MythBusters “There’s Your Problem!”. 9.55 BattleBots. 10.40 Late Programs.
6am Morning Programs. 12.00 Cycling. Tour deFrance Femmes. H’lights. 1.00 WorldWatch. 2.00 Queens That Changed The World. (PGav, R) 3.00 The Cook Up. (R) 3.35 Jeopardy! 4.00 Letters And Numbers. (R) 4.30 North American Fan Feasts. (R) 5.00 Cycling. Tour deFrance Femmes. H’lights.
6.00 Mastermind Australia. (R) 6.30 SBS World News. 7.35 Portugal With Michael Portillo. (PG,R) 8.30 Insight. 9.30 Dateline: Let’s Talk About Sex, Habibi. 10.00 SBS World News Late.
10.30 Stanley Tucci: Searching For Italy. (PG,R)
11.20 Guillaume’s Paris. (PGl,R) 11.50 Cycling. Tour deFrance Femmes. Stage4. 2.15 While The Men Are Away. (MA15+s,R) 3.20 Before We Die. (Malv,R) 4.10 Bamay. (R) 5.00 WorldWatch.
6am Morning Programs. 12.35pm Homicide. 1.30 Sports Gone Wrong. 2.00 Cycling. Tour deFrance Femmes. H’lights. 3.00 Cycling. Tour deFrance Femmes. H’lights. 4.05 WorldWatch. 6.10 Mysteries From Above. 7.05 Jeopardy! 7.35 8 Out Of 10 Cats. 8.30 History’s Greatest Mysteries. 9.20 The UnBelievable. 10.10 The Americans. 11.55 Late Programs.
(6, 7)
6.00 Sunrise. 9.00 The Morning Show. (PG) 12.00 Seven’s National News At Noon. 1.00 Clarkson’s Who Wants To Be A Millionaire UK. (PG,R) 2.00 Bridge Of Lies. (R) 3.00 The Chase. 4.00 Seven News At4. 5.00 The Chase Australia.
6.00 Seven News. 7.00 Home And Away. 7.30 The Voice. (PG) Chair-turning performances reignite old rivalries.
8.45 Madonna & Graham. (Ma) Graham Norton sits down with Madonna for arare, candid
10.00 Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares USA. (Ml) Gordon Ramsay heads toHouston. 11.00 The Agenda Setters. (R)
12.00 Happy’s Place. (PGal)
12.30 New Amsterdam. (MA15+av,R)
1.30 Harry’s Practice. (R)
2.00 Home Shopping. (R)
4.00 NBC Today.
5.00 Sunrise Early News.
5.30 Sunrise.
6am Morning Programs. Noon Better Homes. 1.00 Escape To The Country. 2.00 Creek To Coast. 2.30 The Amazing Homemakers. 3.30 Harry’s Practice. 4.00 Animal Rescue. 4.30 Better Homes. 5.30 Escape To The Country. 6.30 Bargain Hunt. 7.30 Call The Midwife. 8.30 Inspector Morse. 10.50 Escape To The Country. 11.50 Hornby: A Model Empire. 12.50am Late Programs.
6am Morning Programs. 12.30pm Pawn Stars. 1.30 Aussie Gold Hunters. 2.30 Gem Hunters Down Under. 3.30 Duck Dynasty. 4.30 American Resto. 5.00 Storage Wars. 5.30 American Pickers. 6.30 Pawn Stars. 7.30 The Agenda Setters. 8.30 Outback Wreckers. (Premiere) 9.30 Outback Truckers. 10.30 Heavy Tow Truckers Down Under. 11.30 Late Programs. 6am Morning Programs. 1.25pm Monsieur Verdoux. (1947, PGa) 3.40 What We Did On
7.30 The Block. (PGl) Theteams struggle with the new site hours.
8.40 Banjo And Ro’s Grand Island Hotel. (Premiere, PG) Presented byBanjo Beale and Ro Christopher. (Ml)
10.55 9News Late.
11.25 Outback Opal Hunters. (PGal)
12.15 Tipping Point. (PG,R)
1.10 GolfBarons. (PG,R)
1.30 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R)
2.30 Building Ideas. (PG,R)
3.00 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R)
4.00 Skippy The Bush Kangaroo. (R)
4.30 A Current Affair. (R)
5.00 Today Early News. 5.30 Today. 6.00 10 News+. 6.30 Deal Or No Deal. (PG) Hosted byGrant Denyer. 7.00 Millionaire Hot Seat. (PG) Hosted byRebecca Gibney. 7.30 The Traitors Australia. (Return, PGl) Hosted byGretel Killeen. 9.00 The Cheap Seats. (Mal) Presenters Melanie Bracewell and Tim McDonald take alook atthe week that was.
6am Morning Programs. 11.30 My Favorite Martian. Noon Death In Paradise. 1.00 TBA. 2.00 The Madame Blanc Mysteries. 3.00 Antiques Roadshow. 3.30 MOVIE: Twice Round The Daffodils. (1962, PG) 5.30 The Travelling Auctioneers. 6.30 Antiques Roadshow. 7.30 New Tricks. 8.40 Agatha Christie’s Marple. 10.40 Rizzoli & Isles. 11.40 Poirot. 12.40am Late Programs.
6am Morning Programs. 11.40 The Summit. 2.30pm Baywatch. 3.30 Seinfeld. 4.30 Addams Family. 5.30 Bewitched. 6.30 Baywatch. 7.30 Seinfeld. 8.30 MOVIE: Wonder Woman 1984. (2020, M) 11.30 Seinfeld. Midnight The 100. 12.55 Watch What Happens Live: Winter House Reunion. 1.45 Below Deck. 2.35 Parental Guidance. 4.00 Late Programs.
10’s Late News. Comprehensive coverage oflocal, national and international news,
1.35 Media Watch. (PG, R) 2.00 Back Roads. (PG, R) 2.30 Home Delivery. (R) 2.55 Race Around The World. (PG, R) 4.00 Murdoch Mysteries. (PGv, R) 4.45 Long Lost Family. (R) 5.30 Antiques Roadshow. (R)
6.30 Hard Quiz. (PG, R)
7.00 ABC News.
7.30 7.30.
8.00 Hard Quiz. (PG)
8.30 Spicks And Specks. (PG) Hosted by comedian Adam Hills. 9.00 New Zealand Spy. (Mv) Michael follows a lead to a Marlborough vineyard.
9.25 Race Around The World. (Ma, R) Elliot heads to Monaco.
10.30 ABC Late News.
10.45 The Business. (R)
11.00 Treasure & Dirt. (Mal, R)
12.00 Murdoch Mysteries. (Mav, R)
12.45 Long Lost Family. (R)
1.30 Rage. (MA15+adhlnsv)
2.45 Gardening Australia. (R)
3.40 Love Your Garden. (R)
4.30 Antiques Roadshow. (R)
5.30 7.30. (R)
6am Children’s Programs. 3pm Play School: Let The Music Play. 3.25 Wiggle. 4.05 Andy’s Aquatic Adventures. 4.20 Santiago Of The Seas. 5.30 Talking Tom Heroes. 5.55 PJ Masks Power Heroes. 6.45 HexVets And Magic Pets. 7.05 Batwheels. 7.40 Ninjago. 8.05 Young Sheldon. 8.30 Young Sheldon. 8.50 Secrets Of The Zoo. 9.30 The Piano. 10.30 Late Programs.
6am Morning Programs. 12.35pm MOVIE: Regard Noir. (2021, PG) 2.00 Strait To The Plate. 2.30 The Cook Up. 3.00 Jarjums. 4.35 Dreaming Big. 5.00 Harlem Globetrotters. 5.35 News. 6.05 Bamay. 6.45 Waterworld Africa. 7.35 Breaking Wild. 8.30 Bull Riding. PBR Aust. 9.30 Over The Black Dot. 10.00 Inside The Huddle. 10.30 MOVIE: Restless River. (2019, M) 12.15am Late Programs.
Thursday, August 6
6am Morning Programs. 10.00 BBC News At Ten. 10.30 France 24. 11.00 Cycling. Tour de France Femmes. H’lights. 12.00 Cycling. Tour de France Femmes. H’lights. 1.00 WorldWatch.
2.00 Dateline. (R) 2.30 Insight. (R) 3.30 The Cook Up. (R) 4.05 Jeopardy! 4.30 Letters And Numbers. (R) 5.00 Cycling. Tour de France Femmes. H’lights.
6.00 Mastermind Australia. (R)
6.30 SBS World News.
7.30 Alone Australia. (Ml)
One participant attempts to change the game.
8.40 Titanic Sinks Tonight. (Ma) Titanic battles the freezing Atlantic.
9.45 Six Four. (Mv)
10.40 Cycling. Tour de France Femmes. Stage 5. Mâcon to Belleville-en-Beaujolais. 140km hilly stage. From France.
2.15 While The Men Are Away. (MA15+s, R)
3.20 Before We Die. (MA15+v, R)
4.15 Bamay: Bundjalung –Northern NSW Pt 2. (PG, R) 5.00 NHK World English News Morning.
5.30 ANC Philippines The World Tonight.
6am Morning Programs. 1.30pm Sports Gone Wrong. 2.00 Cycling. Tour de France Femmes. H’lights. 3.00 Cycling. Tour de France Femmes. H’lights. 4.05 WorldWatch. 6.10 Mysteries From Above. 7.05 Jeopardy! 7.35 8 Out Of 10 Cats. 8.30 History’s Greatest Mysteries. 9.20 The UnBelievable. 10.10 The Americans. 11.55 Late Programs.
6am Morning Programs. 12.15pm The Silver Brumby. (1993, PG) 2.00 The Grass Harp. (1995, PGal) 4.00 A King In New York. (1957, PGa) 5.55 The Lady And The Highwayman. (1989, PGasv) 7.40 The Great Escaper. (2023, Mal) 9.30 The Beautiful Summer. (2023, MA15+ns, French, Italian) 11.35 How To Get Ahead In Advertising. (1989) 1.25am Late Programs.
SEVEN (6, 7)
6.00 Sunrise. 9.00 The Morning Show. (PG) 12.00 Seven’s National News At Noon. 1.00 Clarkson’s Who Wants To Be A Millionaire UK. (PG, R) 2.00 Bridge Of Lies. (R) 3.00 The Chase. (R) 4.00 Seven News At 4. 5.00 The Chase Australia.
6.00 Seven News.
7.00 Home And Away. (PGa)
7.30 The 1% Club UK. (PGl, R) Hosted by Lee Mack.
8.30 The Front Bar. (Ml) Takes a lighter look at all things AFL. (PG) Hamish McLachlan sits down with key football stars and personalities to reveal their stories.
10.00 The Agenda Setters. (R)
11.00 The Fall And Rise Of Reggie Dinkins. (PGals)
11.30 Stumble. (PGals)
12.00 Everything I Know About Love. (MA15+ls)
1.00 Harry’s Practice. (R)
2.00 Home Shopping. (R)
4.00 NBC Today.
5.00 Sunrise Early News.
5.30 Sunrise.
6am Morning Programs. Noon Better Homes. 1.00 Secrets Of Beautiful Gardens. 2.00 Weekender. 2.30 Hornby: A Model Empire. 3.30 Harry’s Practice. 4.00 Animal Rescue. 4.30 Better Homes. 5.30 Escape To The Country. 6.30 Bargain Hunt. 7.30 Heartbeat. 8.45 Foyle’s War. 11.00 Air Crash Inv: Accident Files. Midnight Bargain Hunt. 1.00 Late Programs.
6am Morning Programs. 2.30pm Heavy Tow Truckers Down Under. 3.30 Duck Dynasty. 4.30 American Resto. 5.00 Storage Wars. 5.30 American Pickers. 6.30 Pawn Stars. 7.30 The Agenda Setters. 8.30 The Force: BTL. 9.00 Soccer. Calcio Italiano Tournament. AC Milan v Inter Milan. 11.00 Caught On Dashcam. Midnight Late Programs.
NINE (8, 9)
6.00 Today. 9.00 Today Extra. (PG) 11.30 9News Morning. 12.00 The Block. (PGl, R) 1.00 Taronga: Who’s Who In The Zoo. (PGam, R) 2.00 Pointless. (PG, R) 3.00 Tipping Point. (PG, R) 4.00 9News Afternoon. 4.30 Tipping Point Australia. (PG) 5.30 WIN News.
6.00 9News. 7.00 A Current Affair.
7.30 The Block. (PGl)
8.40 The F Ward. (Premiere, MA15+lm) A group of interns is sent to the underfunded Pines Hospital to complete their medical training.
9.40 To Be Advised.
10.40 9News Late.
11.10 The Teacher: Body In The Lake. (Premiere, MA15+als)
12.05 Tipping Point. (PG, R)
1.00 Destination WA.
1.30 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R)
2.30 Global Shop. (R)
3.00 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R)
4.00 Skippy The Bush Kangaroo. (R)
4.30 A Current Affair. (R)
5.00 Today Early News.
5.30 Today.
6am Morning Programs. 11.30 My Favorite Martian. Noon New Tricks. 1.10 Agatha Christie’s Marple. 3.10 Antiques Roadshow. 3.40 MOVIE: At The Earth’s Core. (1976, PG) 5.30 The Travelling Auctioneers. 6.30 Antiques Roadshow. 7.30 As Time Goes By. 8.40 Midsomer Murders. 10.40 Rizzoli & Isles. 11.40 Poirot. 12.40am Antiques Roadshow. 1.10 1.40 Late Programs.
6am Morning Programs. 11.30 My Way. 11.45 The Summit. 2.30pm Baywatch. 3.30 Seinfeld. 4.30 Addams Family. 5.30 Bewitched. 6.30 Baywatch. 7.30 Seinfeld. 8.30 MOVIE: Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice. (2016, M) 11.30 Seinfeld. 12.30am Legacies. (Return) 1.20 Below Deck. 2.10 Parental Guidance. 3.30 4.00 Late Programs.
TEN (5, 10)
6am Morning Programs. 7.00
6.00 10 News+. Hosted by Denham Hitchcock and Amelia Brace. 6.30 Deal Or No Deal. (PG) Hosted by Grant Denyer. 7.00 Millionaire Hot Seat. (PG, R) Hosted by Rebecca Gibney. 7.30 The Traitors Australia. (PGl) Twenty-one players band together to win a share of up to $250,000 through deception, lies and betrayal. 9.00 Boston Blue. (Ma) Lena’s pursuit of justice forces Danny into an unexpected role reversal. Sarah faces a personal dilemma. 10.00 10’s Late News. Coverage of news, sport and weather. 11.00 The Cheap Seats. (Mal, R) Presented by Melanie Bracewell and Tim McDonald. 12.00 10 News+. (R) 12.30 Home Shopping. (R)
ABC TV (2) SBS (3)
SEVEN (6, 7)
(5, 10) NINE (8, 9) 6am Morning Programs. 10.30 Spicks And Specks. (PG, R) 11.00 New Zealand Spy. (Mv, R) 11.25 Dr Karl’s How Things Work. (R) 12.00 News. 1.00 Believe Me. (Malv, R) 1.45 Back Roads. (R) 2.15 Home Delivery. (PG, R) 3.00 Race Around The World. (M, R) 4.00 Frankie Drake. (PGv, R) 4.45 Long Lost Family. (R) 5.30 Antiques Roadshow. (R) 6am Morning Programs. 11.00 Cycling. Tour de France Femmes. H’lights. 12.00 Cycling. Tour de France Femmes. H’lights. 1.00 WorldWatch. 2.00 The Royals: A History Of Scandals. (PG, R) 3.00 Going Places. (PGa, R) 3.30 The Cook Up. (R) 4.05 Jeopardy! 4.30 Letters And Numbers. (R) 5.00 Cycling. Tour de France Femmes. H’lights.
6.30 Hard Quiz. (PG, R)
7.00 ABC News.
7.30 7.30.
8.00 Back Roads: Coonamble, NSW. (PG)
8.30 Grand Designs: Wirral Revisit. Kevin McCloud revisits a project from 2015.
Treasure & Dirt. (Mal, R)
ABC Late News.
The Business. (R) 10.50 Frankie Drake Mysteries. (PG, R) 11.35 Long Lost Family. 12.25 Rage. (MA15+adhlnsv)
2.45 Gardening Australia. (R)
3.40 Love Your Garden. (R)
4.30 Antiques Roadshow. (R)
5.30 7.30. (R)
6am Children’s Programs. 3.25pm Wiggle. 4.05 Andy’s Aquatic Adventures. 4.20 Santiago Of The Seas. 5.30 Talking Tom Heroes. 5.55 PJ Masks Power Heroes. 6.45 HexVets And Magic Pets. 7.05 Batwheels. 7.40 Ninjago. 8.05 Young Sheldon. 8.30 Young Sheldon. 8.50 Secrets Of The Zoo. 9.30 Teenage Boss: Next Level. 10.00 Late Programs.
6am Morning Programs. 12.55pm Over The Black Dot. 1.25 Inside The Huddle. 2.00 Strait To The Plate. 2.30 The Cook Up. 3.00 Jarjums. 4.35 Dreaming Big. 5.00 Harlem Globetrotters. 5.30 Te Ao With Moana. 6.00 Bamay. 6.40 Waterworld Africa. 7.30 Going Places. 8.30 Frame By Frame. (Final) 9.40
6.00 Mastermind Australia. (R) 6.30 SBS World News. 7.35 Spain With Michael Portillo. (PG) 8.30 Eva Longoria: Searching For France. (PGav) 9.20 Say Nothing. 10.10 SBS World News Late. 10.40 Guillaume’s Paris. (R) 11.45 Cycling. Tour de France Femmes. Stage 6. Montbrison to Tournon-sur-Rhône. 153.4km hilly stage. From France. 2.15 While The Men Are Away. (Mdsv, R) 3.15 Before We Die. (Mal, R) 4.10 Bamay. (R) 5.00 NHK World English News Morning. 5.30 WorldWatch.
6am Morning Programs. 1.35pm Sports Gone Wrong. 2.00 Cycling. Tour de France Femmes. H’lights. 3.00 Cycling. Tour de France Femmes. H’lights. 4.05 WorldWatch. 6.10 Mysteries From Above. 7.05 Jeopardy! 7.35 8 Out Of 10 Cats. 8.30 History’s Greatest Mysteries. 9.20 The UnBelievable. 10.10 Alone Australia. 11.20 The Americans. 12.15am Late Programs.
6am Morning Programs. 1.10pm What We Did On Our Holiday. (2014, PGa) 3.00 Time Bandits. (1981, PGahv) 5.10 Fried Green Tomatoes. (1991, PGalsvw) 7.35 My Sailor, My Love. (2022, PGa) 9.30 Roman Holiday. (1953, PGalv) 11.40 The Way Back. (2010, Mal) 2.15am The Beautiful Summer. (2023, MA15+ns, French, Italian) 4.15 How To Get Ahead In Advertising. (1989)
6.00 Sunrise. 9.00 The Morning Show. (PG) 12.00 Seven’s National News At Noon. 1.00 Beat The Chasers UK. (R) 2.00 Bridge Of Lies. (R) 3.00 The Chase. (R) 4.00 Seven News At 4. 5.00 The Chase Australia.
6.00 Seven News.
7.00 Football. AFL. Round 22. Western Bulldogs v North Melbourne. From Marvel Stadium, Melbourne.
10.30 AFL Post-Game Show. Post-game discussion and interviews taking a look back at all the action from the match.
11.00 Kick Ons. A preview of the upcoming AFL matches.
11.30 Australia’s Most Dangerous Prisoners. (MA15+alv, R) Explores life behind bars.
12.30 Mr Robot. (MA15+adlsv, R) A hacker is recruited by a anarchist.
2.00 Home Shopping. (R)
4.00 NBC Today.
5.00 Sunrise Early News.
5.30 Sunrise.
6am Morning Programs. Noon Better Homes. 1.00 Escape To The Country. 2.00 South Aussie With Cosi. 2.30 Air Crash Inv: Accident Files. 3.30 Harry’s Practice. 4.00 Better Homes. 5.00 Escape To The Country. 6.00 Bargain Hunt. 7.00 Home And Away. 7.30 Father Brown. 8.30 Karen Pirie. 10.30 Genius: Einstein. 11.30 Father Brown. 12.30am Bargain Hunt. 1.30 Late Programs.
6am Morning Programs. 2pm Highway Patrol. 2.30 The Force: BTL. 3.30 Duck Dynasty. 4.30 American Resto. 5.00 Storage Wars. 5.30 American Pickers. 6.30 Pawn Stars. 7.30 Highway Patrol Special. 8.30 Air Crash Inv. 9.30 Ron Iddles: The Good Cop. 10.30 MOVIE: Resident Evil: Apocalypse. (2004, M) 12.30am Storage Wars. 1.00 American Resto. 1.30 Late Programs.
7.30 RBT. (Ml, R) A look at police random breath test patrols.
8.30 Emergency. (Mm, R) Dr Tinnie Chang’s patient has severe injuries.
9.30 A+E After Dark. (Mlm, R) A diabetic patient vomits violently.
10.30 Chicago Med. (MA15+am)
11.20 9News Late.
11.50 Tipping Point. (PG, R)
12.40 Pointless. (PG, R)
1.30 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R)
2.30 Global Shop. (R)
3.00 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R)
4.00 Skippy The Bush Kangaroo. (R)
4.30 A Current Affair. (R)
5.00 Today Early News.
5.30 Today.
6am Morning Programs. Noon As Time Goes By. 1.00 Midsomer Murders. 3.00 Antiques Roadshow. 3.30 MOVIE: Carry On Cowboy. (1965, PG) 5.30 The Travelling Auctioneers. 6.30 Antiques Roadshow. 7.30 Rugby League. NRL. Titans v North Qld Cowboys. 9.55 NRL Thursday Night Footy Post-Match. 10.40 The Brokenwood Mysteries. 12.40am Late Programs.
6am Morning Programs. 11.35 Jeopardy! Australia. 12.35pm Cards And Collectables Australia. 1.05 The Summit. 2.30 Baywatch. 3.30 Seinfeld. 4.30 Addams Family. 5.30 Bewitched. 6.30 Baywatch. 7.30 Seinfeld. 8.30 TBA. 11.00 Seinfeld. Midnight Rugby Heaven. 12.50 Legacies. 1.40 Below Deck. 2.30 The Summit. 4.00 Barbie: A Touch Of Magic. 4.30 Late Programs.
6.00 10 News+. Hosted by Denham Hitchcock and Amelia Brace.
6.30 Deal Or No Deal. (PG, R) Hosted by Grant Denyer. 7.00 Millionaire Hot Seat. (PG) Hosted by Rebecca Gibney.
7.30 NCIS: Sydney. (Ma) A US Navy pilot goes missing at a UFO hotspot.
Potholes explained
By Cr Stretch Kontelj
Roads and potholes are among the most commonissuesresidentsraisewithcouncil, andunderstandablyso.
Hitting a pothole is frustrating, and everyone wants to know when it will be fixed.
City of Greater Geelong manages more than 2300km of local roads, and keeping that network safe and serviceable is a significanttask.
In 2025, council repaired more than 8600 potholes across the municipality.
On average, our crews repair about 7700 potholes every year. That’s roughly 640 a month.
While potholes can develop at any time, we tend to see more during winter and springwhenincreasedrainwaterpenetrates cracksinroadsurfaces.
As traffic travels over these weakened areas,thesurfacecanbreakawayandform apothole.
One question we are often asked is why some potholes seem to remain unrepaired forlongerthanothers.
The answer is that repairs are prioritised accordingtosafetyrisk.
Most repairs are completed within approximately nine days of being reported or identified, with higher-risk defects and thoseonbusierroadsprioritisedfirst.
Factors such as the size and severity of the defect, traffic volume and the potential risk to motorists, cyclists and pedestrians all help determine how urgently a repair is required.
Many people assume council only learns aboutpotholeswhenresidentsreportthem.
While community reports are incredibly valuable,they’rejustonepartofthepicture.
Our teams undertake scheduled road inspections throughout the year, and field crews regularly identify defects while carryingoutothermaintenanceactivities.
These proactive checks help us find and address issues across the network before theybecomelargerproblems.
That said, resident reports remain one of the most effective ways for us to identify newhazardsquickly.
If you spot a pothole or another road defect, I encourage you to be our eyes and
earsandreportitdirectlytocouncilthrough ourwebsite,customerserviceteamon5272 5272ortheCityofGreaterGeelongapp. Reporting through council channels ensures the request reaches the right team as quickly as possible for assessment and action.
Another common source of confusion is whomanageswhichroad.
While council maintains local roads throughout Greater Geelong, arterial roads are the responsibility of the Victorian government through the Department of Transport and Planning (DTP). Council is not authorised to undertake maintenance onDTP-managedroads.
Ifyou’reunsurewhomanagesaparticular road, visit our ‘Roads and responsible authorities’ webpage at geelong.link/ RoadAuthorities. The webpage also has a linktoaninteractivemapofDTProads.
ToreportaroadhazardonDTP-managed road, phone 131170. However, if you’re still in doubt, report the issue to us and we’ll help direct it to the appropriate authority if required.
Maintaining safe roads is a shared effort. Whether a pothole is identified during one ofourinspectionsorreportedbyaresident, every notification helps us keep our road networkfunctioningsmoothlyandsafely. If you see a pothole, please let us know. Together, we can help ensure roads across Greater Geelong remain safe for everyone whousesthem.
Geelong beekeepers lead the way
For many people, bees are simply part of the garden, but a tiny parasite, the Varroa mite(Varroadestructor),isnowoneofthe greatest threats ever faced by Australian beekeeping.
After spreading across much of eastern Australia, Varroa has now been detected in the Greater Geelong region, including Aireys Inlet, Anglesea, Torquay, Inverleigh and Bannockburn.
While its arrival was inevitable, winter has provided local beekeepers with a valuable opportunity to prepare before spring brings rapid bee and mite population growth.
Varroa attacks honey bees and, if left unmanaged, can destroy entire colonies. Overseas, most feral bee populations have collapsed within a few years of the mite becoming established, meaning many wild colonies around Geelong could soon disappear.
The good news is that beekeepers can protect their hives. Regular inspections, alcohol washes, sticky mats and integrated pest management all play an important role in keeping colonies healthy and productive.
Geelong Beekeepers Club is helping lead the local response through education, guest speakers, training and practical support. Members include hobbyists, commercial beekeepers and former apiary officers who are sharing their expertise to help local beekeepers adapt.
If you keep bees, now is the time to act. Learn how to monitor for Varroa, understand your treatment options and connect with other beekeepers.
Geelong Beekeepers Club meets on the thirdFridayofeachmonthattheGeelong Masonic Hall in Belmont.
For more information visit gbkc.au or the Victorian Varroa surveillance map at bees.agriculture.vic.gov.au
BUSINESS IN F CUS
Geelong Beekeepers Club meets in Belmont on the third Friday of the month. (Jurg Schutz)
City of Greater Geelong mayor Stretch Kontelj.
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 Geelong Independent Community Calendar, 1/47 Pakington Street, Geelong West, 3218, or email to editorial@geelongindependent.com.au. Deadline for copy and announcements is 5pm Tuesday. Due to the ever increasing entries coming in each week for our Community Calendar page, we have enough to fill almost three pages. This means your entry will not appear each week. We will do our best to rotate them fairly. If you have an existing entry that no longer operates, please let us know so we can remove it. Your patience and understanding is welcome for this FREE service. The calendar in its entirety with every entry is posted every Saturday at 9am at geelongindy.com.au
Book fair
Thousands of second-hand books. Rotary Club of Geelong West, Geelong West Town Hall, 31 July to 2 August. Adult books $2, children’s $1.
Ballroom dance
Leopold Hall, 805-809 Bellarine Highway, Saturday 1 August, 7.30-10.30pm, $10 includes supper. Music: Ben. Sunday 2 August, 2-4.30pm, $5. Music: Kevin. Bring small plate to share. 0400 500 402
Mainly Music
Music and fun for preschoolers during term time at the Welcome Centre, St Mark’s, Vicarage Road, Leopold, Thursdays at 9.15-11am. $5 per family per week. Text: 0461 582 618 for bookings
Geelong Patchwork & Quilter’s Guild
Meets third Saturday of each month 10.30am-3.30pm, Newcomb Hall, Wilsons Road. Visitors welcome. $6 includes time to sit and sew, morning tea and guest speaker. info@geelongpatch.org.au
Dragons Abreast Geelong
Dragon boating for breast cancer survivors, Saturdays 12.30pm, Geelong Canoe Club, Marnock Road, Highton. Free come and try. Traci, 0417 301 226, Facebook Dragons Abreast Geelong - Juggernauts
Lara Lions Club
Mondays for club meeting and dinner. Michael, 0430 022 446, membershiplaralions@gmail.com
Rostrum
Builds confident public speakers, each Monday evening. Andrew, 0408 369 446, Jan, 0407 296 958
Geelong Scout Heritage Centre Scouting memorabilia, open third Sunday of the month (not September or January), 56 Russell Street, Newtown, 10am-3pm, entry by donation. Groups by appointment. 0419 591 432, geelong.heritage@scoutsvictoria.com.au
PlayLinks
Music and art playgroup where babies, toddlers and preschoolers learn together with their parent/carer. Wednesdays St Thomas Aquinas Primary School, Norlane. Free if living in 3214 postcode, bookings essential. info@bluebirdfoundationinc.org.au
Grovedale East Ladies Probus Fourth Monday of each month, 9.30am, Belmont RSL. Sally Nelson, 0402 450 610
Waurn Ponds Combined Probus Fourth Wednesday of the month, 10am. Maximum 100 members. probussouthpacific.org/microsites/waurn Lions Club of Geelong
Meets 1st & 3rd Monday of each month. Contact below for venues and times. geelong.vic@lions.org.au, 0408 599 962
Geelong Harmony Chorus Women’s four-part harmony singing. All ages encouraged. Rehearsals Mondays 6.45pm at Herne Hill. contact@geelongharmony.com.au, 0406 666 737
Geelong Welsh Ladies Choir
Small ladies choir who require no knowledge of the Welsh language. Meet Wednesdays 7pm at St Luke’s, Highton to
Talk
Cherished Pets’ Dr Alicia Kennedy (pictured) speaks about her recent overseas study tour for improving the lives of people and their pets. Portarlington Senior Citizens Club, Monday 10 August, 1-3pm. RSVP stayinginportarlington@gmail.com 0409 790 050
help each other sing in Welsh and English. 0413 406 433, welshladieschoir.com.au
Hot Shots
Western Heights Uniting Tennis Club coaching for ages 5 to 12. Equipment provided. Three sessions from 4-5.30pm at WHUTC and at Bell Post Hill tennis courts. Evie, 0409 433 772, evieryan296@gmail.com
Chess clubs
Ocean Grove, Tuesdays at 1.30pm at 101 The Terrace, Ocean Grove; Portarlington, Mondays at 9.30am, Parks Hall, 87 Newcombe Street, Portarlington; and St Leonards, Thursdays at 9.30am, unit 2 1375-1377 Murradoc Road (on Blanche Street), St Leonards. Ralph, 0431 458 100 (Ocean Grove), Rob, 5259 2290 (Portarlington), Lyn, 5292 2162 (St Leonards)
Dancer’s Club Geelong
Ballroom dance weekly, Leopold Hall
7.30-10.30pm. Admission $8 includes supper. Old time, New Vogue and Latin. CDs by Kevin and Tre. Russ, 5250 1937
Life Activities Club [Geelong Inc]
Arvo tea dance every Thursday, Belmont Pavilion, 2-4pm, $5 entry. Val, 5251 3529
Belmont Combined Probus
First Monday of the month, 10am, Belmont Bowls Club, 36 Reynolds Road, Belmont. New members and visitors welcome. Sue, 0409 945 011, probusclubofbelmont@outlook.com
Barwon Valley Belmont Probus
First Thursday of month, 10.30am, Waurn Ponds Hotel. Membership officer, 0407 333 263, bobstafford@ozemail.com.au
Lectures
Join Adfas Geelong Inc. for illustrated lectures by art historian Matthew Martin, formerly curator of the National Gallery of Victoria.
Sports Badminton: Corio Leisuretime Centre, Mondays 12.30-2.30pm. Beginners welcome.
Walking-netball also played. Umpire training available.
Maureen, 0429 397 015
Live music
Country Heartbeat Allstars every Friday 7-10pm, White Eagle House Polish Club, Fellmongers Road Breakwater. Walkups welcome. Proceeds to Sunny Days Rescue & Rehab.
Dawn, 0417 148 493
Bellarine Historical Society Entry by donation. Open to the public. Discover the area’s past. Open Sundays, 10.30am-12.30pm, closed August. Courthouse Museum, 11 High Street, Drysdale. bellarinehistory.org
Arts National-Geelong One hour arts lectures and presentation, Newcomb Hall, Wednesdays monthly, 10.15am.
Sharron, 0439 328199, geelong@adfas.org.au
Geelong Vietnam Veterans Coffee and chat, 31 Mt Pleasant Road, Belmont, Monday, Wednesday & Friday 10am-3pm. Fortnightly lunch at various locations. Meetings second Monday of each month.
Gary, 0400 862 727
GROW Australia
Community organisation offering practical steps and peer support to help recover and maintain mental health through free face to face and online groups. Mondays 7pm, 195 Ormond Road, East Geelong; Fridays 12.45pm, Vines Road Community Centre, Hamlyn Heights. grow.org.au, 1800 558 268
Fourth Friday of each month at Portarlington Golf Club for lunch. Margaret, 0431 636 090
Table tennis
All seniors welcome for a social game. Vines Road Community Centre, Hamlyn Heights, Wednesdays 12.30-2.30pm. Allen, 0433 883 116
Leopold VIEW
Second Tuesday of each month, Leopold Sportsmans Club, 10.30am. leopold.viewclub@gmail com
Writers’ group
The Hub writers’ group meets at Arts Hub, Clifford Parade, Barwon Heads, first Sunday of the month, 2-4pm. New members welcome. dorothy.johnston@hugonet.com.au
Geelong Evening VIEW
Third Monday of the month, 6pm, Waurn Ponds Hotel. geelongeveningview@gmail.com
Laughter Club Geelong Saturdays, 9am, Eastern Beach in front of the swimming enclosure. 30-minutes free laughter yoga done standing or seated. 0418 521 265
Lions Club International Enjoy meeting great people and help out your community at the same time. Clubs
all over greater Geelong - see which one is right for you. Les, 0428 466 446
Combined Probus Belmont Central The Combined Probus Club of Belmont Central meets 10.30am on the second Wednesday of each month at Waurn Ponds Hotel. Visitors welcome.
Publicity officer, 0417 555 547
Grovedale Marshall Probus
Second Thursday of the month,10am, The Grovedale Hub, 45 Heyers Road, Grovedale. Anne, 0425 356 973
Chess Group
Chess lessons at Geelong West. Suitable for beginners who have a reasonably firm understanding of the game rules. Kids and adults welcome. Isaac, isaacsmith5603@gmail.com, 0406 199 457
Geelong Day VIEW
First Monday monthly from 11am at Shell Club, 76 Purnell Road, Corio. geelongdayview@gmail.com
Ocean Grove Senior Citizens 101 The Terrace, Ocean Grove Weekly
Tuesday: 1pm snooker, chess, indoor bowls Wednesday: bingo 1.15pm, ukulele class 1.30pm, Chord Club jam session 4pm Thursday: social afternoon, cards 500 1pm Friday: art classes 9am, social art group 1pm.
Meets second Tuesday of the month at 6.30pm in Leopold. Very friendly group, new members welcome. Shirley, 0488 055 969
Church
Aberdeen Street Baptist Church, each Sunday 10am to worship, sing and enjoy traditional hymns followed by morning tea. All welcome.
Hamlyn Heights Combined Probus Meets second Thursday of the month, 10am, 200 McCurdy Road, Fyansford. Noel, 0425 706 339
Esoteric coffee meetups
For mature 18+ interested in the supernatural/occult paranormal experiences tarot cards, Anton La Vey, NDE, for fortnightly/coffee and chat catch-ups in northern Geelong/Geelong area. Bookings limited.
Text name/details, 0400 542 522
Geelong Central Probus
Third Friday of the month, 9.45am, Grovedale Hotel. geelcentprob@gmail.com
Newcomb Probus Third Wednesday of each month, 10am, East Geelong Uniting Church, corner Boundary & Ormond Roads. Gary, 0407 320 735
Music for preschoolers
Mainly Music is a music and movement program for babies to preschoolers at St Albans-St Andrews Uniting Church, 276 Wilsons Road, Whittington, Tuesdays 10am during school terms. Rhonda, 0437 241 345
Out and about in the city
Independent photographer Ivan Kemp ventured to Little Malop Street in the Geelong CBD on Tuesday 28 July to see who was out and about.
Danielle Woodhouse with Chilli. 568239
Jessica Loftus and Shayla Gili.
Sanna Meer.
Sarah Heard and Alex Wright.
Rosa Mujati and Stella Benson.
Shaoni Cai and Sheryll Robinson.
Yasin Khawari and Amir Ahmadi.Cait Burgoyne and Trude Ellingsen.
Sarah McLarty with her daughter Esther.
Jaimie Douglas and daughter Polly.
Anna Debenham and Melissa Hellard.
Andrea Cross, Tazmin Kip and Lana de Lorenzi.
PUZZLES
1 Drench (4) 3 Whatever the risks may be (2,3,5) 10 Dabbler (7)
Worry (7) 12 Aesthetically pleasing (8)
Inexpensive (5) 14 Writer of verse (4) 15 Optical instrument (10) 18 US motorway system (10) 20 Domestic animals (4) 21 Educate (5) 23 Speed (8) 26 Permitted (7) 27 Word made from the letters of another (7) 28 Cut off from the sea (10)
reprisals (9)
17 Removed from power (9)
19 Act of refreshing (7)
22 UK singer Lily – (5)
23 Early form of Sanskrit (5)
24 Cousin of the oyster (4)
25 Self-satisfied (4)
Using the nine letters in the grid, how many words of four letters or more can you list? The centre letter must be included and each letter may only be used once. No colloquial or foreign words. No capitalised nouns, apostrophes or plural nouns ending in 's'.
Today’s Aim:
12 words: Good 18 words: Very good 24 words: Excellent
G R R I N O W O
3 LETTERS
1 A person with the condition anodontia was born without what body part? 2 What liquid is typically used inside disposable lighters?
3 What is the name of Spotify’s personalised end-of-year listening summary?
4 Which Muse of Greek myth shares their name with a rural town in
are
6 Name the capital city of Andorra.
7 To whom does Hamlet deliver his ‘Alas, poor Yorick’ speech?
8 What was the first name of the Austrian composer Haydn?
9 Australian musician James Keogh (pictured) performs under what name?
10 What does PVC stand for?
Hyundai’s first build in China
By Chris Riley, Marque Motoring
Koreans don’t get to drive the Hyundai Elexio.
TheygettheKiaequivalentinstead–the EV5.
Built in China, it’s the first Hyundai to be manufactured outside of South Korea, no doubt in an endeavour to reduce costs and make the car more competitive.
Elexio sits between the Kona Electric and Ioniq 5 in terms of size, but is quite different in design, with a tall boxy body. It’s a made-up name, created especially for the five-seat EV and means nothing in particular–infactithasbeenrenamedEo for the Chinese market.
Styling
The styling brings to mind the third generation Kia Soul, particularly those Z-shaped rear pillars and tailgate.
Theeye-catchingheadlightsincorporate eight crystal cubes, supposedly a nod to the lucky number 8 in Chinese culture.
There’s just the one grade so far, the front-wheel drive Elite priced from $59,990 driveaway.
A range-opening, entry grade is expected to be added before the end of the second quarter – that’s car-speak for a cheaper one.
Elexio, we’re told, is a family-focused, perfectly sized EV that is packed with smart features, showcasing a futuristic style inside and out with a sleek, minimalist layout.
Generous interior space combines with intuitive convenience and driver assistance technology to provide a practical and desirable all-electric SUV.
“As the first vehicle exported from our Beijing Hyundai joint venture, it demonstrates how we are leveraging our global manufacturing capabilities to deliver exceptional value to customers,” Hyundai chief executive José Muñoz said. That may be so, but the size and placement of the large infotainment screen is confronting.
The long, skinny 27-inch screen stretchesfromthecentreofthedashaway fromthedriver,terminatinginfrontofthe passenger.
How this can be described as ‘practical’ is eminently debatable. It does, however, facilitate the operation of several arcade-style games that can consume the entire screen when opened.
That said they can be played only when the car is stationary and presumably in Park.
After a few minutes the kids quickly lost interest.
The bone-coloured upholstery in our test vehicle is not what we’d call family friendly either.
Sitting at the base of the windscreen, a new-generation, projector-based head-up display replaces a conventional instrument cluster.
With a 30,000:1 high contrast ratio, readability should be exceptional in any lighting conditions.
But like the head-up displays of other manufacturersitisalmosttotallyinvisible toanyonewhowearspolarisedsunglasses. When are they going to recognise and addressthisissue(oristheproblemthatit cannot be fixed)?
Elite features the usual assortment of features, including dual-zone climate air, partial leather trim, power-adjust driver and passenger front seats that are both heated and cooled, plus a heated leather steering wheel.
There’s also automatic parking using the smart key, auto high beam, LED lights front and rear, adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition, auto lights and wipers, auto dimming rear-view mirror,
front, side and rear parking sensors and a power operated tailgate – but oddly no sign of a sunroof.
Elexio is covered by a seven-year/ unlimited kilometre warranty, with eightyear/160,000kmcoverforthehigh-voltage battery.
Infotainment
Elexio introduces Connect-C based on the full Android Automotive Operating System.
Infotainment consists of the aforementioned 27-inch 4K screen, togetherwithBluetooth,voicerecognition, navigation, AM/FM and DAB+ digital radio, wired and wireless CarPlay and Android Auto.
Surprisingly,however,audioissupplied by an unbranded six-speaker sound system.
There are also two wireless charging pads and five USB-C ports (three in front), Bluelink connected car services with five-year complimentary access, plus over-the-air updates.
A Smart Scene system underpins convenience and comfort with rapid heating/cooling, camping, carwash and baby rest modes.
A 240 volt three-pin power outlet is located in the luggage area for powering external equipment.
Safety
Elexio has been awarded a full five stars for crash safety by the ANCAP organisation, based on testing of the closely-related Kia EV5.
There’s a total of nine airbags, with rear side thorax airbags and a centre airbag that gives added protection to front seat occupants in side impact crashes.
A comprehensive suite of Advanced DriverAssistanceSystems(ADAS)includes second-generation Collision-avoidance Assist 2, Highway Driving Assist 2 and Lane Following Assist 2 technologies.
There’s also Autonomous emergency braking (Car-to-Car, Vulnerable Road User and Junction and Crossing, and Backover)aswellasalanesupportsystem with lane keep assist, lane departure warning and emergency lane keeping, blind-spot collision avoidance-assist, and an advanced speed assistance system with a speed sign recognition.
Powertrain
Elexio is powered by a single electric motor with 160kW of power and 310Nm of torque, with drive to the front wheels via
a single-speed reduction gear transmission (the electrical equivalent of a CVT).
Driving
Built on Hyundai’s dedicated 400-volt E-GMP platform, the five-seat, front-wheel drive EV tips the scales at a hefty 2105kg.
It measures 4615mm long, 1875mm wide and stands 1673mm high, with a 2750mm wheelbase.
RATINGS
Looks: 7
Performance: 7
Safety: 8
Thirst: 7.5
Practicality: 8
Comfort: 7
Tech: 7.5
Value: 7
Overall: 7.4
Luggage capacity is 506 litres, expanding to 1540 litres with the rear seats folded.
A tyre repair kit is provided in the event of a puncture.
Build quality is first rate, but the ambience feels overly functional and utilitarian.
Running your hands over the cabin surfaces reveals some hard plastics, but thanks to clever design – nothing is directly in line of sight.
Although the lower console area provides plenty of storage for loose items, two cupholders and two phone chargers dominate the upper area, leaving little space for much at all.
This is Hyundai’s first BEV to use lithium iron phosphate (LFP) rather than Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide (NMC) technology, with a largish 88.1 kWh battery pack.
With energy consumption cited at 18.2 kWh per 100km, range for the Elite grade with 20-inch wheels is a claimed 546km.
A heat pump reduces the amount of energy required by the air conditioning, helping to extend the range.
Charging at a rate of up to 150kW using aDCfastchargertakes38minutesfrom10 to 80 percent (that’s 70 percent or 382km).
AC charging at a rate of up to 11kW with three-phase wall charger takes 10 hours from zero to 100 percent (15 hours with standard single phase).
Like other Hyundais, the ride and handling have been tuned for Australian road conditions.
This one rides on 20-inch wheels, with 255/45 profile Kumho Ecsta rubber, sacrificing 16km of range.
Therideisonthefirmside,butinfinitely preferable to some of the soggy fortune cookies we get to drive.
Eco, Normal, Snow and Sport drive modes are provided, along with paddles to modulate the effects of regenerative braking.
While the Elexio goes well, it lacks the
excitement that we have come to associate with EVs, especially acceleratingawayfromthelights. At the same time, it is targeted at families, so this is understandable.
The screen features a rearranged version of the panels found in other Hyundai models. Instead of climate control, a small 5.0-inch section is devoted to driver information and is located within easy sight at the end closest to the driver.
A 12.3-inch middle section is occupied by Android Auto when it is active while another 12.3-inch section furthest from the driver handles the entertainment – at least that’s the way it looks.
Just about everything is controlled fromthescreen,whichcanbechallenging when you’re in a hurry or simply on the move.
It supports hidden voice-activated tools like horoscopes, calculator, unit converter, currency exchange, date/time in other cities, and flight status checks.
UsingwhatisknownasNFCtechnology, the car can be opened and started using a mobile phone, in the same way that one can pay for things with a phone.
There’s no tailgate release in the cabin, but you can ask Google to ‘open tailgate’ –but not close it.
The sound system, though unbranded as noted previously, delivers quite good sound.
In a minor glitch, the tyre pressure monitoring system reported there was a problem with one of the tyres the entire time we had the car.
But the system showed all tyres with a pressure of 34 psi and a visual inspection revealed none of the tyres appeared to be low.
Rated at 18.2 kWh, we clocked up between 14.9 and 16.7 kWh/100km over the course of the week and almost 300km of mixed driving, with the trip computer showing a long-term average of 18.2kWh/100km after more than 2600km.
Summing up
Not sure what it is about the Hyundai Elexio, but we didn’t warm to this model.
The ice cube headlights are pretty cool and the car is certainly practical enough, even for an EV.
Performance is middle of the road but that’s okay for a family-focused wagon, it just lacks some character – some Soul perhaps.
Hyundai Elexio is practical enough, even for an EV, but performance is middle of the road. (Pictures: Supplied)
Around the grounds
Results, goal kickers and best players from Geelong, Geelong & District, and Bellarine Football League matches played on Saturday 25 July.
GEELONG
Colac3.4(22),7.4(46),11.7(73),13.7(85)
Leopold1.3(9),6.6(42),7.9(51),9.10(64)
Goals: Colac-L.Hillman5,T.Buchanan2, K. Spokes 2, J. Simpkin, J. Fish, L. Gorwell, C. Seuren. Leopold - H. Morphet 2, D. Brislane 2, M. Burgess, M. Williams, N. Ash,
Best:Colac-J.Skinner,J.Walters,K.Spokes, L. Hillman, Z. Zdybel, J. McCormack. Leopold - K. Bumpstead, M. Thompson, A. Enever, W. Sheahan, C. Alexander, N. Ash. St Mary’s 1.5(11), 7.7(49), 8.12(60), 12.18(90) BellPark3.2(20),3.3(21),6.5(41),6.10(46)
Goals: St Mary’s - P. Dowling 3, J. Garner 2, L. Peck 2, B. Ham, J. Travaglini, H. Cook, O. Flynn, J. Willson. Bell Park - M. Mahady 2, L. Stefanovski, F. Hoey, O. Bridgewater, T. Pidgeon.
Best: StMary’s-J.Garner,L.Peck,B.Ham, H. Segrave, F. Hughes, J. Sanders. Bell Park - I. Wareham, J. Bermingham, T. Pidgeon, Z. Lamb, M. Jones, S. Bensted.
Goals: Newtown & Chilwell - T. McMillan 6, J. Modola 5, C. Fopiani 5, H. Codd 5, M. Dodos 4, A. Wojcinski 2, N. Caracella 2, L. Nash 2, A. Souflas, B. Sutterby, N. Harris. North Shore - H. Purcell 2, J. Sammut-Miljevic, L. Hayes, C. Johns.
Best: Newtown & Chilwell - T. McMillan, A. Souflas, B. Sutterby, C. Byrne, H. Codd. North Shore - N. Mitzithras, J. Purcell, D. Gudasic, L. House, C. Johns, J. Sammut-Miljevic.
St Albans 3.2(20), 9.6(60), 11.8(74), 15.9(99)
Geelong West Giants 1.0(6), 3.0(18), 3.3(21),5.4(34)
Goals: St Albans - T. Higgins 6, B. Brogden 2, J. Russell 2, F. Keck, J. Stephenson, M. McKenzie, H. Cockerell. Geelong West Giants - M. Moorse, A. Stelma, N. Duyker, D. Cole, L. Wittman. Best: St Albans - J. Russell, H. Dickson, T. Higgins, B. McDonald, E. Mantas, B. Hodgson.GeelongWestGiants-A.Stelma, T.Handley,E.Rowe,R.Meddings,M.Kelly, X. Shaw.
South Barwon 2.3(15), 6.6(42), 10.8(68), 12.14(86)
St Joseph’s 3.0(18), 6.0(36), 8.2(50), 11.5(71)
Goals: South Barwon - Z. Stevens 4, A. Boseley 3, L. Noble 2, T. White, O. Pollock, G. Richardson. St Joseph’s - M. Chafer 3, J. Jovanovic 3, J. Gow 2, A. Chamberlain, P. De Grandi, L. Kershaw.
Best: South Barwon - B. Kellett, Z. Stevens, T. Bartlett, L. Noble, F. Fort, M. Mawson. St Joseph’s - L. Kershaw, M. Chafer, C. Mitchell, J. Gow, A. Humphrey, E. McCoy.
Goals: Barwon Heads - M. Jensen 5, J. Whybrow 4, C. Ward 3, D. Graham 2, L. Davis, D. McMahon. Anglesea - W. Batson 3, N. McGregor-Dawson 2, J. Hogan 2, A. Gras, J. Carr, L. Smith, J. Walters, H. Ling, J. King, D. Everett.
Best: Barwon Heads - H. Hyland, L. Blacket, J. Whybrow, C. Donohue, M. Jensen, K. Hinchcliffe. Anglesea - N. McGregor-Dawson, J. Fulton, J. Hogan, H. Ling, W. Batson, S. Leeds.
Damien Hewson congratulates Indi Parish after the sealer for Winchelsea against East Geelong. (Ivan Kemp) 567567_29
Goals: Drysdale - O. Castro 6, M. McGuire 5, D. Foley 2, B. Fennell 2, J. Watson 2, J. Robbins, J. Hargreaves, F. Chirgwin, J. Jenkins. Ocean Grove - L. Waldron 3, J. Paterson 3, W. Cunningham, J. Thomson, N. Down, H. Cashin, J. Lange, J. Kneebone. Best: Drysdale - L. Dalgleish, M. McGuire, B.Fennell,J.Jenkins,O.Castro,M.Lindsey. OceanGrove-H.Cashin,J.Lange,L.Joyce, H. Walsh, R. Bongart, J. Kneebone.
Queenscliff 0.4(4), 2.11(23), 7.13(55), 11.17(93)
GeelongAmateur3.4(22),7.4(46),8.4(52), 8.6(54)
Goals: Queenscliff - I. Grant 2, K. Keenan 2, J. McHenry 2, J. Monahan 2, S. Bowtell, J. Rush, J. Cincotta. Geelong AmateurJ. Sheahan 2, S. Lloyd 2, R. Mattner, B. Barnett, M. Day, H. Kershaw. Best: Queenscliff - C. Whitley, N. Rippon, S. Kalbfell, H. Gower, B. Jones, L. Kidd. Geelong Amateur - M. Day, B. Barnett, H. Goddard, T. Gribble, J. Hickey, H. Orr.
Goals: Newcomb - T. Webster 5, J. Duke 3, B. Ritchie 3, D. Johnstone 2, C. Harvey, J. Watson, J. Smith. Modewarre - C. Farrell 2, T. Worpel 2, T. Hornsey, O. Butler.
Best: Newcomb - L. Wagener, M. Andrews, D. Johnstone, C. Ogle, F. Anscombe, R. Hollins.Modewarre-C.Farrell,M.Fenton, O. Hocking, J. Hutley.
Goals: Torquay - L. Cook 6, J. Wylie 4, S. Ham 2, T. Smith 2, J. Dawson 2, W. Montebello, M. Boag. Portarlington - M. Turnbull 4, H. Eddy 2, S. Greenhough, S. Scott, L. Hart, M. Herlihy.
Best: Torquay - T. Smith, B. McNamara, M. Boag, L. Cook, H. McGowan, J. Darke.
Portarlington - M. Ruiter, M. Herlihy, P. Eastman, T. Miles, M. Turnbull, N. Lane.
GEELONG&DISTRICT
Winchelsea 4.5(29), 5.5(35), 8.8(56), 10.11(71)
East Geelong 0.1(1), 6.3(39), 7.5(47), 9.6(60)
Goals: Winchelsea - C. Primmer 3, F. Parish 2, J. Gould 2, S. Adams, I. Parish, R. Williams. East Geelong - C. Ezard 4, J. Doyle 2, S. Purdy, W. Hough, G. Munari. Best: Winchelsea - J. Huff, F. Parish, R. Williams, A. Walsh, R. Baulch, I. Parish. East Geelong - J. Payne, B. Payne, J. McIntyre,C.Ezard,A.Mulvahil,J.McLean. Corio 6.2(38), 7.7(49), 14.12(96), 22.14(146)
Geelong West Giants 0.4(4), 4.6(30), 6.7(43),8.9(57)
Goals: Corio - H. Burns 7, M. Jelenic 3, D. Waldron2,J.Blackney2,H.Carr,C.Gibson, T. McMahon, C. Shoebridge, A. Taylor, M. Harrison, J. Evans, D. Cefai. Geelong West Giants - S. Goddard 4, B. Greaves 2, D. Pollard, B. Mitchell.
Best: Corio - M. Jelenic, H. Burns, D. Waldron, D. Cefai, C. Gibson, J. Blackney. GeelongWestGiants-J.Jans,B.Greaves,S. Goddard, B. Black, M. Leamer, Z. Rowarth.
Bell Post Hill 3.3(21), 3.6(24), 5.10(40), 9.14(68)
Bannockburn 1.2(8), 4.5(29), 6.7(43), 8.10(58)
Goals: Bell Post Hill - N. Costello 4, D. Godwin,D.Handley,T.Barton,J.Saunders, E. Coffey. Bannockburn - F. Wilson 2, B. Harding 2, A. Mahoney, D. Giddings, B. Kelly, R. Maibaum.
Best: Bell Post Hill - D. Godwin, Z. Jones, S. Quinn, C. Bacely, H. Verschuren, D. Handley. Bannockburn - A. Beardsell, T. Sadler, C. Jervies, J. Brauman, T. Bath, R. Maibaum.
Goals: Inverleigh - M. Dickson 6, N. Mayes 5,J.Miles4,J.Bacon4,S.Cations2,D.Peel, H. Bauer, A. Donohue, J. Viney. Anakie - L. Dahlhaus 4, S. McLachlan, J. Mawson, N. Hau.
Best: Inverleigh - L. Wilson, N. Mayes, J. Viney, L. Haberfield, J. Miles, B. Collins. Anakie - L. Dahlhaus, B. Gerrard, N. Hau, M. Rhodes.
Goals: Werribee Centrals - C. Saliba 3, J. MacDonald2,M.Culliver2,B.Houlihan2, A. Stone, B. Carlton. Thomson - J. Camm 5, G. Wilson 3, S. Jacka, J. Blair.
Best: Werribee Centrals - M. Culliver, A. Stone, T. Camilleri, L. Kalos, B. Houlihan, P. Daley. Thomson - J. Camm, Z. Rochow-O’Toole, R. Dixon, G. Wilson, S. Jacka, P. McGennisken.
Goals: North Geelong - J. Bertucci 4, C. Vaughan 4, O. Riccardi 3, J. Jewell, C. Pasque, T. Tseros, M. Habib. Belmont Lions - A. Wylie 4, B. Evans 2, B. Mahoney 2, C. Anderson 2, M. Dyster, S. Gunther, A. Darken.
Best: North Geelong - C. Farrell, C. Vaughan, J. Jewell, O. Riccardi, J. Bertucci. Belmont Lions - A. Wylie, L. Slorach, D. Johnston, S. Gunther, J. Steel, M. Murdoch.
Around the courts
ResultsandbestplayersfromGeelong & District, Geelong, and Bellarine Netball League matches played on Saturday 25 July.
GEELONG&DISTRICT
Corio67defGeelongWestGiants
Best: Corio - Stephanie Cockerell, SarahKasparian,HollyRoss.Geelong West Giants - Kathryn Eastman, Tori Hogan, Bronte Weigl.
Inverleigh69defAnakie33
Best: Inverleigh - Leah Blake, Adelaide Annand, Claudia Callagher. Anakie - Z. Webb, Alice Egberts, Kyra Ballantyne.
Bannockburn 61 def Bell Post Hill
36
Best: Bannockburn - Alyce Willie, Jade Merry, Lila Morris. Bell Post Hill -AlexSmith,JorjaCaruso,A.Hooper. BelmontLions41defNorthGeelong 31
Geelong Venom has signed 211cm-tall Chinese star Han Xu for the upcoming WNBL season.
The New York Liberty centre joins the Venom after a season with Perth Lynx along with fellow Chinese forward/guard Wanglai Zhang with both players signing one-year deals.
Han Xu is the second-tallest player in WNBA history and is a three-time WCBA MVP, a two-time WCBA champion, and a WNBA Commissioner’s Cup winner.
On the international stage, she helped China to a silver medal at the 2022 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup, earning a place in the tournament’s All-Star Five, before being named MVP of the 2023 FIBA Women’s Asia Cup.
“I’ve played against Australian teams before, including a season with Perth, and I know how passionate this league’s fans are and how much the competition has grown,” Han Xu said. “I’m looking forward to bringingeverythingI’vebuiltovermycareer
– from China to the WNBA – into this team, and pushing for something special with my new teammates this year.”
Wanglai Zhang was named MVP in the Chinese 3x3 league championship in 2023 and starred at this year’s FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup.
Section 1 boys heating up after round 11
Saturday Winter competition entered round 11 on the weekend and Section 1 Boys are setting up for a strong run home for the finals.
OceanGrovearesitting10gamesoutside the four, but with none of the top two teams intheirfinalthreematches,withsomegood wins,theystillstandagoodchancetosneak into finals.
They helped their chances this week, reversing their round 4 loss to Surfcoast Jan Juc.
Rem Cairncross and Sunny Bugeja got the away team out of the blocks winning 6-0, 6-1, but Surfcoast levelled the sets with JakePearsonandBenRogersgettingup6-2, 6-1.
Cairncross and Bugeja teamed up to take the first doubles 6-3 with Marcus Bent and Matilda Gent holding on to get to a tiebreak.WhiletheylostthesettoPearsonand Rogers, it was enough to give Ocean Grove the win by four games.
Grovedalepulledalittleclosertoearning a double chance with their match against eighth placed Wandana Heights. While the set score was one-sided, just a couple of points could have resulted in a completely different outcome.
Oscar Wang and Eli Egan had good wins 6-1, 6-3 while Emily Carr was taken to a tiebreak. Lewis Myers was the shining light for Wandana, taking the third singles 6-1.
In the doubles Carr and Egan teamed well to take a 6-1 win, while Wandana were on the wrong side of another tie-break with Isaiah Patel and Wang eventual winners.
Grovedale gaining the win 5-1, and now
within one point of second.
Geelong Lawn Black hosted club rivals White,andWhite,currentlysittinginfourth, were keen to not repeat their round 4 loss, and maintain their finals chances.
In both round 4 and this week, White proved stronger in the singles with Will Ryan, Tarun Makonahalli and Billy Rayson all winning – 7-6, 6-1, 6-2.
Nihal Nagra was the one singles winner for Black, and teamed with Aria Williamson to take the first doubles, but White eked out the 4-2 win with Rayson and Makonahalli getting up 6-4 in the second doubles. The result leaves White in fourth, but with a tough run home.
The final match of the round was a battle of ladder leaders Highton and Geelong Lawn Green with two points separating the teams. Highton were keen to repeat their strong performance in their previous meeting, holding Green to just 11 games.
Ilan Im put Highton on the board winning the first singles 6-2, but Henry BettscounteredforGreen6-2inthesecond.
Highton pulled ahead with Seb Varszeghy and Andre Ficca getting up 7-5, 6-3, to give them the upper hand leading into the doubles.
Varszeghy and Ficca sealed the win for Highton in the second doubles, but Green’s Kevin Perea and Betts managed to hold on in the first to win in a tie-break – the final result 4-2, extending Highton’s lead at the top to six points, but a much improved result for Geelong Lawn.
Cougars down, but not out of premiership race after semi loss
By Justin Flynn
Geelong Cougars Under 23s lost their grand final qualifier on Wednesday 29 July, but are still in the race for the premiership.
NorthEastBlaze,whichfinishedthehome and away season in third spot, defeated the Cougars 58 to 48 at State Netball Centre and will meet the winner of Geelong vs City West Falcons in the grand final.
The Falcons defeated Melbourne University Lightning with University going out in straight sets after finishing second on the ladder.
TheCougarsledbythreeatthelastbreak, but were only able to find the net five times in the final term while the Blaze opened the quarter with nine consecutive goals.
Eliza Dunell and Piper Stephens then clawed back four of the next five goals for Geelong to cut the deficit to three with five minutes left, but star shooter Olivia Cawthray stepped up and carried the Blaze through to the grand final.
Cawthray rarely missed, scoring 47 goals from 50 attempts.
The Cougars were well served by Mia Aitken, who had a great contest with Cawthray, wing defence Zoey Shaw, who made repeated intercepts, and Monique Parker, who was terrific at goal attack.
The Cougars will play City West Falcons in the preliminary final at State Netball Centre, Parkville, on Wednesday 5 August for the right to play the Blaze in the grand final.
Zhang said joining the Venom meant stepping out of her comfort zone, trying a new brand of basketball, and taking on a fresh challenge.
“I’m really looking forward to soaking up the basketball vibe in Geelong – such a big sports town,” she said.
“Huge thanks to all my fans for sticking with me. No idea what’s ahead, but I’m going to keep loving the game and take it one step at a time. Can’t wait to get settled in,learnthesystem,andgotobattlewithmy new teammates.”
Venom head coach Cheryl Chambers said Han Xu is currently one of the most dominant post players in the world.
“She’s a WNBA veteran, a multiple-time WCBA MVP, and reigning WNBL Defensive Player of the Year – her shot-blocking and rebounding are genuinely elite,” she said.
“Adding that size and experience to our roster gives this team a real edge, and we can’t wait to see what she brings to the club this year.”
Centurions bounce back after recent dip in form
Werribee Centrals started to show some of the form that has it sitting on top of the Geelong & District Football League ladder.
After winning their first 11 games, the Centurions had lost their last three, but bounced back against a vastly improved Thomson on Saturday 25 July with a 20-point win.
Centurions’ coach Rhyce Prismall said it was nice to just get back on the winners list.
“The first loss was a tight one and we playedtwoandhalfquartersoffootyandlost by a kick,” he said. “It was pretty evident that we had players out and our depth was tested a little bit.
“Fairness to North Geelong and Bannockburn they were good against us but we were poor and well beaten. Having lost three in a row we just had to find a way to win.”
Prismall said his side got some players back on the weekend and could have as many as six more available against Belmont Lions.
Josh Camm was the star for Thomson with five goals while skipper Jordan Camm was best and Griffen Wilson bagged three majors.
Centrals remain on top of the ladder, percentage ahead of Winchelsea.
Primsall said Winchelsea had the easier run home and expected the Blues to claim the minor premiership.
Six goals from Mason Dickson, five from Nathan Mayes and four each to Jarvis Miles and Jarrod Bacon gave Inverleigh a massive 119-point win against Anakie. Western Bulldogs 2016 premiership star Luke Dahlhaus booted four of Anakie’s seven goals.
Hayden Burns bagged seven goals for Corio in an 89-point triumph against Geelong West Giants. Stuart Goddard was superb for the Giants with four goals.
North Geelong sounded an ominous warning with a 15-point win against Belmont Lions in a high-quality game. The Pies welcomed back Osca Riccardi from an ankle injury that kept him out for more than two months. Cooper Vaughan and Jorden Bertucci each snagged four for the Magpies while Andy Wylie did the same for the Lions.
See page 27 for a full report of Winchelsea’s win against East Geelong.
Chinese star Han Xu will play with Geelong Venom along side Wanglai Zhang (right) this season. (Pictures: Supplied)
Geelong Lawn White’s Tarun Makonahalli won his singles match. (Supplied)
Mimi Lockwood looks to get the ball moving while goal defence Mia Aitken stands guard and wing defence Zoey Shaw looks to provide an option.
(Tara Murray)
LOCAL TENNIS
Donna Schoenmaekers
Winch gives East the blues
Winchelsea defeated East Geelong by 11 points in a massive GDFL clash at Richmond Oval on Saturday 25 July. Independent photographer Ivan Kemp was there to capture the last half of the see-sawing game between 2nd and 3rd on the ladder.
Matthew Kasparian and Jack Terrill in a ruck contest. 567567_08
Ben Crombie kicks forward. 567567_05
Jude Payne clears from half-back. 567567_06
Caleb Ezard kicked four goals for the Eagles. 567567_09
Jake McLean kicks East Geelong into attack. 567567_11
Cassidy Parish receives a handball on the run. 567567_13
Rory Baulch breaks clear for the Blues. 567567_14
Finlay Parish kicked two goals for the Blues. 567567_20
Andrew Steele marks strongly. 567567_21
Lachie Carver takes a nice mark. 567567_23
Jordan Gould kicks a goal to put Winchelsea ahead. 567567_24
John McIntyre handballs forward. 567567_25
Jordan Huff takes possession in defence. 567567_32
Joeys in control all game
St Joseph’s defeated South Barwon by 10 goals to consolidate a spot in the Geelong Netball League top three at McDonald Reserve on Saturday 25 July. Independent photographer Ivan Kemp was there and took these pictures.
Ella Closter (44 goals) finds space on her own under the basket. 567578_03
Georgette Paatsch fires off a pass. 567578_13
Georgia Corbett takes control. 567578_02
Isla Carver passes to the circle. 567578_15
Indi Madden looks for a way through. 567578_14
Kiahna Fallon passes out of defence.
Lara Taylor looks for a way out of defence. 567578_16
Olivia Cameron with the ball. 567578_20
Ellen Doyle top scored for South Barwon with 41 goals. 567578_22
Meg Threlfall shoots off a pass. 567578_30
Eloise Maddox looks down court. 567578_32
Tegan Philip throws a pass. 567578_28
Winch’s nine-game streak
By Justin Flynn
With three losses from its first six games, Winchelsea coach Ben Moloney said a mindset change to narrow the gap between his side’s best and worst was the main reason for a nine-game winning streak.
Moloney used a statistic to identify his side’s inconsistency with Winch conceding 170 points across two hours of play while scoring just 17.
Outside of those two hours, the Blues had outscored their opposition.
“The three games that we lost, we probably had a quarter and a bit each game of footywherewedroppedoff,”Moloneysaid.
“We talked about falling off a cliff with our form, but we were then able to regain control a bit and get back in the game. Since then we’ve made a real emphasis of not dropping off that cliff…as long as you’re not just completely out of the game.”
While Moloney said it was unrealistic to play at a high standard 100 per cent of the time, narrowing the gap had played a huge role in nine consecutive wins that has Winch as arguably the Geelong & District Football League premiership favourite.
“It showed when we had the drop off that we weren’t playing as good as what we could, but when we were playing our best footy it was better than everyone and I think the last nine weeks have shown that,” he said.
“Just a bit of belief and a bit of a shift in our mindset that our best was good enough. We just needed to play it for long enough.”
In the past five games, the Blues defeated reigning premiers North Geelong by 58 points,previouslyunbeatenWerribeeCentrals by two points, Belmont Lions by two, an in-form Bell Post Hill by 48 and knocked off East Geelong on Saturday by 11.
Moloney said the “old Winchelsea” would not have won all those games, whereas the “new Winchelsea” emerged when East Geelong led by two points at the 12-minute mark of the final term with the aid of the breeze.
Jordan Gould goaled from a set shot at the 22-minute mark and Indi Parish pushed the margin out to 11 with the clock showing 26 minutes gone with Winch holding on for a 10.11(71) to 9.6(60) win.
“The old Winch, we probably would have copped that and ended up being beaten or rolled over late,” Moloney said.
“But the group we’ve got now is showing a heap of character and a lot of maturity, which is great to see.”
Winchelsea faces an Inverleigh side that is playing for its season on Saturday before finishing off the home and away season with games it should win against Corio and Geelong West Giants. Win and the Blues not only assure themselves of playing finals, a top-three spot is a near certainty.
“I know Inverleigh will be doing everything they can to beat us.,” Moloney said.
“They’vesortofhitsomeformlatelyand they seem to just front up and bring everything they can. It’s not a rivalry, but there’s normally some venom in those games.
“It’s always pretty physical, but we just have to keep winning. If we can win this game, that really sets us up to be in a great spot.
“And they’re probably the same, so they’ll be doing whatever they can to win and we’ll be doing the same.”
No rest for St Joseph’s despite week off in finals lead-up
By Justin Flynn
There will be no rest for St Joseph’s as it enters a round 16 bye after knocking off fellowtop-threesidesNewtown&Chilwelland South Barwon in consecutive weeks.
Joeys’ coach Tracy Howard plans to push her players through the week off before they tackle the final four games of the home and away season.
After a league bye on 4 July and a scheduled bye the week after, Howard said her players should be rested enough to hit the next fortnight with a full training load.
“No rest now,” she said.
“We’ve sort of not had a great draw. We had two weeks off in a row, so with holidays and our bye, the girls have gone away, so (it will be) full-on training this week as well.
“They will do another session, it might be just a run session on Saturday so, no, we still work hard to make sure that we’re doing our double sessions.”
Joeys defeated reigning premiers Newtown & Chilwell by four goals in round 14 and then took care of South Barwon by 10 in round 15 on Saturday 25 July.
With skipper Elli Leydin back in the team after a back injury kept her sidelined for more than a month, Joeys held the Swans at
bay for most of the match before finishing strongly to win 60 to 50 at McDonald Reserve.
“Elli is always a good game changer in there,” Howard said.
“She played a bit of a different role, stepping back into that wing attack role and Larni (Howard) going to centre. Larni played more wing defence last year so for a centre beingthattall,shejustturnsoveralotofball for us.
“It made a better decision to put Larni through the centre and then we’ve got Elli and Tegan (Philip) on the goal third line, which is pretty unbeatable and then Elli to back both of them up.”
Howard was pleased her side finished strongly against South Barwon.
“One of our biggest focuses is we reset after every quarter,” she said.
“Regardless of score or momentum or anything like that, we always go back in the next quarter and just reset ourselves. I know very well from experience, you can actually win a game on one quarter of netball.
“We know that we have to lock in for four quarters and don’t ease off. We actually have to push harder every quarter and they do that really well.”
Fionnuala McKeagney-Stubbs played the first half on star South Barwon goaler Ellen Doyle and Georgette Paatsch had her for the second half. Doyle still managed 41 goals from 48 attempts,’ but Howard was full of praise for both defenders.
“It was just nice to have that little bit of a mix with Fionn in there,” Howard said.
“She plays a little bit differently so we were just trying to mix it up a little bit to see where the shutdown could come and Fionn got a lot of tips and taps on the ball. Georgette just was awesome when she stepped back in against Ellen.
“She (Paatsch) knows her a little bit better to play on and then push Fionn out (to goal defence), which was really good as well
and then we could drop Ki (Kiahna Fallon) over to that wing defence role.
“Ellen’s still a gun. She’s very hard to play on.”
At the other end of the court, youngster Ella Closter has scored 486 goals this season as well as juggling VNL commitments with Western Warriors, where Howard is coach.
“I’ve had Ella Under 17 states and she playsinmy23squadforWarriorssoshegets me at two sessions with VNL and also at Joeys,” Howard said.
“I’ve been working with Ella for the last two years so her move out of Ballarat was really good and just having Tegan (Philip) as that voice and someone who can give her that advice on court is absolutely phenomenal.”
Indi Parish kicks the sealer for Winchelsea against East Geelong. (pictures Ivan Kemp) 567567_28
Winchelsea coach Ben Moloney checks the board at three-quarter time. 567567_16
St Joseph’s captain Elli Leydin was back in the side after a layoff with a back injury. (pictures Ivan Kemp) 567578_08
St Joseph’s coach Tracy Howard talks to her players. 567578_24
