Geelong Indy - 11th September 2026

September 11, 2026

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Premiership cups up for grabs Four captains are pictured holding the Geelong & District Football Netball League premiership cups, but only two will have a right to claim them come Saturday afternoon. East Geelong’s John McIntyre and Werribee Centrals’ Jack Stephenson and Winchelsea’s Meg Royal and East Geelong’s Maddie Solly will all be hoping it is their team that wins at St Albans Reserve on 12 September.  See page 22 for all the matches and starting times and pages 26 and 27 for the full coverage.

Gas project alarm By Jena Carr Geelong environment and community groups are sounding the alarm about the impacts a proposed gas terminal in Port Phillip Bay could have on the region. The Inquiry and Advisory Committee Hearing into the Vopak Victoria Energy Terminal concluded on 31 August, with concerned community members highlighting issues around the Dutch multinational company’s Environmental Effects Statement (EES). Geelong Sustainability co-chief executive Karina Donkers said she was “deeply concerned” about the proposed gas import terminal. “Vopak’s EES fell considerably short in multiple ways, and it was concerning not

to see the due diligence we should expect in this process,” she said. “Serious gaps included misidentified species, flawed fieldwork, unaccounted-for shipping emissions, inadequate proper assessment of impacts on migratory birds, and no adequate risk management plan. “We are in the midst of a climate emergency and need strong investment in electrification and renewable energy policies, not decades more of locked-in gas and fossil fuel infrastructure.” Ms Donkers said Port Phillip Bay was home to many species of marine life and that the project was “simply not good enough” as it was proposed to go through “protected Ramsar wetlands”. “Our community has been vocal in its

opposition to both the Viva Energy gas import terminal as well as the Vopak gas import terminal,” she said. “The bay is essential to the identity of this region, and it would be deeply impacted by the development of any gas import infrastructure.” Environment Victoria senior climate and energy advisor Dr Kat Lucas-Healey said there were “basic errors and major omissions” in Vopak’s EES and that Port Phillip Bay deserved better. “Gas projects harm our environment and cause climate pollution,” she said. “Vopak needs to go back to the drawing board and do the work required to properly assess the impacts of this project. “We shouldn’t be shipping fossil fuels halfway around the world into Victoria;

we should be doubling down on the switch to affordable, home-grown renewable energy.” Australian Conservation Foundation Geelong president Sally Fisher said the EES lacked biosecurity measures and that the proposal could further impact wildlife. “It was disappointing to see that in the midst of the bird flu crisis, Vopak proposes to drill close to and underneath precious habitat for critically endangered birds,” she said. The Inquiry and Advisory Committee will prepare a report for the Minister for Planning, who will then assess the project’s environmental effects. Vopak Victoria was contacted for comment.

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Labor link election promise By Jena Carr The Bellarine Link and improvements to a Drysdale road will be delivered if the Labor state government is re-elected. Premier Ben Carroll visited Charlemont on 4 September to announce the government’s election commitment to invest $237 million to deliver the first stage of the Bellarine Link. The project would involve two lanes built in each direction between Surf Coast Highway and Barwon Heads Road, with upgrades to existing intersections. In an exclusive interview with the Geelong Independent, Mr Carroll said it was “great to be back” in the Greater Geelong region and that building the Bellarine Link was a topic that was constantly raised by the community. “We’ll look at getting started with the

project as soon as possible, and next year we’ll get on with the planning work,” he said. “To be able to reinvest savings proceeds - including $2 billion from the Suburban Rail Loop - into key arterials and roads around the growing areas of Geelong is so important. “By 2050, half a million people will be living here (in the Bellarine), so with the growth in population combined with the new schools, businesses and estates, we just know improved roads are needed.” Combined Bellarine Community Association president Sandra Gatehouse said the region had been waiting for the Bellarine Link “for a long time”. “It’s (currently a frustrating) time factor for people who drive through the Bellarine as they sit in traffic jams for a long time,” she said.

“The Bellarine Link has been part of the plan ever since the Geelong Ring Road was completed more than a decade ago, and it has sat at the top of our region’s priority list ever since.” Mr Carroll also announced that a reelected Labor government would invest $57 million to upgrade Murradoc Road between High Street and Drysdale Bypass. Member for Bellarine Alison Marchant told the Independent that she has been a long-term advocate for improved roads across the Bellarine. “I know a lot of people get frustrated with the amount of travel that they’re doing, as going into and through Geelong can be a timely process,” she said. “Murradoc Road has become really problematic for the community, not only while driving but at pedestrian crossings, so we must be making sure it’s safe.”

Christine Couzens MP, Alison Marchant MP, Premier Ben Carroll, South Barwon candidate Rebecca Thisleton, Ella George MP and Minister for Roads and Road Safety Paul Hamer announce Labor’s election commitments. (Jena Carr)

Nyaal Banyul’s virtual innovation Alison Marchant MP (third from the right) launched Weeds of the Bellarine at a Bellarine Catchment Network field tour. (supplied)

Tour showcases environmental protections Bellarine Catchment Network (BCN) highlighted environmental restoration, conservation and weed management projects across the Bellarine Peninsula during a fullday field tour. Community members, volunteers, land managers and partner organisations were shown methods used to protect and enhance the region’s natural landscapes. The tour included site visits hosted by Barwon Water, Geelong Cemeteries Trust, Borough of Queenscliff and Bellarine Bayside. “BCN is proud to work alongside public land managers across the Bellarine,” BCN president Vicki Perrett said.

“This unique field day gives our network members and partners the opportunity to connect, share knowledge and gain a deeper understanding of the extensive conservation efforts underway to protect and restore the peninsula’s rich biodiversity.” The event included the launch of Weeds of the Bellarine booklet, by Alison Marchant MP. Developed in collaboration with Wadawurrung Traditional Owners, the booklet is a practical community resource designed to help people identify invasive weeds found across the Bellarine Peninsula and understand their impacts on local ecosystems.

Weeds can compete with native plants and affect the habitat and food sources that support local wildlife. “The launch of the Weeds of the Bellarine booklet is a fantastic communityled step toward preserving our region’s unique environment and supporting local biodiversity,” Ms Marchant said. “The Victorian government is incredibly proud to back this vital initiative through Agriculture Victoria’s Partnerships Against Pests Program. Protecting our biosecurity is a shared responsibility, and this project demonstrates what can be achieved when local expert knowledge, volunteer dedication and state resources align.”

Public transport a regional priority for G21 Residents across the region need investment in public transport to help mitigate the cost of living crisis, according to the G21. The regional advocacy organisation released results from a recent survey, conducted in early August, showing both widespread support for the G21’s improved public transport policies. Four out of five survey respondents said they had changed their behaviour in response to financial pressure, with nearly half (46%) reporting they had used savings for everyday expenses and one in three delaying medical treatment or scripts. And while only 18 per cent of people said

they had taken public transport instead of driving to save money, 78 per cent supported the Bellarine Link and 71 per cent the Geelong-Avalon-Werribee rail. G21 chair Cr Jason Schram said the research showed transport investment was increasingly connected to household budgets, access to jobs and the region’s long-term prosperity. “Families are looking closely at every dollar they spend, and when people can access reliable and affordable transport, they spend less time stuck in traffic, have more options for work and education, and can reduce the cost of getting around,” he

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said. “This research clearly shows better transport is not a nice-to-have, it is essential infrastructure that supports household budgets, productivity and quality of life.” Cr Schram said the projects G21 was advocating for would improve connectivity, support jobs, reduce congestion and strengthen the region’s resilience. “Our region is growing rapidly and makes a substantial contribution to Victoria’s economy,” he said. “People want to see investment that keeps pace with that growth and ensures regional communities receive their fair share.”

Geelong’s newest major events venue now provides a virtual tool that gives people around the world the chance to view its facilities from every angle. Nyaal Banyul Geelong Convention and Event Centre has launched its new 360 virtual tour, allowing prospective clients, event organisers and visitors the opportunity to explore the venue’s more than 3700 square metres of meeting and exhibition spaces. Available on the venue’s website, the interactive tool has been designed to help event organisers visualise and conceptualise their event before visiting the site in person. Nyaal Banyul general manager Rick Aylett said the ability to tour the venue online made it easier than ever for people to discover the world-class facilities at Geelong’s new convention centre. “The virtual tour gives prospective clients the opportunity to explore Nyaal Banyul at their own pace and gain a real sense of the venue’s spaces, facilities and stunning waterfront location,” he said “It allows people to envision how their event could come to life at Nyaal Banyul, whether it’s a conference, exhibition, meeting, gala dinner or special celebration.” Throughout its first month of operation in July, Nyaal Banyul welcomed more than 12,200 people through its doors for major events including the Barwon Health Foundation Gala Ball, Business Managers Victoria’s annual leadership conference, Geelong Careers Expo and the Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative NAIDOC Ball. “One week we’re welcoming thousands of local residents through the doors, the next we’re hosting a national conference. That’s exactly what Nyaal Banyul was designed to do,” Mr Aylett said.

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soon begin Tool targets car thefts Works on historic bridge Greater Geelong and Surf Coast community members can now check whether a vehicle is stolen, thanks to a new online police tool. The Victoria Police tool identified 41 reports of stolen vehicles across the region as of 11.30am on 7 September and aims to make it easier for people to report a potential stolen vehicle sighting. Vehicle Crime Squad Detective Inspector Julie Macdonald said the tool was introduced to help police recover stolen vehicles sooner. “While the majority of stolen vehicles are recovered, as a community it will take all of us working together to stop thefts happening in the first place,” she said. “Car theft isn’t just an inconvenience; it impacts someone’s sense of safety...and

that’s why police are working tirelessly to target car thieves and make arrests. “This new tool lets people check if a car is stolen and report its location to police. All people have to do is enter the registration, make and model of the suspect vehicle.” Most reports of stolen vehicles across the Greater Geelong and Surf Coast regions this year were made in August (22), followed by July (9), and June (5), according to the online tool. There have already been five reports made this month, with vehicles allegedly stolen from Corio, Geelong, East Geelong, Highton, and Thomson between 2 and 5 September. Detective Inspector Macdonald said one in three cars stolen across the state were

parked on residential streets. “A quick dash to the shops without locking your car is sometimes all it takes for thieves to seize an opportunity,” she said. “Where possible, we encourage people to park their vehicle off the street and in a garage if they have one available.” Information for the online tool is drawn from Victoria Police’s Law Enforcement Assistance Program, Vic Roads and the National Exchange of Vehicle and Driver Information System. The tool is refreshed once a report of a stolen vehicle is added to each database, and when a report is removed from the system after a vehicle is recovered. Visit police.vic.gov.au/stolen-vehiclecheck-victoria to access the online tool.

Ellen Smith, Sharon Clearwater, Nadelle Collins and Lesley Johns crochet blankets ahead of International Crochet Day. (Ivan Kemp) 577392 07

Crocheting for the community together By Jena Carr

12 squares for a small knee rug to 64 for a bigger blanket, so every little bit counts.” Ms Ninnes said everyone was welcome to attend the event regardless of skill and that she looked forward to seeing people connect. People are encouraged to bring along their 8ply wool or yarn and a 4mm hook, with the crochet pattern provided during the event. The International Crochet Day event will be held at the CWA Hall in East Geelong from 10am to noon, with morning tea available for $5 per person (cash only).

Works will soon begin on repairing Pollocksford Bridge. (Supplied)

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The Geelong community can help create blankets for people in need during the upcoming International Crochet Day. The Country Women’s Association (CWA) of Victoria Geelong Group will host an event on Saturday 12 September for people to come together and crochet squares that will be made into blankets. President Deborah Ninnes said that every crocheted square made a difference and that the blankets would be donated to community members and organisations

facing hardships. “Different people need different things, and we are all about supporting vulnerable women, children and babies,” she said. “There are lots of places that could benefit from crocheted blankets, but the event is just a great way for people to connect emotionally and socially. “There is also a need for a space for likeminded people to come together in a safe and non-threatening environment to help make a difference. “The number of squares needed depends on the size of the blanket, so it could go from

Plans to repair the historic Pollocksford Bridge are progressing, with works due to start in the next two months. Detailed design of the new deck is currently underway, with works expected to begin on site in November and be completed in April next year, provided all necessary approvals are received. Surf Coast Shire deputy mayor Tony Phelps said the bridge was an important link for the community. “The project has required careful planning to make sure the historical elements of the bridge that we love so much are not damaged during these works,” he said. “The bridge’s location over the river means we need to take particular care during the works, with environmental protection a key consideration throughout construction. “The enclosed scaffolding and containment system will provide an important environmental safeguard, particularly while the existing deck and steel components are removed.” The project will include replacing the existing bridge deck, repairing the eastern bluestone abutments, refurbishing the existing structural steel, and installing new barriers and guardrail. Golden Plains Shire mayor Owen Sharkey said he was glad to help deliver important upgrades while protecting the bridge’s heritage features and the surrounding environment. “This is a significant milestone for a project our communities have been keen to see progress, and we’re pleased that works are scheduled to begin,” he said. The bridge was closed in April 2024 after a routine inspection found that structural issues had deteriorated more quickly than expected and were impacting the bridge’s integrity.

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Honour for swim school One of Geelong council’s swimming schools has been named Life Saving Victoria’s (LSV) Swim and Survive Partner of the Year. Leisurelink Aquatic and Recreation Centre program Webstar’s Swim School received the prestigious honour at LSV’s Awards of Excellence night last month. The program’s classes help children, international students and new residents unfamiliar with Geelong’s beaches and waterways learn how to stay safe in the water and what to do if they get into trouble. Geelong mayor Stretch Kontelj said the two awards demonstrated the strength of the overall program.

Victoria Industry awards in June. Deputy Mayor and Sport & Recreation portfolio chair Eddy Kontelj said safe behaviour in and around the water saved lives. “A big thank you to our Leisurelink and Webstar’s Swim School staff for their dedication and encouragement of students,” he said. “Swimming lessons are so important as we move into warmer weather and like any sport or activity, regular practice is the key to improvement.” Visit geelong.link/WebstarsSwimSchool for enrolments or for more information.

“Webstar’s Swim School at Leisurelink is among the largest in Australia with 110,830 visitations in 2025, on top of lessons at the centre to more than 5100 primary school students,” he said. “Across both programs, there were more than 137,000 swimming lesson attendances. “To be recognised with two major awards is an incredible achievement for the entire Leisurelink team and demonstrates that our focus on quality swimming education and water safety is making a genuine difference.” Leisurelink also received the Swim School Award at the Aquatic Recreation

Deputy Mayor Eddy Kontelj with Webstar’s Miette Thomson, Hamilton West, Aleisha Pearson and Maureen Corbeil. (Supplied)

Geelong Running Festival organiser Lee Troop. (Supplied)

More than just a race Francine Ogle, Nicola Cerini, Amelia Micallef, Jill Shalless and Steve Singline. (Ivan Kemp) 576363_04

Build a better Geelong one brick at a time A new creative project is raising money for Geelong’s main support hub for people facing homelessness, disadvantage, and social isolation. Artists across the region have come together for Brick by Brick, a fundraising initiative that transforms ordinary bricks into works of art. The bricks are being sold by silent auction and are on sale until 30 September, with all proceeds going to the newly redeveloped Lazarus Community Centre in central Geelong. The centre provides a safe and welcoming environment where people experiencing homelessness or hardship can access practical support.

Lazarus board chair Stephanie Davie said the initiative would help create a lasting space for people in need while celebrating the Geelong community’s creativity, collaborative spirit and generosity. “Art has the power to bring people together, spark hope and create lasting change,” she said. “Brick by Brick is about how small actions can make a powerful positive impact on our homeless community in Geelong.” For local artist and Lazarus volunteer Jill Shalless, the fundraiser provides an opportunity to combine creativity with community impact. “Volunteering with Lazarus for eight

years has made me see the positive impact made to the community,” she said. “I was thrilled to be a part of this project; it has allowed me to use my art to help build something bigger and brighter for those who need it most.” Geelong-based advertising and design agency Make Mate founder Amelia Micallef has been spearheading the project on behalf of Lazarus. “A single brick on its own doesn’t offer much, but together, they build spaces of security and shelter. That’s the core idea behind Brick by Brick,” she said. Visit lazaruscommunitycentre.com.au/ brick-by-brick to bid on a brick and support Lazarus Community Centre.

Liz Conning inspires Surf Coast accessibility map A Jan Juc woman is helping make the Surf Coast more accessible and inclusive while inspiring a new resource. Surf Coast Shire Council’s Disability Inclusion and Business Support teams created the Accessible Cafes and Restaurants map after receiving questions from resident Liz Conning. Ms Conning has lived with rheumatoid arthritis for close to 40 years and contacted council to ask if there was a map identifying accessible toilets and venues. “It’s a matter of looking out for all people and helping where you can,” she said.

“Having wider doors or having a ramp, those types of things help look after us oldies, and also young people who have difficulties as well. “I’ve had both hips replaced, a knee replaced, and a shoulder replaced. I also had a brain tumour – which thank heavens is gone – but it caused me to be unsteady on my feet and walk around with a stick or frame.” Councillor Phoebe Crockett said the map aimed to make it easier for people to choose a venue that meets their needs. “Accessibility can take many forms...and

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we want the map to include all the ways that people are thinking of others’ needs,” she said. “Whether that’s wheelchair access, menus with large text, or nearby accessible parking; it all helps foster an accessible and inclusive community, where everyone can participate.” Council has invited hospitality businesses across the Surf Coast to add themselves to the map and share their accessible features with customers. Visit surfcoast.vic.gov.au/AccessMap to access the Accessible Cafes and Restaurants map.

Geelong is ready for its first ever marathon event next weekend. With up to 30,000 visitors expected to come to the region for the event, the three-day Geelong Running Festival is set to transform the city into a celebration of competitive and recreational running from 18 to 20 September. Three-time Olympian and event organiser Lee Troop said seeing Geelong host its first marathon event would be “a really special moment for the city”. “I’ve run marathons all over the world, but there’s something incredibly exciting about seeing one come to life in my own backyard,” he said. “We’ve designed a course that celebrates Geelong, taking runners past some of our most iconic landmarks and giving them a real sense of the city along the way. “I can’t wait to see that first field of marathoners line up and make history.” Deputy Mayor and the City’s Sports and Recreation chair Eddy Kontelj said the festival would draw runners from far and wide, showcasing Geelong as “a great place to live, visit and get active”. “Marathon runners are passionate travellers who are always looking for new destinations, new challenges and new events to add to their running calendars,” he said. “I am confident Geelong will attract participants from across Australia and around the world who are seeking a fresh and exciting marathon experience, while adding another hard-earned medal to their collection. “The festival is also a wonderful opportunity to introduce visitors to everything our region has to offer, from our stunning waterfront and beautiful landscapes to our hospitality, accommodation and local businesses.” Registrations are still open for the event. Visit geelongrunningfestival.com.au for more information.

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Road pledge welcomed By Jena Carr Geelong’s mayor has shown his support for the state government’s re-election commitment to better regional roads. Premier Ben Carroll announced on 4 September that a re-elected Labor government would invest $237 million into the first stage of the Bellarine Link and $57 million to upgrade Drysdale’s Murradoc Road.

City of Greater Geelong mayor Stretch Kontelj said the Bellarine Link was one of council’s key priority projects. “This project is critically needed to reduce traffic congestion, cut travel times to the Bellarine, and get trucks out of central Geelong,” he said. “This is just the first stage of a larger project to eventually connect the Geelong Ring Road to the Bellarine Peninsula, via the Bellarine Highway and Portar-

lington Road. “We will continue working with all levels of government to keep this project moving in the right direction and ensure Geelong receives the transport infrastructure our growing community needs.” Mr Carroll said more people were coming to Greater Geelong to live and raise their families, so it was important to “focus on the key arterials and roads”. “This is an important measure and...

means local families can get home quicker and safer,” he said. “There will be two lanes built in each direction of the Surf Coast Highway to Barwon Heads Road, and there are several intersections along the way that will be upgraded as well.” Planning for the Bellarine Link upgrade will begin next year, with construction expected to start within the next term if the Labor state government is re-elected.

Footy helps those in need A charity footy match at Queenscliff to support families experiencing hardship will feature former AFL players supporting the cause. Relive the Rivalry will make its Victorian debut at Queenscliff Recreation Reserve on 25 September, 12 years after it began in Tasmania. Tasmania will take on the Victorian All Stars with confirmed starters such as Oleg Markov, Ben McEvoy and Darryl White for the All Stars and Russell Robertson, Simon Atkins and Jarrad Waite for Tassie. Relive the Rivalry has raised more than $230,000 for community organisations supporting people in need and last year’s match raised $30,000. Funds raised this year will support Bayleaf Community Kitchen Geelong and Foodbank Tasmania’s Breakfast in Schools program. “As the cost of living continues to rise,

we are seeing an increasing number of families turn to Bayleaf for support,” Bayleaf Community Kitchen co-founder Marty Rowan said. “Unfortunately, at the same time, donations are becoming more difficult to secure. Many of the individuals and families who have generously supported us in the past are now facing their own pressures, making it harder for them to contribute, either financially or through volunteering their time.” Metricon Homes team members are volunteering their time on game day assisting with ticket sales, staffing entry gates, providing onfield support and selling match programs. Former Geelong captain Andrew Bews will coach the Vics alongside former Melbourne high-flyer Shaun Smith as assistant. Bayleaf Community Kitchen regional manager Marty Rowan, Andrew Bews, Shaun Smith and Metricon regional manager Dion Planken. (Ivan Kemp) 576976 08

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Get ready for laughs galore By Matt Hewson Those who love a laugh will have plenty to chuckle about next month. Geelong Comedy Festival, having cemented its place on the local entertainment calendar over the past three years, returns for its fourth edition from Thursday 22 to Sunday 25 October at eight venues in the heart of the city. More than 100 performers will be headlined by some of Australia’s funniest performers, including the likes of Lizzy Hoo, Richard Stubbs, Michael Hing, Daniel Muggleton and Dave O’Neil. But festival director and local comedian Blaise White said giving up and coming local performers a bigger platform was at

the heart of what the festival was all about. “I started at the Potato Shed when I was younger, and there just wasn’t a lot of comedy going around Geelong,” he said. “So this is not just a four-day festival, it’s about building a living, breathing, thriving comedy scene all year round. “There’s a whole crew of fantastic young comedians from Geelong that have been working really hard the last four or five years, honing their craft, so it’s really cool to see them start taking a step up… in their hometown in front of their friends and family. That’s really important to us.” Emerging talent Shannon Carter attended the event in 2024 as a punter, volunteered at last year’s festival and has been regularly attending open mic nights

in Geelong and Melbourne for the past year. He is now debuting at the festival, not only as performer but producer of his first show Jokers, which includes Carter and six emerging comics from Geelong and Melbourne. “The idea of Jokers is to present a show with contrast enough to appeal to everyone,” he said. “It’s a bit like inspiring chaos. No two of the comics are the same. ” Carter urged anyone thinking about trying their hand at comedy to “just do it”. “Whether you get laughs or not, you’ll learn a whole bunch of things you can only get from being in that kind of situation,” he said.

Local comedian Shannon Carter will present his first show Jokers at Geelong Comedy Festival 2026. (Ivan Kemp) 577427 06

A sea slug found during a previous census. (Parks Victoria)

Help count Bellarine sea slug population By Jena Carr

Barwon Rowing Club’s Paul Grisenti, Elliott Renton-Gibb, Rob Shields and Aura Shields preparing for the 24-Hour Row. (Ivan Kemp) 577433 02

Rowing around the clock for mental health By Jena Carr A Geelong sporting club will row throughout the night during a 24-hour challenge to help raise awareness for mental health. Barwon Rowing Club’s members will take it in turns to row for a full day as part of Gotcha4Life’s 24 Hour Row for Mental Fitness nationwide initiative this weekend. Team captain Paul Grisenti said he was looking forward to getting involved in the challenge and seeing people he normally wouldn’t see during his usual training

times. “It’s important to get people to actually think and talk about mental health as...it’s an important issue in society these days, more so than it ever has been,” he said. “If you had a bad day, there’s nothing better than coming down and going for a row, so no matter how bad a day you’ve had, doing something like that does make you feel better.” The challenge will take place from noon on Saturday 12 September to noon on Sunday 13 September to raise money and

awareness for mental fitness. Gotcha4Life founder Gus Worland said the challenge was a great chance for people to connect with their communities while supporting positive mental health. “The 24-Hour Row proves you don’t have to be an elite athlete to make a difference; you just need a group of people willing to show up for one another,” he said. Barwon Rowing Club has raised $250 as of 12.30pm on 9 September ahead of the challenge, and people can visit 24hourrow. com.au/t/barwon-rowing-club to donate.

Golden Plains joins calls for more investment in rural areas Golden Plains Shire Council is joining calls for more investment in rural communities ahead of the upcoming state election. Council has backed Rural Councils Victoria’s Invest in Rural Victoria campaign to encourage the state government to invest in more roads, community infrastructure, economic development and housing. Mayor Owen Sharkey said council will install high-visibility signs across the shire and encourage the community to get involved in supporting the campaign ahead of the November election. “Rural communities contribute enormously to Victoria’s economy and way

of life, yet too often they miss out on the investment needed to support growth and opportunity,” he said. “We’re calling for a fairer share of funding so our communities can continue to thrive, with better roads, stronger local facilities and the infrastructure needed for future generations.” A proposed $1 billion Rural and Regional Victoria Productivity and Growth Fund is at the heart of the campaign to turbocharge investments in pools, libraries, sporting facilities and housing infrastructure. Rural Councils Victoria chair Rob Amos said that whoever wins the election “must

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invest more in rural Victoria”. “We deserve our fair share of investment in infrastructure, services and community facilities,” he said. “We want to work constructively with all political parties and candidates to deliver better outcomes for rural communities. “Rural areas power the Victorian economy, but many communities continue to face significant challenges including deteriorating roads, housing shortages and ageing infrastructure.” Visit RuralCouncilsVictoria.org.au/invest for more information or to vote for the Rural Councils Victoria campaign.

The Bellarine community has the chance to explore the region’s rock pools while contributing to science during the Spring Sea Slug Census. Parks Victoria will host census activities at the Point Lonsdale sector of Port Phillip Heads Marine National Park on Tuesday 15 September and Barwon Bluff Marine Sanctuary on Thursday 17 September. Marine ranger Nicole Filby said the workshops were open to everyone, allowing people to explore marine parks across the region. “On top of learning about sea slugs, people have a chance to get out into the marine parks to explore these beautiful areas and learn about these habitats,” she said. “A lot of people that even go out there regularly just don’t know that these animals live there, so that’s like a real joy of helping people see this different side of intertidal areas.” Ms Filby said that the data collected during the workshops would contribute to the science and management of sea slugs, with 400 different species found across the state so far. “I think of them as the butterflies of the ocean because they’re really colourful with some cool and vibrant patterns on them,” she said. “They are so small and the absolute masters of camouflage as their body takes on the colour, texture and pattern of the food that they like to eat, so they’re really hard to spot.” Visit parkconnect.vic.gov.au/ volunteer-activities for more information and to sign up for the Spring Sea Slug Census activities.

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Tap and go with the f low

Search tap and go Authorised by the Victorian Government, 1 Treasury Place, Melbourne

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Population still booming By Jena Carr Greater Geelong’s community continues to grow as more people are migrating to regional areas across the country, according to new research. The Regional Australia Institute’s (RAI) Regional Population Planning report, released on 9 September, found that Greater Geelong’s population could sustainably grow to more than 510,000 by 2050. Sunny Singh moved to Geelong from Punjab, India, six years ago to study a Bachelor of Civil Engineering at Deakin University and has since built a career

in the region. Mr Singh said more people were moving to Geelong due to the educational and work opportunities available. “What pushed me to start looking overseas was the competitiveness in my home country,” he said. “I was interested in going to a particular college, but there were also 1.5 million other students trying to get into that school. “The myriad of opportunities, along with good people and community, are some of the really important factors that inspired me to move and pursue a career in Geelong.”

RAI chief executive Liz Ritchie said regional communities like Geelong could accommodate more population growth than already over-populated capital cities. “Our modelling shows that with stronger regional development, regional Australia could account for 38 to 40 per cent of the national population by 2050,” she said. “Rather than planning for ever-larger capital cities and a future dominated by megacities, we should be looking at the regional communities that are actively calling for more people.” Visit regionalaustralia.org.au to read RAI’s Regional Population Planning report.

Sunny Singh is among many former international students choosing to call Geelong home. (Ivan Kemp) 577395 11

Caleb leads youth council

Geelong foster carers Matt and Rachael Buck with their three children. (Supplied)

Foster family encourages others to care As Victorian Foster Care Week approaches a local family is raising awareness of the growing need for more foster carers across the state. Foster Care Week, running from Sunday 13 to Saturday 19 September, is both a celebration of the crucial role foster carers play in the lives of children and young people and a call for more people to consider getting involved. As of March 2026, more than 9100 Victorian young people are living in out-ofhome care, with 7400 in kinship care and

more than 1200 in foster care. Geelong foster carers Rachel and Mathew Buck have provided respite and emergency care to over 100 children through MacKillop Family Services over the last 10 years. Mathew, head coach of the Carlton AFLW team, said the most rewarding parts of being a foster carer were the small, everyday moments that were easily taken for granted. “Foster care has brought a lot of conversation into our household and taught our own children empathy, gratitude, and

sharing,” he said. “We had a young girl who came to us for a respite placement who had just started playing footy. “We took her along to the Carlton AFLW training sessions a few times, and to see the spark in her eye just by doing something that is very normal in our lives was one of the most exciting things.” Call Fostering Connections on 1800 013 088 or visit fosteringconnections.com.au to explore whether fostering could be right for you.

Golden Plains Shire has a new youth mayor who will represent the voices, ideas and goals of young people across the region. Caleb Stephenson will lead the Golden Plains Youth Council over the next year to help ensure youth perspectives are considered in local decision-making. Caleb said he was “incredibly honoured” to be elected as youth mayor and looked forward to bringing fresh ideas to the role. “I am committed to ensuring young people’s ideas, concerns and aspirations are heard,” he said. “This role provides an opportunity to represent the voices of young people across Golden Plains and advocate for the issues that matter most to them. “I look forward to working alongside my fellow youth councillors, council and the wider community to make a positive difference for young people across the shire.” Golden Plains Shire mayor Owen Sharkey said the youth council plays an important role in ensuring young people’s voices are heard. “Council is committed to creating meaningful opportunities for young people to be involved in local decisionmaking,” he said. “Congratulations to Caleb on his election as youth mayor, and we look forward to working with him over the next 12 months. “The Golden Plains Youth Council provides a valuable platform for young people to share their perspectives and contribute to decisions that impact their lives and communities.” Golden Plains Youth Council consists of young people aged 12 to 25 and aims to empower them to actively participate in shaping their community’s future.

Surf Coast artists are prompted to join new art competition A new community art prize will celebrate, showcase and inspire creative talents across the Surf Coast. The Surf Coast Shire Community Art Prize will offer a total of $3600 in prize money, and all eligible works will be featured during a community exhibition at Anglesea Art Space next month. Councillor Phoebe Crockett said artists can submit one work from any medium created during the past two years. “It aims to encourage participation, showcase the epic creative talent we have across our shire and connect

the community through the public exhibition,” she said. “We invite emerging artists to be brave and get their work out there, and we hope that winners can use the prize money to invest back into their creative practices and passions. “We look forward to the Surf Coast Shire Community Art Prize providing valuable opportunity for artists across the shire to not only be in the running for a fabulous prize, but importantly to have their work exhibited, recognised and celebrated.” Prizes will be awarded to artwork

8 GEELONG INDEPENDENT Friday, 11 September, 2026

across four categories including the $1500 Community Art Prize, $800 Emerging Artist Award, $800 First Nations Creative Award, and $500 People’s Choice Award. Community members will be able to cast their votes for the People’s Choice Award during the Surf Coast Community Art Prize Exhibition from 8 to 25 October, with an official opening on 9 October. Community Art Prize submissions can be made online at surfcoast.vic.gov.au/ ArtPrize26 before 28 September and are open to shire residents, ratepayers and tenants.

Caleb Stephenson is Golden Plains Youth Council’s newly elected mayor. (Supplied)

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Friday, 11 September, 2026 GEELONG INDEPENDENT 9

FRIDAY FEATURE

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Friends share ‘dream role’ Young actors and good friends Bella McConachy and Clementine Oliver will share the lead role in an upcoming production of beloved musical Annie. They shared their excitement at landing the role with Matt Hewson. There are few musicals as timeless and iconic as Annie, and few musical theatre roles as coveted or demanding as that of the irrepressible orphan herself. Last week local theatre company Footlight Productions announced the two young actors who will carry its production of Annie at Geelong Arts Centre in January next year: Bella McConachy, 13, and Clementine Oliver, 11. Bella and Clementine were among nearly 80 children who auditioned for the show and will be joined by 20 other children, split into two separate young casts, and an adult cast playing the roles of Miss Hannigan, Oliver Warbucks, Grace Farrell, Rooster, Lily St Regis and President Roosevelt. The girls are no strangers to the stage. Bella’s first role was playing Baby Bear in Shrek the Musical when she was five years old, while Clementine began acting in grade one with the role of Nala in a junior theatre company production of The Lion King. “It was with GAPA, Geelong Academy of Performing Arts, and that was my first introduction to the whole theatre scene,” Bella said. “It was really fun. I had a couple of lines and it was a group that had an extended range of ages – I think I was the youngest in the group and it went up until 14-year-olds, I think. “I don’t remember, but I was told that after the show finished I bowed multiple times like I was the lead role. I really enjoyed it.” Bella and Clementine both attend Stage Arts Geelong together, train at Infinite Dance Studios and share a singing teacher. And though they go to different schools and are two years apart, they are also close friends, often hanging out during school holidays. Their first stage collaboration was with Stage Arts’ production of The SpongeBob Musical Youth Edition in 2023, where they shared the lead role of SpongeBob Squarepants. Clementine said that experience had been amazing, but didn’t compare to the role of Annie. “It was really fun, I was in year two and I was definitely the youngest in the cast,” she said. “But Annie’s very different because SpongeBob was quite a short show, and SpongeBob is the lead but isn’t in every scene. So I’m definitely excited but I’m a bit nervous about how many lines there are and how long I’ll be on stage for.” Having taken on the title role in Stage School Australia’s Matilda in January this year, Bella has a bit more of an idea what to expect this time around. “It was a great role; it wasn’t my first leading role, but it was the first time where I really took on the behind the scenes role as the lead character,” she said. “I loved playing Matilda, it was such a rewarding experience. (Like Annie,) it was a dream role for me. “I’ve noticed the similarities between Annie and Matilda recently, and the way

that their stories connect. Both have an empowering message of justice and persistence no matter what you go through. “Annie and Matilda were the two roles that I really wanted to play, so I’m so excited I get to do both.” Clementine said having her good friend alongside her to share the role for the Annie journey was both fun and reassuring. “For Annie you need a lot of heart and love, and you just need to be very there in the moment, and also just enjoy it,” she said. “(Bella’s) amazing, so I can look at how amazing she is and take that on; she’s very, very good.” Bella said while they would no doubt draw on each other to inform their performances, they would each bring different strengths to the role. “Annie has such a big heart, but she is also stern and she’s tough and she stands up for what’s right when she needs to,” she said. “I think the role requires someone who can carry a show with confidence. The role is very vocally heavy as well, with the amount of singing. “And the acting as well, it’s a different accent to what I’ve done before. The Bronx, New York accent is something I’m going to have to work on.” Rehearsals for the show don’t start until the beginning of October, but Bella’s mother Melissa praised Footlight for the environment they had already created for their daughters. “It’s such a fantastic opportunity for these girls,” Melissa said.

10 GEELONG INDEPENDENT Friday, 11 September, 2026

Bella McConachy and Clementine Oliver will share the title role in the local production of Annie in January. (Simone Clarke)

“Footlight’s creative and production teams are just amazing, and the adult cast is very generous with the kids. “It’s going to be an experience they’re going to look back on and be able to say ‘we shared this’. It’ll be such a special memory.” Clementine’s mother Cara, who also has a background in performance, echoed Melissa’s sentiments. “Sometimes the whole audition process can be really intimidating for the kids, but this one felt really warm; it was beautiful the way Footlight managed and ran it all,” she said. “Having done these sorts of things myself, I know how nerve racking it is when you’re backstage about to go on…so it’s

beautiful for them to get to do it together and for Clem to have Bella there.” The girls are already well underway with their own personal preparations, both wanting to bring their best when the cast and crew begin their work together next month. “It’s been a dream role of mine for a long time and I’m just really excited to do this production with everybody and have fun,” Clementine said. “I’ve definitely been practising the songs a lot, I’ve been all over Google trying to look at the script, watching the movie a lot. I just really want to bring the character to life so everybody can really understand her.” Visit geelongartscentre.org.au for tickets and more information.

ENTERTAINMENT WITH MATT HEWSON

Theatre without a script One of the most astounding works of Australian theatre in recent years uses the power of spontaneity to explore discussing difficult topics between parents and children. Presented by re:group performance collective, POV centres on Bub, an 11-year-old aspiring documentary maker who stumbles upon – and films – her parents experiencing a mental health crisis. What follows is Bub’s attempts to make sense of the family breakdown through dramatic re-enactment, but with a twist; the actors playing Bub’s parents don’t know the script.

Through a unique, unrehearsed format, the work puts all of the power into the hands of Yuna Ahn (12) and Grace Tione (13), the two young actors who alternate playing Bubs. Yuna and Grace are joined each night by a different pair of local actors who don’t know what to expect but must improvise their parts, aided by on-stage prompts and in-ear cues. The two shows in Geelong will feature Sophia Katos, Natalie O’Donnell, Charles Purcell and Ana Corbett. POV director and co-creator Solomon Thomas said the work was “ostensibly a show about how we talk about mental

health with kids”, but more importantly was “a really fun theatrical experience”. “You’re watching a child direct and boss around two adults, making them her playthings, actors in the show she’s making,” he said. “Every night we kind of witness a new version of how these parents might deal with this issue, and every night you get to witness a child and two adults grappling with this together.” POV is at Geelong Arts Centre on 11 and 12 September. Visit geelongartscentre. org.au for tickets and more information. Playful, urgent, live: POV explores family dynamics through the eyes of a child. (Supplied)

Unstoppable band recounts stories from the road at gig One of Australia’s best-travelled bands comes to Geelong this month with a new take on their classic sound. Once renowned as one Australia’s most unstoppable touring outfits, The Re-Mains earned their reputation as Australia’s hardest working band through a relentless itinerary that took them to regional pubs, remote rodeos and inner-city dives from Broome to Bendigo. The band’s frontman and main songwriter Mick Daley, who grew up a self-named “river-rat” in Albury, said from the band’s beginnings in the late 90s the mission statement had been clear. “We started jamming in a mode where it was like a rock band with a rock rhythm section, but I was playing acoustic guitar,

Road warriors The Re-Mains drop into Geelong for a gig this month. (Supplied)

Sean was playing banjo and Lee was playing steel and electric guitar,” he said. “So we called that country rock and

roll. But we didn’t just want to get on the east coast treadmill, up and down Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane; we wanted to go further afield inland than that. “We started out in Nimbin and Lismore, then we started going to Tamworth, into the Territory and up to Darwin, over to WA. That became our real mission – to play places that most bands won’t go – and for a long time we did that with a fair degree of success.” Daley’s songs, written over a span of three decades, reflect those travels across the length and breadth of Australia in a lyrical style like that of Paul Kelly or Daley’s songwriting idol Bob Dylan. The music itself has developed over the years as well. Initially informed by punk

and rock as much as country and folk, Daley said the band’s newest material, which they are currently recording for a two-volume album, had more of a hopefilled vibe. “We want to bring the audience with us on a new journey,” he said. “Basically, it’s the idea that these are songs that would be written for me in the kind of world I want to live in…a world that’s not so war-torn and inequitable, with climate change raging and all that. A kinder and more favourable world.” The Re-Mains are at the Door Gallery Cafe on Friday 18 September, supported by Sarah Carroll and Shannon Bourne. Visit trybooking.com/au/event/1626525 for more information.

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By Cr Stretch Kontelj As Geelong’s population surges, we desperately need a bold vision for how our region moves to keep our future on the right track. Geelong is no longer just Victoria’s second-largest city, reliant on Melbourne. We’re on the express train to becoming a self-sustaining economic powerhouse in our own right. To me, Geelong is a ‘unicorn’ city, with an international port and airport on our doorstep, one of only two oil refineries remaining in Australia, growing advanced manufacturing and defence industries, nation-leading jobs growth and world-class sports, arts and entertainment. Add our stunning coastline, beautiful natural environments and enviable lifestyle, and Geelong offers the best of both worlds: big-city opportunities with a connected community feel. It’s little wonder we’re a leading destination for internal migration, with our population surpassing 300,000 this year and forecast to exceed 440,000 by 2046. Last year, the Victorian government set a target of 128,600 new homes for Greater Geelong by 2051 and we’re up for the challenge. But government must play its part by delivering the transport links needed to connect future residents and unlock Geelong’s full potential. Together with Wyndham City, we’re calling for a direct rail link between

City of Greater Geelong mayor Stretch Kontelj. (Supplied)

Werribee and Geelong, along with upgrades to enable faster express services to Melbourne. Not only would this slash travel times for commuters, it would also provide a practical alternative to the once-promised Geelong Fast Rail project. But our vision for rail is about much more than getting to Melbourne faster. Without proper planning, we risk our region becoming swamped by traffic congestion, leaving residents and future generations stranded on the platform. Rail investment is critical for our northern suburbs and future growth areas, which is why we’ve joined forces with Golden Plains Shire to advocate for

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passenger services to Bannockburn. Upgrading the existing freight corridor and building new stations would provide public transport for more than 100,000 future residents while reducing pressure on local roads. It would also lay the tracks for future passenger connections between Geelong and other major regional centres such as Ballarat and Bendigo. Further north, we’re advocating for an Avalon rail link and station to support Victoria’s second major airport and the surrounding employment precinct. Major employers including Hanwha Defence and Cotton On have already established operations at Avalon, while the Greater Avalon Employment Precinct is expected to create 25,000 jobs by 2051. Reliable rail connections will help businesses attract workers, strengthen the Geelong-Wyndham corridor and improve access to Avalon Airport, an increasingly important gateway to our region. Finally, we’ve joined forces with Surf Coast Shire Council to advocate for a rapid transit corridor connecting Marshall, Armstrong Creek and Torquay, which would make it easier and more sustainable for people from both our municipalities to access work, education, shopping and services. Our growing population, thriving industries and unrivalled lifestyle make Geelong one of Australia’s great success stories. Now we need the transport infrastructure to match. If we want our region to thrive in the decades ahead, it’s time to stop talking about Geelong’s potential and start backing the rail projects that will drive it forward.

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Water partnership extended

Work has begun on one of Geelong’s biggest parkland precincts. (Supplied)

Big things are growing Work has commenced on one of Geelong’s largest new parkland precincts and for future homeowners at ReGen Living Waurn Ponds, this expansive space will be right on their doorstep. Located immediately adjacent to ReGen Living, the new parkland will create a green corridor enveloping the community to the north and east, delivering an exceptional connection to nature, recreation and open space. With more than hectares of landscaped parklands planned across the precinct and more than 90,000 plants set to be established, the landscape is designed to become a defining feature of the broader Waurn Ponds community. Purposefully designed to make the most of its exceptional parkland setting, ReGen Living Waurn Ponds will incorporate many of the same plant species featured throughout the

surrounding landscape resulting in a natural, connected environment where landscaped gardens, open parklands and the community come together. The community’s $10 million, double storey private residents’ clubhouse has also been strategically positioned to overlook the park precinct. Upstairs, a private dining room, expansive terrace and business centre will provide residents with an outlook over the surrounding open space. Downstairs, the ground-floor gym, pool and alfresco dining areas will overlook the waterway, with direct yet secure access to the surrounding walking paths. The new parkland is expected to be open by Christmas 2026. Visit us at 45 Danaher Avenue, Waurn Ponds, Monday to Saturday between 10am and 4pm or call 0489 085 710.

12 GEELONG INDEPENDENT Friday, 11 September, 2026

A Bellarine partnership that has saved about 30 million litres of drinking water has been extended for another two years. Water management company Barwon Water and coastal land management committee Bellarine Bayside have extended an agreement first signed in 2023 to 2028 that has seen the latter save about 10 million litres each year. Since signing the agreement, Bellarine Bayside has significantly reduced water use across many of its public facilities and holiday parks through replacing inefficient cisterns, pans and shower heads and upgrading tapware. The committee has also used government-funded data logging technology to track usage patterns and detect early leaks. Bellarine Bayside chief executive Scott Crabtree said the partnership had delivered tangible benefits for the organisation, visitors and the environment. “As managers of some of the Bellarine’s most-loved coastal destinations, we have a responsibility to use resources wisely,” he said. “By making targeted upgrades to a range of facilities across our coast and holiday parks, we have seen how practical improvements, supported by smart technology and expert advice, can make a real difference.” “We’re pleased to extend this partnership and continue working with Barwon Water to improve water efficiency and support our sustainability goals across the Bellarine coastline for future generations.” General manager planning, delivery and environment Seamus Butcher said Barwon Water was keen to support organisations to

Bellarine Bayside CEO Scott Crabtree and Barwon Water’s Seamus Butcher at the Portarlington Holiday Park, where several water-saving initiatives have been introduced. (Supplied)

identify improvements and to reduce their water use wherever possible. “The partnership with Bellarine Bayside has been beneficial as they are committed to best practice sustainable operations and to helping safeguard our drinking water resources,” he said.

The Guide DEATH VALLEY ABC TV, Friday, 8.20pm

PICK OF THE WEEK

In deep water: Sydney Harbour Cops highlights the work of NSW Police’s Marine Area Command.

This witty take on the manymurders-in-a-quaint-British-village genre stars Timothy Spall as John Chapel, a retired actor best known for playing TV detective Inspector Charles Caesar. When one of his neighbours turns up dead, the reclusive star devises a theory that an ulterior motive is at play and gets roped into helping solve the reallife crime. Acting as his perky foil and dragging him into the case is detective Janie Mallowan (Gwyneth Keyworth, pictured with Spall), who also happens to be Chapel’s biggest fan. An especially enjoyable entry into the cosy murder genre, this Welsh series bubbles along thanks to a bristling chemistry between its leads, even if the set ups do get a trifle ridiculous at times.

MEL GIEDROYC: UNFORGIVABLE SBS2, Wednesday, 9.35pm

SYDNEY HARBOUR COPS 10, Tuesday, 7.30pm

It may sound like the plot of a high-octane Hollywood thriller – shark sightings, drug smugglers, missing persons, boat fires and dramatic rescues – but that’s all in a day’s work for the NSW Marine Area Command. The elite unit of officers patrols Sydney Harbour and NSW’s waterways, and this new observational series shadows them through life-or-death emergencies, surprising situations and unique investigations. Whether they are managing the thousands of boats that descend on the harbour for New Year’s Eve, deploying sonar to search for sunken vehicles or teaming up with Taronga Zoo to release rehabilitated sea turtles, it’s an unpredictable look at what happens beyond the postcard views.

Audiences familiar with Mel Giedroyc’s sunny and wholesome persona as the original co-host of The Great British Bake Off might be slightly shocked by the comedian’s edgier approach to this panel show. Inviting celebrities to confess their most unforgivable acts, shameful anecdotes and embarrassing moments, Giedroyc sits on a throne and assigns points as her utterly unpredictable sidekick Lou Sanders (pictured right with Giedroyc) keeps score. Graham Norton gets the ball rolling in this premiere, revealing a lie to his mother that went too far, while Desiree Burch and Alex Brooker also share mortifying mishaps. It’s essentially just another chat show, but with a silly and saucy twist that makes it worthwhile.

Friday, September 11 ABC TV (2)

SBS (3)

SEVEN (6, 7)

NINE (8, 9)

TEN (5, 10)

6.00 News Breakfast. 9.00 ABC News Mornings. 10.00 Amanda & Alan’s Italian Job. (R) 10.30 Take 5 With Zan Rowe. (PG, R) 12.00 ABC News At Noon. 1.00 Portrait Artist Of The Year. (R) 1.50 The Cage. (M, R) 2.35 Poh’s Kitchen. (R) 3.00 Fake Or Fortune? (R) 4.00 Murdoch Mysteries. (PGv, R) 4.45 Long Lost Family. (PG, R) 5.30 Antiques Roadshow. (R)

6am Morning Programs. 8.30 France 24 English News. 9.00 DD India News Hour. 10.10 Vintage Voltage. (R) 11.05 Kew Gardens: Season By Season. (R) 12.00 WorldWatch. 2.00 Bettany Hughes: Treasures of Bulgaria. (PGa, R) 3.00 Nula. 3.30 The Cook Up. (R) 4.05 Jeopardy! 4.30 Letters And Numbers. (R) 5.00 Cycling. UCI World Tour. La Vuelta. H’lights.

6.00 Sunrise. 9.00 NFL Pre-Game. 10.00 NFL. Melbourne Game. Los Angeles Rams v San Francisco 49ers. From the MCG. 2.30 Border Security: International. (PGa, R) 3.00 The Chase. (R) 4.00 Seven News At 4. 5.00 The Chase Australia.

6.00 Today. 9.00 Today Extra. (PG) 11.30 9News Morning. 12.00 MOVIE: Mr Pawsitively Perfect. (2023, G, R) 2.00 Pointless. (PG, R) 3.00 Tipping Point. (PG, R) 4.00 9News Afternoon. 4.30 Tipping Point Australia. (PG, R) 5.00 [MELB] Tipping Point Australia. (PG, R) 5.30 WIN News.

6.00 Ent. Tonight. (R) 6.30 Bold. (PG, R) 7.00 Deal Or No Deal. (R) 7.30 Everyday Gourmet. (R) 8.00 Lingo. (R) 9.00 The Finish Line. (R) 10.00 Farm To Fork. (R) 10.30 Ent. Tonight. (R) 10.50 Gogglebox Aust. (R) 12.00 Everyday Gourmet. 12.30 Millionaire Hot Seat. (PG, R) 1.00 News. 2.00 Deal Or No Deal. (R) 2.30 The Finish Line. (R) 3.30 Lingo. (R) 4.30 Bold. (PG) 5.00 News.

6.30 Hard Quiz. (PG, R) 7.00 ABC News. 7.30 Gardening Australia. Clarence Slockee explores wattles. 8.20 Death Valley. (Premiere, Ma) A detective sergeant and a TV cop team up. 9.05 Portrait Artist Of The Year. (PG, R) Nine artists create celebrity portraits. 9.55 Spicks And Specks. (Ml, R) 10.30 ABC Late News. 10.45 Would I Lie To You? (PG, R) 11.15 Murdoch Mysteries. (Mav, R) 12.00 Rage New Music. (MA15+adhlnsv) 5.00 Rage. (PG)

6.00 Mastermind Australia. (R) 6.30 SBS World News. 7.35 The Good Ship Murder. (Mv) 8.30 WWII With Tom Hanks. (Maw) 10.10 SBS World News Late. 10.40 Spy/Master. (Ma) 11.40 Darkness: Those Who Kill. (MA15+av, R) 1.30 Australia Uncovered: The Department. (MA15+al, R) 3.10 Hitler And The Reichstag Fire. (PGav, R) 4.10 Bamay. (R) 5.00 NHK World English News Morning. 5.30 ANC Philippines The World Tonight.

6.00 Seven News. 7.00 AFL: Friday Night Countdown. A lead-up to the Friday night AFL match. 7.30 Football. AFL Finals. Semi-final. 10.30 AFL Post-Game Show. Post-game discussion and interviews. 11.15 NFL. Melbourne Game. Los Angeles Rams v San Francisco 49ers. Highlights. From the MCG. 12.15 GetOn Extra. A look at the weekend’s best racing. 12.45 Eyewitness. (MA15+av, R) Helen learns Philip and Lukas are missing. 2.00 Home Shopping. (R) 4.00 Million Dollar Minute. (R) 5.00 NBC Today.

6.00 9News. 7.00 Rugby League. NRL Finals. First qualifying final. 9.45 NRL Finals Footy Post-Match. Post-match coverage of the first qualifying final, with analysis and news of the NRL finals series. 10.45 MOVIE: Lethal Weapon. (1987, Mdlv, R) Two detectives pursue drug traffickers. Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Gary Busey. 1.00 Next Stop. (PG, R) 1.30 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R) 4.00 Skippy The Bush Kangaroo. (R) 4.30 Global Shop. (R) 5.00 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R) 5.30 Postcards. (PG, R)

6.30 Deal Or No Deal. (R) 7.00 Millionaire Hot Seat. (PG, R) Hosted by Rebecca Gibney. 7.30 Love It Or List It Australia. (R) A project manager hunts for a new home. 8.30 Have You Been Paying Attention? (Malns, R) Celebrity panellists compete to see who can remember the most about events of the week. 9.30 10’s Late News. Comprehensive coverage of local, national and international news, as well as the latest sport and weather. 10.30 Two And A Half Men. (PGs, R) 12.00 Home Shopping. (R)

ABC FAMILY (22)

SBS2 (31)

7TWO (62, 72)

9GEM (81, 92)

10 COMEDY (52, 11)

6am Children’s Programs. 11.40 Iron Man And His Awesome Friends. 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 Global Adventures. 4.30 SuperKitties. 5.15 Octonauts. 5.50 PJ Masks Power Heroes. 6.05 Spidey And His Amazing Friends. 7.05 Gardening Australia Junior. 7.35 Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures. 8.00 Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! 8.50 Steven Universe. 9.40 BattleBots. 10.25 Late Programs.

6am Morning Programs. 10.00 France 24 English News. 10.30 Everyone Else Burns. 11.00 Cycling. UCI World Tour. La Vuelta. H’lights. Noon DW The Day. 12.30 Patriot Brains. 2.20 Forged In Fire. 3.05 Stories From The Cities. 3.40 WorldWatch. 5.35 Inside The Huddle. 6.05 Over The Black Dot. 6.35 Jeopardy! 7.30 Celebrity Jeopardy. 8.30 Original Gangsters With Sean Bean. (Premiere) 9.25 Cycling. UCI World Tour. La Vuelta. 1.50am NHK World English News. 5.00 Al Jazeera News Hour.

6am Morning Programs. Noon Better Homes. 1.00 Escape To The Country. 2.00 The Great Australian Doorstep. 2.30 Weekender. 3.00 Malaysia Kitchen. 3.30 Harry’s Practice. 4.00 Better Homes. 5.00 Escape To The Country. 6.00 Bargain Hunt. 7.00 Better Homes. 8.30 Escape To The Country. 10.30 The Yorkshire Vet. 11.30 Escape To The Country. 12.30am Bargain Hunt. 1.30 Malaysia Kitchen. 2.00 Harry’s Practice. 2.30 Australia’s Deadliest. 3.00 Better Homes. 5.00 Auction Squad.

6am Morning Programs. 2pm Rugby League. NRL. 2025 First elimination final. Cronulla Sharks v Roosters. Replay. 3.45 Rugby League. NRL. 2025 Second Elimination Final. Canberra Raiders v Broncos. Replay. 5.30 Rugby League. NRL Women’s Premiership. Tigers v Canberra Raiders. 7.30 Find My Country House Aust. 8.30 MOVIE: Sherlock Holmes. (2009, M) 11.00 Forensics: Catching The Killer. Midnight Find My Country House NZ. 12.30 Antiques Roadshow. 1.00 Late Programs.

6am Shopping. 6.30 Ridiculousness. 7.30 MasterChef Aust. 8.30 Ent. Tonight. 9.00 GCBC. 9.30 Farm To Fork. 10.00 Bold. 10.30 Deal Or No Deal. 11.00 Millionaire Hot Seat. 11.30 Lingo. 12.30pm Becker. 1.00 Friends. 3.00 Frasier. 4.00 Everyday Gourmet. 4.30 Becker. 5.00 Frasier. 6.00 Friends. 8.00 Two And A Half Men. (PG, R) 9.30 Becker. (PG, R) 10.00 Frasier. 11.00 Ridiculousness. 11.30 Ent. Tonight. Midnight Shopping. 2.30 Bold. 3.30 Shopping. 5.30 Joseph Prince.

NITV (34)

SBS WORLD MOVIES (32)

7MATE (64, 73)

9GO! (82, 93)

10 DRAMA (53, 12)

6am Morning Programs. 11.00 Going Places. Noon MOVIE: Graffiti Bridge. (1990, PG) 1.35 Stompem Ground 2022: Footprince. 2.00 Kriol Kitchen. 2.30 The Cook Up. 3.00 Jarjums. 4.30 Dreaming Big. 5.00 Ocean Warriors: Mission Ready. 5.30 Nula. 6.00 Bamay. 6.40 Great Blue Wild. 7.30 MOVIE: Scrapper. (2023, PG) 9.10 MOVIE: He Got Game. (1998, MA15+) 11.35 Nula. 12.05am Angels Gather Here. 1.00 Going Places. 2.00 On The Road. 4.00 NITV On The Road: Laura Festival. 5.00 Bamay. 5.30 Late Programs.

6am Enigma. (1982, PGasv) 8.00 On Golden Pond. (1981, PGalv) 10.00 Hundreds Of Beavers. (2022, Mas) Noon Jules. (2023, Ml) 1.35 Tokyo Story. (1953, PGa, Japanese) 4.05 Marie’s Story. (2014, PGa) 5.50 The Magic Of Belle Isle. (2012, PGals, R) 7.50 King Of California. (2007, Mal) 9.30 Official Secrets. (2019, MA15+l) 11.35 5 To 7. (2014, Mals) 1.25am Truth. (2015, Malns) 3.45 The Blue Caftan. (2022, Mans, Arabic)

6am Morning Programs. Noon American Pickers. 1.00 American Resto. 1.30 Storage Wars. 2.00 Pawn Stars. 2.30 Kick Ons. 3.00 Timbersports. 3.30 Deadliest Roads. 4.30 American Resto. 5.00 Storage Wars. 5.30 American Pickers. 6.30 Pawn Stars. 7.30 Motorbike Cops. 8.30 MOVIE: Downton Abbey: A New Era. (2022, PG) 11.05 MOVIE: Role Models. (2008, MA15+) 1.10am Storage Wars. 2.00 Pawn Stars. 3.00 Motorbike Cops. 4.00 American Pickers. 5.00 Kings Of Pain.

6am Morning Programs. 11.30 Garden Gurus Moments. 11.45 World’s Greatest Animal Encounters. 12.45pm MOVIE: My Landlord Wants Me Dead. (2023, M) 2.30 Baywatch. 3.30 Seinfeld. 4.30 Addams Family. 5.30 Bewitched. 6.30 Baywatch. 7.30 MOVIE: The Legend Of Tarzan. (2016, M) 9.45 MOVIE: Hercules. (2014, M) 11.45 Seinfeld. 12.15am Babies Behind Bars. (Premiere) 1.05 Love Island UK: All Stars. 2.05 Legacies. 2.55 World’s Greatest Animal Encounters. 3.50 Late Programs.

6am Shopping. 8.00 Days Of Our Lives. 8.45 The Young And The Restless. 9.30 Living Room. 10.30 Building The Dream. 11.30 The Bold And The Beautiful. Noon Days Of Our Lives. 12.45 The Young And The Restless. 1.30 JAG. 3.30 Bull. 4.30 JAG. (PGdlv, R) 6.30 Bull. (PGav, R) 7.30 NCIS. (Ma, R) 10.20 Bull. (PGav, R) 11.15 JAG. (PGl, R) 1.15am Home Shopping.

CONSUMER ADVICE (P) Pre-school (C) Children (PG) Parental Guidance Recommended (M) Mature Audiences (MA15+) Mature Audiences Only (AV15+) Extreme Adult Violence (R) Repeat (a) Adult themes (d) Drug references (h) Horror (s) Sex references (l) Language (m) Medical procedures (n) Nudity (v) Violence.

VIC

Friday, 11 September, 2026 GEELONG INDEPENDENT 13

Saturday, September 12 ABC TV (2)

SBS (3)

SEVEN (6, 7)

NINE (8, 9)

TEN (5, 10)

6.00 Rage Charts. (PG) 7.00 Weekend Breakfast. 9.00 Rage. (PG) 10.30 Rage Vault Guest Programmer. (PG) 11.00 Football. VFL. First preliminary final. 2.00 Football. VFL. Second preliminary final. 5.00 Australian Story. (R) 5.30 Landline. (R)

6am Morning Programs. 8.30 France 24 English News. 9.00 DD India News Hour. 10.05 Japanese Islands From Above. (R) 11.05 Wonders Of The World I Can’t See. (Mls, R) 12.00 WorldWatch. 2.00 Sailing. Sail Grand Prix Valencia. H’lights. 3.00 Going Places. (PGa, R) 4.30 Cycling. UCI World Tour. La Vuelta. H’lights. 5.35 War Trains. (PG)

6.00 NBC Today. 7.00 Weekend Sunrise. 10.00 The Morning Show: Weekend. (PG) 12.00 Horse Racing. Crown Makybe Diva Stakes Day and The Run To The Rose Day. 5.00 Seven News At 5. 5.30 Border Security: Australia’s Front Line. (PG, R)

6.00 Getaway. (PG, R) 6.30 GolfBarons. (R) 7.00 Weekend Today. 10.00 Today Extra: Saturday. (PG) 12.00 Find My Country House Australia. (R) 1.00 The Block. (PGl, R) 2.30 The Garden Gurus. 3.00 Getaway. (PG) 3.30 Rugby League. NRL Finals. Second qualifying final.

6am Morning Programs. 8.30 All 4 Adventure. (PGl, R) 9.30 Frugal Foodie. (R) 10.00 Freshly Picked. (R) 10.30 What’s Up Down Under. (PG) 11.30 The Traitors Australia. (PGl, R) 1.00 Pooches At Play. (PG) 1.30 Everyday Gourmet. (R) 2.00 Deal Or No Deal: Celebrity Jackpot. (PG, R) 3.00 The Finish Line. (R) 4.00 Lingo. (R) 5.00 News.

6.00 Kath & Kim. (PGals, R) Brett gets a new job. 6.25 Hard Quiz. (PG, R) Presented by Tom Gleeson. 7.00 ABC News. Takes a look at the top stories of the day, including coverage of developing stories and events. 7.30 Grantchester. (Mv) Grantchester faces chaos when armed robbers storm CeCe’s Boutique. 8.20 Father Brown. (PGv) The owner of the almshouse is killed under suspicious circumstances. 9.05 Midsomer Murders. (Mv, R) After a cycling competition comes to the village of Burwood Mantle, the race leader is murdered. 10.35 Falling. (Ml, R) Anna questions whether she made the right choice. 11.25 Rage. (MA15+adhlnsv) Continuous music programming.

6.30 SBS World News. 7.30 The Queen And The Traitor: A Great British Scandal. Uncovers the scandal of Russian spy Anthony Blunt. 8.45 The Airport Chaplain. (Ml, R) With the baggage handlers on strike, the airport is sliding into chaos. Tobias realises he’s been played by Asha. 9.50 Shaun Micallef’s Origin Odyssey: Luke McGregor In Scotland. (PGa, R) Shaun Micallef and Luke McGregor travel to Scotland. 10.55 DNA Family Secrets. (PG, R) 12.00 Saving The F*cking Planet. (Mls, R) 4.25 Bamay. (R) 5.00 NHK World English News Morning. 5.15 Euronews. 5.30 ANC Philippines The World Tonight.

6.00 Seven News. 7.00 Football. AFL Finals Series. Second semi-final. 10.30 AFL Post-Game Show. Post-game discussion and interviews taking a look back at all the action from the match. 11.00 Kings Of The Big Game: West Coast Eagles: One Point, One Purpose. (Ml, R) After a finals loss to Sydney, the West Coast Eagles fight back through to keep their premiership dream alive. 12.45 The Midwich Cuckoos. (Premiere, MA15+av) An English town is changed forever. 2.00 Home Shopping. (R) 4.00 It’s Academic. (R) Hosted by Simon Reeve. 5.00 Million Dollar Minute. (R) Hosted by Grant Denyer.

6.00 9News Saturday. 7.00 Rugby League. NRL Finals. First elimination final. 9.50 NRL Finals Footy Post-Match. Post-match coverage of the first elimination final, with analysis and news of the NRL finals series. 10.45 MOVIE: Tango & Cash. (1989, Mlv, R) Two detectives are framed by a crime boss. Sylvester Stallone, Kurt Russell, Teri Hatcher. 12.45 Wild Cards. (Mv, R) Chief Li and Max are trapped in the police station. 1.35 The Garden Gurus. (R) Bonnie shows how to grow a spring container. 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)

6.30 Gogglebox Australia. (R) TV fanatics open up their living rooms to reveal their reactions to popular and topical TV shows. 7.30 Selling Houses Australia. (Final, PGa) Sandie and Tony built a huge colonial-esque property in 2003 for their family, but it’s time to downsize. 9.30 Love It Or List It UK: Brilliant Builds. (PG) Kirstie and Phil look back on their best land-grabbing renovations to balance home and garden. 10.30 Watson. (Mas, R) A patient arrives at the Holmes Clinic plagued by a mysterious neurological disorder. 11.30 FBI. (Mv, R) A federal whistleblower is murdered while in FBI custody, along with two agents. 12.30 Home Shopping. (R) 5.00 Hour Of Power.

ABC FAMILY (22)

SBS2 (31)

7TWO (62, 72)

9GEM (81, 92)

10 COMEDY (52, 11)

6am Children’s Programs. 2.35pm Fizzy And Suds. 3.00 Play School. 3.25 Guess How Much I Love You. 4.15 Stan & Gran. 5.20 Guess How Much I Love You. 5.45 Iron Man And His Awesome Friends. 6.25 Zog. 7.05 Do Not Watch This Show. 7.30 Teenage Boss: Next Level. 8.00 Harry Potter: Wizards Of Baking. 8.40 The Lady Grace Mysteries. 9.30 Merlin. 10.15 Late Programs.

6am Morning Programs. 11.00 Cycling. UCI World Tour. La Vuelta. H’lights. Noon Love In Bright Landscapes. 1.55 Stories From The Cities. 2.25 If You Are The One. 3.35 WorldWatch. 5.35 Mastermind Aust. 6.35 Engineering By Catastrophe. 7.30 History’s Greatest Machines. 8.20 Cycling. UCI World Tour. La Vuelta. 1.50am NHK World English News. 5.00 Al Jazeera.

6am Morning Programs. 2pm Better Homes. 4.00 The Yorkshire Vet. 5.00 Horse Racing. Crown Makybe Diva Stakes Day and The Run To The Rose Day. 5.30 Escape To The Country. 6.30 Bondi Vet. 7.30 The Yorkshire Vet. 8.30 Escape To The Chateau. 9.30 Escape To The Country. 10.30 World’s Most Scenic Railway Journeys. 11.30 Late Programs.

6am Morning Programs. Noon Rugby League. NRL Women’s Premiership. Eels v North Qld Cowboys. 1.45 Rugby League. NRL Women’s Premiership. Cronulla Sharks v Dragons. 3.30 MOVIE: Doctor Zhivago. (1965, PG) 7.00 Getaway. 7.30 MOVIE: The Bodyguard. (1992, M) 10.00 MOVIE: Moonstruck. (1987, PG) Midnight Late Programs.

6am Shopping. 7.30 Deal Or No Deal. 8.30 Bold. 11.00 Everyday Gourmet With Justine Schofield. 11.30 Becker. Noon Frasier. 1.00 Becker. 1.30 Frasier. 2.30 Friends. (PG, R) 7.30 Two And A Half Men. (Ms, R) 10.30 The Traitors Australia. (PGl, R) Midnight Two And A Half Men. 12.30 Becker. 1.00 Frasier. 2.00 Home Shopping.

NITV (34)

SBS WORLD MOVIES (32)

7MATE (64, 73)

9GO! (82, 93)

10 DRAMA (53, 12)

6am Morning Programs. 1pm Nula. 1.30 Great Blue Wild. 2.20 Over The Black Dot. 2.50 Kindred. 4.30 Anthem Sessions. 5.00 Exile And The Kingdom. 6.00 Bamay. 6.40 The Other Side. 7.30 Alone Australia. 8.40 MOVIE: Seeds. (2024, MA15+) 10.10 MOVIE: Saturday Night Fever. (1977, MA15+) 12.20am The Knowledge Keepers. 12.55 Late Programs.

6am Morning Programs. 12.05pm The Man Who Wasn’t There. (2001, Mav) 2.15 Enigma. (1982, PGasv) 4.10 Limelight. (1952, PGas) 6.40 Paper Planes. (2014) 8.30 The Immigrant. (2014) 10.40 La Maison. (2022, MA15+adnsv, German, English, French) 12.20am Official Secrets. (2019, MA15+l) 2.25 King Of California. (2007, Mal) 4.05 Aftersun. (2022, Mals)

6am Morning Programs. 2pm Rides Down Under: Aussie Truckers. 3.00 Motor Racing. Night Thunder. Krikke Boys Shootout. Replay. 4.00 Deep Water Salvage. 5.00 Counting Cars. 5.30 American Pickers. 6.30 AFL Pre-Game. 7.00 Pawn Stars. 7.30 MOVIE: Anger Management. (2003, M) 9.40 MOVIE: Violent Night. (2022, MA15+) Midnight Late Programs.

6am Morning Programs. 1pm Seinfeld. 1.30 Motor Racing. FIA World Endurance C’ship. Lone Star Le Mans. H’lights. 2.30 Soccer. English Premier League. Everton v Manchester United. 4.30 The Dog House UK. 5.30 MOVIE: Flight Of The Navigator. (1986) 7.30 MOVIE: Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom. (2023, M) 9.50 TBA. 12.30am Late Programs.

6am Shopping. 9.00 Reel Action. 9.30 The Traitors Australia. 11.00 Roads Less Travelled. 11.30 Building The Dream. 12.30pm The Living Room. 2.30 JAG. 4.30 Reel Action. 5.00 Escape Fishing With ET. 5.30 JAG. 7.30 NCIS. (Mv, R) 10.20 JAG. (PGa, R) 12.15am Home Shopping.

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Sunday, September 13 ABC TV (2)

SBS (3)

SEVEN (6, 7)

NINE (8, 9)

TEN (5, 10)

6am Morning Programs. 10.30 World This Week. (R) 11.00 Compass. (PG, R) 11.30 Praise. (R) 12.00 News. 12.30 Landline. 1.30 Gardening Aust. (R) 2.15 Portrait Artist Of The Year. (PG, R) 3.10 End Game With Tony Armstrong. (Final, PG, R) 4.00 Creative Types. (PG, R) 4.30 Amanda & Alan’s Italian Job. (R) 5.00 Take 5. (PG, R) 5.30 Back Roads. (R)

6am Morning Programs. 9.00 DD India News Hour. 10.05 UAE From Above. (R) 11.05 Wonders Of The World I Can’t See. (PGls, R) 12.00 WorldWatch. 1.00 Speedweek. 3.00 Cycling. Tour of Britain. Women’s. H’lights. 4.00 Going Places. (PGa, R) 4.30 Cycling. UCI World Tour. La Vuelta. H’lights. 5.35 War Trains. (PG)

6.00 NBC Today. 7.00 Weekend Sunrise. 10.00 Morning Show. (PG) 12.00 Obesity Is A Disease. (PGa) 12.30 Jabba’s Movies School Holiday Special. (PGav, R) 1.00 Football. AFL Women’s. Richmond v St Kilda. 3.00 Football. AFL Women’s. North Melbourne v Carlton. 5.00 Seven News At 5. 5.30 Border Security: International. (PG, R)

6.00 Hello SA. (PG, R) 6.30 The Garden Gurus. (R) 7.00 Weekend Today. 10.00 AFL Sunday Footy Show. (PG) 12.00 Wide World Of Sports. (PG) 1.00 The Block. (PGl, R) Cheating allegations are made. 3.30 Rugby League. NRL Finals. Second elimination final.

6am Morning Programs. 9.30 GCBC. (R) 10.00 Good Food Everyday. (PGa, R) 10.30 Frugal Foodie. (R) 11.00 Farm To Fork. (R) 11.30 Deal Or No Deal. (PG, R) 12.00 Millionaire Hot Seat. (PG, R) 12.30 Gogglebox Aust. (ls, R) 1.30 The Traitors Australia. (PGl, R) 3.00 The Finish Line. (R) 4.00 Lingo. (R) 5.00 News.

6.00 Antiques Roadshow. (R) 7.00 ABC News. A look at the top stories of the day. 7.30 Portrait Artist Of The Year. (PG) Nine artists create celebrity portraits. 8.20 The Cage. (Ml) Gary forces Leanne to make a difficult decision. Matty buckles under the pressure of Ning’s request. 9.10 Falling. (Ml) David wrestles with his feelings while Anna realises how much things have changed for her. 9.55 Grantchester. (Mv, R) Armed robbers storm CeCe’s Boutique. 10.40 Father Brown. (PGv, R) 11.30 Rage. (MA15+adhlnsv) 2.30 Midsomer Murders. (Mv, R) 4.00 Antiques Roadshow. (R) 5.00 Insiders. (R)

6.30 SBS World News. 7.30 9/11: The Unseen Tapes. (Mal) 9.15 Castle Secrets: The Warlock, Joan Of Arc, A Fortress In The Holy Land. (Mav, R) 10.10 Kennedy: A Legacy (June 1963-November 1963) (PGa, R) 11.00 The Truth About Anxiety With Celia Pacquola. (Mad, R) 12.10 Jonathan Ross’ Myths And Legends: Northern England. (PGa, R) 3.45 Prince’s Master Crafters Next Generation. (R) 4.35 Bamay. (R) 5.00 NHK World English News Morning. 5.15 Euronews. 5.30 PBS News Horizons.

6.00 Seven News. 7.00 The Voice. (PGal) 8.40 7NEWS Spotlight. Focuses on long-form investigations. 9.40 Poisoned. (MA15+a) The investigation uncovers more deaths. 10.50 24 Hours In Police Custody: Left For Dead. (Madl, R) 12.00 Motor Racing. Supercars Championship. Round 10. AirTouch 500. Highlights. From The Bend Motorsport Park, Tailem Bend, South Australia. 2.00 Home Shopping. (R) 3.00 NFL. Week 1. 4.00 NBC Today. 5.00 Sunrise Early News. 5.30 Sunrise.

6.00 9News Sunday. 7.00 The Block. (PGl) 8.40 60 Minutes. Current affairs program, investigating, analysing and uncovering the issues affecting all Australians. 9.40 9News Late. 10.10 The First 48: Out Of The Darkness. (MA15+av) 11.10 Murder In The 21st: Tainted Love. (Mav) 12.00 I Survived A Crime. (MA15+lv) 12.30 Tycoons Down Under: Rise. (PGl, R) 1.30 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R) 4.00 Skippy The Bush Kangaroo. (R) 4.30 Destination WA. (R) 5.00 Today Early News. 5.30 Today.

6.30 10 News+. Comprehensive coverage of the day’s top stories, investigative reports and stories that haven’t been heard. 7.00 Gogglebox Australia. TV fanatics open up their living rooms to reveal their reactions to popular and topical TV shows. 8.00 Watson. (Ma) Watson and the fellows fight to revive a 30-year-old woman after her heart inexplicably stops. 9.00 FBI. (Madv) Jubal and the team try to rescue the kidnapped son of a basketball team owner. 12.00 10 News+. (R) Hosted by Denham Hitchcock and Amelia Brace. 12.30 Home Shopping. (R)

ABC FAMILY (22)

SBS2 (31)

7TWO (62, 72)

9GEM (81, 92)

10 COMEDY (52, 11)

6am Children’s Programs. 2.35pm Fizzy And Suds. 3.00 Play School. 3.25 The Smeds And The Smoos. 4.15 Stan & Gran. 5.20 Tiddler. 5.45 Iron Man And His Awesome Friends. 6.25 Zog. 7.05 Do Not Watch This Show. 7.30 The Inbestigators. 7.45 The Lady Grace Mysteries. (Final) 8.10 Jaguars Vs Crocs. (Premiere) 8.55 Animal Park. 10.25 Late Programs.

6am Morning Programs. Noon Motorcycle Racing. World Superbike C’ship. Acerbis French Round. 1.00 MOVIE: Memphis Belle. (1990, M) 3.00 MOVIE: Watandar, My Countryman. (2022, PG) 4.25 WorldWatch. 5.50 Bermuda Triangle: Into Cursed Waters. 6.40 Abandoned Engineering. 8.30 The Dropout. (Premiere) 10.30 The UnXplained. 12.10am Late Programs.

6am Morning Programs. 11.30 Escape To The Country. 12.30pm Malaysia Kitchen. 1.00 Harry’s Practice. 1.30 Better Homes. 2.40 The Yorkshire Vet. 3.40 My Greek Odyssey. 4.40 World’s Most Scenic Railway Journeys. 5.40 Escape To The Country. 6.40 Vicar Of Dibley. 8.30 Vera. 10.30 Genius: Picasso. 11.30 Vicar Of Dibley. 1.20am Harry’s Practice. 2.00 Late Programs.

6am Morning Programs. Noon Rugby League. NRL Women’s Premiership. Broncos v NZ Warriors. 1.45 Rugby League. NRL Women’s Premiership. Knights v Titans. 3.30 Skippy. 4.00 Keeping Up Appearances. 4.30 Poirot. 5.30 Agatha Christie’s Marple. 7.30 TBA. 8.30 Paramedics. 9.30 Emergency. 10.30 Cold Case. 11.30 Poirot. 12.30am My Favorite Martian. 1.00 Late Programs.

6am Shopping. 7.30 Deal Or No Deal. 9.30 Lingo. 11.30 Becker. Noon Frasier. 1.00 Becker. (PG, R) 1.30 Frasier. (PGa, R) 2.30 Friends. (PG, R) 7.30 Two And A Half Men. (PGs, R) 10.30 The Traitors Australia. (PGl, R) Midnight Becker. 12.30 Frasier. 1.30 Home Shopping.

NITV (34)

SBS WORLD MOVIES (32)

7MATE (64, 73)

9GO! (82, 93)

10 DRAMA (53, 12)

6am Morning Programs. 1.40pm Football. West Kimberley Football League. Grand final. Cable Beach v Peninsula Bombers. Replay. 3.15 Johnny Warren’s Football Mission. 4.15 MOVIE: Gurrumul. (2017, PG) 6.00 Bamay. 6.40 Great Blue Wild. 7.30 Extraordinary Animals. 8.30 Like My Brother. 10.15 MOVIE: Million Dollar Baby. (2004, M) 12.35am Late Programs.

6am Morning Programs. 12.05pm King Of California. (2007, Mal) 1.45 The Magic Of Belle Isle. (2012, PGals) 3.45 The Red Shoes. (1948, PG) 6.15 The Last Time I Saw Paris. (1954, PGa) 8.30 The Darjeeling Limited. (2007, Mals) 10.15 The Problem With People. (2023, Mls) 12.10am Grand Ecole. (2004, MA15+ansv, French) 2.15 Late Programs.

6am Morning Programs. Noon The Fishing Show By AFN. 1.00 Fishing Addiction. 2.00 Red’s Fishing Adventures. 2.30 Fish’n Mates. 3.00 Air Crash Inv. 4.00 Deep Water Salvage. 5.00 Counting Cars. 6.00 Border Security USA. 6.30 Border Security: Int. 7.00 Border Security. 8.30 MOVIE: Jurassic Park III. (2001, M) 10.30 MOVIE: Godzilla. (1998, PG) 1.20am Late Programs.

6am Morning Programs. 12.20pm Soccer. English Premier League. Arsenal v Chelsea. 2.20 LEGO Masters Aust Vs World. 4.00 The Toys That Built The World. 5.00 Cards And Collectables Australia. 5.30 MOVIE: National Lampoon’s European Vacation. (1985, PG) 7.30 MOVIE: Godzilla. (2014, M) 10.00 MOVIE: Kong: Skull Island. (2017, M) 12.25am Bel-Air. 1.20 Late Programs.

6am Shopping. 7.30 Leading The Way. 8.00 Building The Dream. 9.00 Roads Less Travelled. 9.30 The Traitors Australia. 11.00 Escape Fishing. 11.30 Building The Dream. 12.30pm What’s Up Down Under. 1.30 Buy To Build. 2.00 JAG. 4.00 Pooches At Play. 4.30 Bondi Rescue. 5.00 I Fish. 5.30 JAG. 7.30 NCIS. 10.20 Fire Country. 11.15 JAG. 1.15am Shopping.

14 GEELONG INDEPENDENT Friday, 11 September, 2026

Monday, September 14 ABC TV (2)

SBS (3)

SEVEN (6, 7)

NINE (8, 9)

TEN (5, 10)

6.00 News Breakfast. 9.00 News. 10.00 Joanna Lumley’s Danube. (PG, R) 10.45 Father Brown. (PG, R) 11.35 Nigella Bites. (R) 12.00 ABC News At Noon. 1.00 Landline. (R) 2.00 Parliament Question Time. 3.00 Fake Or Fortune? (R) 4.00 Murdoch Mysteries. (PGa) 4.45 Long Lost Family. (PG, R) 5.30 Antiques Roadshow. (R)

6am Morning Programs. 9.00 DD India News Hour. 10.10 Such Was Life. (PG, R) 10.25 Vintage Voltage. (R) 11.15 Kew Gardens: Season By Season. (R) 12.10 WorldWatch. 2.00 DNA Family Secrets. (PG, R) 3.05 Going Places. (R) 3.35 The Cook Up. (R) 4.05 Jeopardy! 4.30 Letters And Numbers. (R) 5.00 Cycling. UCI World Tour. La Vuelta. H’lights.

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. 4.00 Seven News At 4. 5.00 The Chase Australia.

6.00 Today. 9.00 Today Extra. (PG) 11.30 9News Morning. 12.00 The Block. (PGl, R) 1.30 Getaway. (PG, R) 2.00 Pointless. (PG, R) 3.00 Tipping Point. (PG, R) 4.00 9News Afternoon. 4.30 Tipping Point Australia. (PG) 5.00 [MELB] Tipping Point Australia. (PG) 5.30 WIN News.

6am Morning Programs. 7.30 Everyday Gourmet. (R) 8.00 Lingo. (R) 9.00 The Finish Line. (R) 10.00 Farm To Fork. (R) 10.30 Ent. Tonight. (R) 11.00 Gogglebox Aust. (ls, R) 12.00 Everyday Gourmet. 12.30 Millionaire Hot Seat. (PG, R) 1.00 News. 2.00 Deal Or No Deal. (PG, R) 2.30 The Finish Line. (R) 3.30 Lingo. (R) 4.30 Bold. (PG) 5.00 News.

6.30 Hard Quiz: Battle Of The Fuddy Duds. (PGs, R) 7.00 ABC News. 7.30 7.30. 8.00 Australian Story. Australians tell personal stories. 8.30 ABC National Forum. Hosted by David Speers. 9.50 Media Watch. (PG) 10.10 Planet America. 10.45 Foreign Correspondent. (R) 11.15 ABC Late News. 11.30 The Business. (R) 11.45 Murdoch Mysteries. (PGa, R) 12.35 Long Lost Family. (PG, R) 1.20 Parliament Question Time. 2.20 Rage. (MA15+adhlnsv) 2.40 Gardening Australia. (R) 3.40 Love Your Garden. (R) 4.30 Antiques Roadshow. (R) 5.30 7.30. (R)

6.00 Mastermind Australia. (R) 6.30 SBS World News. 7.35 Bill Bailey’s Vietnam Adventure. (PG, R) Bill Bailey heads to the nation’s capital Hanoi. 8.30 24 Hours In Emergency: The Strength Within. (Ma) A 23-year-old is treated after a fall from a horse. 9.30 Alone Australia. (Ml, R) Deep winter finally arrives. 10.35 SBS World News Late. 11.05 Gomorrah: The Origins. (Mlv) 1.10 Fargo. (Malv, R) 2.50 Prince’s Master Crafters Next Generation. (PG, R) 4.30 Bamay: Western Australia Cape To Cape Pt 1. (R) 5.00 NHK World English News Morning. 5.30 ANC Philippines The World Tonight.

6.00 Seven News. 7.00 Home And Away. (PGa) 7.30 The Voice. (PG) On night two of the quarter-finals, artists from Team Melanie C and Team Kate battle for a coveted spot in the semi-finals. 9.10 The Rookie. (Mav) The team looks to recruit new members. 10.10 The Agenda Setters. (R) An expert panel tackles the biggest AFL topics. 11.10 The Agenda Setters: Rugby League. An expert panel tackles the biggest rugby league topics. 12.10 Transplant. (MA15+a, R) Bash tries to celebrate Eid with his sister. 1.10 Harry’s Practice. (R) 2.00 Home Shopping. (R) 4.00 NBC Today. 5.00 Sunrise Early News. 5.30 Sunrise.

6.00 9News. 7.00 A Current Affair. 7.30 The Block. (PGl) The teams start working on the heart of their homes. 8.40 Footy Classified. (Ml) A team of footy experts tackles the AFL’s big issues and controversies. 9.40 Players. (Ml) Three of the AFL’s biggest stars talk about all the news on and off the field. 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.

6.30 Deal Or No Deal. (PG) Hosted by Grant Denyer. 7.00 Millionaire Hot Seat. (PG) Six contestants answer multiple-choice questions that escalate in cash-prize value. 7.30 Deal Or No Deal: Celebrity Jackpot. (PG) Comedic partners Anne Edmonds and Lloyd Langford are pitted against the miserly banker. 8.40 Have You Been Paying Attention? (Malns) Celebrity panellists compete to see who can remember the most about events of the week. 9.40 10’s Late News. Comprehensive coverage of local, national and international news, as well as the latest sport and weather. 10.40 Two And A Half Men. (M, R) Charlie’s pick-up lines stop working. 12.00 Home Shopping. (R)

ABC FAMILY (22)

SBS2 (31)

7TWO (62, 72)

9GEM (81, 92)

10 COMEDY (52, 11)

6am Children’s Programs. 3pm Play School. 3.35 Fizzy And Suds. 4.00 Andy’s Global Adventures. 4.30 SuperKitties. 5.15 Octonauts. 5.50 PJ Masks Power Heroes. 6.05 Spidey And His Amazing Friends. 7.05 Batwheels. 7.35 Ninjago. 8.00 Young Sheldon. 8.25 Young Sheldon. 8.45 Secrets Of The Zoo. 9.30 Hard Quiz Kids. 10.00 Late Programs.

6am Morning Programs. Noon France 24 English News. 12.30 Jimmy Carr’s I Literally Just Told You. 2.30 Stories From The Cities. 3.00 Over The Black Dot. 3.30 WorldWatch. 5.30 Alone Denmark. (Final) 6.40 Jeopardy! 7.35 8 Out Of 10 Cats. 8.30 Scrabble. (Premiere) 9.20 Shaun Micallef’s Origin Odyssey. 10.30 The Airport Chaplain. 11.30 The Americans. 1.20am Late Programs.

6am Morning Programs. Noon Better Homes. 1.00 My Greek Odyssey. 2.00 Weekender. 2.30 Auction Squad. 3.30 Harry’s Practice. 4.00 Medical Emergency. 4.30 Better Homes. 5.30 Escape To The Country. 6.30 Bargain Hunt. 7.30 Doc Martin. 8.30 A Touch Of Frost. 10.10 Mighty Ships. 11.10 Escape To The Country. 12.10am Bargain Hunt. 1.10 Late Programs.

6am Morning Programs. 11.30 My Favorite Martian. Noon Poirot. 1.00 Agatha Christie’s Marple. 3.00 Antiques Roadshow. 3.30 MOVIE: I Believe In You. (1952, PG) 5.30 The Travelling Auctioneers. 6.30 Antiques Roadshow. 7.30 Death In Paradise. 8.40 The Brokenwood Mysteries. 10.40 Rizzoli & Isles. 11.40 Poirot. 12.40am Antiques Roadshow. 1.10 Creflo. 1.40 Late Programs.

6am Morning Programs. 8.30 Ent. Tonight. 9.00 GCBC. 9.30 Farm To Fork. 10.00 Bold. 10.30 Deal Or No Deal. 11.00 Lingo. Noon The Traitors Australia. 1.30 Friends. 3.00 Frasier. 4.00 Everyday Gourmet. 4.30 Becker. 5.00 Frasier. 6.00 Friends. 8.00 Two And A Half Men. 9.30 Becker. 10.00 Frasier. 11.00 Ridiculousness. 11.30 Ent. Tonight. Midnight Shopping. 2.30 Bold. 3.30 Shopping.

NITV (34)

SBS WORLD MOVIES (32)

7MATE (64, 73)

9GO! (82, 93)

10 DRAMA (53, 12)

6am Morning Programs. 1.45pm Stompem Ground 2022: TSI Dancers. 2.00 Kriol Kitchen. 2.30 The Cook Up. 3.00 Jarjums. 4.30 Dreaming Big. 5.00 Ocean Warriors: Mission Ready. 5.30 The 77 Percent. 6.00 Bamay. 6.40 Great Blue Wild. 7.30 Who Do You Think You Are? 8.30 Living Black. 9.00 Dream Whisperer. 10.00 MOVIE: Finding Forrester. (2000, M) 12.25am Late Programs.

6am Morning Programs. 12.15pm Aftersun. (2022, Mals) 2.10 Delfin. (2019, PGa, Spanish) 3.50 Lassie: A New Adventure. (2023, PG, German) 5.30 Somewhere In Time. (1980, PGalv) 7.30 Dangerous Liaisons. (1988, Masv) 9.45 Funny Games. (1997, MA15+av, German) 11.45 Doctor Sleep. (2019, MA15+av) 2.30am Late Programs.

6am Morning Programs. 1.30pm Rides Down Under: Aussie Truckers. 2.30 Motor Racing. Supercars C’ship. AirTouch 500. 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.

6am Morning Programs. 11.40 World’s Greatest Animal Encounters. 12.40pm MOVIE: Engaged To Be Murdered. (2023, M) 2.30 Baywatch. 3.30 Seinfeld. 4.30 Addams Family. 5.30 Bewitched. 6.30 Baywatch. 7.30 Seinfeld. 8.30 MOVIE: Vacation. (2015, MA15+) 10.30 Seinfeld. 11.30 Jane The Virgin. 12.20am Love Island UK: All Stars. 1.20 Legacies. 2.10 Late Programs.

6am Shopping. 8.00 Days Of Our Lives. 8.45 The Young And The Restless. 9.30 Living Room. 10.30 Building The Dream. 11.30 Bold. Noon Days Of Our Lives. 12.45 The Young And The Restless. 1.30 JAG. 3.30 Bull. 4.30 JAG. 6.30 Bull. 7.30 NCIS. (M, R) 10.20 Bull. (PGad, R) 11.15 JAG. 1.15am Shopping.

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Tuesday, September 15 ABC TV (2)

SBS (3)

SEVEN (6, 7)

NINE (8, 9)

TEN (5, 10)

6.00 News Breakfast. 9.00 News. 10.00 Australian Story. (R) 10.30 Planet America. (R) 11.05 Tampa: The Turning Point. (PGa, R) 12.00 ABC News At Noon. 1.00 Grantchester. (Mv, R) 2.00 Parliament Question Time. 3.00 Fake Or Fortune? (R) 4.00 Murdoch Mysteries. (PGa) 4.45 Long Lost Family. (PG, R) 5.30 Antiques Roadshow. (R)

6am Morning Programs. 9.15 For The Love Of Dogs. (PGa, R) 10.15 Vintage Voltage. (R) 11.10 Kew Gardens: Season By Season. (R) 12.00 WorldWatch. 2.00 DNA Family Secrets. (PG, R) 3.05 Going Places. (R) 3.35 The Cook Up. (R) 4.05 Pharaohs Of The Two Lands. (R) 5.05 Jeopardy! 5.30 Letters And Numbers. (R)

6.00 Sunrise. 9.00 The Morning Show. (PG) 12.00 Seven’s National News At Noon. 1.00 Bridge Of Lies: Celebrity Specials. (R) 2.00 Bridge Of Lies. (R) 3.00 The Chase. 4.00 Seven News At 4. 5.00 The Chase Australia.

6.00 Today. 9.00 Today Extra. (PG) 11.30 9News Morning. 12.00 The Block. (PGl, R) 1.00 Ski Rescue Down Under. (PGal, 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.

6am Morning Programs. 8.00 Lingo. (R) 9.00 The Finish Line. (R) 10.00 Farm To Fork. (R) 10.30 Ent. Tonight. (R) 11.00 Deal Or No Deal: Celebrity Jackpot. (PG, R) 12.00 Everyday Gourmet. 12.30 Millionaire Hot Seat. (PG, R) 1.00 News. 2.00 Deal Or No Deal. (R) 2.30 The Finish Line. (R) 3.30 Lingo. (R) 4.30 Bold. (PG) 5.00 News.

6.30 Hard Quiz. (PGs, R) 7.00 ABC News. 7.30 7.30. 8.00 Foreign Correspondent. 8.30 Tampa: The Turning Point. (Final, PG) 9.20 I Was Actually There. (PG, R) 9.50 Take 5 With Zan Rowe. (PG, R) 10.20 ABC Late News. 10.35 The Business. (R) 10.50 ABC National Forum. (R) 12.15 Media Watch. (PG, R) 12.30 Murdoch Mysteries. (PGa, R) 1.15 Parliament Question Time. 2.15 Rage. (MA15+dhlnsv) 2.40 Gardening Australia. (R) 3.40 Love Your Garden. (R) 4.30 Antiques Roadshow. (R) 5.30 7.30. (R)

6.00 Mastermind Australia. (PG, R) 6.30 SBS World News. 7.30 Shaun Micallef’s Origin Odyssey: Kate Langbroek In Jamaica. (PGad) 8.30 Insight. (R) Presented by Kumi Taguchi. 9.30 Dateline: Albania’s Luxury Tourism Turmoil. 10.00 SBS World News Late. 10.30 The Point. (R) 11.30 Mussolini: Son Of The Century. (Malv) 12.30 Atlantic Crossing. (PGa, R) 2.35 The Doll Factory. (MA15+l, R) 4.30 Bamay. (R) 5.00 NHK World English News Morning. 5.30 ANC Philippines The World Tonight.

6.00 Seven News. 7.00 Home And Away. (PGa) 7.30 First Dates Australia. (Mls) 8.30 Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares USA. (MA15+l) Gordon Ramsay continues to help the lost owners of Iberville Cuisine in the French Quarter of New Orleans. 9.30 House Of Wellness. (Return, PG) Insights and experiences that highlight living well. 10.30 The Agenda Setters. (R) 11.30 Happy’s Place. (PGals) 12.00 The Path. (MA15+adlv) 1.00 Harry’s Practice. (R) 2.00 Home Shopping. (R) 4.00 NBC Today. 5.00 Sunrise Early News. 5.30 Sunrise.

6.00 9News. 7.00 A Current Affair. 7.30 The Block. (PGl) The teams prepare for kitchen installations. 8.40 Travel Guides. (PGl, R) The travel guides head to Los Angeles, where they take in Hollywood and the Walk of Fame. 10.10 Footy Classified. (Ml) 11.10 9News Late. 11.40 Outback Opal Hunters. (PGl) 12.40 Tipping Point. (PG, R) 1.30 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R) 2.30 Let’s Eat With George. (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.

6.30 Deal Or No Deal. (PG) Hosted by Grant Denyer. 7.00 Millionaire Hot Seat. (PG) Hosted by Rebecca Gibney. 7.30 Sydney Harbour Cops. (Premiere, Ma) Follows the NSW Police Marine Area Command as they police Sydney Harbour and the local waterways. 8.30 The Cheap Seats. (Mal) Presenters Melanie Bracewell and Tim McDonald take a look at the week that was. 9.30 10’s Late News. Comprehensive coverage of local, national and international news, as well as the latest sport and weather. 10.30 Two And A Half Men. (PG, R) Alan forbids Evelyn to see Jake. 12.00 Home Shopping. (R)

ABC FAMILY (22)

SBS2 (31)

7TWO (62, 72)

9GEM (81, 92)

10 COMEDY (52, 11)

6am Children’s Programs. 3pm Play School. 3.25 Wiggle. 4.00 Andy’s Global Adventures. 4.30 SuperKitties. 5.15 Octonauts. 5.50 PJ Masks Power Heroes. 6.05 Spidey And His Amazing Friends. 7.05 Batwheels. 7.35 Ninjago. 8.00 Young Sheldon. 8.25 Young Sheldon. 8.45 Secrets Of The Zoo. 9.30 Harry Potter: Wizards Of Baking. 10.10 Late Programs.

6am Morning Programs. Noon DW The Day. 12.30 Jimmy Carr’s I Literally Just Told You. 2.20 Stories From The Cities. 3.15 Inside The Huddle. 3.50 WorldWatch. 5.45 Alone Belgium. (Premiere) 6.40 Jeopardy! 7.35 8 Out Of 10 Cats. 8.30 MOVIE: Practical Magic. (1998, M) 10.25 MOVIE: Point Break. (1991, M) 12.35am Icons Unearthed: Tom Cruise. 1.30 Brassic. 3.15 Late Programs.

6am Morning Programs. Noon Better Homes. 1.00 Escape To The Country. 2.00 Creek To Coast. 2.30 Mighty Ships. 3.30 Harry’s Practice. 4.00 Medical Emergency. 4.30 Better Homes. 5.30 Escape To The Country. 6.30 Bargain Hunt. 7.30 Call The Midwife. 8.45 Inspector Morse. 11.05 Escape To The Country. 12.05am Bargain Hunt. 1.05 Late Programs.

6am Morning Programs. 11.30 My Favorite Martian. Noon Death In Paradise. 1.00 The Brokenwood Mysteries. 3.00 Antiques Roadshow. 3.30 MOVIE: The Bridal Path. (1959) 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 Antiques Roadshow. 1.10 Creflo. 1.40 Late Programs.

6am Morning Programs. 8.30 Ent. Tonight. 9.00 GCBC. 9.30 Farm To Fork. 10.00 Bold. 10.30 Deal Or No Deal. 11.00 Lingo. Noon The Traitors Australia. 1.30 Friends. 3.00 Frasier. 4.00 Everyday Gourmet. 4.30 Becker. 5.00 Frasier. 6.00 Friends. 8.00 Two And A Half Men. 9.30 Becker. 10.00 Frasier. 11.00 Ridiculousness. 11.30 Ent. Tonight. Midnight Shopping. 2.30 Bold. 3.30 Shopping.

NITV (34)

SBS WORLD MOVIES (32)

7MATE (64, 73)

9GO! (82, 93)

10 DRAMA (53, 12)

6am Morning Programs. 1pm Dream Whisperer. 2.00 Kriol Kitchen. 2.30 The Cook Up. 3.00 Jarjums. 4.30 Dreaming Big. 5.00 Ocean Warriors: Mission Ready. 5.30 Indian Country Today News. 6.00 Bamay. 6.40 Great Blue Wild. 7.30 The Point. 8.00 The First Inventors. 8.55 MOVIE: Waiting To Exhale. (1995, M) 11.05 Backs To The Blast. Midnight Late Programs.

6am Morning Programs. 12.10pm The Problem With People. (2023, Mls) 2.05 The Last Time I Saw Paris. (1954, PGa) 4.20 The Crow’s Egg. (2014, PGa, Tamil) 6.00 Where The Money Is. (2000, PGasv) 7.35 Risky Business. (1983, Malns) 9.30 Romper Stomper. (1992, MA15+lsvw) 11.15 May December. (2023, MA15+as) 1.20am Late Programs.

6am Morning Programs. 12.30pm Tougher In Alaska. 1.30 Aussie Gold Hunters. 2.30 Gem Hunters Down Under. 3.30 Engineering Disasters. 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. 9.30 Outback Truckers. 10.30 Heavy Tow Truckers Down Under. 11.30 Late Programs.

6am Morning Programs. 11.40 World’s Greatest Animal Encounters. 12.40pm MOVIE: You Killed My Mother. (2017, M) 2.30 Baywatch. 3.30 Seinfeld. 4.30 Addams Family. 5.30 Bewitched. 6.30 Baywatch. 7.30 Seinfeld. 8.30 MOVIE: Rush Hour. (1998, M) 10.30 Seinfeld. 11.30 Jane The Virgin. 12.20am Love Island UK: All Stars. 1.15 Legacies. 2.05 Late Programs.

6am Shopping. 8.00 Days Of Our Lives. 8.45 The Young And The Restless. 9.30 Living Room. 10.30 Building The Dream. 11.30 Bold. Noon Days Of Our Lives. 12.45 The Young And The Restless. 1.30 JAG. 3.30 Bull. 4.30 JAG. 6.30 Bull. 7.30 NCIS. (Mv, R) 10.20 Bull. (PGa, R) 11.15 JAG. 1.15am Shopping.

Friday, 11 September, 2026 GEELONG INDEPENDENT 15

Wednesday, September 16 ABC TV (2)

SBS (3)

SEVEN (6, 7)

NINE (8, 9)

TEN (5, 10)

6.00 News Breakfast. 9.00 News. 10.00 ABC National Forum. (R) 11.20 Foreign Correspondent. (R) 12.00 News. 12.30 National Press Club Address. 1.35 Media Watch. (PG, R) 2.00 Parliament Question Time. 3.00 Fake Or Fortune? (Final, PG, R) 4.00 Murdoch Mysteries. (PG, R) 4.45 Long Lost Family. (PG, R) 5.30 Antiques Roadshow. (R)

6am Morning Programs. 8.00 DD India News Hour. 9.20 For The Love Of Dogs. (PGa, R) 10.20 Vintage Voltage. (PG, R) 11.10 Kew Gardens: Season By Season. (R) 12.00 WorldWatch. 2.00 Dateline. (R) 2.30 Insight. (R) 3.30 The Cook Up. (R) 4.00 Who Do You Think You Are? (PGa, R) 5.05 Jeopardy! 5.30 Letters And Numbers. (R)

6.00 Sunrise. 9.00 The Morning Show. (PG) 12.00 Seven’s National News At Noon. 1.00 Bridge Of Lies: Celebrity Specials. (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 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. (PG, 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.

6am Morning Programs. 8.00 Lingo. (R) 9.00 The Finish Line. (R) 10.00 Farm To Fork. (R) 10.30 Ent. Tonight. (R) 11.00 Building The Dream. (R) 12.00 Everyday Gourmet. 12.30 Millionaire Hot Seat. (PG, R) 1.00 News. 2.00 Deal Or No Deal. (PG, R) 2.30 The Finish Line. (R) 3.30 Lingo. (R) 4.30 Bold. (PG) 5.00 News.

6.30 Hard Quiz. (PGs, R) 7.00 ABC News. 7.30 7.30. 8.00 Hard Quiz. (PGa) Hosted by Tom Gleeson. 8.30 Spicks And Specks. (PGl) Hosted by comedian Adam Hills. 9.00 Small Town Scandal. (Ma, R) Toby has dinner with his old crush. 9.50 Planet America. (R) 10.20 ABC Late News. 10.35 The Business. (R) 10.50 The Cage. (Ml, R) 11.40 Murdoch Mysteries. (Ma, R) 12.20 Long Lost Family. (PG, R) 1.05 Parliament Question Time. 2.10 Rage. (MA15+adhlnsv) 2.40 Gardening Australia. (R) 3.40 Love Your Garden. (R) 4.30 Antiques Roadshow. (R) 5.30 7.30. (R)

6.00 Mastermind Australia. (R) 6.30 SBS World News. 7.30 Dirty Dancing: The Phenomenon. Looks at the film Dirty Dancing. 8.30 The Airport Chaplain. (Ml) When two parentless kids show up at the airport, Tobias and Cath soon realise that something is off. 9.35 Apollo Has Fallen. (Premiere) An MI6 agent and an ex-officer must stop a plot to unleash a deadly virus across Europe. 10.30 SBS World News Late. 11.00 The Congregation. (Final, Malv) 11.55 A Body That Works. (Ml, R) 3.00 Prince’s Master Crafters Next Generation. (PG, R) 5.00 NHK World English News Morning. 5.30 ANC Philippines The World Tonight.

6.00 Seven News. 7.00 Home And Away. (PGa) The Fowler family comes together. 7.30 The 1% Club UK. (PG, R) Hosted by Lee Mack. 8.30 The Front Bar. (Ml) Hosts Sam Pang, Mick Molloy and Andy Maher take a lighter look at all things AFL. 9.30 Unfiltered. (PG) Hamish McLachlan sits down with key football stars and personalities to reveal their stories. 10.00 The Agenda Setters. (R) 11.00 Stumble. (PGal) 11.30 Happy’s Place. (PGal) 12.00 The Fear Index. (MA15+asv) 1.00 Harry’s Practice. (R) 2.00 Home Shopping. (R) 4.00 NBC Today. 5.00 Sunrise Early News. 5.30 Sunrise.

6.00 9News. 7.00 A Current Affair. 7.30 The Block. (PGl) 8.40 70 Years Of Television: Pt 2. Looks at Australia’s most-loved programs. 9.55 9News Late. 10.25 The Assassination Of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story. (Premiere, MA15+alvv) 11.30 Accused: Guilty Or Innocent? (MA15+av) 12.20 Tipping Point. (PG, R) 1.10 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.

6.30 Deal Or No Deal. (PG, R) Hosted by Grant Denyer. 7.00 Millionaire Hot Seat. (PG) Six contestants answer multiple-choice questions that escalate in cash-prize value. 7.30 To Be Advised. 8.30 Boston Blue. (Mav) A shooting at the church pulls Lena and Danny into the past of one of Reverend Peters’ associates. 9.30 10’s Late News. Comprehensive coverage of local, national and international news, as well as the latest sport and weather. 10.30 The Cheap Seats. (Mal, R) Presented by Melanie Bracewell and Tim McDonald. 11.30 Two And A Half Men. (PGls, R) Charlie injures himself. 12.00 Home Shopping. (R)

ABC FAMILY (22)

SBS2 (31)

7TWO (62, 72)

9GEM (81, 92)

10 COMEDY (52, 11)

6am Children’s Programs. 3pm Play School. 3.35 Fizzy And Suds. 4.00 Andy’s Global Adventures. 4.30 SuperKitties. 5.15 Octonauts. 5.50 PJ Masks Power Heroes. 6.05 Spidey And His Amazing Friends. 7.05 Batwheels. 7.35 Ninjago. 8.00 Young Sheldon. 8.25 Young Sheldon. 8.45 Secrets Of The Zoo. 9.25 The Piano. 10.15 Late Programs.

6am Morning Programs. Noon DW The Day. 12.30 Jimmy Carr’s I Literally Just Told You. 2.20 Stories From The Cities. 2.50 Fear Itself With Alex Lee. 3.05 12 Dishes In 12 Hours. 3.45 WorldWatch. 5.45 Alone Belgium. 6.40 Jeopardy! 7.35 8 Out Of 10 Cats. 8.30 Precious Metal: A Love Story. 9.35 Mel Giedroyc: Unforgivable. (Premiere) 10.30 Ramy. 11.30 Late Programs.

6am Morning Programs. Noon Better Homes. 1.00 The Amazing Homemakers. 2.00 Weekender. 2.30 House Calls To The Rescue. 3.30 Harry’s Practice. 4.00 Medical Emergency. 4.30 Better Homes. 5.30 Escape To The Country. 6.30 Bargain Hunt. 7.30 Heartbeat. 8.45 Foyle’s War. 10.55 Escape To The Country. 11.55 Bargain Hunt. 12.55am Late Programs.

6am Morning Programs. Noon Rugby League. NRL National Schoolgirl Cup. Grand Final. 1.50 Rugby League. NRL National Schoolboy Cup. Grand Final. 3.30 Antiques Downunder. 4.00 Antiques Roadshow. 4.30 Poirot. 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 Late Programs.

6am Morning Programs. 9.00 GCBC. 9.30 Farm To Fork. 10.00 Bold. 10.30 Deal Or No Deal. 11.00 Millionaire Hot Seat. 11.30 Lingo. 12.30pm Becker. 1.00 Friends. 3.00 Frasier. 4.00 Everyday Gourmet. 4.30 Becker. 5.00 Frasier. 6.00 Friends. 8.00 Two And A Half Men. 9.30 Becker. 10.00 Frasier. 11.00 Ridiculousness. 11.30 Ent. Tonight. Midnight Shopping. 2.30 Bold. 3.30 Shopping.

NITV (34)

SBS WORLD MOVIES (32)

7MATE (64, 73)

9GO! (82, 93)

10 DRAMA (53, 12)

6am Morning Programs. 2pm Kriol Kitchen. 2.30 The Cook Up. 3.00 Jarjums. 4.30 Dreaming Big. 5.00 Ocean Warriors: Mission Ready. 5.30 News. 6.00 Bamay. 6.40 Great Blue Wild. 7.30 Friday Night Thunder. 8.30 Pro Bull Riding Australia. 9.30 Over The Black Dot. 10.00 Inside The Huddle. 10.30 MOVIE: Tzouhalem. (2021) 12.15am Late Programs.

6am Morning Programs. 11.35 Dangerous Liaisons. (1988, Masv) 1.50pm Somewhere In Time. (1980, PGalv) 3.50 Open The Wall. (2014, PGal, German) 5.30 The Ipcress File. (1965, PGv) 7.30 Argo. (2012, Mlv) 9.50 The Evil Dead. (1981) 11.30 We’re All Going To The World’s Fair. (2021, Mal) 1.05am House Of The Seasons. (2023, Mal, Japanese, Korean) 3.15 Late Programs.

6am Morning Programs. 11.30 Engineering Disasters. 12.30pm Tougher In Alaska. 1.30 Outback Truckers. 3.30 Engineering Disasters. 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. 9.30 Caught On Dashcam. 10.30 World’s Wildest Police Videos. 12.30am Storage Wars. 1.00 Late Programs.

6am Morning Programs. 11.30 Surfing Aust. Noon MOVIE: Godzilla. (2014, M) 2.30 Baywatch. 3.30 Seinfeld. 4.30 Addams Family. 5.30 Bewitched. 6.30 Baywatch. 7.30 Seinfeld. 8.30 TBA. 10.30 Seinfeld. 11.30 Jane The Virgin. 12.20am Love Island UK: All Stars. 1.15 Legacies. 2.05 Baywatch. 3.00 Surfing Aust. 3.30 Cry Babies Magic Tears. 4.00 Late Programs.

6am Shopping. 8.00 Days Of Our Lives. 8.45 The Young And The Restless. 9.30 Living Room. 10.30 Building The Dream. 11.30 Bold. Noon Days Of Our Lives. 12.45 The Young And The Restless. 1.30 JAG. 3.30 Bull. 4.30 JAG. 6.30 Bull. 7.30 NCIS. (Ma, R) 10.20 Bull. (PGm, R) 11.15 JAG. 1.15am Shopping.

Levy Relief Offer

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*

Enjoy up to five years of support as you settle into life at Armstrong Green. 60 months on new villas 12 months on established homes 1800 777 898 | armstronggreen.com.au | 722–742 Barwon Heads Rd, Armstrong Creek *Offer available on selected villas for contracts completed by 18 December 2026. Terms, conditions and eligibility criteria apply. Charges revert after applicable period.

12898434-KF37-26

Thursday, September 17 ABC TV (2)

SBS (3)

SEVEN (6, 7)

NINE (8, 9)

TEN (5, 10)

6.00 News Breakfast. 9.00 News. 10.00 Hard Quiz. (PGa, R) 10.30 Spicks And Specks. (PGl, R) 11.00 Small Town Scandal. (Ma, R) 12.00 News. 1.00 Falling. (Ml, R) 2.00 Parliament. 3.00 Grand Designs Transformations. (R) 4.00 Frankie Drake Mysteries. (PG) 4.45 Long Lost Family. (PG, R) 5.30 Antiques Roadshow. (R)

6am Morning Programs. 9.10 For The Love Of Dogs. (PGa, R) 10.10 Vintage Voltage. (R) 11.05 Wales: Land Of The Wild. (R) 12.00 WorldWatch. 1.55 Shaun Micallef’s Origin Odyssey. (PGad, R) 3.00 The Cook Up. (R) 3.30 Who Do You Think You Are? (PGa, R) 4.35 Plating Locally. (R) 5.05 Jeopardy! 5.30 Letters And Numbers. (R)

6.00 Sunrise. 9.00 The Morning Show. (PG) 12.00 Seven’s National News At Noon. 1.00 Time Is Money. (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 Today. 9.00 Today Extra. (PG) 11.30 9News Morning. 12.00 The Block. (PGl, R) 1.00 Getaway. (PG, R) 1.30 Destination WA. (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.

6am Morning Programs. 8.00 Lingo. (R) 9.00 The Finish Line. (R) 10.00 Farm To Fork. (R) 10.30 Ent. Tonight. (R) 11.00 Building The Dream. (l, R) 12.00 Everyday Gourmet. 12.30 Millionaire Hot Seat. (PG, R) 1.00 News. 2.00 Deal Or No Deal. (PG, R) 2.30 The Finish Line. (R) 3.30 Lingo. (R) 4.30 Bold. (PG) 5.00 News.

6.30 Hard Quiz. (PGs, R) 7.00 ABC News. 7.30 7.30. 8.00 Back Roads. 8.30 Take 5 With Zan Rowe: Jacinda Ardern. (PGa) 9.00 Amanda & Alan’s Italian Job. 9.30 The Cage. (Ml, R) 10.20 ABC Late News. 10.35 The Business. (R) 10.50 Death Valley. (Ma, R) 11.35 Frankie Drake Mysteries. (PGa, R) 12.25 Long Lost Family. (PG, R) 1.10 Parliament Question Time. 2.10 Rage. (MA15+adhlnsv) 2.40 Gardening Australia. (R) 3.40 Love Your Garden. (R) 4.30 Antiques Roadshow. (R) 5.30 7.30. (R)

6.00 Mastermind Australia. (R) 6.30 SBS World News. 7.35 Hollywood Crime Story. (Premiere) 8.30 9/11: One Day In America: The Cloud. (Ma, R) Survivors are engulfed by a gigantic dust cloud. 9.25 Say Nothing. (MA15+l) 10.20 SBS World News Late. 10.50 Reyka. (MA15+a) 11.45 Prisoner. (MA15+av, R) 2.00 Prince’s Master Crafters Next Generation. (R) 3.45 Along Ancient Tracks. (PG, R) 4.35 Bamay. (R) 5.00 NHK World English News Morning. 5.30 ANC Philippines The World Tonight.

6.00 Seven News. 7.00 Home And Away. (PGa) Remi feels on the outer. 8.30 Air Crash Investigations: Cabin Chaos. (PGa, R) Investigators leap into action when a Chinese airplane lands at a top-secret US Air Force base. 9.30 Hear The Mighty Roar: Brisbane Lions: The Weight Of Expectation. (Ml) The pressure of greatness mounts. 10.50 Kick Ons. 11.20 To Be Advised. 1.00 Mr Robot. (MA15+adlsv, R) 2.00 Home Shopping. (R) 4.00 NBC Today. 5.00 Sunrise Early News. 5.30 Sunrise.

6.00 9News. 7.00 A Current Affair. 7.30 Tipping Point: 70 Years Of TV. (PG) Hosted by Todd Woodbridge. 8.50 John Farnham: Celebrating 60 Years. (Ml, R) A celebration of John Farnham. 10.40 9News Late. 11.10 Chicago Med. (MA15+am) 12.00 Tipping Point. (PG, R) 1.00 Next Stop. (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.

6.30 Deal Or No Deal. (PG, R) 7.00 Millionaire Hot Seat. (PG, R) Hosted by Rebecca Gibney. 7.30 The Dog House Australia. (PGa, R) Glen and Cheri long for love. An 81-year-old searches for a companion. Louise wants to rescue a dog no one wants. 8.30 NCIS: Sydney. (Mdv) Mackey investigates her boss’ missing son and girlfriend but soon uncovers a body. 9.30 10’s Late News. Comprehensive coverage of local, national and international news, as well as the latest sport and weather. 10.30 Two And A Half Men. (Ms, R) Charlie is invited to a business party. 12.00 Home Shopping. (R)

ABC FAMILY (22)

SBS2 (31)

7TWO (62, 72)

9GEM (81, 92)

10 COMEDY (52, 11)

6am Children’s Programs. 3.25pm Wiggle. 4.00 Andy’s Global Adventures. 4.30 SuperKitties. 5.15 Octonauts. 5.50 PJ Masks Power Heroes. 6.05 Spidey And His Amazing Friends. 7.05 Batwheels. 7.35 Ninjago. 8.00 Young Sheldon. 8.25 Young Sheldon. 8.40 Secrets Of The Zoo. 9.25 Teenage Boss: Next Level. 9.55 72 Cutest Animals. 10.20 Late Programs.

6am Morning Programs. 11.55 DW The Day. 12.25pm Jimmy Carr’s I Literally Just Told You. 2.15 Stories From The Cities. 2.45 Insight. 3.50 WorldWatch. 5.45 Alone Belgium. 6.40 Jeopardy! 7.35 8 Out Of 10 Cats. 8.30 Secrets Declassified. 9.20 Alone. (Return) 11.30 Alone Australia Reunion. 12.30am The Old Man. 2.50 NHK World English News. 5.00 Late Programs.

6am Morning Programs. Noon Better Homes. 1.00 Escape To The Country. 2.00 One Road: Great Australian Road Trips. 2.30 The Aussie Property Flippers. 3.30 Harry’s Practice. 4.00 Medical Emergency. 4.30 Better Homes. 5.30 Escape To The Country. 6.30 Bargain Hunt. 7.30 Father Brown. 8.30 Shetland. 11.00 Genius: Einstein. Midnight Father Brown. 1.00 Late Programs.

6am Morning Programs. 11.30 My Favorite Martian. Noon As Time Goes By. 1.10 Midsomer Murders. 3.10 Antiques Roadshow. 3.40 MOVIE: The Gentle Gunman. (1952) 5.30 The Travelling Auctioneers. 6.30 Antiques Roadshow. 7.30 The Dog House UK. 8.30 Poirot. 10.30 Rizzoli & Isles. 11.30 Poirot. 12.40am Antiques Roadshow. 1.10 Late Programs.

6am Morning Programs. 11.00 Millionaire Hot Seat. 11.30 Lingo. 12.30pm Becker. 1.00 Friends. 3.00 Frasier. 4.00 Everyday Gourmet. 4.30 Becker. 5.00 Frasier. 6.00 Friends. 8.00 Two And A Half Men. 9.30 Becker. 10.00 Cheap Seats. 11.00 Frasier. Midnight Ridiculousness. 12.30 Ent. Tonight. 1.00 Shopping. 2.30 Bold. 3.30 Shopping. 5.30 Late Programs.

NITV (34)

SBS WORLD MOVIES (32)

7MATE (64, 73)

9GO! (82, 93)

10 DRAMA (53, 12)

6am Morning Programs. 2pm Kriol Kitchen. 2.30 The Cook Up. 3.00 Jarjums. 4.30 Dreaming Big. 5.00 Ocean Warriors: Mission Ready. 5.30 Te Ao With Moana. 6.00 Bamay. 6.40 Great Blue Wild. 7.30 Going Places. 8.30 The End Of The Valley. (Final) 9.05 MOVIE: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. (2000, M) 11.15 Karla Grant Presents. Midnight Late Programs.

6am Morning Programs. 12.15pm Once Upon A Time In China III. (1993, Mav, Cantonese) 2.20 Where The Money Is. (2000, PGasv) 3.55 Master Cheng: A Spice For Life. (2019, PGaln) 6.00 What We Did On Our Holiday. (2014, PGa) 7.50 Birthday Girl. (2001, Mlsv) 9.30 Showgirls. (1995, MA15+ansv) Midnight Birth. (2004, MA15+as) 1.55 Late Programs.

6am Morning Programs. 11.30 Engineering Disasters. 12.30pm Tougher In Alaska. 1.30 Highway Patrol. 2.30 The Force: BTL. 3.00 Talking W. 3.30 Engineering Disasters. 4.30 American Resto. 5.00 Storage Wars. 5.30 American Pickers. 6.30 Pawn Stars. 7.30 American Pickers. 8.30 MOVIE: Green Zone. (2010, M) 10.50 MOVIE: The Kingdom. (2007, MA15+) 1.05am Late Programs.

6am Morning Programs. 11.40 Cards And Collectables Australia. 12.10pm MOVIE: Kong: Skull Island. (2017, M) 2.30 Baywatch. 3.30 Seinfeld. 4.30 Addams Family. 5.30 Bewitched. 6.30 Baywatch. 7.30 Seinfeld. 8.30 MOVIE: Den Of Thieves. (2018, MA15+) 11.20 Seinfeld. 11.50 Jane The Virgin. 12.45am Love Island UK: All Stars. 1.40 Legacies. 2.30 Late Programs.

6am Shopping. 8.00 Days Of Our Lives. 8.45 The Young And The Restless. 9.30 Living Room. 10.30 Building The Dream. 11.30 Bold. Noon Days Of Our Lives. 12.45 The Young And The Restless. 1.30 JAG. 3.30 Bull. 4.30 JAG. 6.30 Bull. 7.30 NCIS. (M, R) 8.30 Law & Order: SVU. (MA15+asv, R) 10.20 Bull. 11.15 JAG. 1.15am Shopping.

16 GEELONG INDEPENDENT Friday, 11 September, 2026

PUZZLES

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13

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'.

R

Today’s Aim: 16 words: Good 24 words: Very good 32 words: Excellent

E

R

1 2 6 4 8 5 3 7 9 7 5 8 9 3 2 1 4 6 9 3 4 6 1 7 8 5 2 3 8 5 2 7 6 4 9 1 4 6 7 1 5 9 2 8 3 2 9 1 3 4 8 7 6 5 6 4 9 8 2 3 5 1 7 8 7 2 5 6 1 9 3 4 5 1 3 7 9 4 6 2 8

7 6 5 3 8 4 9 1 2 8 1 4 5 9 2 7 3 6 3 2 9 1 7 6 8 5 4 2 3 1 8 4 5 6 9 7 9 7 8 2 6 1 5 4 3 5 4 6 7 3 9 2 8 1 4 9 3 6 5 7 1 2 8 1 5 7 4 2 8 3 6 9 6 8 2 9 1 3 4 7 5

B

Y E Y

T

V S

3 LETTERS ACT ALE CUP DAD EBB ERA FIN IRE LAG MIX NIL ODD OIL ORE PAR RUE SEA SPA TAG TAR TEA TOE

R

No. 306

M O O D

ALTAR AMBLE ASSET ATLAS ATONE BRICK COBRA DEEDS DRUNK EAGLE EERIE ELDER ENTER ENTRY ERASE EXERT GLOVE HASTE HATED HIRED LOOSE

4 LETTERS APES GAVE GULP KEEP MOOD PATS SAKE SEEM THUS WEED 5 LETTERS ADEPT AFOOT AGENT AGLOW ALERT ALIBI

METER OLIVE OVERT PAINT PRESS PSALM RAVEN REVUE RINSE ROARS SEEDY SENSE SIDLE SNEER SNIDE STABS STYLE SUEDE TIARA VENUE VILER

6 LETTERS CASKET CHORAL GRADER STEERS TEASES WETTER 7 LETTERS AMIABLE AWESOME LEISURE SCUTTLE

SEASIDE URGENCY 8 LETTERS GUNSHOTS REALISTS WEAKENED WRESTLER 10 LETTERS DISAPPEARS DISPERSING

11-09-26

No. 413 Insert the missing letters to make 10 words – five reading across the grid and five reading down. NOTE: more than one solution may be possible

W A R P S I D E A L N O B L Y C R U E L E N T R Y

A

A

aver, avers, averse, avert, averts, ever, rave, raver, raves, reave, reaves, revert, reverts, revest, revs, save, saver, serve, server, sever, starve, stave, traverse, TRAVERSER, vase, vast, vaster, veer, veers, verse, vest, vets

5 4 3 9 6 1 2 8 7 1 2 6 4 7 8 5 3 9 9 8 7 2 5 3 6 4 1 7 9 5 1 4 2 3 6 8 4 6 1 3 8 7 9 5 2 8 3 2 5 9 6 1 7 4 3 5 4 8 1 9 7 2 6 6 1 8 7 2 5 4 9 3 2 7 9 6 3 4 8 1 5

S

WORDFIT

QUICK QUIZ

1

Charlotte Aitchison is the real name of which British pop singer?

2

Which of the world's railway stations is the largest by number of platforms?

3

What is the motto of both the Australian Girl Guides and Boy Scouts?

4

In Olympic volleyball, how many points are required to win a set?

5

Who directed the 2025 film One Battle After Another?

6

What is the only part of the human body with no direct blood supply?

7

Which political activist coined the term ‘satyagraha’ to describe a practice of nonviolent civil resistance?

8

The television series Slow Horses, starring Gary Oldman (pictured), is based on the Slough House series of novels by which author?

9

For how many days does the Glastonbury Festival run?

10 True or false: the Great Sphinx has a moustache? ANSWERS: 1. Charli XCX 2. Grand Central Terminal, NYC (44 platforms) 3. Be prepared 4. 25 points 5. Paul Thomas Anderson 6. The cornea 7. Mahatma Gandhi 8. Mick Herron 9. Five 10. False

26

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Puzzles and pagination © Pagemasters | pagemasters.com

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5x5

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P C Y F A R N Q S L W U J

7

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No. 338 15

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H A S T E D R U N K C O B R A A L T A R E E R I E H I R E D E A G L E O L I V E T I A R A S I D L E P A R C U P E B B C A S K E T D I S P E R S I N G R E S C U T T L E A S S E T S T Y L E A P E S G U N S H O T S P A T S A L E L E I S U R E S E A S I D E S E E M W E A K E N E D O D D R O A R S E N T R Y W E E D A W E S O M E S S G R A D E R D I S A P P E A R S T A G A T L A S F I N L A G A M B L E A T O N E O V E R T V E N U E V I L E R L O O S E E X E R T M E T E R E N T E R

4

hard

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16 17

DECODER

10

9 6

13

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1 9 7 6 5 3 2 9 1 2 3 8 8 5 9 8 1 9 6 7 1 2 8 7 2 6 9 5

28

8

4

4

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6 7

17

7

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4 5

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medium

12 14 15 19

22 23

Rough hut (6) Alarm (6) Series of meetings (8) Anecdote (4) Security for repayment (10) Surrender (6) Contradictory or incongruous phrase (8) Scalpel wielders (8) Very generous (10) Lively (8) Punitive bans on relations with certain bodies and their goods, etc. (8)

1 2 3

16

4 8 5 2 6 5 2 9 3 5 6 4 6 1 9 8 3 3 7 6 4 3 1 7 5 7 9 4 2 8

10 11

21

2

1 2

5 9

A type of shot in cue sports (8) Bottle for the table (6) Lunatic (6) Glutinous or sticky in consistency (6) A desert in Central Asia (4)

18

DOWN

15

easy

Meet requirements (7) Traditions (7) Inherited from one’s family (9) Purchaser (5) Unimportant details (6) A male voice (8) Brew; steep (6) Midday (4) Illuminated sign (4) Slanted font (6) Engineer (8) Chemical base that reacts with acid (6) Popular aquarium fish (5) One with obsessive self-love (9)

No. 306

Disagree (7) Persuaded (7)

29 30

ACROSS 1

X M T D V G K H Z B I

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

QUICK CROSSWORD

1

No. 306

14

SUDOKU

Friday, 11 September, 2026 GEELONG INDEPENDENT 17

COMMUNITY

GEELONGINDY.COM.AU

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

Austrian Club

Geelong Evening VIEW

Rock ‘n roll cabaret featuring Tony Rebeiro & the Bureau, Sunday 10 September, noon-5pm, Sutcliffe Reserve, 240 Plantation Road, Corio. Meals, drinks, fun.  Irmela, 0435 995 200

Third Monday of the month, 6pm, Waurn Ponds Hotel.  geelongeveningview@gmail.com

Lions Club International

Come along and sing, Aberdeen Street Baptist Church, 7 Aberdeen Street, Newtown, Sunday 13 September, 2.30pm.

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

Ballroom dance

Combined Probus Belmont Central

Leopold Hall, 805-809 Bellarine Highway, Saturday 5 September, 7.30-10.30pm, $10 includes supper. Music: Ben. Sunday 6 September, 2-4.30pm, $5. Music: Kevin. Bring a small plate to share for both.  0400 500 402

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

Geelong Harmony Chorus

Geelong Patchwork & Quilter’s Guild

Women’s four-part harmony singing. All ages encouraged. Rehearsals Mondays 6.45pm at Herne Hill.  contact@geelongharmony.com.au, 0406 666 737

Songs of praise

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

WHUTC and at Bell Post Hill tennis courts.  Evie, 0409 433 772, evieryan296@gmail.com

Chess clubs 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 Meets second and fourth Monday of the month 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

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] 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

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

Grovedale East Ladies Probus

Lectures

Fourth Monday of each month, 9.30am, Belmont RSL.  Sally Nelson, 0402 450 610

Join Adfas Geelong Inc. for illustrated lectures by art historian Matthew Martin, formerly curator of the National Gallery of Victoria.

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

Sports Badminton: Corio Leisuretime Centre, Mondays 12.30-2.30pm. Beginners welcome. Netball: YMCA Riversdale Road, Monday & Wednesday mornings, Thursday nights. Walking-netball also played. Umpire training available.  Maureen, 0429 397 015

Geelong Welsh Ladies Choir Small ladies choir who require no knowledge of the Welsh language. Meet Wednesdays 7pm at St Luke’s, Highton to 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

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.

18 GEELONG INDEPENDENT Friday, 11 September, 2026

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

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

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

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. Fortnightly 1st & 3rd Monday: CWA, 2pm  Paschal, 0426 889 456 Wednesday: Book club, 10.30am  Paul, 0425 110 792  5255 2996, groveseniors101@gmail.com

Grovedale Seniors

Leopold Book Club

Indoor bowls Monday 1-3pm; gentle exercise Tuesday 9-9.45am; cards (Euchre) Tuesday 1-3pm; bingo Thursday 1-3pm. Grovedale Community Hub, 45 Heyers Road.  Julie, 0419 549 521

Meets second Tuesday of the month at 6.30pm in Leopold. Very friendly group, new members welcome.  Shirley, 0488 055 969

GROW Australia

Drysdale Day VIEW Fourth Friday of each month at Portarlington Golf Club for lunch.  Margaret, 0431 636 090

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 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

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

Laughter Club Geelong

Newcomb Probus

Saturdays, 9am, Eastern Beach in front of the swimming enclosure. 30-minutes free laughter yoga done standing or seated.  0418 521 265

Third Wednesday of each month, 10am, East Geelong Uniting Church, corner Boundary & Ormond Roads.  Gary, 0407 320 735

GEELONGINDY.COM.AU

NEWS

Sienna Lee and Hannah Kim with Catherine and Christopher.

Pat Kantor out for a stroll.

Maddi Jackman with Neville and Dodge. 576978

Jessica Stevenson and daughter Lily.

Out and about in the sunshine Independent photographer Ivan Kemp enjoys getting to the Geelong waterfront to take out and about pics, so we sent him

on his way on a cool and sunny Tuesday 8 September.

Damian Wicks was happy to have his picture taken.

Torrie Hancock, Rhiannon Davey, Peta Rowe and Selena Thomas.

Andrew Edgar relaxes in the sun.

Mel taking a walk along the waterfront.

Czes Ralton with Lucy.

Karen and Paul Brook.

Melissa Birs, Hayley Jarvis and Maddie Lambert.

Charli Wilkins and Chase Poppa.

Friday, 11 September, 2026 GEELONG INDEPENDENT 19

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B8 good, but could be better By Chris Riley, Marque Motoring Like Lexus is to Toyota, Denza is to the Chinese brand BYD, with an upmarket line of luxury vehicles and a price tag to match. The brand was established in 2010 as a joint venture with Mercedes-Benz, but Benz has since pulled the plug. The B8 Super Hybrid is a large six or seven-seat 4x4 wagon that is billed a bit optimistically as a competitor for the Land Cruiser 300 series. There’s also a B5, a smaller five-seater that has the Prado in its sights, along with a Z9GT sedan and D9 people mover on offer. Both 4x4s are closely related to the BYD Shark utility which is also a plug-in hybrid.

Styling Prices for the B8 start from $91,000 for the seven-seater or $97,990 for the six-seat version. Sounds like a lot of dosh for a ‘Chinese’ vehicle, but the figures start to look better when compared to the Land Cruiser which ranges in price from $99,000-$156,000, bearing in mind that this is a proper 4x4 proposition with everything that implies. Our test vehicle was the more expensive 6S or six-seater, with two separate, fully adjustable second row seats that permit walk-though access to the third row. B8 is a blend of rugged, muscular design, high levels of quality and the attention to detail expected in a luxury 4WD. And, get this, they say the look is inspired by futuristic starship aesthetics. At the front, the B8’s daytime running lights form the outline of the wings of an interplanetary starship. The tail lights provide an afterburner effect, creating the illusion of jet engine exhaust. The planetary ring spare wheel cover features two distinct lines top and bottom to symbolise Saturn’s rings. Don’t you just love this stuff? B8 has been designed from the ground up as a premium offering, with particular attention paid to the elimination of noise, vibration and harshness (NVH). To achieve this, it is fitted with soft-close doors, sound-deadening glass, cabin-isolating rubber bushes and active engine mounts. Standard kit includes genuine leather trim, three-zone climate air, heated, cooled and massage front and second row seats, power fold third row seats and a heated steering wheel. There’s also LED lights front and back, NFC key support and a car fridge/hotbox that offers a temperature range of -6 to 50 degrees. It rides on black 20-inch alloys, with pricey 275/55 series Michelin rubber. Access to the B8 is via pop-out door handles, with buttons inside that release the doors and a powertrain that turns on automatically in greeting. Our six-seater adds a front diff lock, Nappa leather, front seat power adjustable leg rest, front seat bolster adjustment, digital rear view mirror, night vision system, smart driving surround view camera, head-up display and second row foot ambient lighting. B8 is covered by a six-year/150,000km warranty plus an eight-year/160,000km high-voltage battery warranty, with five years of roadside assistance and capped priced servicing. Service is due every 12 months or 20,000km.

Infotainment The huge 17.3-inch rotating touchscreen is the largest we’ve seen, larger even than the laptop this story was written on, with another sequestered 12.3-inch digital

The quality is there for the Denza B8, it just needs a bit of fine tuning. (Pictures: Supplied)

instrument panel for the driver. The system supports four-zone voice assist, Bluetooth connectivity and audio streaming, FM and DAB+ digital radio (but no AM), built-in satellite navigation, wireless CarPlay and Android Auto, over-the-air updates as well as an 800 watt, 18-speaker Devialet audio system. There’s also a mix of six USB ports (A+C), a 12-volt power socket and dual wireless phone charging.

Safety B8 scores a maximum five-star rating for safety. Safety begins with a rigid ladder-type CTC (Cell-to-Chassis) body with 78 per cent high-strength steel, encircling and protecting the integrated Blade battery. A total of 13 airbags protect driver and passengers, while a comprehensive suite of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), such as a 360-degree camera system, front and rear collision warning, front cross-traffic alert, automatic emergency braking and intelligent cruise control.

Engines/transmissions Power comes from a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine, together with two electric motors and a 37-kWh battery, that produces a prodigious 425kW of power and 760Nm of torque. Transmission is complicated, with a single-speed reduction gear for the front, and another two-speed transmission for the rear – to deliver high and low range. Each electric motor drives its respective axle, while the petrol engine is employed primarily to keep the battery charged (but does chime in with some extra oomph if required) – in other words it’s basically a series hybrid.

Driving Designed in-house by BYD, the B8 is almost 5.2 metres long with a 2920mm wheelbase and sits on a separate ladder chassis as favoured by the off-road community. With low and high range, front and rear diff locks, and approach, departure and ramp-over angles of 34, 35 and 26 degrees, along with an impressive 310mm of ground clearance and wading depth of 890mm – this is a vehicle built to tackle the rough stuff. Like the Shark, there’s no physical connection between the front and rear wheels, just the tricky electronics. There are also 16 different drive modes

available: the usual Comfort, need to refocus make it virtually RATINGS Eco and Sport; plus, Terrain unusable. Looks: 7 Modes of Snow, Sand, Mud, The choice of light grey on Performance: 7.5 Mountain, Rock, Intelligent silver for the control labels is and others. almost illegible in almost any Safety: 8 Leopard turn is also available, light. Thirst: 7.5 which allows the vehicle to We had to get out a torch to Practicality: 6 perform sharper, tank-like work out how to operate the turns by spinning the wheels at stack of toggles for controlling Comfort: 7.5 different speeds off road. the seats from the luggage area. Tech: 8 Despite the fact B8 weighs Massage is a welcome option Value: 8 in at a whopping 3290kg, the on a long country drive but the Overall: 7.4 dash from 0-100km/h takes a seat heating turns into a sausage quick-fire 4.8 seconds. sizzle after a couple of minutes, That makes it 443kg heavier than Patrol even on its lowest setting. Ditto the aircon and 660kg more than a Land Cruiser. which either blows too hot or too cold, but With a 91-litre fuel tank, it takes standard not much in between. 91 unleaded with fuel consumption a B8 gets up and boogies, that’s for sure, claimed 3.9L/100km (WLTP), provided with plenty underfoot for overtaking. But the battery retains a minimum 25 per cent there’s some hesitancy on take-off and charge. Above that and one can expect to the ride quality quickly deteriorates on use 11.4L/100km. country roads – fancy suspension or not. We were getting 9.0L/100km after more The brakes are grabby and the adaptive than 1200km. There was no opportunity cruise control, which adjusts in 5km/h to charge the battery, but it never dipped increments, provided a couple of phantom below 25 per cent. scares. Claimed energy consumption is 24.4 Alas we didn’t get a chance to take the kWh/100km. It can be recharged at a rate Denza off-road, but it reportedly made it of up to 11kW with AC and up to 120kW up Beer O’Clock Hill which lends some with faster DC. cred. Combined range is 905km, with an However, the B8’s two main challenges electric only range of 100km (WLTP). off-road are the terrain and its own weight. The suspension is electronically Not only does it have to find sufficient modulated and adapts automatically to traction to claw its way up a rocky slope, road conditions. it has to overcome its own inertia at the It has a range of 140mm and means same time. ground clearance can be boosted from Just quietly we’d hate to get this sucker 220mm to 310mm at the push of a button, bogged, because it would require a tow along with dropping the height for easier truck or similar to pull it out (perhaps two access. Land Cruisers). There’s plenty of room front and back, Replacement of the road tyres with but getting in and out can be difficult, chunkier rubber is a must. particularly on a slope because the heavy Tow capacity is a full 3500kg, but you doors swing shut, threatening to inflict need to pay close attention to the gross bodily harm. weight and tow ball limitations. Grab handles are provided for each A drawbar, hitch receiver and 12-point of the four doors, but the low-set front electric plug are fitted as standard. handles which are located at the end of the dash provide little leverage. Summing up The heavy tailgate with the added We doubt whether the Denza B8 has got weight of the spare wheel is hinged on the what it takes to lure dyed-in-the-wool wrong side for our right-hand drive roads. Land Cruiser owners out of their comfort There’s just 147 litres of load space with zone. the third row in use, with a charge cable But if the success of BYD as a whole and tool kit to contend with as shown in is any measure, it’s certainly going to the photos. generate plenty of interest for those who B8 is a large, comfortable car in which don’t want to go the whole nine yards. to wile away the hours, with a first-rate It could even put a dent in Defender sound system. sales (they’ve gotta come from somewhere But there’s room for improvement. after all). Don’t bother with the digital mirror, The quality is there, it just needs a bit of because reflections and the constant fine tuning. Friday, 11 September, 2026 GEELONG INDEPENDENT 21

SPORT

Action around the grounds All the results from the

Elimination final Sunday 6 September, West Oval, Geelong West Bell Park 2.3(15), 4.3(27), 4.4(28), 7.7(49) St Joseph’s 1.2(8), 4.4(28), 5.6(36), 6.11(47) Goals: Bell Park - H. Lucas 2, T. Pidgeon 2, E. Pearce 2, T. Norton. St Joseph’s - M. Chafer 2, P. De Grandi 2, J. Jovanovic, M. White. Best: Bell Park - E. Pearce, M. Jones, T. Norton, I. Wareham, J. Bermingham, S. Bensted. St Joseph’s - L. Kershaw, J. Nurnaitis, C. Foster, J. Gow, H. Smith, M. White.

weekend’s Geelong, Bellarine, and Geelong & District Football League matches and schedules for this weekend’s finals. GEELONG & DISTRICT Preliminary final Saturday 5 September, St Albans Reserve Werribee Centrals 3.2(20), 5.7(37), 8.8(56), 12.10(82) Winchelsea 2.4(16), 4.5(29), 6.11(47), 7.13(55) Goals: Werribee Centrals - K. Kur 5, B. Houlihan 2, C. Saliba, J. MacDonald, C. Linehan-Cunningham, J. Sutton, A. Stone. Winchelsea - C. Primmer 3, L. Baulch 2, H. Nagle, J. Gould. Best: Werribee Centrals C. Linehan-Cunningham, K. Kur, B. Carlton, B. Houlihan, B. Linehan-Cunningham, J. Stephenson. Winchelsea - R. Baulch, J. Terrill, C. Brown, C. Parish, A. Walsh, J. Sampi. Grand finals Saturday 12 September, St Albans Reserve Seniors: East Geelong vs Werribee Centrals, 2pm Reserves: Belmont Lions vs Bell Post Hill, 11.45am Under 18 Division 3: Modewarre vs Ocean Grove, 9.30am

Cameron Wilkinson and Ben Kellett compete in the ruck during the South Barwon vs Newtown & Chilwell qualifying final. (Ivan Kemp) 576456

GEELONG Qualifying final Saturday 5 September, West Oval, Geelong West South Barwon 1.4(10), 3.7(25), 10.12(72), 11.13(79) Newtown & Chilwell 0.4(4), 2.7(19), 3.9(27), 7.13(55) Goals: South Barwon - L. Noble 3, T. White, T. Burke, F. Fort, A. Boseley, S. James, D. Madigan, M. Caldow, L. Elzinga. Newtown & Chilwell - C. Fopiani 2, N. Jephson, O. Murdoch, N. Caracella, B. Pennisi, B. McGlade. Best: South Barwon - T. White, T. Mulraney, D. Madigan, L. Noble, J. Driver, T. Burke. Newtown & Chilwell - M. Diamond, C. Byrne, C. Wilkinson, O. Murdoch, A. Dunn.

2nd semi-finals Saturday 12 September, West Oval, Geelong West Seniors: St Mary’s vs South Barwon, 2.10pm Reserves: South Barwon vs St Mary’s, 11.45am Under 18 Division 1: Newtown & Chilwell vs Ocean Grove, 9.30am 1st semi-finals Sunday 13 September, West Oval, Geelong West Seniors: Newtown & Chilwell vs Bell Park, 2.10pm Reserves: Newtown & Chilwell vs St Albans, 11.45am Under 18 Division 1: Torquay vs St Mary’s, 9.30am BELLARINE 2nd semi-final Saturday 5 September, Recreation Reserve

Portarlington

Torquay 2.4(16), 6.5(41), 12.10(82), 14.11(95) Queenscliff 1.0(6), 6.9(45), 8.11(59), 8.16(64) Goals: Torquay - H. Trigg 5, T. Smith 3, B. Dyer 3, N. Turner 2, M. Hurley. Queenscliff - J. Monahan 2, N. Rippon 2, I. Grant 2, M. Annandale, J. Wright. Best: Torquay - J. Thompson, M. Boag, T. Smith, B. McNamara, N. Mifsud, J. Darke. Queenscliff - N. Rippon, L. Kidd, S. Kalbfell, I. Grant, K. Keenan, J. Cincotta. 1st semi-final Sunday 6 September, Portarlington Recreation Reserve Geelong Amateur 1.5(11), 4.11(35), 7.16(58), 13.19(97) Newcomb 2.6(18), 4.8(32), 5.12(42), 7.14(56) Goals: Geelong Amateur - H. Kershaw 3, S. Lloyd 3, J. Hickey 2, C. Green 2, N. Beekmans, J. Tardio, M. Day. Newcomb T. Webster 2, P. McGinley, L. Wagener, B. Ritchie, J. Watson, J. Duke. Best: Geelong Amateur - J. Tardio, A. Browne, T. Gribble, B. Barnett, H. Kershaw, M. Day. Newcomb - L. Wagener, J. Taylor, F. Anscombe, A. Pepper, L. Justin, M. Andrews. Preliminary finals Saturday 12 September, Grinter Reserve, Newcomb Seniors: Queenscliff vs Geelong Amateur, 2.10pm Reserves: Modewarre vs Torquay, 11.45am Under 18 Division 2: Torquay vs North Shore, 9.30am

Georgette Paatsch fire off a pass.

Around the courts Venues and times for Geelong & District grand finals, Bellarine preliminary finals, and Geelong semi-finals. GEELONG & DISTRICT Grand finals Saturday 12 September, St Albans Reserve A Grade: East Geelong vs Winchelsea, 1.30pm B Grade: Inverleigh vs Werribee Centrals, noon C Grade: North Geelong vs East Geelong, 11am D Grade: Inverleigh vs Thomson, noon E Grade: East Geelong vs North Geelong, 10am 19 & Under: East Geelong vs Bannockburn, 9am 17 & Under: Bannockburn vs East Geelong, 8am 15 & Under: Inverleigh vs Bannockburn, 9am 13 & Under: Bannockburn vs Belmont Lions, 8am GEELONG 2nd semi-finals Saturday 12 September, West Oval, Geelong West A Grade: Newtown & Chilwell vs St Joseph’s, 2.30pm B Grade: St Mary’s vs Newtown & Chilwell, 12.55pm C Grade: Newtown & Chilwell vs St Mary’s, 11.45am D Grade: St Joseph’s vs Newtown & Chilwell, 10.40am

St Joseph’s Fionnuala McKeagney-Stubbs gets to the ball just before South Barwon’s Ellen Doyle, and Lara Taylor accepts a pass. (Pictures: Ivan Kemp) 576457

E Grade: Bell Park vs Newtown & Chilwell, 2pm 19 & Under: South Barwon vs Bell Park, 11.45am 17 & Under Division 1: South Barwon vs Bell Park, 11.45am 17 & Under Division 2: South Barwon vs Bell Park, 12.55pm 15 & Under Division 1: Bell Park vs South Barwon, 9.35am 15 & Under Division 2: Newtown & Chilwell vs Bell Park, 9.35am 13 & Under Division 1: South Barwon vs St Mary’s, 8.30am 13 & Under Division 2: South Barwon vs St Mary’s, 8.30am 1st semi-finals Sunday 13 September, West Oval, Geelong West A Grade: South Barwon vs Bell Park, 2.30pm B Grade: South Barwon vs Leopold, 12.55pm C Grade: South Barwon vs Bell Park,

22 GEELONG INDEPENDENT Friday, 11 September, 2026

11.45am D Grade: St Mary’s vs South Barwon, 10.40am E Grade: South Barwon vs Newtown & Chilwell, 2pm 19 & Under: Newtown & Chilwell vs Lara, 11.45am 17 & Under Division 1: St Mary’s vs Geelong West Giants, 10.40am 17 & Under Division 2: St Joseph’s vs St Mary’s, 12.55pm 15 & Under Division 1: Newtown & Chilwell vs Colac, 9.35am 15 & Under Division 2: South Barwon vs St Mary’s, 9.35am 13 & Under Division 1: St Joseph’s vs Colac, 8.30am 13 & Under Division 2: St Joseph’s vs Newtown & Chilwell, 8.30am BELLARINE Preliminary finals Saturday 12 September, Grinter Reserve, Newcomb

A Grade: Ocean Grove vs Portarlington, 2pm B Grade: Geelong Amateur vs Queenscliff, 1pm C Grade: Barwon Heads vs Portarlington, 11.50am D Grade: Barwon Heads vs Drysdale, 10.40am E Grade: Geelong Amateur vs Queenscliff, 2pm 19 & Under: Torquay vs Portarlington, 10.40am 17 & Under Division 1: Geelong Amateur vs Portarlington, 9.35am 17 & Under Division 2: Torquay vs Drysdale, 1pm 15 & Under Division 1: Geelong Amateur vs Ocean Grove, 11.50am 15 & Under Division 2: Ocean Grove vs Surf Coast, 8.30am 13 & Under Division 1: Geelong Amateur vs Drysdale, 9.35am 13 & Under Division 2: Geelong Amateur vs Torquay, 8.30am

SPORT

Miers a risk worth taking By Anna Harrington, AAP Gryan Miers knows his right knee could let him down at any moment and end his AFL premiership dream. But the deep-thinking Geelong playmaker has never been scared of failure. Miers has been playing with a partially torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) since April, when he opted against surgery to keep his season alive. “I left the surgeon’s office, sold that I was going for surgery in probably two or three days,” Miers said ahead of Friday’s semi-final against Fremantle at Optus Stadium. Miers returned to Geelong and got different opinions. “They just said, ‘oh, let’s just give it a week or two. It won’t really affect the recovery’ because at that time it wouldn’t have affected until next season,” Miers said. “So I’m like, ‘alright, we’ll give it a week or two. I’ve got the confidence that it can work

- it’s more if I should.’ “And then once I made the decision to give it a day or two, I went ‘nah, screw it, I’m playing’. I’m willing to fail with the opportunity to succeed. “So I’m really happy with the route I’ve taken: that if it goes wrong, and it still might, but that could be for different reasons, that could be because we just lose, I play bad, or another injury - that I’m okay with that because I think I’ve made the right decision.” Miers consulted with around 30 people in the three days between receiving his scan results and deciding not to have surgery, including knee surgeons, physiotherapists and a local chiropractor. The 2022 premiership forward appreciated coach Chris Scott, who was publicly cagey around Miers’ injury, giving him space to work through it. While Miers’ injury is technically a partial ACL tear, the medical focus is around whether the ligament is functioning.

Gryan Miers has been playing with a partially torn anterior cruciate ligament since April. (Ivan Kemp)

“I don’t know what’s functioning and what’s not, but it’s working for me,” he said. “So I’m not that worried about what it all says on the scans, as long as my knee’s working each week.” Miers returned via the VFL, played four senior games then was managed out of the Cats’ AFL team amid issues with form, inju-

ry and confidence. But Miers had “a blast” in VFL games that sharpened him for finals. Fresh off 24 disposals and two goals in Geelong’s elimination final against Carlton, it’s felt worth it. “I’ve really enjoyed the year, even though it’s been really challenging at times for different factors and different reasons,” Miers said. “I’ve leant on the resilience that I’ve built in the past, and once I go out there, just enjoy the ride, and it’s more of a blessing that I’m out there than it is that I’m scared to go out there and get re-injured. “The longer it can stay good, the longer I’m getting more confidence from it, and hopefully I can keep building that.” And come season’s end, Miers has no plans of surgery. “It’ll be a discussion, but I hope not,” Miers said. “That’s not the plan.”

Junior premiers crowned in a big weekend of local tennis By Donna Schoenmaekers The Tennis Geelong junior grand finals have been completed and the season resulted in a great mix of representation with 15 clubs participating in 17 finals with no club successful in more than two. Lara competed in two of the closest results, coincidently both against Ocean Grove. The Grove’s Blue team in 2 Boys started well with Zoe Loftus and Yanni Azidis winning their singles before Allan Portelli and Charlie Dando hit back for Lara. Samuel and Lucyanne Weber battled to a win over Loftus and Azidis, but with Bailey Cairncross and Esther White winning 6-2, Ocean Grove won by one game. In Green Ball 1, the teams went set for set with Ocean Grove’s Charlise Bapaume and Annabelle Lockett winning the first and third while Lara’s Tresor and Izabella Yenga took the second and fourth. Lockett teamed with Frankie Wallace to win a tiebreak in the doubles, but Tresor Yenga and Alexander Weber blitzed their doubles 6-0, to give Lara the win by four games. Ocean Grove played in 6 finals with the Girls also successful despite the match not being completed. The girls won three of the four singles, and at 4-3 and 1-4 in the doubles when the rain came, they were far enough ahead to be declared the victors. Grovedale competed in four finals and took home one premiership in 6 Boys against Surfcoast Torquay White. The teams alternated sets, with Marcus Merriman and James O’Shanassy winning the first and fourth for Torquay while Emilio Patel and Johan Lee helped Grovedale to hold a fourgame lead going into the doubles. The doubles pushed the match to the wire, but with Patel and Tom Plunkett matching Campbell Brown and Nash Tucker, the score remained tied on sets with Grovedale four games ahead to take the match. Leopold followed a similar pattern against Grovedale in Green Ball 2 where the match went set for set, but with a tie-break loss to Jack Geoghegan and a 6-0 win to Scarlett Trotter, Leopold won by three. Western Heights Uniting won two of three finals with 3 Girls ahead 3-1 after the singles and sealing the win over Grovedale, taking the first doubles 6-1 before rain interrupted. The 2 Girls were also interrupted before finishing, but at 5-0 the score was beyond doubt, and the team of Jacqueline Kolar, Evangeline Seg, Gertie Hurst, Natalya Krishnan finished the season as champions. Teesdale also went through the season

Section 1 premiers Highton: Andre Ficca, Siddarth Sivanesan, Ilan Im, Seb Varszeghy, Heath Agustsson.

Section 2 premiers Ocean Grove: Yanni Azidis, Zoe Wilson, Zoe Loftus, Esther White, Bailey Caircross.

in Green Ball 3 as champions with a win over Western Heights. The match was tied after the singles, but Tex Holmes and Lenny Campbell won the first doubles and then Lennox Holmes and Oscar Patten took the second for Teesdale. Wandana Heights posted one of their

two wins against Teesdale in Green Ball 5. Teesdale had won the previous three encounters, all tied on sets and by a handful of games, so the Heights were keen to change the trend. The sets were tied after the singles with Teesdale ahead by four games, but Wandana proved too strong in the doubles to win the premiership. Wandana’s second win was guaranteed when their White and Blue teams faced off in 3 Boys. The first two sets went one each way, but Blue then took charge, winning the next four sets to earn their medals. Waurn Ponds, despite finishing second on the ladder, had a winning record against Wandana in 5 Boys. The Ponds won three of four singles, but with marathon doubles sets interrupted by rain at 5-all and 6-5, the Ponds had the game advantage to claim victory. Waurn Ponds also finished second to Hamlyn Park in 4 Girls, but the Park had won all three previous encounters, but Hamlyn Park had other ideas, winning their

one final for the day. St Mary’s also posted a win in their one final when they faced Ocean Grove in Green Ball 5. St Mary’s went into the match unbeaten and it continued, going ahead 5-1 to be crowned champions. Clifton Springs and Highton finished minor premiers in 4 Boys and 1 Boys and backed up their good seasons, both posting wins over Geelong Lawn, 4-0 and 4-2 respectively. Barwon Heads went two for two with the Premier Boys team of Paddy Moulton, Dex Taylor and Max Creati recovering from their semi-final loss to minor premiers Wandana Heights and taking a clean sweep. The 7 Boys had a tougher time against Ocean Grove. The Heads were level on sets but behind by one game going into the doubles, but Darcy McCredden and Jack MacAfee teamed to win the first doubles and then Ted Short and Felix Tribe followed up in the second, winning 6-4 to give the win to the Heads.

Friday, 11 September, 2026 GEELONG INDEPENDENT 23

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Larni Howard from the restart.

Tegan Philip was active scoring 23 goals for South Barwon.

Georgette Paatsch takes the ball out of defence.

Elli Leydin races into midcourt for St Joseph’s. 576457

Georgia Corbett passes forward.

Joeys bound into qualifier St Joseph’s set up a GNL 2nd semi-final against Newtown & Chilwell with a 48 to 35 win over South Barwon on Saturday 5

September and Independent photographer Ivan Kemp headed out to West Oval to catch some of the action.

Monique Parker looks for a pass inside the circle.

Michelle Svetnik takes the ball down low. Lara Taylor accepts a pass.

Fionnuala McKeagney-Stubbs sizes up her options. 576457_29

Olivia Cameron fires off a pass.

24 GEELONG INDEPENDENT Friday, 11 September, 2026

Kiahna Fallon gets Joeys out of defence.

Eloise Maddox leaps to intercept.

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Jack Driver marks in front of Connor Fopiani.

Ben Kellett punches the ball clear.

Dylan Starkie lands in the West Oval cricket pitch mud. 576456

Todd White takes an intercept mark.

South Barwon goes through South Barwon was too good for Newtown & Chilwell in the Geelong Football League qualifying final on Saturday 5 September. The Swans set up a second semi-final clash against St Mary’s to see which will be the first team into the grand final while the

Eagles get another chance with a first semi against Bell Park. Independent photographer Ivan Kemp braved the wind and rain at West Oval, Geelong West, to take these pictures.

Sam James handballs to open up play for South Barwon.

Charlie Byrne marks on the run.

Ben Pennisi marks and would go back to boot a goal.

Taj McMillan sends the ball into attack.

South Barwon captain Matt Caldow has front position in this marking contest.

Connor Fopiani kicks a goal for Newtown & Chilwell.

Mitchell Dodos kicks the Eagles forward.

Noah Caracella breaks away.

Friday, 11 September, 2026 GEELONG INDEPENDENT 25

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Winch is in red hot form By Justin Flynn With seven wins and a draw from its past seven matches, Winchelsea heads into Saturday’s Geelong & District Netball League A Grade grand final against East Geelong as arguably the form team of the competition. It is no surprise to see the Blues make it from fourth spot on the ladder with this year’s competition so close, especially between the top six. That’s not to say East Geelong isn’t in form either. The Eagles last loss was to Winch in round 15. Blues co-captain Meg Royal knows grand finals are difficult to win. The star midcourter is Winch through and through, but has never played in an A grade premiership. She is “very excited” to get another chance this year after losing the decider in 2024. “These opportunities don’t come around very often, but we are a very different team from that side two years ago,” she said. “Different coaches, lots of different players and there’s just a different feel around the entire club. “We’ve had a really big focus on unity between the two groups (netball and football) this year and I think the whole club and community would celebrate just as hard as we would.” Royal’s midcourt battle with Margaret Webb Medallist Claudia Cook and Rookie of the Year Frankie Willson will go a long way in deciding the outcome. “They are both incredible,” she said. “I’ve got a lot of respect for Claudia. She is a champion of the game and her ability to read the play is amazing. “But I think our focus will be to stick to our game plan and execute that. Obviously tighten up and be a bit proactive on

Young gun Layla Pretorius has been superb in attack for Winch.

Winchelsea co-coach Maddison McKiernan has been strong on and off the court this season. (pictures Ivan Kemp)

what East can do. “What we’ve been focusing on is putting out a full 60-minute effort. We do have lapses in concentration and other teams get runs, but that was a key focus for us. “I think we’re finding form at the right time and hopefully we can keep powering

through.” Winchelsea has benefited from the introduction of co-coach Maddison McKiernan on and off the court. Goal defence McKiernan finished runner-up to Cook in the Webb Medal. “(Co-coaches) Maggie (Lind) and Maddie have both done an excellent job in di-

recting their game plan and the style of play they want us to execute,” Royal said. “Everyone playing their role in that sense has helped us all combine together really well. We’ve got a really good mix of experience and a bit of youth in Layla (Pretorious) coming up.” Royal said both sides were strong defensively and were very even across the court. “I think they’re probably similar to us in the mix of they’ve got some Under 19 girls coming up, who have been playing some really good netball,” she said. “They’ve got Steph (Boyce) down back, who’s a powerhouse and has been for quite some time. Obviously Claudia (Cook) in the middle, she just controls that whole midcourt and the flow right through. “I think both sides are really good defensively. They say defence wins games. It will be a good tussle.”

Throw out the formguide - the grand final will be close By Justin Flynn East Geelong goes into the Geelong & District Netball League grand final having lost to Winchelsea twice this season, but captain Maddie Solly said her side has learned a lot from both games. In round 4, East Geelong led at three-quarter time before Winch powered to a 37-34 win with a strong last term. And in round 15, the Eagles led by six at half-time before a blistering third quarter propelled Winch to a 37-31 victory. “I think we’ve learned not to play scared,” Solly said. “The first half in both games we’ve been up and then in the second half it’s like we’ve been afraid to lose. I think since beating Bannockburn in round 16 we really proved to ourselves that we can do it and since then we haven’t lost. “We train together as a team and we’re really united as a team. We do a lot together, we do strength training together, train together on Thursdays, go out for dinners, do stuff together and I think that’s going to put us in really good stead when it comes to Saturday.” Solly has only been at Richmond Oval for two seasons, but already she said it felt like home. Originally from Warrnambool, Solly kept travelling back home for games for five years while she was at university in Geelong. She played at Torquay and then took a year off netball, a sport she has been playing since she was eight, before checking out East Geelong. “They had just won the grand final and you wouldn’t know it because they were all so welcoming,” she said.

East Geelong’s Claudia Cook and Steph Boyce were all smiles after the 2024 grand final against Winchelsea. (Ivan Kemp)

Only one of Winchelsea’s Meg Royal and East Geelong’s Maddie Solly will have their hands on the premiership cup at 3pm on Saturday. (Ivan Kemp) 576623 03

“Normally people really want to protect their team that they’re a part of, but you wouldn’t even know. “They just opened their arms, greeted me and locked me in and I went, ‘this is home, this is where I want to play’. We have such a beautiful club environment.” Solly and Steph Boyce form a formidable defensive unit for the Eagles. Their matchups with Winchelsea’s goalers will be worth watching. “We’re both yappers – some might say we talk a lot,” she said.

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“We’re pretty good at communication. When you’ve got someone like Steph Boyce behind you, you feel a foot taller than what you are. “But all respect to them (Winchelsea). They’re fantastic players and they’ve got four goalers that they rotate through during any game. We’ve got to be able to adapt to that. “They’re so tenacious in the way they play. On any given day they are able, as they have shown in all their finals games, to beat anybody.”

Solly said Claudia Cook’s Webb Medal win, her second, had given the team a boost. “All the girls and the club are so proud of her,” she said. “Claudia’s a fantastic player, but she’s an even better person. And even more than that, she’s a club person. “She coaches two teams, helps out, volunteers her time whenever she can, is a real leader through her actions more than what she says. “She will do anything to support you and back you in, and a little bit like Steph Boyce, you feel a foot taller when you know Claudia’s on your team.” Most expect another close game between the two sides this Saturday. “The game is all about momentum in finals,” Solly said. “We’re going to make lots of mistakes in finals. It’s just how it is. “But it comes down to who can arrest the momentum and really capitalise on it when it is going your way, and stem the bleeding when it isn’t.” For all grand final matches and starting times, see page 22.

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Eagles are looking ahead By Justin Flynn While the pain of losing last year’s Geelong & District Football League grand final can never be erased, East Geelong captain John McIntyre is just glad his side has a chance to have another crack at it so soon. The Eagles were downed by North Geelong in the 2025 decider and will meet Werribee Centrals at St Albans Reserve in the grand final on Saturday and while McIntyre didn’t shy away from the topic, it’s not at the forefront of his mind either. “I think there is a cohort of us that are probably still disappointed about last year,” he said. “It hurts to lose the grand final of course. There’s a lot of new guys, a lot of new faces. So it hasn’t been spoken about or it hasn’t been a driving force within the group driving us through these finals. “I think for the guys who played last year, it probably is in the back of our minds a little bit. But it might hold us in good stead that we’ve been out here before and be able to perform on grand final day.” McIntyre and Jake McLean will make a call on their availability after copping hamstring strains in the qualifying final and round 18 respectively. Centrals won the round 7 encounter by 19 points, but East has won the past two. The first was a four-point thriller in round 18 when the Centurions almost got home with a mammoth final term. The second was the following week in the qualifying final when East won by a convincing 42 points. “I didn’t play the first game against them and it was a long time ago (so) I can’t really remember and I remember Kur Kur getting a hold of us pretty significantly which he can do,” McIntyre said. “We back our system but we know they have shown they can score really heavily in patches and they’ve done that against us. “So it’s going to be difficult to ensure that they don’t get a run on like that at any stage of the game because the game goes for so long and it ebbs and flows. “If we can play a consistent four quarters like we did in the last meeting we had with them, I think we’re in with a good chance.” Both sides possess goalkicking power with Caleb Ezard (67 goals), Zac Smith (53), Andrew Steele (33) and William Hough (27) hitting the scoreboard regularly for the Eagles. “Caleb Ezard’s second half of the year has been incredible,” McIntyre said.

East Geelong captain John McIntyre and Werribee Centrals acting skipper Jack Stephenson with the Geelong & District Football League premiership cup. (Ivan Kemp) 576623 14

“Smith’s first half of the year was incredible and it’s great to have him back. If we can get an even spread out of everyone, I think that’s probably how you win finals, more so than relying on one. So to have the firepower to do it, it’s really pleasing.” One player who definitely won’t be lining up for East is Sam Lowe, who dislocated his hip and fractured his pelvis early in

the second semi-final. McIntyre said his own injury “puts it into a bit of perspective”. “A hamstring for Jake and I doesn’t really mean too much when Sam’s been in hospital,” he said. “He’s not moving too well and he’s got a long recovery ahead of him. And obviously, he won’t be playing footy again this year

or maybe at all, but it’s more his work and social life that’s being affected. “So that’s just a bit of perspective for guys like me that have a three week, four week injury. “We have been thinking of him and we will continue to.” For times and venues for Saturday’s grand finals, see page 22.

Centurions are out to end a 22-year premiership drought By Justin Flynn Werribee Centrals stand-in skipper Jack Stephenson said it would be “massive” for the club to break a 22-year premiership drought this Saturday. The Centurions won three successive flags in 1999, 2000 and 2001 and then won in 2004 against Corio after a draw forced a replay a week later. There’s so many people that have been waiting,” Stephenson said. “I think it’s, what, 22 years now since the last win. So yeah, it’s massive. “Everyone will get around us very, very well if we do get up.” With captain Michael Culliver out for the season after doing an ACL in round 16, Stephenson said the gun midfielder’s influence was still strong. “He’s just an amazing player and he’s also an amazing leader,” he said. “He’s really helped me mature as a player and person, just over the last three or four

Kur Kur looms as a dangerman after his five-goal haul for Werribee Centrals in the preliminary final. (pictures Ljubica Vrankovic)

years playing with him. “And even though he’s not playing, he’s still a massive part of our group. “He’s leading by example off the field and keeping us all on track.” Centrals started the season with 11 consecutive wins, but then lost the next three to end the home and away season with a 14-4

record. “We had a lot of guys overseas and maybe with injuries as well,” Stephenson said. “(We) probably lost a little bit there, but then once we got all our players back, we’ve really gained that confidence back. I think we’re fine at the moment.” Werribee Centrals defeated East Geelong in round 6, but then lost twice in as many weeks in round 18 and the qualifying final. The round 18 loss saw Centrals storm home in the last term to go down by four points. The qualifying final was a different story with the Eagles getting up by 42 points. Stephenson said his side learned something from the loss. “(We) probably need to lock the ball in a bit better in our forward line,” he said. “We had a really good quarter against them in the last round where we nearly came back and won the game, being like 40 points down. “So I think if we can keep the game on our terms a bit better, then we should have

Injured captain Michael Culliver has still had a positive influence says Jack Stephenson.

a better day.” The Centurions rode into the grand final on the back of a five-goal performance from Kur Kur in the prelim against Winchelsea. “He brings a lot - if it wasn’t for him over the past few weeks it would have been tough beating Winch, especially him kicking those five goals,” Stephenson said. “He’s just so fast, athletic, very clean at ground (level). He’s a gun. He’s a cult figure at our club.”

Friday, 11 September, 2026 GEELONG INDEPENDENT 27

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