Around the Grounds by Michael Thompson – May 12, 2026

Michael Thompson

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May 12, 2026

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PROFESSIONAL GROWTH

Tony Shaw 1068w WebRdy — A GREAT DAY: North Central Review journalist Michael Thompson (right) pictured with Collingwood great Tony Shaw (left).

It was great to be able to score a big gig at my beloved Mernda on Saturday as I was invited to give a great one-on-one interview with Collingwood great Tony Shaw for the Demons’ sponsors day and president’s lunch. Shaw is one the greatest captains the Magpies have ever had – a hard worker who made the most out of his smaller frame to have the know-how to win the ball, and a great natural leader who, of course, famously won the Norm Smith Medal in the 1990 grand final. And who kicked five goals that afternoon? It was Essendon, of course.

THE RACE TO 100 IS ON!

Laurimar’s Patrick Fitzgerald was close to 100 goals last year – in some ways, it was a surprise that he didn’t quite get there but his presence was still very much a positive for Laurimar as the Power made it back to the grand final after relegation in 2024.

Fitzgerald has been firing on all cylinders so far this season – a haul of 15 against Kinglake the clear highlight, but he added another eight on Saturday against Heidelberg West to take his tally to 35 off just five games at an average of seven per game.

Is this the year the man they call ‘Doita’ finally gets his century?

Stealing the show a little bit over the last couple of weeks though is fellow Power forward Hayden Trim. The youngster had a great battle with fellow impressive young Whittlesea forward Caden Allen for the under 19s goalkicking in division two last year as they both tied for the award.

As I’ve written about previously, Allen has gone on with it at senior level for Whittlesea this season, but Trim is really coming into his own, and has kicked nine goals in two weeks.

Sitting in second position on the division 3 goalkicking list is Epping’s Daniel Rakhlin. Another young player who knows where the goals are. He’s a great talent and it’s pleasing to see him get rewarded.

IVANHOE MAKING HISTORY

Wayne Schultz’s men are just the second team this century to win four games in a row by 100 points or more – even if they only just managed the feat by winning by an even 100 points against Epping on the weekend. The other team who have managed the feat is Lalor in 2004, but Ivanhoe have done it in each of its first four games.

Still, the game showcased two things. First of all, Epping’s young team look impressive – noted by Ivanhoe on the weekend that if they are given a couple of years, they will be dangerous in the division 3 competition.

The other was that, despite sitting only five goals up midway through the third quarter, Ivanhoe simply have a gear that is extraordinarily hard to match.

The Hoers’ next assignment is Old Eltham.

STARS ON THE UP

Fitzroy Stars have put division 2 well and truly on notice in the last fortnight with two ultra-impressive victories, showing that its style of play very much holds up in what is a tight competition this year.

The win over Whittlesea was noteworthy enough away from home. To back it up against last year’s grand finalists, Macleod, even more so.

The manner in which they won suggests they have quickly learned lessons in a short amount of time. The Stars had their opportunities to take wins against Northcote Park and Lower Plenty, but small mistakes meant they missed out on potentially being 5-0.

This time around, the Stars didn’t panic when Macleod hit the front in the last quarter, and it was a goal from inspirational leader Kain Proctor in the final minute of the game that allowed the Stars to win by five points.

Also from the Stars on the weekend caught their senior women’s game against Ivanhoe on Sunday at Ivanhoe Park. The performance of Amina Keegan was mesmerising – her ability to create leading lanes, win the football and showcase her nous, run and dash inside 50 was solely the difference, and she finished with eight of the Stars’ nine goals as they won comfortably by 38 points.

GOOD DIVISION 1 FOOTY

Had a look at Hurstbridge and Bundoora at Ben Frilay Oval on Saturday afternoon. The game can best be described as one that was a real defensive affair, but it’s a credit to both teams that they can each stop the ball that’s moving so quickly around the ground, particularly on a smaller ground like Hurstbridge’s.

Bundoora had its chances, but probably utilised one too many handballs in their forward thrusts and were repelled by the Bridges, who ended up taking a 13-point win.

Still, the Bulls have been a nice story so far this season. They finished second last last year, narrowly avoiding relegation, but had many games they could have won. This year, so far, they have been able to turn the tables a bit, but it will be a tough outing this week against Heidelberg.

MONTMORENCY STARTING TO FIRE

Monty were a team I had pencilled in as the next best behind Heidelberg, but it was a difficult start to a season that seemed like the Magpies expected so much from.

Still, the best thing for them is we are only at round five. The last couple of weeks have delivered 100-point wins over West Preston and Banyule respectively, and things are just starting to click. There’s still a long way to go yet, even in a competition where many teams will jockey for top five spots.

The best thing for the Magpies is that boom off-season recruit Kamdyn McIntosh hasn’t had to play an enormous role, while Nash Holmes, after such a big health scare, is getting better and better with each outing, and kicked three goals on Saturday.

THE REAL DEAL (AGAIN)

South Morang clearly expected to be back among the division 2 contenders this season, even though there was a large amount of turnover.

That familiar bugbear that runs through many clubs – injury – has admittedly hit the Lions quite hard in recent weeks, but that has not fazed coach Matt Penn, who is doing a stellar job after a round one loss to Whittlesea.

Wins over Northcote Park and Thomastown over the last couple of weeks have meant the Lions currently sit just percentage behind the Cougars on top of the table.

CRUCIAL GAMES THIS WEEK

With the ladder starting to take shape, there’s already a number of crucial games that could very well shape the final ladders in each of the three grades.

West Preston and Diamond Creek meet in a huge game for both teams in terms of their division 1 future.

The Roosters are desperate for a win, having gone winless so far, and have lost both of their last two games by over 100 points each.

After a great start to the season, Diamond Creek have come back down to earth just a bit, and have now lost their last two, while scoring the fewest points in the competition to go along with it.

Panton Hill are desperately seeking a scalp in division 2, and although coming close to both Old Paradians and Whittlesea at home, couldn’t quite get it done. They now have to travel to Macleod, still as the only winless team, but the pressure is well and truly on for their future in the division.

In division 3, a big opportunity to jump into the top five might be afforded for either Kilmore or Epping, who meet at Epping Recreation Reserve.

Kilmore had a good win over a plucky Old Eltham outfit last week, while Epping, as alluded to above, played well for two and a half quarters against Ivanhoe before the class of the premiership favourites showed.

Putting olives to good use

Milla Webster

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May 12, 2026

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THE City of Whittlesea and CERES celebrated sustainability, food and community spirit at the annual Olives to Oil festival on Saturday at the Civic Centre in South Morang.

The free community festival brought together residents to celebrate the local olive harvest with music, food stalls, face painting, children’s gardening activities and Compost Week celebrations.

Visitors were also encouraged to learn more about reducing food waste through the Scraps to Soil program, which shares practical tips on composting, using food and garden waste bins and growing sustainable home gardens.

The festival is part of the wider Olives to Oil initiative, which rescues olives from backyard trees and transforms them into locally produced olive oil. Each year thousands of kilograms of olives that would otherwise go to landfill are collected by residents and volunteers.

CERES worker Nase, who has been involved with the program for four years, said the initiative was created to preserve cultural traditions while reducing environmental waste.

“The idea behind this event is that a lot of people from the Mediterranean came over with olive trees, grandparents who planted them, but a lot of that knowledge with what to do with the olives has died out,” he said.

“That became a problem, as a lot ended up in landfill, and food waste in landfill creates a lot of methane gas, and that’s even worse than CO2, so this all started as a way to divert them out of landfill.”

Last year, the program helped save more than 3.1 tonnes of olives from landfill, producing about 440 litres of olive oil. Last week alone, they collected seven tonnes of olives.

Nase said the quality of the olives was important, with mouldy fruit capable of ruining an entire batch. Volunteers and residents at the event spent a lot of time going through the batches of olives to ensure the olives were good to go.

Community feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with one resident saying the oil “tasted just like my relatives’ oil in Italy”, while another described the experience as “an amazing opportunity to connect with nature and the community, giving a genuine sense of achievement and self-worth.”

Participants who secured drop-off bookings will be able to collect their freshly pressed olive oil from the CERES Preston warehouse on Sunday, July 12.

Residents who missed out on the opportunity on the day can still participate in an Olive Pickling Workshop on May 14, where they will learn how to preserve olives at home and reduce food waste.
For more information about harvesting olives visit whittlesea.vic.gov.au/Olives-to-Oil

Deliver trades, not just targets, says HIA

The North Central Review

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May 12, 2026

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Deliver trades, not just targets, says HIA

WITH the Victoria budget out of the way last Tuesday, today the attention shifts to the Federal Budget.

THE Housing Industry Association (HIA) has urged the Federal Government to use the Budget, being delivered at the federal Parliament tonight, to directly address Australia’s severe shortage of skilled tradespeople and apprentices, warning that housing supply targets will not be met without decisive action.

“Australia simply cannot meet its housing needs without a significantly larger and more sustainable construction workforce,” HIA Chief Executive, Industry and Policy, Simon Croft said.

“Workforce shortages are now one of the biggest constraints on home building, renovations and the delivery of housing across the country.

“Speak to any builder anywhere in Australia and they will tell you the same thing – the single biggest challenge to delivering more homes is access to skilled workers and apprentices.

“HIA’s Federal Budget submission highlights that demand for skilled trades has consistently outstripped supply, with acute shortages in carpentry, bricklaying, plumbing, electrical trades and other critical residential construction occupations.

“At the same time governments are seeking to dramatically increase housing supply, the industry is grappling with an ageing workforce, falling apprentice commencements and growing competition for skilled labour across multiple sectors.

HIA has called on the government to prioritise practical, targeted measures in the budget to rebuild the residential construction workforce, including:

Boosting apprentice commencements and completions through stronger employer incentives, improved wage support and reduced regulatory complexity for small and medium businesses.

Expanding and fast‑tracking skilled migration pathways for residential construction trades, with occupations lists, visa processing and qualification recognition aligned to industry needs.

Increasing investment in vocational education and training, including industry‑led job‑ready training and ‘try‑a‑trade’ pre‑apprenticeship programs, and

Reducing the cost and risk of employing apprentices, particularly for small builders and tradies who train the majority of apprentices but face rising cost pressures.

“Around 90 per cent of residential builders are small businesses. If we want more apprentices, we must better support the employers who take them on and reduce the financial burden and red tape associated with training,” Mr Croft said.

“HIA is also calling for a coordinated, long‑term workforce strategy that aligns housing policy, infrastructure investment, migration settings and training systems.

“Stop‑start policies and short‑term funding announcements do not build a workforce. A credible housing supply strategy requires a sustained commitment to growing skilled trades over the next decade and beyond.

“The Federal Budget will be a critical test of the government’s commitment to boosting housing supply and the Budget must deliver real, practical solutions that get more apprentices on site, attract skilled workers to Australia and back in the employers to take on more workers.”

Prime Kilmore shopping site sold to offshore investor

The North Central Review

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May 12, 2026

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Prime Kilmore shopping site sold to offshore investor

A $38.88 MILLION deal has delivered an offshore investor the prime Kilmore shopping precinct with Coles and ALDI as the main occupants.

The investor is set to pocket a bonanza of fully leased net operating income estimated at $1.96 million a year, as the two stores enjoy long leases with options for extensions.

It has been sold by Looop, a private equity and venture capital group, with Stonebridge Property Group (SPG) conducting the expressing-of-interest process.

The SPG said the key highlights of the sale in the high growth corridor include dominant dual-supermarket configuration anchored by Coles (new 10-year net lease) and ALDI (20-year lease), representing about 69 per cent of total gross income.

It says the secure income profile is underpinned by 100 per cent national and blue-chip tenants including McDonald’s, Viva Energy, Amplifon and Bakers Delight.

The investment on the 1.86-hectare Commercial 1-zoned corner site has frontage to the busy Northern Highway and Clarke Street and is positioned next door to Kilmore Village. The vacant land opposite the site is also a plus as it offers further retail development potential.

“Highly efficient 5264 sqm centre GLA (gross lettable area) has 248 on-title car spaces and minimal landlord complexity via freestanding and pad-site configuration. There is potential 50 per cent stamp duty savings, subject to purchaser circumstances,” the SPG said.

More access for TAFE in Seymour

The North Central Review

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May 12, 2026

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SEYMOUR residents now have new access to Free TAFE IT training, with GOTAFE expanding its Certificate III in Information Technology delivery to the Wallis Street Campus.

This means reduced travel and increased access for regional learners and greater workforce relevance for the wider region.

These tangible benefits are already arising from the expansion of course offerings across GOTAFE and Wodonga TAFE, improving access to education across the region.

GOTAFE now delivers IT training at Wodonga TAFE’s McKoy Street Campus as well – part of several expanded courses resulting from the amalgamation of the two institutes under Northern Victoria Institute of TAFE.

A further increase to the offerings at Seymour is also on the horizon, with the Certificate IV in Community Services, Certificate III in Pathology and Certificate IV in Allied Health Assistance all planned for Semester 2.

“By listening to our community, responding to industry need and maintaining a strong focus on student experience and outcomes, my goal is to position the Seymour campus as a trusted regional hub for skills, pathways and opportunity, supporting both individual success and long-term regional growth,” Chief Education Delivery Officer – Service Industries – and Seymour Regional Lead Fiona Maher said.

Yea resident Samuel Dean began studying at GOTAFE’s Fryers Street Campus in Shepparton last year but was grateful for the opportunity to move closer to home in 2026.

“Now that it’s offered from Seymour it’s less travel,” he said.

“Particularly nowadays with the cost of fuel, that made it a bit easier to continue studying this year, less travel and less time on the road.”

Heathcote’s Georgia de Totto was equally excited to find out that GOTAFE would be offering IT in Seymour this year.

“When Seymour came up as one of the campuses offering IT in my area and also under the Free TAFE offering it was perfect timing honestly, so I applied right away.”

Ready to fix Mitchell Shire black spots at risk sites

The North Central Review

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May 12, 2026

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Ready to fix Mitchell Shire black spots at risk sites

WITH A black spots fix, Mitchell Shire residents can expect better safety on roads.

Council has received funding through the Federal Government’s Black Spot Program for targeted road safety upgrades across the municipality.

The long-running Black Spot Program initiative funds safety treatments at high-risk locations, based on crash history or identified risk.

These projects were developed by the council’s traffic and road safety team with consideration of crash statistics, community road safety concerns and other stakeholders and assessed through a state-based panel process.

The projects are:

Botanical Avenue, Wallan, near Watergum Way ($260,000): The funding will be used for the Installation of a raised pedestrian priority crossing, along with lighting upgrades and improved line marking and delineation to make it safer and easier for people to move through the area.

Darraweit Road, Wallan, between Pretty Sally Drive and Roulston Way ($1.293 million): Upgrades will include pedestrian refuge islands and new median turn lanes, supported by a shared user path, improved lighting, signage and line marking to better manage traffic flow and improve safety for both drivers and pedestrians.

Darraweit Road, Wallan, from Old Sydney Road through to the Mitchell Shire boundary near Simons Hill Road ($248,000): Works will focus on reducing risk along the route, with active curve warning signs, centreline audio tactile line marking and upgraded delineation to improve driver awareness and road conditions.

Mandalay Circuit and Golf Links Drive, Beveridge ($1.156 million): A range of traffic calming and pedestrian safety improvements, including priority crossings, raised safety platforms, speed cushions and updated delineation to support safer movement through the area.

Lithgow Street, Beveridge, between the freeway off ramp and Mallaig Drive ($1.569 million): Will be upgraded with raised safety platforms and pedestrian operated signals, along with an extension of the shared user path and lighting improvements to support safer movement through this growing area.

Mitchell Shire Mayor John Dougall said the funding would support practical improvements at known risk locations across the shire.

Cr Dougall said road safety is a key priority for the community, and these projects focus on areas where targeted upgrades can make a real difference.

“These works are about reducing risk – whether that’s improving visibility, slowing traffic or making it safer for pedestrians to move through busy areas.”

To nominate a black spot location for future rounds of funding, visit investment.infrastructure.gov.au/resources-funding-recipientsand follow the links

Kilmore score handy win

Michael Thompson

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May 12, 2026

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IT was a successful weekend for Kilmore’s men’s team, scoring a much-needed win.

The team ventured to Eltham College to take on Old Eltham Collegians, who had their tails up fresh from a victory over Lalor.

Coming off its big loss to Ivanhoe last week, the Blues desperately needed a result to stay in the conversation for a spot in division three’s top five.

However, the way the game panned out, the Blues had to earn it early on, with just three goals scored in the opening quarter. Emmett Clark delivered the first goal of the game, before Chris Barton answered Nick Milne’s effort to ensure the Blues led 14-9 at the first change.

A frenetic start greeted the second quarter, with Old Eltham kicking the first, before Caleb Newport instantly replied with a great goal. At the 11-minute mark, Lachlan Chesher extended Kilmore’s lead to 11 points, but Old Eltham found another gear to kick the last two goals to snatch the lead at half time, 30-28.

The first 30 seconds of the second half was a precursor to what Kilmore would deliver in the third quarter, with Mitch O’Dwyer giving the Blues a lead they would not relinquish again.

Tristan Lilburn kickstarted a six-minute burst where the Blues would finally put the Turtles away, with Newport and Clark following to ensure Kilmore led 55-38 at the final change.

Despite Old Eltham kicking the first goal of the last to ask some questions of the Blues, they had another five-minute burst in them. Zack Ferguson goaled at the eight-minute mark, before Clark and Chesher said goodnight to the Turtles’ brief chances.

Newport and Chesher added their third apiece as Kilmore wound up winning 13.8 (86) to 8.12 (60).

Grant Paxton put in a powerful performance to be adjudged best-on-ground, but he had plenty of mates. Barton inspired once again, while Chesher and Newport were dangerous in front of goal. Benjamin Doyle and Josh Robertson completed the best players.

Big third quarter key for Blues

Michael Thompson

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May 12, 2026

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A THIRD-QUARTER eruption was the catalyst for Kilmore’s 55-point triumph over West Preston on Sunday, while Wallan frustratingly fell short for a second week in succession.

At JE Moore Park, the Blues were looking to shore up a position in the top three following their stirring success against Reservoir the week before.

A two-goal to one first quarter ensured the Blues would lead at the first change by four points, 13-9.

A very defensive second quarter saw scoring hard to come by, and there would be no change to the scoreboard throughout the quarter, meaning it remained 13-9 at the main break.

But the shackles were released in the third quarter as the Blues powered ahead to score five goals and end the contest.

The Blues were relentless and had 12 scoring shots for the quarter, ensuring they would stretch the lead to 40 points by the last change, 50-10.

The final quarter saw Kilmore add three more goals as it eventually won 10.8 (68) to 1.7 (13).

Charmaine Matthews-Gunn had her best effort since she moved to the club, earning best-on-ground honours, while Zahra Kelly provided plenty of dash. Nicole Bauce, Chiara Nardo, Jenaya Stewart and Brielle Kinnear completed the best players, with Nardo and Jade Ventura kicking three goals apiece.

At Greenhill Reserve, Wallan continues to search for its first win of the season, falling 13 points short of Montmorency 2.

In a battle of the Magpies, it was Montmorency who got the jump in the opening term, scoring the only goal to lead 7-0 at the first break.

Wallan had plenty of questions in the second quarter, but could only manage two behinds, trailing 2-7 at the main break.

A third behind continued to frustrate Wallan, before a hammer blow was delivered as Montmorency scored its second goal to move 10 points clear at the final change, 13-3 up.

Wallan had the first response of the last term, and kept itself in the game through Melanie Hope, who scored a goal to reduce the margin to six points, but Montmorency steadied and eventually won 3.4 (22) to 1.3 (9).

Jordan Stanyer, Hope, Shannyn Powell, Kelly Lennox, Brittney Knight and Jessica Hort were all named in the best for Wallan.

Seymour falls to the Swans

Josh Squire

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May 12, 2026

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SEYMOUR will be rueing an inaccurate second-half performance that cost them an important win over the Shepparton Swans at Princess Park, going down by eight points.

Making the trip to the Swans’ home deck, Seymour only managed one major in the first quarter while conceding three, and were reliant on two goals from usual suspect Riley Mason to keep themselves just 10 behind at the main break.

The lead stretched to as much as 26 points in the third and despite reining it back slightly with one quarter to play, the Lions’ 1.5 scoreline for the term wouldn’t have made many players or supporters too happy.

Jaron and Jack Murphy combined for three goals in the fourth and Tom Jeffrey chipped in with one of his own but the comeback fell short, the final score reading 74-66 in the Swans’ favour.

Jaron’s three goals were the most for Seymour, while backline ball magnet Huw Jones was joined by Lachy and Darcy Giles in the best. Riley Mason added two goals to his season tally to remain on top of the league’s goalkicking charts.

Speaking of leading goalkickers, Jack Radford’s four-goal performance proved critical in the reserves’ third straight win, beating the Swans by 25 points.

The under-18s got back on track thanks to another standout performance by Ben McCarthy, and another bag of five from Sam Brown.

Things weren’t easy for Seymour’s A-grade netballers in spite of a dominant 20-5 opening period, eventually winning by eight goals over the Swans.

The Lions weathered a second quarter comeback to extend the lead back to nine going into the last, and held their nerve to move to a 4-2 record for the season.

In the lower grades, B-grade got the job done 50-36 while B-reserve suffered a shock loss. The 15-and-under and 17-and-under teams both lost by considerable margins.

Footy and netball returns to Kings Park next weekend when Echuca comes to visit the Lions.

Wallan prevails in a close one

The North Central Review

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May 12, 2026

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By Cooper O’Brien

THE Panthers Women’s team started fiercely against Coburg and took a seven-point lead at the end of the first period.

It was the skipper Emmie Gardiner who took control of the game early, setting the tone for her teammates to respond to.

At half time, the opposition was zero per cent from beyond the arc which sparked Coburg coach Matthew Falckh to help build a response from the girls as they gripped their way back into the game.

Their third term saw a nine-point scoring run to make the contest gettable at the final break. But an early three pointer from Hayley Munro and a quick layup from a Coburg turnover allowed the Panthers to take control and close out the game.

A late spark from the Giants brought the game back to one point with one minute to play but Maddison O’Nial shut them out with a clutch two point jumper.

Their result of 67-70 helps them remain at second place on the standings with five wins from six games.

Back at home the men’s team conceded third loss of the season against Collingwood in a tight tussle on Saturday night.

The Panthers started the first term on the back foot trailing by 11 points in stages.

But they slowly clawed their way back into the game making it a three point ball game coming into the final quarter.

Jayden O’Brien was the player to watch for Wallan recording 16 points and five steals on the night.

O’Brien’s big last quarter reduced Collingwood’s lead to just two points with three minutes to play in the final term but Carson Crowe shut them out with a score from beyond the arc which proved too difficult for the Panthers to fight against.

The loss moves the Panthers to fourth on the table as they look forward to Southern Peninsula at RB Robson Stadium on May 16.