Kilmore Scout Market is returning next month, bringing with it a range of products and homemade goods from more than 50 stallholders.
Set for Kilmore’s Hudson Park, the market is expected to draw more than 1500 people once it is re-established.
It’s been three years since the last market, which was at Kilmore Racecourse where it would often attracted more than 1000 visitors. Prior to that, the market was at Hudson Park.
Kilmore Scouts leader-in-charge Martin Shaw said the group was optimistic about the market’s return and hoped it would benefit from Kilmore’s growth.
“We’re hoping with it being at Hudson Park that it will generate more traffic from the main street, and Kilmore’s grown so it should be bigger than ever,” he said.
“With the economy tightening, people are often looking for a bargain and markets are generally the place to go for that sort of thing.”
Products on offer will include produce, plants and seedlings, jams, bread, baked goods, clothing, jewellery and handmade crafts. A sausage sizzle will also be available.
Proceeds will go towards supporting Scouts memberships and future events.
“Events like this help to bring down costs for parents and families, as well as supporting future camps and activities,” Mr Shaw said.
“It’s about making sure the kids and their families have the best possible experience with everything we can offer.”
The market will be on the fourth Saturday of each month, beginning on April 22.
A MURAL showcasing Wandong’s history was last week unveiled at the town’s shopping centre.
Originally proposed and planned by Wandong Heathcote Junction Community Group, the mural depicts Wandong circa 1900, with the railway, lumber mill and St Michael’s Catholic Church among many recognisable structures to feature in the scene.
Internationally acclaimed antiquarian horologist Vivian Kenney was brought on board to paint the mural, while Bendigo Bank, Wandong Wallan Lions Club and the Australian Rail Track Corporation, ARTC, provided financial assistance for the project.
Wandong Heathcote Junction Community Group secretary Allen Hall said the group’s proposal to install the mural on the town’s main street was rejected, however the owners of Wandong Plaza were happy to provide a space for its permanent installation.
The group thanked everyone who helped create and install the mural, which is located between Crumbs and Co and Costanzo Automotive Repairs.
For updates on Wandong Heathcote Junction Community Group, visit wandong.vic.au.
A Wallan mother who has had her own challenges to overcome this year is on the mission to fundraise for brain cancer.
Kristy Degiorgio and her brother Patrick started their fundraising when Patrick cut his hair at the Craigieburn Annual Truck and Bike Show last month, raising $900 for the Isabella and Marcus Foundation.
The 32-centimetre chop of Patrick’s hair was inspired by friend Frank Tringali, whose son was diagnosed with brain cancer at age five, and successfully fought his condition.
“[My brother Patrick and I] were sitting with a good friend of ours and started talking about his son’s history and his brain tumour and the Isabella and Marcus Foundation that he supported,” Ms Degiorgio said.
“I’m one of those people who will get something in my mind [and] do it, so I said let’s do a fundraiser.”
Ms Degiorgio started to reach out to local businesses, organised raffles with her brother’s shop Mitchell Shire Motor Trimmers and set up an online donation platform with a $10,000 goal.
After completing her first fundraiser at Craigieburn, Ms Degiorgio said she hoped more Mitchell Shire and Craigieburn businesses would come on board to donate before the raffles were drawn.
“Realistically I would love to get it out there … and try and raise money for these people because they’re nearly at the point where they [can] do … another trial and [I] want to try and help them to that goal as much as they can,” she said.
Ms Degiorgio said the event brought her closer to the founding families of the foundation who were trying to enable clinical trials and treatment for children and young adults with brain cancer.
“We have become really great friends and close and they’re absolutely beautiful, they attended on the day [of the show],” she said.
“We’re really honoured that they were there and travelled really far to come there, and I’ve now become a volunteer for their support group.
“We [also] had our good friend [Frank], and we went live on stage, I got to cut the ponytail off which was very fulfilling for me.”
Kristy Degiorgio and her brother Patrick started their fundraising when Patrick cut his hair at the Craigieburn Annual Truck and Bike Show last month, raising $900 for the Isabella and Marcus Foundation.
Ms Degiorgio, a support worker with four children, said the fundraiser came at the right time for her family after they had gone through a few rough patches, including having their home robbed earlier this year.
“We got left with nothing, and [what] was left was damaged, we had some puppies, and they stole them,” she said.
“This foundation has made me think of the positives, not the negatives.”
Despite the challenges, Ms Degiorgio said she would continue to seek positivity through her family who have made the effort to contribute to the foundation.
“My daughter Madison, she’s actually helped me a lot with the organising … she did a really great job, you know, stood up and worked beside me,” she said.
“I think we’ve gone through hell, myself and my children, and doing this foundation was a massive, positive thing for me at the time to try and help my mental stress.”
To help Ms Degiorgio and her brother reach their goal, people can make a donation by visiting .
Raffle tickets are $2 each or three for $5, and can be purchased via Kristy Degiorgio on Facebook or by calling 0497 195 442.
Whittlesea’s senior football team hopes a new coach and new game style will help end a cycle of promotion and relegation that has seen it bounce between Northern Football Netball League’s first and second divisions for more than a decade.
The Eagles have been promoted to the league’s top-flight competition four times since 2010, but have never lasted more than three full seasons before being relegated back to second division with a last-place finish.
In every instance the club has bounced back the following season to win the division two premiership – and with it, promotion to division one – but president Adrian ‘AJ’ Stewart believes long-term stability at the top level is crucial.
To that end, the Eagles have hired new senior coach Wayne Van Der Ross after a turbulent 2022 that saw them sack long-time coach Blair Harvey mid-season.
Stewart said Van Der Ross had brought a fresh perspective to the club and the players were enthusiastically embracing a new game style.
“[Wayne] has been working hard to implement the new game style and strategy and adapt it for what our playing group is,” Stewart said.
“I think the gap in division two is bigger from the bottom team to the top team, so you can play a really attacking brand of football. But when you come up to division one, once you turn it over it goes back the other way quite fast.
“You have to have a defensive mindset as well as an attacking one, and I think that’s what we’re building with our game plan.
“Every team is good enough to get a run on at some stage, so when the opposition gets a run on, it’s about how well you can manage it and how well you can capitalise when it’s your turn.
“Last year we had a change of coaching and a few issues we had to work out internally, but in the first half of the year Montmorency beat us by about 22 goals, and then when we made the changes we did, the second time we played them we were up in the last quarter and only lost by about four goals.”
In addition to a new game style, Whittlesea will also sport a new on-field look in 2023 with the additions of ruckman Thomas Flood, from the Victorian Amateur Football Association’s Manningham Cobras, and Aleksandr D’Arro, from the Northern Knights, along with the return of past premiership players Matt Dornauf and Laurence Umali.
New Whittlesea coach Wayne Van Der Ross, left, and recruit Matt Dornauf, who has signed on for 2023.
The recruits will help bolster a playing list that has lost brothers Jake and Mitch Wild, Blake Fitzgerald and Tom Indian – all to Hurstbridge – while defender Brody Bell will depart for North Heidelberg.
In a good sign for the Eagles however, emerging ruckman Sam Indian has remained with the club after initially seeking a clearance to Macedon in the Riddell district league.
With Flood and Indian set to ruck to a midfield that still includes the likes of Taidgh Bland and captain Xavier Dimasi, Stewart said there was plenty of cause for optimism.
Whittlesea will also field at least three netball sides, a women’s football team and an over-35 supers team, which won last season’s Victorian Metropolitan Superules Football League division four grand final.
Stewart said it was all part of what made the club an important part of the community.
“We’re pretty big on the mental health side of things for people in our club, and the supers are a big part of that,” he said.
“It’s a good way to keep people involved at the club, and most of them have children who then play with us.”
Stewart said Whittlesea was still searching for players to fill out its under 19 side. Anyone interested in playing can contact the club by emailing whittleseafc@bigpond.com, visiting whittleseafc.com.au or searching for the team’s Facebook page.
Targa Classica is set to kick off this week, bringing 100 classic cars on a tour across Victoria in the lead up to the Formula One Australian Grand Prix.
With a carefully planned route designed to take competitors on some of the state’s best driving roads, the four-day event will begin next Monday in Healesville then travel to Bright, Mt Hotham, Nagambie, and Seymour’s High Street before concluding at Yarra Park in Melbourne on Thursday evening.
Targa Classica is a sister event to the Grandi Eventi events, which have been held in Italy for more than 100 years, carrying on from the established Targa Florio Australian Tribute for its fifth year in the country.
Targa Classica director Andrew Lawson said the event was a good opportunity to socialise while appreciating historic and valuable cars.
“It’s an event that the competitors love, but it’s much more than just about cars,” he said.
“It’s about bringing people together, out of their houses, into the street, down to the local park, on the street corner to connect with the competitors and feel part of it.”
While it is a competitive event with passionate drivers in fast cars, the focus of the tour is not about speed but rather time, as competitors must drive to average a set time across each stage.
Drivers will be penalised for recording times that are faster or slower than the set time for each course, allowing drivers and spectators to focus on the cars, route, and the Victorian countryside rather than outright speed.
“Spectators can chat to drivers, listen to interviews, enjoy the cars and sample all [the towns] have to offer in a festive atmosphere,” Mr Lawson said.
“Victoria is blessed with great driving roads and fantastic communities – it really is a wonderful experience, so I encourage anyone interested to come and have a look and be part of this historic motoring event.”
The tour will be in Seymour from 1pm to 2pm on Thursday, with a slow drive-by, a community welcome and cars on display along the Vietnam Veterans Commemorative Walk.
This year’s event has sold out, however organisers are welcoming the community to bring their cars out for next year’s event and are expecting between 150 and 200 cars to take part.
For more information, people can visit www.targaclassica.com.
Regional Victorians can soon expect cheaper public transport starting Friday following a State Government election commitment to regional fare caps.
The cost of a daily ticket on V/Line will be the same price as a metro daily fare – saving regional Victorians money on ticket prices for trains and coaches, as well as PTV regional buses and town buses.
Regional fares will be capped at $9.20 for a full fare or $4.60 for a concession, and at $6.70 and $3.35 for concession on a weekend or public holiday.
Passengers wanting to book ahead for long-distance trains and coaches can secure tickets from the ticketing office at Southern Cross Station.
Premier Daniel Andrews said the cap would ensure families living in regional Victoria could visit family and access other regional cities and Melbourne.
“We’re proud to be making regional fares fair – making public transport accessible to passengers who live in every corner of our state and opening up regional Victoria to more visitors,” he said.
The cap also covers interstate travel within 60 kilometres of the Victorian border to benefit those living in border communities in New South Wales and South Australia.
Minister for Public Transport Ben Carroll said cheaper transport would change the game for many Victorians living in a regional area.
“The regional fare cap will transform the way Victorians travel and encourage more people to connect with family and friends right across our state – and will also benefit our fantastic regional tourism businesses,” he said.
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit vline.com.au or ptv.vic.gov.au.
National charity Share the Dignity is looking for more volunteers across the Mitchell Shire to support the ‘Dignity Drive’, which collects hygiene products throughout March and August aiming to end period poverty.
Similar to the charity’s ‘It’s in the Bag’ at Christmas, the ‘Dignity Drive’ places a pink collection box at Woolworths and participating stores for residents to donate new and sealed sanitary pads, tampons, incontinence pants and reusable products.
Volunteers then sort the products and send them off to relevant charities in the shire.
Seymour resident and Share the Dignity volunteer Simone Ispanovity, who has been involved since 2019, said the Mitchell Shire needed more volunteers to enable the charity to reach more people and help with the cost of living.
“I think just by having more volunteers, we can help more people,” she said.
“In today’s day and age, everyone’s struggling, the cost of living is hard … just thinking that there’s people that are going without, not having soap or not having a deodorant, like that can be the difference between getting a job or not getting a job, just general hygiene.”
Ms Isaponvity said part of volunteering was learning about period poverty and understanding people’s situations.
“It’s not a lot of time, but if you have other commitments, everyone can certainly help each other,” she said.
“It is a very fulfilling and satisfying thing to do, and when you hear stories and people saying, ‘oh you know we’re getting low on these items’, people really appreciate having these donations.”
In this month’s ‘Dignity Drive’, Ms Isaponvity said there were no current registered drop-off points other than Woolworths stores in the shire and encouraged businesses to get involved for August’s drive.
“The more places that have a collection box, the more donations and the more people we can help, and then that will mean we do need more volunteers,” she said.
Donations can be made at any Woolworths up until March 31.
“Our 150th committee has been doing amazing work behind the scenes and it’s going to be a very special night.”
– PAUL RIX, PRESIDENT
THE buzz word at Lancefield ahead of the 2023 Riddell District Football Netball League season is ‘pride’.
The Tigers will celebrate their 150th anniversary this season – ranking them among the oldest country football clubs in Australia – and president Paul Rix said the entire Lancefield community was delighted to mark the milestone.
The club will launch its season with a reunion night at Lancefield Mechanics Institute on Saturday, with between 300 and 400 people expected to attend.
Rix said many past players and members would relieve the long and storied history of the Tigers, and encouraged as many people as possible to attend.
“We’ll look back on the decades, and people who have been involved with the club will get up and speak about their era,” he said.
“Our 150th committee has been doing amazing work behind the scenes and it’s going to be a very special night.”
Also planned for Lancefield’s sesquicentennial celebrations are a book launch and special heritage jumpers to be worn during the club’s home game against traditional rival Romsey on May 27.
“The heritage jumper is a replica of our 1888 premiership jumper. It’s got the names of the 24 players who played on that day on the jumper,” Rix said.
“There was a fair bit of work from our historical society to track down the names of everyone. It’s probably the first game where we have a full record of the people who played for Lancefield.
“It’s different colours to our yellow and black. We’re going to make it a bit of a surprise for everyone.
“Our senior side will run out with that and we’ll auction those jumpers off after the game.”
On the football field, the Tigers’ senior team has lost midfielders Harrison Taylor and Joe Slattery to Charlton and Kinglake respectively, but retained the bulk of their playing list under new coach Tim Bannan.
Rix said Lancefield would continue to build around its young core after a two-win season in 2022, promoting several junior players and signing promising prospects such as Jack Radford, who won the league under 19.5 goal kicking last season playing for the Riddell Bombers.
Riley O’Meara, a former Lancefield junior, also returns to the club after playing for Essendon Doutta Stars in the Essendon District Football League.
On the netball court a youth-led movement is also in full swing, with A Grade coach Michelle Rix excited for another year of growth for her young team.
With Lancefield’s oldest A Grade netballer only 24 years of age, Ms Rix said the group had plenty of time to develop together.
“It’s a very young team, and I’d imagine we’ll be one of the youngest teams in the league, as we have been for the last few years. But for the majority of the girls this will be the third year they’ve played together,” she said.
“It’s exciting having speedy young girls striving to learn and grow together. It’s an exciting place to be as a club.”
Most of Lancefield’s A Grade side will remain intact, with Elke Henson and Stephanie Hammond joining to split time between midcourt and goals and Larissa Rix returning after an injury layoff.
The netballers will also wear heritage uniforms against Romsey to celebrate Lancefield’s anniversary, inspired by the self-made uniforms the club’s inaugural netball side of the 1960s created.
“The beautiful part of it is that a lot of those ladies still live in the community, so they’ll be present on the day to watch the girls run out in their memory,” Paul Rix said.
“It’s a nice touch to remember where we’ve come from. We want to show appreciation for the generations of families who have been part of our club to this point.
“We’re just the custodians of what has come before us through the trials and tribulations of past club members.
“Hopefully we can honour their memory this season.”
TALLAROOK is celebrating a historic double after taking out both the A and B Grade grand finals in the Seymour District Cricket Association, SDCA, at the weekend.
The ‘Rook snared the A Grade premiership in a seven-wicket upset win against reigning premier Eastern Hill at Chittick Park on Saturday.
The Eagles finished atop the ladder for a second consecutive season and progressed directly to the grand final, where they were considered warm favourites after dropping only two matches all season.
However, one of those matches was to Tallarook, and the Rookers stormed into the match with plenty of confidence of their own after dismantling Broadford in the semi-final.
Eastern Hill won the toss and elected to bat in the grand final, putting up 32 without loss before opening batsman Brayden Speechley fell to Tallarook’s Kalon Winnell for 19.
Speechley was soon joined in the sheds by fellow opener Dallas Bergowicz, trapped leg before wicket by Ben Tarran for 16, and Eastern Hill skipper Seamus Feery, run out by Daniel Fisher for four.
The wickets piled pressure onto the Eagles’ remaining batsmen, and although Ben Bryant was able to steady the home side’s innings, the run rate slowed significantly.
Bryant batted patiently for 39 runs alongside Jake Sutherland, 10, and Oliver Bryant, 18, before being caught off the bowling of Shane Topham. His was the last wicket to fall, as Matthew Collard, nine not out, and Brayden Avola, 11 not out, saw the Eagles through to the conclusion of their 45 overs, reaching 6/137.
Topham was the sole multiple wicket taker with 2/39, but Winnell was the star of Tallarook’s bowling attack with a miserly 1/16 surrendered from nine overs at less than two runs an over.
Three sets of fathers and sons played across two Tallarook premiership sides on Saturday, from left, Tarkyn and Andrew Dundon, Lachlan and Sam Watts, and Xavier and Leigh Arandt.
Tallarook skipper Lachlan Watts said his side’s strong fielding performance set it up for victory.
“We skittled a few in about 10 overs in the middle for not many [runs] and did it quickly, which probably snuck up on them a bit,” he said.
“All of a sudden there were only seven or eight overs to go and they didn’t have too many runs on the board.
“Our fielding was as good as it has been all year. Getting a couple of run-outs probably proves that. We didn’t miss too many chances.
“Chittick Park is the best surface in the competition at the moment, especially with Kings Park down. You love fielding there and you look forward to it when you get the chance.”
Watts praised Winnell’s performance to lead the Tallarook bowling attack.
“He really put the brakes on when he came in to bowl. He got the breakthrough wicket and they found him very difficult to get away,” Watts said.
“He put the squeeze on them and really did his job, and I think it flowed on from there. The other bowlers supported that and [Eastern Hill] couldn’t get it going.”
Tallarook’s run chase looked to be in early trouble when opener Josh Rudge was caught and bowled by Avola for five runs, putting the visitors behind the eight ball at 1/12.
But Watts would not let his team lose, taking to the crease for what proved to be a match-winning 62-run knock.
Watts batted first alongside Ben Tarran before Tarran’s dismissal for eight at the hands of Jake Sutherland, but kept his composure to forge an 88-run third-wicket partnership with Kasey Duncan.
The pair, knowing they were in front of the required run rate, batted patiently before Sutherland finally broke through to remove Watts. But new batsman Leigh Irving, 14 not out, performed superbly alongside Duncan, 35 not out, to notch the winning runs.
Watts said he was proud of the way his team held its nerve during the run chase.
“Chasing 137, it’s not a big score but I haven’t played in a grand final yet where it’s been easy going,” he said.
“You never know what’s going to happen, but at the same time you want to stay pretty positive and keep the scoreboard pressure on them once you get yourselves in and set.
“You’re always nervous. I’m a nervous starter as it is anyway, but once you feel one out of the middle of the bat early on it makes you pretty comfortable.
“I was confident with Ben Tarran at the other end being able to hold up his end for a while, and the same with the guys coming in behind me.
“Having that confidence in the rest of the batting order makes my job a bit easier to take a few more risks and try to get things moving once I settled in.”
The win gave Tallarook its first A Grade premiership since back-to-back flags in 2018-19 and 2019-20 and confirmed its status as a powerhouse of the SDCA.
The club also celebrated a B Grade premiership, beating Pyalong by seven wickets at Broadford’s Harley Hammond Reserve, 102 to 3/107.
Tallarook’s B Grade premiers. Back from left, Brendan O’Donnell, Leigh Arandt, Sam Watts, Tarkyn Dundon, Ben Trezise, Madison Albers, and Sam Manchester, front from left, Michael Dundon, Jack Maher, Tom Archibald, captain Luke Marshall and Stephen Korosec.
Tallarook’s Madi Albers starred with bowling figures of 4/20 from nine overs, including three maidens, while Stephen Korosec took 3/20.
Tallarook opening batsman Luke Marshall batted throughout the run chase for an unbeaten 38, while Korosec, batting at number five, was also unbeaten on 34.
Watts said the result was the best the club could have hoped for after failing to field a B Grade side and missing the A Grade finals last season.
“Just making finals was a massive effort for us as a club, so to get them both up, we’re pretty rapt with where the club is at,” he said.
“That’s my fourth premiership with Tallarook. I’ve been pretty lucky, but some of the other boys have six apiece, so we’ve got players with lots of experience in finals, which is a bonus.”
The C Grade premiership went to Yea Tigers, who beat Eastern Hill by seven wickets, 7/108 to 3/111 behind Michael Waghorn’s unbeaten 64 runs. Eastern Hill had progressed to the grand final despite losing to Avenel who were disqualified for playing an ineligible player.
