Preliminary pain for Wallan Magpies

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September 6, 2022

By Colin MacGillivray

A season that began with a wellspring of optimism ended in pain for Wallan’s senior footballers, with the Magpies upset by Diggers Rest in the Riddell District Football Netball League preliminary final on Saturday.

The Magpies had waited two years for redemption following a grand final loss to Rupertswood in 2019, with COVID-19 derailing all of the 2020 season and the 2021 finals campaign.

They entered the preliminary final as comfortable favourites after beating the Burras twice in the past three weeks – by 28 points in the final round of the home-and-away season and 93 points in the qualifying final.

But from the opening bounce at Macedon’s Tony Clarke Reserve, it was clear the contest would not be smooth sailing for Wallan.

Diggers Rest transitioned quickly through the middle of the ground to find Jamie Lobb for a goal less than two minutes into the game, showing decisiveness that was notably absent from the previous encounter between the sides.

Burras spearhead Mitch Jensen then got free behind the Wallan defence twice to run into an open goal, giving Diggers Rest an 18-0 lead in the blink of an eye.

Wallan stabilised and eventually goaled late in the quarter through Sean Morris to draw within 11 at the first change, but it was clear that goals would be hard to come by for the Magpies.

The second term offered early signs of hope for Wallan supporters, with league-leading goalkicker Matt Perri booting the first of the term to bring his side within a goal.

Midfielders Ricky Schraven and Jarryd Bonello did their best to find targets in space and Steven Boyall provided his trademark run, but the Burras were able to close down leading lanes for the Wallan forwards until Brodie Gilchrist again found Perri for Wallan’s second of the term.

Wallan’s Brodie Gilchrist is pursued by a Diggers Rest opponent.
Wallan midfielder Jesse Davies tries to pick out a target by foot during his side’s preliminary final loss on Saturday.

Corey Grindlay followed it with a major of his own to again bring Wallan within five points, but a spectacular high mark and subsequent conversion by Jensen re-established a 10-point lead for Diggers Rest at the long break.

The third term was a sour one for Wallan, with the Magpies only able to muster a single behind as Diggers Rest took control of the match.

Wallan ruckman Patrick Mahoney went down with what appeared to be a serious leg injury during the quarter, leaving Will Brock to ruck singlehandedly for most of the second half.

Facing a 29-point deficit at three-quarter time, Wallan coach Daniel Nolan urged his players to ‘win your patch’ and chip away at the lead in five-minute increments.

Wallan started the fourth quarter with plenty of desperation, but Diggers Rest was able to slow the pace of the game, with the likes of Tom Schwarzenberg and Steven Fogarty working hard across half back.

When Jensen again ran into an open goal for his fifth major, Wallan’s hopes appeared all but dashed.

Quick replies to Morris and Boyall on the run brought some urgency back to the contest as Wallan trailed by 24 with 15 minutes remaining, but Jensen iced the game with his sixth goal.

Jensen’s game-breaking performance was a far cry from the qualifying final, when he kicked only one major.

For Wallan, Boyall ran hard until the final siren, Brock rucked admirably in Mahoney’s absence and Jake Layley was combative across half forward, but there were few individual winners.

A9206142 — Wallan’s Jake Layley attempts to burst through a pack with ball in hand.

The Magpie changerooms were silent after the game, with players, coaches and supporters reflecting on the loss.

But while the seniors were disappointed, the club has two grand finals to look forward to on Saturday, with its reserves and under 19.5 sides both competing for premierships.

The under 19.5s won a thrilling preliminary final against Romsey on Saturday, downing the Redbacks 10.4 (64) to 9.8 (62), with Alex Crnko booting five goals.

Wallan’s under 19.5 side will play Riddell in the grand final, while Wallan’s reserves are set to face Diggers Rest.

In the senior grand final, Diggers Rest will advance to take on minor premier Riddell.

A9206420 — Diggers Rest’s Steven Fogarty consoles Wallan forward Corey Grindlay after the final siren.

RDFNL grand finals
Sunday, September 11, at Romsey Park

Football

Seniors, 2.30pm
Riddell v Diggers Rest

Reserves, 12pm
Wallan v Diggers Rest

Under 19.5, 9.30am
Riddell v Wallan

Netball

A Grade, 1.30pm
Woodend Hesket v Diggers Rest

B Grade, 12pm
Macedon v Diggers Rest

C Grade, 10.45am
Western Rams v Macedon

19 and under, 9.30am
Western Rams v Macedon

Wallan gym punching above its weight

Lauren Duffy

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September 6, 2022

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By Colin MacGillivray

Though it may be ‘a little gym in Wallan’ in the words of boxing coach and owner Bryce Poorter, House of Stoush Boxing Academy punches above its weight on the national stage.

The gym sent 10 fighters to the recent National Golden Gloves boxing tournament in Queensland – billed as the largest boxing tournament ever in Australia with more than 550 entries from Australia, New Zealand and other Pacific nations – coming away with five winners and two runners-up.

Poorter said the results were a huge endorsement for the gym.

“It made us the second most successful gym in Australia,” he said.

“The top gym was a big one in Queensland, and they were a clear winner with 14 gold and two silvers, but for a little gym in Wallan to get five gold and two silvers is pretty good.”

It continued a successful run of results for House of Stoush after amateur Jesse James Bolt was crowned the Australian under 19 super lightweight champion in August.

Bolt made short work of his opponents at the Golden Gloves, stopping the New Zealand under 19 champion in the second round and defeating an opponent from Queensland in the final.

He was named best youth male across all weight divisions at the conclusion of the tournament.

His sister Victoria Bolt also claimed a Golden Gloves title in the 36kg women’s weight class.

Other House of Stoush winners were Danny Doolan, 92kg; Chris Conboy, 86kg masters division; and Jake DeBrincat, 40kg.

Nate Long was runner-up in the 38kg weight class, as was Santino Brigante in the 46kg class.

Poorter said Bolt and the other Wallan fighters encountered a more diverse range of opponents than at the recent national championships.

“Only state champions can go into the Australian championships, so you’ve got to be recognised as the state champion of your state first before you can nominate,” he said.

“For the Golden Gloves anyone can nominate and they’ve got a lot of overseas fighters as well. I think there were about 50 New Zealanders who fought in the Golden Gloves.”

Poorter described the tournament as ‘a proud moment’ for him and the gym, and said he hoped for more success when Bolt contested the International Boxing Association Youth World Men’s and Women’s World Championships in Spain in November.

Mitchell Shire Police Beat: September 6, 2022

Lauren Duffy

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September 6, 2022

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Burglaries

There have been several residential and commercial burglaries throughout Wallan, Kilmore and Seymour during past weeks. Mitchell Criminal Investigation Unit is investigating each incident.

At about 6.30pm on Friday, unknown offenders forced entry through a window at a pub on Sydney Street, Kilmore and stole computer hardware, a 100-inch television, and beer.

Anyone with any information can contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or the police assistance line on 131 444.
Theft of trailers

Between July 13 and August 31, unknown offenders attended a house on Walnut Grove, Kilmore, cutting a chain to steal a black, single-axle trailer with a cage.

Another trailer, a steel tandem trailer, was also stolen from White Street, Kilmore, in August.

Theft from vehicles

At about 12:45am on Friday, unknown offenders attended a house on Rialto Close, Wallan.

The victim heard their garage door opening and closing several times. When the victim went to their garage, they noticed their vehicle had been rummaged through, and a set of house keys and garage fob had been stolen.

At about 4.30pm on Sunday, August 28, the victim parked and secured his vehicle on Commercial Drive, Wallan. Unknown offenders then stole both front and rear plates from the vehicle and the left rear passenger tail light.

Between 5pm on August 29 and 8.30am on August 30, unknown offenders gained access to a compound located on Hume and Hovell Road, Seymour. They then stole rear registration plates from two vehicles on the property.

Police have reminded the community that installing one-way anti-theft screws on their vehicles can prevent number plates from being stolen and used for further crimes. For more information, visit www.police.vic.gov.au/safepl8.

Fire at Broadford

At 8.30pm on Sunday, Kilmore police and Broadford CFA were called to a small fire at Broadford Secondary College.

There was no damage and offenders decamped before emergency services arrived.

Anyone with any information can contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or the police assistance line on 131 444.

Beveridge wire theft

A 44-year-old man has been charged with stealing copper wire twice within hours on Monday.

Police were notified of two men allegedly attempting to steal copper wire from a high-voltage generator on the Old Hume Highway at Beveridge about 4.30am.

On arrival, the area appeared to be deserted.

The dog squad was called in and quickly sniffed out two men hiding in long grass nearby.

A police dog chased down a man, rounding him up for his handler to arrest.

He was taken to hospital to be treated for a minor dog bite and released a short time later.

The Sunshine West man with charged with theft, criminal damage, going equipped to steal and committing an indictable offence while on bail.

The same man had only been charged with theft and bailed several hours earlier for allegedly stealing copper wire at Heathcote Junction 18 months ago.

Investigators are still searching for the second offender.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at www.
crimestoppersvic.com.au.

Richard Welch standing for state

Lauren Duffy

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September 6, 2022

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By Colin MacGillivray

A sense of unfinished business has spurred Richard Welch to stand as the Liberal Party’s candidate for Yan Yean at November’s state election after an unsuccessful attempt win the federal seat of McEwen in May.

Mr Welch opposed incumbent member Rob Mitchell in the federal seat of McEwen, which overlaps with the state seat of Yan Yean in an area from Wallan East to Diamond Creek encompassing Whittlesea, Beveridge, Yan Yean, Doreen and Mernda.

The seat has been represented by incumbent Labor member Danielle Green since 2002, but Ms Green will not run for re-election. Labor announced Lauren Kathage as a candidate to replace Ms Green in March.

Mr Welch said he had forged ties with communities in the region during his federal election campaign and was keen to continue advocating for them.

“Following the federal election, I had a break and spent time with my family,” he said.

“The thing that kept coming back to me was a sense of unfinished business. When you work closely with a community and you work on issues with them, to then have it all abruptly stop felt unfinished, and I wanted to keep going and finish the job.

“Particularly in Yan Yean, many of the federal issues carry into the state level – the Beveridge Interstate Freight Terminal in particular being a good example.

“There are also the same community issues of roads, sporting facilities, community resources and local regional jobs. These things are still important for the community, state or federal.”

Mr Welch said he would continue to display the work ethic he established during his federal election campaign.

“I don’t take anything for granted. The community has had 18 months to get to know me and I’ve had 18 months to get to know the community,” he said.

“I’m obviously coming comparatively late to the campaign, so in some senses I’m a known quantity but in another sense people are just as interested to know what I am going to deliver.

“Any momentum from the McEwen campaign would immediately dissipate if I’m not delivering something of substance to the community.”

Mr Welch said issues of health and education infrastructure would be crucial.

“I’ll measure my success, win or lose, in terms of my ability to bring solutions or opportunities to the table for the community,” he said.

“In doing that in McEwen, we saw [Labor] responded to that and we had more change in McEwen than there has been in a decade just by running a strong, locally focused campaign.

“I’m excited and energised to run. I’ll continue to listen hard to what the local priorities are and I look forward to presenting my plan for Yan Yean in the next couple of weeks.”

WR (2022-09-06)

Whittlesea Review

The North Central Review

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September 6, 2022

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NCR (2022-09-06)

North Central Review

The North Central Review

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September 6, 2022

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Disability service’s first social event to spread kindness

Lauren Duffy

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September 6, 2022

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Disability service’s first social event to spread kindness

‘Let’s Spread Kindness’ is the key message disability service Karys Health wishes to convey at its first social event on October 21.

The social event at Galada Community Centre in Epping welcomes people with disabilities, families, and friends to participate in art therapy during the morning, followed by a visit of therapy dogs, and music therapy in the afternoon.

Managing director and founder Tendai Karys said the activities were organised to share light and positivity to the community, accommodating for people with disabilities.

“In my experience in the field, I’ve noticed when people do art and music therapy and animal therapy, it helps them to convey their emotions, even with self-care, it’s also a relaxing mechanism as well or it brings joy to them,” she said.

Paralympian and motivational speaker Liam Twomey will attend the event, sharing his story, which Karys Health believes will motivate others with their own journeys.

“It’s an honour that someone has taken out their time to come and do this event with us and help us give back, help us motivate others and help us share a positive light to others in the community, so it’s pretty exciting,” Ms Karys said.

Administration and marketing supervisor Beverly Maingard said she hoped the event left a footprint on people’s hearts and reminded the community that Karys Health was present.

“By coming to this event, they are going to gain friendship, they are going to know a little bit more about how we can help them reach their goals and how we can help them with their mental health.” Ms Maingard said.

Karys Health was founded in 2018, a National Disability Insurance Agency, NDIS, provider that works alongside disability case workers, professional GPS and nurses, and mental health services.

When Ms Karys started the company as a registered nurse, social events were a priority as she saw that people needed a space to bond.
She said she looked forward to creating more social events near Christmas time and in the future to share a constant message Kary’s Health continues to give.

“I am really hoping that we can spread awareness and hopefully motivate other NDIS providers out there in the northern suburbs to do the same,” she said.

“If they are doing the same thing, then it means the more of us doing it the merrier, so the more kindness we can spread, the better and that’s my goal.”

‘Let’s Spread Kindness’ activities will be from 10am to 2pm at Galada Community Centre, at 10A Forum Way in Epping.

To register a free ticket, people can book at www.eventbrite.com/e/lets-spread-kindness-by-karys-health-tickets-410942649527.

St Mary’s Whittlesea hockey team prepares for state championships

Pam Kiriakidis

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September 6, 2022

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St Mary’s Whittlesea hockey team prepares for state championships

By Pam Kiriakidis

The grade six hockey boys’ team at St Mary’s Primary School in Whittlesea are driven to take on state level at Footscray Park on September 8.

The team, consisting of 11 boys, progressed from regional to district games and are now representing the Bridge Inn North District for state title against three other schools from across Victoria.

Physical education leader Joe Ciavarella and coach Jessica Verzin have watched the team progress, achieving their goals at a high level.

“It is a big achievement for a small school with 250 kids out in Whittlesea to get that far,” Mr Ciavarella said.

He highlighted the school’s sport culture was a huge factor, teaching values for students to adopt in training and games.

“It’s something I am very proud of, I think as a small school we pride ourselves on the values that we carry in terms of sport, not only we try really hard in terms of training, but we put a lot of time and effort into teamwork and showing that value of respect and sportsmanship with the other schools,” he said.

Mr Ciavarella said the grade six boys embraced the blue and yellow colours with pride, stepping up their game to prepare for the next big games in a few days.

“They are over the moon. They don’t need much encouragement these particular group of boys, they’re always pushing us for more training, I know next week we have three trainings after school that we’re going to be doing, so they’re willing to put in the time,” Mr Ciavarella said.
To prepare for the big day, the team used their connections at the Greensborough Hockey Club who have been helpful to the team’s training.

“They have been amazing with the relationship with our school in terms of providing us with equipment and facilities whenever we need and coaches to progress the kids,” Mr Ciavarella said.

Mr Ciavarella said coach Jessica Verzin had been an asset to the team, wielding her knowledge of hockey to assemble the team.
The school’s parents have also helped, cheering on the students at at each game.

“Our school has a good community backing, so a lot of parents come to watch. I know with the regional event, most of the parents were up there getting involved,” he said.

Last year, the boys in the grade below achieved state level, however due to COVID, games were not able to be played.

Mr Ciavarella said this time round there was an even greater sense of excitement.

“We had to do it all over again and play again, and its an even better feeling,” he said.

The following students in the team include captain Kade Coulthard, Lachlan Bird, Leevi Tasevski, Paddy Skehan, Morgan McDonald, Kaydin O’Connor, Kaydan Cox, Angus Howe, James Maher, Ethan Draper, and Will Varley.

City of Whittlesea showcasing early years activities

Lauren Duffy

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September 6, 2022

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City of Whittlesea showcasing early years activities

After being online for the past two years, the City of Whittlesea’s Bringing Up Kids Expo returns in-person on Wednesday for families and children to learn about early education facilities.

Families can meet with early childhood associations while children can enjoy fun activities such as art, craft, kinetic sand play and storytelling.

On Thursday, council will also host a kindergarten open night, starting from 5.30pm for parents, carers, families, and children to inspect various kindergartens and facilities.

The State Government recently announced free kindergarten as part of an early education reform.

Council staff will also be present to assist with information about all programs and advice on applying for kindergarten.

City of Whittlesea chair administrator Lydia Wilson said the events offered families to learn what was available locally.

“As we welcome a growing number of families to the City of Whittlesea each year, we are committed to providing access to local facilities and programs which can support children to thrive in life,” she said.

“Having events like the Bringing Up Kids Expo and the Kindergarten Open Night provides parents, carers and families with young children with the opportunity to see what’s on offer in their local community.”

The expo will be at Barry Road Community Activity Centre, Thomastown, from 10am to 1pm on Wednesday.

The kindergarten open night requires no booking, and to find the nearest kindergarten or to find more about the kindergarten open night visit www.whittlesea.vic.gov.au/kinder.

Volunteering opportunities at Big Group Hug Bundoora

Lauren Duffy

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September 6, 2022

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Volunteering opportunities at Big Group Hug Bundoora

Big Group Hug will next week host a volunteer information evening to share volunteer opportunities with the organisation.

The evening will provide a chance for the public to see how the operation runs, meet chief executive Bernadene Voss, and hear from a recipient of the group’s support on the impact that Big Group Hug and its volunteers have made on her life.

A range of volunteering opportunities are available with Big Group Hug, including at one of its warehouses or remotely.

Big Group Hug volunteer manager Francesca Ligabo said volunteering with the group would provide a chance to meet new people with similar interests and gain work experience, all while helping families who are doing it tough.

“By becoming a volunteer with Big Group Hug you will not only help a great cause, but you will also become part of a tight-knit and supporting community – in fact, our volunteers often refer to us as their ‘BGH family’,” she said.

“Volunteers are an invaluable resource and are involved in all aspects of our operations. We offer a range of both in-person and remote opportunities and I’m sure that you’ll find just the right fit for your skills and schedule.”

Big Group Hug is a not-for-profit organisation based in Melbourne’s northern suburbs. A key goal is ensuring that all children receive the best start in life and allowing communities the ability to give less fortunate families a ‘big group hug’ and support in times of need.

Big Group Hug also aims to support the circular economy and build a sustainable future by encouraging the upcycling, recycling, and rehoming of preloved items to reduce landfill and the environmental damage caused by waste.

Volunteering provides an opportunity for people to give back to their community while also reinforcing a personal sense of satisfaction and purpose.

Big Group Hug encourages anyone interested to bring a friend or family member to the volunteer information evening to learn about volunteering with the group and potentially sign up to make a change in the community.

The volunteer information evening will be from 6.30pm to 8.30pm on Tuesday, September 13 at Big Group Hug’s Bundoora headquarters at 5/19 Enterprise Drive.

To register for the event, people can visit events.humanitix.com/volunteer-information-night-big-group-hug.

For more information on Big Group Hug and its operations, visit www.biggrouphug.org.