Local sport

As Councillor Duncan mentioned, it's been a big September for Rowville sport as well. I want to acknowledge the Rowville Hawks, both the senior and reserve teams, for making the EFNL Premier Division Grand Final. The reserves came from behind at three-quarter time to win back-to-back premierships, and the seniors almost got there, but just fell short by five points. So, congratulations to the Rowville Hawks, and also to Scoresby for their season in seniors and reserves as well.

Sunday the 30th of August, I attended Rowville Knights Community Football Club junior presentation at Liberty Avenue. There were hundreds of kids, lots of proud parents and a lot of busy committee running that very successful day.

Just on Friday gone, I attended the Rowville Cricket Club season launch at Seebeck Reserve. I think it's officially football handing over to cricket, and that cricket club at Rowville is in good spirits for the summer ahead.

And just on Sunday, 13th September, I attended the Rowville Rockets winter season presentation at the State Basketball Centre. And just a brief acknowledgement: a highlight of the afternoon was club president Greg Carey, who received, I think, a decades of service volunteer award from the office of Kim Wells MP for his ongoing incredible service to community basketball. I know the Rockets run on people like Greg, so it was great to see that being recognised.

Also that weekend was a fantastic turnout at the local Paul Sadler Swimland in Rowville for everyone who did the 1 km swim. That is very popular in the Rowville community over that side, and yes, very big training. Some kids as young as six or seven jumping in the pool to swim a kilometre. So it was a big achievement, and the Swimland staff there at Paul Sadler do a fantastic job preparing the kids and running that day. So I commend the Swimland community there in Rowville.

And just finally, a Rowville moment that I've been waiting to mark was the debut of Sullivan Robey for the Essendon Bombers. This time last year, Sullivan Robey was a 17-year-old playing local football for Rowville Football Club down on Stud Road. On Saturday, he ran out for his third game with Essendon Football Club on the MCG in front of almost 100,000 people. He was pick nine in last year's draft. He has lived in Rowville for, I think, all of his life almost. And I know the buzz around the Knox junior football clubs this weekend was dream big and that anything's possible. So I think Sullivan's story is an inspiring one for all our local footballers to take note of. A lot of hard work, he no doubt had some luck along the way, but wonderful to see Sullivan kicking goals for the Bombers, quite literally.

The weekend just gone was certainly one where community sport was buzzing in Rowville, and I know right across the municipality. I attended the Friday night presentation night at the Rowville Cricket Club, not as the ward councillor but as a parent of a couple of kids in one of the teams there. I know there were several of these going on across our suburbs, and it was wonderful to see so many families and friends come together to celebrate the season, and kids get trophies and have a run around.

And then on Sunday, junior football started to rev up as well across Knox. I attended the Rowville Knights Junior Football Club jumper presentation, again as an interested parent. But wonderful, the great buzz. Incredible to see the young kids pull on their team jumper for the first time. And wishing all the junior footballers across Rowville and Scoresby and the wider Knox community all the best for the season ahead on the other side of Easter.

And just finally, it's a bit of a risk to pull out one footballing success story of the season, but congratulations to Scoresby Football Club. They won their Division 3 grand final earlier this month in the Eastern Football Netball League. Back-to-back premierships for the Magpies. It was a one-point win, and it literally went down to the last second. So I got caught up in the emotion at Bayswater Oval, and was pleased to see the coach, Craig McKenzie, and the captain raise the cup. And the Hawks seniors went down in the prelim, but the reserves at the Rowville Hawks won their grand final. So a bit of footballing news to end a very busy month.

Just quickly, I'd mention the 100 years of Scoresby footy. Back on the 2nd of August, the sun was shining. Scoresby came from six goals down to win in a fairytale finish, and the Scoresby Football Club put on an incredible pre-game function which was packed out and brought together past players, supporters and volunteers. So I extend my congratulations to President Dave Renkin and all of the club management team for putting on such a wonderful day.

On Saturday night just gone, I attended the State Basketball Centre in Wantirna South to see the Knox Raiders double header. Knox prevailed in both the finals. The women beat local arch rivals the Dandenong Rangers, and the men beat the Eltham Wildcats, and it was a loud local crowd. Free general admission tickets down there for the Knox Raiders quite often. So, always a great night of sporting entertainment.

And on the sporting theme, I'd just give a plug to the Scoresby Football and Netball Club. The football club is celebrating its 100-year centenary this Saturday, the 2nd of August. They're having a heritage round and encouraging past players, volunteers, supporters and members to get down to the club. It's going to be a big game for the Magpies. And I look forward to seeing everyone down at the club this Saturday to join in the centenary celebrations.

I too attended the Knox Sport and Leisure Awards. It was a wonderful evening, I think perhaps the best Council event I've been to this term. It was wonderful to feel that sense of mateship and leadership, and see our young up-and-coming sports stars sitting right alongside people that won awards for 40 and 50 years of service. It was a great night, and I'd just give a special shout out to the Knox Dog Obedience Club, which received the coveted Club of the Year award. KDOC, as it's known, has more than 750 active members. It's got a fierce community focus and is the only not-for-profit dog obedience club in Knox.

And as Councillor Kennett said, there were so many deserving winners, young and old, on the night, and it was a real pleasure of mine to present what I think of as the unsung hero awards: the heroes of our clubs who have dedicated 20, 30, 40, even 50 years, in the case of Kay and Mick Kimmitt from Boronia Hawks Football Club. Fifty years of service from Kay and Mick to their club, but so many others that have volunteered and gone above and beyond in the service of their clubs over several decades. So a big thank you to all the Knox staff that helped put that event together.

On Friday the 23rd of May, I attended Scoresby Tennis Centre for a meeting of the Scoresby Recreation Reserve stakeholder group. That's Craig Douglas from Scoresby Tennis Centre, Dave Renkin from Scoresby Football Club, the president there, and Council officers, for a chat about the operations of the Rec Reserve and the partnerships between the tennis centre and the football and cricket tenants. It was great to see some recent improvements at the tennis centre, some freshly resurfaced hard courts that have the tennis club really firing on all cylinders. And they've got some big plans to make it even more disability compliant. They want to widen some doors at an accessible bathroom and really look to move into the space of all abilities coaching and competition in tennis. So as their ward councillor I've expressed my support for those endeavours, and we'll track those through.

The 10th of May, I attended come and try day at Knox BMX. And I know my colleague Councillor Considine, in her ward, I think you were at the pink baseball day. I was at Knox BMX around the corner. My two boys dragged me down there to have a go, and I had to look away when they were at the top of the big ramp, coming flying down on their first go around the track. But what a wonderful, friendly and supporting environment. My kids turned up in baseball uniforms, and within five minutes they were in the gear and on a bike, and out they were.

And the track's in fantastic condition there. We spent about $300,000, it was a Council, club and federal government partnership, to improve things, and there's fewer closures, less maintenance, and it's open all year round for the community to ride. So if you haven't checked out the Knox BMX track, The Swamp, it's a wonderful place, so check it out.

We had a budget workshop on Sunday the 16th of March. The budget's on track. I think we're due to publish a draft in May, so that's coming around. I attended the opening of the Knox athletics upgrades on the 15th of March.

Councillor Baker mentioned, on Saturday the 8th of February, we were at the Kings Park baseball diamond, the home of the Upwey Ferntree Gully Baseball Club. Councillor Duncan was there as well, as was the CEO and our Director of Connected Communities. More than $300,000 in funding from Knox, in a partnership approach with the state government, to deliver some new, fantastic LED lights. I think I said on the night it was a great example of what the community want to see more of, which is two tiers of government working in partnership together. Council funding and state government funding coming together to really create a big project and a significant uplift. We can achieve so much more when we work together as tiers of government. I don't think we do it enough, but Council is always at the ready to work in partnership with the other tiers to tackle fantastic projects like that one.

Thank you, Mayor. Thank you to Councillor Pearce for mentioning the memorial match at Knox United Soccer Club. It was a wonderful day, and I made a very early and very strong bid in the blind auction for a signed picture of Mary Fowler, so that is soon to take its place at our house.