Author: Brodie Cowburn

PROVINCIAL PINES and Red Hill have booked their spots in the 2024 MPCA Provincial Grand Final.Pines took on Sorrento in a two-day semi-final across last Saturday and Sunday. They had an excellent day one, putting 313 runs on the board and giving Sorrento a tough target to chase down. Declan Jackson top scored for Pines with 65.Sorrento’s run chase was over before it got started. They lost their first three wickets for just five runs, and never recovered. Sebastian Gotch got his side back on track with a half-century, but his efforts weren’t enough. Sorrento was bowled out for 115,…

PROVINCIAL RED Hill picked up a thrilling win over Langwarrin to finish their home-and-away season on a high last Saturday. Langwarrin batted first on their home deck. They had to battle through a nightmare opening session – the Kangaroos lost 5/34 at the start of their innings. Red Hill’s Glenn Collett ran riot on the top order. A late knock of 44 from 29 deliveries by Leigh Paterson helped Langwarrin put a respectable total on the board. They ended up all out for 147.Red Hill suffered a similar fate early in their innings too, losing both openers for ducks off…

PROVINCIALRED Hill picked up a thrilling win over Long Island during the final over of play last Saturday.Long Island scored 229 on day one of the match. Red Hill’s run chase got off to a good start – opener Luke Jackson led from the front with a half-century.The rest of Red Hill’s batters made decent starts, but couldn’t convert their scores into big totals. Some good bowling by Matt Shimmell helped to stop Red Hill’s momentum. An unbeaten knock of 27 by James O’Connell with his side eight wickets down won the game for Red Hill. They got over the…

LABOR candidate Jodie Belyea has won the Dunkley by-election.With nearly 75 per cent of the vote counted, Labor leads the Liberals on the two-party-preferred count by 2.7 per cent. There has been a 3.6 per cent swing towards the Liberals compared to the 2022 federal election result, which is not enough to win the seat.Jodie Belyea is the founder of the Women’s Spirit Project, an organisation supporting women affected by poverty, violence, and other issues. She has also worked with the MEGT Foundation. Belyea was recruited into the Labor Party by former Dunkley MP Peta Murphy.The by-election was triggered by…

THE Peninsula Community Legal Centre in Frankston says it will have to cut some of its free services if its government funding doesn’t increase. The PCLC offers free legal services and advice to people across many areas, including housing, family arrangements, employment, health, finances, and personal safety. PCLC CEO Jackie Galloway says that the centre is helping more people than ever in the midst of the cost of living crisis, and that increased funding is badly needed. “With so many struggling with the cost of living and housing crises, we are seeing an unprecedented number of people who are buckling…

CRICKET WOMENS BALNARRING are the champions of the MPCA Women’s division. Emil Madsen Reserve hosted Balnarring and Rye on 18 February for the women’s Grand Final. Balnarring was sent in to bat first. Opener Jemma Reynolds got her side off to a good start. She scored 39 runs before being stumped. Her opening partner Catherine Donlon scored 25. Balnarring went on to score 125 from 30 overs. Some excellent bowling wrapped up the win and the trophy for Balnarring. Rye was bowled out for just 66 runs. Kayla Turner was her side’s best bowler – she posted final figures of…

CRICKET PROVINCIAL LONG Island held on for a thrilling win over Sorrento last Saturday. Long Island scored 272 runs on day one, giving the Sharks a tough task to tackle on day two. After a few early struggles, middle order batter Matthew Rulach took control of the game. Rulach smashed 103 runs from 151 balls for the Sharks to keep them in the contest. Jake Wood’s late half-century also kept them in the hunt. The game ended up going down to the final over. With one run required to draw level with four balls left to face, Sorrento lost their…

EARLY voting has begun in the Dunkley by-election. Polling day for the by-election is on 2 March with eight candidates on the ballot – in ballot order they are Nathan Conroy (Liberal), Bronwyn Currie (Animal Justice), Chrysten Abraham (Libertarian), Reem Yunis (Victorian Socialists), Darren Bergwerf (Independent), Alex Breskin (Greens), Heath McKenzie (Australian Democrats), and Jodie Belyea (Labor). Early voting centres have been set up at Lyrebird Community Centre in Carrum Downs, Functions by the Bay in Frankston, and 1st Ranelagh Scout Group in Mount Eliza. They are open from 8.30am to 5.30pm on weekdays (6pm on 1 March), and from…

CRICKET WOMENS BALNARRING and Rye will face off in the MPCA Womens Grand Final this weekend. Balnarring hosted Tooradin in the semi-final on Sunday. Balnarring batted first and put a huge total on the scoreboard. An unbeaten century from Jemma Reynolds helped Balnarring reach a final total of 3/207. Tooradin batted well but couldn’t maintain the run rate needed to win. They finished up at 5/132 after their 30 overs. Rye and Somerville went down to the wire on Sunday in the other semi-final. Rye batted first last weekend. They set Somerville a target of 106 to score to win.…

EIGHT candidates will contest the Saturday 2 March Dunkley by-election to replace former Labor MP Peta Murphy who died from cancer in December. Women’s Spirit Project founder Jodie Belyea is standing for Labor while the Liberals have chosen Frankston mayor Nathan Conroy. Alex Breskin is the Greens’ candidate. The Greens returned a first preference vote of more than 10 per cent at the 2022 federal. Chrysten Abraham is running for the Libertarian Party, Heath McKenzie for the Australian Democrats, Bronwyn Currie for the Animal Justice Party, and Reem Yunis for the Victorian Socialists. After failed tilts for both Dunkley and…

CRICKET WOMENS DELACOMBE Park closed their season with a thrilling win over Mt Eliza. Mt Eliza scored 123 runs from their 30 overs. Ingrid Harvey top scored with 38 not out. The wickets were shared evenly among the Delacombe Park bowlers. They would have to bat well to chase down their target and grab a win. A brilliant 38 run ninth-wicket partnership between Trish Hawkins and Melissa Newham won the game for Delacombe Park. They hit the winning runs with an over and two wickets to spare. Hawkins, who returned to the game after the scorching weather forced her from…

CRICKET PROVINCIAL A MATCH-winning century from Simon Dart proved the difference as Red Hill wrapped up a thrilling final over victory last weekend. Red Hill played Baden Powell at Red Hill Recreation Reserve in one-day cricket. The visitors were sent in to bat first, and put 215 runs on the board. A knock of 91 from 88 deliveries by Rhys Elmi was the highlight of Baden Powell’s innings. Opener Travis Kellerman also scored 66 from 87 before being dismissed by Dart. After Red Hill fell to 2/33, Simon Dart came in and dominated. He scored an unbeaten 106 at a…

CRICKET PROVINCIAL A BRILLIANT bowling performance has secured Sorrento a good win over Old Peninsula. On day one Sorrento scored 140 before being bowled out, giving the Pirates an attainable target to chase. Outside of first drop batter Tom La Brooy, Old Peninsula struggled on day two on Saturday. La Brooy scored 48 runs, which was his side’s lone double-figure score. Jake Wood and Charlie Wigg ran riot at Peninsula Grammar Oval. Wood bowled 20 overs, taking 5/45, and Wigg took 4/12 from eight overs. Old Peninsula was bowled out for 91. Baden Powell chased down Long Island’s total of…

RISING sea levels will pose a huge risk to the coastlines of the Mornington Peninsula and Frankston this century, according to a state government-commissioned report. The Port Phillip Bay Coastal Hazard Assessment report published last week assessed potential damage to the bay’s coastlines if sea levels rise by 1.4 metres. It listed the area around Martha Cove, the Balcombe Estuary recreation reserve at Mount Martha and the foreshore from Rosebud to Dromana as being at risk of inundation once sea levels rose. Patterson Lakes is one of the areas most at risk on the eastern side of Port Phillip, according…

CRICKET PROVINCIAL MPCA CRICKET returned after the Christmas break on Saturday. The first day of two-day matches were played across the peninsula. At Bruce Park, the travelling Red Hill are off to a good start against Heatherhill. Red Hill batted all day long on Saturday. An excellent middle order partnership between Will Cooper and Andy Restein helped them reach a final total of 9/177. Restein scored 50 from 79 deliveries. Cooper played an important supporting role, scoring 33 from 140 deliveries. Heatherhill’s Brett Maxwell was the pick of the bowlers. He took 4/35 from 19 overs, wiping out most of…

THE major parties have locked in their candidates for the Dunkley by-election. The death of sitting Labor MP Peta Murphy in December left the seat of Dunkley vacant. On Thursday 11 January, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed that Jodie Belyea would be Labor’s candidate and on Sunday the Liberal Party chose Frankston mayor Nathan Conroy as its candidate. Belyea is the founder of the Women’s Spirit Project, an organisation offering a free 11-week program for women who have experienced family violence, mental health issues, poverty, and unemployment. The program has run on the Mornington Peninsula and in Carrum. Albanese, backed…

MORE than 600 cats and nearly 100 dogs were euthanased by Frankston Council’s contracted animal shelter in the first six months of 2023. Between 1 January and 30 June, RSPCA Peninsula in Pearcedale admitted 874 cats and 160 dogs resulting in 69 cats and 21 dogs being euthanased. Mornington Peninsula Shire’s animal shelter and pound put down 38 cats and four dogs – it admitted 210 cats and 228 dogs. The latest statistics on the fate of animals who enter shelters and pounds released by Animal Welfare Victoria show the Lost Dogs Home Casey, which provides animal shelter services for…

CANDIDATES from the major parties for the Dunkley by-election are expected to be announced soon. Incumbent Dunkley MP Peta Murphy died from metastatic breast cancer in December. She won the seat for Labor in 2019, and retained it at the 2022 federal election. A by-election will be held to install a new federal MP. Speaker Milton Dick has yet to announce a date for the by-election which is not expected to be held until February at the earliest. Labor has yet to announce a candidate and the Liberals are expected to preselect a candidate for the seat in the next…

CRICKET PROVINCIAL AFTER a frustrating two consecutive weekends of rain interruptions and cancellations, MPCA weekend cricket returned with one-day action on Saturday. In the Provincial division, Pines won a tight one against Heatherhill. After winning the toss, Heatherhill chose to bat first. Captain Kristian Miller was the star for his side, scoring an unbeaten 96 from 104 deliveries. Miller didn’t get much support from his batting partners. Heatherhill ended up scoring 9/181 from their 40 overs. Pines openers Kane Hawkins and Nick Christides made good starts during the run chase, scoring 30 and 45 respectively before being sent back to…

PETA Murphy’s first speech as federal member for Dunkley quoted her literary hero, Pippi Longstocking. Pippi was being warned by her friend Annika to refrain from competing against “the world’s strongest man”. “Man, yes,” said Pippi. “But I am the world’s strongest girl, remember that!” The speech came just weeks after Murphy received a devastating cancer re-diagnosis. She was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2011, and again in 2019 around the time she was elected the first ever female member for Dunkley. Murphy carried Pippi Longstocking’s attitude with her during her four years in parliament. In spite of deteriorating…

CRICKET PROVINCIAL SOME good bowling has put Sorrento in pole position for a win over Langwarrin on the first day of their two-day clash. Langwarrin chose to bat first on what was a wet and dreary day of cricket on Saturday. Their first three batters made starts, but were sent back to the sheds without converting them into big totals. Luke Kranzbuhler bowled well for Sorrento. He took 3/27 from his 11 overs, including the important wicket of opener Sam Prosser. Langwarrin ended the day on 6/80 after a long rain delay. Old Peninsula and Red Hill had better luck…

CRICKET PROVINCIAL A MASSIVE century by Harley Peace-Stirling has secured an important win for Pines. Sorrento set Pines a target of 113 to score to win. Pines looked shaky batting on day one, and finished up at 5/51 at stumps. Pines looked much more comfortable on day two. On the back of a brilliant knock of 109 not out by Peace-Stirling, they easily surpassed their target. Some excellent bowling saw Long Island get a win over Old Peninsula last Saturday. Long Island were in a good position coming into day two – they scored 261 runs on day one. A…

CRICKET PROVINCIAL A MASSIVE 132 run opening stand between Aiden McKenna and Thomas Matson has put Long Island in a strong position against Old Peninsula. McKenna and Matson batted for most of the day. McKenna scored 70 from 161 deliveries, and Matson scored 92 from 199. A late knock of 33 from 29 by Chris Hay helped Long Island reach a final total of 6/260 from their 80 overs. Play restarts at Ballam Park this Saturday. At Pat Rollo Reserve, Sorrento will have to fight hard to defend their total. Sorrento are taking on Pines in two-day action. The Sharks…

CRICKET PROVINCIAL RED Hill bowled well to defend a total of 172 against Heatherhill last weekend. Red Hill hosted the one day clash. They batted first and scored 9/172 – Luke Jackson top scored with 36 runs from 33 deliveries. Heatherhill opener Neil Barfuss got his side off to a good start early with a knock of 32 from 37 deliveries. Unfortunately he lost his first two batting partners for scores of 0 and 5. After Barfuss’ dismissal, Heatherhill struggled to keep up with the required run rate. A late 38 run innings at a run a ball from Daniel…

FRESH doubts have been expressed over the future of $225 million set aside for the stalled train line extension from Frankston to Baxter. The money for the extension was committed by the previous Coalition federal government and later supported by then opposition leader Anthony Albanese in the lead up to the 2018 election. The cost to electrify and duplicate the Stony Point line to Baxter was quoted at up to $1.5 billion in a business case completed before the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the planned extension has failed to progress any further than a business case and the state government has…

FRANKSTON serial killer Paul Denyer will remain in jail for life under proposed state government legislation. Denyer murdered Elizabeth Stevens, Deborah Fream, and Natalie Russell in the surrounding suburbs of Frankston in 1993. He was handed a life sentence with a non-parole period of 30 years, which expired this year. Denyer, now 51-years-old, had a parole application knocked back by the Adult Parole Board in May. The News understands that on 31 October, the state government will announce that it intends to change the law to keep Denyer in jail until he is approaching death. Frankston MP Paul Edbrooke has welcomed the…

CRICKET PROVINCIAL PINES had to work for it but managed to score a win over Old Peninsula on day two of their clash at Peninsula Grammar. Old Peninsula was bowled out for just 145 on day one, giving Pines an attractive target to chase down. Pines struggled to take control of the game, and looked in trouble until Pat Jackson came in at number eight. Jackson scored an unbeaten 39 to get his side over the line. Pines won with just two wickets to spare. A brilliant century from captain Kristian Miller saw Heatherhill score a win over Long Island.…

CRICKET PROVINCIAL LANGWARRIN has victory in their sights after a strong showing on the first day of their two-day clash with Red Hill. Red Hill hosted Langwarrin on Saturday. The home side won the toss and chose to bat first. Red Hill opener Riley Shaw was dismissed for just two runs to start their innings. They struggled to recapture momentum from there. Captain Chris Weeks scored 34 from 63 to help salvage something for his side. Red Hill was eventually bowled out for 133 after 55 overs. Matthew Prosser and Jackson Mockett did most of the work for Langwarrin with…

CRICKET PROVINCIAL A MASSIVE opening stand between Dale Elmi and Luke Long has helped Baden Powell score an impressive win over Pines. Baden Powell was sent in to bat first on Saturday at Pat Rollo Reserve. Elmi and Long were awesome, scoring 166 runs between them before the first wicket fell. Dale Elmi fell agonisingly short of a century – he was dismissed first for 97. Soon after, Long managed to pass his century. He scored 103 before being caught out off the bowling of Ricky Ramsdale. A tail order collapse prevented Baden Powell from scoring an enormous total. They…

AFTER eight years on public display, the infamous Reflective Lullaby sculpture is set to return to McClelland Gallery. Gregor Kregar’s Reflective Lullaby, a giant chrome gnome, was installed at Peninsula Link’s Cranbourne Road exit eight years ago. Four years later the gnome was moved to the corner of Moorooduc Highway and Hastings Road in Frankston. Last week, Reflective Lullaby was removed from its site and taken to McClelland Gallery in Langwarrin. The 10 metre tall artwork will be permanently installed in the gallery’s sculpture park. As revealed earlier this month, the Love Flower sculpture which replaced the chrome gnome near…