Author: Brodie Cowburn

WOMENS DIV ONE A FANTASTIC half-century from Aimee Mellford helped Tooradin extend its unbeaten fun to four games on Sunday. Tooradin travelled to take on Crib Point. Tooradin was sent in to bat first, and set the Magpies a tricky target to chase down. Mellford top scored with an excellent unbeaten 50 from 29 deliveries. Maeve Goldberg played a strong supporting role, scoring 28 from 55 deliveries. After the end of their 20 overs, Tooradin had scored 3/116. Crib Point’s run chase got off to a poor start when both openers were sent back to the sheds for ducks. A…

FRANKSTON and Kingston Councils have signed an agreement to meet regularly and collaborate on future projects. The “Nepean Partnership” was officially signed off by Frankston and Kingston councillors at their respective public meetings last week. The proposed partnership originally included the Mornington Peninsula Shire, which ultimately declined to sign up amid a bitter fallout with Frankston Council (Canberra trip sparks conflict, The News 26/8/25). A report on the partnership prepared by Frankston Council officers read that “decisions and communications are to be made collaboratively, ensuring transparency and shared ownership of outcomes.” “A Partnership Steering Group, comprising each council’s mayor, CEO…

PROVINCIAL SORRENTO played Red Hill in a nailbiter on Saturday, with the Sharks winning by the finest of margins. Red Hill was sent in to bat first on their home deck. They had a few misfires with the bat, and ended up all out for 161 shortly before the scheduled close of their innings. Luke Jackson scored a vital 68 for Red Hill. He made amends for skipper Glenn Collett’s dismal for one and Simon Dart’s dismissal for a golden duck. Henry Squire, Liam O’Connor, and Tyler Porter took three wickets each for Sorrento. Sorrento’s run chase got off to…

FRANKSTON and Kingston Councils are expected to maintain their arrangements with their contracted animal shelter, The Lost Dogs’ Home, despite recent criticism of the organisation.The Lost Dogs’ Home, which provides animal shelter services for multiple councils including Frankston and Kingston, is under fire after it euthanised a young dog after he failed the shelter’s behavioural tests.Animal Justice Party MP Georgie Purcell has slammed The Lost Dogs’ Home for its decision to put down 12-week-old Murphy, and expressed concern for Murphy’s sister Milly who is currently in foster care. She said in parliament earlier this month that “it is currently not…

PROVINCIAL Langwarrin batted brilliantly to claim a hard-fought win over Sorrento at David MacFarlan Reserve on Saturday. The Kangaroos headed into day two with a tall mountain to climb. Sorrento set them a target of 269 to chase down to win on day one. Langwarrin opener Jack Marget set his side on the right path with a patient half-century. Number three batter Matthew Prosser came in and dealt a huge blow, going on to score 97 runs from 178 deliveries. Langwarrin’s run chase was nearly brought down by a few shaky middle-order performances, but Taylor Smith kept the ship steady.…

A STATEWIDE crime wave has sparked a Victoria Police restructure, with more officers set to be dedicated to frontline policing.Statistics released last month showed that crime in Frankston is at its highest level in a decade. The 13,754 criminal incidents recorded in the Frankston local government area in the year ending June 2025 was a whopping 18.8 percent increase on the year prior. In neighbouring Kingston criminal incidents rose by 14.6 percent, and a 10.6 percent increase in criminal incidents was recorded in the Mornington Peninsula Shire. (“Rising crime levels unacceptable” The Times 30/9/2025). On Sunday, homicide squad detectives opened…

PROVINCIAL Red Hill’s strong start to the 2025/2026 season looks set to continue after a good day one showing against Mornington on Saturday. Mornington chose to bat first at Red Hill Recreation Reserve. They failed to make much of an impact on the scoreboard – Cooper Borthwick tore through the middle order and helped send the Bulldogs back to the sheds for a final total of 123. Borthwick took 4/22. Simon Dart also bowled well, finishing up with 3/18. Red Hill piled on 77 runs before stumps, losing just one wicket along the way. They are in a great position…

CRIME on the Mornington Peninsula rose by 10.6 percent in the 2024/25 financial year, newly released figures from the Crime Statistics Agency reveal.There were 9,333 criminal incidents recorded in the Mornington Peninsula LGA in the year ending June 2025. That figure equates to 5425 criminal incidents per 100,000 population.Mornington was the peninsula suburb most affected by crime, followed closely by Rosebud and Hastings. Dromana and Somerville rounded out the top five.Stealing from a motor vehicle was the most common offence, with 1313 incidents recorded. There were 864 reported incidents of other theft, 749 incidents of breaching family violence orders, and…

MPFNL MEN’S DIV ONE SENIORS ROSEBUD are the premiers of Division One after a nail-biting one point win over Mt Eliza. Rosebud came into the Grand Final on Sunday as strong favourites, only losing twice during the home-and-away season. Mt Eliza snuck into finals with a 9-9 record.Kinetic Stadium hosted the season decider last weekend. Not much separated the two sides all day – Rosebud took a narrow two point lead into the half-time break, which turned into a one goal lead for Mt Eliza by three-quarter-time. The Redlegs led by as much as 19 points in the third quarter,…

MPFNL MEN’S DIV ONE MT Eliza survived a huge scare on Sunday to claim their spot in the MPFNL Division One Grand Final.Mt Eliza played Frankston YCW in the preliminary final, with the winner advancing to a Grand Final showdown against Rosebud. Mt Eliza dominated for most of the day, and at three-quarter-time they were comfortably ahead by 50 points.The Stonecats came alive in the final term, and nearly pulled off a miracle. They got within a goal of the Redlegs, but ended up running out of time. Mt Eliza held on for a thrilling 9.13 (67) to 10.13 (73)…

VFL FRANKSTON’S remarkable season continued on Saturday night, as they earned a preliminary final spot.The Dolphins have been the talk of the town in Frankston this year. Since being readmitted into the VFL in 2018 the club has gone from strength-to-strength, leading to two consecutive finals appearances in 2024 and 2025.After a comprehensive qualifying finals loss to Footscray in week one, the Dolphins hosted Casey Demons in a do-or-die semi-final at Kinetic Stadium on Saturday night. A bumper crowd turned up to watch a thrilling finish.After a tight opening term, the Dolphins took control. They worked their way into a…

MPFNL MEN’S DIV ONE Rosebud are the first team through to the MPFNL Division One Grand Final after a good win over Frankston YCW on Saturday. Rosebud has been the team to beat in Division One this year, dropping just two games. They played the Stonecats at Alexandra Park on Saturday with a spot in the big dance on the line. Rosebud led by 17 points at the first break, but the Stonecats fought back. A six-goal second term saw Frankston YCW go into half-time ahead by two points. In the second half, Rosebud showed their quality. They kicked ahead…

THE federal government’s $50m commitment to upgrade Nepean Highway was front of mind when Frankston Council and Mornington Peninsula Shire sent their mayors to Canberra last week. It was a rocky road to Canberra for the delegation, which was organised by the Committee For Frankston and Mornington Peninsula. After making public comments about the Committee, Frankston mayor Cr Kris Bolam was temporarily disinvited from the trip. He ultimately attended, alongside Committee CEO Josh Sinclair, Mornington Peninsula Shire mayor Cr Anthony Marsh, Mornington Peninsula Shire CEO Mark Stoermer, and Frankston Council officer Kristen Thomson. Dunkley MP Jodie Belyea and Flinders MP…

MPFNL MEN’S DIV ONE LANGWARRIN has made a habit of great escapes this year, but their luck finally ran out against Mt Eliza in Sunday’s elimination final. The Redlegs and Kangaroos travelled to Rosebud for the do-or-die clash. Mt Eliza was held goalless in the first term, but soon recovered to take control of the game. Langwarrin couldn’t stop the Redlegs once they got some momentum going. Mt Eliza ran away with it, winning 6.8 (44) to 9.15 (69). Fletcher Bayne, Fraser Phillips, Christopher Carey, Will Bravo, and Declan Cole were Mt Eliza’s best. Frankston YCW were comfortable winners against…

MEN’S DIV ONE Dromana have missed finals by percentage after a heartbreaking defeat at the hands of Pines on Saturday. With other results going their way, Dromana only needed to avoid defeat to lock up their finals spot. The Tigers hosted Pines at Dromana Recreation Reserve. After the Tigers got out to an early lead, Pines struck back and took an 11-point lead into the half-time break. The Pythons stretched their lead to 31 by three-quarter-time. Dromana fought for their lives in the final term, with their finals chances dwindling. The Tigers nearly pulled off a miracle, but just ran…

FRANKSTON’S mayor says he still plans on attending an advocacy trip to Canberra despite being disinvited by one of the organisers last week.The trip to Canberra, scheduled for 25-26 August, has been facilitated by the Committee for Frankston and Mornington Peninsula Shire. Last week mayor Cr Kris Bolam publicly expressed concerns about council’s ties to the advocacy group, and said he was “uncomfortable” about the planned trip. (Committee’s Canberra trip ‘uncomfortable’ – mayor, The News 19/8/25).Early last week Bolam was disinvited from the Canberra trip by the committee, but he still intends to go. He said “I do not, and…

MPFNL MEN’S DIV ONEMT Eliza, Dromana, and Langwarrin are locked in a tight race for the top five with one round left to play in the home-and-away season. After Saturday’s games, Mt Eliza and Dromana occupy the final two spots in the top five. Langwarrin is sixth with a significant percentage disadvantage. Mt Eliza earned a hard-fought win over Frankston YCW last weekend to put themselves in pole position for finals. The Redlegs raced out to a lead in the second quarter, and held on for the rest of the day. Mt Eliza beat the Stonecats 12.8 (80) to 10.8…

WOMEN’S DIV ONEMORNINGTON are the MPFNL Women’s Division One premiers. Mornington played Warragul Industrials in the Grand Final at Kinetic Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The two sides have been evenly matched all season – in the first final Mornington narrowly beat Warragul by five points. It was a different story on Saturday, as Mornington was in control for most of the day. After a goalless opening term, the Bulldogs took the game by the scruff of the neck. Warragul had a tough day at the office, failing to score a goal. Mornington claimed the win 5.4 (34) to 0.5 (5).…

MPFNL MEN’S DIV ONELANGWARRIN have kept their finals hopes alive with a gritty win over Mt Eliza. After a tight opening term at Lloyd Park on Saturday, Langwarrin took control in the second quarter. The Kangaroos took a three goal lead into the half-time break. Mt Eliza refused to go down without a fight, and kept hanging in there. Langwarrin proved too good though – the Kangaroos beat the Redlegs 9.9 (63) to 8.5 (53). A loss would have proved a near-fatal blow to the Kangaroo’s finals aspirations. The win leaves Langwarrin in sixth place, equal on points with Mt…

MPNFL MEN’S DIV ONE DROMANA picked up a hugely important win on Saturday at home against Edithvale-Aspendale. Dromana were the better side from the get-go. A five-goals-to-one first term put the Tigers in the box seat. Edithvale-Aspendale chipped the lead back to 15 by half-time, but Dromana sealed the outcome with a big third quarter. Dromana beat Edithvale-Aspendale 17.15 (117) to 11.9 (75). Reece Wilde, Sam Geurts, Billy Quigley, Billy Geurts, and Clayton Gay were Dromana’s best. Nathan Higgins and Ben Tovey booted three goals each. The result leaves Dromana fifth on the ladder with 32 points. Sorrento, Pines, and…

THE Mornington Peninsula Football Netball League is under fire for scheduling its women’s football finals matches on a Sunday night. Last week the MPFNL announced that the Women’s Division One qualifying and elimination finals would take place at 6pm on Sunday, 3 August. Division One Women’s games are almost always played on a Saturday, with just two Sunday games played during the home-and-away season this year. John Coburn Oval, the home of Frankston YCW, will host the women’s matches. A viral post from social media page Not All Clubs, which spotlights inequality in sports, called out the MPFNL for its…

MEN’S DIV ONE FRANKSTON YCW have held on to defeat rivals Sorrento in a classic shrouded in controversy. Frankston YCW led at each break of play, but just couldn’t put the game to bed. When the final siren went, scores were tied on the scoreboard, only to have the umpires confer and then correct the scores, showing a one-point win to the Stonecats. The final result was 10.10 (70) to 10.9 (69). Blake Mullane, Patrick Bloink, Max Gregory, Heath Bidgood, and Matt Hill were YCW’s best — Bloink booted three goals. Ryan Clarke kicked three goals for the Sharks. Ladder…

FRANKSTON Council is escalating its dispute with a Nepean Highway homeowner to stop him from illegally building a seawall on Frankston Beach. The property owner came under fire earlier this year when it was revealed he was allegedly conducting illegal works on public land at the back of his property. Last week, the ABC reported that the property owner had ignored the stop-work order and continued to build the wall. The Times understands that Frankston Council has resolved to send the resident a notice of demand. Councillors considered the matter during the confidential section of last week’s public meeting —…

MEN’S DIV ONE Mt Eliza kept their season alive last weekend with a win over fellow finals contender Dromana. Both sides have suffered from mixed results in season 2025. Mt Eliza hosted the match with Dromana at Emil Madsen Reserve on Saturday afternoon. Poor goalkicking cost Dromana badly. The Tigers failed to kick a goal in the second and third quarters, allowing Mt Eliza to build an unassailable lead. Dromana played some better footy in the final term, but the damage was done. Mt Eliza secured a comfortable 14.12 (96) to 5.11 (41) win. Robbie Elliott booted four goals for…

MEN’S DIV TWO Somerville picked up a vital win over Devon Meadows on Saturday afternoon. Both sides came into the match at Glover Reserve in the mix for finals spots. Somerville struck the first blow and went into the quarter-time break ahead by a goal. Devon Meadows held Somerville goalless in the second term, opening up a three-goal lead. Somerville whittled the lead back but still needed to close a 16-point gap in the last quarter. Somerville mounted an impressive comeback in the closing stages. Devon Meadows failed to kick a goal in the final term, which handed Somerville an…

FRANKSTON Hospital is set to undergo a name change once its redevelopment is complete. Early next year, Frankston Hospital will be rebranded the Peninsula University Hospital. The name change comes as Peninsula Health strengthens its ties with Monash University.Monash University executive dean of medicine, nursing and health sciences, Professor Christina Mitchell, says hundreds of university students make positive contributions to the hospital each year. “Over 940 Monash students delivered approximately 307,000 clinical placement hours across allied health, nursing and midwifery and medicine with Peninsula Health in the last year and we partner together in excellent research at the National Centre…

Men’s Division One After a string of thrilling wins, luck has finally turned against Langwarrin. The Kangaroos have won a series of nail-biters this season. They took on Pines at Eric Bell Reserve on Saturday in what would go on to be another close one. The Pythons and Kangaroos were neck-and-neck all day long. Pines went into the three-quarter break ahead by nine points. Langwarrin snuck ahead in the final term, but a late Pines goal sealed the win for the Pythons. Final score: Pines 8.13 (61) def. Langwarrin 8.10 (58) Sorrento also won a tight one on Saturday —…

COUNCILLORS across Victoria have been handed a three percent pay rise. On 30 June the Victorian Independent Remuneration Tribunal announced it would increase base allowances for councillors by three percent, with the changes effective from the following day.The Mornington Peninsula Shire, Frankston Council, and Kingston Council are each designated “category three” councils. From 1 July 2025 category three mayors will be paid $142,661, which will rise further to $146,319 on 18 December this year. Deputy mayors are now paid $71,329, rising to $73,159 on 18 December. Category three councillors will be paid $41,992 during the 2025/2026 financial year.Beginning on July…

THE state government is reportedly set to introduce new laws to hold churches vicariously liable for sexual abuse that occurs under their watch. The new law will override last year’s High Court decision that the Catholic Diocese of Ballarat was not vicariously liable for the sexual abuse of a young boy because the offender was not an employee. The High Court overturned the Victorian Supreme Court’s ruling that the church was vicariously liable – the man who sued the diocese was originally awarded $230,000 damages.After a vocal campaign by victim-survivors of sexual abuse, the state government is preparing changes to…

MPFNL MEN’S DIV ONEROSEBUD are back on the winner’s list after beating Pines on Saturday.Ladder leaders Rosebud came into the match off of a shock three point loss to Langwarrin. They remained on top of the ladder by percentage only.Pines were up for the fight at Olympic Park last weekend. The Pythons led at the first break by a point. By three-quarter-time Rosebud had taken the lead, but only by seven points.Rosebud finished the job with a strong final quarter, going on to win 15.10 (100) to 12.8 (80). They kicked the last four goals to wrap things up.Campbell Hustwaite,…