Daniel Sanders roundabout year in rally racing
Three Bridges’ resident rally racer Daniel Sanders endured an up-and-down year, coming off disappointment in the Dakar to victory in the Hattah.
Seven days into the 2022 Dakar Rally in February, Sanders was sitting in third position out of the 144 riders who made it to the starting line. Steering his motorbike through the cold and dark Saudi Arabian morning, he didn’t notice the lane changing into a U-turn.
“I put pressure on the front brake and I ended up crashing straightaway, slid into the curb at about 110 to 120 kilometres-an-hour, did three somersaults and then stopped, sitting there winded,” Sanders says.
The result was a fractured elbow and what felt like a damaged femur as well.
But Sanders bounced back from his injuries and claimed victory in the Hattah Desert Race in July after a weekend’s worth of racing in the desert by the Victorian border to New South Wales.
“It was a pretty big challenge, I probably had five weeks back on the bike and made it happen, it’s definitely a good feeling to win the race for the second time after six months off the bike,” he said.
Umpiring crisis
In April, it became clear the Yarra Ranges had not been spared from the umpiring crisis facing footy with numbers down at the local and professional levels.
Junior Health and Wellness Mentor for AFL Outer East Sophie Mastaing began in her new role this year, looking after umpires under the age of 18, ensuring they feel comfortable in gameday scenarios and training.
Ms Mastaing said having more umpires getting involved, particularly people who also play football, will be important for supporting a continued crackdown on umpire abuse.
“More umpires will create less stigma around umpires because more players will be an umpire and they’ll understand what they’re doing and what they say,” she said.
“Even for spectators being the parent of an umpire will help them understand, they might see their kids go out and get abused and reconsider their behaviour, which will be transferred into senior football as parents play and watch as well.”
A former AFL Outer East umpire spoke to Star Mail about their experiences umpiring and why they chose to quit.
“I did not enjoy receiving abuse from middle-aged men and women while just trying to do my job. I was not going to continue in a job where I was being criticised for my every decision. The condescending questions I would receive from coaches and even umpire escorts implying that I wasn’t aware of the rules of football also led me to want to stop umpiring. This is not to say that all spectators and coaches were disrespectful,” they said.
Wandin North’s own karate kid
By June, Wandin North resident Stephen Cameron had already won gold at the Australian Open Karate Championships in Sydney and claimed bronze in the Junior Male Open Kumite at Oceania Karate Championships in Noumea (New Caledonia).
At this point, Stephen sat 11th in the world for Junior Kumite Males under 68kg.
Chief Instructor and Stephen’s sensei Brett Cross said Stephen has always been really dedicated.
“He has never complained and always works hard even when he was tired and he’s still the same now, no matter what,” he said.
“It’s a really special feeling to know he was maybe five or six when he started and to see the progress he’s made along the way from a little kid from development division to elite, then to state champion and national champion, and now set to go off to international championships.”
Indigenous Rounds a big success
The Warburton-Millgrove Football Netball Club and rivals Powelltown Football Netball Club held its first indigenous match on Saturday 23 July.
Several special guests were invited including senior Wurrendjeri Elder Aunty Joy Wandin, VFLW player Courtney Ugle and AFL legend Nicky Winmar, who once played for Warburton-Millgrove after retiring from professional football.
Taungurung man and vice-captain of Warburton-Millgrove Nelson Aldridge said he was pleased that other clubs such as Healesville and Yarra Glen have decided to schedule Indigenous Matches for this year and suggested this should be a compulsory round for every club.
“I think it’s something that all clubs at some point should be doing… it’s a great cause,” he said.
“Let’s close the gap. We must be willing to go beyond the gap, so let’s walk it together and that’s exactly what we’re doing.”
Young Burras bring home grand final prize
In August, the Warburton-Millgrove U18s side made history after they were victorious in the Grand Final of the AFL Outer East Box Hill Institute U18 Boys competition on Sunday 7 August.
The Burras led at every change before a strong last-quarter finish secured the 12.10, 82 to 5.8, 38 win.
Coach David Swankie said the players were rapt.
“Most of them played their junior footy together and hadn’t won a flag before so it meant a lot to them. I’m so proud of the way they conducted themselves throughout the year, continuing to train and work on the plans, structures and style of football we wanted them to play. To keep their concentration for the whole 15 weeks of the season with not many teams in the competition, I thought was fantastic,” he said.
On an individual level, the Burra’s Liam Westlake also brought home the league best and fairest award, making it back-to-back wins.
Westlake said he was pretty astonished to have won again.
“Definitely meant more to win the flag, however, it means everything to the club, we hadn’t won an Under 18s premiership for a few years now so it was a great achievement,” he said.
Seville netballers claim three flags
Come Grand Final Day in September, all four of Seville’s netball sides were in the deciding fixture.
In the end, the A, B and C sides all brought home the flag.
A Grade’s game was the pick of the bunch, sealing the flag with a last-minute winner to bring home their first A Grade flag since 2016 and their first in Division One.
Tied at quarter time, Berwick up by a point at halftime and Seville by 2 at the final change, the game was going down to the wire. Seville held a game-high lead of 7 points earlier in the game before Berwick mounted their comeback and with only minutes left on the clock, the scores were tied at 43 apiece. Nerves truly set in and passes were being intercepted left, right and centre, with neither team able to hold on to the ball and get a meaningful shot off until Ella Morse received the ball centrally inside in the goal circle and converted with less than a minute left.
Ella Morse said the scenes were unreal after making the shot.
“As I shot it I was just thinking ‘This better go in’, and now we can celebrate with drinks tonight and a big weekend ahead,” she said.
