It was near perfect winter weather for Tennis Geelongs juniors this week and Section 3 Boys made the most of the conditions with some of the longest matches of the round and the race to make finals getting closer.

All Saints put themselves within four points of fourth spot when they registered a 4-2 win over Drysdale. The teams split the doubles with Daniel Lazzaro and Alexander Williams winning 6-0 for the Saints while Taj Croft and Patrick Lonegran got through in a tie breaker for Drysdale.

From there All Saints took over winning the first three singles, with Lazzaro winning 6-0 to not drop a game for the day, while Lonegran posted Drysdales second set winning the fourth singles 6-3.

Western Heights Uniting closed the gap on fourth to seven points when they pulled through by 11 games when tied at three sets all with Highton. Evie Ryan and Lima Begg won the first doubles 6-1 for Uniting while Hightons Charlie Hair and Ivan Cottom came through in a tie-break in the second.

Ryan backed up her doubles win with a 6-0 win in singles and with Madison Muir winning the third singles 6-1, the result was put beyond doubt.

Grovedale Black put themselves within two points of second with an away win against Ocean Grove. Will Clayton and Sebastian Broad were well matched at number 1 with a lengthy tie-break in the singles going to Ocean Groves Broad while Clayton teamed with Jaylen Sach to get through in the doubles in another tie-break.

Sach, along with Yvette Harman won their singles 6-1, and Harman teamed with Jess Lee to win the second doubles 6-3 giving Black the win four sets to two.

The final match of the morning saw second placed Grovedale Yellow host Geelong Lawn in an epic battle with the result being decided by only two games. Jake Peck and Joshua Severin-Harvey came off court first winning 6-3 for Lawn, before Yellows Guy Wingrave and Hanna Schoenmaekers took the second doubles 6-4.

Fletcher Allen found some good form in the second singles, winning 6-1 while in the first Peck faced a lengthy battle with Aki Bhatt eventually coming through in a tie break.

The fourth singles saw Alfie Oliver and Schoenmaekers running themselves ragged in a hard fought match. Oliver got to a 3-0 lead before the match started to tighten.

At 2-3 down, Schoenmaekers failed to hold a marathon game, going down 4-2 and Oliver eventually took the match 6-2. With the final singles underway, Lawn held a three sets to two lead with only one game in hand, and things were getting tense on the sidelines.

Joe Traficante and Wingrave traded points and games until they reached a tie-break, and with Traficante hitting a lunging backhand just over the net for a winner on match point, the win was sealed for Lawn at four sets to two and two games.

The post All Saints close in on fin...

Although the name BYD will be well-known to electric vehicle buyers, its still largely unknown in the Australian motoring mainstream but thats about to change.

Somewhat quirkily BYD stands for Build Your Dreams and the Chinese company is actually the worlds second-largest manufacturer of fully-electrified vehicles, second only to Tesla.

When plug-in hybrids (PHEV) are added, its the largest, with over 1.6 million built in 2022.

Although there were a couple of BYD models sold in Australia from 2017 onwards these were private imports.

It wasnt until the arrival of the Atto 3 in June, 2022 that the brand made any impact, and an impressive one at that, with sales of nearly 7000 in its first year.

A fully-electric compact SUV, the Atto 3 comes in two variants. Theres Standard Range and Extended Range, priced at $48,011 and $51,011 respectively (plus ORCs).

Thats around the same price as its closest competitor and compatriot, the MG ZS EV which also comes with standard and long-range variants.

STYLING

With a length of 4455mm, Atto 3 is around the same size as Mazda CX-3, Nissan Qashqai and Toyota CH-R but 135mm longer than the MG.

Although the overall design of the Atto 3 is neat and attractive, its relatively conservative especially when compared to the Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6.

As with most electric cars theres no real or pretend grille.

A horizontal bar with the BYD insignia on it merges into narrow sweeping LED headlights with a thin band of LED daytime running lights between them.

The profile is similar to many similarly-sized SUVs although we did love the design of the 18-inch alloy wheels.

We find the Build Your Dreams lettering spaced across the rear a bit too quirky.

We understand that some owners have been able to successfully remove the letters without causing damage but dont take our word for it.

The rear also features a full width LED brake light and powered tailgate.

Four colours are offered. White is standard while the other three (grey, blue and red) are $700 extra.

INTERIOR

When you step inside the BYD Atto 3 Monty Pythons catchphrase And Now For Something Completely Different springs to mind.

It is very different with a number of groundbreaking interior features.

We reckon buyers who are willing to think outside the square and buy a BYD will love the adventurous approach of this newcomer to the Australian market.

With predominantly sculpted soft-touch materials, overall build quality and fit and finish of the Atto 3 is excellent.

Some of the features are gimmicky, others are functional. Some are both, such as the three guitar-type strings that act as sides of the door storage pockets, but which are just asking to be twanged.

We shudder to think how annoying that could be on a long trip with children in the rear.

After initially searching for...

The last few weeks have been freezing, and reading a book by the fire has been much preferable to being outdoors.

Most of my birdwatching has been performed on my way to and from work, as usual. The highlight was seeing an eastern barn owl flying over the roundabout at the corner of the Bellarine Highway and Grubb Road, near the new BP service station, when I was driving home from afternoon shift at 10pm.

Its not great for me or other drivers when an owl is spotted as its so distracting when driving, so fortunately there were no incidents.

Ive been driving to Point Henry on my way to work, as I usually can guarantee to see a raptor of the day if I detour to this area.

I spotted a black-shouldered kite, a few brown falcons, a pair of nankeen kestrels and a whistling kite, so there were raptors to spot.

There was a flock of around 20 red-necked stints. They are a species of migratory shorebirds in one of the shallow ponds at Point Henry. Many of these birds would be currently breeding in the Northern Hemisphere, and each year a small number of these birds chose to remain in Australia rather than flying 10,000km to breeding grounds in Siberia and Alaska.

Apparently, it is mostly young birds that remain on our shores and brave the cold winter months.

There have also been approximately 15 banded stilts at Point Henry in a mixed flock with pied or black-winged stilts. Banded stilts are bigger than pied stilts (39cm compared to 35cm) and are dispersive when seeking out feeding and breeding sites. They are such graceful and beautiful birds.

I received a message from Robyn, who lives on a lovely property in Wallington.

Robyn said there has been a flock of up to 100 yellow-tailed black cockatoos visiting her property at dusk to feed on the banksias and hakeas along the driveway. I called around one day, but unfortunately the cockatoos must have found an alternative feeding site that day but did have a lovely walk around the garden.

I was happy to hear about the good number of cockatoos seen by Robyn and can only imagine how much noise 100 cockatoos would make.

I received an email from Geoff, who spotted a little pied cormorant drying out its wings while perched at Blue Waters Lake.

Cormorants, like some other bird species, possess glands that secrete oil that keeps their feathers waterproof. However their feathers can become easily waterlogged after diving under the surface of the water for food, so they spread their wings to dry them out after diving.

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On the back of the state governments decision to call off the Commonwealth Games, there are details around some promised sports facility upgrades in the Geelong region that are up in the air.

Thankfully, theres much more positive news for the council-managed aquatic centre in Drysdale.

The first stage of the major development is almost ready to open, and were making significant progress on the indoor facilities that will follow.

Council this week approved the concept designs for the second stage of the North Bellarine Aquatic Centre.

Key features include:

An indoor aquatic centre

Eight-lane 25 metre pool

A warm-water pool

Aqua play area

Hydrotherapy; and

Various associated facilities

A lot of detailed and thoughtful work went into developing the approved concept.

Id like to thank the 12-member Community Advisory Panel for its valuable input, which has helped council settle on its preferred design.

The panel included people with specialist swimming/aquatics knowledge, people with a lived experience of disability and representatives from local schools, community groups and sports clubs.

Their work has ensured that the stage two offering will meet the needs of the wider community.

Over four months the panel shaped and enhanced the projects design via nine different concepts.

It was the ninth concept that the panel unanimously supported proceed to detailed design works.

The indoor centre will have something for all aquatic users.

From babies taking to the water for the first time, through to seniors accessing rehabilitation and water exercise programs, the facilities will cater to everyone.

Stage two has been supported by $20 million each from the Victorian and Australian governments.

By working together across all levels of government, we are creating a lasting and well-considered facility that will serve the Bellarine for many years to come.

This welcome progress comes on the back of the final touches being applied to the outdoor lap pool in the Drysdale Sporting Precinct.

The $15.5 million development ($10m from the Australian government, $5.5m from council) includes an outdoor 50-metre, eight-lane heated pool.

It will open later this year, and will provide another option on the Bellarine for local and visiting swimmers.

For more information on the project, visit geelongaustralia.com.au/nbac

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Bellarine Indoor Bias Bowls Association (BIBBA) is in full swing with a seven-week home and away season making way for finals.

Around 40 players competed for Ocean Grove, including many first-year players, and have enjoyed yet another successful time on the mat with four of their seven teams making this seasons finals.

Finals will take place over the next two Monday nights for the Grovers where they will be looking to win Divisions 1, 2 and 3.

This years BIBBA competition consisted of six clubs from Drysdale, St Leonards, Clifton Springs, Leopold, Lifestyle and Ocean Grove with more than 120 players competing in the weekly Monday night competition.

Every club will be represented in finals which is great to see the growth of the game in the Bellarine area.

Ocean Grove held its Indoor Club Singles on July 23 with a great day of competition with 18 men and nine ladies competing.

The ladies final was taken out by first year player Jill Dwyer, claiming a 16-10 victory over Sue Collins.

The mens event saw another first-year player, Tyson Cromie, make the final but was defeated by multiple times champion Matt Flapper 19-9.

Collins and Flapper will take on the Champion of Champions this week in a bid to claim honours as the best in the Bellarine.

The Bellarine Pairs took place in June with 32 teams entering the event.

On one half of the draw, it was the St Leonards pairing of Bill Maloney and Tam Munster who worked their way to the final and on the other side of the draw Leopolds Jane McMenaman and Nicole Shortis reached the big dance. The Leopold duo cruised to a 20-4 win claiming the 2023 title.

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The bay has seemed a little quiet this past week with reports being very hit and miss but Australian salmon remained pretty consistent with plenty of spotfire bust ups across Clifton Springs with birds diving and fishing splashing around.

When they are like this they will practically eat anything you throw in the water but ideally a 3-inch minnow profile soft plastic or metal lure.

Around St Leonards has seen some great whiting fishing this past week with anglers having great success landing bag limit captures with fish to 43cm on offer.

Fishing the tides with fresh or frozen squid is ideal. Burley definitely helps and if you sit a bigger bait behind the boat you can expect some solid flathead to pick it up.

The offshore barrel bite is still going pretty good with reports still rolling through but due to poor weather it has made it a little difficult to get out. Keen anglers have been finding small gaps in the weather and have been getting amongst the action with still plenty of fish to well over 100kg on offer.

Reece and Steve got out for a crack and after unfortunately losing one early in the morning they were rewarded for their efforts landing one that came in at 110kg cleaned.

The Barwon River remained a very popular location for anglers this week with the trevally still going nuts. Soft plastics are working very well for them at the moment with small curl and paddle tails doing the damage. Plenty of scent has been helping a lot, too.

There has also been a ton of salmon in the system, most of them are just around that legal size mark although Michael Stavropoulos landed one that went 63cm which is a monster for this system.

Wurdibuloc has been a popular location again with redfin on fire.

The rockwall has been fishing very well for anglers throwing soft plastics and spoon type lures with fish to over 40cm on offer. Anglers have also been picking up some nice numbers of trout.

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Geelong author Emma Greville has released a new book that tackles problems faced by kids in primary schools under the mask of a fantastical adventure.

Raine in the Underlands follows the main character Raine as she embarks on a journey of self-discovery after shooting a blue flame from her finger and finding a cursed dragon in the basement.

Ms Greville said the fun middle-grade fantasy adventure, released on July 25, looked to help kids struggling with self-perception and confidence through a similar character.

Eight to 12-year-olds are starting to deal with where they fit into the world, complicated friendships, and standing up for themselves, she said.

While the setting is fantastical, the main character Raine is a lonely kid suffering from low self-esteem who wants to find her place in the world and understand who she is.

If kids can see a character in a work of fiction that is like them, that can really help kids feel more confident in themselves and less alone.

Ms Greville said she first got the idea for the book close to 20 years ago after she had a vivid dream and has continued to work on it throughout the years.

Its been a real labour of love and this book is kind of like an ode to my family, she said.

It has been 20 years in the making. Its quite a great sense of achievement now that it is finally out in the world, and very exciting.

I hope that kids get the message, which is that you are enough, there is a place for you in the world, continue on with your journey, and be confident in yourself.

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Bellarine community groups looking after marine and coastal environments welcomed a funding boost from the state government.

Member for Bellarine Alison Marchant announced the successful applicants of the 2023 Combined Coastal Grant, Port Phillip Bay Fund, and Coastcare Community Grant programs.

Victorias precious coastline is already being impacted by climate change and these grants will help us prepare for future challenges, Ms Marchant said.

We are fortunate to have so many dedicated volunteers and not-for-profit groups that are working hard to preserve our marine and coastal environments.

Bellarine Bayside Foreshore Committee of Management shared the $1.6-million Port Phillip Bay Fund with Bellarine North Rotary Club and the Jane Goodall Institute Australia to protect Port Phillip Bay.

Bellarine Bayside Foreshore Committee of Management received $50,000 for their Northern Bellarine Climate Change Coastal Adaptation Plan as part of the $1.7-million Combined Coastal Grants.

Borough of Queenscliffe Mayor Isabelle Thomas said she welcomed $40,000 from the Combined Coastal Grants for the Queenscliff and Point Lonsdale Cliff Stability and Beach Health Study.

It will enable council to gain a deeper understanding of the current coastal risk hazards, and the interventions available to mitigate or reduce the impacts to our coastline and community, she said.

As part of the more than $50,000 Coastcare Community Grant funding, Friends of the Red-Capped Plover Bellarine received $9,966 for increased awareness of sustainable beach behaviour at breeding sites.

Bellarine Bayside Foreshore Committee of Management received $9,920 towards building on the community red-capped plover monitoring program established in 2017.

Clifton Springs Curlewis Coastcare Group Inc received $9,600 to update the Clifton Springs Curlewis Information Booklet to increase marine environment knowledge and understanding.

Friends of Edwards Point Reserve Incs exotic weed removal project and Southern Ocean Environmental Links volunteer program both also received $10,000 in funding.

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Deakin Universitys Marine Science Centre continues supporting new climate change and ocean health research thanks to a $3.5 million upgrade.

The state government invested $1 million through the Victorian Higher Education State Investment Fund (VHESIF) along with Deakins $2.5 million contribution to the project.

Improvements included two new seawater aquarium rooms, a refurbished tank area, and a high-performance computing lab for the experimental learning of Bachelor of Marine Science students.

Deakin Marine Research and Innovation Centre director Professor John Donald said he was very proud of the universitys internationally renowned marine research scientists.

They are addressing important issues such as ocean warming, fish growth, kelp restoration and plastics pollution, which significantly impact ocean health, he said.

The new facilities at Queenscliff will increase the quality and quantity of our research to benefit the region and Australia and train the next generation of ocean scientists.

We are excited to provide our undergraduate students with rooms and equipment that deliver the best hands-on educational experience and practical skills for marine, environmental or conservation sciences careers.

Works on the centre began in January 2022, with the projects final stage of installing a high-speed AARNET cable for ocean modelling research computing capability due to be delivered in November.

The VHESIF program is a significant investment in Deakin research, with $133 million from Deakin University and the state government helping support eleven major projects across five locations.

The school conducts research on the impact of ocean warming, increased temperatures on fish physiology, threatened kelp ecosystem restoration tools, and oceanographic modelling.

With a long-standing partnership with the Victorian Fisheries Authority, Deakin collaborates on regional research projects.

These projects include resolving biological connections among southern ocean crab fisheries and the Corner Inlet Rock Flathead stock structure.

More information on Deakin Universitys Queenscliff Marine Science Centre project is available at deakin.au/QMSC

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Ocean Grove Primary School (OGPS) has completed the first phase of its Rekindling the Wadawurrung Spirit in Ocean Grove project, transforming its entrance gates with a creation story mural.

The project, implemented in consultation with the Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation, has seen Wadawurrung artist Billy-Jay OToole lead OGPS students in the painting of the work.

The team of 14 students included First Nation students, Inclusion and Wellbeing Leaders, Cultural Ambassadors, Indigenous Leaders and Visual Arts Captains.

Supported by a $29,100 from the City of Greater Geelongs First Nations Cultural Heritage Grant program, the project aims to help restore the cultural narrative of the region through actively promoting Wadawurrung People and Country as well as the broader First Nations Community.

The Rekindling the Wadawurrung Spirit in Ocean Grove project will now enter its second phase, which will include more artworks and signage using Wadawurrung language for the schools new inclusion playground.

OGPS visual arts teacher Jo Chapman said the school was proud of the project as part of its continuing role in highlighting the need for reconciliation.

We are looking forward to strengthening relationships with the First Nations community, expanding First Nation students connection to Country and developing the leadership skills of our Cultural and Arts Captains, she said.

The project will also increase school and community education and continue us on the pathway to becoming a leader in our community in promoting and fostering reconciliation.

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Teen bowls duo Maddie Jacobs and Maya Rees will strive for gold after being selected as part of a five-player Victorian team for the Under 18 Nationals in October.

The talented pair, who have spearheaded the Geelong Regions Geelong Giants Under 18 team for the last four years, earned selection after a successful tri series in July against Queensland and New South Wales.

Ocean Grove Bowling Clubs Jacobs and Drysdales Rees were part of the eight-player Victorian girls team that won the overall event.

The eight players were then reduced to five in what would have been a very difficult selection given the results from the tri series. Five under 18 boys were also selected.

Rees, at only 15 years old, will skip the triples and the fours combinations with Jacobs, 17, playing lead in the fours and lead in the pairs with Berwicks Amity Bickley.

The Victorian team will be under the guidance of Victorian State Under 18 Coach and Ocean Groves GM of Bowls Development Matt Flapper.

The selection for the final five was tough, both Maddie and Maya performed to a high standard, both have achieved terrific results this season to justify their selections, Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Flapper said.

I am looking forward to watching them both shine on the big stage.

Both girls will prepare for the Nationals in October with a short trip to compete in the Under 18 Gold Nugget Singles on July 29 and 30 at Tweed Heads while Jacobs has also been selected in the School Sports Victoria team which will also compete in Tweed Heads in September.

Rees won a state silver medal in the girls triples in Bendigo earlier this year.

Jacobs won the Victorian Under 18 Girls Pairs late last year alongside Chloe Scherger from Fitzroy Victoria Bowling & Sports Club.

Jacobs and Rees are further proof that more young people are taking up lawn bowls.

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Local favourite Flying Brick Cider Co has just launched a unique and seriously delicious new cider, SPLICER.

Sound kind of familiar? Youre right.

SPLICER is Flying Bricks beverage salute to an iconic Australian ice-cream.

Its cloudy blonde chartreuse in colour with lashings of fresh passionfruit, pineapple and lime curating a sublime fusion with the soft, creamy vanilla pear cider base. Refreshing tropical sweet fruit flavour balanced with naturally dryish zesty acid crunch.

SPLICER was recently launched at the famous GABS Festival (Great Australian Beer Spectacular) and received massive cheers from the GABS crew and attendees alike.

This cool new cider joins Flying Bricks stable of fresh, fruity, natural ciders on the pour and in the can for convenient take home enjoyment.

The super popular PACHINGA (Pear, Ginger, Lime and Chilli) features all-natural ingredients with no artificial flavours, colours or sugars. Co-fermented with ginger, chilli and lime and then back sweetened with fresh pear juice. Driving with chilli and ginger, the lime adds a level of freshness and zest to lighten. Slightly cloudy with the inclusion of fresh pear juice.

PANGO is another Flying Brick recent addition which has low alcohol loving RTD drinkers in a whirl of excitement for good reason.

Crafted from pear and mango the cider features a cloudy sunburnt orange profile with ripe mango aromas leaping out of the glass. Lush mango sweetness abounds within a dignified foundation of freshly crushed pear.

For the berry lovers, theres RasPERRY which is crafted from Victorian Packham pears infused with a high-quality raspberry extract. With freshly crushed berry notes and loads of fruit sweetness on the nose, the palate is light and delicate with the dryness of the pear cider delivering a clean fresh feel.

Drop into Flying Brick Cider House in Wallington to get your hit of these naturally fruity charmers. flyingbrickciderco.com.au

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Australias best-loved (and possibly only) Simpsons-themed doom metal band, Dr Colossus, will return to Geelong for one show only to celebrate the second anniversary of their latest album.

The seven-track album, Im a Stupid Moron With an Ugly Face and a Big Butt and My Butt Smells and I Like to Kiss My Own Butt, is named after a Bart Simpson prank call.

While not as long as the Guiness World Record-holding 156-word title of Chumbawumbas 2008 album, it may well be the longest titled album to reach the top five of the ARIA Australian album charts, which it did in May 2021.

Dr Colossus music fuses deep metal grooves with deep cuts from Simpsons dialogue and storylines, permeating their tunes with a definite comedic element.

They also tend to start their sets walking through the crowd to the stage in full Stonecutters regalia (Homer the Great, s6 ep12 for the uninitiated), setting the tone for their performances.

Lead singer and guitarist Jono Colliver said he loved that the band could bring together metal heads, Simpsons fans and people who were simply curious.

The beauty of our show is that theres a lot of people that are going for the comedic element, who may not have ever been to a show like that, he said.

They probably have expectations of (a metal show) being quite exclusive, gate-kept, or kind of machoistic.

The joy I get out of it is seeing people that have never been to a heavy show who end up coming away being like, wow, Im going to go and check out a lot of other heavy bands and start going to more heavy shows because its not what I expected.

Theres something they might have missed out on unless theyd been coaxed in by the lols. Melody is pretty much universal; in essence, (metal is) riff-based pop music.

Dr Colossus will perform at the Barwon Club on August 5 and, unusually for a headline act, open the show soon after doors open at 6pm.

(Bassist) Mike (Findlay), hes like our ambassador at the Barwon Club, its his home ground; he wanted to make it so we would play first and we could enjoy the show afterwards, Colliver said.

So were going to play first and then were going to watch our favourite bands in our favourite venue and hang out with everybody rather than missing the social atmosphere of it.

Dr Colossus will be supported by Planet of the 8s, Two Headed Dog, Spawn and Full Tone Generator.

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Ocean Grove guaranteed itself a double chance come finals time with a thrilling two-goal win against the previously undefeated Geelong Amateur in round 15 of Bellarine Netball League on Saturday July 22.

Down by seven goals in the first term the Grubbers kicked into gear and got the game back onto their terms, running out winners 59 to 57.

It was a complete team performance and although Ammos had several key players out, Ocean Groves confidence going into the finals in three weeks is now sky high.

Co-coach Bec ONeill said the team mentality changed after a slow beginning.

We started a bit slow and made a few errors early, she said.

Once we eliminated those and lifted the intensity, we played much better.

We were just more concentrating on feeling we can match it with them.

We werent too concerned with the scoreline at the end of the day because we knew they didnt have a complete team. It was more of a bonus that we came away with the four points.

Georgia Berry played a superb game on star Ammos goalshooter Ruby Watson and with Kelsey Ollis chipping in and Rhiannon Whitson doing her job at goal defence, Ocean Grove stifled its opposition in attack.

Goal defence Georgia Finn and goal attack Ashton OBrien were also terrific contributors while ONeill herself scored 42 goals.

It was good having someone who can match Rubys height, ONeill said of Finns performance.

Ocean Grove now faces the prospect of going from playing an undefeated team to a side that hasnt tasted victory at all this season in Modewarre.

We need to go into this week and put last week completely behind us and move forward, ONeill said.

They (Modewarre) have been very competitive. We need to step up.

With three rounds to go before finals and Ocean Grove assured of a top three spot, ONeill said the coming weeks will be spent ironing out some creases.

Well just try a few different combinations and work on our four-quarter efforts, ONeill said.

Well look to really work hard on 15-minute efforts each quarter.

ROUND 15

A Grade: Ocean Grove 59 def Geelong Amateur 57. Best: Rhiannon Whitson, Ashton OBrien, Georgia Finn.

B Grade: Ocean Grove 49 def by Geelong Amateur 61. Best: Amelia Cunningham (34 goals), Dannie Hoiles, Claudia Britt.

C Grade: Ocean Grove 39 def by Geelong Amateur 42. Best: Kate Titheridge (31 goals), Heidi Bennett, Matilda Kelly.

D Grade: Ocean Grove 37 def Geelong Amateur 33. Best: Tarryn Stanley, Jorja Connellan, Emma Sinkinson.

D Grade: Ocean Grove 29 def by Geelong Amateur 30. Best: Hannah Quinn (20 goals), Anabelle Sargeant, Emilie Punton.

19 & Under: Ocean Grove 19 def by Geelong Amateur 26. Best: Lexie Annand, Milla Bell, Anika Bult.

17 & Under Division 1: Ocean Grove 32 def Geelong Amateur 23. Best: Sofia Dickeson, Tilly Peace-Teague, Lucy Sampson...

Geelong Amateur held onto fifth spot on the Bellarine Football League with a thrilling three-point win against a spirited Ocean Grove on July 22.

Ocean Grove led by a point at the main break, but Ammos, despite some inaccurate kicking, held on to win in a nailbiter.

Star forward Aaron Willitts was Ammos best with two goals while skipper Harry Kershaw was his usual busy self around the ball.

Ocean Grove coach Dave Farrell said his young side had improved as the season has progressed and they were now staying in games much longer.

A 14-point loss to second placed Barwon Heads, a 12-point defeat to unbeaten Torquay and now a three-point loss to Ammos says the Grubbers are heading in the right direction.

On the surface it doesnt seem the players confidences have been done any harm over the last few weeks, Farrell said.

Each week weve had a number of changes forced through injury and unavailability which has confirmed the depth of our list is developing, theres a number of players prepared to come in and play their role and trust what the coaching group have put in place.

Torquay confirmed its premiership credentials with a 41-point win against Barwon Heads.

The Tigers pulled away in the last term with Lucas Anderson taking his seasons tally of goals to 62 with six while Will Montebello and Nick OFarrell each booted four.

The Seagulls will be without Luca Vella and Tom Swift this week with both players being concussed during the game.

Drysdale ensured it will finish in the top three with a 17-point win against Anglesea.

Ben Fennell followed up from last weeks haul of five goals with another four while Jack Baker was a standout for Anglesea with five.

Anglesea is in fourth spot, just half a game clear of Ammos and Modewarre.

Newcomb stunned Queenscliff with its best performance of the season.

Jude Poyser booted five goals for the Power in the 53-point win while key defender Thomas Webster was terrific.

Modewarre defeated Portarlington by 46-points to stay in the finals race.

Connor Joseph booted seven for the Warriors while Portarlington would be buoyed by perhaps its best performance of the season with Jesse Jay King and Nathan Pigott playing well.

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Geelong Arts Centre (GAC) will host the world premiere of the Space Companys Hells Gates, a theatrical retelling of Australias worst ever whale stranding event near Strahan, Tasmania in 2020.

The show will features well-loved actors Louise Siversen (House Husbands, Prisoner), Natalie ODonnell (Come From Away, Next to Normal) and Matu Ngaropo (Hamilton), as well as live musical accompaniment by celebrated violinist Xani Kolak.

Creative producer Joel Carnegie, who founded the award-winning Geelong-based production studio, and writer James Jackson engaged in hundreds of hours of face-to-face interviews with people connected to the event, mostly west coast Tasmanian locals, to gather the raw material for Hells Gates.

Carnegie said the resulting blend of poignant drama and poetic comedy resulted in a narrative that was quintessentially Australian.

Its really been infused with the character of the west coast of Tasmania; the people we met, how they interacted with us, the way in which they described the events that unfolded, how they felt about it, he said.

Its the story of a community who, in the face of the impossible, decided to turn up and deal with an ecological disaster that was unfolding in front of them.

But its also very funny. There are genuine laugh out loud moments, and I think thats sort of a coping mechanism for the people who were telling us these stories. Dealing with trauma through camaraderie, through sharing those experiences together and having a laugh about it.

Carnegie said he was thrilled to premiere the work at GAC as the redeveloped venue reopened to the public.

To be on stage at the dawn of this new era of the performing arts scene in Geelong, to be a Geelong-based company and share this story at this new venue is an incredible opportunity, he said.

This is a really special show that we know audiences are going to love. Its a real emotional rollercoaster ride.

Hells Gates will have four shows from Aug 10 to 12 at the GACs Story House. For information and tickets visit geelongartscentre.org.au

The post An Aussie tale of spirit and humour appeared first on Ocean Grove Voice.

Voice photographer Ivan Kemp was at Queens Park Reserve in Highton to capture footy and netball action from Ocean Groves round 15 matches against Geelong Amateur.

The post Tight contests against Ammos appeared first on Ocean Grove Voice.

The evidence is there for all to see.

Ocean Groves past three games, while resulting in losses, have emphasised just how this team has come this season.

A combined margin of 29 points against top two sides Barwon Heads and Torquay and fifth placed Geelong Amateur means that the young Grubbers are staying in matches for longer than they were during the first of the season.

Ammos have beaten Ocean Grove by six and three points this season, but the round 15 loss on Saturday July 22 may have been one of the better performances of the year.

Coach Dave Farrell said his side was learning all the time.

On the surface it doesnt seem the players confidences have been done any harm over the last few weeks, he said.

Each week weve had a number of changes forced through injury and unavailability, which has confirmed the depth of our list is developing, theres a number of players prepared to come in and play their role and trust what the coaching group have put in place.

Farrell said the past three games have been complete or near to in concentration and application.

You cant control full games but you can stay in them and where our group was having big lapses earlier in the year, periods that we struggled to have any control over Im hopeful we have seen the last of them, he said.

To see that application for one week or two weeks you could be forgiven for remaining sceptical, but for a third week in a row under a lot of opposition pressure gives me huge confidence that type of footy is behind us.

What Ocean Grove needs to do now is learn how to win the close ones.

Experience and onfield leadership are key in close games, were tracking well in our development in both areas and learnt heaps form the last three minutes against Ammos especially, Farrell said.

You can train to scenarios, time and scores but to play under those conditions is tough and an invaluable experience.

We had a couple of chances, long shots at goal inside the last two minutes then they were able to control the ball and create a couple of stoppages which shut the game down completely.

Ocean Grove faces Modewarre and Anglesea in the next fortnight. Both teams are fighting for a finals spot. The Grubbers finish off with Queenscliff in the final round, a game they might expect to win.

Sounds cliche but internally once finals became a distant chance this year we doubled down on our focus being game method development and not losing control of games, Farrell said.

We have narrowed our focus further rather than be all out result to make sure we are in a position where we can win games with 10 minutes left.

A smarter person than me would likely draw the conclusion that that hasnt helped us inside the last 10 minutes to close out any of the last three games, but it does feel internally it keeps us all focused on process over result for now....

Ocean Grove Surf Life Saving Club has returned from a successful Sharkskin Australian and Interstate Inflatable Rescue Boat (IRB) Championships in Kingscliff, New South Wales.

Ocean Grove claimed gold in the Under 23 womens mass rescue and

Under 23 womens tube rescue while Barwon Heads 13th Beach picked up bronze in the Open womens teams rescue.

Showcasing the IRB, one of the most popular pieces of modern lifesaving rescue equipment, the event saw teams from across the nation battling it

out across four fast and furious days of racing.

Pulling on the navy and white cap for team Victoria, Geelong-Surf Coast members selected in the Victorian state and development teams took home two medals and helped Victoria place third overall in the interstate component of the competition.

Life Saving Victoria general manager sports participation Ryan OConnor congratulated Geelong-Surf Coast athletes, coaches and team management for their outstanding performance on the national stage.

Victoria is a proud IRB racing state in the lifesaving world, and I could not be more proud to see Team Victoria on the podium placing third overall in the Interstate Championships and our clubs having such a strong performance in the Australian Championships, he said.

IRB racing is one of the best examples of sport providing active training for rescue-ready lifesavers, with our athletes braving the colder water at this time of year to practice their rescue skills in a competitive setting, skills that directly translate to saving lives between the flags during the summer patrol season.

Open mens mass rescue Open mens tube rescue

2nd: Victorian state team (Stephanie Dimitrio, Thomas Lenehan, Conor McKinnon, Keely Peatling)

3rd: Victorian state team (Jake Pownall, Stephanie Pownall, Ryan Wilson)

Under 23 womens tube rescue

1st: Ocean Grove SLSC (Orlagh Davison, Mackenzie Hooper, Lars Ralph)

Open womens teams rescue

3rd: Barwon Heads 13th Beach SLSC (Zoe Campbell, Georgia McKinnon, Keely Peatling, Aaron Robson, Tara Scott, Amy Veenendaal)

Under 23 womens mass rescue

1st: Ocean Grove SLSC (Olivia Ball, Orlagh Davison, Benjamin Eales, Drew Honey)

The post Gold for Ocean Grove appeared first on Ocean Grove Voice.

Ocean Grove Fire Brigade turned 75 years young and celebrated in a big way on Saturday to present significant service awards and national medals.

CFA Board Member Beth Davidson attended and helped present six CFA Service Awards.

Neil and Caroline Hickman were awarded life membership and Jason Barry was named firefighter of the year.

Captain Andrew Cooper said there were generations of firefighters in the room to celebrate the brigades history.

It was great to come together with everyone to mark the milestone, he said.

It was a worthwhile event, with many stories shared around the room.

Mr Cooper said the brigade has embraced and grown through change over the course of its 75-year history.

The inaugural meeting of the Ocean Grove Fire Brigade was held on 16 November 1946 and was attended by 29 interested residents. Volunteers registered their interest and the brigade was officially registered on 19 December 1946.

The next year, the brigade purchased a block of land in Hodgson Street and in 1950 an old army hut was relocated and repurposed into the fire station.

The brigade upgraded its facility in 1977 with a new $110,000 modern brick station built at the site. Eventually the brigade would outgrow the Hodgson Street site and move to its current site at Shell Road, that was officially opened in 2011.

In 2012, the Ocean Grove Fire Brigade became a CFA integrated station with career firefighters working alongside volunteer firefighters.

This was a major change for the brigade and we worked hand-in-hand with the CFA catchment team and District to ensure a smooth transition, he said.

It was a great success and we have worked very closely with career firefighters ever since.

Whenever we respond out the door, we do so with the same purpose, to protect lives and property.

The brigade currently has 33 members, including 21 operational firefighters and 12 support members.

The event was heart-warming our brigade has such a rich history and we have members from a range of backgrounds, Mr Cooper said.

Its important to reflect on where our brigade has come from and the people that have shaped it into what it is today.

Many people dont realise the volume of work necessary to create the strong and trusted asset the brigade is to the community today.

The post 75 years for fire brigade appeared first on Ocean Grove Voice.