SPORTS Minister Hugh Delahunty today announced Sunraysia sporting clubs would share$270,000.

Mildura’s Three Colours Soccer Club and Robinvale rugby league and union clubs willbenefit from the installation of competition lighting, worth $93,520 and$88,000 respectively.

Mr Delahunty alsoannounced $100,000 fornew netball change rooms atQuandong Park.

In the Mallee, Murrayville Recreation Reserve will receive $85,000 to upgrade netball courts and lighting.

During his visit to the region,Mr Delahunty also inspected the recently redeveloped OlympicPark, to which the State Government had contributed $200,000.

For more, see tomorrow’s Sunraysia Daily.

Federal Member for Mallee Andrew Broad, Red Cliffs netballer Brooke Dunstan, Sports Minuster Hugh Delahunty, Red Cliffs netballer Bridie Old and Member for Mildura Peter Crisp, pictured on the netball court at Quandong Park today. Picture: Clancy Shipsides

This article first appeared in Hangzhou Night Net.

IF YOU ask GT Falcon enthusiast Jeff Mott to describe the throaty purr of his car, his response is an immediate “awesome!”

And awesome it will be – another car run in the Valley from Saturday, only this time it’s the turn of the Ford Falcon.

The timing is perfect after Ford’s win at this year’s Bathurst 1000, the first for some years.

More than 120 cars are expected in Nambucca Heads for what is the annual GT Falcon Combined Clubs Cruise, now making its 31st appearance in the Valley.

Jeff said he used to be a Holden man until a mate put him in a 1968 Ford Falcon sedan.

“It was nothing flash, six cylinders, but I was sold,” Jeff told the Guardian.

“Now it’s become a family affair, including my wife Lynne – people in the Valley know exactly where to come if they have any questions about Fords.”

The cars, which will be based at the Valla Beach Tourist Park, will be in Nambucca for a ‘Show and Shine’ between 9am and midday on Saturday, or you can catch them in the main street of Bowraville the following day from 10am.

For more information, phone 0428 578-394.

GT FALCONS AHOY: Lynn and Jeff Mott with their beautiful 1967 V8 GT Falcon, a model which won the Bathurst 1000 back in its day

This article first appeared in Hangzhou Night Net.

THURSDAY 9AM:The Wirritin Fire breached containment lines in the North East late yesterday afternoon and was pushed towards the Western Distributor Road. The Fire impacted the Western Distributor Road and NSW RFS crews were able to hold it to the containment line and mop up quickly a few spot overs.

Western Distributor Road 35km west of Ulladulla closed due to Wirritin fire. Please stay out of the area.

— RFS Lake George (@RFSLakeGeorge) October 23, 2013see map below.

As at 3pm, all three fires were listed as being at Alertstatus and were out of control.

So far, 3811 hectares have been burned out at Wirritin, 20hectares at Budawang and 5 hectares at Corn Trail.

RFS units are in attendance at each scene and are contendingwith severe winds gusting at times between 60 and 80 kmh.

This article first appeared in Hangzhou Night Net.

TEAM Watts consisted of mother and daughter Melinda and Emily Watts who took on Elite Energy’s Sydney Olympic Park Duathlon.

Both competed in the individual Enticer event that consisted of two kilometres run, 10km ride and a one kilometre run.

The course was centred around the iconic Sydney Olympic Park.

Emily is a seasoned triathlon competitor but for her mum Melinda it was her first taste of a multi sport event.

After putting in the training Melinda thought she was up for the task.

Melinda and Emily made their way to Olympic Park through the smoke and fires in the mountains and safely arrived to check their bikes and then surveyed the course.

On the starting line the Team Watts members were side by side and ready to take on the course with Emily having set her goal on a placing while Melinda was happy to just finish.

At the start Emily took off and was steady throughout the run while Melinda, after getting a bit excited, got into her steady stride and made good ground.

After a quick transition they were on the bikes taking on the course which took them past Cathy Freeman Park, ANZ Stadium and Acer Arena.

Both had good speed during the bike and positioned themselves well, transitioning again to the one km run with Emily staying strong and to her amazement finished the first female home and took the Elite Energy finishing tape.

Melinda was on the track finishing her run when Emily joined her mum encouraging her through to the finish.

Both were very happy with their efforts, Emily taking home gold and Melinda also had a gold medal when her strong finish netted her a medal in her age group.

Emily has joined the WRAS team and started training with the HyPER squad with Melissa Aston Garard.

In addition Emily competed in the Bathurst Wallabies Seniors Triathlon the day after and again was the first female home.

It looks like a promising season for Emily and who knows her mum will probably join her.

GOLD MEDALLISTS: Melinda and Emily Watts. lm102213watts

This article first appeared in Hangzhou Night Net.

THE Dunsborough Towners reached thepinnacle of the game when they were awarded the Club of the Year at the SouthWest Football Association’s awards night last week.

The Association, the controlling body ofall football clubs in the South West, is the biggest body of control outsidethe metropolitan area in WA.

For Towners’ club president and founder, TonyPlumb, it was the icing on the cake after nine years of enthusiastic toil toestablish a football club in Dunsborough.

“I’m proud for the club and all those whohave supported us over the years and we are on the verge of greater things withthe women and juniors enjoying the fruits of success in their areas of thegame,” he said.

“The Towners are now ready to become oneclub with each section helping the other, and while players that pass throughhave been and always will be welcome it is the youth of the district that willkeep us in the picture”.

It was a combination of effects that ledthe referees to call the Dunsborough Towners the Club of the Year.

They recorded fewer red and yellowdisciplinary cards, the overall record of the teams under the Towners’ banner,exemplary reception and consideration to visiting players and officials and theexcellent new facilities at the Dunsborough Playing Fields.

The Association also officially issued theclub with the Pioneer Cup.

The Towners won the cup after beatingleague champions Australind in the final, the club’s biggest sporting successto date.

The Towners also emerged from the night withthe Young Player of the Year award to the clever Ethan Delatte.

The Women’s successful season did much toprovide Dunsborough with the title Club of the Year having won the Women’sPremier League Reserve title and then adding the South West Cup to the trophycabinet with victory over Geographe Bay in the final.

Further credit was heaped on the women’soutstanding season when Joey Schleuter was named the Premier Reserves PlayersPlayer of the Year and Candice Winder, the league’s leading goal scorer, wasnamed the Association’s runner up in the Player of the Year award.

Proud: Club president Tony Plumb with the club shield on awards night.

Champs: The Dunsborough Towners team after winning the Pioneer Cup.

This article first appeared in Hangzhou Night Net.

BRIGHT FUTURES CHARITY BALL: Eyre Peninsula Community Foundation deputy chairman Steve Errock (front) with Young Tradespeople and Professionals committee members Tijana Harding and Megan Hiller, and foundation chairman Kamron Clark.TWO local groups are working together to help stop the flow of young skilled workers away from Eyre Peninsula.

The Lower Eyre Peninsula Young Tradespeople and Professionals (YTAP) group is working with the Eyre Peninsula Community Foundation to inspire local young people to stay in or return to the region after study to build their careers.

This year’s YTAP Charity Ball will raise funds for a project to support the groups’ joint aim.

YTAP committee member Megan Hiller said the group had supported a number of worthy causes through its charity balls but the committee was keen to get back to its core focus, to improve the recruitment and retention of a young skilled workforce on the Lower Eyre Peninsula, and this project was a perfect fit.

Last year the community foundation used a BP grant to enable Year 10 students from Port Lincoln High School to explore different career opportunities across the Eyre Peninsula through a careers field trip and YTAP hopes to raise enough money to continue the program and expand it to include other students around Lower Eyre Peninsula.

“By high school students being given the opportunity to visit and understand different careers available on the Eyre Peninsula it encourages them to think about their future and how they can explore their interests and skills while staying in the region,” YTAP president Tijana Harding said.

“It creates opportunities for these students to build links with local businesses and organisations and increases the chance of these students wanting to continue their future on the EP.”

The community foundation and YTAP plan to use the funds raised from this year’s YTAP Charity Ball to hold another careers field trip and extend the opportunity to schools in Cummins, Tumby Bay, Port Neill and potentially further up the peninsula.

Community foundation chairman Kamron Clark said there was expected to be a 5000-worker shortage on Eyre Peninsula over the next 10 to 15 years.

“Every year we lose kids to Adelaide for study or work.”

He said taking students into workplaces around the region showed them what career opportunities were available on Eyre Peninsula.

“It might inspire them to go back and choose that career.”

The program targets Year 10 students before they choose their subjects for Years 11 and 12 and this also allows them to target their work experience choices.

YTAP members work in a broad cross section of fields including private businesses, trades, primary industries, hospitality, education, health and finance and there may opportunities for some off them to mentor students through the program.

The Bright Futures Charity Ball is at 7pm on Saturday, November 9 at the Port Lincoln Hotel.

Tickets are $100 including canapes, main meal and dessert and a three-drinks package with live entertainment and live and silent auctions.

Tickets are available from the Port Lincoln Hotel until next Friday, November 1, make up a table of 10 or join an existing table.

For more information visit ytap杭州夜网.au or call or text Tijana Harding on 0439 853 930.

All funds raised at the ball will go to the Eyre Peninsula Community Foundation.

By Billie Harrison

This article first appeared in Hangzhou Night Net.

Darren Longbottom receives the Andrew ‘Skinny’ Goss Club Person of the Year Award with President BSR Football Club, Richard Burgess, Chloe Goss, President BSR Netball Club, Jayne Mills and Cathy Goss. Secretary BSR Netball Club Aimee Goode, president Jayne Mills, Netball Club Person of the Year Sarah Pilkington.

B Grade trophy winners with the football club Andrew Lehmann, left, Aaron Culbertson, Ben Kitschke and Craig Weckert.

FOOTBALL STARS…BSR Football Club A Grade trophy winners Ashley Burgess, left, Nick Cane, Leigh Fuller and Adam MacKenzie.

CHAMPIONS…Netball trophy winners with BSR included Aimee Goode, left, Claudia Kitschke, Olivia Pilkington, Shannon Tilbrook, Abbe Morris, Heidi Dutschke, Millie Heinjus and Simone Lawry.

SLOWDOWN…Some enthusiastic senior players turned out for the BSR Slowdown 2013. The Black team comprised, back, left, Chris Burford, Tom Weckert, Tom Trengove, Robert Tilbrook, Chris Heinjus, Dennis Weckert, Cameron Grigg, Jason McKenzie, Frank Nicholls, Gavin Malycha, John Ramm, Gavin Clark, Colin Goode, Peter Meyer (coach), and, front, Darren Longbottom, Sid Nicholls, Darren Jones, Craig Kreig, Sam Weckert, Nick Burford, Steven Heinjus, Clinton Jones.

TURNING BACK TIME…Umpire Gavin Lehmann, back, left, and Yellow team members Chad Pilkington, Shaun Noonan, Craig Weckert, Ian Phillips, Shane Weckert, Steven Kitschke, Polly Freeman, Aaron Freeman, Joe Schammel, Richard Burgess, Ashley Dunsford, Andrew Lang, Graeme Ashby (coach), and, front, Derek Lawry, Kevin Sims, Adam Moller, Damien Mellow (Coco), Tom Davidson, Wayne Lee, Frank Hayes, Chris Richards, Matt Ashby, Matt Williams and Jack Cousins.

This article first appeared in Hangzhou Night Net.

LOCALS who were affected by Black Tuesday and other local fires are being encouraged to seek counselling if the New South Wales fires refresh or worsen anxiety or post-traumatic stress issues.

Yarredi Services executive officer Sharyn Potts said she had received information on resources for counsellors and teachers that could help those dealing with post-traumatic stress and other issues following local fires.

She encouraged counsellors to get in touch and urged anyone suffering depression or anxiety to seek counselling or information.

“There are people here who have been affected by fires in the past for whom it all comes rushing back when they see the footage on television,” she said.

“It’s important that people know it’s normal to feel anxiety and other similar reactions when they have been through a similar trauma, and it’s okay to get help.”

Ms Potts said leaving post-traumatic stress, depression and anxiety untreated could worsen the situation, and there were many who had not sought help since the Black Tuesday fire.

Counsellors and others providing support can find out about the resources available at http://www.earlytraumagrief.anu.edu.au/bushfire-resources

If you feel you need someone to talk to, contact your GP, school counsellor or Lifeline on 13 11 14.

Locals who were affected by Black Tuesday fires are encouraged to seek counselling if the New South Wales fires bring up post-traumatic stress issues.

This article first appeared in Hangzhou Night Net.

Accused: Simon Gittany outside the Supreme Court. Photo: James Brickwood ‘She felt that she was a shell of her previous self’: Lisa Harnum’s counsellor Michelle Richmond. Photo: James Brickwood

The experienced counsellor had ”never heard anyone so enraged and out of control”, she told the court. Two days before Simon Gittany allegedly dropped his fiancee off their 15th floor balcony, the Sydney man allegedly rang the woman’s counsellor, Michelle Richmond, declaring ”I’ll f—ing harm you”.

”He sounded like someone who was insane,” Ms Richmond told Mr Gittany’s murder trial on Wednesday. ”It was just a monologue of abuse.” The court heard that in the weeks before her death in July 2011, Canadian Lisa Cecilia Harnum told Ms Richmond that she was scared of her fiance and had been completely isolated by him, but didn’t feel she could leave.

”He had said if she left him, she would be deported … that she would leave with nothing, just as she had come, even her underwear,” Ms Richmond said.

She said that Ms Harnum felt so ground down by Mr Gittany that the only way to connect with herself was through an eating disorder. ”She felt that she was a shell of her previous self. She had to be so particular about what she had to say around Simon. She said the bulimia gave her some sense of self and some sense of feeling.”

The court heard that in the week leading up to her death, Ms Richmond had been giving Ms Harnum advice about how to leave Mr Gittany, and had taken a pillow case full of the woman’s clothes in preparation.

But Ms Richmond said that a couple of days later, on July 28, she received a call from Ms Harnum’s phone with silence on the other end of the line.

”I recognised Cecilia’s number and rang back … but I pretended that I didn’t know who it was,” Ms Richmond told the court.

The call was answered by Mr Gittany. ”He said ‘Michelle, you f—ing bitch, if you ever come in contact with Cecilia again … I know where you live, I’ll f—ing harm you.’ ”

Ms Richmond said the next morning she received a text message from Ms Harnum’s phone accusing her of ruining the couple’s relationship. ”It said ‘leave me alone … drop all my stuff off at the concierge no later than 10am tomorrow,’ ” Ms Richmond said.

” ‘I wish I never met you because you ruined my life. I had everything with Simon but you brainwashed me. Simon threw me out on the street with nothing.’ ”

The counsellor said that she dropped Ms Harnum’s clothes back that day.

”I felt that Cecilia had made her decision and it was best to follow the request in the text,” she said.

Less than 24 hours later, the young woman was dead.

But counsel for Mr Gittany, Phillip Strickland, SC, suggested his client had never made any threat. ”I want to suggest that he did not utter any threat, he didn’t say ‘I know where you f—ing live’ or call you a f—ing bitch or anything like that,” he said.

”I remember that night very well,” the counsellor replied.

This article first appeared in Hangzhou Night Net.

Silos at Viterra in Kapunda have been damaged by vandals whosprayed numerous graffiti makings and tags on the silos between Friday, October18 and Monday, October 21.

Police are asking for the public to help identify the vandalsand reminded people they can remain anonymous.

“Someone will know who is responsible by looking at thephotos taken by police and therefore ask if anyone has any information aboutpossible offenders or any information that may assist police investigate thismatter,” a police spokesperson said.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stopperson 1800 333 000 or online at sa.crimestoppers杭州夜网.au.

Photos of the silos that were covered in graffiti and tagged at Viterra in Kapunda over the weekend.

This article first appeared in Hangzhou Night Net.