Latest news with #Melton
Daily Mail
a day ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Bloodied driver is found with a gunshot wound on the side of the road after crashing allegedly stolen car
A man was found with a gunshot wound in a pool of blood on the side of the road following a crash in an allegedly stolen car. The 38-year-old was allegedly shot before crashing the Volkswagen T-Cross into a pole on Raleigh's Road in Melton, west Melbourne, at 9am on Sunday. Residents rushed out of their homes after hearing the man screaming for help. The man, wearing a grey tracksuit and jumper, was found lying on the side of the road with a gunshot wound to his left leg. 'So I was in my bed, and all of a sudden I hear a loud bang around 9am,' one neighbour told 7News. 'It's pretty scary that this was all happening in Melton, we're all locals here and it's pretty scary that they're in the same area as us.' Emergency services were called and paramedics treated him at the scene. He was rushed to Royal Melbourne Hospital with non-life threatening injuries where he remains in a stable condition. Victoria Police allege the car had been stolen. A shotgun was located outside a home just metres away before it was seized by cops. A man was arrested in the vicinity of Wolfe Road and is currently assisting police with their enquiries. Anyone who witnessed the incident, has CCTV or dash cam footage or information has been urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
News.com.au
5 days ago
- General
- News.com.au
Harness racing: Chris Lang welcomes return of stable star Ollivici after officially becoming a legend
It has been a huge week for training great Chris Lang. The one-time 'King of Trotting' in Australia was inducted as a Caduceus Club 'Living Legend' on Monday night and his stable star Ollivici returns from an injury-enforced lay-off at Melton on Saturday night. The 65-year-old, who has trained 38 Group 1 winners in Australia and driven 22, said he was surprised and humbled with his Living Legend award. 'My partner (Sonia Mahar) did a great job keeping it a secret. I didn't even know where we were going until we turned up at Melton, saw a few of my old mates arriving and then I twigged something was up,' Lang said. 'It was a very pleasant surprise and a real honour.' Lang is the third member of one of harness racing's greatest families to be afforded Living Legend status. Previously his late father, Graeme (1998) and brother Gavin (2013), were inducted. Lang's long list of stars include: Sundons Gift, Skyvalley, Let Me Thru, National Interest, Kyvalley Road and Jauriol. He trained three successive Inter Dominion trotting final winners with Galleons Sunset (2008) and Sundons Gift (2009 and '10). In a couple of weeks, Lang, who now trains a select team in partnership with Sonia Mahar, will head to Brisbane to chase his fourth Inter Dominion. Ollivici is a trotter Lang has always felt has feature-race talent and he's more than hinted at it with 18 wins, 17 placings and almost $300,000. The gelding went to the last Brisbane Inter Dominion in late 2023 and made a splash with two wins a second in his three heats, but ran below his best when seventh in the final behind the great Just Believe. An operation to remove a bone chip in a front fetlock has kept Ollivici away from the track since he ran third at Melton on December 14, last year. 'It's a deliberately long and slow build-up with our eye on Brisbane again,' Lang said. 'He had his third trial at Melton on Monday and we've asked a bit more of him each time. He hit the line well, made up a length on Callmethebreeze (a star trotter) and finished alongside him.' Ollivici will start from gate nine in Saturday night's 2240m Aldebaran Park Trotters' free-for-all at Melton. 'It's a starting point and we'll get more racing into him before the Inter Dominion starts,' Lang said. Much of that lead-up racing could be in Brisbane. 'We're thinking of going up early. There's racing options for him at Albion Park on June 14 and 21 and the week after that is the Redcliffe Trotters' Cup then the Inter heats starts on July 5,' Lang said. 'Given his long time out, we'd like to get him up there early to really settle in and get some racing under his belt. Lang is looking to take emerging three-year-old trotter Farrokh north with Ollivici. 'He's a Q-bred (Queensland-bred) so there are some good bonuses up there for him. He won his last start at Maryborough (November 20) and is almost ready to head back to the races,' Lang said.
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Manawa Aranui: Furious trans netballer who was BANNED from playing hits back with bombshell claim about team that made boycott threat against her
One of the two trans netball stars who have been banned from playing in a Victorian league has lashed out at the decision and made a stunning claim about the rival team that threatened to boycott matches she played in. Manawa Aranui played men's netball at a high level before transitioning and playing for the Melton Central Football and Netball Club. Last week rival side Melton South declared its players 'do not feel safe' playing against Central's two trans players and threatned to boycott matches against the team. On Wednesday, the Riddell District Netball League (RDNL) announced the two Melton Central players have been banned from the remainder of this year's competition 'on the premise that both participants exhibit superior, stamina and physique over their competitors deeming Section 42 of the Sex Discrimination Act relevant'. That section of the act allows competitions to exclude gender-diverse players due to concerns about their 'strength, stamina or physique'. The statement drew a fiery response from Aranui on Facebook. 'I've sat quietly long enough while this narrative brewed and I've been dragged—publicly and without consent — into a conversation where both my character and identity have been attacked,' she wrote. 'This won't be a long novel — because frankly, these bigots don't deserve my time or energy ... Melton South Football Netball Club and your Netball Coordinator/players: you're entitled to your opinions, but let's clear some things up. 'Your head coach tried to recruit me to play for your club. Yes — YOUR HEAD COACH TRIED TO RECRUIT ME. 'The same club now publicly speaking out against me, bashing me, and attacking the trans/non-binary community in the media, is the very club whose head coach approached me to join you. (Read that again. Let it sink in.) #Hypocrites.' Aranui went on to ask if her gender identity would be an issue if she was playing for Melton South. 'You've played six quarters against me — AND we played all season last year along side each other for Glen Orden — suddenly NOW I'm 'dangerous'?' she continued. 'Apparently now, I run full-speed into players and knock them over? 'We have two umpires on the court to keep the game safe. If I had done what you claim, wouldn't I have been warned, penalised, or reprimanded? 'For the record: I haven't been cautioned once — not in this league, or any other I've played in. 'You're entitled to believe it's 'unfair' for cis women to compete against transgender women. That's your opinion. But the lies? They need to stop. 'You're not out here protecting women's sport. You're being malicious, using false narratives to mask your bigotry and personal agendas behind the guise of 'safeguarding women's spaces.' 'You've spread stories, targeted me, and enabled me to become the sole focus of online abuse and sideline harassment from other clubs and their supporters — right here, in a space where I come to play a sport I love. A place I come to laugh, sweat, compete, and find community. 'I hope you're proud of that. And I hope no child in your families ever has to endure what you've subjected me to.' Aranui also posted an image showing an exchange of text messages between her and an unnamed person who asked if she would be open to 'playing for us A grade next season' 'depending on the rules in RDFNL'. The RDNL's ban came shortly after a video surfaced showing Aranui knocking a rival player from the Romsey team to the ground when they collided a completely legal passage of play. Netball Victoria had previously confirmed it was investigating the issue by engaging an independent expert to assess the concerns raised by multiple players and clubs. Melton South's netball coordinator Melissa Dawson had told News Corp she would support her players if they chose to forfeit games over safety concerns. 'One of the players is six foot something – it's ridiculous,' she said. 'Netball Victoria needs to put the safety of biological females first.' Netball Victoria said it remains committed to inclusion and is following its gender diversity policy developed in consultation with Proud 2 Play and based on national sport inclusion guidelines. 'We support and welcome netballers of all backgrounds,' a spokesperson said. 'That includes gender diverse players who have rights under anti-discrimination laws.' Netball Victoria's 2018 bylaw change allows non-binary and transgender players to register and play in female competitions based on self-identified gender, not legal sex. The Australian Sports Commission (ASC) guidelines on the inclusion of transgender athletes state that sports must comply with the Sex Discrimination Act, which makes it unlawful to discriminate, harass or victimise people due to their sex or gender identity. There are exemptions for sports in which unfair advantages or safety risks can be objectively proven. The ASC states: 'All Australians should have the opportunity to be involved in sport and physical activity, regardless of their gender, sexual orientation, ability, cultural background or ethnicity. 'It is important that sporting bodies, from local clubs through to national sporting organisations, reflect the diversity in the communities they are a part of, and that together, we ensure every person is treated with respect and dignity and protected from discrimination.' In May 2017, the Victorian Equal Opportunity & Human Rights Commission released guidelines on trans and gender diverse inclusion in sport. They state that sporting organisations will be breaking the law under the Equal Opportunity Act if they exclude people from participating in a sporting activity, or refuse or fail to select them in a team, on the basis of their sex or gender identity. However, exceptions could apply 'if strength, stamina or physique is relevant'.
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Startling new video surfaces of trans player Manawa Aranui at centre of Melton South Netball Club boycott storm
Video has surfaced of one of the players at the centre of a netball team's trans boycott threat knocking an opponent to the ground on Saturday. The footage shows Melton Central player Manawa Araunui - who played men's netball at an elite level before transitioning - sending a player from the Romsey team crashing to the court in a completely legal piece of play, then offering to help her to her feet. Melton South Netball Club has threatened to boycott matches against Melton Central due to safety concerns over the fielding of the two trans players. Netball Victoria has confirmed it is investigating the issue by engaging an independent expert to assess the concerns raised by multiple players and clubs. The review follows mounting complaints about the physicality of some transgender players, with claims that their size and strength create an uneven and potentially dangerous playing field. Manawa Aranui, who previously played high level men's netball, transitioned and began playing in women's competitions, sparking safety and fairness concerns across several leagues. In April, the Ballarat Football Netball League deemed Aranui ineligible for their women's competition after obtaining legal advice citing the Sex Discrimination Act. That act allows exclusion where 'strength, stamina or physique' are relevant to competition. Despite this, Aranui continues to play for Melton Central, where she was recently named best on court in a Division 1 grand final. Melton Central president Paul Sinclair confirmed both transgender players would take the court while the club awaits formal direction from Netball Victoria. Melton South's netball coordinator Melissa Dawson told News Corp she would support her players if they chose to forfeit games over safety concerns. 'One of the players is six foot something – it's ridiculous,' she said. 'Netball Victoria needs to put the safety of biological females first.' B Grade player Erin described her discomfort facing the transgender athletes. 'I went up for the ball and just got pushed and dropped,' she said. 'They're so much stronger, and I'm genuinely scared I'll get hurt.' Non-binary netball player David Capron (left) has competed in both men's and women's competitions and believes 'biological gender has nothing to do with ability' Erin said she would sit out any future games against Melton Central if the players remain in the lineup. Another Melton South player said a boycott might be the only way to send a clear message. 'It deters women from playing the sport they love,' she said. 'We've worked hard to keep girls in the game.' Netball Victoria said it remains committed to inclusion and is following its gender diversity policy developed in consultation with Proud 2 Play and based on national sport inclusion guidelines. 'We support and welcome netballers of all backgrounds,' a spokesperson said. 'That includes gender diverse players who have rights under anti-discrimination laws.' Netball Victoria's 2018 bylaw change allows non-binary and transgender players to register and play in female competitions based on self-identified gender, not legal sex. That rule opened the door for players like David Capron, a national men's player who competed in both men's and women's leagues. Capron, who uses he/him and they/them pronouns, said his goal was to be a 'beacon of hope' for queer youth in community sport. 'Biological gender has nothing to do with ability,' he said. The Australian Sports Commission (ASC) guidelines on the inclusion of transgender athletes state that sports must comply with the Sex Discrimination Act, which makes it unlawful to discriminate, harass or victimise people due to their sex or gender identity. There are exemptions for sports in which unfair advantages or safety risks can be objectively proven. The ASC states, 'All Australians should have the opportunity to be involved in sport and physical activity, regardless of their gender, sexual orientation, ability, cultural background or ethnicity. 'It is important that sporting bodies, from local clubs through to national sporting organisations, reflect the diversity in the communities they are a part of, and that together, we ensure every person is treated with respect and dignity and protected from discrimination.' In May 2017, the Victorian Equal Opportunity & Human Rights Commission release guidelines on trans and gender diverse inclusion in sport. They state that sporting organisations will be breaking the law under the Equal Opportunity Act if they exclude people from participating in a sporting activity, or refuse or fail to select them in a team, on the basis of their sex or gender identity. However, exceptions could apply 'if strength, stamina or physique is relevant'.
USA Today
7 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Lakers reporter suggests former Warriors guard as free agent target
Lakers reporter suggests former Warriors guard as free agent target When it comes to the Los Angeles Lakers' roster needs this offseason, most are focused on how much the team needs a starting-caliber center. But the Lakers are also in need of improved guard and wing depth. Problem is, they have a limited number of trade assets and very little, if any, salary cap flexibility. That means they will need to sign a couple of players to the veteran's minimum salary who will provide good value. Jovan Buha, a Lakers beat writer for The Athletic, suggested during a recent episode of "Buha's Block" that guard De'Anthony Melton could be a decent free agent option for the team. "I really like Melton as a flyer. I think, at this point, he's gonna be a vet-minimum guy… I think he's a guy who, for a vet minimum contract, you could do a lot worse,' said Buha. Melton was a second-round draft pick in 2018 out of the University of Southern California. He has been known as a strong defender, especially on opposing ball-handling guards, and although he stands a modest 6-foot-3, he has a wingspan of 6-foot-8 and weighs a somewhat stocky 200 pounds. He has become a reliable 3-point shooter over the last few years, and he possesses ample quickness that especially helps him on the defensive end. However, Melton tore his ACL early this season back in November. The guard, who was traded by the Golden State Warriors to the Brooklyn Nets in December, may not be able to earn that much money this summer as a result. If he's available for the veteran minimum's salary, perhaps the Lakers should at least consider him on a one-year deal. He is a native of the Southland who grew up in the San Fernando Valley, so perhaps he could be enticed to come back home.
