AFL brothers share sport success tips

AFL football brothers Ben and Harry McKay returned to their former school to talk to students enrolled in the St Paul’s Anglican Grammar School elite sports performers program.

Ben and Harry, members of the class of 2015, are graduates of the ESP Program.

Harry has made his AFL debut after being drafted as pick 10 in the 2015 AFL national draft to Carlton, while Ben played his debut match with North Melbourne on August 26 after being pick 21 in the draft.

The brothers spoke about the highs and lows of being a professional athlete and told the students about the importance of keeping focused on school work as it is needed to fall back on when sport does not work out, or when they are finished at an elite level.

Ben and Harry told students to make use of the support available through the ESP Program and to be motivated to make the most of the opportunity to develop themselves as an athlete through the recently launched myAISbasecamp program.

Baw Baw Shire may have to fork out hundreds of dollars to replace a “tropical” plant species that was killed off by frosts.

Darnum resident Irene Broadbent asked council a number of questions about the plants, including questioning the qualifications of the people who purchased the plants.

Shire chief executive officer Alison Leighton said the plant section was undertaken by council’s parks and gardens staff who were qualified gardeners.

Ms Broadbent asked why they would plant Rhoeo discolor (commonly called Moses in a Basket) in the ground in Warragul.

She said it was a tropical plant, not usually planted anywhere in Victoria, let alone cold Warragul.

Ms Leighton said the plant was selected to provide some year round contrast through its foliage colour and had performed well in southern Victoria before this winter.

She read out a section about the plant from Garden Australis, which said it would grow over most of Australia, although it might burn in a frost, but it will re-grow again.

“However with several severe frosts the young plants have unfortunately not survived,” she said.

Ms Leighton said it had cost council $5.70 per plant to purchase and would cost about $570 to replace with an alternative species.