The 31st Greek Film Festival has opened in Melbourne with a full house at the Astor Theatre in St Kilda. The opening-night film, Best Friends Forever, directed by Konstantinos Mousoulis, drew consistent laughter from the audience. Its comedy follows five linked stories about loyalty, friendship and sacrifice, beginning with a wedding that falls apart before it begins. Festival director Jorge Menidis said the event offers a window into contemporary Greek life, and that this year's programme spans comedies, animal tales and historical dramas.
Harry Hoekstra has taken six wickets on his Sheffield Shield debut for Victoria against South Australia at St Kilda's Junction Oval. The Koonwarra-Leongatha RSL product also top-scored with 45 in Victoria's first innings. South Australia's Noah McFadyen made 134 on debut, helping the Redbacks reach 508. Victoria trails by 264 runs on the first innings, and rain overnight could help them save a draw. Hoekstra's home club has congratulated him on earning his first Victorian cap.
St Kilda faces critical pressure in 2027, with key players Wanganeen-Milera and Ross Lyon's contracts expiring. Fox Footy analyst Ben Dixon warns the club risks a downward spiral if they fail to secure a finals berth. The Saints' recent recruitment efforts, including De Koning and Silvagni, may not be enough to guarantee success. Missing the finals could jeopardise retaining their star players and damage the club's future prospects. Fans hope the team can build on last season's expectations and deliver a competitive performance.
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Will Skarpona debuts his first solo cabaret, 'Big Diva Energy,' at the Victorian Pride Centre in St Kilda from October 14-17. The production, directed by Maude Davey and musically directed by James Frampton, blends iconic pop hits with a narrative of self-discovery and resilience. Skarpona, a 21-year-old performer from Wollongong, explores themes of authenticity and nonconformity through a mix of camp and sincerity. The 50-minute show features songs by Madonna, Tina Turner, and Chappell Roan, among others. Tickets are available for $24.50 through the Melbourne Fringe website.
Supporters of a Melbourne teenager, whose death prompted widespread community grief, have held a rally outside the Supreme Court of Victoria. Isla Bell, 19, disappeared in early October 2024 before her body was found at a waste transfer station in Dandenong. Marat Ganiev, 55, is charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice over his alleged actions after her death in his St Kilda apartment. The court hearing details cannot be reported under Victorian law.
Geelong has traded pick 14 in this year’s draft and a 2028 third-round selection to St Kilda for ruckman Rowan Marshall. The 30-year-old requested a move after St Kilda recruited Tom De Koning. Geelong needed to strengthen its ruck stocks following Rhys Stanley’s retirement. Nick Blakey, a 2024 All Australian, is being pursued by five clubs, including Geelong, as he tests the water for a possible trade from Sydney.
Sydney Swans list manager Chris Keane has dismissed reports Nick Blakey could be traded, despite the defender meeting with rival clubs. Blakey is contracted for five more years, and Keane insists the club has no intention of trading him. Geelong’s chances of securing Blakey have diminished after trading pick 14 to St Kilda for Rowan Marshall. Blakey and four other Swans players are under investigation for an alleged sexual assault incident in Melbourne in August.
Local theatre enthusiasts have a wealth of performances to choose from this season. Geelong Lyric Theatre Society presents The Addams Family, while Mornington Peninsula Theatre Company stages Pygmalion. The 1812 Theatre offers Switzerland, and Babirra Music Theatre brings Disney’s Frozen. The Basin Theatre Group performs You’re Only Young Twice, and Encore Theatre presents Steel Magnolias. CLOC Musical Theatre will showcase Come From Away, and Mordialloc Theatre Company prepares Cock. Warragul Theatre Company adapts The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, and SLAMS Musical Theatre Company performs Into the Woods.
Harry Hoekstra made an impressive Sheffield Shield debut for Victoria against South Australia at the Junction Oval. Batting in a difficult situation, he scored 45 runs and took a wicket with a well-delivered ball. Victoria's head coach, Chris Rogers, expressed excitement about the new season and the team's potential. The match is being broadcast live on Kayo Sports and cricket.com.au.
North Melbourne has offered Nick Blakey an $11 million contract, making them favourites to sign the Sydney Swans player. Blakey has met with officials from Geelong, Gold Coast, and St Kilda, with Essendon also expressing interest. His current contract with the Swans runs through 2031. Geelong traded its first-round pick to St Kilda for ruckman Rowan Marshall and a 2028 third-round pick.
Artist Kristeena Saville discusses her creative journey, from her childhood in St Kilda to her current work in the Central Highlands. She reflects on her diverse artistic pursuits, including drawing, painting, and video creation, and her involvement in the local art scene. Saville's upcoming exhibition at Hepburn Palais will feature musician portraits drawn at various venues in the region, with live music and free entry.
Channel 7 meteorologist Jane Bunn has addressed public attention to her recent weight loss. The 47-year-old appeared at Melbourne’s Crown Palladium for the St Kilda Best and Fairest/Hall of Fame Night, drawing comments from fans about her transformation. Bunn attributed the change to a doctor-recommended health plan, focusing on both physical and mental wellbeing. She expressed surprise at the public interest in her appearance.
St Kilda co-captain Cal Wilkie has expressed understanding and support for teammate Rowan Marshall's trade request to Geelong. Wilkie praised Marshall's character and contributions, acknowledging the team will miss him. With one year left on his contract, Marshall's move appears likely, as the Saints have Tom De Koning as their primary ruckman. Wilkie emphasised no ill-will exists within the playing group, who remain focused on the club's future. The Saints face pressure to finalise a deal, as retaining Marshall for 2027 could damage their reputation.
Melbourne student Aparjot, 21, has self-published her first novel, When We Were Souls, while studying cybersecurity and working part-time. The 376-page story follows two people who meet, fall in love and face the reality that some connections do not last. It is structured around seven Sufi stages of love, reflecting the Punjabi poetry she has written since childhood. Aparjot funded the book herself, designing the cover and editing the manuscript with help from friends. She is now preparing a second book, Ibadat, due in January 2027, which will draw on her Punjabi poems.
A Melbourne couple has moved into a new home that cost $80,000 less than they planned to spend. Jeyakaran Karnan and Shree Harini Vinothkumar chose a $720,000 house-and-land package in Clyde North after finding auctions stressful. They built at the Orana estate, where they hoped their son Yaalan could grow up among other young families. The couple used the federal 5 per cent deposit scheme, which reduced their deposit to $36,000. Construction took about four months, with the keys arriving roughly 10 months after they signed up.
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Transport Victoria has confirmed the final design for intersection upgrades along Sunshine Avenue in Taylors Lakes. Construction is expected to begin in 2027. Two roundabouts at Melton Highway and Old Calder Highway will be replaced with signalised intersections, with additional lanes and new signalised pedestrian crossings. New walking and cycling paths and street lighting will also be built. A bus stop on the northern side of Melton Highway will move to the eastern side of Sunshine Avenue.
Victoria will add 11 AI-powered cameras to its bushfire detection network across the state's east and west. The $3.8 million project is jointly funded by the Victorian Government, Hancock Victorian Plantations and the Green Triangle Fire Alliance. The cameras use artificial intelligence to scan for smoke and fire around the clock, and the expanded network is expected to monitor more than 1.4 million hectares. The new cameras are scheduled to be in place by November 2027. Minister for Emergency Services Paul Edbrooke said early information would help emergency services respond more quickly.
Ken Bodinnar, a 73-year-old former State Emergency Service worker from Paynesville, is fighting to have his workers' compensation claim recognised. His doctors believe his small-cell lung cancer resulted from years of service, including the Black Saturday fires. The insurer rejected the claim, and a medical report later found his exposure to firefighting smoke and diesel fumes was a significant contributing factor. The dispute will go to trial in November. Mr Bodinnar is in intensive care in Geelong and hopes the claim will support his family.
A 62-year-old man from Caroline Springs has been charged after an alleged incident in a change room at the Brimbank Aquatic and Wellness Centre on Sunday 25 October. Police allege he used a recording device to film several people in a change room cubicle around 11.10am. He faces charges of producing child abuse material and producing intimate images. Brimbank council says it has terminated his membership and banned him from all council leisure centres. He is bailed to appear before Sunshine Magistrates' Court on 23 March 2027.
Authorities have shut 100 shops under newly granted powers aimed at stamping out the trade in illegal tobacco. Since those powers took effect on 9 September, the VIPER Taskforce and Tobacco Licensing Victoria officers have confiscated over four million unlawful cigarettes, roughly 70,000 vaping devices, three tonnes of leaf tobacco and close to $1 million in cash. The drive is directed at criminal networks that profit from the illicit product, including groups run from overseas. Retailers across a string of Melbourne suburbs have been inspected, and the operation is still underway.
South Barwon MP Darren Cheeseman has claimed more than $60,000 in taxpayer-funded allowances for a Melbourne second home since early 2024. He appears to have missed 70 per cent of parliamentary sitting days. Cheeseman was pushed out of the Labor Party in April 2024 over allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards staff, and has since sat as an independent. He declined to respond to questions from the ABC. The Greens and two former premiers support publicly available attendance records, while the Liberal and Labor parties declined to say whether they would back the idea.
A medical centre in Melbourne's north-west was extensively damaged by fire in a suspected arson attack early today. Police say offenders smashed a front window of the Shuter Street clinic in Moonee Ponds before using an accelerant and setting it alight just after 2am. About an hour earlier, two cars were set alight outside a Brighton home on Manor Street in what police describe as a suspected targeted attack. Police will investigate whether the two incidents are linked. An arson chemist will attend both scenes today, and anyone with information or dashcam footage is asked to contact CrimeStoppers.
A large former Toyota site at 200-214 Blackshaws Rd, Altona North, has been listed for sale, with a possible $40 million price. The 5.3-hectare property was sold by Toyota in 2020. A Victorian government masterplan has earmarked the site for a future town centre with a supermarket, shops and up to 395 homes. No development plans are yet in place. Expressions of interest close at 3pm on November 11.
Aireys Inlet Primary School will host its annual Aireys Fair on 31 October, running from 9am to 3pm. The fair, which has run for more than a decade, is organised by a committee of parents with help from grandparents, relatives and the wider community. It will be held alongside the Aireys Inlet Market, with rides and activities on the oval overlooking the ocean. A community-run bookstore will also operate, with all profits going back to the school.
