Tuesday, 21 February 2023

 Chris COUZENS (Geelong) (13:12): Across the weekend Geelong was host to several key sporting events, both supported by the Andrews government. The award-winning Geelong Marlins water polo team hosted the tri-state championships, with participants and visitors from across the country. I want to acknowledge the great work of Bec Talbot and Deb Johnson and their team of parents and volunteers for ensuring that the Geelong Marlins is inclusive and accessible to everyone. At the championship I had the opportunity to congratulate the club for their recent national Good Sports Award for Junior Club of the Year – an amazing achievement from the club, who started with five participants five years ago and now have 75 participants. They should be very proud.

Inclusive and accessible sport is a key priority of this government and is on our agenda, which is why we supported the Ivor Burge National Basketball Championships held at Geelong Arena on the weekend. I saw the pride in the teams at the medal presentation, their joy in participating and having fun. Everyone deserves an opportunity to play the sport they love. Supporting competitions such as this one is important to everyone.

Geelong loves its sport, there is no doubt of that, and excitement is building around the 2026 Commonwealth Games and what they will deliver for Geelong. The many athletes across our Geelong region are really excited about this opportunity.