Wednesday, 28 August 2024

 Matt FREGON (Ashwood) (09:44): I rise to update the house on a very busy and exciting month down in Ashwood district, particularly in the realm of community sport. I begin by congratulating the Monash Demons All Abilities Football Club for their impressive victory against the Mazenod Panthers. The member for Glen Waverley and I share a friendly local rivalry with these two clubs. The Demons are mine; the Mazenod Panthers used to be mine but are now his. We had a bit of a barbecue on and a bit of rivalry, which will continue every year. I also want to give a shout-out to my electorate officer Lisa Williams, who represented me on the day because I was at my son’s footy final, which unfortunately they lost.

The trophy that we have now started is named after George Soles. It is called the George Soles Memorial Cup, and it pays tribute to a beloved and respected volunteer with many, many years of dedication to the Demons, being the ground scorer on game days. He used to come every day – rain, hail, shine, whatever – on his mobility scooter to score. I believe even after his family were not playing anymore he would still do that on a weekly basis. What a great guy. I would like to extend my thanks to Peter Willoughby for his dedication to the Demons as secretary. I look forward to the George Soles cup being an annual tradition for many years to come.