Wednesday, 17 June 2026

 Gary MAAS (Narre Warren South) (10:48): Over the weekend I had the great pleasure of representing the Minister for Community Sport at the 2026 Reclink Community Cup. The winter sun was shining down at Victoria Park in Abbotsford for the annual game of footy that raises money for the great work of Reclink. Reclink’s work engages people at risk of homelessness, alcohol and drug addiction, unemployment or mental illness through sport, improving confidence and wellbeing. Their initiatives include the ActiVIC program, which runs in 19 locations across the state, including in my local community in the City of Casey. The state Labor government is a very passionate supporter of Reclink. Last year’s state budget invested $5 million over two years to support their initiatives, including the ActiVIC program.

This year’s community cup showdown was between the Megahertz, made up of community radio stations Triple R and PBS, and the Espy Rockdogs, featuring local music legends. As always, it was hilarious – really athletic but always a spirited contest. The Rockdogs and Megahertz have been challenging each other for the community cup since 1993. This year, as usual, the scores were low, and the Rockdogs were crowned champions with a 12-point win. The music was absolutely fantastic, including music from Owelu Dreamhouse, Kim Salmon’s Smoked Salmon, Public Figures, Stella Donnelly and C.O.F.F.I.N. A very big thank you to Reclink founder Peter Cullen, CEO Dave Wells and the whole Reclink crew.