STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS

Dr GARLAND (Chisholm) (13:46): On Saturday I had the privilege of joining with the East Melbourne Panthers in support of their Flanno for a Farmer day fundraiser. I note that they were playing against the Frankston Dolphins, and my friend the member for Dunkley is here, who I know is very proud of the Dolphins. There are so many city based sporting clubs that maintain strong connections to rural Australia, and the East Melbourne Panthers certainly stands out as one of those.

As someone who has lived most of their life in the eastern and south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne but who is from regional Victoria, I know how important those connections are. The Panthers have a long history with country players at the club, including 18 players on the current list as well as six of the current committee hailing from the country. They are proudly known as the 'country club in the city'.

The Panthers know that our farmers are always there for us not only putting food on our tables but also supporting the country footy and netball clubs so many of the Panthers players grew up in, so this fundraiser was very important. Every dollar raised through Flanno for a Farmer goes to Farm Angels, who provide financial help, food hampers, care packs and mental health support to farming families in over 1,300 communities across Australia.

Thank you to everyone at the Panthers, including volunteers and all of those who donned a flanno and dug deep to support our farmers. Good luck to the senior and reserves teams next weekend. Congratulations on your efforts.