Sam Rae (Hawke, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

With the might Geelong Cats, sadly, out of the running this year, I will be cheering for the Port Adelaide club through September for the first time. While this is unorthodox for a Geelong supporter from the outer west of Melbourne, I'll be doing so for Darley's very own Zak Butters. Before Zak was dominating through Port's midfield he was playing for the Darley Devils in the Ballarat Football League. Making his seniors debut at just 15, Zak was never the biggest bloke at Darley. However, in the words of one of his Darley coaches, Heath Scotland, 'He has a great sense of character and is mentally tough and resilient.'

I recently had the honour of representing Minister Anika Wells at the AFL Awards night, where I was able to congratulate Zak on taking home three well-deserved gongs. Not only did he win the AFL Players' Association Most Courageous Player award, the AFL Coaches Association Champion Player award and an All-Australian guernsey; most importantly, like all good sons, he brought his mum along for the night.

Along with being a great footballer, Zak is a thoroughly good bloke and a great member of our community. At every opportunity he will make his way back from Adelaide to Darley, where he is more than happy to put on a pair of boots and run water for his mates, sit in the coach's box and take stats or just turn out for a kick with the local kids. Zak's courage in the face of adversity and his loyalty to his family and community make him such a great role model for all young people in our community.

Zak, congratulations on your success on the field and your generosity and community spirit off it. I look forward to seeing what the future holds for you. Just go easy on the Cats next time you come up against them!

I've spoken in this place before about the incredible work that local charity Keeley's Cause does in my electorate. Started by local champion Keeley and her mum, Sharon, Keeley's Cause helps children with autism and intellectual disability to access technology and with their learning. That's why I am very pleased to report that Keeley was recently awarded the 2023 Young Woman of the Year award at the Women Changing the World Awards in London. While remarkable, it is no surprise Keeley's story has gone global. Her drive and passion are palpable, and her hard work translates into real outcomes in our community. In fact, so many more young people in our community have a better start in life thanks to Keeley and Sharon. They are, on a regular basis, raising money all across the community and investing in things like iPads to help kids facing learning difficulties stay ahead with their studies at school. Keep up the great work, Keeley and Sharon. I look forward to catching up with you guys real soon.

Lisa Chesters (Bendigo, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In accordance with standing order 193, the time for members' constituency statements has concluded.