Castlemaine footballer, 17, dies after collapsing during local game in Victoria - 7NEWS

The Castlemaine Football Netball Club is in mourning after a junior player died during an under-18s game in Victoria.

The boy collapsed and was unresponsive during an away game at the Kyneton Showgrounds at around 12.20pm on Saturday.

He was taken in a critical condition to Kyneton Hospital, where he later died.

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“The exact circumstances surrounding the death are yet to be determined but the matter is not being treated as suspicious,” Victoria Police said.

A report will be prepared for the coroner.

Castlemaine extended an invite for members to come together at their home ground, providing “a safe space to be together at this difficult time”.

A later Bendigo league game between the Castlemaine and Kyneton senior teams was abandoned while Kyneton cancelled Rural Round celebrations taking place at the Showgrounds.

“The Kyneton Football and Netball Club are deeply saddened by the tragic passing of an under-18 player from the Castlemaine Football and Netball Club,” the club wrote.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the players, family, friends, and teammates and we ask that you please respect their privacy at this time.”

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Support flowed in for Castlemaine as the community reckoned with the tragedy.

“Incredibly saddening and devastating,” Greater Bendigo councillor Matthew Evans said.

“My sincerest of condolences and prayers to the family and the entire Castlemaine FNC. Thoughts with the Kyneton FNC as well.”

Kyneton Fire Brigade said: “Condolences and our deepest sympathies to the entire football community from us all.”

One woman wrote: “Hard to believe something like this can happen in junior football. My heart goes out to all. My son plays for U18 as well and I can’t even begin to imagine how hard this would be.”

Another mother said: “Our deepest sympathy and thoughts go out to the family, players, coaches, umpires, officials, supporters and community - from an U18 Golden Square player’s mum.”

Bendigo league rivals Golden Square were joined by Victorian clubs North Geelong and St Arnaud Football Club in reaching out to Castlemaine.

“Deepest condolences to the family and friends, the Castlemaine Football Netball Club, players, committee and community our thoughts are with you all at this very sad time,” Golden Square said.

“From one community club to another, our thoughts are with your club and wider community at this tragic time,” North Geelong added.

St Arnaud said: “We’re thinking of you all. Condolences to the family, friends, and entire Castlemaine Football Netball Club and wider community.”

The boy’s death comes just weeks after 20-year-old footballer Antonio Loiacono died after an on-field collision in a South Australian football game.

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Logging ‘export opportunity’ remains despite fears of local timber shortage - Sydney Morning Herald

The timber industry has warned that Victoria’s early phaseout of native forest logging could lead to a shortage of hardwood in Australia, but has rejected calls for a scheme to shore up local supply.

The industry’s warning came as the federal government backed the continued export of timber from native forests and plantations, which it said was an important economic opportunity for the sector.

A logging coupe at Rubicon, in Victoria’s Central Highlands.Credit: Karena Goldfinch/supplied

Conservationists have been calling for an end to native forest logging for decades, with habitat loss a driving factor for native wildlife extinctions.

But Australian Forest Products Association chief executive Joel Fitzgibbon said Victoria’s decision this week to bring forward its 2030 deadline to end native forest logging to January 1 next year could cause global environmental harm by increasing the need for imports of hardwood timber.

The former Rudd government forestry minister claimed much of the imports would come from the tropical forests of developing nations with lower environmental standards than in Australia.

“That’s no way to protect and conserve Australia’s native forest estate or to halt global deforestation practices,” Fitzgibbon said.

But he said he would not back a scheme to reserve native timber to ensure local demand was met before it was sent offshore, and instead argued for an expansion of native timber harvesting for both export and local sales.

“We need to keep our sustainable native forestry sector open and thriving, so we can satisfy both our domestic and export needs,” he said.

Hardwood from Australia’s native forests is exported as wood chips and whole logs, and domestically is typically made into flooring, decking, window frames, furniture and, in some cases, beams and joists. In Victoria, hardwood is pulped for paper and wood chip exports. Australia also imports some hardwood, particularly from Canada and New Zealand.

Softwood, which is grown in pine plantations across Australia, is the dominant source of framing material in housing construction.

Former Labor MP Joel Fitzgibbon is now chief executive of the Australian Forest Products Association.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

Federal Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Minister Murray Watt this week endorsed continued exports but acknowledged there was a timber shortage in Australia.

Asked if he would support domestic reservations of hardwood timber from native forests, Watt said the government was investing in the industry.

“The Albanese government supports sustainable forestry and is making record investments in forestry that is environmentally, socially and commercially sustainable,” he said.

Earlier this week, Watt told Sky News exports were crucial for Australia’s logging industry.

“We obviously need to make sure that we look after our national interest, but I think that for any product, you want to make sure that you have a range of options in terms of how you sell it and that’s important for the timber industry to have that export opportunity,” he said.

Watt last week welcomed China lifting its ban on Australian timber import. The trade was suspended in 2021, when it was worth about $560 million a year.

Wilderness Society national campaigns director Amelia Young said governments should manage timber exports to ensure local demand was met, without needing to expand the scale of logging in native forests.

“If industry, business and government are genuinely concerned about supposed resource shortages, they’d be plugging the leak through export restrictions, instead of continuing to insist that more and more can be unsustainably squeezed out of Australia’s precious native forests,” Young said.

“Properly managing exports so that domestic needs can be met would secure a sustainable domestic supply of plantation timber.”

The former Morrison government last year declared koalas an endangered species in NSW, Queensland and the ACT, largely due to habitat loss. NSW is allowing logging within the boundaries of the proposed Great Koala National Park on the Mid North Coast, home to one in five of the state’s surviving koalas.

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Nikita Tszyu knocks out local rival Benjamin Bommber - ESPN - ESPN

May 24, 2023, 08:39 PM

Nikita Tszyu has shown his boxing pedigree by extending his unbeaten run with a crushing first round knock-out victory over Benjamin Bommber.

Squaring off as the co-main event at Melbourne's Margaret Court Arena, Tszyu finished the young Victorian with a flurry of punches with two minutes and nine seconds left in round one.

The referee tried to intervene with Bommber landing on the canvas on top of him.

Tszyu is the son of former great Kostya, and younger brother of Tim, who was ringside and looked as excited as his sibling by the dominant victory.

The win came 20 years after triple world champion Kostya downed American Jesse James Leija in six rounds in Melbourne.

Nikita, 25, is undefeated through six professional fights while Bommber was 5-0 heading into this clash.

He lived up to his nickname "The Butcher" with the ruthless performance.

"It was over in a flash, I was hoping it was going to go a little longer," Nikita said.

"I landed an uppercut. I saw a victim, the hunter instinct inside of me went into kill mode.

"If I see someone wounded, I want to hurt them, it's just instincts."

Tim joined Nikita in the ring and rated his display as "10/10".

"I'm a proud brother. Nikita did a tremendous job," Tim said.

"My dad fought here in the Telstra Dome in Melbourne in 2003 so for Nikita to come back 20 years later and continue the legacy here, it's an honour for us and I'm sure one day I'll be back as well."

Meanwhile, in a clash of former AFL heavyweights, ex-Bomber Tom Bellchambers dominated Cameron Mooney who played for Geelong.

The super welterweight pair both landed some heavy blows in the opening round with Bellchambers knocking the big Cat down.

He then landed a big right with 47 seconds remaining in the third and final round, winning by knock-out.

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Local footballer Jojo Amaah, whose heart stopped for five minutes after coward punch, fuming at league’s response - 7NEWS

A local footballer who laid “dead on the ground” after an almost fatal coward punch during a suburban match has hit out at the league’s inaction over the matter.

Jojo Amaah’s second game for Southern Football Netball League (SFNL) side Keysborough almost ended in tragedy when he went down after being coward punched from behind following a scuffle.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Young footballer left to fight for life after shocking incident.

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The footballer had a seizure and went into cardiac arrest on the ground in what quickly became a terrifying scene.

His heart stopped beating for about five minutes as trainers and responders frantically rushed to his assistance.

Compounding the drama, the responding ambulance had to get through a locked gate to access the ground, which was then pried open with an angle grinder by a quick-thinking person at the ground.

Amaah miraculously survived the episode, even asking for a photo as he was being wheeled into the ambulance.

The incident was assessed by an AFL-accredited independent investigator, but conflicting and inconclusive evidence meant no charges were laid.

Furious at the decision, Amaah released an explosive statement on social media on Monday night.

Jojo Amaah is furious at the SFNL. Credit: Instagram/7NEWS

“I haven’t really talked about my incident publicly yet,” he wrote.

“I want everyone to know that I’m absolutely shattered that the SFNL I thought was there to protect me and all of its players are letting this behaviour slide.

“My life was changed forever on the 22nd of April when during the match I put a block on and was punched in the chest before a scuffle broke out and then I’m told at least 1 coward hit me from behind off the ball and due to ‘conflicting statements’ The SFNL is letting the culprit(s) and their club get away with it.

“Not to mention the locked gates and the 11 years out of date defib. Some of the things I’ve heard that the crowd yelled out while I was laying dead on the ground are absolutely disgusting and have no place in football or anywhere for that matter.

“My family and I are truly devastated. We were told by the SFNL CEO that the matter was being investigated by the AFL but have confirmed with the AFL Integrity Unit that they had no knowledge of the incident and therefore have not investigated. The CEO of the SFNL has got to explain the full process publicly.

“All I want is justice and for no other player to go through what my family, teammates, coaches, trainers and I have gone through.”

Amaah posted a photo of himself with his partner when he left hospital after 16 days. Credit: Instagram

The league moved quickly to respond on Tuesday night with a statement of its own, defending its actions and process in response to the sickening incident.

“First and foremost, all at the Southern FNL are extremely pleased that Jojo is recovering well and our best wishes are with him for a healthy future,” the league’s statement reads.

“In response to the social media post by JoJo of 22 May 2023, the Southern FNL can confirm the 22 April incident involving Jojo Amaah, has been fully investigated in accordance with the process available under our By-laws.

“Witness statements in evidence were obtained from players and officials of both participant Clubs and the League match day officials.

“As part of the investigation, discussions were held and guidance sought from Victoria Police and other relevant third parties.

“An independent and accredited investigator was also externally engaged to assess and make any recommendation(s) in relation to further action by the Southern FNL, based on their review of the available evidence.

“Following consideration of the assembled evidence, including witness statements, video evidence and discussions with the above third parties, it was determined there was insufficient evidence to corroborate the bringing of a charge(s) against any individual(s) in relation to the incident, by the League under the By-laws.”

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But Amaah has since hit back again, calling the SFNL out once again for its “lies”.

“No one asked me for a statement!” he said on Tuesday night.

“The SFNL has not checked in with me once regarding my health or wellbeing.

Amaah said that despite being “told in writing this was being referred to the AFL”, he had since been made aware that “the AFL Integrity Unit had not heard of the matter”.

“They have given us no support and in fact threatened any registered players with a minimum 2 week suspension for my post!”

“I am so hurt by these lies.”

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Speedsters caught on local roads - bay 93.9 Geelong - Bay 93.9

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Speedsters caught on local roads - bay 93.9 Geelong  Bay 93.9
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Local investors confident US can avoid debt ceiling ‘Armageddon’ - Sydney Morning Herald

Market jitters about the United States debt ceiling saga appear to be fading amid signs politicians are edging towards a deal, with investors saying inflation remains a bigger risk than the highly unlikely prospect of a US default.

As negotiations over the debt ceiling continue, Australian fund managers and experts predicted the US would avoid the potentially “catastrophic” scenario of a default, though they said high public debt remained a challenge for the world’s largest economy.

The US debt ceiling is a legal limit on how much the US government can borrow, currently set at $US31.4 trillion ($47.2 trillion). This limit was exceeded earlier this year and the US government has been using “extraordinary measures” to keep the wheels of government turning.

The US going into default would likely cause financial chaos across the globe.Credit: AP

But the deadline for when it hits the absolute ceiling – known as “X day” – is getting closer and US President Joe Biden last week scrapped plans to visit Australia to instead focus on resolving the debt crisis.

Analysts said there were some signs the drawn-out debt ceiling talks had affected the confidence of investors and US consumers, but they believed the nation would resolve the issue because it had too much to lose from a default, which would occur if it reaches X day.

Perpetual’s head of investment strategy Matt Sherwood said there had been progress in nutting out a deal, and he was confident they would reach an agreement.

“It’s something we always pay attention to and if the talks are going badly, you can see a widening in risk premiums. But in the end, we’ve seen this movie before, we know how it ends,” he said.

“It always ends with spending cuts or tax increases in exchange for extending the debt ceiling.”

Sherwood said continued high inflation, which could lead to more interest rate hikes from the US Federal Reserve, was a bigger risk for investors.

Senior portfolio manager at Ophir, Andrew Mitchell, stressed a US default was “highly, highly unlikely,” but said if it did happen this would have severe consequences for markets.

“It’s almost unthinkable to consider a US government default and what that would mean for its credit rating, financial markets and economic growth. It would be financial Armageddon,” Mitchell said last week.

“Republicans wouldn’t want to go down in the history books of causing default through its brinkmanship with the Biden government, destroying the US credit rating and its hard-won position as the world’s reserve currency,” he said.

ANZ Bank economists Brian Martin and Tom Kenny last week said since 1960, Congress had acted 78 times to either raise or revise the definition of the debt limit. They estimated the odds of the US defaulting were about 1 per cent, but said it would be “catastrophic” if it did occur.

AMP deputy chief economist Diana Mousina said she thought the probability of default was about 5 to 10 per cent, pointing to signs of progress in talks between the White House and the Republicans. “It looks like they don’t want to leave it to the very last minute,” she said on Friday.

Joe Biden said he was confident “America would not go into default” before jetting off to Japan for the G7 summit.Credit: AP

US Treasury bonds are viewed as the ultimate “risk-free” asset, setting a benchmark for how other financial assets such as shares and government and corporate bonds are priced around the world.

Mousina said markets would “freak out” if there was a default, causing yields on US government bonds to jump sharply.

“That would probably flow through to Australia, and the Australian dollar would fall because the Australian dollar is a procyclical currency. Sharemarkets would obviously tank,” Mousina says.

Economists have also said a US default would trigger a sharp rise in unemployment and drive the US economy into recession, as the government would cut payments for social security and government staff.

In a sign investors had been growing more nervous about the debt ceiling, a Bank of America survey of fund managers last week showed 71 per cent of respondents thought the ceiling would be raised in time, down from 80 per cent in April. But the survey still ranked the debt ceiling crisis fifth on fund managers’ list of worries, behind high inflation and high interest rates.

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Local investors confident US can avoid debt ceiling ‘Armageddon’ - Sydney Morning Herald
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Local investors confident US can avoid debt ceiling ‘Armageddon’ - Sydney Morning Herald

Market jitters about the United States debt ceiling saga appear to be fading amid signs politicians are edging towards a deal, with investors saying inflation remains a bigger risk than the highly unlikely prospect of a US default.

As negotiations over the debt ceiling continue, Australian fund managers and experts predicted the US would avoid the potentially “catastrophic” scenario of a default, though they said high public debt remained a challenge for the world’s largest economy.

The US debt ceiling is a legal limit on how much the US government can borrow, currently set at $US31.4 trillion ($47.2 trillion). This limit was exceeded earlier this year and the US government has been using “extraordinary measures” to keep the wheels of government turning.

The US going into default would likely cause financial chaos across the globe.Credit: AP

But the deadline for when it hits the absolute ceiling – known as “X day” – is getting closer and US President Joe Biden last week scrapped plans to visit Australia to instead focus on resolving the debt crisis.

Analysts said there were some signs the drawn-out debt ceiling talks had affected the confidence of investors and US consumers, but they believed the nation would resolve the issue because it had too much to lose from a default, which would occur if it reaches X day.

Perpetual’s head of investment strategy Matt Sherwood said there had been progress in nutting out a deal, and he was confident they would reach an agreement.

“It’s something we always pay attention to and if the talks are going badly, you can see a widening in risk premiums. But in the end, we’ve seen this movie before, we know how it ends,” he said.

“It always ends with spending cuts or tax increases in exchange for extending the debt ceiling.”

Sherwood said continued high inflation, which could lead to more interest rate hikes from the US Federal Reserve, was a bigger risk for investors.

Senior portfolio manager at Ophir, Andrew Mitchell, stressed a US default was “highly, highly unlikely,” but said if it did happen this would have severe consequences for markets.

“It’s almost unthinkable to consider a US government default and what that would mean for its credit rating, financial markets and economic growth. It would be financial Armageddon,” Mitchell said last week.

“Republicans wouldn’t want to go down in the history books of causing default through its brinkmanship with the Biden government, destroying the US credit rating and its hard-won position as the world’s reserve currency,” he said.

ANZ Bank economists Brian Martin and Tom Kenny last week said since 1960, Congress had acted 78 times to either raise or revise the definition of the debt limit. They estimated the odds of the US defaulting were about 1 per cent, but said it would be “catastrophic” if it did occur.

AMP deputy chief economist Diana Mousina said she thought the probability of default was about 5 to 10 per cent, pointing to signs of progress in talks between the White House and the Republicans. “It looks like they don’t want to leave it to the very last minute,” she said on Friday.

Joe Biden said he was confident “America would not go into default” before jetting off to Japan for the G7 summit.Credit: AP

US Treasury bonds are viewed as the ultimate “risk-free” asset, setting a benchmark for how other financial assets such as shares and government and corporate bonds are priced around the world.

Mousina said markets would “freak out” if there was a default, causing yields on US government bonds to jump sharply.

“That would probably flow through to Australia, and the Australian dollar would fall because the Australian dollar is a procyclical currency. Sharemarkets would obviously tank,” Mousina says.

Economists have also said a US default would trigger a sharp rise in unemployment and drive the US economy into recession, as the government would cut payments for social security and government staff.

In a sign investors had been growing more nervous about the debt ceiling, a Bank of America survey of fund managers last week showed 71 per cent of respondents thought the ceiling would be raised in time, down from 80 per cent in April. But the survey still ranked the debt ceiling crisis fifth on fund managers’ list of worries, behind high inflation and high interest rates.

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