AFLW games have bigger venues and bigger crowds. Aiofe Cunningham asks can the league build an that growing popularity? AFLW have celebrated their biggest crowds in the opening two rounds of the 2026 season at major stadiums in four double-header games. A stunning 66,996 fans attended the games and the AFLW now face the challenge of turning increased exposure into a lasting audience. The season began in April, with four AFLW games played at major stadiums across Victoria and

Amelia Myles reports on H5 Bird flu in Victoria, and what the future holds for native Australian wildlife With 94 confirmed cases of Avian influenza found in the state since early July, concern is high for the future of Victoria's bird life. H5N1 Avian Influenza, commonly known as bird flu, is a highly contagious and fatal illness that causes severe neurological problems and mortality in bird species. The virus has never been detected in Australia until July, 2026, and is now

By Aoife Cunningham Teams walk through the banner together for the Good Friday Appeal’s SuperClash (Daniel Pockett/Getty Images) North Melbourne have continued their dominant run through the 2026 AFLW season, handing Carlton their first defeat with a 33–23 victory at Arden Street Oval. The Blues entered the clash unbeaten after four rounds but faced their biggest test yet against the reigning premiers, who were looking to extend their remarkable winning streak. Carlton got

(Photo: ABC.net) By Abbie Gargett New research from Deakin University has found the education system still shows a bias towards white Christian perspectives. In a paper published January 5, 2026, two sociologists of religion - Dr Anna Halafoff and Dr Ruth Fitzpatrick - published a paper published called, "The myth of a white, Christian nation versus Australia’s diverse worldview reality: rectifying post-truth Christian privilege in the Australian curriculum." They analysed th

Aoife Cunningham kicks off a new weekly column rounding out the highlights ifrom each AFLW round. Round 4 of the 2026 AFLW Season saw a wide array of results around the weekend, a double-header at Princess Park resulted in wins from both Fremantle and Carlton, who continued their unbeaten run. Carlton have continued their impressive start to the season with a commanding 68–29 victory over Collingwood at IKON Park on Sunday, establishing themselves as one of the competition’s

By Lily Nicolitsopoulos Petition promotion (Photo: Richard Welch, MP website) After a year-long battle to scrap the Blackburn Station activity centre project, residents have been handed a partial win as amendments and budget-funding address their key concerns. Blackburn Station is one of 60 train and tram activity centres proposed by the State Government in 2025. Activity centres are a designated zone for increased development, centred around public transport activity hubs.