Mark Dreyfus (Isaacs, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Attorney General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I stand today to speak of some of the sporting activities that are being held in my electorate in coming weeks. Isaacs is an electorate that is blessed with just about everything. We have the beach and the bay, we have rivers and open fields, and sporting clubs abound. If you want to try anything, from football to fencing, from kayaking to kite-surfing, Isaacs is your place. Ours is a community that loves the beach, loves the outdoors and loves to be active. In Isaacs, as the eternal Roy Slaven and HG Nelson used to say, too much sport is never enough. There are two upcoming events that I would encourage all Melburnians to try out.

On Saturday, 13 February, the Aspendale Life Saving Club and the Edithvale Life Saving Club will combine their collective enthusiasm, experience and coffee supplies to again hold the famous Club2Club swim. This classic swim, from the Edithvale Life Saving Club to the Aspendale Life Saving Club, is one of Melbourne's great ocean swims. The Aspendale and Edithvale life saving clubs are both fantastic clubs in their own right, but when they work together, like the famous doubles combination of Mark Woodforde and Todd Woodbridge, they become world-beaters. February is the perfect time to swim in Port Phillip Bay, and the 2016 Club2Club swim will be my ninth time competing in the swim. Roger Federer did not win a French Open until his 12th attempt, and, like Roger, I am biding my time before taking a genuine shot at this prestigious event! All money raised from the Club2Club swim goes to the hardworking and community-serving Aspendale and Edithvale life saving clubs, and I encourage all Melbourne swimmers to get on board and register for this wonderful event.

If you are more of a runner than a swimmer, the great electorate of Isaacs has that covered too. On Sunday, 21 February, I will be having a go at the annual Carrum Coast Guard Around the River Fun Run. This event, as the name suggests, raises funds for the Carrum Coast Guard, an institution of the Carrum community that does so much to keep Isaacs residents safe. There are two options for runners. They can enter the 12-kilometre race or join me in the shorter six-kilometre event. Both run a circuit around the beautiful Patterson River. There will be plenty of coffee and breakfast rolls to help runners recover afterwards.

We Melburnians love our sport. I hope to see many Melburnians at the Club2Club Swim or the Carrum Coast Guard Around the River Fun Run in coming weeks.