Aaron Violi (Casey, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

IOLI () (): On a terrible weekend on our roads, we lost a very special member of our community, Jeff Long. I didn't know Jeff well, but like anyone who played cricket and sport in the Yarra Valley everyone knew Jeff. We knew his significance as a loved and respected community member in Yarra Junction and Powelltown.

I want to pay tribute to him tonight by reading the words of his good friend Tony who put a tribute online today that summed up his impact on many communities. Tony's words are:

The Yarra Junction football and Netball Club mourns the recent passing of former player Jeff "Joffa" Long. We extend our deepest sympathies to Jeff's children, Stacey, Nathan, Emily, and Tyson, and to his grandchildren.

We are thinking of you at this sad time.

The loss of Joffa has reverberated throughout the Upper Yarra Valley and in particular the Football and Cricket Clubs of Yarra Junction and Powelltown.

Jeff has represented both sporting communities on hundreds of occasions and has made countless friendships. Jeff took his football and his cricket very seriously. His skills with the Kookaburra and with the Sherrin was exceptional.

Joffa always spoke his mind. He was a working man, a timber mill worker, a slaughterman, a firewood merchant, and a good provider for his family.

He was an aggressive and capable opening bowler and tough, uncompromising and skilled footballer who let his opponents know that he was around.

He loved talking sport with all and sundry. He was an outdoors person who loved his fishing, rabbiting and cutting firewood in the bush. He was openly friendly to all and he made a point of engaging you with those unforgettable blue eyes and his welcoming smile.

He simply loved people and he loved to chat. Most importantly, he was genuine. Jeff Long was the real deal. What you saw was what you got.

The writer of this epitaph is eternally grateful for having known Jeff as a dear and true friend. He certainly was a larger-than-life character of the Upper Yarra community. No question about that. He was born and raised in Yarra Junction; went to school here, spent his working life here, and raised his children here. He helped raise his grandchildren here. To have had the privilege of really coming to know him and to call him my friend is what makes him a person I will never forget.

Many years ago, Jeff found himself on his own with four young children. With the incredible support of Stacey, his eldest child (who was in her early teens), he steered his family through some very tough times. I then saw Jeff in his finest hour. He put his family first and really stepped up.

I got to see the heart of a man I have come to deeply respect. I saw a beautiful and caring soul.

Jeff will be sadly missed. He will be talked about whenever Yarra Junction and Powelltown people gather and look back on the good times. We will miss his sincerity, his friendship, his honesty, his trust, his opinions and his love for his fellow man.

Jeff's friendship was genuine; it was uncomplicated and sincere. In life, we cannot ask for any more from a fellow human being.

Jeff Long: a life very well lived—a loving father, grandfather, brother, son, and true friend to so many. An original, never forgotten—may he now forever rest in the sweetness and eternal care of Almighty God.

I want to thank Tony for that amazing tribute to his great friend, Jeff, and I know many people in the Upper Yarra, in Yarra Junction and Powelltown, echo the words that Tony so eloquently wrote today. It's an honour to be able to share those in parliament.

I also want to mention Jeff's grandson, Beau, who was involved in the accident. He's in hospital tonight, starting to recover from his injuries and also the loss of his beloved grandfather. A GoFundMe page has been established for his support through this tough period. If you want to support them, please visit the Seville Cricket Club Facebook page to donate to that. My thoughts are with Beau, with all the Long family. Everyone in the Upper Yarra knows a Long. They're great people in our community, and Jeff was an amazing example of that. I wish Beau and his family a speedy recovery, and my deepest condolences on this tragic loss. Vale Jeff Long.