By LIAM DURKIN
IT’s on TikTok so it must be true.
Some bloke who goes by the name of ‘tedsthetics’ on social media labelled Morwell the worst town he’s ever visited.
‘Teddy’ has made a career out of visiting cities and towns, taking viewers through satirical tours pointing out various landmarks.
He has more than half-a-million followers on Instagram and TikTok.
His Morwell post went viral, quickly making its way around local messenger groups last Thursday.
The caption read “Over 150 suburbs visited. Today I can hand on my heart say I visited the worst suburb yet – Morwell, Victoria”.
Former Australian cricketer and cult commentator Kerry O’Keefe wasn’t quite as scathing, when he shared this story during the last Ashes series:
“Peter Siddle’s from Morwell. I wrote a book and I did a book tour. Morwell bookstore said ‘yeah we’ll get him there’. I got to Morwell, they had the books piled up, I sat inside the bookstore waiting for people to come in for a signature. After about an hour, nobody had come in. On the 65 minute mark, somebody walked in with a rolly, a lumberjack shirt and thongs, picked up the book, looked at it and said ‘I don’t do much reading’ and walked out.”
Granted Morwell hasn’t enjoyed the greatest reputation, and the number of empty shops along Commercial Road and on the other side of the train line is a sorry sight, there is much more to the town than people might give it credit for.
O’Keeffe made mention of Siddle, the local boy who famously took an Ashes hat-trick on his birthday.
He’s still playing professional cricket into his 40s, and still comes home frequently to catch up with family and old mates.
Hockey star Ash Wells grew up in Morwell, and went on to play more than 100 Test matches for the national team.
Current AFL players Ben Ainsworth and Changkuoth Jiath got their start at Morwell, as did virtually every player drafted to the AFL given Gippsland Power is based there.
The Gippsland League clearly thinks highly of Morwell, as it is generally the venue of choice for the major league grand final.
Morwell is also home to one of the few cricket clubs in Gippsland that has turf wickets on two ovals.
On the other side of town is Falcons Stadium – one of the premier soccer facilities in the the region.
The stadium will be even better once the Commonwealth Games upgrade is complete.
A host of national soccer players played for Falcons, including a young Archie Thompson and John Hutchinson – the all-time most-capped player in Central Coast Mariners history (228).
Keeping the European theme going, Morwell is the true home of bocce in all of Gippsland.
The Morwell courts have hosted national events, while the Morwell Bowling Club has hosted equally prestigious tournaments like the Vic Open.
If archery is to your liking, take a drive out to Toners Lane and Twin City Archers – one of the best archery facilities in the state.
If you’re not into sport, you can visit Latrobe Regional Gallery – located in Morwell, and then walk through the Morwell Centenary Rose Garden – recognised by the World Federation of Rose Societies for its excellence.
And there would be no local newspapers without Morwell – where virtually every Gippsland newspaper is printed.
Nor would there be people stepping into meaningful careers, educated through TAFE Gippsland.
Teddy’s next tour might be cut short Lyle Lanley style.
These videos are more of a Shelbyville idea.
