Three local women. Three remarkable children

Ann-Marie Heppell – Mum of Dyson Heppell

Growing up in Leongatha, Dyson Heppell dreamed of one day playing for the Essendon Football Club he passionately supported as a boy. That dream became reality when he was selected with Pick No. 8 in the 2010 AFL National Draft. Over a remarkable 14-year career, Dyson played 253 AFL games, won the AFL Rising Star Award, Essendon's Best and Fairest, All-Australian honours, and captained the Bombers for six seasons. Widely respected for his leadership, resilience and integrity, Dyson retired from the AFL in 2024 and has since continued his football journey as a playing assistant coach and community ambassador with Port Melbourne in the VFL. Join us as Anne-Marie shares what it was like watching her son grow from a country boy with a dream into one of Essendon's most respected leaders. Dyson came back to Leongatha football netball club to play with his brother Aaron and friends in the 2025 winning football Grand final.  His first since his junior years. Dyson  now works with Collingwood as a development coach and with his 'wife Kate continues to build their company  " Haych the Label " where funds raised go to Making dreams come true for Harrison Penticott who is the youngest sufferer in the world with Scleraderma.

Helen Patterson – Mum of Eleanor Patterson

From a young athlete in Leongatha to one of Australia's greatest high jumpers, Eleanor Patterson has become a world champion and Olympic medallist on the international stage. Her impressive career includes Commonwealth Games gold, World Championship gold, Olympic bronze and multiple World Indoor silver medals. In June 2026, Eleanor once again demonstrated her world-class ability by clearing two metres in Germany—the highest outdoor jump recorded in the world this year. Hear from Helen about the dedication, determination and support behind Eleanor's extraordinary journey to the top of world athletics. We can also add that Eleanor won the gold medal in this year's Commonwealth Games

Faye Gardiner – Mum of Josh Gardiner

Josh Gardiner has built an exciting career in Australia's musical theatre industry since graduating from the Victorian College of the Arts. Audiences have seen him in acclaimed productions including Billy Elliot – The Musical, Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella, Rent, Baby: The Musical, The Dressmaker: A Musical Adaptation, and Elevate! The Musical. In addition to performing on stage, Josh has toured Australia in backstage roles with major productions including Matilda and School of Rock. He has also had the unique privilege of performing as part of a male choir alongside Adele during her Melbourne concerts. Josh is currently the standby for the iconic role of Elder Cunningham in The Book of Mormon, one of the world's most successful musicals. Join Faye as she chats with Josh about his journey from growing up in South Gippsland to performing on some of Australia's biggest stages, and the dedication, resilience and passion it takes to build a career in the performing arts.