The Team
Joel Crean leads a team of reporters that includes Ashleigh Gardner, Brendan Savage and Peter Cardamone to present Weeknights, 6pm Monday to Friday on Southern Cross Ten.
As video journalists the Weeknights team brings you the local people and local issues making headlines across the Greater Valleys. Julie Snook presents the day's news headlines from our studio and has the regional weather forecast covered. Peter Cardamone takes you beyond the boundary for Weeknights sport covering local footy, netball, hockey, soccer and just about everything in between, often chatting to some of the region's biggest sporting identities. And radio personalities Jordan and Steph from 969 Star FM as well as Greg Evans, Mandy Turner and Damien 'Will' Willoughby from 95 3SR FM contribute weekly lifestyle and feature pieces. Weeknights is 100% local. It is local people and local issues, 6pm Monday to Friday on Southern Cross Ten.
Joel Crean (Host)
Joel began his media career with Southern Cross Austereo in 2008. He became the first person to broadcast news on a digital-only channel when One HD was launched in 2009, and later went onto present news across regional Victoria. He also led the network's coverage of the 2010 Federal Election from the Tally Room in Canberra.
Originally from the Mornington Peninsula, Joel moved to the Goulburn Valley in February 2011 to launch Weeknights which has seen him interview a range of well-known celebrities, politicians and local identities.
Joel has since enjoyed visiting towns throughout the region and delivering them 100% local content, something he believes regional audiences have been starved of in recent times.
Brendan joined Southern Cross Austereo in 2011, working as a breakfast radio journalist for Sun FM and Star FM in Mildura.
After completing a law/journalism degree at uni, he decided a life in the law wasn't for him, so pursued a career in the fast-paced world of broadcast news.
Brendan was bitten by the journalism bug when he worked as a volunteer reporter at the Olympics and Paralympics in 2008, and later worked at the Youth Olympics in Singapore.
Brendan loves the buzz of meeting local people, and telling local stories.
Ashleigh Gardner:
Ashleigh joined the Weeknights team after working as a radio newsreader in Albury covering both local and national news.
She's no stranger to early mornings – previous to this role she worked in Mildura as the breakfast newsreader for the local radio stations Sun FM and Star FM.
Ashleigh's passion for television started when she completed her internship at CBC Manitoba in Canada. Since then she's hosted television shows like ‘1700' on SYN TV – a show dedicated to all things music.
Ashleigh is passionate about delving deeper into the story – making sure locals have a chance to have their voices heard.
Peter Cardamone:
Played 180 senior games of local Football booting 220 goals between 1990-2002
Shepparton FC, Congupna FC & Cobram FC.
Assistant Coach 1999 Congupna FC Murray FL & Coached Congupna 2000
Represented the Murray FL 1999 & 2000
Assistant Coach of the Queensland state team at the Australian Country Championships in 2010 under Steve Daniel and Assistant coach of the Shepparton FC in the GVFL under Matt Byers
AFL Broadcaster 2003-2008
Called over 200 games of AFL football including 3 Grand Finals & 4 Anzac day games for the NIRS (National Indigenous Radio Service & 6PR radio (sister station to Melbourne's 3AW and Adelaide's 5AA)
Peter has worked with some of the countries biggest names in AFL football including:
Graham 'smokey' Dawson
Brad Hardie – 1985 Brownlow Medallist with Footscray
Chris Lewis- 2 time premiership player with the West Coast Eagles
Tony Morwood- Named in the Sydney Swans team of the century
Peter Schwab – Former Hawthorn Coach
Mark Browning- former Sydney Swans star
Peter 'Krackers' Keenan – 2 time premiership Ruckman with Collingwood & Nth Melbourne
Barry Denner – 9 time Grand Final caller and over 600 games, Peter rates as the best he's worked with in his 5 years in Melbourne.