A bumper edition of Jack Hi this time around as we celebrate some amazing performances on the green, and acknowledge many of our major event winners.
It is a big thank you to Aaron Delaporte for his wonderful work for Bowls WA and as editor of Jack Hi. Aaron has been outstanding in his role over the past decade and now transfers to Bowls Australia where he will ensure BowlsLink continues to grow in functionality and in use, all over the country. You can read all about Aaron’s new role on Page 10.
AFGRI Country Week featured in March with huge numbers and some different faces at the pointy end of the events. Page 37 details the Women’s results, whilst over on page 38 you can catch the round up of the Men's event. Of course, the Metropolitan Pennant season came to a conclusion with Manning celebrating a remarkable back to back Premier League winning performance in both the Men’s and Women’s Competitions. Country Week Winners are also featured on pages 40 and 41.
RSL winners, Champion of Champions, both open and novice, as well as all the information on where to get a game during the off season.
Clubs are reminded that the copy deadline for the next issue is 24 July 2023. Please email club articles to Clive Adams: clive@bowlswa.com.au
The best will be heading West for the Inter State competitions and host clubs Joondalup, Warwick and Sorrento have put together talented working groups to show case their clubs and bowls in WA.
This October 6th – 20th is an opportunity to see up close some of the best bowlers in the world and support our local stars at the same time.
BA new CEO, Matthew Kennedy and President Matt Burgess will be meeting with our Bowls WA Board, then attending our 125th Awards evening to be held at Optus Stadium this year.
Welcome aboard to Gordon King who has joined the group as our new over 60’s selector. Gordon is well respected and his experience and knowledge will be a great addition to BWA.
It is also fantastic to see Laura Butler join the selection panel and is a very welcome surprise.
With Laura opting to take up some international commitments around World Bowls, she becomes unavailable for State duties. Her knowledge, experience and ideas therefore become very useful on our State Selection panel. The squads are nearing announcement and the BLITZ in July will have a significant bearing on the final selections for October.
I frequently get asked about my role and different aspects of it, so as I near the half way mark of my term, a good time to stop and reflect.
Firstly, I respect the position, it is a privilege and as the custodian of the job I intend to hand it on as I received it, hopefully untarnished. It is primarily about people, building and maintaining contacts in the bowls community.
This can mean a lot of travel and since I took this on I have been from the Gold Coast to Denison, from Halls Head to Exmouth, from Melbourne to Leonora and even snuck in a game of bowls in Meckering on New Year’s Day.
During the State Singles I got to five venues for the day, and no I am not mad, but was told it’s harder to hit a moving target! Only joking, but the truth is I learn by listening and enjoy the feedback and insight into people and clubs.
Bowls as a sport in the community is diverse and welcoming.
It caters for all age groups and all abilities. In our midst we have a Commonwealth Games Gold Medalist to bare foot bowlers with refreshments in hand.
But, it is the social awareness that makes the bowling community so important. You care and keep an eye out for those around and help, visit and assist as needed.
I played in the Inter Nations and again saw bowls used as a vehicle to raise money for Variety, a worthwhile and important group. Bowls has assisted many other charities and organisations, from bush fire appeals to Legacy.
A generous bunch and enormously socially aware and significant in the wider community, well done Cockburn and our bowls community.
Volunteers in any sport are essential to the operation of that sport. Bowls is no different.
Umpires give their time selflessly and are also essential to our game. Please respect and show your appreciation to someone who at times has to make some difficult decisions.
With the pennant season now complete, this bumper edition features many of our most successful individuals and clubs over the season. The articles are there for all to read but mention must be made of some outstanding efforts.
Those who were able to watch the pulsating Ladies Pairs final at the Birmingham Games won’t forget it in a hurry. The match was one of the finest sporting events you could see with a great comeback, wonderful shots to force a draw and extra end, culminating in the final shot of the competition to determine the Gold Medal – it truly had everything! We look forward to in some small way honoring Kristina’s epic win at the Bowls WA Awards Night.
In addition on the playing side Manning Memorial must be congratulated for winning back to back Men’s and Ladies Premier League pennants.
The ladies history is well known having dominated bowls in WA for well over a decade, but now the men must be recognized as a side that is earning the rights to be called a 'dynasty'. Winning flags in a very even competition is tough and with such a comparatively young side, I am sure the Eagles will be keen to add to the tally with a three-peat next season.
Finally, our 42nd Hall of Fame member. I know first-hand the work that Kerry Andersen has done for bowls in WA. Her record on the green speaks for itself, but her standing on the national scene as an administrator was and is significant.
A cool, calm hand at the wheel has enabled WA to be viewed as a leading bowling state – much of that came from Kerry’s tenure as President, thrust into the role on the passing in office of Graham Leeks. Hall of Fame membership was the least WA bowls could do to honour that contribution.
It appears that priorities set down by Government, whether local, state or national seem to come and go in waves. Without doubt the current wave we seem to be riding is built upon Governance – or ensuring you do things the right way on time every time.
This expands to all areas of an operation and is just as relevant to clubs, the state association or the national body. For some time our Regional Bowls Manager’s (RBMs) have pushed the need for proper planning to be imbedded into clubs – not just for the next six months but the next several years.
What do you want your club to look like in five years-time? This is a basic question that government agencies are asking
clubs AND they want the plans to show how the club is going to reach that end goal. If you are seeking substantial funding for synthetic greens, lighting, sunshade, new kitchens/toilets etc. you will have a much better chance of success if you can show carefully considered plans on how that will benefit your club – particularly in increasing participation levels.
Not only are you competing against fellow clubs for a limited sum of money, but also the myriad number of other sports seeking the same pot.
Give yourself the best chance of success by first discussing your project and funding requirements with your RBM and avoid the often disappointment of having your funding application rejected – it happens more often than not.
Part of the plan to get your Governance right stems from an up to date and functional Constitution. Although most of us see them as a largely un-necessary waste of time, the Constitution comes to the rescue when issues arise that are seen as out of the ordinary.
Voting formats and structures, disciplinary requirements, committee powers are common issues that require the black and white guidance provided by a well written constitution. Shortly Bowls WA will seek to amend sections of our Constitution to bring it up to speed with modern Governance. This requires the support of 75% of our affiliated clubs that vote to support such changes.
These will be explained towards the end of May, with the office and RBMs able to explain any issues of concern. That said, the changes sought, although quite a few in number, do not significantly impact on club operations.
Please support those changes by voting in the affirmative either by postal ballot (country) or by a show of hands (metro) at the July AGM.
The 2023 State All Ability Championships were held recently at Kardinya Bowling Club with 45 participants in four categories of Deaf, Intellectual and Physical Disability, and Vision Impairment vying for titles in Singles and Pairs.
A 32% increase in physical disability players was fabulous to see, as was the participation of vision impaired bowlers, eight in total, that were able to participate due to the ABBA Nationals being cancelled!
New faces in the Intellectual category with Andrew Maddy and Nicholas Edwards participating as a result of their involvement in the Bowls WA BowlAbility program was not only fantastic to see but showed the validity of inclusion from a grass roots level in the community.
Bowls WA thanks all players for their determination and stamina, playing up to six games a day! We would like to also extend a special thank you to:
1. Tara Ulrich for providing Auslan at the Opening and Closing Ceremonies.
2. Stephen Pratt MLC, South Metropolitan Region Australian Labor Party, who sponsored 2023 Prize Money.
3. Sid Hayes (Harvey) and William Tan (Safety Bay) for Officiating.
4. Doug Kelly, Bowls WA Board President, for visiting during the Opening Ceremony.
And of course, a HUGE Thank You to Kardinya Bowling Club for again hosting this fantastic event, since inception and now in its ninth year, and the super volunteers ranging from Tournament Director Steve Flynn, the Markers, those who helped filling in Score Cards and Scoreboards, Bowls Kickers, Wheelchair Pushers, Kitchen Helpers, Tiana at the Bar, and the Greens Committee!
We look forward to next year when we celebrate 10 years!
Category Gold Silver
Deaf Singles David Ravlich (Cockburn)
Deaf Pairs
Intellectual Singles
Vision Impaired Singles
Combination Pairs (Intellectual + Vision)
Physical Singles
Physical Pairs
Andrew McLean (Lake Monger) David Ravlich (Cockburn)
Joseph Lehane (Gosnells)
Calvin Rodgers (Harvey) Dir: Jason Scheutjens
Calvin Rodgers (Harvey) Dir: Jason Scheutjens
Michael Pullinger (Perth & Tattersalls) Dir: Eric Williams
Eddie Gollan (Thornlie)
Michael Garrett (Pingelly) Clem Nottle (Pingelly)
Harry Wong (Belmont)
Kate Lease (Eaton)
Andrew McLean (Lake Monger)
Harry Hughes (Nollamara) Peter Kozuh (Cockburn) N/A
Andrew Maddy (Kardinya)
Michael Pullinger (Perth & Tattersalls) Dir: Eric Williams
Serge Ansquer (Frankland River) Dir: Sheila Rose (Kendenup)
Ray Grahamm (Forrestfield) Dir: Ralph (NDIS)
Neil Richardson (Mandurah)
Eddie Gollan (Thornlie) Gordon Twist (Eaton)
Michael Brandis (Armadale)
Robert Hughes (East Fremantle)
Ray Graham (Forrestfield) Dir: Ralph (NDIS)
Graeme McLean Dir: N/A
N/A
David Stephen (Morley)
Robert Young (Yunderup)
N/A
GREATLY REDUCE THE TEMPERATURE OF THE GREEN
MINIMISE HARMFUL UV DAMAGE TO PLAYERS
ENSURE A COOLER AND MORE PLEASANT PLAYING ENVIRONMENT
GREATLY INCREASE THE LIFE OF YOUR GREEN
RELIABLE PLAY EVERYDAY OF THE YEAR
The ITO assessments were carried out recently at the Manning Bowling Club. Mark Cowan from the World Bowls Umpiring Committee was in attendance to conduct the assessments.
Congratulations to Steve Beckwith (Gingin Bowling Club) and David Killisch Von Horn (Bassendean Bowling Club) on achieving their ITO accreditation.
Congratulations also to Anne Crabb (Manning B.C.), Hilton Dembo (Mt Lawley B.C.) and Vicki Eva (Mosman Park B.C.) on their reaccreditation.
Remember, accrediting as an International Technical Official (ITO) is the final step in the Officiating pathway.
This accreditation is a World Bowls accreditation and is designed for those already accredited as National Umpires who wish to umpire at national and international events, and at events such as the Australian Open, Commonwealth Games, and other major events.
Information on how to become an ITO, including qualifying criteria is available on the World Bowls website. This accreditation is available to all National Umpires.
We have had interest shown from umpires throughout the state who are keen to pursue the ITO accreditation. This is very encouraging, and the Umpire’s Committee is very keen to assist in any way they can. If you are interested, please contact the Bowls WA Umpire’s Committee.
Congratulations to Anne Crabb, Vicki Eva, Ryan Havercroft, Sue Hogg and Sharon Lyster who have been selected to officiate at the 2023 Australian Open in June.
We were able to catch up with many country umpires and Presenters and Assessors during Men’s and Women’s Countryweek and we look forward to keeping the lines of communication open for the coming season.
Prospective country umpires are encouraged to attend umpires forums or courses in the Metropolitan area if it is convenient for them when they visit the city. You are all welcome.
Many of the enquiries sent to the Umpire’s Committee involve disputes that could be resolved if the ‘Conditions of Play’ for events were clear.
We would encourage all clubs and Country Leagues to check their COP prior to the start of the 2023-24 season to ensure that all bases are covered.
Law 57.2 clearly states that Controlling Bodies that govern events that lead to winners being awarded a club title, or qualifying compete for a district, regional, national or international event (this includes pennant competitions) must make sure that their ‘Conditions of Play‘ are in line with Appendix A.1.
Appendix A.1 clearly states what must be included in the ‘Conditions of Play’ and what can be included. eg: If Controlling Bodies (Match Committees) want ‘Restrictions on the Movement of Players, (Appendix A.4) or ‘Dealing with Slow Play’ (Appendix A.5) they must be included in the Conditions of Play, otherwise they can’t be invoked.
Clubs must also give careful consideration to their By-Laws and ‘Conditions of Play’ for Club Championships.
It should be clearly stated who is awarded the trophy and Honour Board recognition should a substitute play in the final of a Club Championship. The substitute and original player in the team should be aware of these by-laws or COP during the event.
The Umpire’s Committee has conducted Umpire/Player’s forums at Manning Bowling Club and via Zoom for Country players and umpires to discuss the new laws and their interpretations.
Future Umpire/Player forums are scheduled.
There has been considerable concern regarding the new Displacement laws – Law 37.1 and Law 37.5.3.
The laws regarding deliberately stopping a bowl in its original course and lifting a bowl to allow a bowl in its original course to pass have always been included in the Law Book. Now however, there is a more serious penalty for a breach of these laws. The intent is to stop players cheating.
It is quite simple. As a player, never stop a bowl in its original course on your rink and never lift a bowl at rest on your rink to allow a bowl which has been delivered on your rink to pass.
There will be more information on these new laws and their interpretation in the near future.
There have been many instances during the pennant season where umpires have been questioned, and in some cases abused because of decisions they are required to make regarding the heat rule. Umpires are compelled to enforce the heat rule on behalf of Bowls WA as a duty of care to all players. Please respect the rules and the umpire’s decision.
Hello, my name is Philip Manning and I am the newest member of the Board. I have the old role as Country Director. Nowadays the directorships have changed, and we all share responsibility.
I am a one-eyed country boy and still see myself as representing them, so please, country friends, contact me any time.
I must admit that being on the Board has really been an eye opener. This organisation is a lot bigger than I realised. We have a CEO, Ken Pride and six full time staff. We own our own premises in Main Street Osborne Park and rent part of it to supplement our income. Bowls WA turns over about $1.4m/ year and is the envy of most other state bowls associations. The running of the office and all WA bowls events is not an easy task by any means and is done to entirety.
Firstly, congratulations to all our Pennant winners for another great season. Later in this edition there is a summary of all the winners including some great photos of celebration. Of course, while we have winners it takes us all to have a competition, so thank you to everyone for their dedication and passion for our sport.
There is a couple of things that I would like to talk about, firstly a very important subject being men’s health. Bowls WA has a wonderful partnership with Regional Men’s Health where we have seen forums held across the state – from Binningup to Exmouth and many in between.
Some clubs have held multiple sessions and have definitely seen the benefit in opening up discussions and engaging with each other and the community.
Beverley combined their event with the football club and Dowerin invited their Local Government, while others have
incorporated a guest speaker into a bigger event. Some events are combined with a Bowls Open Day but this is not crucial – it is the great message and information that is crucial.
Whether it is our physical or mental wellbeing, RMH deliver the story and show you the avenues to follow should you choose to follow-up.
So, when planning your fixtures for the coming year, think about how you might work one of these sessions into one of your key days. It might be that the one session makes a big difference, and at the very least you will be remunerated for hosting the session.
Secondly, a thought about Country Week.
I’ve had some enquiries made about the men’s pairs. We presently play 2x2x2x2 and in my opinion I think this is the best game you can play. The question is, is it right for our Country week format?
The women’s competition is 3x3, so is it time for the men to follow and play the game that is played in Australian Championships and the Commonwealth Games? Country Week can be a hard slog so maybe 3x3 pairs may take a bit of pressure off.
This is by no means a directive from either staff or the board, it is my observation and thoughts only. Please be assured that Country Week in its present format will not change unless you the players think it should. I would love your thoughts and comments. Please send to me and me alone, not the staff.
My phone number is 0428 511 022 and my email address is philip.manning5@bigpond.com
Have a good break and enjoy any winter bowls you may play.
MANNING Premier League
BASSENDEAN Division 1 White
MANNING Division 1 Blue
DALKEITH-NEDLANDS Division 2
OSBORNE PARK Division 3
DALKEITH-NEDLANDS Division 4
BEDFORD Division 5
VICTORIA PARK CARLISLE Division 6
Men's Midweek Pennants
OSBORNE PARK Premier League North
SOUTH PERTH Premier League South
FREMANTLE Division 1 Blue
MOUNT LAWLEY Division 2
MERRIWA AFA Division 3
KARDINYA Division 4
MELVILLE Division 5
NORTH PERTH Division 6
MANNING Premier League
NORTH BEACH Division 1 White
MORLEY Division 1 Green North
COCKBURN Division 1 Green South
MOUNT PLEASANT Division 2
JOONDALUP Division 3
SOUTH PERTH Division 4
MANNING Premier League
NORTH BEACH Division 1 Blue North
THORNLIE Division 1 Blue South
MOUNT PLEASANT Division 2
SOUTH PERTH Division 3
Women's Friday Night Pennants
BAYSWATER Friday Night
As many would be aware since the last edition of Jack Hi I have moved into a position with Bowls Australia as the Bowls Link Manager after spending over 10 years in my role as Operations Manager at Bowls WA. These years with Bowls WA were certainly very rewarding for me personally and professionally, and I think the greatest asset bowls has are the people within it.
These are people who spend many hours as volunteers contributing to our game with whatever skills they have available. I know I will miss not connecting with club people on a more regular basis.
One of the pleasures in my Bowls WA role was being part of the team who put together the annual awards presentation and dinner, which I am looking forward to attending at Optus Stadium this year as a guest rather than an organiser. To see people and clubs rewarded for their dedication and service to the sport is very satisfying.
My role as Operations Manager was quite varied and it is fair to say no two days were ever the same given the number of emails and calls to the office, amongst that a whole heap of areas and issues that present themselves in administering our sport was very engaging.
Whilst some things may stay the same, one thing that did change significantly in my time was the use of technology. From a three to five day process to finalise results to having them showing in an online portal within hours, sometimes minutes, of a match finishing has been an incredible step forward.
Technology and using it to improve our sport will always be a passion of mine and was part of my remit with Bowls WA. When the opportunity arose to take on the leadership of BowlsLink it appealed to me given my previous experiences especially knowing the company we are working with is Australian owned, has existing relationships with sport and is keen to see the system develop further on the great work which has been made.
As part of my new role, I am also looking forward to working with the various levels from state bodies through to clubs on a National basis and to continue to see BowlsLink evolve as a fit for purpose integrated system which benefits everyone within the sport.
I am fortunate that Bowls Australia have allowed this position to be one which can be performed remotely so I will continue to work out of the Bowls WA office and from home which means I will still be playing bowls and hopefully running into many club people to say g’day and catch up.
It is with great pleasure I that have joined Bowls WA as Operations Manager following Aaron’s move to Bowls Australia. I wish Aaron well in his new role as National BowlsLink Manager as he continues to build an already great system to make it more and more functional across all aspects of the sport.
For myself, my time in the Regional Bowls Manager role, for Bowls Australia, some 8½ years was just amazing. Working amongst clubs to help them grow – seeing them succeed whether that be growing membership in some small way, to seeing a club survive and thrive into the future – it is a very rewarding role.
During my time in the role, I had opportunities that I could only have dreamed of. The Rinkside Live commentary where we were able to build an amazing rapport with the audience – I spent days on end in people’s loungerooms and on people phones calling some of the best bowls action you will ever see. A privilege and an honour.
The Bowls Australia team is a passionate group of people working hard to promote our sport and help clubs take that next step.
If you have yet to engage with your local Regional Bowls Manager I strongly suggest doing so – you’ll enjoy the conversation at the very least and you might just emerge with some great ideas to take your club forward.
I look forward to liaising with all of you in my new role with Bowls WA. Big shoes to fill no doubt, but if the first few weeks are anything to go by, there is plenty to look forward to.
If Kristina Krstic thought that winning Commonwealth Games Gold in 2022 was great, and it was, World Championships Gold in 2023 would surely be the icing on the cake. That’s the opportunity that will present itself in August on the Gold Coast.
Krstic’s rise to stardom has been a path of perseverance and patience as the opportunities to break into a five person team full of World Champions have been few and far between.
In 2016, the most recent staging of the World Championships, the Australian Jackaroos women won gold in three of the four events –the singles, the triples and the fours.
Putting that timeframe into perspective, Karen Murphy is still the reigning back-to-back World Singles champion, seven years on from when that memorable trail of the jack secured the title. Murphy is now a key member of the Jackaroos coaching panel.
With teams selected for the World Bowls event scheduled for 2020, Krstic was still on the outside, however with Covid delaying the event until now, things have shifted in Krstic’s favour, and following last year’s amazing Commonwealth Games success, the naming of any other pairing to compete at World Bowls would have been a surprise.
There is a certain fairytale feel to the Krstic story. Knock on the door, over and over again, finally get the opportunity, and then win gold with your best friend. Perhaps the fairytale has an even happier ending?
Krstic will once again accompany Ellen Ryan in the pairs event in August, and instead of being the newcomers, the pair will instead need to deal with the pressure of tournament favouritism. Krstic will also join Kelsey Cottrell, Lynsey Clarke and Dawn Hayman in the fours event.
WA readers will be familiar with Hayman having seen her in action for the Perth Suns. Hayman gets her first chance at the highest level, and is another that has been in the long queue alongside Krstic. The Men's Jackaroos team features a returning Aaron Teys and Aron Sherriff, joining Aaron Wilson, Corey Wedlock and Carl Healey. Wilson, in particular, will be looking to add World Championship Singles gold to his back to back Commonwealth Games Gold Medal performances.
Rounding out the Australian team is the experienced pairing of Serena Bonnell and Cheryl Lindfield, competing in the Para Women’s Pairs, Damien Delgado and James Reynolds in the Para Men’s Pairs, and finally Jaqueline Hudson and Jake Fehlberg representing in the Vision Impaired Mixed Pairs.
The World Bowls Championships will be held across five Gold Coast clubs from August 29 to September 10, 2023.
Three WA players have been selected as part of the next generation of Australian bowls talent named to compete at a National Pathways Event to be held on the Gold Coast in July. Recently crowned WA Champion of Club Champion Singles winner Jack East (Osborne Park) gets his chance to impress.
East, a former Australian Under-18 Singles champion, impressed during his debut for WA last season, also on the Gold Coast.
Yanchep’s Jodie Nikolic, recipient of the Clover Lester Encouragement Award at last year’s MultiDisability Championships as the best first year player at the event, is WA's second representative. Nikolic is a rising star on the bowls scene, not only showing us what she is capable of on the green but also playing a key role within her own club.
Harvey’s Calvin Rodgers is the third WA player to be named, and it's rich reward for his efforts over the years. Rodgers is a classy player and mixing with the very best upcoming players in the sport will only result in improvements in his game.
Team One: Kira Bourke (QLD), Sophie Kurzman (VIC), Tyson Cromie (VIC), Tyson Wilson (SA), Cohen Litfin (QLD), Calvin Rodgers (Para WA), Lucas Protopapas (Para VIC).
Team Two: Grace Moloney (SA), Jessie Cottell (NSW), Jack East (WA), Beau Prideaux (NSW), Nathan Black (SA), Alison East (Para VIC), Brett Sellars (Para QLD).
Team Three: Chloe Morrison (ACT), Lauren Banks (TAS), Michael Phillips (NSW), Kane Nelson (QLD), Brendan Gallagher (VIC), Matt Barrie (Para ACT), Cooper Whitestyles (Para QLD).
Team Four: Kate Matthews (NSW), Brianna Smith (NSW), Chris Rosanes (QLD), Nick Cahill (QLD), Kyle Hansen (NSW), Jodie Nikolic (Para WA), Josh Barry (Para VIC).
Cody Packer and Kristina Krstic both tasted success at the recent Multi-Nations tournament held on the Gold Coast.
The tournament, seen as a final selection trial for the World Championships saw teams competing from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Ireland, Hong Kong China, Norfolk Island, and another team from Queensland, brought in late to replace Malaysia.
Despite not making the final cut in his first real foray into the Jackaroos setup, Packer impressed during the Commonwealth Games trials, so it comes as no surprise that he was once again impressive at the Multi-Nations. Packer’s gold medal came in the fours alongside Jesse Noronha, Carl Healey and Aron Sherriff.
The Australian quartet faced a tough tussle early in their gold medal match against New Zealand but pulled away late to secure a 20-11 victory.
Krstic’s gold also came in the fours, alongside Kylie Whitehead, Lynsey Clarke and Natasha Van Eldik. In a close affair the Aussie crew got home on the very last bowl against the second Australian team, skippered by Dawn Hayman. The win perhaps some consolation for Krstic’s pairs loss, also to Hayman, with Jamie-Lee Worsnop.
Overall, a very successful tournament for the Jackaroos with a host of medals coming the home team’s way.
An enthusiastic group of players, parents and volunteers attended the Under 18 State Championships at the Cockburn Bowling Club. Twenty Metropolitan and Country clubs were represented, which is a healthy increase on the past few years.
The Triples competition started the week with seven teams taking part, broken up into a section of four teams and a section of three teams. In section 1, two undefeated teams came together in the last sectional round to determine the section winner.
After a close tussle, Callum Alberti (South Perth), Zac Parker (Club Merredin) and Toby Delacy (Club Merredin) defeated Joshua Ellis (Pemberton), Charlotte Byfield (Manning) and Sophie Hays (Joondalup) to go through to the final.
Section 2 also saw two undefeated teams fight it out in the last sectional round with Tyler Way (Armadale), Michael Passeretto (Willetton) and Jack Headland (Cockburn) defeating Eden Manifis (Osborne Park), Dante Burnham (Harvey) and Matthew Larkman (Waroona).
The final saw many good bowls being played by all players, but the Alberti, Parker and Delacy combination were too strong, taking the Under 18 State Triples title.
The Pairs event had 10 teams competing and it was decided to play a round robin of 3 rounds when the top four teams would go on to play in the Semi Finals and Final to determine the winner. At the end of the three rounds, we had two undefeated teams, Alberti and Burnham, along with Parker and Delacy.
To complete the final four, Ellis and Hays and Manifis and Kian Mayne (Joondalup) finished with two wins and one loss a piece. The two semi finals saw two cliffhangers, Alberti and Burnham defeated Manifis and Mayne 8-7 and Parker and Delacy defeated Ellis and Hays 7-6.
In the final Alberti and Burnham took control early and ran out comfortable winners over Parker and Delacy to claim the Under 18 State Pairs Championship.
The final event was the 18 State Singles competition with both a boys and a girls competition being run.
The girls event saw four girls line up in a round robin format with the top of the table at the end taking the title. After three close rounds, three girls had two wins and one loss and had to be separated by shots up.
Coming out on top was Byfield (Manning) to be crowned the girls Under 18 State Singles Champion with Hays (Joondalup) runner up and Maylands' Drew Gunson a close up third
The boys event saw 16 boys take part, broken up into five sections. At the end of sectional play the five winners through to the knockout games were Mason Gunson (Maylands), Alberti (South Perth), Manifis (Osborne Park), Ellis (Pemberton) and Burnham (Harvey). The alignment round to bring us to the semi final stage saw Burnham defeat Ellis in a close-run game.
The Semi Finals saw Manifis get over the top of Burnham in one semifinal, while Alberti had to fight hard in his win over Gunson and the second semifinal.
The final was played in front of a healthy gathering of parents and volunteers, all being very thankful for the roof at the Cockburn Bowling Club with the rain tumbling down. It ended with a clean sweep of titles for Alberti as he took the Under 18 Boys Singles Crown for the second straight year.
• Callum Alberti (South Perth). • Charlotte Byfield (Manning). • Toby Delacy (Club Merredin), Callum Alberti (South Perth) and Zac Parker (Club Merredin). • Callum Alberti (South Perth and Dante Burnham (Harvey).
The Professionals Tuesday Pennant Competition concluded with a huge day of action at the Cambridge Bowling Club in March. Manning once again proved superior in the Premier League competition, however a nice spread of winners across the competitions meant plenty of clubs were celebrating another fantastic season.
North Beach 63 def Willetton
North Beach showed their club has great depth when their second team produced a great victory over Willetton who finished top of the table in 1st White.
North Beach, with victories on two rinks, were able to hold Willetton at bay over the late stages. The winning rinks were those of Glenda Cooper (skip), June Barr, Margaret Douthie and Lee-Anne Steel who won by four and Annette Campbell, Leonie Wilson, Lyn Moffat and Maree Lumsden who won by nine. The North Beach win turned the tables on the result two days earlier where Willetton was victorious and first into the Grand Final.
That left North Beach to battle it out with Manning for a Grand Final spot, and with two solid rink wins and a drawn third rink North Beach charged into the final game of the season.
Manning 72 def North Beach
Manning have once again flexed their muscles showing they are still the dominant force in Women’s bowls completing a remarkable ninth straight Premier League title. Hailey Packer with her team of Laura Butler, Robyn O’Brien and Saffronne Alden started slowly but picked up numerous big ends to win 31-17 as the highest winner for the Eagles.
This match is still available via Bowls WA’s Streamer page for anyone wishing to re-live another brilliant Eagles performance.
Manning was first to book its place in the Grand Final with a stirring victory over traditional rivals Mosman Park, largely on the back of the Packer rink, home by 16 shots over Kerry Andersen. Alongside, it was North Beach eliminating Osborne Park in a close one, with Jenni McLaughlin’s crew doing all the damage.
It was then that North Beach achieved an upset victory at Mosman Park, with Rhonda Prosser’s team of Debra Rhine, Robin Higgins and Carol Booker grabbing the biggest win.
Morley who finished second on the ladder in 1st Green North were able to turn the tables on their higher ranked opponents Sorrento across the finals series, firstly beating them at Sorrento before backing it up in the grand final. This was one of the tightest contests of the day with nothing in it before Morley was able to hold on for a nail biting two shot win. The preliminary final result was an indication that the two grand finalists were the strongest teams throughout the season with Sorrento, forced to earn its place in the Grand Final, accounting for Mount Lawley on all three rinks and by a solid margin.
Cockburn caused the upset of the day when they defeated Safety Bay to claim the 1st Green South flag
They had been blown off the green just two days earlier when Safety Bay defeated them by 35 shots but turned it around when it mattered most. Kelli Wray with her team of Anne-Marie Pritchard, June Rimmington and Ann Lloyd the best for the Titans with a 22-11 victory.
Cockburn’s victory reflected an incredible 42 shot turnaround with the confidence boost of its win over Warnbro in the preliminary final perhaps the catalyst for the win.
Mt
Mt Pleasant looked the team to beat all year in second division as they received a big boost to their playing ranks with the arrivals of Kaye and Donna Blackwell and Lisa Brannan giving them some great backend fire power.
They lost just one match across the 18 home and away rounds and franked that form in the finals beating an impressive Gosnells by four in the semi finals before a nice win over Yokine in the grand final. All those sides along with Dalkeith Nedlands will progress to 1st Division next year.
Another fine display by the powerful Manning women’s team that actually finished third on a very tight ladder here, with a solid victory over North Beach.
Joondalup 54 def Mt Pleasant
The Open Gender 3rd Division saw Joondalup record two great finals wins to take the title. In the semi finals they recorded a big upset win over host club Perth and Tattersalls before they claimed a thrilling two shot victory over an equally strong Mt Pleasant in the grand final.
The rink of Nigel Poulton, Gladys Yelland, Sue Parry and Shane Nelligan the toast of the club with a 17 shot win to carry the day.
South Perth 73 def Como 22
The quick synthetic surface of Cockburn Bowling Club proved very beneficial to South Perth who have a similar home surface. They used that to full benefit proving too good for a gallant Como who had snuck into the finals on a countback in their very even colour division after registering nine wins for the season.
However all the plaudits go to South Perth who had just the single loss for the season with 13 wins and a telling 51 shot victory in the grand final.
Bayswater 27 def Manning 23
Bayswater has always been a strong team in this competition and has now won the flag on seven occasions. They had another magnificent year losing just one match across 14 weeks of competition. The final was a close affair however the rink skippered by Frances Winship was able to finish strongly giving the host club victory in a low scoring match.
The telling rink was that skippered by Laura Butler, who with Debra Kalinowsky, Sharon Lyster and Trish Hall scored a big 23-6 victory – a margin difficult to retrieve in the two rink competition. Top placed Sorrento was eliminated by North Beach in the semi-final such was the closeness of this competition.
North Beach 41 def Bayswater
Wendy Robertson’s crew was the big winner here for North Beach as they won 24-3 to setup victory.
The win was a fitting reward for a North Beach side that finished well clear at the top of the table only losing three matches all season.
Thornlie 38 def South Perth 28
A great win here for Thornlie over a South Perth combination that features some of the biggest names in the sport.
It was South Perth that finished on top with Thornlie finishing in third place, just one point behind second.
Come finals however and it was Sue Bennett’s crew winning by 16 shots that put any result other than a Thornlie victory to bed early.
2nd Division
Mount Pleasant 36 def Cockburn 20
Once again we see the powerful Mount Pleasant crew featuring their star recruits finish on top of the table and take the Grand Final win. Donna Blackwell home by 18 covering a close rink loss alongside.
South Perth 42 def Cockburn 27
South Perth home here in somewhat comfortable fashion courtesy of Del Blakeway’s 31-8 win.
An exciting season which saw South Perth on top of its division, however in Cockburn’s section just five points separated the top six teams.
A great effort by all and the sort of season that produces hard fought wins, and exciting finishes.
Well done and congratulations to all Women’s Pennant players on a fantastic season and we look forward to seeing what the next season will bring!
Another great season of The Professionals Men’s Saturday Pennants came to end with a fitting finale weekend, with premiers crowned across all divisions, and players rewarded for a season of commitment to the cause. Congratulations to all our winners, and for the rest, it is on again next year!
Manning’s path to this season’s title, whilst finishing with the same result – a grand final win over South Perth, was anything but the same as the season progressed. Last season it was Manning sneaking into fourth place on the table, and then taking all before them, defeating all three teams above them, to claim the title.
Instead, this season, Manning was very much the front runner, especially in the second half of the season.
The finals weekend wasn’t without any hiccups for the Eagles, losing the second chance final to South Perth, and having to go the hard way to the Grand Final.
That result was largely decided on the Shane Knott versus Daniel Brown rink. With Brown home by 12 for the Millers, and the remaining rinks close by comparison, it was the Millers booking themselves into their fifth grand final in a decade.
Alongside, Doubleview got home in a close one against Osborne Park. Chief destroyer for the View was Ryan Moyle, who with Brad White, Brad Pearce and Tom Whitfield dominated against Sean Mawdsley winning 31-14, and countering the John Goddard’s 15 shot win over John Slavich. The View home by just two shots in the end.
That left Doubleview and Manning to fight it out for the right to meet South Perth in the Grand Final. Double figure margins on two rinks secured the Eagles most important win for the season, to that point, especially given Knott copped another heavy loss.
The final was a brilliant spectacle held at the magnificent Thornlie Bowling Club. A carnival atmosphere greeted the players and it was a great show that they put on. For Manning, the key change in its performance came courtesy of the Knott rink, who with Nathan Jones, Andy Lill and Joe Angel reversed the two big results from the previous day, winning by 14 shots in a match they dominated in the second half.
Daniel Trewhella and Glenn Pauling played out an aggressive and high scoring match that ended 28-18 in favour of the Eagles, and while Brown was able to get home by nine shots over Tom Mitchell, the damage had been done and the Eagles were home for back to back premierships – something that has only been done twice since 2004.
In a season dominated by two teams, Joondalup and Bassendean battled all year for the ascendancy and that coveted top spot on the table, ensuring Premier League bowls next season – Bassendean prevailed in that race, leaving Joondalup to fight through the finals.
The first hurdle was defeating Bassendean to advance to the Grand Final – with that box ticked on the morning of finals day one, and Bassendean recovering to defeat Cockburn in the afternoon, promotion for Joondalup was assured.
The Grand Final was a highlight, with plenty of passion on show – Bassendean was in front by around ten shots most of the match only to have Joondalup close late.
A final bowl finish saw the Lions home for the pennant and we look forward to seeing what both teams can offer in Premier League next season.
The beauty of the 1st Division Blue Grand Final is that it pits two teams against each other that have yet to meet throughout the season.
To make the final both Doubleview and Manning finished atop the North and South 1 Blue, meaning both were in fine form.
Manning’s depth as a club is well on show here as the result indicates. Both these teams boast Premier League sides, so in the battle of both club’s second sides, it was a clear win to Manning with the result known well from home.
Three double figure margins meant that although Doubleview grabbed the fourth rink, the aggregate was beyond its reach. Both teams move into 1st Division White, and in a first, both challengers from 1 Blue, Bassendean and Leeming, move into 1 White after winning the challenge finals.
One shot finishes were the order of the day as Osborne Park then spoiled the Joondalup party inflicting a one shot defeat of their own to take the 3rd Division pennant flag.
All four semi-finalists for the flag are automatically promoted to 2nd Division next season and will be joined by Gosnells, Kwinana, Bayswater and Yokine who were all successful in promotional playoff finals.
Dalkeith-Nedlands 86 def Quinns Rocks 84
Dalkeith-Nedlands 100 def Joondalup 60
The four colour winners for 2nd Division were Rockingham, Morley, Joondalup and Dalkeith-Nedlands as they entered finals looking for the division premiers flag.
Two close semi-finals saw a remarkable 6 shot aggregate win by Dalkeith-Nedlands over Morley despite not dropping a rink – the biggest margin was just three shots but all rinks (and a draw) went the way of the Dalkeith-Nedlands crew. The second semi went the way of Joondalup by the same six shot margin, over Rockingham.
Dalkeith-Nedlands then put on a fine display to take the flag defeating Joondalup by a hefty 40 shot margin.
All four 1st Division Blue defending teams were successful in maintain their place in 1 Blue meaning just the four finalists mentioned above will move into 1st Division Blue next season.
Dalkeith-Nedlands, Kardinya, Quinns Rocks and Byford came from all corners of the Metropolitan area to do battle for the 4th Division flag.
The northerners were successful in both semi-finals with Dalkeith-Nedlands home by ten over Kardinya and Quinns Rocks taking a comfortable win over Byford.
The battle for the flag was intense with two rinks blowing out to margins, one for either side, and the other two rinks close. In the end, Dalkeith-Nedlands took the win, by just two shots, in yet another closely fought grand final.
The four combatants all book their place in 3rd Division next season, and are joined by Cockburn, Thornlie, Yanchep and Swan, all successful in their bids to claim promotion.
Bedford 68 def Willetton 53
With five colours in 5th Division, the finals are always a trickier prospect, and this year it was Bedford and Leeming that were handed the task of coming through the alignment round to get to the semi-finals. Bedford was the team to progress from that one, defeating Leeming by just five shots and moving into the final four.
In the final four match-ups, Willetton put away East Fremantle in fine fashion while Bedford did similar to Ellenbrook. That lined up a Bedford versus Willetton final, and in the three rink competition, one big rink win for Bedford was all it needed to take the 5th Division flag having come the hard way.
Midland Morrison, North Beach and Hilton Park were the remaining three teams to secure promotion to 4th Division next season.
6th Division
3rd Division
Osborne Park 75 def Joondalup 74
It was thrilling finish to the 3rd Division season as Joondalup, Kalamunda, Osborne Park and Fremantle came together having finished atop each of their respective colours. Joondalup perhaps an early favourite with the success the club had enjoyed throughout the year, finishing well clear in their group.
The semi-finals were close affairs as Osborne Park eliminated Fremantle by just five shots, however alongside, a one shot finish saw Joondalup home by the barest of margins over Kalamunda.
Vic. Park Carlisle 48 def Pickering Brook 32
Victoria Park Carlisle rounded out the Men's Saturday Pennant winners with an upset win over Pickering Brook in the Grand Final. Pickering Brook finished well clear at the top of the table, however it was Vic Park Carlisle that had too much on the final day with one big rink win getting the job done.
The Composite team of Chris Ace-Watson, Irene Leahy, and Jill Adam triumphed at the Rossmoyne Bowling Club to win the 2023 Women’s State Triples Championship.
The winning team had a strong country flavour with former Goldfields, now Mosman Park player, Ace-Watson skipping, Leahy (Kalgoorlie) and Adam (Geraldton). In the final they were up against the very experienced trio of Helen Morss (South Perth), Lisa Brannan (Mt Pleasant), and Helen Heal (Manning).
For Ace-Watson it turned into a dream draw venue wise with her team at the Rossmoyne Bowling Club on both days. In the sectional play, her trio cruised through undefeated and with healthy shots up.
South Perth’s Justin Opie and Lee Such and Kalgoorlie’s Beau Manton, are the 2023 Men’s State Triples Champions.
For Opie and Such it is back-to-back titles after winning the 2022 title with John Slavich. For Manton, it was his first state title of any kind.
Their opponents in the final were the unheralded Swan team of Brian Davis, Lindsay Sanders, and Peter Hillz. Opie's crew was one of sixty-five teams to start the competition on a damp weekend, coming through comfortably in his sectional games at the Mosman Park Bowling Club.
Under the roof at the Rossmoyne Bowling Club on the Sunday, Opie had a hard fought 12-10 quarter final win over 2021 winners Daniel Trewhella, Warren Holt, Thomas Mitchell and then an even closer 17-16 win over country favourites Shane Giudice-Nairn, Michael Ford, and Michael Walton in the Semi Final.
The Davis triple Davis started the tournament at the Cockburn Bowling Club and had three tight wins in the sectional rounds, finishing the day with three wins plus just six. Another close tussle in the quarter finals saw Davis have a 10-9 win over Kardinya’s Steve Novak, Matt Allen, and Chris Booth.
A solid 22-15 win over the composite team of Russell Bates, Craig Greenhalgh, and Ben Garrett had them primed for the final.
In a high-quality final at 7.00pm at night, in front of a dedicated bunch of supporters from both teams, the experience of Opie, Such, and Manton proved the difference with a 21-14 win over Davis, Sanders, and Hillz.
A great win 15-7 over one of the tournament favourites in Lisa Featherby, Linda Warburton and Denise Kelly (Mosman Park) in the alignment round was followed with a 22-5 win over the composite team of Kayelene Pearson, Robyn Coxon, and Susan Moore (Composite) in the quarter final.
Ace-Watson’s semi-final win 17-14 over the very experienced team of Noelene Abe, Irene Arndt, and Jenny Parker was a great way to warm up for the final. Morss also had strong form in her sectional games at the Safety Bay Bowling Club, coming through with three good wins. The following day at Rossmoyne saw Morss first up against Hall of Famer Therese Hastings and her team of state squad members Kaitlin Tyrrell, and Lisa Smith.
Morss came through after a tense last few ends, 12-9. A 21-7 win in the semi-final over living legend Roma Dunn and her partners Irene Grout, and Lexie Webster, showed Morss, Brannan and Heal were going to be difficult to beat in the final.
There was a large and vocal crowd at Rossmoyne cheering both teams on and neither team let their supporters down.
In the end Ace-Watson, Leahy and Adam had the edge most of the way and produced the big bowls that mattered to be the well deserved champions in the 2023 Women’s State Triples.
The True North Ladies Masters Singles 2022-23 was held at Mosman Park in February and although the temperature conditions were favourable, the afternoon see breezes made conditions very difficult particularly during the early rounds.
This event continues to be well supported with sponsors; with The True North Kimberley Cruises being the naming rights sponsors, plus the Foot Studio in Claremont combining to ensure $4,000 in prizes. A steep hurdle to climb with the winner having to win six games – but one that attracts a quality field each year.
After Day One, the first 32 players were down to four with three straight wins. Kerry Andersen (Mosman Park) had two tight wins, beating Lexie Webster (Safety Bay) in a real tussle 21-20 and then Vicky Eva (Mosman Park) 21-19. Eva was holding game at one stage with Andersen playing a fantastic last bowl to snatch the game and go into the quarter finals.
Elaine Meehan (Warnbro) also had a tough run, securing victories over Liz Richie (Wanneroo), Vicki Spragg (Safety Bay) and Kathy Gobbart (Gingin). Jenni McLaughlin (North Beach) was a bit more comfortable in her run to the quarters with wins against Kaitlin Tyrell (Manning), Irene Kozak (Port Bouvard) and Deb Saunders (Osborne Park).
Kerrie Hudson (Morley) was a new face to the competition having secured a singles win at her club, Morley, last year. Flying under the radar Kerrie had three good wins against Karen Weir (Wanneroo), Sue Haley (Gosnells) and then an upset win over Renate Coote (Mosman Park).
Coote had just come off an impressive win against Laura Butler (Manning), a previous winner of the event, but Hudson secured the upper hand with a close win 21-17.
Day 2 also saw some great match ups and some close outcomes. The final four included Linda Warburton (Mosman Park) who had a close call against both Jo Lancaster (Beacon) 21-17 and then a marathon game against Jenny Parker (Mosman Park) 21-17 and then overcame Marg Peck (Beverley) to get into the quarters.
Kristina Krstic (Manning) was chasing a threepeat, having won the event in the previous two years and with a tough run into the quarters, posted comfortable scores against Irene Leahy (Kalgoorlie) 21-9, Therese Hastings (Manning) 21-6 and the current State Singles winner Irene Arndt 21-12.
This certainly put Krstic in the frame as a favourite to win the event again. Lisa Smith (Perth and Tatts) had a close call in her third game against Julie Watson (Gingin), having a good
lead early only to see Watson claw her way back into a winnable situation. In the end a close win to Smith 21-19. The final contender for the quarters was Izzy Davies (Mosman Park) with two comfortable wins and a hard fought third game against Bev Duff (Mundaring) 21-14.
Finals day saw the wind a bit kinder than the qualifying days. Warburton and Smith had a long struggle, with Smith’s conversions certainly doing damage when Warburton was close to the jack, often holding multiple shots.
A tight Warburton win 21-19 proves it could have gone either way. Andersen and Krstic made relatively light work of their opponents while Hudson and McLaughlin also had a close one. Hudson jumped out of the blocks early but a change in momentum saw Mclaughlin challenge to draw even.
Hudson then steadied and was the eventual winner 21-18.
The semi-finals were all class with two cracking games. Warburton against Krstic was close all the way, both showing their skills and never say die attitude. A close one at 25-22 in favour of Krstic. Hudson and Anderson matched up and, as the newer player, Hudson showed complete resolve to take the fight up to her more experienced opponent.
Neither showed much emotion, staying focused on the task at hand, with Andersen having the goods to get over the line 25-19. All credit to Hudson making the semis in her first attempt at this event.
The final was set. Krstic, Commonwealth games gold medallist and three times winner of the event, versus Andersen, a multiple State/Masters title holder but someone who had not won the event previously.
In front of an enthralled audience the two did battle with Andersen coming out on fire. The home town hero had all the answers when Krstic was holding shot and withstood the various tactics her younger but very experienced opponent used to try to shift momentum (jack length, mat position etc).
Krstic was all class in defeat with Andersen winning 25-12.
Andersen is known for her consistent bowls and a cool head and, in the final, was unstoppable – just good quality bowls. Always good to have a new winner on the trophy but both players are true champions on and off the green.
The Mosman Park Bowling club and its many volunteer members, with Lisa Featherby as the main driver of this tournament, provides a fantastic venue to host this prestigious event and did a great job with the organisation, provision of quality greens and the 'Million Dollar View'.
The Yanchep Bowling Club is still celebrating as Tamara Arnold became the club’s first ever winner of the Novice Champion of Champions Singles event held at Morley. In an enthralling final, Arnold struck early to establish a handy lead, and in the race to 21, with the score at 18-10, it seemed over. Arnold's opponent Mary Thomas from Mount Pleasant then put together three ends on the trot to close within four shots and put the pressure on. It was Arnold that steadied from there however taking the title 21-14.
Semi-finalists were Helen Lamb (Manning), eliminated by Arnold 21-14, while Thomas ended Sue Edwards’ (Ellenbrook) run 21-15.
With Yanchep taking the Women’s title, it was perhaps fitting that the Men’s Novice Champion of Champions Singles title went to the other side of town – Roleystone. Tony Perrella produced the goods to defeat Thornlie’s Harrison Mayers 21-17.
The final was an interesting affair with Perrella storming out to an 11-0 lead before Mayers knew what had happened.
Mayers then settled however and amazingly, a few ends later it was a 15-14 lead to Mayers.
From there, a tense finish saw Perrella home, albeit a little closer in margin than he would’ve liked. Semi-finalists were Cockburn’s Jason Kop who went down to Perrella in another close one 21-19, and Scarborough’s David Tunnicliffe, eliminated by Mayers 21-12.
The Women’s 100up was an all Mosman Park final with last season’s winner Lisa Featherby lining up against the ever-reliable Kerry Andersen.
The first semi-final was also all Mosman Park with Andersen up against Wendy Stower. Andersen, a previous winner of this event in 2009 and current State Singles runner-up, didn’t have it her own way in this match. Stower pushed the match all the way before Andersen finally prevailed 100-98.
The second semi-final saw Lisa Featherby taking on Shaan Saunders (Osborne Park). The two state teammates pushed each other before Featherby was able to prevail in another close semi-final 100-89, making her way to her second consecutive final.
Featherby and Andersen know each other’s game extremely well with Featherby prepared to play a little bit of weight occasionally while Andersen is happy to just keep drawing close and take a majority of the points on offer.
Featherby took a slight lead early 35-25 but it didn’t last long as the scores came back together. 70-70 and then 80-80 – it was anyone’s game on the way to 100. With five bowls within a foot on the last end, showing the standard of the game on offer, it was Featherby who came out on top 103-97 to win the 2023 Women’s 100up singles title and make it two in a row.
• Tamara Arnold – Yanchep. • Tony Perrella – Roleystone.
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*Data from 2022–2023 where the median referral to initial consultation for patients receiving radiation therapy was 4.4 days, as reported by 37 centres providing radiation therapy Australia-wide.
At our oncology centres we offer high-quality evidence-based oncology treatment including:
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Bunbury
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No player has ever won all three disciplines in the Over 60s State events in one year…until now.
In taking the title with an impressive victory in the final of the GenesisCare Men’s Over 60s singles, Osborne Park’s John Goddard has completed an incredible feat in winning the singles, the pairs and the triples titles, all in the single year.
A huge field of 172 players started the singles campaign, however Goddard was quick to rise to the top of the pack with wins over Gary Caffell and Bruce Eagles – both well renowned players at the level, and solid proof that Goddard was in fine form. Goddard found the going a little tougher in his semi-final having to dig deep into his repertoire of shotplay to prevail 2118 over Pinjarra’s Bryan Chalwell.
The final of the GenesisCare Women’s Over 60s Singles was always going to be an amazing match with Gingin star Kathy Gobbart facing current State Singles champion, Safety Bay’s Irene Arndt in the final.
Two champion players that have both shown they can play the pressure bowls throughout their illustrious careers.
Gobbart earned her finals berth with her ultra consistent form pushing the scoreline constantly in her favour against Manning’s Helen Heal. A string of ends through the middle stages of the match saw Gobbart secure a 21-12 victory.
Arndt faced Mosman Park superstar Lisa Featherby in her semi-final. Featherby is a regular at the pointy end of State titles, and is particularly skilled at singles play.
His opponent to be in the final, Bill Brandsma mind you, was making quicker work of North Perth’s Markus Merz, home 21-7. The final promised plenty – Goddard, a proven performer over the years at all levels, facing Brandsma, a current member of the WA State Side.
An entertaining match saw Goddard establish a lead that Brandsma just couldn’t budge, eventually seeing the final scoreline 21-12.
At 8-4 to Featherby, it was time for Arndt to move, and that she did, putting together a run of ends to lead 13-8. A crucial four then gave Arndt the impetus to get over the line.
The final was an outstanding match, however with the scoreline sitting at 18-17 in favour of Arndt, it was Gobbart that stepped up to play a remarkable shot.
With what turned out to be the final bowl of the match, Gobbart struck an accurate drive, steering the jack towards her bowls and picked up a full count of four shots to take the title.
Yet another title in the Gobbart trophy cabinet in what has been an amazing career.
• Kathy Gobbart – O60s Women's Singles winner.
• John Goddard (right) – O60s Men's Singles winner with Bill Brandsma.
One of the highlights of Bowls WA’s 125th Anniversary celebrations is the naming of the Dream Team 20s – a number of selected sides acknowledging the stars of the sport and their contribution over 125 years.
The various selection panels will name two Country teams of 20, two Metropolitan teams of 20, and finally, later in the year, two teams of 20 WA State team representatives.
The incredible task of trawling through player records from across the eras is being headed up by Bowls WA’s Pieter Harris, with the help of selected experts who also span many years in the sport.
Initially the players were broken into squads of 64, with Metro and Country players divided according to where the majority of their success has come. For instance, players that were originally from country areas may find themselves nominated for the Metro teams if the titles they won were achieved whilst representing a Metro club.
The final 20 players in each of the teams will be announced at the Bowls WA Awards Night on June 2 at Optus Stadium. The final teams will be published on Bowls WA’s website and socials soon after. The WA State Team 20s will be announced after WA hosts the Nationals later in the year.
Take a look though the lists of 32 players that need to survive the final cut to make the final 20s.
Aussie Bailey
Milton Bandy
Gary Caffell
John Caffell
Maurice Crameri
Joe Criddle
Eddie Dodd
Keith Doncon
Colin Fleay
Matthew France
Wally Grafton
Brian Harris
Pieter Harris
Warren Holt
Hubert Littler
W Matthews
Jim McDonald
Matthew Mitchell
Jack Osmetti
Barry Parker
Jim Pickersgill
Harold Rutherford
Dave Scott
Jon Sharp
Mark Simpson
Justin Smith
Jim Stapleton
W Stewart
Ron Taylor
Geoff Whyatt
Trevor Wilkins
Kerry Andersen
Beverley Baker
Daisy Berryman
Norma Brimson
Kaye Burton
Val Budd
Pat Cant
Essie Chadwick
Peg Currie
Jean Dixon
Roma Dunn
M Elder
Billie Ennis
Nola Forbes
Mary Fowler
Kathy Gobbart
Meg Hams
Noeleen Keeffe
Jess Kohlagen
Irene Leahy
Julie Lindsay
Elaine MacDonald
B Moulton
Beryl Payne
Lee Poletti
Jenny Ritchie
Bev Scott
May Semmens
Yvonne Shalders
Betty Turner
Jean White
Robert Ball
Daniel Brown
Gil Clement
C Corpaccioli
Stewart Davies
Ross Dempsey
Geoff Ellis
E J Ford
John Goddard
John Gustafson
Jeff Hall
Frank Harrison
Les Holloway
Branko Katunarich
Dennis Katunarich
Marko Krajancic
Alan McLeod
Thomas Mitchell
Geoff Oakley
Justin Opie
Norm Pascoe
John Rainoldi
Joe Rodin
Peter Sardelic
Ron Sexton
Bert Sharp
John Slavich
Harry Snook
Steve Srhoy
Daniel Trewhella
Graeme Wishart
Bev Baker
Laura Butler
Edna Cheffins
Sylvia Collins
L Connell
M Crowther
Lisa Featherby
P Fitzgerald
Beryl Godfrey
Phyllis Gray
Bernice Guile
Meg Hams
Maureen Harken
Therese Hastings
Connie Hicks
Netje Holland
Smiljana Jakovich
Anna Klap
Kristina Krstic
E McGovern
McOmish
P Menagh
Helen Morss
Robyn O'Brien
Hailey Packer
May Parkin
Gladys Sharp
Mary Underwood
Norma Wainwright
Edna Webb
Dolore Witton
Corporate bowls champions from across the metropolitan area converged on Hilton Park to contend for the 2023 Corporate Shield. From Quinns Rocks to Safety Bay, some experienced, and some new to the sport, but very many that were lively characters, produced some great bowls throughout a day played in great spirit.
Bassendean’s HiJackers team of Andy Sullivan, Nigel Seymour, Mick Burman and Paul Roberts emerged victorious after a nervous wait while final results were tallied and checked again. Quinns Rocks’ Bowling Stones finished in second position, and Bassendean featured again with it’s Cavi Crew coming in third.
Geraldton’s Warwick Glenister is the 2023 Bowls WA Bowling Arm State Singles champion after a great event hosted by Wanrbro Bowling Club.
With a strong field of 54 players competing, it was a big two days of bowls to get to our final champion.
Glenister progressed through the sectional rounds defeating Donald Carter and Derek Boardman to progress to the last 16. It was then that he faced his most stern test of the tournament as he survived a tight 19-17 win over Halls Head’s John Lysaght.
The tough win certainly steeled Glenister for the rest of event however as he had two big wins to book a place in the final.
Alongside, Eddie Gollan was also making his own path through to the final with six or seven shot margins in the majority of his matches.
Certainly Gollan, with his Premier League bowls experience would’ve been one of the shortlisted favourites for the event.
In the final, Gollan grabbed the first two shots of the match, before Glenister raced away, winning eight ends in a row, and amassing 13 shots in the process.
A change of length saw Gollan trim the margin, but again it was Glenister stringing together runs of ends that saw him close to within one shot of victory.
A couple of ends later that one shot came and Glenister was crowned champion.
Hilton Park hosted a wonderful event, with all 24 teams in attendance having a great day – we are sure we will see many of them competing on the greens for many years to come.
The Northern Region are the Women’s Metropolitan Inter Region Round Robin Champions after a bold showing at Morley during April.
The Northern crew were quite dominant throughout the event, conceding only a drawn rink in the first match against the Southern team – with six rinks competing this represented a very solid start.
From there it was two further wins, firstly against the South Coastal crew, and then finally against Eastern.
Standout performers were the rinks skippered by Pauline Bourne, Lily Rughoobur and Cathy Taylor who all completed the event unbeaten. Bourne the best performed with a mammoth +68 shots across the three games.
The traditional all-star match to round out the weekend was also claimed by the Northern Region completing a big weekend.
• The 'Hijackers' – Community Shield winners. • Warwick Glenister.Jack East’s resume has become all the more impressive with his somewhat unique win in the Men’s Champion of Champion Singles at Yokine recently.
East is already recognized as a rising star, with Australian Junior titles to his name, and making his debut for the WA State Team last season.
East’s path to the final was not an easy one. In the alignment alone, he faced talented singles player Warren Holt, a former champion of this very event, however East’s form was demonstrated right there as he took a comfortable 21-11 win and marched into the last 16.
East then survived a thriller against Cowaramup’s Mark Lisle 21-20, before another impressive display against State Singles runner-up Blake Butler in the semi-final. Again, East restricted his opponent to just 11 shots, while he piled on 25 of this own.
The final against North Beach's Jerome Clayton started under dull light, and with a power outage in the area the players were unable to continue, instead having to return the following week to complete the match.
Clayton burst out to lead 17-8 however East’s maturity as a player was then on full display as he strung together a run of ends to draw level at 17-17.
From there, an almighty battle ensued with East crowding the jack on the final end to secure the final two shots needed to take the title.
East now advances to represent Western Australia at the Australian Champion of Champions Singles event to be held at Sorrento later this year.
Chris Ace-Watson has been on the radar at the top level of WA bowls for the last few seasons now, and in singles play has been more than impressive.
Three years ago, Ace-Watson was runner-up to Kristina Krstic in the State Singles, and while the effort to get there was brilliant, the final was gone before Ace-Watson even started –this was the chance to rectify those demons.
Ace-Watson’s early rounds included a tough clash against Kerrie Hudson from Morley, however the Kalgoorlie turned Mosman Park star was untroubled right through to the semifinals where a tight clash with Helen Morss steeled Ace-Watson for her final clash. The 25-23 semi-final win was the hard fought win needed in preparation for another highlight clash of her career.
That clash came against Perth Tatts Lisa Smith. Smith progressed after turning the tables on Gingin’s Kathy Gobbart, who defeated Smith in last year’s final of this event. In an amazing match-up that had the healthy crowd hooked, Smith grabbed a four on what would become the final end of match, advancing 25-24.
In stark contrast to Ace-Watson’s previous State final experience, this time she was first out of the blocks grabbing four shots to get the scoreboard moving. While Smith hit back immediately grabbing a three of her own, Ace-Watson would soon put the foot down, running off a string of multiple collects to race to 25, leaving Smith stranded back on 9.
As with East, Ace-Watson now receives the honour of representing Western Australia at Sorrento later in the year.
• Jack East – Men's Champion of Champions 2023.Osborne Park hosted the bowls events for the World Transplant Games held in Perth in April, and it was success on the greens for two of our local competitors. The event showcases the wonderful side of humanity, with just as many inspiring stories as there were performances.
Two WA players won gold in the bowls, with North Perth’s Jamie Stewart grabbing the in the 40-49 age group. Stewart had a double lung transplant in 2007 and now some 16 years later he has achieved a wonderful result in a gold medal.
Dalkeith-Nedlands’ Esther Scott also won gold, in the 80+ age group, however Scott’s performance didn’t stop there. Adding to her gold in the bowls, she won gold in the Darts, Petanque, Ten Pin Bowling and the 5km walk – a five gold medal haul!
A truly feelgood event and one in which our local competitors did their country, their donor families and most importantly themselves, proud!
Bowls WA’s Participation Grants scheme pioneered last year is continuing to pay dividends for clubs that took advantage of the $40,000 in grants that were on offer. Many clubs have come back to Bowls WA with glowing reports on how their initiatives have succeeded and brought more, new, people into their club.
Yanchep is perhaps the greatest success story. Yanchep was the one club that was awarded the maximum $5,000 available under the scheme, supporting its plan to purchase two bowls modified wheelchairs and encourage ALL of the local community to come and try bowls.
Initially, the club held a series of sessions which were very well attended and discovered some hidden gems in the community – perhaps however the most recent person who found their club might be the biggest success.
Habib, a local Yanchep resident saw the promotion of Yanchep’s program through a City of Wanneroo publication and decided to give it a go.
Habib is a paraplegic and hadn’t found a sport he could play – he has now! Not only has he joined the social bowls opportunities, but he also plays poker at the club and has started a chess club on Wednesday afternoons.
To quote Jodie Nikolic, Club President “Another life changed due to your grant”. Well done Yanchep!
• Jamie Stewart and his gold medal.'Another life changed due to your grant…'
… Jodie Nikolic –Yanchep Club President.
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Over 200 players, as well as family members, from all over Australia, descended on Perth recently, and more specifically Manning Memorial Bowling Club, for the 54th staging of the National RSL Bowls Championships.
State Representatives from Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and a composite 'Allies' side, filled with players from Tasmania, Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia joined WA in the race for the Jack Hamilton VC Trophy.
It has been 47 years since WA tasted success in the event, however all that history would be re-written with a thrilling finish to what was a magnificent event.
After the qualifying rounds were completed, it was down to Western Australia and Queensland to battle it out for the title. The final match didn’t go all WA’s way – in fact with just three ends to play, WA trailed by 7 shots with just one rink remaining on the green.
With a large crowd huddled around the green, it was WA that produced the goods down the stretch to win by two shots, 107-105. A remarkable victory and the first for WA since 1976.
The National Fours then followed and once again it was WA that prevailed in a close final. Played on a wet day at Rossmoyne, under the comfort of its covered carpet surface, it was WA’s Mike Sweeney, Blake Butler, Matthew Ngui and Leo Mola that defeated Victoria in the final 18-17.
The victorious WA team:
Marc Abonnel, Jeff Adams, Blake Butler, Adrian Chesson, Brian Collins, Neville Costello, Frank Fletcher, Scott Gallon, Phil Griffiths, David Gurr, Allan Hornsby, Paul Hutton, Ross Knapp, Brian McMurdo, Leo Mola, Steve Mulhall, Jeff Murray, Matthew Ngui, Les Phillips, Murray Piggott, Daryl Radford, Ken Stower, Michael Sweeney, Willie Tan, Bianca Taylor, Bill Taylor, Lindsay Thorn, Brad Williams.
• The players celebrate with the trophy.
A record field of 132 teams took part in the 2023 State Mixed Pairs and, incredibly, it came down to the last bowl of the tournament to find our champions.
A strength of the sets play game is the element of a one end tiebreak if both teams win a set each as well as the last end of each set usually providing an opportunity of both teams being able to win the set.
This creates many more opportunities for drama than a more traditional total ends match can provide.
The first Semi Final saw North Beach’s Brad Gillingham and Rinske Butcher taking on the Sorrento pair of Jan Konig and Coral Smith. Konig and Smith started strongly by getting a four on the first end, proving the difference in the first set.
For the remaining five ends of the set, it was a back-and-forth affair with Konig winning 7-3.
The second set started with Konig again taking the first end but this time it was just a single. Gillingham was able to put together three ends in a row, including a couple of multiples, to lead 5-1 after four ends.
From then on, Gillingham was able to keep it tight and drop only a couple of singles to take the second set 5-3 and force a one end tiebreak.
Both teams had already been involved in two tiebreaks that day so neither team was a stranger to the pressure.
When the final bowl was played it was Gillingham and Butcher that would advance to the final 3-7, 5-3, 1-0.
The second semi-final had Doubleview’s Stewart Gosstray and Belinda Lehman up against the country duo of Robert Marinoni (Moodiarrup) and Karen Ward (Dumbleyung).
The Gosstray team had an outstanding first set to win 11-0, including a full count of six, to look in command of the game.
When Gosstray took the first end of the second set by getting a single, it looked all but over but Marinoni and Ward broke through for a single on the second end of the second set and then followed it up with a two on the third end to lead 3-1.
A single to Gosstray was followed up with a return single to Marinoni who then finished it off with a two on the last end of the set to win 6-2 and force a tiebreak.
Bowl for bowl they went and although Marinoni may have lost the aggregate score, he and Ward took a single on the tiebreak to force their way into the final.
Gillingham and Butcher started the final strongly with a three and then a couple of singles.
For Marinoni and Ward, it was a replica of their semi-final where they struggled to get on the scoreboard in the first set.
With Gillingham leading 5-0, finally a single to Marinoni got the ball rolling and then another single on the second last end gave them an outside chance of recovering the first set.
It was not to be however, and Gillingham and Butcher played smart to close the first set out 6-2.
A Marinoni two on the first end of the second set was followed by a two to Gillingham. Marinoni went to the lead again, this time with a single, only to see Gillingham grab another two to put him and Butcher back in front 4-3.
When Marinoni took a two on the second last end, Gillingham only needed a single to draw the set and win the championship.
That single looked likely as his last bowl headed towards the jack, but it just swung across the head late to go past the Marinoni bowl, and we were off to a tiebreak.
Both leaders put down their three bowls and on the cross over Ward just held shot. Gillingham rescued the situation with his second to gain shot only to see Marinoni draw shot again. Rather than draw the shot, Gillingham decided to attack the head and, in particular, the shot bowl.
He was right on target, removing the shot, but in doing so, his bowl came across and got the jack, sending it out of bounds.
When the jack was respotted on the tee, Marinoni still held shot with a bowl four feet short.
With Marinoni’s last bowl he turned his own bowl up even closer, leaving Gillingham two feet to take the title.
This was the fourth time in the tournament Gillingham had been in this situation, and for the previous three times he had been successful – was it to be a fourth time?
Right from the hand the weight looked good and Gillingham started chasing it once it was apparent that it was also on the right grass line.
With urging from Butcher, the bowl found its way inside the Marinoni bowl and in an outstanding final, Brad Gillingham and Rinske Butcher were the 2023 State Mixed Pairs Champions.
The Over 60s State Mixed Pairs Finals were held at the Leeming Bowling Club in perfect bowls conditions.
John Goddard (Osborne Park) went into the final looking to clean sweep the Over 60s events this season, having already won the Men’s Singles, Pairs and Triples.
Goddard and his partner Jennie Bruce (Busselton) had a big win in their semi-final up against Graeme and Debbie Smith (Safety Bay).
Smith got a single on the first end but quickly found himself down 9-1 and then 14-2 halfway through the game. The Goddard/Bruce combination were unrelenting and went on to win 26-9.
Daryl Radford (Kardinya) and Julie Savell (Osborne Park) took on Graham Miller (Dudley Park) and Irene Kozak (Port Bouvard) in the second semi-final.
Early proceedings looked similar to the first semi-final when Radford shot out to a big lead early, frequently scoring in multiples.
With the score at 14-4 at the halfway mark, the game looked over. However, Miller and Kozak grabbed a five on the ninth
end to halve the lead and then scored a further two and three to draw level at 14-14 after eleven ends. Radford surrendered the lead at 15-16 but then steadied by winning four of the last five ends to prevail 20-18.
The final started with Goddard and Bruce getting off the mark with a two and then Radford and Savell doubling the two on the second end to take a four and lead 4-2.
A string of three ends in a row saw Goddard take a two-shot lead and then by end ten, he had stretched it out to a four-shot lead with a 10-6 scoreline. The Radford team stepped up their game and put together their own run of winning ends, including a three and took the lead back to go in front 11-10 with five ends to play.
A single to Goddard levelled it up once again and then a two saw Goddard hit the front.
Another two and the lead had swelled to four with Radford needing to respond with only two ends to play. But it was not to be, and John Goddard and Jennie Bruce continued on their way to win the last two ends to win 18-11 and take the 2023 Over 60’s State Mixed Pairs Championship.
Halls Head hosted the Women’s Inter Zone Round Robin Fours on a March weekend that saw a very even competition across the rinks. CBH and Liquor Traders Australia ensured that Bowls WA was on hand to live stream matches from the opening day.
In Round 1, the Southern Zone defeated the South Western Zone on all five rinks – a result that would prove crucial to the overall result. Ronnie Lee, Kaye Blight, Bev Davidson and Jade O’Neill were the big winners, 31-13.
With Northern Zone losing its first round encounter against the Eastern Zone, and both Southern and Northern winning their respective round two matchups, it needed something special from Northern iin the final round to upset Southern’s run.
While Northern was able to grab the aggregate in the final round, it couldn’t put a big enough dent in the rink wins tally, and Southern took the title 10 rink wins to 7.5. Just one rink, that of Southern’s Beryl Cooper, Ollie Austin, Trish Tyson and Rachel
• Mixed O60s Pairs winners: Jennie Bruce and John Goddard with Dawn Yates of the Seniors Recreation Council.The 2023 Women’s Country Week is a highlight on the calendar every year. The chance to re-kindle old friendships and rivalries, do battle on the green, but enjoy each other’s company throughout. After a gruelling week of play, it was great to see a few different faces making the pointy end of each of the disciplines.
The coveted Women’s AFGRI Countryweek Singles title was a hard-fought affair despite the final score not being as a close as perhaps expected.
In the semi-finals, Busselton’s Karen Gaglia in her second semi-final of Country Week was triumphant defeating Dumbleyung’s Audrey Bateup who had defeated her earlier in the pairs.
The second singles semi-final saw Moora’s Karyn Bryan outlast Bhel Hallam from Kulin in a thriller 17-16. Both Gaglia and Bryan started solidly but it wasn’t long before Gaglia started to pull away on the scoreboard with more consistent bowls. A 10-2 Gaglia lead quickly turned into a 19-4 lead and one hand on the trophy.
A late run of ends from Bryan was not going to be enough, coming from so far back, and Gaglia ran out a 21-8 winner and the 2023 Women’s AFGRI Country Week Singles Champion.
Kojonup’s Beverley Broom and Shelley Bilney fronted up to Dumbleyung’s Karen Ward and Audrey Bateup in the final of the pairs.
Earlier, in the semi-finals, Broom defeated Kaye Burton and Pauline Forrester from Northampton and Ward beat Busselton’s Karen Gaglia and Robin Tilbrook.
The Kojonup ladies jumped away quickly in the final to establish a healthy lead and were in control after thirteen ends 17-8 with just four ends to play.
A run of three winning ends to Ward forced the game into the last end with Broom leading 17-12. With both teams crowding the jack in the last end, Ward and Bateup could do no more as Broom and Bilney answered every challenge to take the title of 2023 Women’s AFGRI Countryweek Pairs Champions.
On a packed finals day at Cambridge, the fours final was the first to play with Eaton’s Margaret Mance, Lorrinia Bright, Nola Sutherland, and Kerry Ward taking on a composite team of Marjorie White (Wickepin), Val Cliff (Brookton), Judy Lang (Wickepin), and Alison Horley (Wickepin).
In the semi-finals, Mance had defeated Halls Head’s Patsy Smith, Jill Gumbleton, Marion Brophy, and Sue Edwards, while White overcame Narembeen’s Anita Cowan, Sylvia Yandle, Narelle Vaughan and Kellie Mortimore.
Both teams started the final well, but it was the Eaton team that broke away in the middle part of the game to open up a 12-3 lead.
A run of four winning ends in a row put the Wickepin/Brookton team back in the match at 10-12 as they challenged strongly.
A four to Eaton on the tenth end re-established the lead and they were never headed from there.
The White team kept trying to bridge the gap but ran out of ends as Mance, Bright, Sutherland, and Ward held sway to win 18-16 and be crowned the 2023 Women’s AFGRI Countryweek Fours Champions.
• Fours winners: Kerry Ward, Margaret Mance, Nola Sutherland and Lorrinia Bright.
• Karen Gaglia.
Warren Holt is recognized as one of the most formidable singles players in WA –two titles under his belt at State level being the State Singles and the Champion of Champion Singles, and regular business end finishes in many of those events over the years.
That pedigree alone made him one of the favourites heading into this year’s AFGRI Country Week Singles event – he lived up to that favouritism.
In the semi-finals Holt faced Moodiarrup’s Richard Schinzig, a player on the rise and recently announced as a member of the Men’s State Squad. Schinzig however was always under pressure from an in form Holt, and as the score initially drifted away slowly, Holt then put the foot down with a run of multiples to closeout a 21-7 victory.
In season 2011-12, Brad Ball and Dominic Milbourne combined with Daniel Wood to win the Bowls WA State Triples.
Some decade later, Ball and Milbourne once again came together, this time for the Country Week Pairs title and with a very solid display, they took the title back to Pinjarra.
The semi-finals saw Ball and Milbourne home in comfortable fashion 19-10 over Gingin’s Tom Cabassi and Guilderton’s Jeremy Thomas, while Shackleton’s Trevor Cosgrove and Phil Bradley it was a closer call getting home 14-11 over Albany’s Johnathon Davidson and Craig Hitchcock.
Cosgrove finals appearance was his first in over 30 years of competing in Country Week events, so in some sense he was a winner already being there.
The Pinjarra combo scored first in the final, extending to a 4-0 lead, and then in a high standard match pushing out to 11-3. Ball’s aggressive game then came to the fore, preventing Shackleton from scoring on a couple of ends where they perhaps deserved to, and it was Ball and Milbourne home 11-8 in a low scoring, tight affair.
The other semi-final saw Ongerup’s Maurice O’Neill against Gingin’s Shaun Donohoe.
Donohoe, still a young man, but with plenty of experience in the sport, started well leading 6-2, however O’Neill closed quickly and after being very strong though the middle part of the match, closed out a 21-16 win, booking a place in the final. Perhaps expectedly, the final saw Holt, with a significant experience advantage over his opponent get the scoring going first, leading 4-0, however O’Neill was able to steady and close that gap quite quickly.
Holt again extended, with a four end run, to lead 11-4 and despite a challenge from O’Neill that was enough to stave off any late challenge – the final score 21-13.
The final of the Country Week fours event was something to see. A father and son combination on either team showing just what can be accomplished in the great sport of bowls, particularly in a showcase event such as Country Week.
Denison’s Joel Leeson (son), Peter Leeson (father), Ian Payne and Paul Hitchcock took on the Narembeen quartet of Michael Currie (son), John Currie (father), Robert Hayter and Brendon Parsons in the final.
Hitchcock, who was the last remaining player in all three disciplines in Country Week this year, showed that class as the match wore on, frequently nailing the jack, especially through the crucial middle stages.
On the back of Hitchcock’s great work, the Denison crew were all playing to a high standard, and despite a hint of a chance with three ends to go, it was the Leeson combination taking the win 21-12.
The semi-finals featured Corrigin’s Mark Szczecinski, Stephen Sloan, Clifton Crombie and Dave Dutton as they went down to Leeson’s crew 23-15, and Emu Point’s Alan Spence, Andy McFarlane, John Stone and Kelvin Crosby who were eliminated by Narembeen 14-13 in a last bowl finish.
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