February 2013

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Volume 36/ Issue No. 5

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CONTENTS 07 Cover Story

10 Bowler’s Arm Champs

Mackay father and son, Pete and Steve Blackburn, shared the top honour at Mackay District’s Annual Awards.

An article in the Queensland Bowler inspired a former Victorian MP’s plan for a National Bowler’s Arm Championships.

08 Super Bowl Axed

14 KFC Controversy

After 22 years, iconic Queensland singles event the Salisbury Super Bowl has been axed due to falling entries.

Love it or hate it, KFC’s ‘Good Time’ television ad has got people talking about lawn bowls.

09 Off the Airwaves

26 Wilkie Interview

Radio 4TAB has pulled the plug on Pat Mac’s Sunday morning show, Lawn Bowls World.

Coaching guru Mick Cherry talks to Queensland star and new National Training Centre coach, Brett Wilkie.

4 | queensland bowler

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your say

STOP PRESS

BOWLING ALONG AT 80+ I’m writing to share a meritorious effort by a group of wonderful over-80s ladies from Maryborough Services Memorial Bowls Club, who won this year’s morning competition of the Wide Bay Ladies Bowls Carnival.

Showing style and flair, the girls also collected a maximum 8-pointer end in their first game.

The ladies, whose combined ages total 343 years, have all paid their dues to the sport as volunteer administrators, each serving

as president of the Maryborough club.

Skip Iris Witt also served as president, secretary and treasurer of the Wide Bay Division LBA for many years.

She recently received a Meritorious Award for her long history of service to lawn bowls.

They all joke about lawn bowls keeping them “rolling and bowling along.” We are all very proud of them.

John and Jos Hansen Maryborough

Bargara Bowls Club was the focus of a nation last month, the first strike of a frighteningly powerful mini tornado associated with ex-tropical cyclone Oswald.

Sadly, the shocking vision of twisted metal, shattered glass and destruction on television screens from early afternoon on Australia Day was just the beginning of a horror long weekend.

“The noise was horrific, it sounded like a jet plane and the ground started to shake, I thought it was an earthquake,” Bargara bowler Lee-Ann Davies said.

“We live only a few houses from the bowls club and it was right in its path, the greens were speared by all sorts of flying metal and our half-tonne shade cloth was ripped off and ended up 3km down the road.”

The club’s Australia Day tournament with 168 entries had been called off only the day before, but Bargara bowls coordinator Jim See had no idea the club (pictured above) would turn out to be in the eye of the storm.

“It was like a whirlwind roaring through at hundreds of kilometres an hour, it smashed the clubhouse windows and doors and then it was no trouble to lift the roof off, two minutes to cause $4 million damage, it’s heart-breaking,” See said.

“I feel for all our near neighbours and all the other bowls clubs affected too. It’s going to be a lot of work to come back.”

As the February issue of Queensland Bowler was going to print, reports continued to pour in of clubs severely affected by floodwaters, including Mundubbera, Tantitha, Maryborough and Kandanga (Gympie).

As in 2011, BQ chairman Ron Chambers said the BQ Disaster Fund Appeal would accept donations and pass them on to clubs in need. Contact the BQ office on 07 3355 9988 for details.

We’ll follow up the aftermath of the natural disaster and what you can do to help affected clubs in next month’s Queensland Bowler magazine.

Editor: Wayne Griffin

EXCITEMENT, NOT OLDIES The excitement of wearing cool uniforms, spending time with friends or imitating a favourite athlete can all prompt a child to take up a sport.

However, in bowls, the people we send to schools to encourage kids to take up the sport are well beyond the age of those kids.

Chrildren need role models.

We need to show them that other kids play the game. We need a PowerPoint presentation, supplemented by video clips, to show kids in a classroom environment how far they can go in lawn bowls.

We need a presentation showing our current junior bowlers competing in the All Schools Cup, plus an interview with a young Australian

Editorial Assistant: Beth Newman Naomi Cescotto

Editorial: Queensland Bowler PO Box 476, Alderley, Qld 4051 Phone: (07) 3355 9988 Fax: (07) 3855 0010 Email: news@bowls-queensland.org

Published by: Bowls Queensland

Advertising: Wayne Griffin Phone: (07) 3355 9988

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champion like Kelsey Cottrell, asking why she took up bowls, what she has achieved, where she has travelled with bowls, etc.

Our objective is to say, “this could be you!”

Nothing would be better than a shot of the kids boarding a plane to play interstate or in New Zealand.

If the state or national body can provide us with visual aids along these lines, we can meet the challenge of providing competition amongst their peers. We must first create the believability for the kids that there is something in bowls beyond playing with a bunch of oldies.

Barry Cooke Rathdowney Memorial

Fax: (07) 3855 0010 Email: advert@bowls-queensland.org Subscriptions: To subscribe, post your name, address and telephone number, along with a cheque for $25 (inc gst) to: Queensland Bowler Subscriptions PO Box 476, Alderley, Qld 4051.

queensland bowler | 5

CASEY SIGNS WITH BLUES

PRESTIGIOUS TITLES FOR TWEED BOWLER HALMAI Tweed Heads bowler Stephen Halmai joined an impressive roll call of previous winners at Bribie Island’s Prestige Singles recently.

BUT WILKIE STAYS PUT It didn’t take long for New South Wales to pounce on former Helensvale player, Mark Casey.

Halmai, who defeated Helensvale’s Anthony Fantini in the final, 25-19, joins legends of the game like Steve Glasson and Kelvin Kerkow, who have previously reigned supreme at Bribie’s $28,000 Prestige Carnival.

Casey, who joined NSW club St John’s Park in January after Helensvale decided not to renew lucrative player contracts, has already played a series for the Blues, against ACT last month.

The Tweed bowler was not satisfied with just one title though, sharing in the fours glory at Bribie alongside his son Steven, and team members Steve Massey and Richard Strawbridge.

Casey skipped fellow Queensland defector Ben Twist during the series in Goulburn.

The foursome edged out 2011 singles champion Kurt Brown, Sean Baker, Peter Hughes and Paul Jopson in the round-robin competition, with just half a win extra putting them on top.

Baker got his own taste of glory with Dean McWhinney, clinching a thrilling pairs win over Greenslopes duo Chris Ryan and Steve Baxter, 25-20.

Halmai, meanwhile, took out a second singles crown last month, picking up the Club Maroochy New Year Singles.

Unfortunately it was a case of third time unlucky for the Tweed ace, with Halmai going down in the semifinals of Ballina’s lucrative Summerland Singles event.

Upon being named in the side, Casey expressed excitement on his Facebook page. ▲ Queensland reps Sean Baker and Dean McWhinney took out Bribie’s Prestige Pairs title with a thrilling win over Greenslopes Chris Ryan and Steve Baxter.

▼ Bribie Island Prestige Singles champ Stephen Halmai (left) with his winning fours outfit, Steven Halmai (son) Richard Strawbridge and Steve Massey.

Warilla’s Aaron Teys took the gold in Ballina, edging out Luke Johns 31-23 in the championship match.

While Casey has already signed on with the Blues, Queensland will have to wait a while to face off against their former teammate.

Halmai could take a little consolation from the contest though, after beating Commonwealth Games gold medallist Nathan Rice in the quarterfinals, 25-24.

The Maroons will host NSW in a test series on June 12-13.

Meanwhile, Casey’s former clubmate, Brett Wilkie, does not look like leaving the Gold Coast anytime soon.

KERKOW AND WILKIE CLASH Helensvale’s Brett Wilkie teamed up with Ballina bowler Kris Lehfeldt to take out the Ballina Summerland Pairs last month.

The victorious duo beat out Kelvin Kerkow and Walter Jacobs for the title in a tough field.

After a close start to the final, Wilkie and Lehfeldt stormed home to take the decider 22-8 and pick up a cool $11,000 prize.

Selby says goodbye Australian rep Leif Selby has announced his retirement from international bowls.

The world number one, who recently captured bowls’ biggest prize, the world singles title, said he wanted to spend more time with his family, especially his teenage daughter, Jasmine.

6 | queensland bowler

“Over the moon to be selected to represent NSW,” he said.

▼ Fresh off his world singles title win in December, Aussie representative Leif Selby has retired from international bowls (again).

Wilkie was recently named as the Hawks’ new club coach, bringing his talents off the green.

The fours world champion boasts some serious coaching credentials, after being appointed as Qld’s National Training Centre coach recently.

Wilkie said he was looking forward to helping young bowlers improve.

“I appreciated the assistance to help me get what I achieved,” Wilkie said.

“I have gained a lot of experience over the years and I hope I can pass that on to younger bowlers and help them achieve their goals.”

Both Wilkie and Casey lost contracts in a major reshuffle at Helensvale late last year. v36/5

Two good Blackburn boys share Mackay’s top honour Father-son combo and best mates, Pete and Steve Blackburn, have won Mackay District’s Bowler of the Year Award (2012).

“He deserves it,” proud dad Pete said of Steve, 21, who was also recently named in Queensland’s Under-25 squad.

“He’s got all the shots and we play together so well, we know each other so well, we’re both easy going and we love our bowls, we never blue.”

Following up on his Bowler of the Year win and success at State Pennants this year, where Pete and Steve’s Souths Suburban team went through undefeated, Steve was rapt to be invited to the MK Floors Invitational Pairs at Coolum over the Australia Day long weekend.

He was teamed up with Mooloolaba bowler Allan Newman and the pair won both of their games before the tournament was called off as cyclonic weather rolled in.

On a countback, the pair came 7th out of 40.

It was a thrill for Steve to see some of Australia’s top bowlers in action at Coolum.

“It was a massive tournament, I played next to Brett Wilkie and he was just such a cool, level-headed player.”

South’s Suburban is known for its bowler nicknames and with Pete known as “Pistol”, Steve got landed with “Watergun”, while Pete’s dad Stan got “Rifle”.

For the bowling Blackburns, it’s all about family.

“We love our bowls, we love playing together, we get along way too well,” Steve said.

Steve’s next goal is to make Queensland’s Under-25 team for the test series against NSW in June.

“I’ve got my foot in the door, there are 10 in the squad and they’ll choose six, I want to be there,” Steve said.

Pete and Stan used to cut cane together before Pete started up his own mowing business in Mackay.

Steve works as a storeman for Cooper Fluid Systems in town.

“When we’re not working, we’re bowling, Steve’s got a goal now and we’re with him all the way,” Pete said.

There was a joint winner in the ladies section also, with Northern Beaches Robyn Devereux and Sherry Crowley crowned Mackay’s Female Bowlers of the Year.

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Ernie Downey and John Strong reminisce

Blind bowlers ramp up training with Brisbane camp Australia’s top blind bowlers will descend on Brisbane next month, as part of their preparations for July’s World Championships.

The national side, including Queenslanders Joy Forster and Christine Henry, will complete a training camp at Wynnum Manly Leagues Club to fine tune their combinations ahead of the championships, to be held in the UK. Bowls Queensland teamed up with BCIB and the Wynnum Manly club to help fund the three-day camp, which will involve training drills and match practice.

Super Bowl Axed Dwindling numbers force Salisbury to drop one of Qld’s last remaining big-money singles tournaments After more than two decades as one of Queensland’s most prestigious singles tournaments, the axe has finally fallen on the iconic Salisbury Super Bowl.

The $20,000 tournament, one of Queensland’s few remaining big-money singles events, was cancelled due to dwindling entries, club officials said.

The Super Bowl, which has been Salisbury Bowls Club’s marquee event for 22 years, attracted Australia’s biggest bowls stars throughout the years.

Despite this, entries had decreased by 25 percent in recent years, a decline that the club could not afford to sustain, Salisbury men’s president John Strong said “It was an event that was losing money and in these times, clubs can’t do that,” Strong said.

“It wasn’t that we wanted to cancel it. It really came to the point it was no longer viable. We had to make that decision.

“The last few years we’ve gone against common sense.”

Strong said the decision to cancel the Super Bowl was not an easy one, particularly for those who had been at the club since the competition began.

“I was there at the beginning and I’m here at the finish,” Strong said. “Ernie Downie, who’s had a lot to do with the event, he was the president the first year it started…he was very disappointed.”

“Times are being forced upon us and we can’t let it continue down that track or we’ll close our doors.”

8 | queensland bowler

Despite attracting some of the game’s biggest names and genuine international superstars, Strong said it was players the next level down who had really fallen off in numbers.

Holding a weeklong singles event also placed a logistical burden on the club, with each game requiring markers, many of whom were elderly members.

“Getting markers was becoming more and more difficult. We had people who were over 80 marking games, they could barely stand up,” he said.

This year Salisbury is replacing the event with the Salisbury Super Open Fours event, to be held from June 22-23.

The new event will offer a $6,000 prize purse, with winners picking up a cool $2,000.

Split into two divisions, Strong said the new competition would draw in more of the bowlers that had been lost from the Super Bowl in recent years.

“The prize gets a better spread. That seems to attract players,” he said.

The last winner of the Super Bowl, Brett Wilkie, said he was “shocked and surprised” to hear of the lucrative tournament’s demise.

“It’s a huge loss for the Queensland calendar,” Wilkie said.

“There was always good quality players, so you had to be on your game to go well.

I’m sad to see it cancelled.”

Disability sports organisation Sporting Wheelies is helping provide accommodation for the bowlers, who are from various states across the country.

Queensland coach Bill Cornehls will also attend the camp to help Australian blind bowling coach Graeme Clements train the side for the big stage.

Clements said the help of all the organisations involved had been invaluable in the staging of the camp.

“The support is certainly appreciated by all those associated with blind bowls.

“This is probably the best preparation that they’ve ever had,” he said.

With the national blind bowling champs in April and the world competition only two months later, Clements said this was really just the beginning for the green and gold bowlers.

As part of their preparations, the bayside club’s green will be slowed down for the camp to simulate conditions in the UK. Clements said anyone who visits Wynnum Manly to see the bowlers in action will have their perceptions of blind bowling changed forever.

“They’d be amazed by the skill level of all our bowlers. They’ll also be surprised by the commitment of these people.

They’re very positive people. You very seldom hear a negative word.”

Wynnum Manly secretary Paul Henderson said the club would get as many spectators and potential sparring partners for the bowlers as possible.

“We’ll be putting the word out for anyone who wants to come down. The blind bowlers need the competition.

“We’ll have a list of times that people will be needed to train against the blind bowlers so I think it will be a wonderful event for everyone.”

The camp will be held at Wynnum Manly Leagues Club from March 12-14.

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THANKS FOR LISTENING

Celebrating his 21st birthday on Australia Day, Musgrave Hill bowler Brett Davis with his partner, Qld rep Samantha Wilson.

Pat Mac says goodbye to Radio 4TAB Veteran sports broadcaster Pat McErlean is looking for a new home for his lawn bowls radio show after being programmed out by Brisbanebased racing station 4TAB.

“It was always about making bowls more prominent in the market place,” McErlean said.

“If the guests weren’t characters to start with, we made them into characters!”

At 67, Big Pat Mac is a larger than life character, who has battled his share of health challenges.

But none of them kept him from his weekly appointment with the microphone.

In 2012, he continued to broadcast Lawn Bowls World from his hospital bed in the Princess Alexandra Hospital, even after having a foot amputated following complications with an ulcer.

“Call me if you’ve got a spot, I’ll come up with the goods!”

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For more than 20 years, McErlean’s Lawn Bowls World held the 6am-6.30am time slot on Sunday mornings.

“I did my last show for 4TAB on December 29,” McErlean said.

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“Pat certainly went above and beyond what most commentators would do,” Radio TAB general manager Graham Kemp said.

“It was a hard call, especially since I personally introduced Pat to the lawn bowls scene way back in the 1980s when we were at 4BC together.”

Kemp said the Sunday morning bowls time slot will be reallocated to the station’s core business, sports betting.

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He says the only thing on his bucket list is keeping bowls on radio! v36/5

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BOWLER BEHIND CHAMPS BRAINWAVE Former Victorian government minister Phil Gude credits Queensland Bowler magazine with sparking an idea to start a national competition for players who use a bowler’s arm.

“I was up in Queensland a few years ago and saw a story in your magazine about the statewide multi-disability bowling competition,” Gude said.

“I had polio as a young fellow and the effects were getting worse as I got older, I could hardly use my right hand.

“I learnt to bowl with my left hand, but I was starting to lose my balance.

“About three years ago in the middle of a tournament, I knew it would be the last game I’d ever play.”

Finding out about the bowler’s arm gave Gude new hope.

“There are different variations on the bowler’s arm, light weight, heavy weight, different release mechanisms, but once you’ve got your line, it’s only about weight control, which is the same for every bowler,” Gude said.

“It means bowlers like me who thought they’d have to give up because of a disability can stay in the game longer.”

Inspired by Bowls Queensland’s statewide multi-disability championships, Gude set up the first interstate Bowler’s Arm Challenge between Victoria and NSW in 2010.

This year’s event, which will be held at Corowa Civic Bowls Club in NSW from September 8-10, will be a three-way interstate clash, with South Australian players due to compete.

“It’s frustrating because you have to learn to bowl all over again, but it’s wonderful to be still able to play, out on the green with friends,” she said.

Deasy said she would watch with keen interest the results of this year’s three-way interstate friendly Bowler’s Arm Challenge.

“Interestingly, Corowa is where Federation was formed and so it’s appropriate the first national event will take place at that location,” Gude said.

Bowls Australia will supply a trophy for the winning state but players will meet their own costs.

Gude hopes Queenslanders will join the competition next year (if not this year) and that the Bowler’s Arm Challenge will eventually become a truly national event.

Queenslander Dorothy Deasy, 85, from Victoria Point club says a national competition for players using bowler’s arm is a great idea.

Deasy had an operation on her hand and back 18 months ago and without her bowler’s arm, she would have had to give up bowls.

Dorothy Deasy like s the idea of a national Bowler’s Ar m Challenge

JENNY LEAVES ON A HIGH There is no longer any women on Australia’s national selection panel with Queensland’s Jenny Harragon stepping down last month.

However Harragon, from Kandanga club in the Gympie hinterland, says it won’t be a problem.

“It’s the best person for the job...I wasn’t pushed and certainly not by a boys’ club, I just wanted to have some time off to go travelling with my husband,” she said.

Harragon has been replaced

by David Stockham from South Australia, to make up a team of four along with returning national selectors Kelvin Kerkow (QLD), Sam Clough (NSW) and national coach Steve Glasson (NSW).

“Jenny’s very passionate about the sport and she did an extremely diligent job as a national selector,” said Glasson.

According to Harragon, the key to being a good selector is not just choosing on ability, but 10 | queensland bowler

getting the right combination of compatibility and ability.

“The team you select is expected to come home with the medals and there’s a lot of pressure to get it right,” she said.

Harragon, 60, was a silver medallist at the 2004 World Championships and joined the national selectors’ panel in 2006.

Highlights of her six years in the job include five gold and two silver medals at the recent 2012 World Championships in Adelaide, the best ever performance by an Australian team, and watching Australia’s junior players, especially the girls, improve “out of sight”.

“Especially the young girls like Natasha Jones (Qld) and Renee McFarlane (SA), it’s been very rewarding.”

Harragon and husband John recently sold their Gympie taxi business and plan to travel Australia in their caravan.

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MORE THAN GLORY dream holiday up for grabs at 2013 Qld State Championships There will be more than glory up for grabs when the 2013 State Championships kick off on the Sunshine Coast in May.

Capture the men’s or women’s singles crown and you will go into a battle of the sexes play-off to win a $6,000 bowls trip to the Cook Islands.

The 2013 Cook Islands Bowls Carnival Tour is the first of its kind run by Redcliffe-based company, Uplift Tours, and people are already snapping up places for the July trip.

Bramble Bay bowlers, Rae and Max Barton, are one couple who have already jumped at the chance to grab a place on the tour.

Despite being seasoned travellers, having seen everywhere from Fiji to Russia, Rae said the pair were really excited to try something different.

“I’m really looking forward to it.

We both love bowls but haven’t been to the Cook Islands, so we thought it would be a lot of fun to go somewhere different for a bowls carnival.”

Rae was also attracted to the trip because of the reputation of operators, Uplift Tours, headed

by Claire McErlane.

“We both know Claire and she always runs good tours. I’m really excited about it.”

While it is Uplift Tours’ first time running a bowls trip to the Cook Islands, the company has years of experience in tour holidays.

One traveller who went on the company’s recent trip to the Cook Islands is Di Trundle.

The leisurely feel of the tour was the right fit for the group, Di said, with no-one feeling rushed despite seeing plenty of the islands during their stay.

“A lot of people don’t like to be pushed out of bed and have to

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swallow their breakfast and run round all the time. Claire’s tour was all done at a leisurely pace,” Di said.

After her experiences on the Cook Islands tour, as well as an earlier trip to Fiji, Di said she would recommend the experience to anyone.

“Anything to do with going on a trip with Claire, I’d say yes to, because she’s so good.”

One Queensland bowler will get the chance to experience

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e were were supportive of the ad, som comment ay waw thro a by d age outr casting

by Slater, which they see as rt. spo the on ons aspersi Madden In the ad, Slater tells the this is not es, nerv e thos x “rela to hers brot really a sport.” lander Angered by the comment, Queens many the of one just Lindsay Elliot was fast food the to ed plain com who lers bow company after viewing the ad. ers view n visio tele end on that ks wee For While Elliot’s first thought was rock star liner one er’s were bombarded with images of Slat s’, ulou getting the ad was ‘fab ch. brothers Joel and Benji Madden ed it all for the Pine Rivers coa ruin er form from their bowl on with a little help sport Slater.

“I heard Slater say it’s not a real Australian Test cricketer, Michael . said he ’,” ‘wow ght thou I Good and The primetime ad featured the g on TV.” time t “I’m not happy with the ad bein grea a ing hav n Charlotte frontme of the ents a elem r and er Elliott said all the othe playing barefoot bowls with Slat bowls, for licity pub itive gs. pos thin ome ided ad prov group of attractive 20-s sport would etime but that people outside the prim r othe only se who rt spo a For n between nctio disti the and rts on the not underst TV presence has been news repo ls. bow tive peti com and foot bare nt retireme elderly or advertisements for sporting bowls as “I’d love to see that aired during homes, the positive portrayal of It’s not Slater’s line. ng that you out for with time ities pas activ le a cool and enjoyab If that line nal tool. fault, he’s just reading a script. people was a priceless promotio .” rapt be I’d e, ther in n’t bowlers was However, while the majority of

ove it or hate it, KFC’s recent advertising campaign has certainly got people talking about bowls. The fast food giant’s ‘Good Time’ ls promotion has propelled lawn bow no way a in che psy l into the nationa or amount of World Championship e hav s title es Gam lth wea mon Com been able to.

14 | queensland bowler

v36/4

Not everyone agreed the KFC commercial was a bad thing for bowls.... here’s what they had to say on Facebook!

Mark Casey - I think it’s a sensationala

it’s just advert for our sport of bowls, ded, as inclu was t men com that me sha inst it. aga lers bow y it has turned man it would and y awa n take t men com One be perfect. play but “Bowls is a sport that’s easy to ld think “I think that most people wou Slater ael Mich e whil and ter bowls, hard to mas they were just talking about lawn sport and erstand has mastered his chosen because a lot of people don’t und how bowls excelled at it, I’d be interested to see the difference between barefoot our inst dissect he’d fare in a game of bowls aga and lawn bowls, they wouldn’t or e stat regular club bowlers, let alone our that.” e taken national reps.”

And it’s not just bowlers who hav ment, Despite the controversial com umbrage with the ad. ad the me sha a was player, Fullerton said it Graham Mahoney, a croquet rse. cou its run apologise, seemed to have said Slater should be forced to licity is rators to inist adm ls bow on d “It can be argued that any pub and calle Test er form see much issue a public challenge to the good publicity and we didn’t at sort of opener. of it after all the controversy...th on prime t rt a mos incidental publicity for our spo “They were picking on bowls in s.” eles time national television is pric unfair way,” Mahoney said. said the fine, it’s A KFC Australia spokesperson “Any exposure to any sport is ative neg nce by the offe by any iled nt spo mea just that it was company never bowls foot bare that t. line commen the “throwaway e mad be uld rt.” sho spo er a wasn’t really “I think Michael Slat him on feedback to make a public apology. Get “We’ve had some very positive the of one inst aga e lleng cha who are a rs there as from barefoot bowls organise .” lers the ads bow ce top excited about the prominen n erto Full h Keit CEO . said Bowls Queensland have given the game,” he showdown said he would love to see a Continued next page ► player. between Slater and a Queensland v36/5

s Greg Robbie - Who cares what Slat t grea our for ing ertis adv . Free

says sport. Every sport has its elite.

Jess

Keegan - Regardless of the

get out comment it makes me want to get some there and play bowls! Will help ! younger clientele, that’s for sure ng Heather Gaal - Aren’t we all talki

licity!!! about it? Any publicity is good pub the on folks get to Now’s the chance ds min own r thei up e mak green to

John

Wessling - I’m a seasoned

You only bowler and I reckon it’s great. w that kno to it in is who at have to look there for it is not serious...that they are rivalry. a good time with some friendly ds to give nee ls bow t wha ctly exa is This k there it a shake along. I’m 57 and I thin me in than r nge you er play one is only bers. mem 35 rox the men’s club of app at ome welc are you and s Slat on Bring it .

Calliope Central anytime

queensland bowler | 15

► from page 15

“I think the clubs that offer barefoot bowls to young people and families are the ones trying hardest to get more people involved in the sport” Darren Masters Marketing Expert

“It was all meant in good fun and hopefully the interest it has sparked will get even more young people interested and involved in all forms of bowls.”

Plenty of bowlers love the ad, with many flocking to the Bowls Queensland Facebook page to voice their support.

One commenter said it was a refreshing change to see bowls associated with young people on television, not just in retirement ads.

“It’s one of the first times I have seen bowls in an ad that isn’t related to retirement, retirement villages or incontinence,” he said.

“The biggest problem this game faces is breaking down the perception that it’s an old person’s game.”

Bowls Australia CEO, Neil Dalrymple, said the publicity from the ad was ultimately a good thing for bowls.

“I think the ad is a good promotion for the sport. I wouldn’t get too hung up on the fact of they’re saying that it’s a game rather than a sport. I think it’s just good publicity for bowls generally,” Dalrymple said.

The BA chief was not concerned about any potential confusion between barefoot and traditional bowls.

“If someone is going to venture down to a bowls club, they’ll soon learn what the difference is between barefoot bowls and the traditional form of the game.

“I think people can get hung up on the terminology.”

Want to see the ad for yourself?

Go to YouTube and search “KFC barefoot bowls” 16 | queensland bowler

WARTS AND ALL

IS IT TIME OUR SPORT TOOK A GOOD HARD LOOK AT ITSELF? Now that lawn bowls has captured the attention of a nation through the incidental publicity of KFC’s advertisements on prime time television, it may be just the chance Queensland clubs need to carpe diem...seize the day.

“We can build on the momentum of the KFC ad and do something to attract more participants to the sport of lawn bowls,” Bowls Queensland CEO Keith Fullerton said.

“How many times have we heard it said you must keep adapting and changing because if you stand still, you won’t survive?

“Many times. But what does it all mean?”

Brisbane-based marketing guru, Darren Masters, says bowls is like any other brand, it would need to hold up a magnifying glass to itself.

“Bowlers need to be honest and see the warts and all,” Masters said.

“Administrators and clubs need to realise they’re competing with all kinds of leisure activities for people’s time and money, not just sports but movies, internet, going out with friends, TV, watching kids’ sport.

“Everyone is so time poor, bowls needs to offer customers a clear value proposition that attracts them and keeps them coming back.”

A senior copyrighter at communications and advertising agency, Decoder, Masters said both his parents had played bowls and it wouldn’t take much to attract him to the sport.

But he believes if clubs throughout the state want to save their sport and build their business, they need to offer young professionals with families “a compelling reason’’ to fit bowls into their busy lives.

BQ CEO Fullerton said it was a demographic that was hard to crack for the sport, but if it could be captured, certainly it would boost numbers of players.

“We’re trying to boost our attractiveness to the younger demographic through our website and Facebook and Twitter action,” Fullerton said, “while still showing our older demographic that they are valued.”

Masters believes barefoot bowls is the key to attracting the hard-to-crack 25-45 year old age group.

“I think clubs that offer barefoot bowls to young people and families are the ones trying hardest to get more people involved in the sport,” Masters said.

“If people keep having a great time, a fun day out with mates, the kids or other families, with good value meals and well priced drinks, they’re more likely to take up bowls as a sport when they get the opportunity.”

Master said once a club was clear about what it did well, it had to communicate its strengths to the community, through initiatives like barefoot bowls days. v36/5

Volunteers THEY ARE THE HEART & SOUL OF OUR SPORT

with

brett murphy

Last month we had a look at one of the major issues affecting clubs across the state, membership, or lack thereof. This month we will concentrate on the other major issue, volunteers.

During our club visits in 2012 the two main areas of concern for clubs in regard to volunteers were (a) nobody putting their hand up to help out anymore and (b) those who do volunteer get used so excessively they no longer like volunteering.

The lack of willing volunteers can be partly attributed to the same reasons why membership is stagnant, people are time poor.

The last thing most people want to do, or have time to do, is go to their club on weekends, or weeknights after work, to volunteer their services.

Another reason people are unwilling to volunteer is fear of the great unknown.

People are very reluctant to put their hand up if they are unsure of what they are committing to.

The final reason is that potential volunteers see how the current volunteers are treated and have no desire to end up holding a committee position for several years just because no one else is willing to take over.

So how do we go about making volunteer roles more attractive to members?

Firstly, clubs need to identify how many roles there are for potential volunteers.

20 | queensland bowler

It isn’t just positions on committees, there are a large number of roles within clubs that can be performed by volunteers, such as selling raffle tickets, looking after social groups and school students on the greens, grounds maintenance, handyman, the list could be endless.

Once the club has decided which roles need filling, they should then work out the responsibilities of that role

This should include what work the role entails and when (how often) this work needs to be done.

This will effectively create a position description for each volunteer position.

Having these specific roles and responsibilities will help alleviate the fear of the great unknown.

At the very least, the person who puts his hand up to do grounds maintenance knows he won’t end up being club treasurer.

Once the position descriptions are created, it is then just a matter of advertising the roles within the club.

Some clubs even have volunteer coordinators, who assist the committees with recruitment of new volunteers.

These volunteer positions can be advertised in-house on the club notice board, or better still, create a separate notice board just for your volunteers.

There is also no reason specific people cannot be targeted for certain roles.

For example, a member who is a retired accountant would make an ideal club treasurer. Likewise a retired carpenter would make a great handyman (every club needs one).

Make the most of the skills and talents of your volunteers by keeping track of what they have trained professionally to do.

Also, don’t let the volunteer roles be dictated by tradition. Just because your committee has met on the third Tuesday at 7.30pm for the last 50 years, doesn’t mean it has to stay that way.

As indicated earlier, the newer and younger members of clubs are often reasonably time poor, so if changing a meeting time or being more flexible with certain roles means you will have more helpers, then do it.

Okay, so you have created your position descriptions, advertised the positions, recruited a good amount of potential new volunteers, what to do next? Read on ►

v36/5

Nobody likes being thrown in the deep end of anything and just because your new volunteers have been club members for years doesn’t mean they will know the inner workings of the club.

An orientation and induction session should be held with all new volunteers.

Effective orientation and induction is essential for all volunteers, regardless of which position they are assuming.

As well as orientation and induction, the club should ensure all new volunteers receive any training relevant to their role.

For example, if you have a volunteer looking after school groups, the club should assist them in obtaining their blue card for working with children.

They should also give them the opportunity to attend an Introductory Coach course to assist with their ability to work with and coach students.

So now we have all our new volunteers settled into their new positions and they have all been trained to perform their roles…but it doesn’t stop here.

One of the biggest reasons members stop volunteering is lack of recognition.

“

Recognition can be as simple as a thank you, a birthday or Christmas card… anything that recognises the fact that you are grateful for the assistance that has been offered.

Potential volunteers see how the current volunteers are treated and have no desire to end up holding a committee position for several years just because no-one else is willing to take over.

At a club where I previously worked, the volunteers who spent time out on the green with social groups or school students were brought a drink after they finished.

It was just a small simple gesture, which cost the club next to nothing, but it made the volunteers feel appreciated.

We would also have a small get together at the end of the year and put on a BBQ and a couple of drinks for all volunteers.

Once again it was only a small gesture, but the volunteers kept coming back year after year.

Now, while we don’t want our volunteers leaving us after all the hard work we have put into them, it is still bound to happen.

When they do decide to stop volunteering, use the opportunity to find out if there was anything the club could have done different to make their volunteering experience better, and implement any constructive ideas prior to the next person commencing in that role.

The development team will be handing out information on volunteers during our club visits in 2013.

However, if you require any further information in the meantime, please feel free to contact us on (07) 3355 9988 or email sdm@bowlsqld.org.

Having an open day, school fete or sports expo? Remember you can book one of Bowls Queensland’s two promotional vans to help out at your next membership drive.

Call us for further information or to book the van.

Musgrave Hill Bowls Club Inc Cnr Musgrave & Kumbari Aves, Southport PO Box 49, Chirn Park, Qld. 4215. Ph 5532 1277

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queensland bowler | 21

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Fired over Facebook Social Media policies are critical for disciplinary action.

Many of you will be embracing the whole social media explosion with the view to reaching out to your customer base.

Some of you, (if you are in my age bracket), may simply be trying to grasp the meaning of it all and understand what is going on and where it is leading to.

It is apparent though that social media is here to stay and is burgeoning.

This essentially means that we may have to embrace what it is about and ultimately use it to our benefit.

However, it also often leads to negative comments being made on social media in an employment context, which needs to be properly addressed by employers.

Jonathan Mamaril helps me in relation to this article and this topic.

with

Curt schatz

employees who also made derogatory and offensive remarks on Facebook; • Stutsel’s naivety settings on Facebook;

regarding

privacy

• Stutsel’s otherwise unblemished 22 years of service; • Linfox did not have a social media policy in place nor was there training regarding acceptable social media use.

For employers it is important to ensure that when disciplining an employee for social media related reasons, that there is an adequate social media policy to rely upon.

Importantly the full bench do not see the size of the business as an excuse for not having adequate social media policies in place saying: “The Commissioner was very critical of this – and I’d have to agree – essentially saying that in this day and age

not having a policy is pretty unacceptable and even small employers have a policy.”

It is likely that if Linfox had a social media policy in place, which clearly stated that derogatory and offensive comments about employees and the employer would not be acceptable and any such comments would bring about disciplinary action, then Fair Work Australia would have agreed that dismissal was warranted.

Apart from having an adequate policy in place, it is also important to ensure that social media type breaches are treated equally for all employees and this may mean putting in place show cause processes and adhering to the principles of procedural fairness and natural justice.

If you require anything further, do not hesitate to contact me on (07) 3224 0230 or Jonathan Mamaril on (07) 3224 0323.

It has become well known in the workplace that negative comments made by an employee of their employer on Facebook, Twitter or other social media may give grounds for an employer to take disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.

In a recent full bench of Fair Work Australia decision, Linfox Australia Pty Ltd v Stutsel [2012] FWAFB 7097 the full bench upheld the original decision and held that offensive and derogatory comments made by the employee (Stutsel) did not warrant serious misconduct and therefore dismissal.

Apart from the questions of fact regarding the actual comments made by Stutsel the full bench took into account: • Stutsel was treated differently to other

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queensland bowler | 23

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v36/5

Welcome to the Queensland Bowler February edition of Henselite’s Spot the Jack competition.

Simply put an X where you think the missing jack was located in this picture, fill in your details below and send this page to:

Queensland Bowler February Spot the Jack PO Box 476, Alderley 4051 The first correct entry drawn will receive a free set of Henselite bowls.

Winners can choose from a selection of bowls, colours and sizes.

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Entries must be received by February 28. Winner will be announced in the April issue. Multiple entries allowed.

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This month’s winner Congratulations to: Brian Roberts from Chermside You will receive a free set of Henselite bowls of your choice from a selection of bowls, colours and sizes. * By supplying your email address you agree to receive a copy of the next Henselite eNewsletter containing details of discounts, specials, new products and bowls information.

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$99 incl GST and postage to anywhere in Australia

queensland bowler | 25

Brett Wilkie Not just a champion bowler...now also a top coach

Brett Wilkie, one of Australia’s greatest players and Queensland’s new National Training Centre coach, was kind enough to lend me some of his valuable time recently.

I hope you find his interview as interesting as I did: Hi Brett, you’ve had a long and distinguished playing career, what have been the highlights for you?

The highlights would have to be winning the World Championships fours gold medal and the overall men’s team gold medal recently in Adelaide, also winning the 2009 World Champion of Champions singles in Scotland and a silver medal in the 2010 Commonwealth Games triples in Delhi.

with

Mick Cherry

I will be responsible for coaching, guiding and supporting these players in their goal to represent Australia. My goal is to have as many Queenslanders don the green and gold as possible, whether it be in the Under 18’s, Development Section (consists of at least three U25 players) or the open Australian team. Part of my job is also talent identification, so I will be attending many events throughout Queensland on the lookout for the next superstar(s) of the game.

How is the future of Queensland bowls looking, do we have plenty of talent out there to maintain our strong position in Australia?

You have obviously played under a lot of coaches, which ones have been the biggest influence on your playing career?

My father and mother have been my biggest influence, as they taught me how to play the game and have supported me the whole way. After a break from the game many years ago, Gordon Grinham helped me “get back on the bike” as you could say and then also supported me through my career. I have had three national and assistant national coaches since being in the Australian squad, I believe I have learned from all six of them in different ways.

You have recently been appointed National Training Centre (NTC) Coach for Queensland, does this mean that you will be changing direction and focussing more on coaching or will you be continuing the dual roles of national rep and coaching?

At this stage I will be continuing a dual role of being a national rep (if selected) and a coach for the future stars of our game, based in Queensland.

How do you see your role as NTC coach for Queensland and what will be your main responsibilities?

My role working for Bowls Australia as the NTC coach in Queensland is to take on any players that are selected in the Australia A squad, Australia Under 18 squad and any players identified to be a possibility to make either of these squads and/or play for Australia in the future (NTC QLD Squad).

26 | queensland bowler

The program that Steve has introduced by placing NTC Coaches throughout the country is a huge positive for our young superstars of the sport. It gives a chance for these players to be guided and assisted to help achieve their goals. In the past many young players with huge potential have disappeared into the wilderness, hopefully now with this system in place we can grab hold of these players and guide them through the pathway to success. I would class Steve as being as passionate about this program as when he was a competitor. His vision has taken the future of our game to another level in Australia, which is exciting for prospective Australian representatives.

Does this work alongside the state coaching role of Bill Cornehls or are you a separate entity?

I am employed by Bowls Australia and this position is completely separate from the state coaching role of Bill Cornehls.

We will however work closely together at times to assist one another to support the progression of our state’s elite bowlers to help them achieve the best they can be, which hopefully is representing Australia. An example of this is the recent Queensland v Auckland Development Series where Bill asked me to assist him with the Queensland team. I believe this worked extremely well for all parties. I will also work closely with Queensland selectors to gather their input on players who are potentials to join the NTC program.

Steve (Glasson) has put together a strong team of coaches around the country to ensure the future of our game is taken care of, how is he different to previous National coaches – is he as tough a boss as he is a competitor?

I was lucky enough to be a part of the successful Queensland v Auckland Development Series held at Musgrave Hill Bowls Club in December and believe our future is looking great. I was impressed by the manner in which our young Queensland players took to the greens with fantastic sportsmanship, determination and skill displayed. Our current state squads have an abundance of talent, which has been shown in results on the national stage.

You obviously lead a very busy life, and I imagine you would have to maintain a training schedule yourself, how many hours a week would you spend on your own game?

My training varies depending on what I have coming up. I try to target specific events that I want to peak at and will ramp up or ease off my training accordingly. This involves both on the green and fitness training incorporating a happy balance of working hard prior to a major event and allowing down time after so that you don’t get burnt out.

What is the best advice you could give to any player who wants to improve their game? ► Practice your weaknesses. ► Keep your delivery straight and simple, the less amount of movements needed in your delivery the easier it is to replicate. ► Don’t over complicate your thought process, relax and let it happen, don’t force it. ► Be positive and eliminate negative thoughts. v36/5