January 2012 by Queensland Bowler

January 2012

WIN E

F SET O W E N A

LIT HENSE S BOWL

Print Post Approved PP 400063/0010

QLD squads All the ins and outs

State Pennant Who snagged the flags?

Mick Cherry Coaching advice from one of the masters

Lauren Wilson High hopes for junior star

AUSTRALIA始S PREMIER LAWN BOWLS MAGAZINE

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Contents

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STATE PENNANT

Mooloolaba and Tweed Heads are this year始s state pennant winners after a tight finals weekend.

NEW TALENT

ONE YEAR ON Some clubs still have a long way to go to get back to full operations after last year始s Brisbane floods.

COVER STORY

Selectors have named the 2012 Queensland squads. We tell you who始s in and who始s off the list.

Talented teen Lauren Wilson faces a massive challenge to seamlessly transition into adult bowls.

AER PAIRS 2012

BOWLS BENEFITS

Noelene Dutton and Paul Jopson are heading to the 2012 Australian open after winning the AER pairs in tough conditions.

Bowls is incredibly beneficial to the physical and mental health of its participants. Find out exactly how bowls can be good for you.

Regulars Pg 12

From the Chair Ron Chambers

Pg 29

Development Brett Murphy

Pg 28

Umpiring Joan Brotherton

Pg 31

Tuning in Pat McErlean

Pg 30

Club Law Curt Schatz

Pg 33

Spot the Jack Henselite

Pg 34

Coaching Mick Cherry

Lots more in store for BQ The start of the New Year will see Bowls Queensland continue to implement and work on a plethora of strategies to move bowls forward. For those of you that visit the Bowls Queensland website in 2012, you will notice significant changes to the look and navigation of the site. The more user-friendly website will be a source of all things bowls related. Bowls Queensland will also be looking at implementing a new database system. The view is that the database will have accessibility at all levels of the sport and make for a more efficient way to maintain and meet the needs of clubs, districts, Bowls Queensland and Bowls Australia. In addition to this, our development team will continue to assist and support clubs. They will visit every affiliated club over the next 12 months and will assist clubs with use of the development vans that have all the necessary equipment required to take bowls promotion off site. Further development support will be given to clubs by distributing resources that assist clubs with everything from working with schools to recruitment and volunteer retention. Development will also continue to organise and run two of our successful programs that enable full community access with the All Schools Cup looking to have a representative team from every district and the Multi-Disability State Championships giving greater access to more bowlers. Bowls Queensland takes the view that high performance is about assisting every bowler to try and reach their desired performance level. To support this the state coach Bill Cornehls will continue to conduct the highly successful development days. A number of clubs and districts have taken advantage of the clinics and a number are organized for 2012. Should your club or district wish to organise one of these clinics please contact Bill Cornehls in the office for details. 2012 will also see both the Coaching and Umpire committees developing clinics for districts for approval by Bowls Australia. To support these clinics, we will continue to put district personnel through the presenter and assessor training so that districts play a pivotal role in the delivery of these programs. We will continue to offer districts the opportunity to organise visits from myself and a board member to ask your questions directly of the management. These were successful in 2011 and were valuable from a Bowls Queensland perspective as they enabled us to gather feedback and modify some of our operations. Districts will have more information sent out about these soon. There will be a number of programs and processes continuing in 2012 as well as new things to be implemented.

Keith Fullerton Bowls Queensland Executive Officer EDITOR: Wayne Griffin Editorial Assistant: Beth Newman Published by: Bowls Queensland ABN 17 231 978 960

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

Dear Editor, Kicking the bowls in is a time honoured method of collecting the bowls after the score has been decided, even at major matches. It does nothing to improve the look of oneʼs shoes, not to mention the chance of tripping up! I belong to Sherwood Services Lawn Bowls Club. Since we have no green of our own, we travel one Sunday each month to visit other clubs and have a good day out. At Durack-Inala Bowls Club, which I also belong to, we have a device, which I call a collector. Dear Editor, I have been a bowler at the West Toowoomba Bowls Club for over 41 years and a qualified umpire for over 33 years and I find it disturbing that there has never been, to my knowledge, any standardised method of scoring on scorecards.

We actually have several, all I think locally made. They are made from plastic tubing. Instead of kicking the bowls, one player can push them back easily. In our travels, we have only seen these at Durack-Inala. I believe these would be popular and, because the construction process only involves bending and joining plastic tubing and attaching a caster wheel, easily made. G.R.Bishop Durack-Inala Bowls Club

Director at West Toowoomba for 12 years and during my time in this position, I instructed our players to fill out score cards in, my opinion, the preferred way of doing it. In this method, the scores for each team are only added when one of the teams score a shot/s.

This doesnʼt pose a problem in most cases but when a carnival is being run and the winner is determined by the number of ends won, it does cause a problem.

The score for the team that doesnʼt score is not brought down but left blank.

The officials who are tallying up the ends at the end of each round have to take an extraordinary length of time to interpret the different methods of scoring.

The only time dashes are used is when there is tied end and as can be seen the scores are not brought down on this end.

This happened at a recent carnival held at the West Toowoomba Bowls Club where the participants had to wait almost an hour for the results to be announced which was very unsatisfactory. As well as being an umpire for over 33 years, I was the Games

To have a letter included in the next edition of Queensland Bowler, simply email: news@bowls-queensland.org or send your comments via post to: Phone: (07) 3355 9988 Fax: (07) 3855 0010 Email: advert@bowls-queensland.org Subscriptions: To subscribe, fill out the form on page 34 and post it, together with a cheque for $25 (inc GST), to: Queensland Bowler, PO Box 476 Alderley 4051.

There are no dashes entered where there is no score.

I have spoken to a number of bowlers about this method of filling out cards but quite a few are resistant to change and will not change even though it has been explained to them how much easier it is for the officials. Doug Young West Toowoomba Bowls Club

Letters to the Editor Queensland Bowler PO Box 476, Alderley, Q4051 For Association information: Executive Officer, PO Box 476, Alderley. 4051 Phone (07) 3355 9988; Fax (07) 3855 0010

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Flag flies to Pirates Mooloolaba and Pine Rivers were crowned 2011 State Pennant Champions. Mooloolaba overcame Tweed Heads in the ladiesʼ competition, while Pine Rivers beat South Toowoomba to snatch the menʼs Queensland title. The Pine Rivers Pirates took out the men’s pennant, overcoming South Toowoomba, 63-48. Their competitive hunger was obvious throughout the match, with players incredibly vocal on every shot. The most vocal Pirate of them all was Robert Wild, who skipped his outfit of Michael Breen, James Templeton and Rob Dobinson to a whopping 11-shot victory. Wild was ecstatic with the result but said his side were wary of the fast finishers. “I didn’t think we‘d fully gotten [over the line] because anything can happen and we know the South Toowoomba boys come home pretty well,” “Right near the end, we thought we were pretty well home, but there was still always the doubt that we might have to fire up again,” he said. South Toowoomba certainly gave Pine Rivers reason to be a bit nervous. The Tigersʼ dominant performances in the three sectional rounds 6 V35/#4

left them as the only undefeated team in the men’s draw going into the title decider. A one-shot round two win over Capalaba gave them a scare, but the Downs boys steadied themselves with a strong final round win over Mackay Suburban. Their impressive form wasn’t enough to overcome the Pirates, who had a more difficult sectional run. Pine Rivers received a first round reality check from Musgrave Hill.

The loss only made the Pirates more determined, with the successful side winning their next match over Cairns by a solid eighteen shots, 71-53. Musgrave Hill’s second round loss to Maroochy Swan gave the Pirates a chance to leap frog into the lead in the final round. Their final round win against Maroochy Swan ended the north coast clubʼs chance at a fairytale ending for their club. Maroochy Swan closed at the end of October, when their lease was not renewed. The club has since merged with Maroochydoore Beach, with many members making the move to the nearby club. The state pennants was the clubʼs final competition and they were in the box seat to make the final heading into their last match against the Pine Rivers Pirates. Many were hoping for a perfect ending for the proud club, a favourite among a lot of the supporters on the day. The Pirates were not willing to let their performance slip and they managed to triumph over

Mooloolaba ladies stand strong for flag Maroochy Swan in their last sectional round match.

Plowright, Pamela Dearlove and AnnMaree Hardey, who came from behind to win their rink by six shots, 25-19.

The Gold Coast side opened their campaign with a dominant 70-49 win against Downs side West Toowoomba.

In a match where only a handful of shots decided the winner, Tweed’s other two rinks couldn’t quite do enough, going down 16-21 and 15-22.

This win turned out to be the biggest margin of the tournament for Tweed Heads, with all of their other matches decided by only a handful of shots.

The title gave the Brisbane North club their fourth state flag in the last ten years.

As the scores got closer, the match began to resemble Mooloolaba’s devastating one-shot loss in the 2005 final against Mackay Suburban.

They managed to remain undefeated in their section, edging out Bargara and Pine Rivers 60-56 and 55-53, respectively.

The tally puts them in the same league as powerhouses Helensvale, who failed to make the state finals in 2011.

History did not repeat this time, however, and the Mooloolaba ladies clung on for a nailbiting win.

Mooloolaba showed they were title contenders with a strong 76-49 opening round win over Mackay.

In the ladiesʼ competition, Mooloolaba broke home club hearts on their way to winning the 2011 Queensland ladies pennant for the first time in recent history.

Mooloolaba manager Margaret Vincent was incredibly proud of her team’s efforts in a tough match.

Their round two match was a bit tougher, but they managed to defeat West Cairns by seven shots, 60-53.

“I’m delighted. Last time we came back with the framed flag for runners up, but this is the one I was really looking for,”

As the only undefeated team in their pool going into the final round of matches, Mooloolaba were brought back to the pack in a thrilling loss to Springwood.

The win sealed the deal for the Brisbane club and sent them into an incredible fourth state pennant final in five years. The finals veterans used their experience to their advantage over South Toowoomba, whose 2011 appearance was their first in recent memory.

The Sunshine Coast team managed a 62- 56 victory over Tweed Heads in a nailbiting title decider. Coming off an incredibly narrow defeat at the hands of Springwood in their last sectional match, Mooloolaba began the final in the best way, bolting to a 19-2 lead after only 14 ends. The Tweed ladies did not let them get away too easily, though, clawing back to bring scores level at the halfway mark. Their comeback was in large part due to the success of Lauren Wilson, Alice

“The final was an up and down game. When we needed the shots, the girls seemed to just get them and we just made that little break at the end. It was a wonderful game.” Vincent was quietly confident in her club’s chances at the flag. “When I saw the draw, I thought that we had a very good chance.” The final was Tweed Headʼs only loss of the tournament.

Mooloolabaʼs title win prevented Tweed Heads from continuing a perfect record in state pennant finals appearances. The Gold Coast side won back-to-back titles in their two most recent finals appearances in 2007 and 2008. The only side that has made more finals in recent years is Mackay Suburban, who won the title in 2005, 2006 and 2009.

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Fresh faces for QLD 2012

Freaky family

Queenslandʼs state squads are announced with many players gracing the list for the first time Selectors have unveiled a new look Queensland squad for 2012, with almost twenty players breaking into the side after missing out last year.

Queensland ladies singles Champion of Champions, Sue Brady capped off a successful 2011 with her return to Queenslandʼs open womenʼs squad.

The menʼs open side looks the most similar to 2011, with only two changes to the squad for the new year.

Junior graduates have flooded the under-25 squad, with Cass and Bolivia Millerick, Jessica Parolin and Lauren Wilson all turning 18 in 2012.

Colin Kelly (Edge Hill) and Brendan Egan join the 2012 menʼs squad replaceing Michale Breen, who stepped down early last year, and Mark Monro.

Stars like Brett Wilkie, Kelvin Kerkow, Nathan Rice and Mark Casey have all retained their spots in 2012, as expected. Jindalee has a new representative in the under-25s, with Jay Cross joining club mate and state Champion of Champion pairs partner, Des Can in the new squad.

All Schools Challenge Cup winners, Joel and Joshua Andersen, got the selectorsʼ attention in an impressive 2011, making the junior boysʼ squad for the first time. They are the only new bowlers to come into the squad, replacing Kyle Franks (Burnett) and Ashley Schmidt (Urangan). The womenʼs squads look very different in 2012 as many players change eligibility in the new year. Under-25 players, Amanda Haevecker, Pamela Rowe and Samantha Wilson have all cracked the open side this year as part of nine changes. Ann Maree Peart, Emma Spicer and Kristy Thatcher made the list for the first time, while Brenda Thompson and Nicole Williams were also included. 8 V35/#4

Only one bowler in their massive 2012 contingent, Brenda Thompson, was not in the squad last year, while the other twelve all managed to retain to their 2011 squad spots. The closest club to Helensvaleʼs number is fellow Gold Coast club Broadbeach, which provided five Queensland squad members.

Kelly has donned the maroon uniform numerous times before, while Egan is entirely new to the squad.

Kurt Brown from Cairns made a return to the under25 squad along with brand new members, Ben Savva (Wynnum Manly) and Eric Copeland (Mooloolaba).

more than double the squad members of any other club.

Cairnsʼ Kurt Brown made a return to the under-25 menʼs squad . Pialbaʼs Kiani Andersen makes her squad debut in the youth side, along with Toowongʼs Leelyn Cruddas. The number of bowlers changing divisions in 2012 opened the door for four new bowlers to join Queenslandʼs junior ranks. Jenny Boutell (Burnett), Taleah Putney (Gayndah), Connie-Leigh Rixon (Maroochy Swan) and Brittany Wiley (Binjour) are the lucky girls with the opportunity to follow in their predecessorsʼ very successful footsteps in their debut season this year. Gold Coast club Helensvale are the most heavily represented, filling 13 Queensland squad spots in the newly named sides. The club, which boasts numerous Australian representatives, has once again shown its strength with

Pine Rivers and Wynnum Manly are the best-represented clubs in the greater Brisbane area, with a respectable four representatives each. Bribie Island and Burnett also have four players in the squads this year, contributing mainly to the youth sides. Queenslandʼs open squad members will face their first major test in Aprilʼs Australian Sides Champs at Broadbeach Bowls Club.

Pialba siblings lead the way for families making QLD squad lists Pialbaʼs Andersen clan are doing their bit to inject some young bowling talent into the Queensland squads. Fifteen year old twins Joel and Josh made a name for themselves after winning multiple titles in 2011. Queensland selectors took notice of their performances and they both made the boysʼ under-18 Queensland squad for the new year. Their older sister, Kiani, proved bowling talent runs in the family, getting herself into the womenʼs under-25 side too. The Andersen trio might have the most family members in the Queensland squads, but they are by no means the only Queensland bowlers bound by blood. In fact, six sets of siblings were chosen in this yearʼs teams, including two twin sets. Cass and Bolivia Millerick are the other set of twins in the squad, with both girls making the under-25s this year. Gold Coast brothers Braidan and Joel Leese also retained their spots in the junior squad after a successful year last year. After teaming up with his successful older sister, Lauren, for a mixed fours title in 2011, 15 year old Brendan Wilson has joined the representative ranks in 2012, making the boysʼ under-18 side. Lauren also retained her Queensland squad spot as she moved up into the Under-25 womenʼs side. National boys singles bronze medalist, Rohan Wilson, and his 13 year old sister April have also been picked in their respective junior sides. Bribie Islandʼs Jason Carpenter was the oldest of a sibling pair to be picked this year, at 19, when he was selected in the under-25 squad for a second season. His younger brother, Nathan, also retained his Queensland spot in the boysʼ junior squad this year.

Queensland will be looking to defend their title as national sides champions at Broadbeach this year.

The trend of successful siblings could continue as players like six year old Kane Nelson, younger brother of junior squad member Jacob, move up the ranks.

They will face tough opposition from all the other states keen to steal their crown .

Pictured: Josh, Kiani and Joel Andersen with teammate Fran Emmerson after winning Pialbaʼs mixed fours championship last year.

Save the date 2012 is shaping up to be a massive year for Queensland bowls. Top-tier events such as the Australian Sides Championships will be hosted in our state as well as all the major state-level events. Here are the important dates to mark in your diary if you want to see some of the best Queenslanders in action.

February 19-25 - Australian Open Darebin City

March 23 -

BQ Annual Awards Dinner Kedron Wavell Services Club

31-Apr 5 - Junior State Championships Bargara, Burnett, Tantitha and Bundaberg Bowls Clubs

April 18 - 19 - Super 6 Broadbeach Bowls Club 21 - 24 -

Australian Sides Championships Broadbeach Bowls Club

May 14-25 - State Championships Gold Coast District

June TBA- QLD v NSWâ&#x20AC;&#x2C6;Test series NSW 10 V35/#4

July 2-4 - QLD v NSWâ&#x20AC;&#x2C6;Under-18 Test series Queensland

August 21-24 - Australian Indoor Champs Tweed Heads Bowls Club

September 22-23 - All Schools Cup Challenge TBA TBA -

Multi- Disability Champs Chermside Bowls Club

October 1-4 -

Aus Under-18 Champs Tasmania

13-14 - State Mixed Pairs Finals 20-25 - State Champion of Champion South East Queensland 26-28 - Aus Champion of Champions ACT TBA - Senior State sides TBA

November 24-25 - State Pennant Finals South East QLD 11 V35/#4

FROM

THE

CHAIR

B Y R ON C HAMBERS

Time to reflect on 2011 With Christmas and New Year celebrations behind us, I have finally had a chance to reflect on the events of the past year and changes to Bowls Queenslandʼs office bearers and structure. Cynthia Neeve was the chairman at the beginning of the year and must be congratulated for being the first woman ever to occupy the position. The bowling community held Cynthia in high esteem during her two years in office.

pleased with the announcement by finance director, Isobel Rhind, that affiliation fees had not risen over the year. BQ in the community Bowls Queensland CEO Keith Fullerton and a member of the board visited all of Queenslandʼs districts last year. In each area, they held an open forum, where bowlers could ask for information about the operations of Bowls Queensland.

Pirates pinch AER pairs Paul Jopson followed up a state pennant win by pairing up with Noelene Dutton to snatch the AER pairs state final and a trip to the Australian Open in February.

Almost all of the questions were answered on the day.

The Pine Rivers pair won through after rain pushed the start of play back by almost three hours at Algester.

Where more information was required to find a suitable answer, questions were followed up and answered at a later date.

The win capped off a successful year for the two, after Duttonʼs career-best run in the NSW Open singles and pairs.

On behalf of the board, I would like to thank them for their contribution to bowls in Queensland during their elected terms.

During the year, our development team managed to visit most clubs in Queensland assisting in areas such as administration, games and membership.

Dutton and Jopson won their first round match against Swiftsʼ Harold Dakin and Annie Lagin in two sets, 8-8, 11-4.

On the bowling green, our representative teams all performed well but had a mixed bag of results over the course of the year.

Our coaching and umpires committees worked incredibly hard to accredit as many coaches and umpires as possible.

Under the guidance of state coach, Bill Cornehls, our bowlers should taste plenty of success in the coming year.

State coach Bill Cornehls attended the pilot course for advanced coaches and hopefully this course will be available for all level 2 coaches this year.

The BQ Board and Sections Committee had a new look, with Cynthia, Jack Oliver and Sections presidents, Delores Gray and Ron Somerville, all opting not to stand for re-election in 2011.

Key changes The most significant event of 2011 was the adoption of the new BQ Constitution, which replaced an outdated document and now meets all legal requirements. The main changes to the constitution were to the Members Protection Policy and criteria for nominations to the BQ board. As well as this important step forward, district delegates were

Board nominations With the 2012 AGM to be held in March, nominations for the board and committees are now available for those wishing to apply for any position. If you wish to nominate for a position on the board, go to the Bowls Queensland website for more information and return all forms to the office by February 3.

The other first round casualties were Kandangaʼs Jack Horne and Puddy Dann and Laurie Axiak and Jennie Smith, all the way from Pomona. Pine Rivers faced a tougher prospect in their semi-final against Manlyʼs Maria Rugby and Robert Ayers. In increasingly difficult conditions, the Manly pair stood strong but eventually the Pirates triumphed, 12-9, 8-6. The other semi-final between Yeronga and Musgrave Hill was an absolute thriller, eventually going to a tie-break. As their second set wound down, the rain started to hit again, making it harder for either team to get on top.

Eventually, Yerongaʼs Dean Boyd and Denice Turner overcame Musgrave Hillʼs Yvonne Lovelock and Gary Mounsey, 9-7, 4-11, 4-1. The final began only 10 minutes after all the semis were completed, forcing the two sides to battle against the worsening conditions. Dutton and Jopson stayed strong, though, smashing Yeronga in the first set, 11-3. Dutton starred in the final, producing crucial bowls when needed, with skip Jopson providing some great support to keep them ahead in the match. Duttonʼs performance was so good that spectators could be forgiven for not noticing the sling on Duttonʼs arm due to a recent shoulder operation. Duttonʼs gritty determination showed as her injury made the closing stages more challenging than they already were. “Towards the end of the day it got a bit hard as it had been raining and it is a bit hard to wipe a bowl with one hand,” “But it is amazing what you can do when you have to Yeronga eventually succumbed to the Pirates in a close final, going down 3-11, 68 in the end. Pine Rivers will now play in the national finals as part of the 2012 Australian Open.

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Continue giving when Christmas is over By Christine Henry

Queensland Blind Bowlers Association (QBBA) celebrated the end of 2011 with their Annual Christmas break-up on the greens of Enoggera Bowls Club. Games of bowls were followed by a delicious Christmas lunch. QBBA had yet another successful year bringing home the National Toyota Le Mans trophy for the second year running. Two of their bowlers, Joy Forster and Jake Fehlberg, will represent Queensland in the disabled section of the Australian Open. Joy is the current B2 World Singles and mixed champion and Jake won the Bushies Best trophy as the best-performed vision impaired bowler in an impressive state championship debut, People with a vision impairment are able to bowl with the assistance of a Director who instructs them for the correct line of their bowl. These bowlers rely on this visualization for weight control. QBBA are incredibly grateful to those volunteers who give up their Monday mornings to help the blind bowlers play the game they love every week. The Association is continually on the lookout for anyone who can spare some time during our regular Monday games to help. Morning tea starts at 9am and play begins at 9:30 every Monday. World champion blind singles bowler, Joy Forster (right) jokes around with helper Bruce Jones at the QBBA Christmas party

Lovelock ladies set for 2012 Challenge Three members of Musgrave Hillʼs Lovelock family will be fronting up for the White Ladies in the 2012 Taylors Super Challenge.

She is a 2012 Queensland squad player and has had an incredibly successful 2011.

Her sister, Rosie, has also been chosen in the Gold team for the Super Challenge. Not willing to be shown up by her offspring, the Lovelockʼs mum, Jeannine has also snared a spot in the Gold Coast clubʼs Super Challenge side for 2012. Jeannine will be fronting up for the Bronze side in what will be a very exciting competition for the family in 2012. Taylorʼs Super Challenge competition starts on the weekend of January 21, with seven preliminary rounds. 14 V35/#4

If you can help out on any Mondays please contact President Christine on 32744774 or 0437330343

Brown gets Bribie Bowlers at Bribie Islandʼs Prestige Carnival had more than just tough opposition to compete against, with rain and wind putting a dampener on the play. The first two days of play were played in incredible winds and rain changed the structure of the pairs competition.

Yvonne, the most high profile of the three, has been picked for the Gold squad.

Yvonne won the 2011 state pairs championships with Charlie Harkenss and also reached the state finals of the AER mixed pairs competition last month.

Matches are generally finished around 12:30 and then lunch is provided too.

Duos played five games instead of a planned six after rain delayed play on day three of the carnival.

Yv o n n e Lovelock The finals begin on March 24 and 25, with the winner decided on the weekend of March 31. Yvonne and Rosieʼs Gold side will come head to head with North Toowoomba away from home in their first match of the three month long competition. Jeannine will also be playing the North Toowoomba ladies in round one with her bronze Musgrave Hill teammates. Selectors from the club said they believed the selection was a rarity in the sport of bowls.

Only one game of 16 ends could be played on their first day, while the remaining games were played as 12end matches. Because of the change in structure, Bribie bowls co-ordinator Laurie Broomhead said the carnival was able to stay on track. “We had some very wet bowlers but everything is still on schedule,” he said. The windy conditions obviously did not affect Ken Luck and his teammates as they rolled to a win in the fours competition. The foursome ended up with fifteen points, equal with

two other sides, but their superior margin of +48 handed them the title. Young gun Scott Dejongh and partner Peter Leon adapted well to the shorter matches to take out the pairs after a tight win in the final against John Dann and his partner, 16-14. Dejongh and Leon cruised to a semi-final win, getting a 19-5 victory, to give them confidence heading into the final decider. Cairnsʼ Kurt Brown was triumphant in the singles competition that concluded the week long carnival. Brown defeated fellow Under-25 player, Des Cann, in the final, 25-14. Getting to the final was a tough task for the 21 year old, with both his two other finals matches being decided by incredibly narrow margins. Cann had an easier run to the final, getting up 25-17 and 25-15 in his quarter and semi finals, respectively. He couldnʼt do enough to stop Brownʼs run in the decider, though, ending up with the silver medal.

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Premier league players changing camps Team changes are set to make Premier League competition tighter than ever. By PLQ Chairman Trevor Briese

As you read this, the 2012 Premier League could be just getting underway. While some clubs will be aiming to emulate their success from last year, other clubs will be hoping to be this yearʼs movers and shakers after underwhelming results last year. South Toowoomba Tigers have the same line up as last year. They should be around come finals time as the young bowlers in the team will be better for the experience from last year. The South Toowoomba club recently lost the final of the state pennants which should have whet their appetite for some bigtime bowling success. Twenty-three year old James Kelleher has just arrived home from his first trip overseas as part of a Queensland development squad in New Zealand and his talent looks to be improving Along with Jade Parkinson, Rob Hammond and Shaun Kiepe, the Tigers have the nucleus of what could be a champion team. The club will also be relying on their “Super Coach” Don Wharton to provide some guidance to their side this year. Capalabaʼs Comets have recruited well in the off season. Coming into their already experienced line up, which boasts Jamie Anderson and Brendan Egan, will be former Premier League champion Jeff Dolan and Joe Mills. The addition of these two players will make the going tough for any opposition. Pine Rivers Pirates has one of the youngest bowling sides in the Premier League competition this year.

16 V35/#4

But age is no barrier for this team as they have already experienced more top line bowls than many bowlers ever get. As the reigning state pennant champions, they will be keen to continue their success in the 2012 Premier League. Wynnum Manly Seagulls will once again throw their hand into the mix with a solid line up including Bill Cornehls, Brett Evans and Jamie Nordloff. To slightly bolster their ranks they have also signed up Jamie Smith, Anthony Williams and Trevor Broadbent.

and Nigel Smith, to make the Sharks potential premiership material this year.

Alex Matthews is a former Australian champion who will add plenty of experience.

Springwood Titans (previously Scorpions) have welcomed back Jason Constable and also signed Dale Jones and Sam Twinning.

Whatever the situation, you wonʼt find a more fighting outfit than the Magpies.

They were ever so close to the finals last year and will no doubt be looking for a maiden title. Brent Cheyne, Brad Coleman and Jim Rutherford are experienced enough and will settle for nothing less than finals action. Greenslopes Geckos are relatively unchanged from last year.

The Seagulls should improve from last year with these great pick ups and look to make a bigger run at the finals.

2010 is just a memory now and they will need their team to fire straight away so they arenʼt playing catch up.

The Bribie Island Breakers have signed the best twin bowlers in the country with the Millerick girls, Bolivia and Cassandra preparing to play in one of the toughest competitions in Australian bowls.

Chris Ryan and Scott McLaughlan will have their hands full this year as they attempt to get on top of their more fancied rivals.

They will have a wealth of knowledge at their disposal playing with the likes of Peter Leon, Ken Luck and Mark Ogorvec. The experience they will gain this year will only help their already blossoming careers. South Tweed Sharks havenʼt messed around during this yearʼs off season. Spurred by a poor finish last year, the Sharks have signed some big guns in preparation for their 2012 title tilt. Former Broadbeach player Sean Baker, as well as Dean McWhinney and Geoff Hawkens will be donning the South Tweed uniform to improve their chances. This talent combines with Kelvin Kerkow, Neville Jenkins

Ferny Grove Eagles havenʼt lured anyone into the club. Chris Hepburn and Jim Wise have stayed and will battle it out with whoever is put in front of their side this year. They may not have signed any big names, but they donʼt really need to. Sue Bond or Kerrie Wilson would outplay anyone in the Premier division so I think they could be elevated to the side this year.

Helensvale Hawks will be the outright favourites to take out the competition once again. Their star-studded outfit have proven themselves under the pressure of big games. Their opposition each round wil be eager to knock them off. With the players on their roster, they will be expected to win all their games this year. Mark Casey, Nathan Rice, Brett Wilkie and Lynsey Armitage have just come back from a very successful Asia Pacific Championships and are in form just in time for Premier League action. The first couple of weeks will prove a tough task for the successful Gold Coast side. They tackle the Comets in round one and back up the next week to take on the Tigers in a repeat of last yearʼs Grand Final. Kelvin Kerkow stated in his column last month that leads and seconds are hard to come by and good ones should persevere in those positions. So, leads and seconds, play well in this competition with state selectors watching and you could find you get noticed.

Hamilton Power is in a similar position to the Eagles.

For all the latest information on tournament, go to plq.com.au.

They will rely on their existing player strength to see them rise to the top again.

Thanks to all of our generous sponsors: Comfit Pro / Aero Bowls, Bowling Club Insurance Brokers (BCIB), South Tweed Sports Club, Club Helensvale, Hospitality Finance and Wynnum Leagues Club.

Their depth has been shown in their reserve grade performances but they will need to translate this into top level wins.

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One year on from the Queensland floods W

Goodna, Oxley, Jindalee and Toowong were all hit especially hard by Queenslandʼs devasta Goodna: Still waiting for council to provide a start date on clubhouse renovation

Goodna just after the floods

Cunningham club Goodna has seen the least progress of the flood-affected clubs, still waiting to start extensive renovations. Goodnaʼs secretary, Cathy Wilmington, said the lack of progress is disheartening. “We havenʼt received any more information about when it will

Goodna is still waiting to start work on their clubhouse start…I think itʼs disappointing,” she said.

ber, but they have not received any more information since.

“The majority of the frustration is coming from the board, because they canʼt relay much information to members.”

“They did say recently, that when the designs were at 20% stage we would have more information, but that hasnʼt happened yet,” she said.

Ipswich City Council advised the club of an expected finish date of April 2012, way back in Septem-

Goodna have finally been able to begin renovating their greens,

which had also been delayed. Wilmington said the club have been doing their best with the limited information they have received. “Everythingʼs going slowly but we canʼt do anything about it. If we want a club, weʻve just got to sit and wait,” she said.

Toowong: Six months away from finishing the reconstruction of their grounds

Toowongʼs land was destroyed in the floods

Toowong Bowls Club is six months away from completing renovations after the club was almost completely destroyed in the Brisbane floods.

Chairman, Les Chamberlain, had originally hoped the renovations would be finished inside a year, but delays have dragged the deadline out to 18 months overall.

The club have just received approval to start their final stage of a major restructure of the interior of their clubhouse.

Despite this setback, Chamberlain is happy with the speed at which construction has progressed thus far.

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Twelve months on, Toowong is only one stage away from completion

“Weʼve virtually completed repairing the club externally. Weʼre trying to do a fairly major restructure to the inside of our club and weʼve been held up a little by the Brisbane City Council,” he said “Our greens are up and running, weʼve been bowling and weʼre open to functions but weʼve still got to renovate the bar and the

kitchen area,” he said. Toowongʼs revenue has more than halved since the floods hit, but still financially stable, according to Chamberlain. “Weʼre only getting about 30 per cent of the revenue that we were prior to the floods, but thatʼs enough to keep us afloat.”

hen will the worst hit be fully operational?

ating 2011 floods. Twelve months on, how close are they to making a complete recovery? Oxley: Only three months away from reaching the end of massive renovations

Oxleyʼs greens were severely damaged by the floods

Damage caused by two metres of flood water in Oxley Bowls Club meant a complete club overhaul was necessary. Oxleyʼs chairman, Lindsay Hill,, said the club was close to getting back on its feet after a long year. “Weʼre getting [the club] back together again. Weʼve just reno-

vated our second green and just brought our first one back into play,” he said. “Weʼll have our second green operational enough for barefoot bowls within a week but wonʼt be fully back up and running for two or three months.” Hill said the club had struggled

Oxley is now only two months away from returning to full operation to source extra funds to pay for the renovations.

funds required to complete their necessary renovations.

“Weʼve had to struggle all year because we havenʼt been able to rent out our function hall,” he said.

“We tried very hard to run a bowls competition but no one in the bowling community offered to turn up. We sent out 150 invitations to every club between Tweed Heads and Rosewood and never got one reply. So, we had to do it on our own,” Hill said.

After receiveing a dismal response to an invitational competition, Oxley tried a number of different strategies to raise the

Jindalee: Celebrated the completion of their post-flood repair job in September

Jindalee went completely under in January

The west side club is as busy as ever now

walls and that was about it,”

community support.

clubs both in QLD and interstate.”

“Weʼve had lots of people donate money. Weʼve had more raffles than you could imagine,”

After a slow start, Jindalee chairman, Peter Read was happy with the clubʼs speedy recovery.

“It didnʼt feel quick in the beginning because the first thing we had to do was get rid of the asbestos and that took a long time, so that was pretty frustrating,” he said.

While many Queensland clubs struggle for members, Jindalee managed to top off its miracle year by recording a growth in membership in 2011.

“We had to do everything. We had the cement floor, the bare

Read also said the club had benefited greatly from immense

Flood ravaged club Jindalee completed their extensive renovations in September after being completely written off.

“We received very generous grants from Brisbane City Council, the state government and from the bowling community. We had some support from a number of

Read was not complaining about the clubʼs unique situation.. “Weʼre pretty happy,” he said. 19 V35/#4

Tweed Queen At only 17, Lauren Wilson is on her way to bowls stardom. After a terrific 2011 in the juniors, she is preparing to make the transition into the Under-25s this year. So Lauren, youʼve just finished an amazing year bowls wise. You won a gold and a silver at nationals, made the national development squad and narrowly missed out on a state pennants title. How does it feel? It was overwhelming. It was just one highlight to the next. Iʻve achieved what I wanted to achieve and I think now Iʼm ready to keep going. Iʼm feeling kind of comfortable and I feel Iʼve proven what I can do. What was the highlight? My two singles games against Renee McPharlin and Chloe Stewart [at the Australian under18 championships.] In our group, there was Chloe and Renee and they were the favourites to win. Iʼve played both of them before and Renee beat me by two and Chloe beat me by one in the [Golden Nugget] and theyʼve always been at the top. [Beating them and making the final], I canʼt even explain how it felt, it was just awesome. Then being told I was in the Australian squad was amazing. It was really surreal. I saw the other girls in play and I thought I had no chance. I think I still doubted myself back then. What happens now for you as a member of the national junior development squad? I think we have one or two training camps before the Trans-Tasman test series in March. Only two of us get selected. So, we have a week and a bit training camp and we do fitness, nutrition, eating plans. 20 V35/#4

then they take the best two from that to play in the Trans-Tasman. Other than that, they only pick a couple to go into the Australian development squad – the one that Kristinaʼs [WAʼs Kristina Krtic] in. They might also give us some extra training as well because weʻre the ones to watch. After making the Queensland side for the first time in 2010, did you try to take more of a leadership role in your second year in the team? It was really cool. I mean Cass [Millerick] was in there last year with me and sheʼs a really experienced bowler as well but I think playing the singles, I really had to step up. That was one of the big things for me, I didnʼt want to let anyone else down. I felt like people were asking me things and it felt good to be able to provide some support to the newer girls. Last year the girls did that and I wanted to do the same. This year youʼll be competing for spots in the Under-25 teams. You played a test for last yearʼs Under-25s when Amanda Bessell was ill. How did you find that? In that test, I was the youngest, the shortest, the most inexperienced. I was out of my comfort zone completely and it was a bit daunting, but I think itʼs like starting again. Youʼve just got to build it up, work on one thing at a time. Itʼll be hard, but Iʼm up for the challenge. That wasnʼt the first time youʼve played against older bowlers, though. You were the youngest player in the state Pennants final at the end of last year. Do you have any problems getting along with the older players? Yes and no. Some of them are just stuck in their ways but some of them are really, really cool. My

division pennant team Pam (Dearlove), Anne-Maree (Hardey) and Alice (Plowright), we get along really well and theyʼre really nice. Some of them are really nice, you just get the odd one here and there.

Getting out of school was the best thing for me at the time and itʼs worked out really well. My bowls careerʼs really benefitted from the decision.

A lot of girls around your age tend to quit bowls. Some of your former Queensland teammates, Carly Griffiths and Elizabeth McKillop are examples of this. Do you think you will move on anytime in the near future?

Has your passion for bowls rubbed off on those around you?

Not a chance. I want to keep going and see how far I can go. Iʼm serious about it and I love it.

It must be pretty tough trying to fit bowls between your study, though? How do you manage it? I finished school in year 10 and now I do uni two nights a week up at Southport. I finish my first year of a two year interior design course in February and I can extend that to three years if I want to. I was at school and I was doing ancient history and maths and I just wasnʼt really enjoying it. [This course] is more focussed. Now, I can play pennants on Friday and do my bowls on the weekend and I have the flexibility to do my schooling whenever.

What is it that you love about bowls? Iʼm so competitive [laughs]. Iʻm very determined to say “Yeah, Iʼve done this, where can I go from here?”. And if Iʼve already reached that point, Iʻll look for something else to do and I think thatʼs why I like bowls. I think bowls, in a lot of ways, is like any sport. But itʼs different because itʼs so untouched. I like things that are different, and bowls is definitely different from what Iʼm used to. I just love the challenge of it.

I think Iʼm the youngest here [at Tweed Heads Bowls Club] thatʼs taking it seriously. I mean there are lots of little kids that do juniors but no one else besides that.

The age group between 18 and 25, you see a lot of them just fizzle and disappear. Youʼd think the really, really strong ones would want to go on. Iʼve got the mentality that I think I really want to go further. Itʼs sad to see people go, even in the boys. I donʼt want to be one of those girls that just disappear.

colours youʼre in I guess. Iʼm a Queenslander at heart, though.

[When I first started playing], everyone was really surprised. But, my whole family plays now, which is cool.

Former Queensland players Kelsey Cottrell and Ben Twist have both moved to Sydney for their bowls. Could you see yourself leaving Queensland to further your lawn bowls career? Right now, in my situation, I think itʼs definitely good to stay on the coast. Iʼve still got lots of job opportunities here. I would consider a move north to Broadbeach or Helensvale because thereʼs more work in that area for me. But it depends on what my situation is at the time. Right now Iʼm comfortable here, but definitely if I got offered something major, [I would think about it]. I mean bowls is bowls, it doesnʼt matter what

I finished work yesterday [at Tweed Heads Bowls Shop] and my dad was playing social bowls and he goes “coach, come here” and it was short or something and I was like just do this, joking around and he managed to get a resting toucher. Itʼs great that we can all do it. My parents can sit on the sidelines and talk to other bowlers. I love how we can all be involved. It really brings us together. After such a fantastic 2011, what are your goals for 2012? To finally get a singles title at girlsʼ state. Also, to be one of the two girls picked for the trans-tasman test in March. Or, if I donʼt make that team for the Australian squad, at least do really well and be happy that I did the best I could. Iʼm definitely looking to make the Queensland under-25s.

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GREEN

KEEPING

B Y M AURICE H INTON

Why do your club’s greens run slow? Maurice Hinton President Gold Coast Greenkeepers Association

Sick of constantly asking your greenkeeper why your greens are running slow? This month we look into the main factors that change the speed of your club’s greens with Mark Dunn. As a greenkeeper, I know one of the most difficult aspects of the job is managing the speed of your greens.

On the other hand, dry conditions combined with low soil moisture will aid in achieving a fast surface.

It is quite difficult to make sure greens are at an optimal speed because they are so easily affected by various external characteristics.

A question often asked is why isnʼt our green running as well as the green at the club down the road?

Construction Problems

Some of these are natural, like the surrounding environment, and some might be artificial, like construction. All of us are regularly asked questions about this part of green keeping.

Many factors determine how greens run at different speeds on different days and times of the year.

Different types of grass can affect green speed. Tifdwarf Couch (pictured above) is used in most Australian greens while Bentgrass (below) is used on the greens in some more southern Australian statesʼ cooler climates.

1. Weather Conditions

3. Grass Types

I have found that generally the most satisfactory speed to this end is about 15-16 seconds.

4. Preparation and maintenance Weather Conditions

Depending on drainage efficiency, air temperature, humidity and cloud cover, it may take weeks for the green to reach the same speed as it was before rainfall. 22 V35/#4

There are times when no matter what a greenkeeper does to achieve a fast running surface, outside factors will always affect the end result.”

Green keepers are constantly trying their utmost to give members a green speed that they are happy with.

2. Construction Problems

Moisture from rainfall, dew and irrigation will soften the surface, causing more friction on the bowl and slow it down.

Greenkeepers are at times under enormous pressure to make sure greens perform to the level of expectation that many bowlers have.

Markʼs article really addressed the key issues that, I believe, all greenkeepers face when attempting to manage green speed.

There are four main reasons for a green to run slow:

A green will very rarely run fast in wet weather conditions.

Most grass must be cut higher than Tifdwarf resulting in a thicker, slower surface often found in southern areas of Australia and most of the world, with the exception of New Zealand.

Apart from all other factors, green speed may be affected by the way greens are prepared and maintained.

He wrote about the difficulties for greenkeepers if their greens are running slower than other clubs.

“Just about every green keeper in Australia is asked the question “Why is the green slow today?” at least a hundred times a year.

The most common turf grass used on Australian bowling greens is Tifdwarf Couch, although other turf varieties are used in southern states such as Bentgrass and a number of different couch types.

Preparation and Maintenance

I recently read an article by Mark Dunn, the head greenkeeper at Coolangatta Bowls Club on this issue.

Green Speed

Grass Type

The answer is simple, no greens are built the exact same way! Blocked pipes, drainage material compaction and fine soil are just a few causes of greens playing slow. Greens of more recent construction will usually perform more consistently than ones that were built decades ago.

As well as attempting to maintain a green speed that members are consistently happy with, greenkeepers aim to make it through the year with good grass cover. This is incredibly important because it helps to ensure that greens are up and running as soon as possible after any renovations over the quiet periods of the year.

The medical benefits of bowls Regular bowls matches could provide you with a variety of health benefits. Lawn bowls might be classed as a low impact sport but it can still provide many health benefits to its participants.

Wilkie

Wiz hits highest ranking

Bowlers can improve their physical and mental fitness through prolonged participation in their chosen sport. The federal Department of Health and Ageing lists lawn bowls as one of the best leisure activities to participate in as part of regular physical exercise. The key impact of lawn bowls on physical health is associated with movements in the game, specifically walking and lunging. Some lawn bowlers might be walking almost two kilometres over the length of a match. As well as these more obvious health benefits, lawn bowls can boost your level of Vitamin D. In sufficient levels, Vitamin D helps prevent diseases such as osteoporosis and other bone diseases, multiple sclerosis and potentially some forms of cancer. The benefits to bone health are important for many older bowlers

Playing bowls could improve your Vitamin D levels because, according to Osteoporosis Australia, decreasing bone density is observed as you age. This increases an individualʼs risk of developing osteoporosis and similar bone problems. Exposure to UVB sun rays is the most natural way to increase Vitamin D levels. Australian sunlight has a high level of these rays due to the position of the sun in our sky. Exposure to UVB rays can lead to sunburn or skin cancer but, in safe amounts, it is very beneficial.

According to a study by the University of Southern Queensland, lawn bowls in Australia especially, has the potential to sustain an individualʼs Vitamin D needs for bone health, particularly in the senior population. There are mental health benefits to playing bowls as well. Noeline Brown, the Australian Ambassador for Ageing says that staying active and engaged in a local lawn bowls club helps improve a personʼs quality of life, by keeping people in touch with their local community.

Aussies on top of Asia Pacific Two golds, five silvers and a bronze for Australia on the way to becoming both the menʼs and womenʼs champions at Asia Pacific Championships. Queenslanders returned from last monthʼs Asia Pacific Championships with a swag of gold and silver medals.

and went into the final with momentum on their side.

Australia made all but one gold medal decider, with the womenʼs pairs grabbing bronze.

On the same day, Australiaʼs all-Queensland menʼs pairs combination of Brett Wilkie and Mark Casey suffered a heart breaking loss against New Zealand.

Of the seven finals, Queenslanders featured in six and won two golds and four silvers.

The pair were locked in a tight tussle with their fierce rivals, after starting on the front foot.

Australiaʼs impressive performance saw them crowned overall winners in both the menʼs and womenʼssections.

The Black Jacks were holding one shot in the final end, when Richard Girvan moved the jack to the rinkʼs edge, to give them two shots and a measure.

Captain Lynsey Armitage teamed up with Rebecca Quail and Kelsey Cottrell to steamroll to a victory in the womenʼs triples over the Philippines, 16-6. The dominant combination finished second behind New Zealand after the pool stages, setting up a semi-final battle against Singapore. The golden girls won that 16-8

Australia were left ruing a lost chance when the measure went to New Zealand, handing them the win 17-16.

Rice and teammates, Aron Sherriff and Mark Berghofer, went down to Fiji 11-17. Despite having beaten the Pacific Islanders in the pool matches, the Aussies couldnʼt quite do enough to get on top in their decider, giving Australia their second silver. Armitage couldnʼt grab double gold in the womenʼs fours side, losing by two shots, 15-17. Casey and Rice avenged their losses in the menʼs fours final, nabbing their final chance at gold with Aron Sherriff and Mark Berghofer, 23-16.

Both Wilkie and Casey had another shot at gold, in the singles and fours, respectively.

Caseyʼs pairs partner, Wilkie, added a second silver to his haul, going down in the menʼs singles to Malaysiaʼs Safuan Said, 12-21.

Another Queensland man had a disappointing final, with Nathan Rice losing in the menʼs triples.

Kelsey Cottrell went down in the womenʼs singles too, losing by only four shots, 17-21.

Helensvaleʼs Brett Wilkie has moved up in the world, to a career-high world number two ranking. Wilkie, who previously sat in fourth spot, leapfrogged Malaysian Safuan Said to sit in the silver spot when the final rankings for 2011 were announced. Wilkie has had an incredibly successful 2011, helping Australia to a South Africa test series clean sweep and winning the National Champions of Champions just last month. Despite having such a fantastic year, Wilkie said his move up the rankings was a little bit unexpected. “I went up the list because there was a number of people that lost points. So, moving up the list was a little bit unexpected.” Wilkie is one of three Australian men in the worldʼs top five, with Lief Selby at number one and NSWʼs Aron Sherriff sitting in the number five spot. With Selby unavailable, the number two ranking made Wilkie the highestranked male at last monthʼs Asia Pacific Games. Wilkie said he did not feel any added pressure from his rankings move. “It doesnʼt make me feel any different. I just play each game as it comes so I donʼt really worry about that sort of thing,” he said. Wilkieʼs win in Octoberʼs Australian Champion of Champions puts him in with a chance of more ranking points in the 2012 World Champion of Champions in Cyprus next year.. If other World Cup results go his way, Wilkie could have Selbyʼs number one spot within his reach. 23 V35/#4

Secrets to retiring well If you’re thinking about retiring or even if you’ve already retired, make sure you’re not missing out on potential for a more secure, comfortable retirement. Meet with your local ClearView Financial Planner to ﬁnd out more. Here are some tips we’ve developed from over 20 years helping Australians retire well.

1. Know what you’re aiming for

you can accelerate your super savings through salary sacriﬁce. ClearView can help you make the most of opportunities.

3. Set up the best funding There are many ways to fund retirement – super and non-super investments and Age Pension. Did you know that you can maximise your superannuation just by having a good plan about how and when you access your nest egg?

Think about how you want to live in retirement and what you want to do. Be speciﬁc. You might want to upgrade your car, travel, pursue hobbies, help your family ﬁnancially or move into 50+ accommodation. Once you’re clear on what you want, you can work out an idea of required income. ClearView Financial Planners can suggest strategies to help this become reality.

4. Fast track super savings

2. Consider the best of both worlds

ClearView can show you opportunities, even if you’re only working limited hours.

Perhaps you might be best off working and drawing on your superannuation at the same time or working and receiving the Age Pension. You might be able to reduce your work hours without lowering your income or, you might be able to use a pension to supplement your income so

5. See the big picture

Since superannuation is tax effective, it’s worthwhile ﬁnding out the best ways to accelerate your super savings. As well as the potential to roll in lump sum amounts and the tax advantages of salary sacriﬁcing into super, there are other incentives such as the super co-contribution and the tax offset from contributing for a low-income spouse.

Did id you know? Queensland ueensland bowlers have ki advantage d t been ttaking of ﬁnancial advice from ClearView for almost 10 years.

can advise on a variety of ‘bigger picture’ strategies. Some people benefit considerably by cashing out some super and investing it in their spouse’s name. Others find that by restructuring their finances they can maximise Centrelink entitlements, minimise tax and achieve a better balance of risk and return with their investments.

Some people get caught up with one strategy – such as investing in property or growing a large super nest egg while their partner has very little – without considering the big picture. ClearView

Special offer extended for a limited time! S Even if you’ve already retired, a ClearView Financial Planner can review Ev your circumstances to make sure you’re maximising opportunities. yo • Have an introductory meeting with your local ClearView Financial Planner to ﬁnd out more – at no cost to you. Phone (07) 3210 3777. • Become a ClearView client before 31 March 2012, tell us your Bowls Club’s name, and ClearView will pay your club $100. Any information in this material is general information only and does not take into account your personal circumstances, ﬁnancial needs or your individual objectives. ClearView Financial Planners are Authorised Representatives of ClearView Financial Advice Pty Ltd ABN 89 133 593 012 AFSL 331 367, a subsidiary company of ClearView Wealth Limited ABN 83 106 248 248.

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Burleigh rolling on at 75 years young By Ken Spilsted

Burleigh Bowls Club will celebrate its 75th birthday in the new year.

Then, for those able to back up, Sunday January 15 will be an all-day barefoot bowls day.

Since it opened its doors on September 18 1937, the Gold Coast club has become an integral part of the local community.

Burleigh will be letting everyone have a go for free from 9am-12 noon and $4 from 125pm.

The 75th anniversary celebrations have been in the works for more than 12 months and all the planning that the committee have been doing will finally come to fruition.

These festivities are only the beginning of what is shaping up to be a mega year for the birthday club.

The club will be kicking off celebrations with two days of festivities on January 14 and 15. January 14 will see the club turn its clocks back to its early operating years, in a 1930s themed bowling day. Bowlers will dress in period clothing, with vintage cars on display and official visits from various political figures and prominent Gold Coasters. There will be entertainment from 4:30-10:30pm as well as finger food and wine tasting.

The club has organised some additional major bowls tournaments too, with a 2-day ladies tournament in May and a 2 bowls triples tournament at Easter time for the men.

Burleigh Bowls club in its early years (above) and what the club looks like after 75 years of operation on the Gold Coast.

Finally, the $10,000 Burleigh Classic will be held on the Queen始s Birthday long weekend. Burleigh will also be producing a 75th anniversary booklet to keep people informed about events happening over the year. If you would like more information, grab a flyer from Burleigh Bowls Club.

Cleveland stalwart celebrates century By Kay Pearson

Cleveland始s ladies celebrated the 100th birthday of long time member, Isabella Dallas last month. Dallas was born in Melbourne on December 20 1911 and joined Cleveland Bowls Club in 1964. She continued to play bowls until very recently and is also a club patron. In her speech at the club始s celebration in her honour, Dallas said the secret to her long life was probably the result of

healthy eating and staying away from cigarettes. Obviously these habits served her well. because she did not have to slow down until she reached 99. Dallas was presented with a 100-year medallion by BQ director, Margaret Vincent. Cleveland City Mayor, Meva Hobson, Cleveland Chairman Barry Davis and Ladies President Mary Grodecki organised the special celebrations for the popular member.

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V35/#4

UMPIRING WITH

JOAN BROTHERTON

A little bit about me As most of you would know, this is my first column for the Queensland Bowler. I am a fully qualified International Technical Officer and I am very excited to be able to give you more insight into the umpiring side of bowls. I began playing bowls in 1969 in Tennant Hills in New South Wales. I couldn’t get fully involved at the time because I was working full-time and also had two small children. However, when I moved to Queensland in 1985, I joined Redland Ladies Bowls Club and began to play more regular bowls, competing both socially and competitively. I have continued this regular participation and have also held many administrative positions since then. When I moved back to NSW in 1998, I decided to look into becoming an umpire because I found I had a bit more time on my hands. Also, my partner was an umpire and coach and he encouraged me to get involved. In early 1999, I began to study towards gaining a Level 1 Umpire qualification. My club at the time, Kurri Kurri, was in the Hunter Valley region of NSW and I had to travel to Sydney to attend all of the required tutorials during my study.

I was able to complete my written test and green exam in Scone, about two hours north of Kurri Kurri. I was re-accredited with my Level 1 umpiring qualification and then I moved on to complete my Level 2 course. I completed all of these in NSW and when I moved back to Queensland and joined Redlands, I repeated these courses here. In late 2009, a friend of mine from NSW encouraged me to apply to sit the assessment to become an ITO with BA. I was fortunate enough to be invited by Bowls Australia to sit the assessment, which I completed at Tweed Heads Bowls Club in 2009. My ITO qualification remains current from 2009-2014 and all things going well, I will be looking at renewing it. As a qualified ITO, I was appointed in the position for 2010 New Delhi Common-wealth Games and also officiated in the Asia Pacific Championships in Adelaide. As well as these two major international events, I have umpired at the Queensland Open since it began as well as the

Singles

others, particularly at my club and in the Gateway district.

I feel incredibly privileged to umpire and mark at competitions at all levels and I have had some wonderful opportunities to do so.

In the last five years or so, we have been conducting tutorials and measuring and marking workshops.

Australian Indoor Championships.

Umpiring the menʼs pairs semi final in the Commonwealth Games was a particularly fantastic experience and also a great opportunity to learn more about umpiring. I have also had chances to mark at high levels.. I have marked in both the final of the Queensland Open and the semi finals of the Australian Indoor Championships at Tweed Heads. My favourite thing about what I do is educating others. Every tournament gives me a chance for me to learn from other umpires and discuss problems and challenges we have had and different ways of solving them. I really value the opportunity to learn and I also really enjoy passing on what Iʼve learned. As well as officiating at International, National, District and Club level, I have been able to share my knowledge with

I am incredibly passionate about umpiring and about all the administrative work that I do in the sport of bowls. I am the Redlands secretary and am on the district board. I have been lucky enough to be officially recognised for my umpiring as well. I was runner-up in the 2011 Bowls Australia Official of the Year award. I was incredibly honoured to even be nominated for the prestigious award. These are just some of the things I have eexperienced and achieved in my umpiring career. When I first embarked on this journey, I never could have imagined that I would have been able to take umpiring as far as I have. I canʼt wait to share some of my experiences with all of you every month.

Photo of Joan: Bowls Australia V35/#4

DEVELOPMENT

B Y B RETT M URPHY

Get involved in 2012 Help us promote bowls in your regions As has been the case in the past two years, the development team are commencing the year with another new staff member. We received 15 high quality applications for the position, six of these were extremely well credentialed and, in the end, three of the applicants were interviewed twice to determine the successful candidate.. I am very pleased to welcome Steven Tong as the newest member of the BQ development team. Steven has been a bowler in the Gateway District since his junior days, so he has grown up in the bowls community and understands clubs and members. This month we will also be appointing another staff member on a contract basis to cover Vicki Stein始s absence. This person will cover the role until Vicki is able to return to work. We have also been successful in securing grant funding from the Department of Sport & Rec through their Jobs Plan to implement a regional development officer.

New Zones 2012 will see the first rotation of development staff through the new zones that we have established. This will give clubs and members the chance to meet a different member of the team, and will give the team members the opportunity to visit clubs in different areas. There are three zones and one team member will be responsible for each. This year, I will be looking after zone one (TFNQ, North West, North Qld, Caboolture, Brisbane and Gateway).

I would love to be able to have staff based in all major regional centres in Queensland.

We will receive more than $150,000 funding over the next three years. This extra income will allow for a development officer to be employed exclusively in the Downs District until at least 2015. This new employee will commence later this month and will be responsible for a cluster of five clubs in the district. This will be a great opportunity for the clubs involved to increase their participation and implement new programs. We will be implementing this with the hope that when future opportunities arise for funding we will be able to station a greater number of development staff ain specific areas around the state. Ideally, I would love nothing more than to be able to afford to have development staff based in all major regional centres so we could offer increased services to all clubs. The Toowoomba position is a big step in the right direction and in time I believe we will expand. Until then, though, we will still be visiting clubs as we have for the past two years.

Steven will be in charge of zone 2 (Leichardt, Central Qld, Mackay, Bundaberg/Port Curtis, Fraser & Sunshine Coasts and Brisbane North). That leaves zone 3 (Maranoa/Warrego, Condamine, Burnett, Southern Downs, Downs, Gold Coast and Cunningham) in Vicki始s (or her replacement始s) capable hands. Visits have already been penciled into the calendar and clubs will be contacted soon to confirm dates and times. Clubs in Rockhampton and surrounds will be first to receive visits to coincide with the promo van being used in late January. On our way back to Brisbane, clubs in the Gladstone area will receive visits. So, keep an eye on your club notice boards for dates for these visits. Promo Van plans Our promotional vans have provided clubs with opportunities to showcase the sport to

members of local communities in an endeavour to attract new players. The success of these vans can be seen by the increase in demand over the last year. Use of the vans doubled in 2011 and we already have numerous events booked in for this year. No Limits Multi Sport Expos will be held throughout the year in Brisbane North, Ipswich, Bundaberg, Brisbane South, Toowoomba and the Sunshine Coast. We will advise local clubs of the dates of their local expo when the time arises because these expos provide a great chance to pass on information about clubs to the attendees. We will also again be working with the South West Indigenous Network to attend sports expos in St.George, Goondiwindi, Roma, Charleville, Toowoomba, Gatton, Ipswich and Warwick. Our school visits are already in high demand, with a number of clubs booking us to visit schools in their local area this year. The van will spend time visiting schools in Blackwater and Emerald in March, and a week in Toowoomba in June. On top of these, we have a sports expo in Rockhampton at the show grounds on January 29 in which Central Qld District will be promoting the sport. We will be visiting the Clifton Show in February as well as the Logan City Live & Local Festival in March. I will let you know the dates of these in my monthly column and I encourage you all to drop in to have a look at what happens. You might even be able to lend a hand on some of these days to promote both your club and your sport. Of course, the BQ development team are always around to give you any more information about events in your area. If you would like further information on any of these upcoming events, or would like to book the van for an event you have in your area telephone the development team on (07) 3355 9988. You can also check out our website for general information, http://bowlsqld.org.

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C L U B L AW

B Y C URT S CHATZ

International employees could be the fix for your skill shortage problems As the Australian economy strengthens and the talent drain from industries, including the Clubs industry, to the resources sector continues, the skills shortage in Australia will quickly become an issue for employers in many industries. The Club industry is not immune. There are something in the order of 140 visa categories for overseas persons wishing to enter Australia. Relevantly for employers, the 457 visa program enables employers to address labour shortages relatively quickly by sponsoring and employing overseas workers if youʼre unable to find Australians to fill any of those positions. About 457 Visas This is a temporary business visa category. Applications for 457 visas require a triple application process which can all be lodged simultaneously. The employer must first apply for a Sponsorship approval and Nomination approval. Once these are approved, the employee can lodge their visa application (if it wasnʼt lodged at the same time as the Sponsorship and Nomination Application) and processing will continue. Typically, 457 visas take about 4 to 8 weeks to process, depending upon the availability of all information relevant to the applications and meeting the regulation criteria. Not all employees are eligible for 457 visas. They must have an occupation which is on the gazetted list of occupations for 457 visas. According to the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC), the top 10 most common occupations applied for in the Hotel, Hospitality and Tourism industries for the current financial year are: •

Cook

•

Chef

•

Café or restaurant manager

•

Hotel or motel manager

•

Pastry cook

•

Marketing specialist

•

Program or project administrator

•

Accommodation and hospitality managers NEC

•

Sales and marketing managers

•

Accountants (general)

If you have one of these positions available in your business and are unable to find a suitably qualified Australian citizen or permanent resident, you may wish to consider the 457 visa program and sponsor a suitably qualified overseas employee to fill the available position. 30 V35/#4

Beaches clean up

Many Hotel and Hospitality businesses have their first encounter with eligible overseas workers through the working holiday visa program. This program enables people from particular overseas countries, aged between 18 and 30 years, to travel to Australia on a working holiday. If someone is eligible and has the necessary skills to fill a position which you might have in your business which is on the gazetted list of occupations for 457 visas, then you can apply. Others may wish to transfer to Australia through larger international Hotel chains. Planning for a 457 Visa You should allow 2 to 4 weeks to prepare the Application paperwork for the sponsorship and nomination phase. There is a reasonably significant volume of financial information and position data to be prepared and collated as well as the application paperwork itself. The training benchmarks and requirements for employers are rigorously examined by DIAC and unless your business is able to meet these benchmarks, the Sponsorship will not be granted. The Nomination phase is more about the position to be filled and relates to job title, description of duties and responsibilities, qualifications required, whether any industry registrations or licensing is required to perform the position and related information.

Mackayʼs Northern Beaches Bowls Club dominated the Mackay District Bowler of the Year awards. Members of the club won both the menʼs and womenʼs Bowler of the Year categories. For the first time, the ladiesʼ award was given to two women, with Pauline Oliver and Robyn Devereux sharing the spoils. Oliver and Devereux have played together for eight years and the dominant duo had some great success over the last year. The two women won their clubʼs pairs, triples and fours titles as well as both the district and zone pairs and fours championships. Oliver and Devereux competed at the 2011 State Champion of Champion pairs and also managed to win one of their three matches. The menʼs award went to Queensland senior squad player, Chris Gee.

The main visa application by the employee requires evidence of any relevant qualifications and experience. Employees also need to have any required registration or licensing for the position, references from previous employers, evidence of qualifications, health insurance and need to undergo medical and x-ray examinations, as well as character tests and police checks which may be required in some but not all circumstances. For some trades, a skills assessment may be required. Permanent Residence Visas In some instances you may also sponsor an overseas worker for a Permanent Residence visa under the Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) and Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS) visa categories. If you are considering applying for a 457, ENS or RSMS visa for a potential employee, please call Tony Hogarth on 07 3224 0369 to discuss how we can assist you through the application process. Tony is an experienced commercial lawyer and also a Registered Migration Agent (MARA number 9357386).

Gee was runner up in the state champion of champion singles this year, going down to Ipswich Unitedʼs Ken Evans. The pre-tournament favourite eventually went down by only two shots in an incredibly tight match, 23-25. Gee had previously won the title in 2009 and also appeared in Champion of Champions finals in the pairs and fours division in recent years. He also won his club two bowl triples with his father, Ray Gee and father-in-law, Peter Riley. Pictured: (top): Mackay Women Bowler of the Year winners Pauline Oliver and Robyn Devereux. Above: Mackay Male Bowler of the Year Winner, Chris Gee.

TUNING IN

WITH

PAT M C E RLEAN

2018 Commonwealth Games a chance to drive bowls forward

Pat McErlean Presenter of RadioTABʼs Lawn Bowls World

To start off my first column, Iʼd like to tell you a little bit about myself.

On the final weekend, we had the chance to win gold in seven of the eight competitions.

We arenʼt presented with this sort of opportunity every week or even every year.

I have been involved with the TAB radio networkʼs bowls program for 20 years.

We competed in eight disciplines and we came up with a medal in each of those disciplines and we expected to win more but Australia did incredibly well.

Queenslandʼs last Commonwealth Games host club was Moorooka, in Brisbaneʼs south.

We broadcast across 75 stations altogether and we have a broadcast program in Melbourne on SEN as well. To kick off 2012, we had a blockbuster show with some top-tier Scottish bowlers. Players Willie Wood, Ann Dunwoody, Scottish captain David Peacock, Paul Foster and Scottish coach Robbie Dobbins all made a visit to the show on New Yearʼs Day. Asia Pacific Championships The Asia Pacific championships concluded in Adelaide on Sunday December 11 and proved beyond a doubt that the southern hemisphere has an incredibly strong talent base for bowls. Even smaller nations such as Fiji showed their talent, going home with a gold medal. The Fijians havenʼt managed that in a while and its great to see more nations stepping up to the podium.

To win two gold, in the womenʼs triples and menʼs fours, was a terrific effort. I would like to congratulate Steve Glasson, head coach selector, the coaching team and all the players who took part in the Asia Pacific Championships for a terrific performance. The blending of the northern and southern hemispheres in the world championships in November/December next year will be incredibly exciting. As well as all of the Asian nations that are doing so well, nations like Canada look like they could be really competitive next year. I believe that this competition is going to be an absolute beauty and canʼt wait for the tournament to get underway. Commonwealth Games 2018

The Philippines are stronger than ever and Malaysia competed very well in the championships too.

Congratulations to Broadbeach Bowls Club and the Gold Coast for winning the Commonwealth Games for 2018.

Australia won two gold, five silver and one bronze medal, which overall is a great effort.

In preparation for that big event, we must drive the sport forward.

Moorooka is still a great club but it never reaped the full benefits from the 1982 Brisbane Commonwealth Games. We have to grab the opportunity presented by the 2018 games with both hands and make hay while the sun shines, so to speak. We need to drive this sport forward by holding good lead-up competitions and creating plenty of publicity for our sport. Even though we are not an Olympic sport, which I think we should be, bowls needs to be featured during all of those kinds of events. It will be in London and, as bowls was founded in the UK, we should use it to promote bowls on the big stage. Most importantly, we all need to take advantage of major events and take the sport to an even larger level internationally. On behalf of the TAB radio team, I hope you all have a very successful bowling year and I wish you the compliments of a good bowling season. Donʼt forget to book your seats now for the World Championships because they will be absolutely sensational.

31 V35/#4

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32 V35/#4

Welcome to the Queensland Bowler’s January edition of Henselite’s Spot The Jack competition. Simply put an X where you think the missing jack was located in this head, fill in your details below and send this page to:

Queensland Bowler January Spot The Jack PO Box 476, Alderley 4051 The correct entry drawn will receive a free set of Henselite bowls. Winners can choose from a selection of bowls, colours and sizes.

Name................................................................................ Address............................................................................ ......................................................................................... State.................................................Postcode................. Daytime telephone........................................................... Entries must be received by January 31 and the winner will be announced in the March issue.

*Email..............................................................................

This Month’s Winner Congratulations to: Barbara Lynis from Westmar You will receive a free set of Henselite bowls of your choice from a selection of bowls, colours and sizes. * By giving your e-mail address you will receive a copy of the next Henselite eNewsletter containing details of discounts, specials, new products and bowls information. You can unsubscribe at any time

“The Doc” celebrates his 90th birthday McKenzie Park-Nerangʼs Cliff Diamond celebrated his 90th birthday in October last year.

Diamond spends much of his time at bowls, using a bowlerʼs arm with deadly accuracy.

Affectionately known as “The Docʼ, Diamond was a foundation member of the Gold Coast club. Diamond grew up in Cairns and then moved to Brisbane to study for his medical degree.

Club secretary, Kevin Goldie, who presented Diamond with a commemorative medal on the day, said he always maintained a positive and friendly attitude towards his clubmates.

In his medical career, he practiced in London, became a Royal Flying Doctor Service doctor and, most recently, managed a practice in Burleigh Heads.

“He shows the same level of compassion to everyone, a trait which made him a caring practitioner and a thoroughly decent man,” Goldie said. 33 V35/#4

COACHING

B Y M ICK C HERRY

Warm up, don’t roll up Practice routines lead to better bowling Hi readers. This is my first coaching column for the Queensland Bowler. Over the next year, I aim to use this column to encourage all of you, regardless of your standard of bowls, to employ some new and some traditional training methods. Over the past few years, I have attended numerous coaching sessions with some of Australiaʼs best coaches and I have always managed to take something new from every single one of them. Some of the ideas I have picked up Iʻve since adapted to suit either my own coaching style or the group I was coaching at the time, but I have had managed to have great success with all of them. Some of the ideas I will be discussing in this column I have picked up from others and want to thank them for their contribution to my coaching career and hope they understand that these ideas are just too good not to share.

Every training session should have a starting point and after a bit of stretching and ensuring that you are adequately hydrated.

the more you start with this exercise the less time you will need to establish the basics of line and length.

I always start my training session with the instruction “4 up and back”.

Take your time to ensure you are doing the same thing every time you step on the bowling mat.

My bowlers normally know whatʼs required and will simply remove the jack from the green and place the mat on the Tee and try to draw to the centre line, on both hands. Their aim is to draw 4 bowls to within 1 mat length (or 1 mat width if thatʼs too easy) of the centre line. If they donʼt succeed on the first two ends they keep going till they do. There is no set length, the only objective is to draw to that centre line. There is no point in doing anything else until they find the correct draw line. Within a few weeks all of them are able to find the line very quickly.

I have also developed a few of my own over the years and hope that you will try at least a few of them.

While they are finding the centre line they are also getting a feel for the pace of the green and again, without thinking about weight, they are able to adjust naturally to different greens.

A very good coach once told me that it is easy to improve a bowlerʼs performance by 25 per cent, all you have to do is make one bowl more effective each end.

Once the draw line is established, the next job is to draw with consistent weight. Once again there is no jack or no specific length in this exercise.

Of course thatʼs much easier said than done but the very first thing we have to do is to stop calling your practice a “roll up”.

With the mat on Tee again, draw four bowls on one hand, trying to group them as closely together as possible.

A roll up usually ends up with two or more people playing each other in a bit of a game.

You should try different lengths and different hands until you can consistently draw all four bowls close together.

There is no aim to it, there is no structure and there is no purpose, itʼs just a bit of competitive fun. What we should be aiming for is a training session, either with or without a coach.

Then you can start to move the mat up the line and as long as you keep the same angle on the mat you will find that you will always finish on or near the centre line.

It should have some structure and be what Ric Dickson called “Practice with Purpose”.

Concentration and consistency are the main ingredients to this little warm up and

If itʼs not working, see a coach to check you are making the same movements every time – most people start adjusting line or weight when things go awry when it is normally a variation in the delivery technique that is the problem. If you donʼt see a coach to fix this kind of problem, a very minor error in your delivery can become a disaster. You might change things to try to fix the problem and before you know it your delivery has gone haywire. Alternatively, you might find yourself in the situation where some well meaning bowler will give you heaps of advice as to where you are going wrong and inform you that you should be bowling like them. The fundamental problem with that is that every bowler has their own style and a good coach will work with that style and try to improve it, not change it, unless it is just not working at all. Once you have established the line and the pace of the green, got rid of a few cobwebs and have got some sort of rhythm going you will be ready for some serious training. To even try to train seriously without a proper warm up routine will mean that generally you are not prepared correctly and you will achieve very little. Now that you know how to warm up, next month we will start looking at what comes next: proper training.

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