November 2012

November 2012

Print Post Approved PP 400063/0010

ACTION PACKED

ISSUE CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS QUEENSLAND MIXED PAIRS SENIOR STATE SIDES

S S O R C & N CAN

L A N O NATI

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JUNIOR NATIONALS

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AUSTRALIA’S PREMIER LAWN BOWLS MAGAZINE Volume 36/2

Why have 14 world champions already switched to Aero?

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Dynamic

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Available with Zig Zag or AeroDentations or Plain Rings

Green suitability •13 seconds & faster • Grass & artifical • Designed for Australia & NZ As with every model the Dynamic performs at the finish without a hint of swoop, a cut or a dive as it reaches your chosen target Take a look at the top of the bowl and you will notice the bias

Optima

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The precise design of the bowl delivers a stability in the wind that was not previously attainable.

AeroBowls turn into the wind (not a gale) and take less grass with the wind. They don’t hook, come in at right angles or go straight when they should turn.

reason why many of the best have changed to Aero.

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The Dynamic’s arc trajectory is obvious to the eye. It’s a major

Available with Zig Zag or AeroDentations or Plain Rings Green suitability • 10 seconds & faster • Grass & artifical • Designed for Australia & NZ Using an Optima, all that changes is the amount of grass the bowl takes.

The Optima is designed to take between 10 and 30 cms more

TurboPro

falls away The form (shape) is machined to four decimal places, a level of accuracy not previously achievable.

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grass than a Dynamic at it’s widest point, dependant on green speed.

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As with all AeroBowls, the form is shaped to 4 decimal places.

For Bowlers that quite simply prefer This allows the Aero draw line to turn into the wind on the narrow taking a little more grass, nothing side and take less grass with the beats the Optima. wind on the wide side.

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Volume 36/ Issue No. 2

14

18

22

08

CONTENTS 08 Shake up at Helensvale

16 Cover Story

Aussie stars lose bowling contracts as powerhouse club decides to redistribute the wealth.

Brisbane mates Jay Cross and Des Cann Jnr have claimed Australia’s Champion of Champions pairs title.

10 Senior State Sides

18 Qld Champion of Champions

Queensland came tantalizingly close to scooping the pool at this year’s Senior State Sides.

All the action from Queensland’s 2012 Champion of Club Champions event at Bribie Island.

14 Bowlers’ Paradise

22 Junior Nationals

Does your dream holiday include palm fringed beaches, beautiful blue lagoons...and bowls?

Queensland graduated some of the state’s top juniors with a healthy medal haul at the 2012 national championships.

4 | queensland bowler

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Important Membership Information The Bowls Queensland office fields a large number of calls each day in relation to membership.

The majority of these calls can be categorised into three areas; resignations, joining another bowls club in Queensland and joining an interstate bowls club.

Bowls Queensland has some processes in place that need to be followed prior to any or all of these being requests being actioned.

Resigning from a bowls club

Should you wish to resign from a club, you are required to submit your resignation in writing to the club secretary. In return you should receive an acknowledgement of your resignation from the club.

It is important to note that if you do not resign in writing and the club pays affiliation fees to the district and Bowls Queensland on your behalf, you could be classed as a defaulter, which means you would be ineligible to play bowls at any affiliated club in Queensland.

Joining another bowls club in Queensland

Should you wish to join another bowls club, even if you are remaining a member of your original club, you will require an inter-club clearance (which is only valid for three months). The clearance will provide the following information: •

The name of the club you will join

•

Your Bowls Queensland membership number

8

• • • • •

(or it can be an open clearance if you are not sure of the new club) Your full name

The date you completed your financial obligations to the current club Whether you will be remaining a member of your current club

If you are an accredited umpire or coach and all the relevant details If you are under order of suspension or expulsion

This will provide the club you are joining with all the necessary information. It is important to understand that an inter-club clearance is not a resignation. You will still need to resign in writing if you are leaving your original club. An individual is not eligible to transfer to another club without an inter-club clearance and there is no exception.

Joining a bowls club interstate

Should you wish to join an interstate club, a Bowls Queensland inter-club clearance will not suffice. You will need to contact your club secretary and ask them to complete a Bowls Queensland Application for Interstate Clearance.

Once completed, the form will be forwarded to Bowls Queensland for action and the interstate clearance will be forwarded to the relevant state body.

Should you have any questions with regards to membership, we ask you to direct them through your club, who will then in turn contact Bowls Queensland should they not be able to answer your queries.

Keith Fullerton, CEO Bowls Queensland

Editor: Wayne Griffin 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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your say Dear Editor,

There is an ongoing issue that has upset many bowlers, that is the requirement to display the Bowls Australia Logo (BAL) on shirts, trousers, shorts and socks (when shorts are worn) when participating in pennant bowls.

Whilst I fully support the BAL being visible on the uniforms of the national representative team, I do not see the need for this requirement for those who compete only at pennant bowls level.

A large percentage of bowlers with whom I have discussed this issue have similar views to my own.

Many average social and pennant bowlers see the issue of the BAL as a money grabbing exercise by the national body. We do not see where that money goes.

One of the complaints arises from bowlers who retain perfectly serviceable, legitimate bowls clothing without the BAL.

Now, if they wish to play in the pennant competition (possibly the highest competition in which they will participate) they are forced to purchase new trousers/shorts, etc. sporting the BAL.

To allay this BAL issue, the national body should either, rescind this unnecessary dictatorial directive, or, relax the requirement for the BAL on all clothing during pennant bowls, or, for those who possess serviceable bowls clothing, the association should provide one free embroidered BAL to be attached to that clothing.

What must be remembered is that pennant bowlers are playing for their club, not as part of a national representative team.

As the pennant season only runs for about two months, the BAL directive seems grossly unfair and an unwanted added expense.

There are thousands of affiliated bowlers in Australia, where do all those affiliation fees go?

Where do the BAL fees go?

What can we expect in the future? The BAL on belts, hat-bands, hats, shoes, (undies perhaps)?

Will we end up with a dress inspector like the ladies of the past and will there be penalties for non compliance? Banishment perhaps?

This issue has the potential to drive people away or for bowlers to play only social mufti bowls.

Barefoot bowlers pay next to nothing to play, why should registered and affiliated bowlers be further penalised?

I am sure that many bowlers would appreciate a response to this issue.

Peter Johnson, Robina

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 Subscriptions PO Box 476, Alderley, Qld 4051.

queensland bowler | 5

NEWS

Talented Trev can't be beaten Wavell Heights’ Trevor Yates has taken all the glory in the club’s last standalone championships.

Yates took out the titles in all disciplines, including his fourth consecutive singles crown, in the club’s final championships before a merger with Clayfield.

Being the last to take out the titles gives Yates the unique knowledge that his record will remain intact.

“It is very special to me to go out and have the four championships,” he said.

“I’ll be the last one to win that, so no one can beat me on that. It gives me a chance to retire on top.”

Yates paired with John Blanch in the pairs, while Kevin Stanton and Tom Richardson were his partners in crime for triple, with Don Cox making the trio a championship quad in the fours.

QUEENSLAND STARS IMMORTALISED Australia Post launches new commemorative bowls stamps Queensland’s Mark Casey and Brett Wilkie will be immortalised in stamp collections around the country, following the launch by Australia Post of commemorative stamps ahead of the World Bowls Championships in Adelaide this month.

The Gold Coast clubmates will feature on the new $1.20 stamp, while their Aussie teammates, Tasmania’s Rebecca Quail and New South Wales star Natasha Van Eldik, take pride of place on the 60 cents edition.

“It’s a real honour and great publicity for the sport,” said Casey following the launch. “Millions of Australians will see these stamps.”

Club Helensvale champ Brett Wilkie flew straight back from a 2012 World Champion of Champions demolition derby in Cyprus into an Australian squad training camp in Adelaide for the upcoming World Championships.

“I haven’t even been home yet, I went to Cyprus by myself, it wasn’t a holiday, I was there to do a job,” Wilkie said.

“I landed back in Australia on Tuesday (Oct 30), spent the night in Sydney and then flew straight to Adelaide on Wednesday to catch up with the rest of the national squad.”

The training camp ended on November 2 and Wilkie was looking forward to flying back to his family on the Gold Coast.

“It was very disappointing not to make the finals in Cyprus, I missed out on 6 | queensland bowler

“I had the honour previously in 2006 after the Commonwealth Games, everyone who won a gold medal in Melbourne was put on a stamp.”

“I was part of the gold medal winning triples team so I was on a stamp along with Kelvin Kerkow who won gold in singles and Lynsey Armitage and Karen Murphy for gold in the pairs.”

At a training camp in Adelaide earlier this month, Casey was more than a little surprised to see himself larger than life on the side of a tram.

“That’s never happened before, there I am, a whole body shot on the side of a tram to publicise the World Championships.”

“First the stamp and now the tram, it’s pretty awesome.”

No rest for jetsetter Wilkie FROM CYPRUS TO ADELAIDE, AUSSIE ACE IN DEMAND a count-back on sets...Canada won through on a tiebreak,” Wilkie said.

“It’s made me really hungry going into World’s.”

Despite some resounding wins against Botswana, Japan, Israel and Guernsey, Wilkie was outplayed by England’s David Holt, Spain’s Keith Jones and eventual winner, Malaysia’s Hizlee Abd Rais, to be relegated to fourth place in his section and ninth place overall.

Not at all where the 2009 World Champion of Champions wanted to be.

Wilkie said Cyprus was an amazing place to play, an island paradise on

the Mediterranean Sea and a complete contrast in scenery to the last place he played World Champion of Champions three years ago in Ayr, Scotland.

“Cyprus was beautiful, an amazing setting but the greens were extremely tricky, synthetic and not true, every rink was different,” he said.

Wilkie will be back playing on his favourite surface, grass, at World’s.

“I picked up a few things on some of the players in Cyprus that I might be able to use to my advantage in Adelaide,” Wilkie said, although he wisely chose to keep his first-hand intel to himself. v36/2

What a difference a dog makes!

Wangaratta Bowling Club at Queens Beach in Bowen has a regal champion.

Earlier this year, groundsman Barry ‘Bazza’ Wilson got himself a small shih tzu - maltese companion dog.

At first the club’s 90 members weren’t too sure about a dog around the greens, but Regal turned out to be great for business.

He’s been perfectly trained by Bazza and wins hearts with visitors.

If a visiting dog rollicks anywhere near the greens, Regal sits quietly on the edge showing his disdain for such inappropriate behaviour.

Not only has Regal proved to have class, he’s become a real local hero.

For a little dog, he’s got a big bark.

Teenage vandals have Bazza previously targeted the club and but on their most recent outing, Regal they didn’t reckon on Regal.

Regal’s bark at the first sign of trouble alerted Bazza and police were quickly on the scene, apprehending one of the trouble makers.

Regal has been made an honorary member of Wangaratta Bowling Club.

Well done, Regal!

Shot clock will spice up indoor encounters

Falky begins a new chapter After almost 50 years in the job, Courier-Mail bowls columnist, David Falkenmire, has finally put down his pen.

Falkenmire retired as sub-editor at Queensland’s largest daily newspaper last month, ending a journalism career that spanned 45 years and two states.

“I’ll be sad to go,” the 63-year-old Toowong bowler said in the days before his retirement. “I’ve been doing this job for a very long time, but with the way things are going in the newspaper industry, I think this is a good time to go.”

Starting as a cadet in his home town of Tamworth, Falkenmire worked for numerous papers in the News-Limited group across Queensland and New South Wales, including the Courier-Mail, The Australian and the now defunct Sunday Sun. In an interview with the Queensland Bowler earlier this year, Falkenmire spoke about the love he had for his job as a subeditor at the Courier-Mail.

“Work’s been almost a hobby…I’ll find it really hard to give it away,” he said.

Over his career, Falkenmire covered many major international events, listing the 1984 LA Olympics among his highlights.

After falling in love with the sport of bowls, he began writing the hugely popular Courier-Mail bowls column in his spare time, a column that has now run for 14 years.

“I started writing it in November 1998… and I’ve really enjoyed it. It’s enabled me to keep my hand in with writing. When you get on the editing side, most of your work is editing other people’s copy and putting stories together, so you lose some of your own writing skill.

“It’s just gone so quickly. I can’t believe I’ve been doing it this long.”

Bowls won’t be lost to the paper entirely, with the weekly column taken over by experienced bowls reporter, Renard Peters.

B

asketball and bowls don’t have too much in common, but the World Bowls Tour is taking a leaf out of the hoops rule book to speed up matches in the 2012 Scottish Open.

For the first time ever, the competition will include a shot clock, giving players only 30 seconds to play their bowls.

Looking to the future: David Falkenmire retires as Qld’s top bowls columist

Meanwhile, Falkenmire is already making the most of his retirement, travelling to Amsterdam recently with his wife, Leigh, for the marriage of their son, Ben.

The clock will begin when the previous bowl comes to rest and the bowl must leave a player’s hand before the 30 seconds runs out.

The introduction of the clock means players will not have time to visit the head between shots, rather relying on their instincts to make the right calls.

Players will still have some opportunity to make the trip down the green, though, with three 60-second time-outs allocated to each player or team throughout a match. v36/2

queensland bowler | 7

NEWS

Aussie stars lose lucrative deals Big names could be lost to Queensland as Helensvale cuts contracts Two of Australia’s biggest gun bowlers took a shot to the heart when Club Helensvale made a snap decision to discontinue its sponsorship contracts recently.

Mark Casey and Brett Wilkie were at an Australian squad training camp in South Australia when the envelopes arrived at their Gold Coast homes.

“It came as a huge shock, I was very disappointed,” Casey said.

Casey’s wife Trhysa opened the mail on November 2 and immediately rang her husband in Adelaide.

“Word spread fast around the Australian camp, it’s hard to keep a secret in that environment,” Casey said.

“Apparently there was a board meeting on the Monday, a couple of new directors, and the letters arrived out of the blue on Friday saying our contracts wouldn’t be renewed.”

Casey, one of a handful of Helensvale sponsored stars, posted “looking for a new club” on his Facebook page the day after the shock letter.

By Monday, November 5, he was still upset but comforted by dozens of messages of encouragement and support.

“I’ve had a great history and enjoyed lots of success during my time at Helensvale,” Casey said of his more than eight years at the club.

“I need time to think about my options and work out what is best for my family and me going forward.”

Within hours of the news going viral, Casey had options, some serious and some wishful thinking, from colleagues all along the eastern seaboard.

The former Melbournian moved to Queensland 15 years ago and now considers the Gold Coast home.

“We love it here, we don’t want to live anywhere else,” Casey said of the life he and his young family have created living at Pacific Pines.

Helensvale general manager Len Brunt said it was in fact Casey who had brought the matter of player sponsorships to a head by seeking a clarification about his future.

“Mark said he’d had some interest from Broadbeach, the host club for the 2018 Commonwealth Games,” Brunt said.

“We’d toyed for a number of years with the idea of replacing player sponsorships with a more broadly based incentive payments scheme and at the board meeting last week (October 29), we decided the time was right.”

Brunt said there was no financial hardship behind the decision.

“We’ve just done a $1.5 million renovation and the club is in strong shape,” Brunt said.

“But we lose about half a million dollars each year on the bowls side and the board has to make sure we remain viable.”

Brunt said the new incentives payment system would be “a helluva lot fairer to bowlers knocking on the door of Queensland and Australian rep sides.”

Players prepared to make themselves available for various club rep duties would be eligible for daily playing bonuses for state or national teams (Queensland $200/

day up to $1000/tournament, Australia $500/day up to $2000/ tournament).

Brunt said player sponsorships currently cost the club around $120,000 each year and he expected a similar total amount would be paid out under the new scheme but spread around.

Some of the bowlers currently on sponsorship deals until December 31 also have paid jobs at Helensvale, including Australian reps Lynsey Armitage and Nathan Rice and Queensland reps Anthony Kiepe and Shahn Griffiths.

Casey and Wilkie have ongoing roles with Bowls Australia.

Many Facebookers objected to the way the stars were notified, by mail, instead of in person.

Brunt was deluged by more than 40 calls when word got out, but he said there was no disrespect intended.

“We’ve done nothing to be abused about, on the contrary, we’ve helped keep these great players in Queensland for many years, they could have been snapped up much earlier by big clubs interstate, like St John’s Park or Cabramatta,” Brunt said.

Mark Casey and Brett Wilkie could be seeking new clubs.

Photo courtesy of Bowls Australia

8 | queensland bowler

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NEWS

DISAPPOINTMENT AS MAROONS COME SO CLOSE IN QUEANBEYAN

Queensland’s Senior State Sides campaigns were dealt a double blow last month, with the men and women suffering a similar fate in Queanbeyan.

Both sides went into their final test confident of taking the title, having come through six rounds with just one loss each, to West Australia.

And both were left disappointed when archrivals New South Wales dismantled their championship hopes.

Queensland had plenty of momentum heading into their match-up with the Blues.

The women were two points clear at the top of the competition ladder, while the men were running second, just one rink win behind NSW. However, it all fell apart against their fiercest rivals, as the Blues dismantled Queensland on both greens.

Patty Elliot’s side managed the only win for the women in their final rubber, with an 18-16 victory.

However, 16-20 and 22-23 losses to Jewel Smith-Franklin and Eryn Finnigan saw the Queenslanders fall at the final hurdle for the second consecutive year.

Smith-Franklin, in her first trip to the Senior Sides competition, said she would love a second shot at NSW. “When I stood and thought about it afterwards, I would love to have replayed the game.

“We did have it, it definitely was ours to win. We didn’t even need to win the game, we just needed the two rinks.

“I think you have to say that they probably hung in there and played it better than us in the end. “ Despite the heartbreaking conclusion, Smith-Franklin said the most disappointing part of Queensland’s second runner-up finish in as many years was their loss to WA.

Queensland’s Over-60s women: (Back L-R) Eryn Finnigan, Shirley Sampson, Florence Keft, Thelma Sanday, Ann Russell, Patty Elliott, Jewel Smith-Franklin. (Front) Jenny Blundell, Teresa Armitage, Gail Crompton, Ron Chambers (BQ Chairman), Margaret O’Rourke, Lyn Harrington, Betty Andrewartha (Manager).

Last year the women’s side fell one rink short of eventual champions WA after firing early in the competition.

Luck could not fault the performance of his side through the tournament, putting the runners-up finish down to bad fortune.

“That was the game that really let us down,” she said.

Aside from the disappointment of being so close, Luck, one of the veterans of the Queensland side, said this year’s event was the best yet.

It was a case of history repeating itself this year, with the previously win-less Sandgropers delivering Queensland’s first loss of the tournament in round four.

“We knew they’d come out fighting…we just didn’t seem to have an answer that day.”

Smith-Franklin backed the girls’ abilities to rebound next year, for a third shot at the title.

“Next year will be lucky, third time lucky.

We couldn’t have got any closer.”

For the men, their bid for an historic fifth title came crashing down in the last round, despite winning on two of three rinks.

Queensland needed a clean sweep in the final match against the Blues, but once Nev Jenkins’ rink fell 16-27, their title hopes were dashed.

Geoff Hawken managed a 21-19 victory and Ken Luck got up 20-16, but it was not enough to take the trophy away from NSW.

“It was a pretty good performance all round, I thought. We’ve done pretty well, but that’s bowls. On the day NSW went through undefeated so they were deserving winners.”

“The greens were absolutely beautiful.

They were fast and true and everything about it was really, really good. The only disappointing part was that we didn’t win.”

The competition has grown from humble beginnings, when only Victoria and Queensland competed, to become a truly national competition, with South Australia the last state to join the fray this year.

“It’s turned into probably one of the best competitions I’ve ever played in really,” said Luck, who was named Queensland’s Player of the Series.

Smith-Franklin said the existence of a competition purely for over-60s gave some of the veterans of the sport a legitimate representative opportunity they might not otherwise have.

“It’s really great that we’ve got something to aim for at that age. Otherwise, you feel you’re just sort of playing bowls and there’s nothing really to aim for.”

Musgrave Hill’s Patty Elliot, who made her Queensland debut in Queanbeyan, was named the women’s Player of the Series.

Pictured left: Qld’s Over-60s men (back row from L-R) Jack Horne, Geoff Hawken, Nigel Smith, Ken Luck, Chris Gee, Bob Dobinson and Lou Dalakis. (Front) Brendan Hoey, Geoff Williams, Kerry Flint, Ron Chambers (BQ Chairman), Geoff Brown, Nev Jenkins and Lew Breen (Manager).

10 | queensland bowler

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From the Chair

with Ron Chambers

AUSTRALIAN UNDER 18 CHAMPIONSHIPS

I had the honour recently of attending the 2012 Australian Under-18 Championships at North Launceston Bowling Club in Tasmania.

Queensland’s bowlers were quite successful at this year’s nationals, with Rohan Wilson and Sean Ingham winning gold in the boys pairs, while Natasha Jones won gold in the girls singles, before teaming up with Madison Styles for another gold medal performance in the pairs.

Rohan and Sean also won bronze medals at the event…Rohan in singles and Sean with his fours team of Nick Gosley, Braidan Leese and Joel Leese. The girls team of April Wilson, ConnieLeigh Rixon, Rikki-Lee Kemp and Madison Styles also got a bronze in the fours.

All of Queensland’s bowlers played very well throughout the tournament and the experience gained by the new team members will stand to them in future events.

At the finals presentation Natasha Jones and Braidan Leese were rewarded for their outstanding performances with selection in the Under 18 Australian squad.

BOWLS AUSTRALIA AGM

The Bowls Australia AGM was held immediately after the Under 18s Championships in Launceston.

On behalf of Bowls Queensland I’d like to congratulate Nigel Smith from South Tweed on being elected to the board of BA.

With his experience at management level, he will surely be an asset to the national body.

Robert Webb retired as a director of Bowls Australia. His input will be missed, but we wish him all the best for the future.

Joe Aarons was re-elected as president of BA, but has since been elected World Bowls president, leaving a casual vacancy on the BA board.

SENIOR SIDES ROUND ROBIN The 2013 Senior State Sides round robin was held in Queanbeyan, ACT last month.

Queensland’s men were going for an historic fifth title at the event, while the women were hoping to better their runner-up finish from last year.

Unfortunately, despite a fantastic campaign, neither side accomplished their goal, with both the men and women finishing runner-up to NSW. Congratulations to all Queensland players on a great effort, especially Ken Luck and Patty Elliot, who were named players of the series.

On behalf of the board and the players I would like to thank team managers, Lew Breen and Betty Andrewartha, for their efforts and organisation in Queanbeyan.

CHAMPION OF CLUB CHAMPIONS Congratulations to all those who took part in this year’s Champion of Club Champions state finals at Bribie Island Bowls Club.

To reach the state play-offs is a fantastic achievement in itself, but to come away with a title is something many club bowlers could only dream about.

Despite the windy conditions, spectators were treated to some magnificent bowls throughout the competition.

A big thank you must go to all the staff, officials, volunteers and green keepers at Bribie Island for once again making this a fantastic event.

Best of luck to all those advancing to the national Champion of Champions event next year.

This position has now been filled by Brett Duprez, with Des Skinner being appointed president of BA for the next twelve months.

Ron Chambers BQ Board Chair

12 | queensland bowler

Little club that

ROARS

It’s been a big centenary year for Yeronga Bowls Club in Brisbane’s inner south west, with the club building on a renewed sense of relevance to the local community after the devastating floods of January 2010.

The greens at Yeronga weren’t affected, but the club became a community hub for flood affected bowlers and citizens who came for a meal, a hot shower, or just to charge a mobile phone.

Since then, the club has built on a renewed sense of pride and relevance to the local community.

“We’ve had success on the greens, success inside the club and other clubs can do the same, with the right amount of passion and local support,” secretary Dean Boyd said.

“We’re the little club that roars,” club president Alan Kennedy added.

In 2012, the Yeronga club celebrated 100 years with a huge two-week bowls carnival.

The community-minded club has also raised more than $40,000 for the RSL over 74 years of its annual Armistice Cup fours carnival.

This year’s 75th Armistice Cup will be held on Remembrance Day (Nov 11) and the field is filling up fast.

If you would like secure a spot contact Dean Boyd 0415 718 679.

v36/2

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BOWLERS ’ PARADISE MAKE YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE AT THE 2013 QUEENSLAND STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

Nominations for the Bowls Queensland 2012 Annual Awards are now open.

Any member of any bowls club can nominate someone they feel deserves consideration in categories such as club player of the year, junior player of the year, bowler with a disability player of the year, volunteer of the year, club of the year (small, medium, large) and a Hall of Fame inductee for service to the sport.

Bowls Queensland CEO Keith Fullerton said there was no one strike rule.

“You can nominate more than one person from any club in any or all categories,” Fullerton said.

“”

The more nominations we receive, the more meaningful the awards He said the big clubs in the south east corner were usually the most pro-active in sending in nominations but he wanted to hear from clubs all over the state to ensure the Queensland awards were truly representative.

“The more nominations we receive, the more meaningful the awards are.”

Information and nomination forms are available on the Bowls Queensland website (Annual Awards).

Nominations must be received

by Bowls Queensland by COB on Friday, January 18, 2013.

“The earlier people get their nominations in, the better,” Fullerton said.

“People tend to get busy over the holiday period and forget they wanted to nominate someone so best to do it now.

If you like the idea of a bowling holiday on a tropical island famous for glistening white sands and palm fringed blue lagoons, start planning now for next year’s Queensland State Championships.

For the first time ever, the prestige event will culminate in a big time battle of the sexes with a luxury prize.

The $6000 Cook Islands Carnival Challenge will pitch the newly crowned men’s and women’s state singles champions against each other for the chance to win a dream holiday for two.

Bowls Queensland, Cook Islands Tourism and Uplift Tours and Travel at Redcliffe have joined together to promote the Queensland State Championships and a Cook Islands escorted bowls tour due to leave Australia in July 2013.

Bowls Queensland CEO Keith Fullerton said it was an exciting initiative and an extra incentive for Queenslanders to nominate for the state singles competition.

should be a fun match to watch,” Fullerton said.

Nominations for the 2013 Queensland State Championships open next month. (The entry form will be in December Queensland Bowler magazine and on the Bowls Queensland website.)

Any bowler affiliated with an Australian bowls club is eligible to nominate for the State Championships.

It’s a chance to rub shoulders with some of the best in the sport and a learning experience for many, with play across four disciplines (singles, pairs, triples and fours) over a week of bowls action.

The $6000 Cook Islands bowls tour prize features two places on an escorted tour, including airfares, accommodation, sightseeing and bowls.

The tour leaves Australia on July 26, 2013 and returns on August 4.

“May is our big bowls month in Queensland, first the District Sides competition from May 8-11 and then the State Championships from May 13-21,” Fullerton said.

Hundreds of bowlers from around Queensland combine bowls with a holiday break each year in May and in 2013, the Sunshine Coast is host district.

Fullerton said a number of Queensland Bowler magazine advertisers had come together to support the battle of the sexes play-off.

“The Cook Islands Carnival Challenge prize will be icing on the cake for one of our big winners and it

“Show your clubs, volunteers and bowling mates that you appreciate their efforts.”

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It’s not only the ultimate winner of the Cook Islands Carnival Challenge at next year’s State Championships who will have a chance to be part of the first ever escorted bowls tour to the Cook Islands.

The Cook Islands Open Fours Carnival hopes to attract as many as 200 visitors from around Australia, with places for up to 140 bowlers on the greens at the Rarotonga Lawn Bowling Club.

Located halfway between Brisbane and Hawaii in the Polynesian triangle, the Cooks has an idyllic climate, warm welcoming people, plenty to see and do and a safe, fun environment to explore a rich culture.

Its currency is New Zealand dollars, so your money stretches further.

Cook Islands Tourism Corporation general manager Kerryn Cook said the bowls tour had been organised due

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bowling heaven

experience it for yourself

to demand from visitors to the stunning Cook Islands who were also bowlers.

“We’ve combined with Uplift Tours and Travel at Redcliffe for this inaugural bowls escorted group tour because they have experience in escorted group travel to the Cook Islands and they’ve had numerous requests to put together an itinerary especially for bowlers,’’ Ms Cook said.

The Cook Islands bowls tour has been arranged to coincide with the colourful annual Independence Day celebrations.

It’s being billed as `the friendly games’ with a social games day in island attire and two half-day bowls carnivals.

Ms Cook said Cook Islands bowls tour visitors could

expect a “magnificent holiday experience featuring great bowls and unique island experiences”.

Book by December 15 and get a $150 early bird discount.

The 8 nights escorted tour (July 26 - August 4, 2013) includes airfares, accommodation, meals, sightseeing and bowls and costs $2895 pp twin share (plus taxes approx $175pp).

Inquiries to: Uplift Tours and Travel www.uplifttoursandtravel.com Phone: (07) 3283 1966, Fax: (07) 3465 0131 or Email: reservations@uplifttours.com (Deposit of $500 per person due by January 11, 2013.

Balance due by April 16, 2013.)

MAGIC CARPET

still a hit at Manly

It’s been four months since Manly installed their carpet greens and club chairman Norm Broadhurst could not be happier.

The club has held regular games on the green and Broadhurst said the response from pretty much all comers had been positive.

“About 90 percent of people love them. The only real complaints we get are when people have just lost,” he said.

“We get visitors from a number of other districts and the majority seem happy.”

Manly’s needle-punched greens were installed by Berry Bowling Systems.

BBS are one of a number of companies, including True Draw Bowls Surfaces and Tiger Turf, who offer needle-punched surfaces to bowls clubs in Australia.

queensland bowler | 15

QUEENSLAND’S GOLDEN

GREENKEEPERS

Two young greenkeepers from Brisbane may have made history as the youngestever pairs team to win a national Champion of Champions title.

Former Australian junior reps Des Cann jnr, 23, and Jay Cross, 20, met playing bowls at district level seven years ago and they’re rapt to have gone all the way together at Queanbeyan this year.

The Queensland lads had comfortable wins against ACT, 21-12, and NSW, 18-14, on the way to the national final against Tasmania.

After a shaky start, they came from behind to level the score at 9-9 after 11 ends, breaking the southerners spirit to take six of the final seven ends and win Australian Champion of Champions pairs gold, 16-10.

“We had a miracle run to get there, really,” Cann said.

“We were almost out in the state semis, we needed six on the last end and I got this miracle shot and we got it.”

Cross had kidney trouble last year and had to discharge himself from hospital against doctors’ orders to even play alongside his mate in the 2011 Champion of Club Champions state finals at Bribie Island.

“We almost decided to pull out,” Cross said, “I’m glad we didn’t.”

The boys paid tribute to their families and coach at Jindalee, Bob Woodland.

“He’s been excellent, really supportive, and the club’s been great too, supporting us with fundraising,” Cann said.

Like Woodland at Jindalee, Cann said Australian women’s captain and Club Helensvale bowls coordinator Lynsey Armitage had also gone out of her way for the pair.

“She was a huge influence at nationals, keeping us calm by text,” he said.

Both lads have served time under master greenkeeper Scott Lapthorne from Jindalee.

Cann was with Lapthorne for four years and recently started work in his own right at Nerang’s McKenzie Park Bowls Club on the Gold Coast.

He now plays with Queensland powerhouse bowls club, Helensvale.

Cross succeeded Cann as Lapthorne’s greenkeeper apprentice at Jindalee and he also works on the greens at Stafford.

Both boys are enjoying their work, their bowls and their other hobbies.

Cross likes fast cars and “cruisin’ with my girl and mates”.

Cann goes to the gym and still does a bit of ice-skating when he has time.

He used to play ice hockey and work at the rink at Acacia Ridge.

“At a combined total age of 43, I reckon we’re the youngest pair ever to win at national Champion of Champions,” Cann said.

However, with definitive records only going back as far as 1994, Bowls Australia media man, Aidan Davis, was unable to say for sure whether the Queensland boys had actually made history.

TOUGH NUTS

Queensland champs put win down to mental toughness Queensland’s newest national champions claim mental toughness gave them the edge needed to land an historic title in ACT.

It has been a tough 12 months for Jay Cross and Des Cann Jnr, with health problems and bereavement casting a shadow over their Champion of Champions campaign.

But according to the boys, once they get on the green they are focused on just one thing...success.

“We try not to let things we can’t control affect us,” Cross said.

“When we’re on the green we’re completely focused on our game.

“We don’t get stressy when it’s windy or upset if we do a bad shot.”

Of course, being best mates also helps.

Mind over matter: Mental strength helped Des Cann Jnr and Jay Cross land a national title

16 | queensland bowler

“If Jay’s not on it, I’m on it, it’s all about the team,” Cann added. v36/2

TOUGH AT THE TOP Qld champs struggle as Aussie stars dominate in ACT Jindalee’s Jay Cross and Des Cann Jnr may have struck gold in Queanbeyan, but it wasn’t all plain sailing for Queensland’s contingent at the national Champion of Champions.

Ipswich bowler Ken Evans almost took the crown in the men’s singles event, only falling at the final hurdle against 18-year-old Victorian ace Dylan Fisher.

Evans was undefeated heading into the title showdown, but his campaign came unstuck against the talented teen, who gave glimpses of his potential as one of the nation’s future bowls legends.

Fisher, who made his Australian debut this year, defeated the Queenslander 21-8 to secure the title and a berth at next year’s World Champion of Champions in New Zealand.

Meanwhile, NSW’s Karen Murphy stole the show in the women’s competition, taking both the singles and pairs titles.

Queensland hopeful Sue Brady failed to fire in the singles, dropping two of her three games.

It was always going to be a big ask for Brady, who had been in the thick of it at Queensland’s Champion of Champions state finals at Bribie

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Island on October 25 and had to make a late night dash to Queanbeyan for the start of the national champs on October 26.

Sue Brady & Ken Evans

Brady, a former champion and the last player Kerrie Wilson & Sue Bond to do the double in 2004, dropped two of her sectional matches, including one to eventual winner Murphy, as well as WA’s Noelene Abe. Murphy went on to beat Australian teammate, Tasmania’s Rebecca Quail, in a close final, 21-18.

Murphy and Cabramatta clubmate Kay Moran also ended Queensland’s run in the pairs tournament.

Ferny Grove’s Kerry Wilson and Sue Bond were only defeated once in their sectionals, by Murphy and Moran, but it was enough to end their hopes of collecting a national title.

After triumphing over WA and the ACT pairings, Wilson and Bond fell to the NSW outfit, 12-18.

The Cabramatta duo went on to defeat Victoria’s Julia Fairweather and Joy Johnson 22-11 in the final.

Murphy will join Fisher at the 2013 World Ken Evans in action Photo courtesy of Champion of Champions in Christchurch in Bowls Australia November next year.

queensland bowler | 17

NEWS

KURT BROWN

XT BIG STAR? COULD THIS BE QUEENSLAND’S NE

W

hat a satisfying few months it’s been for Kurt Brown.

The boy from Mundubbera, who started playing bowls at 8 and made Queensland’s under-25 side at 18, continued his stellar rise last month when he claimed two of the state’s most prestigious titles.

Brown picked up Queensland’s Mixed Pairs crown in Bargara, his third since 2009, before heading south to collect his maiden Champion of Club Champions singles title at Bribie Island.

However, Brown’s biggest win came back in September, when he bagged himself a beautiful wife.

The 22-year-old married Emma Spicer, a former Victorian state junior hockey champion, whom he once considered reporting to an umpire for her distracting behaviour on the green.

“We first met when we played against each other at the State Mixed Pairs finals in 2010,” Emma said.

With just one bowl remaining, Strawbridge played a last ditch drive, but the Bribie skip was off target and the newlyweds got the happy ending they had hoped for, 22-17.

Champion of Champions Less than two weeks later Brown was back in action...this time at the 2012 Champion of Club Champions state finals at Bribie Island Bowls Club, where he outgunned Geebung’s Garry Schulz to clinch the coveted singles crown.

“It’s been a great few weeks,” Brown said following his 25-12 defeat of Schulz.

“I got married, then we won the Mixed Pairs title and now to get the Champion of Champions singles on top of that is brilliant.”

Brown, who was on fire throughout the event,

The Browns: Kurt & Emma

“I didn’t realise I was muttering to myself, it must have been really annoying, but I didn’t know he considered reporting me.”

Oblivious to Kurt’s irritation, Emma went on to ‘friend’ him on Facebook.

He ignored her invitation for two months until curiosity got the better of him.

The rest, as they say, is history.

The duo married in midSeptember, but postponed the honeymoon so they could play bowls at the 2012 Queensland Mixed Pairs finals, where they triumphed over Bribie Island’s Natasha Jones and Richard Strawbridge in a thrilling title decider.

The newlyweds had the best of the early exchanges, leading 10-zip after just five ends.

But the experienced Bribie duo fought back, and by the tenth they had closed the deficit to four shots, 11-7.

A disastrous bowl from Emma saw Jones and Strawbridge streak ahead for a one shot lead on the 17th.

raced out to a devastating 22-3 lead in the final, before his concentration lapsed.

Schulz took full advantage, quadrupling his score over the next four ends, but the gap was just too wide and Brown put an end to proceedings after just 20 ends.

“He was just too good,” Schulz said of his opponent.

“I had plenty of bowls in the head, but he was just converting every end. I got a little bit frustrated early on, but this is the furthest I’ve ever come in a state competition and overall I was pretty happy with my bowls. It has been a great experience.”

Richard Strawbridge & Natasha Jones

But, with time running out and a third state title on the line, Kurt wasn’t about to go down without a fight.

The Cairns ace regained the lead and was holding shot when the bell rang.

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TERRIFIED KRISTY TAKES GOLD For a young woman who was terrified to find herself representing the super successful Gold CoastCunningham group, Kristy Thatcher stepped up and powered to victory at the 2012 Queensland Champion of Club Champions singles at Bribie.

But with her maiden state title on the line, 26-year-old Thatcher out-bowled the experienced Tropical Far North star, 25-14.

“Our group had already won the fours and pairs and it was up to me in the singles.”

Thatcher went out hard against an in-form Gail Crompton from Bargara, rocketing to a 6-1 lead before Crompton pegged her back and levelled the score on the sixth end.

“It was such a big tournament for me,” Thatcher said.

Thatcher said she was incredibly nervous on the first day of play (Oct 24).

She lost a marathon battle in her first match against Mackay Northern Beaches’ Robyn Devereux 22-21, but backed up with steely determination to make sure of her next match against Binjour’s Chris Prygoda, 25-14.

Thatcher knew her third round encounter against defending champion Sue Brady from Mareeba would be tough.

“She’s such a relaxed player and a lovely person too and it was big to play against her,” Thatcher said.

The Bribie greens had been blustery for the fours and pairs play-offs but on singles finals day, it was dead calm.

From there the duo were inseparable, with the scores locked at 9-9 six ends later.

A full house on the 13th finally gave the Thatcher the break she needed.

By the 20th, she had a sixbowl breathing space 18-12, before a five-end run saw her wrap up the title, 25-12.

“The score didn’t really reflect how tight the game was. Gail

played really well and we were level for a lot of the game, I just managed to get away,” Thatcher said.

The 26-year-old is hoping to be named in the Queensland squad for 2013 and play in the Australian Super Six.

The singles title follows another recent career highlight for Thatcher...leading for Australian captain Lynsey Armitage in Queensland’s test series against NSW in June.

“I couldn’t have done it without my boss, he’s been so supportive,” Thatcher said.

“That was equally huge for me, she’s the best,” she said.

A qualified teacher, Thatcher is working at Subway Tweed City to pay her bills while she plays bowls.

Pictured above: Kristy Thatcher in action at Bribie Is.

Jolly Joan keeps on goin’ Everton Park’s Joan Wilson was the talk of last month’s Champion of Club Champions competition at Bribie Island.

Stopped for photos and admired by pretty much everyone around, Wilson could be considered something of a bowling celebrity.

Why? Well Joan has just turned 97 and is still bowling with the best of them.

The darling of the Champion of Champions tournament is no normal 97-year-old though...she still drives regularly and gets out on the green whenever she can.

Wilson believes it is her involvement in sports, first tennis and then bowls, that has kept her feeling young.

“I put it all down to playing sport. I’ve played sport all my life.”

Joan Wilson - still playing top flight bowls at 97 v36/2

I think associating and playing with people who are

younger, keeps you younger.

You know a lot of old people go into homes and things and they associate with people older than themselves. I’ve kept pretty good health most of my life.

The bond that Wilson shares with her teammates have kept her in bowls for almost half a century.

“You make some wonderful friendships in bowling. My clubmates are like an extended family to me. I lost my husband three years ago and it’s just like an extended family.”

Watching her go, it seems like the nonagenarian will be featuring on the greens for a long time yet, but Wilson is just taking life as it comes.

“Well that depends on what the good Lord thinks. Like everything else you haven’t got a clue about these sorts of things, have you?” queensland bowler | 19

It’s the second time in four years Moorooka’s Peter Ward and Bill Mitilinios have won Queensland’s Champion of Club Champions pairs, taking the title in 2009 and 2012.

And they can’t wait to have another go at nationals next year, since nerves got the better of them first time round.

“We were completely overwhelmed, we won only one game,” Mitilinios said.

“We like the competitiveness, the camaraderie and meeting new people,” Ward said.

The lanky Moorooka unit convincingly out-classed Maryborough runners-up Mick Roy and Anthony Williams at Bribie this year, 23-10.

“Ya could have let us have this one,” tilt train builder Roy joked, lamenting he and man mountain Williams already had silver from 2010.

20 | queensland bowler

There was still plenty of sparkle in the Maryborough pair’s play.

“The big fella’s drive was impressive,” said Moorooka skip Mitilinios of his opposite number.

The Moorooka pair are hard to beat because they look after each other so well, both on and off the green, working for the same company and living in the same street.

They joke constantly, Ward taking the credit for turning “Billy the Greek” into a champion.

“I took him under my wing and as long as he does what he’s told, we get along well,” Ward commended Mitilinios.

“He’s got all the shots when I need ‘em!”

MOOROOKA

MAGIC

BAGS PAIRS

TITLE NO. 2 Champions pairs competition, regardless of the gusty conditions.

Helensvale Triumph Meanwhile young Helensvale dynamos Shahn Griffiths and Lynsey Armitage were the

epitome of calm, consistency and style as they swept to their first Queensland Champion of Club Champions pairs title at blustery Bribie.

The two good friends said they were undefeated in pairs bowling since they joined forces more than a year ago.

Griffiths had plenty of host side support as she formerly bowled with Bribie and still lives locally at Beachmere.

However the lure of bowling and working with Australian women’s captain Armitage was too attractive and the 20 year old now plays and works at Club Helensvale on the Gold Coast.

Continued next page ►

All four finalists said they enjoyed their bowls and this year’s Champion of Club

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Runners-up, crafty Toowoomba steamers Kay Pott and Joyce McGeorge, didn’t fare well in the changing winds, doing damage first from the southwest and then the southeast.

Helensvale had doubled their score by the 18th, going into the 19th end, 26-12.

It was all over for the mountain women, with the beach girls shimmering into the gold with another five bowls, 31-12.

“They had 100 years on us!”

McGeorge joked.

McGeorge has now reached her three score years and ten and teammate Pott is not far behind, compared with Griffiths barely out of her teens and Armitage already one of Australia’s best at just 28.

The Toowoomba skip knew it was going to be tough against Helensvale because Armitage beat her the last time they met, 10 years ago in the 2002 Champion of Club Champions singles in Cairns, when McGeorge was already a senior and Armitage was barely out of the juniors.

Pictured clockwise from top left of page 20: Men’s fours champions - Mooloolaba’s Neil Hendricks, Robbie Thompson, Tim Diedricks and Paul Henricks. Women’s pairs runners-up Joyce McGeorge and Kay Pott. Maryborough’s Anthony Williams. Women’s fours champions - Charlie Harkness, Gail Waitai, Christine Pavlov and Sue McKenzie.

Diggers Memorial side - Penn Hua Bugler, Patricia Ward, Vicky Pickering and Sylvia Zimitat. Champion of Club Pairs Champions Bill Mitilinios, Lynsey Armitage, Shahn Griffiths and Peter Ward. v36/2

COAST

SIDES CLAIM

CHAMPION FOURS TITLES

Broadbeach lifted backto-back fours titles at last month’s Champion of Club Champions at Bribie Island, but for the triumphant women it meant more than just another trophy.

The Gold Coast side of Gail Waitai, Charlie Harkness, Christina Pavlov and Sue McKenzie cruised to their second consecutive win, getting over Diggers Memorial 23-9 in the title decider.

Skip McKenzie dedicated their historic win to teammate Anne McClure, who was forced to withdraw from the tournament at district level to care for her ill husband.

“This is really in honour of Annie and I’m just so glad we did it for her,” McKenzie said.

McClure’s replacement, 21-year-old Charlie Harkness more than pulled her weight in the tournament.

“Charlie’s just wonderful,” McKenzie said.

“She’s a great young girl, with heaps and heaps of potential.

She’s cool as a cucumber and a pretty fair bowler as well.”

“We’re all good friends, we all play together a lot and we really enjoy our bowls...to win is a bonus.”

The Diggers Memorial side of Penn Hua Bugler, Patricia Ward, Vicky Pickering and Sylvia Zimitat was all smiles after the final, having become the first Central Queensland team to make the state play-offs.

To say they had overcome adversity to reach the final would be an understatement, after an injury to their original skip saw social bowler, Bugler, drafted into the side with only one day’s notice.

Facing the powerhouse Bulls side in front of a large audience was something Bugler never imagined she would have the opportunity to do.

“I’ve only seen things like that on television. We never have anybody watching so that was certainly an experience,” she said.

Her teammate, Patricia Ward, was literally jumping for joy after the final.

“It’s really the biggest surprise to get this far and we’re just stoked,” Ward said.

“What an experience! It’s wonderful.”

In the men’s event Mooloolaba had a perfect debut at the state Champion of Club Champions, cruising to the title at Bribie.

The Sunshine Coast side of Paul Hendricks, Tim Diedricks, Robbie Thompson and Neil Hendricks went through the competition as the only undefeated men’s side and carried that form into the final against Bargara, eventually winning the clash 26-9.

Mooloolaba were in the box seat for the entire match after bolting out to a 17-2 lead with 10 ends played.

But Bargara’s Jim See, Kevin Bell, Tim Smith and John See showed plenty of fight, killing end after end in an effort to get back within reach.

After the match, Mooloolaba skip Tim Diedricks said the side, who have a long history together, were ecstatic with the victory.

“Very, very happy,” Diedricks said. “We’ve been playing bowls a long time...we couldn’t be happier.”

“It’s a long hard road, we were just lucky enough that everything fell our way.”

Bargara’s Smith paid tribute to their opponents, saying the Mooloolaba boys were simply too good.

Through the tough battle, Smith said there was only one thought going through his mind.

“I wish they’d stop getting closer than us,” he said.

“They were too good, they outplayed us in every position.” queensland bowler | 21

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queensland bowler | 23

Going out with a bang Queensland’s Mini-Maroons graduate with flying colours Queensland farewelled some of its top young stars with plenty of gold medals at last month’s Junior Nationals.

Experienced campaigners, Natasha Jones and Sean Ingham, came away with titles as part of the Maroons’ sixmedal haul.

Jones, the sole member returning from last year’s girls team, got her first crack at the prestigious singles event and took her opportunity with both hands.

The Bribie Island teenager pulled off a remarkable oneshot win over South Australian Renee McPharlin, 21-20.

The 17-year-old ace found herself down 7-16 at the midway point of the match, before launching her comeback, claiming 14 shots over nine of the next 11 ends to top the dais.

Natasha Jones (left) celebrates a gold medal performance with pairs partner, Madi Styles

Helensvale’s Rohan Wilson defended his singles bronze medal at the championships, defeating SA’s Luke Brind in the minor medal play off, 21-15.

Wilson and Ingham joined forces to take the top prize in the boys’ pairs, Ingham’s second national pairs title in three years.

Braidan Leese, Joel Leese and Nic Gosley finished up in fifth in the boys’ triples and the Maroons picked up a bronze in the fours.

With Ingham, Wilson and Joel Leese all finishing their junior careers, the boys’ side will have an entirely different look next year.

Playing in a ‘section of death’ cost Queensland’s boys a shot at national glory, according to state coach Bill Cornehls.

Going into the tournament, Cornehls was expecting ‘big things’ from the boys, but competing in a section alongside New South Wales and Victoria meant they had to beat two of the best sides in the competition to qualify for gold medal matches.

With sections drawn randomly at the end of each year’s nationals, the three powerhouse eastern states ended up 24 | queensland bowler

But state coach Bill Cornehls believes the state can uphold its powerhouse reputation.

“Obviously Sean, Rohan and Joel are all going to leave big holes in the side,” he said.

“However, we’re in the situation where we could probably pick multiple boys’ sides for Queensland.

“There are plenty of quality junior boys out there and that makes it really tough to pick the team.”

Jones picked up her second gold in the girls’ pairs with Madi Styles, giving her a perfect result from the competition.

Queensland’s April Wilson, Connie-Leigh Rixon and RikkiLee Kemp, all in their first nationals campaign, flew the flag in the triples.

The inexperienced trio teamed up with Styles, another nationals first-timer, in the girls’ fours and managed to pick up a bronze medal for their efforts.

Cornehls said there were plenty of positives to take from team’s efforts in their first outing.

“A lot of the matches for the girls were decided by one end, and they could have done even better if some small things had gone their way,” he said.

“Hopefully the girls will gain more experience from this and know where they have to improve.”

Photo courtesy of Bowls Australia

in the same side of the draw, meaning only one could make it through to the gold medal match.

Cornehls said that the random selection did not reflect the true abilities of Queensland’s bowlers.

“With NSW, Victoria and Tasmania all in one section, it makes things a lot tougher,” Cornehls said.

“There are pluses and minuses to drawing it out of a hat, but if you want to get a true result, you would have everyone playing each other.”

Bill Cornehls v36/2

Jubilation as Marian turns 60 Marian Ladies Bowls Club and Queen Elizabeth may not have much in common, but this year they both celebrated major milestones.

Just like the Queen, the small north Queensland club celebrated its diamond jubilee.

Marian was founded in 1952, sparking a 60-year long association with the local community.

Club secretary Beryl Borg said, while the club had not changed much since she joined in 2001, it holds a special place in her heart.

“It’s a big part of my life,” she said. “I don’t just go to play bowls. I do whatever I can to help out.”

With only 50 members, Beryl said the club played an important role in each of their lives.

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 

“The other members love it as much as I do. We’re all very close,” she said. “The club provides good company.

Everybody needs company.”

Pictured celebrating Marian’s 60th, (back row) Katy Moohin, Cindy Pratt, Marie Od, Connie Morrow, Betty Leask, Beryl Borg, Joan Vickers, (front) Nell Clarke, Claire Tickle, Marge Morris, Beryl Berginey, Maureen Connors.

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ORE WITH GET EVEN M ’S ONLINE THIS MONTH D BOWLER QUEENSLAN Did a Queensland Bowler staff member take a photo of YOU at Bowls Queensland event this month?

Were you at the State Mixed Pairs weekend at Bargara on October 14-15?

Were you there to cheer on the best club champions in Queensland at the Champion of Club Champions playoffs at Bribie Island on October 20-25?

If so, check out the Queensland Bowler online edition for extra content, including images from all of this month’s biggest bowls events.

Visit www.bowlsqld.org

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NEWS

Chermside girls do the double Chermside ladies are celebrating an historic double.

For the first time ever in the club’s 62 years, both ladies teams have won district pennants titles, in Brisbane North’s third and fifth divisions.

Head selector Pam Russell said it was down to the last couple of ends both times.

“Scarborough are always hard to beat and it was neck-and-neck the whole way in the third division final,’’ Russell said.

“The division five final was the first time we’d beaten Brighton all season so the girls picked the right time to peak.”

Two out of three teams in the Div 5 final

won eight badges (eight bowls closest to kitty).

The top 24 Chermside pennants champs include three 90-year-olds and some stars, including Champion of Club Champions singles, triples and fours winner Russell, Australian rep blind bowler Joy Forster, club pairs champ Patty Hobson and experienced skip Anne Barnes.

“The secret is we’re goers and doers and we never give up,’’ Division 5’s Debby Shore laughed.

The Chermside girls will have a “chardy or two’’ to celebrate and look forward to seeing all the players back on the green for pennants 2013.

Pictured above left: Brisbane North District Div 3 champs, Chermside.

(Back row) Pat Hobson, Anne Barnes, Thelma Salisbury, Della Bates, Pam Dittmar, Joy Forster, Barbara Morris, Pam Russell. (Front row) Sandra Bates, Rosina Spring, Thora Harris, Alison Andrews.

Pictured above right: Brisbane North District Div 5 champs, Chermside. (Back row) Noela Cowen, Mary Cunningham, Debby Shore, Gloria Ehlerth, Deb Affleck, Ann Marshall. (Front row) Cathie Andersen, Shirley Sommerville, Edith McKone, Noreen Trinder, Estelle Dank, Margaret Kelly.

Murgon men look to the future The old blokes at Murgon are moving with the times, enlisting a thoroughly modern sports and recreation officer to help boost their club’s fortunes.

Paula Nunan is mad about engaging the area’s young people in outdoors activities.

Murgon Men’s Club hosted its first Bowls Gala Day for school students on November 2.

More than 100 Year 6 and 7 students aged between 9 and 13 from three local primary schools came to learn from the masters.

“It was a great success, opening so many young eyes to their potential in the sport of lawn bowls,” Nunan said.

The gala day was a joint project of Murgon Men’s Bowls, junior coaches trained through the Active After Schools Community program and the indigenous engagement programme Learning Earning Active Places (LEAP).

28 | queensland bowler

“The highlight for me was seeing the junior coaches excel in their delivery of fun, engaging activities and hearing the laughter on the green,” Nunan said.

She said the club’s ultimate goal was to form an inter-school competition in 2013, eventually feeding into next year’s All Schools Challenge.

And what did the new bowlers have to say?

“I didn’t think it would be this fun” (Janita - Year 6 Cherbourg State School) “I want to join up!” (Brock - Year 7 Murgon SS)

“I thought it would be really boring but it’s actually really fun” (Kayla Year 7 – Murgon SS) “It’s not just a game for old people, is it?”

(Connie – Year 7 Murgon SS)

“It was hot in the sun but it was still fun”

(Tahshiki – Year 7 Cherbourg SS) “It was deadly cool this bowling” (Jakeem – Year 7 Cherbourg SS).

Pictured: Murgon Bowls Club’s Colin Rewald, Murgon SS’s Rachel Bryen, Murgon Sport & Recreation coordinator Paula Nunan, Cherbourg SS’s Noel Georgetown, Murgon SS’s William Farrawell, Cherbourg SS’s Jakeem Murray, Active After School Coordinator Lawn Bowls Tim Widderson. v36/2

Could these be Australia’s top bowling sisters?

Sisters Sylvia Clyde and Lorna Hardingham have been continual members of the Palmwoods Bowls Club on the Sunshine Coast hinterland for more than 50 years.

Both are still active, competing in club and district events.

They were part of the Palmwoods team that made final eight in the bronze division of Bowls Super Challenge played at Tweed Heads last year.

Both have a formidable record in competitive bowls and bowls administration.

When they first joined the club, Sylvia took on the treasurer’s job, Lorna the secretary’s job and friend Val Lingard the president’s role.

At ages 26, 22 and 24, they were the youngest office bearers in Australia.

“We were a really sporty family

and used to play a lot of tennis,” Lorna said.

Sisters clock up 50 years service, Lorna Hardingham and Sylvia Clyde from Palmwoods Bowls Club.

“Once I had kids, I used to have to juggle tennis, changing nappies and running home in the middle of matches to make afternoon tea. I was exhausted.

“Then I found out at bowls, they made afternoon tea for you and I thought that sounded pretty good, so I gave it a try and my older sister joined with me.’’

The sisters never looked back and now, at age 73 and 77, they continue to enjoy the sport with their families.

Palmwoods media officer, Geoff Brown, has put out a challenge to clubs across Australia.

“We want to know if there are any other siblings out there in bowls land who can top the achievements of these iconic bowlers,’’ Brown said.

Entries to VICTORIA POINT BOWLS CLUB PO Box 5397 Victoria Point 4165 Clubhouse: 3 Poinciana Avenue VICTORIA POINT 4165

Enquiries

Ph: 07 3207 8540 Fax: 07 3207 8682 email: redbowls@bigpond.net.au

SYLVIA ► 23 club titles, 22 district titles, 10 first division pennant titles and three masters’ titles ► Has held executive positions at Palmwoods for 46 years, including six years as ladies’ president and five as club chairperson.

► The three generations, Sylvia, Kerrie and Kirra played club triples together last year and lost in the final by a single shot.

► Grandmother and granddaughter played club pairs in 2010 and lost by a single shot on an extra end. ► Mother and daughter won club pairs in 2011.

► Husband Eric (dec’d) won a club pairs with son Ian. LORNA ► Won an Australian fours title. Trialed to play for Australia three times (allegedly too young at 46, haven’t times changed!) ► Won Queensland’s state singles once, state pairs twice and state fours once. ► Played five tests for Queensland. Selected to play for Queensland in the one and only Australian Games held in Melbourne in 1985 (won pairs silver and fours bronze). ► Champion of Club Champions six times. ► Won 30 district titles.

► Won 63 club titles and 14 first division pennant titles.

► Won National Fitness-Courier Mail Sportswoman of the Year award in 1975 (the only woman bowler to achieve this honour) and received the Australia Day Achievement in Sport award through Maroochy Shire Council in 1984. v36/2

Daily Event Schedule: 8.00 am Registration & Morning Tea (order & pay for lunch)

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10 | queensland bowler

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queensland bowler | 29

NEWS

School’s in for older bowlers Bowls Queensland’s 2012 Volunteer of the Year, Don Crawford, is celebrating a two-year milestone.

“It’s a magnificent sport men and women can play together,” Mac Patterson said, very proud of his wife’s early success.

Third age bowls is generally for men and women aged 55 or older who have moved on from the ‘second age’ of raising children and working full time.

Not that U3A bowls is about winning. Most of the time, Don and Terri fund a random prize out of their own pocket or from a raffle, but the most important thing is helping third-agers like themselves keep active in mind and body while learning new concepts and skills.

He and wife Terri have built up ‘third age’ bowls at Samford into a thriving Tuesday morning activity for beginner and experienced bowlers from around Brisbane’s north side.

Crawford is extremely modest about his part in establishing University of the Third Age (U3A) bowls, but his converts can’t say enough.

“It’s a great concept, Don makes it great, he’s an excellent coach,” said Janice Ridley, who’s been coming from Petrie to play since the group started.

“I was dragged into it by my husband but it’s really fun,” said Desley Broad from Samsonvale.

“Don gets out the rule book and teaches some rules, then gives us a quiz, which seems like fun but it’s really a test of what we remember.”

“We got 11 bowls in the ditch today, that’s one way of getting a record,” said U3A bowler of six months Ian Meech ruefully.

“But it’s a relaxed format, it’s fun, nobody has to worry about doing it wrong.”

The Bowler magazine caught up with the U3A group at their second anniversary celebration bowls day on October 9.

Newbie Janet Patterson from Ocean View had just won her first ever bowls trophy, as part of a triples team with more experienced bowlers Bob McKinven from Ferny Hills and skip Marie Mason.

“It’s been very exciting, learning bowls,” Patterson said.

“We came across the U3A group totally by chance, driving past one day and we stopped to have a look and they’re so friendly they invited us to have a try.”

Patterson and husband Mac, in their 70s, are retired wheat and cotton growers from out past Blackall.

They moved to the Sunshine Coast hinterland nine years ago but hadn’t really found a bowls club to suit until they came across U3A bowls at Samford.

They travel 40km each way each week to play with the group.

30 | queensland bowler

“I’ve done mustering, shooting, cricket and tennis and bowls is just as challenging as any of them, there’s skill I never dreamt of.”

Between 10 and 35 bowlers will roll up for a game on any Tuesday, with Don choosing a rule to explain and introducing the players to the different disciplines.

“It’s a benevolent dictatorship,” Crawford joked.

“You each bring your own specialness to the group,” Terri said to the U3A bowlers at the second anniversary lunch.

A few of the U3A bowlers at Samford said they had previously tried club bowls but didn’t like too many rules and politics.

“It’s a very relaxed format, that’s the secret to this success,” said Doug and Leura Cathcart, who travel from Carseldine.

Main picture: U3A bowls organiser Don Crawford (right) shares the finer points of the game with learner Bob Day. Top: U3A bowls second anniversary triples winners, Bob McKinven, Janet Patterson and skip Marie Mason with U3A bowls organiser Don Crawford. Above: Enjoying weekly U3A bowls at Samford, Janice Ridley, Vicki Midgley, Marie Mason and Rene van Overbeck.

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It’s not all doom and gloom for clubs Well it’s that time of year again, when the development team starts winding up operations and planning for the year ahead.

As most of you are aware, one of our biggest undertakings is to visit every club in Queensland annually.

We pass on any new information and gauge how clubs are performing.

We also see if they have taken any of our advice on board, such as implementing programs, conducting open days, utilising the promotional vans, encouraging junior participation, etc.

Over the past year there have been a lot of good things happening at some of our more proactive clubs.

with

brett murphy

The behaviour and politeness of the students was exemplary, and the willingness to learn about and play the sport was fantastic. ► Bundaberg District have also been very proactive with the push into local schools, running their own primary and secondary school competitions.

These competitions involve four primary and four secondary schools and are run over an eight-week period.

The district also utilised the promotional van at an all-sports expo, held in September at a local primary school.

So this month I thought I would share some of these stories with you.

► Darra/Cementco obtained a grant for $5000, some of which was used for eight members of the club completing an Introductory Coach Course to make them better prepared for coaching school students.

School Visits & Junior Bowls

They also used the promotional van to visit three local schools, and purchased some sets of junior bowls to enable them to implement an ongoing school program.

Hopefully the success at these clubs will inspire others to try some new things.

Throughout the year we had a number of opportunities to visit schools with our promotional vans. These visits have all been arranged by local clubs.

From these initial visits the majority of the clubs involved have gone on to implement school programs of their own and even gained some new junior members. ► In March Lesley visited schools in the Emerald and Blackwater region at the request of the two local clubs.

Over 10 days she visited seven schools in Emerald and three schools in Blackwater, ably assisted by a number of local club volunteers.

Almost 400 students participated in Emerald and another 175 in Blackwater.

The clubs did a great job by following up the school visits with open days at the club. ► Sarina took full advantage of the promotional van in April when Steven was doing his annual club visits in the Mackay district.

Ian and Elaine Virgen, men’s and ladies presidents at Sarina, organised visits with six local primary schools in the area to give kids a go at bowls on the van’s artificial rinks.

Steven had overwhelming support from the club while visiting these schools, where 250 students attended. v36/2

► Murgon have been participating in the Active After School Program and have put six high school students successfully through the Introductory Coach Course enabling them to coach other, younger students.

They have also purchased junior bowls to enable the program to grow and have planned a gala presentation and coaching day this month. ► Algester encourage junior bowlers by paying for their membership, coaching and games. ► Durack/Inala do a lot of work with the local special schools and the Endeavour Foundation, as well as having three local schools involved. Any green fees they receive from the school children are donated back to the schools. ► North Ipswich and Ipswich United Services utilised the promotional van to become involved in the Active Breaks program ► Sunshine Coast and Gateway Districts have great junior academies in place, while Pelican Waters runs a junior camp and Mooloolaba are in the process of setting up their own.

Memberships, Promotions and Marketing ► Geebung and Toowoomba City used the van to attend Seniors and Aging expos.

► Macleay Island, Kilcoy, Carina Leagues, Ipswich, Esk, Pomona, Pine Rivers, Dimbulah, Gordonvale, Moore Park, Middlemount and Meandarra have all used the van at local shows, fetes, festivals, carnivals and expos. ► Narangba used the van at two local school fetes in conjunction with the club holding an open day and look like gaining five new members.

► Darra/Cementco backed up their school visits by offering coaching, bowls and a sausage sizzle over eight consecutive Sundays for local residents. They also participated in the local Street Festival with one of the promotional vans. ► Cunnamulla welcomed new school teachers to town by holding an open day at the club.

► Beaudesert are currently in their 18th year of holding community/corporate bowls.

► Finally, celebrating their centenary year, Yeronga have been incredibly pro-active, with a number of things happening at the club.

They held two weeks of tournaments, with plenty of prize money to celebrate their centenary. They also conducted a number of special days throughout the year.

They are constantly looking at grant funding to improve things around the club.

They have become involved with an internet company called Groupon, through which they have had 42 bookings for social events.

They also target local residents by doing regular letterbox drops informing everyone of what is happening at the club.

Of course, none of this would be possible without a hardworking group of committed volunteers. But the turnaround the club has seen over the past 12 months shows that if the commitment is there, the results will follow.

These have only been a handful of the good news stories and hopefully we will run some more next month.

If you have any good news stories you would like people to hear about, please email them through to me at brett@bowlsqld.org.

queensland bowler | 31

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I hope you’ve found our recent columns on the different pieces of measuring equipment interesting.

joan brotherton

Many players do not understand that the first to bowl can move the mat and place it as described in Law 19.1.1.

I know most players will only ever use one or two of these pieces of measuring equipment, but it doesn’t hurt to have an idea of what tools are available to umpires when you call on them to make a measure.

Another law regarding the mat that confuses some bowlers is Law 19.2 - During each end - After the start of play in any end, the mat should not be moved from its original position except in the following circumstances and in particular Law 19.2.3 If the mat is off the centre line, it should be moved to that line (by opponent).

This month I am going to cover some of the laws I get asked about most often.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A REPLACEMENT PLAYER AND A SUBSTITUTE:

Thank you for your feedback over recent month, I’ve really enjoyed listening to your many and varied comments.

LAW 20 - POSITION ON THE MAT

Law 20.1 - ‘Before delivery a player should be standing on the mat with one foot fully on the mat. At the moment they deliver the jack or a bowl, the player should have all or part of one foot on or above the mat….” Law 20.2 is the same and applies if a player is using an approved wheelchair.

If a player is not meeting the terms of Law 20, then Law 21 - Foot-faulting - will apply and there are various penalties involved and these need to be read.

STOPPING BOWLS BEFORE THEY GO INTO THE DITCH

In my first column I spoke about stopping bowls before they reached the ditch. Unfortunately this still happens and actually occurred during a social game in which I was playing recently.

My skip delivered a bowl and the opposition third stopped it before it went into the ditch. It probably would have gone into the ditch anyway, but it was not up to the opposition player to stop it. Stopping bowls before they go into the ditch is simply not allowed and brings Law 28.1.1.3 into play.

Care also needs to be taken regarding a bowl still on the green, which is leaning on a toucher in the ditch. I have personally witnessed an occasion when a bowl in this position was lifted and placed on the bank. This is incorrect, as the bowl is still live - Law 26.1.3 and 27.2.5. However, if it had been resting on a non-toucher which had not been removed, then the non-toucher in the ditch would need to be removed first and then if the resting bowl fell into the ditch, that bowl would also be a dead bowl and would have to be removed Law 27.1.1.

LAW 23 - IMPROPER DELIVERY OF THE JACK:

Another recurring incident is the improper delivery of the jack. This is covered by Law 23, and in particular Law 23.3 - when the jack is improperly delivered once by each player in any end. It should not be delivered again in that end.

Instead, it should be centred with the nearest point of the jack to the mat line being 2 metres from the front ditch and the mat should be placed as described in Law 19.1.1 by the first player to play.

32 | queensland bowler

(1) Replacement Player: Law DR.4.1.4 - is one who is appointed to take the place of an intended player PRIOR to the start of the competition for a reason accepted by the Controlling Body. Law DR.4.3.3 - can play in any position and will have the same rights as the original team member.

(2) Substitute: Law DR.4.1.6 - is a member who acts as a PROXY for an intended player or a constituted player in a team who is unavailable or physically incapable and therefore prevented from attending or continuing in a game. Law DR.4.7.2.3 - can play in any position except skip.

The above are the basic main differences, however I do recommend that you read Law DR.4 in full if requiring any further information regarding Replacement and Substitute Players.

CONDITIONS OF PLAY

I have also had a request to advise readers that it is important that the Conditions of Play, which are covered in Laws 17.2 and A.1, are strictly adhered to and if required A.2, A3, and A4 are to be included. It may be advisable to check with your district or state authorities for further discussion and advice.

I also point out that A.4 - Restricting the movement of players during play - only applies if the Controlling Body has included A.4 in their Conditions of Play.

A number of players are confused because it is written in the law book that it applies to all games, but it doesn’t…it only applies if it is included in the Conditions of Play for a particular event.

NEW MEASURERS/UMPIRES

A big concern for clubs in Queensland is the lack of new measurers and umpires coming through the ranks.

Even more concerning is the growing trend of existing umpires deciding not to re-accredit.

I really encourage all members to think seriously about becoming a measurer or an umpire.

There are so many advantages to taking on these positions, not only for your club, but for you personally, as knowing the laws is a great advantage when playing the game.

I can assure you that being a measurer or umpire is a very enjoyable and worthwhile experience.

v36/2

Recording devices in the workplace

Who’s listening to your conversations...and is it legal?

The advent of social media, and the ease with which photographs and events can be recorded and transmitted electronically, is increasing at an alarming rate.

This type of concern extends also to invasion of privacy in relation to recording conversations.

This article talks about employers’ and employees’ obligations in relation to such recording.

Clients have often asked whether digital recording devices, such as tape recorders, iPods and iPhones, can be used in the workplace to secretly record discussions.

This may occur when an employee is secretly recording a performance management discussion or general discussions in the workplace.

In Queensland, the Invasion of Privacy Act 1971 (Qld) (Act) prohibits the general use of listening devices and can lead to criminal sanctions including significant penalties and imprisonment.

However, this does not apply where the person using the listening device is a party to the private conversation or it is genuinely an unintentional hearing of a private conversation that a person is having on a phone.

In essence, there is nothing under the Act to prevent an employee using a listening device in a private conversation if they are a party to that private conversation.

The Act does, however, prevent an employee using a listening device to generally listen or record other people’s conversations for no specific purpose.

with

Curt schatz

In addition, a person is prohibited from communicating or publishing a private conversation that was recorded, however there are some exceptions to this if:

1. The private conversation had the express or implied consent of the other persons in the conversation; 2. The recording was made in the course of legal proceedings; 3. Is not more than is reasonably necessary in the public interest or in the performance of a duty of the person or for the protection of the lawful interests of that person.

deal with digital recording devices in the workplace.

This article was co-written by Jonathan Mamaril who is our expert in employment law.

If you have any further queries in relation to this, or any other issue relating to recording conversations, please do not hesitate to contact myself on 07 3224 0230 or Jonathan Mamaril on 07 3224 0323.

Employers should be aware that there is no statutory obligation for the employee to obtain consent from the employer to record discussions if there is a reasonable belief that their lawful interests need to be protected.

However, one way of getting around this is to give a reasonable and lawful direction that the employee cease recording any conversations and make it clear to the employee that recording the conversation is inappropriate, especially in circumstances of performance management discussions.

Employers should also consider the development of appropriate policies and procedures to

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queensland bowler | 33

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v36/2

Welcome to the Queensland Bowler November 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:

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

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This month’s winner Congratulations to: Bazza Harwood from Toowong 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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v36/2

queensland bowler | 35

PREP MAKES PREFECT Players often ask my advice on to how to mentally prepare for the big games.

Although I don’t claim to be an expert on the subject, I do know that if you physically prepare properly and are ready to play, you are off to a pretty good start.

It all comes back to being confident in your own ability and ensuring you have completed your pre-game preparations.

A good starting point is your pre-match training session, where you should be practicing the type of shots you expect to play during the game.

If you are leading obviously your pre-match routine will include rolling the jack to various lengths and drawing to it with two bowls only...leave the other 2 bowls in the bag.

For seconds it may be drawing, but ensuring that no short bowls are played, while for thirds and skips a mixture of draw shots and conversion shots are required.

Don’t train for hours on end, just make it a short session. Once you are playing consistently and achieving your objective, then it is time to stop.

You should leave your final training session full of confidence in your own ability and form.

Plan to be at the venue at least 30 minutes before starting time, earlier if possible.

It doesn’t pay to be rushing around before the big game because you are badly organised.

As a person who has been team manager, I detest the player who nonchalantly strolls up two minutes before kick off and who can’t understand why everybody is getting a little edgy. It’s common courtesy and common sense to be there early.

with

Mick Cherry

This is the time to start your hydration routine, plenty of water before and during the game will certainly help you stay mentally alert.

Plenty of time for a beer or three after the game.

For those who don’t know, alcohol assists the dehydration process in your body, so avoid it until after the game.

The general rule is, if you are getting thirsty, then you have probably left it too late to rehydrate. So keep the fluids coming.

These is nothing better than reinforcing the negativity of your opposition by agreeing with them and then drawing a perfect shot.

Self-belief in your own ability is certainly a must. If you believe you can play any shot in any situation, then you probably will.

I always remember watching Robbie Parrella absolutely dismantle the confidence of an opponent on the green. Parrella was a very aggressive player. He always knew he was the best player out there and always believed he was going to win.

During the trial ends it pays to concentrate on the draw line and your main priority is to draw to the centre line.

Remember, if the scores are fairly close, then the opposition is feeling the pressure just as much as you are. Even if you are a fair way behind there is always the thought in the back of their mind that there are still a lot of bowls to play and a game can turn very quickly.

The first player to find the correct line will be off to the best start. You will adjust to the pace of the green fairly quickly, but the right line is crucial.

Be positive in your approach to every shot, don’t rush it and remember that you have been successfully playing the same shots at practice for weeks.

Don’t spend the time socialising, it’s game time and the socialising comes later when the match is complete.

Don’t look for reasons to miss the shot...tell yourself that you can do it because you have played the same shot many times.

In the early part of a match it is important to establish a good rhythm in your own game, but always keep an eye open for your opposition’s weaknesses and strengths.

Always play the shot that gives you the most options and always play a positive draw when trying to save. Again, there is no point in being timid when you must reach the head.

A banana in your bowls bag for a quick snack is always helpful because of the length of some matches

Concentrate on your own game first more than the opposition’s. There’s not much point in knowing their weaknesses if you are unable to take advantage of that knowledge.

Don’t complain about bad luck when something goes wrong...it really does balance out over most games.

Be positive. If you continually complain about bad luck, the state of the green or prevailing conditions, you are only giving the opposition more confidence.

It is just part of our sport and we have to live with the fact that occasionally the worst bowl of the game can actually produce a great result because of lucky wicks.

if they are any good at this mental approach business they will certainly make you pay for your lack of positivity.

It amazes me that it is possible to play badly and still win, when at other times you play very well and lose – that’s bowls.

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