Queen’s Baton Relay reaches Broadbeach

from APRIL 2022

Glasshouse juniors on a roll

The Queen’s Baton Relay rolled into the Broadbeach Bowls Club last month ahead of the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games, carried in by 1990 Commonwealth Games medallist Janelle Pallister and her daughter, a 2022 Games hopeful Lani Pallister. The swimming duo handed the baton to our 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games gold medallists Tony Bonnell and Kelsey Cottrell. The pair were honoured to be asked to represent bowls and the greater Australian sporting community; they posed for photos with the iconic GC2018 mascot Borobi, Australian Squash representatives, Deputy Gold Coast Mayor Donna Gates and a large contingent of Broadbeach Bowls Club members, many of whom were also reminiscing about their own personal Commonwealth Games experiences volunteering on home soil. The Australian Lawn Bowls Team won five gold medals and two silver medals which was a record haul at a Commonwealth Games. Queenslanders Nathan Rice, Aron Sherriff, Brett Wilkie, Jake and Grant Fehlberg, Lynne and Bob Seymour and Tony Bonnell all took home medals from those games. Barrie Lester, who now calls Queensland home, was part of Channel 7’s coverage of the baton arriving in

L-R: Kelsey Cottrell and Tony Bonnell

Queensland and got to hold the baton which is traveling across 72 nations and territories across the Commonwealth carrying the Queen’s message. For Tony Bonnell, the prospect of winning back-to-back gold medals in the Para-Lawn Bowls event in Birmingham is strong, having just made the shortlist alongside his wife Serena Bonnell to tour the UK this May. Both Tony and Serena have been training diligently at the Tamborine Mountain Bowls Club on a green that has been prepared to mirror UK conditions.

watch Brett Wilkie carry the Baton in the lead up to the Gold Coast Games. It was a goosebump moment with the whole team hovering around a phone to watch,” said Cottrell.

On the other hand, the festivities of the Baton Relay for Kelsey Cottrell were very much about celebrating the success the Australian Lawn Bowls Team achieved in 2018, where she claimed a gold medal in the Fours with Carla Krizanic, Natasha Scott and Rebecca Van Asch, and, symbolically handing the baton over to the next generation of Australian Jackaroos having made herself unavailable for 2022 Commonwealth Games selection. “It was a truly wonderful honour to be part of the Baton Relay alongside Tony; I have vivid memories of stopping mid-way through a training session at Broadbeach to

L-R: 2018 Fours gold medal winners Kelsey Cottrell, Carla Krizanic, Rebecca Van Asch & Natasha Scott

“The Commonwealth Games helps put bowls on the map; the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games was particularly instrumental in showcasing just how awesome and entertaining our sport is and I think having the Commonwealth Games Association select the bowls venue to film the Baton’s visit to the Gold Coast shows how memorable bowls, and the bowlers were when we competed here 4 years ago! “The sport has wonderful young ambassadors coming through the ranks and some of them will get to live out their dreams putting on the green and gold in Birmingham and I’ll be happily at home with my family tuning into every bowls match possible at all hours of the night cheering them on!” Cottrell remains part of the Australian Jackaroos Squad and has her eyes on World Championship Gold on the Gold Coast in 2023. “It did make the decision just that tad easier knowing there is a short turn around to the next World Championships and I think with a bit of extra time and being closer to home, it will be easier to juggle the commitment required to the team and also my beautiful young little family. “I hope no young female bowlers see my decision to step aside as a deterrent; you can certainly manage work, study, family and a bowls career, but everyone’s journey as a mum and an athlete is different and your priorities will continue to chop and change.” The 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham starts on July 28 and our Right at Home Australian Jackaroos Team will be announced toward the end of May. We have a number of Queenslanders in contention and we wish them every success. Thanks to Kelsey Cottrell and Commonwealth Games Australia for the photos.

Objects on the green

As 2022 continues, we find ourselves involved in many competitions and social events. However, the recent severe weather conditions have affected many of our members, clubs and districts and along with that, bowling plans. I know that our thoughts are with everyone affected and to those who volunteered to assist, thank you so much. It is wonderful to see, and watch on television, the work carried out by volunteers.

Now that many members are back at bowls, one of the queries that I received is referring to Law 34 on page 45 “Objects on the green”:

Under no circumstances, other than those described in Laws 14,18, 41, 49 and 56.5, must any object be placed on the bank, the green, in the ditch, on the jack, on a bowl or anywhere else to help a player.

Briefly, those laws mentioned cover the following:

• Law 14, Touchers

In particular, Law 14.4 where it indicates that a toucher in the ditch must be marked with a brightly coloured indicator, either against the face of the bank or on the top of the bank, immediately in line with the toucher.

• Law 18, Live jack in the ditch

In particular, Law 18.2 which indicates that a jack in the ditch must be marked with a white indicator, either against the face of the bank or on top of the bank, in line with the jack.

• Law 41, Players with disabilities

This law needs to be read in full.

• Law 49, Division of the green

This law covers the number of the rink, four corners of the rinks (boundary pegs).

• Law 56.5, Respotting the jack

This law needs to be read in full.

There is also a good article in the Officiating Manual on pages 85-87. It sets out risk management of which all officials and players should be aware, to be alert to all hazards and take appropriate steps to identify and minimise risks regarding items left on the banks. These include:

• Narrow banks crowded with people and equipment, especially banks along which people have to move • Umpires and players • Bowls, jacks, mats and rink markers, while necessary for the game, left in inappropriate positions or handled carelessly can cause injury • Personal equipment bags left in narrow spaces or with straps across walkways. These should be keep closed and stowed in a designated area to reduce the risk of anybody tripping over • Umpire equipment left in walkways • Keep miscellaneous bowls equipment such as bowls lifters, rakes, umbrellas, drink cooler bags out of the way when not being used.

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Good officials will be observant of the bowls environment in which they are operating and will alert the host club and or controlling body if there are any problems.

The following photos show the difference between a neat and safe environment and an unsafe environment covering the area particularly from the rink to the seats.

Bowls bags and equipment neatly placed under seat and mat placed squarely and flat on the bank Bowls bags, bowls and mats placed in inappropriate positions pose a risk of tripping and can cause injury

Another query I received and one I observed and wrote about the December 2017 and September 2019 Queensland Bowler umpire column, is Law 13 – Possession of the rink on page 29.

Example:

The third is playing their last bowl. As soon as the bowl has been delivered, the other player/s begin walking up the green in front of the third as she/he is watching their bowl. I will detail parts of Law 13: 13.1 Possession of the rink will belong to the player or team whose bowl is being played. 13.2 As soon as each bowl comes to rest, possession of the rink will transfer to the opposing player or team after allowing time for marking a toucher as soon as it comes to rest.

Therefore, the player/s should wait until then to start walking up to the head, enabling the player to watch their bowl without interference from other player/s. If this were to continue, the umpire or on appeal could enforce Law 13.3.1 and if it continues then Law 13.3.2 applies.

Champions Burleigh Heads Dragons

By Kelsey Cottrell

Unbelievable scenes concluded the 2022 Queensland Premier League season at Club Helensvale, a day in which bowlers who witnessed it will be talking about for years to come! An undefeated season came to a halt in the Premier Grand Final whilst in the Premier Reserves, an umpire’s measure in pitch black darkness, in front of a sea of spectators cramming the rink was the talk of the town!

In the premier grade it was the Broadbeach Bulls who sailed through the season undefeated and looked the team to beat. Despite a couple of close finishes, they had managed to keep their record unblemished and progress straight to the semi-finals. They awaited the winner of Burleigh Heads (2nd) and Musgrave Hill (3rd) whilst the elimination final saw the Helensvale Hawks knock out the Tweed Heads Ospreys.

Burleigh Heads defeated Musgrave Hill 58 to 49 and later that night Broadbeach continued to go about their business defeating the Burleigh Water Dragons in the Major Semi-final; they would now contest their 2nd straight Grand Final after losing to Pine Rivers in 2021. The result of that loss for Burleigh was a showdown with the Helensvale Hawks who had put a 20+shot margin on the Musgrave Hill Pelicans in the Minor Semi-final.

Not even the home crowd could get the Hawks over the line; Irish international Gary Kelly registered a massive 34 to 17 victory, contributing more than half Burleigh Heads’ total score, and had everyone believing they could knock off the big guns; and that’s exactly what they did! The confidence of the Preliminary Final shone through the entire Burleigh outfit and player for player they matched it with the best and came out on top.

Burleigh Heads Bowls Manager Barrie Lester couldn’t speak more glowingly of his club’s performance and the abundance of support they received all year.

“I was super proud of the players and the commitment they showed to the club; to make both finals was a dream come true,” he said.

“We had a game plan that we stuck to, we had great chemistry across both teams and a lot of support from our board, staff, managers and sponsors who all came to the finals on Sunday.”

The top two sides qualified through to the Grand Final; the 2022 Premiers Burleigh Heads qualified for the Grand Final first by defeating the Pine Rivers Pirates in the Qualifying Final, followed by 2021 Champions the Broadbeach Bulls, who troubled Pine Rivers in their Preliminary Final 80 to 45 the next day.

If there wasn’t enough tension already, the Grand Final spanned over four hours and the final three ends between Tom Nathan and Chris Monk were played in all but complete darkness. Players from both sides and spectators alike were using phone torches to shine on the head and when an umpire had to be called to decide a winner, everyone held their breath. Nathan had declared the head confident the Bulls were holding the two shots they required to win by one and when the Bulls bowl was rolled out by the umpire the celebrations started for the now back-to-back champions!

Congratulations to the Broadbeach Bulls and the Burleigh Heads Water Dragons for making both grades Grand Finals and to the best performed rinks skipped by Aron Sherriff (Broadbeach) and Shaun Wheeler (Burleigh Heads). The top-level bowls in Queensland is the envy of the rest of the country.