DECEMBER 2022/JANUARY 2023

From the President

with BQ’s Peter Williamson

The Bowls Australia AGM was held on Tuesday, November 8 where the incumbents Bob Boorman and Jess de Greenlaw were re-elected out of five applicants for the two positions.

Following the AGM, a board meeting was held with Matt Burgess being appointed by the directors as the new President of Bowls Australia. We thank Bob Boorman for his time as BA President.

The inaugural 8-A-Side finals were played at Club Tweed last month. From all reports, it was an event that was well received throughout those areas which competed at club level and is seen to have the potential to grow.

The First Division Pennant finals was also played at Club Tweed and saw a number of thrilling finishes with bowls played at the highest standard. Congratulations to all who participated in both events.

This time of the year, clubs are under quite a lot of financial pressure with greens’ renovations and general maintenance. Grants of funding to clubs from various State government departments and in some instances, local councils, can be found through their respective websites. It’s well worth a club’s management time to seek out grants.

On behalf of the Bowls Queensland Board, staff and committees, we wish you all the very best for the festive season and a successful 2023.

2023 JUNIOR STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

The first event for next year will be the 2023 Junior State Championships, which will be held at Burnett and Across the Waves Bowls Clubs in Bundaberg from January 15-20, 2023.

Bowlers will compete in the open fours, open triples, open pairs and boys’ and girls’ singles disciplines across under-18, under-15 and the new under-12 categories.

Last year’s winners included:

• Hannah Ogden

U18 Girls’ Singles

• Ty Jesberg U18 Boys’ Singles

• Tilah Mason U15 Girls’ Singles

• Riley Gerick U15 Boys’ Singles

• Oliver Corken & Cody Gerick U18 Open Pairs

• Thomas Brehmer & Trent Brehmer U15 Combined Pairs

• Oliver Corken, Samuel Collier, Ty Jesberg Open Triples

• L acey Gerick, Travis Pearce, Riley Gerick, Cody Gerick Open Fours

This event will be live streamed via the BQ Facebook page, YouTube Channel and website. Thank you to the Bundaberg Regional Council, Across the Waves and Burnett Bowls Club for their support.

Peter Williamson

SUMMER COMPS RARING TO GO!

Q7s are ready and excited about season 2023; with the competition to commence on Saturday, February 4. There will be two Double Header weekends as per last year – week one and the last week, to make the season an eight week competition with 10 rounds played.

Tournament Director, Bob Proctor, is very pleased to announce the alliance with Club Pine Rivers has been extended until the end of 2024.

The Wanless Group have also agreed to join the competition; and will become a long-term partner with other long-term sponsors: BCIB, Bank of Queensland, Lawn Bowls 2U, Sky Marketing and Salisbury Community Sports Club.

The season launch will be held at Beenleigh Bowls Club on Sunday, January 22 with lunch and bowls. Q7s Chairman, Shane Johnstone, has been very successful in extending interest in our competition to the Sunshine Coast. The Gold Coast, too, will be a welcome return with the Covid restrictions behind us. Season 2023 will see the continuation of the increased prize money to $8,000 for the winners across all divisions.

During BPL16 at Club Pine Rivers, Chairman Shane, newly appointed Deputy Chairman Peter, and Bob Proctor were able to catchup with their Patroness Karen Murphy AM, while she competed for the Sydney Lions. Could not resist a photo opportunity.

We wish all the other competitions every success in 2023; and to each and every club competing in Q7s-Qld 2023, may you have a very entertaining and profitable season. Go to the Q7s-Qld website for more information: p7s-qld.com

The Great Bowls Challenge has three divisions for both men and women and is played across Greater Brisbane and Greater Sunshine Coast. With eight bowlers per team, players compete in a two pairs and a fours format across six weeks with each team playing home and away.

The season commences on February 4, 2023 and the Regional Finals will be held on March 18. The Grand Final Round Robin will be on March 25. Go to the Great Bowls Challenge website for more information: greatbowlschallenge.com.au

The Premier League QLD (PLQ) competition kicks off January 7 with the following teams: Algester Sports Club All Stars, Belmont Services Bowls Club Blaze, Broadbeach Bulls, Burleigh Heads Bowls Club Waterdragons, Enoggera Bowls Club Eagles, Hamilton Bowls Club Power, Club Helensvale Hawks, Club Musgrave Pelicans, Paradise Point Bowls Club Dolphins, Club Pine Rivers Pirates, Tweed Ospreys & Western Outlaws PLQ.

The finals weekend will be held on March 18-19, 2023.

CEO REPORT

with BQ’s Brett Wilkie

With another year drawing to an end, I would like to thank the board, committees and staff of Bowls Queensland and RBMs for the dedication they have given to bowls in QLD during 2022. I must also thank all the volunteers and staff at clubs and districts throughout the State for their contribution in administering and promoting our great game.

Many clubs have record numbers attending Christmas barefoot bowls functions and birthday parties, etc. This is a great time to utilise this added traffic of new people to clubs. It is important for clubs to provide a good experience for these people to encourage them to come back to patronise the club in the future. Whether it is as a social member to use the facilities or to join up and play the game regularly, much will hinge on their first impressions of the club, the hospitality and its atmosphere.

Queensland Sport Awards

Congratulations to Serena Bonnell on being a finalist of the QLD Sport Awards “Athlete with a Disability of the Year”. It is a great honour to be a finalist in these prestigious awards.

Australian Sports Medals for Queenslanders

The efforts of the Queensland lawn bowlers at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games have been acknowledged with the awarding of the Australian Sports Medal (ASM) at Government House in Brisbane.

State Pennant Finals

Congratulations to Kawana (women) and Broadbeach (men) for winning this year’s titles. Well done to Broadbeach and North Toowoomba for reaching the finals and all teams who made it through to the playoffs. Thank you to host Club Tweed Heads and Tweed Shire Council for their support of this event.

State District Mixed Pairs

Congratulations to Adele Pershouse and Tim Smith from Bundaberg District for winning this year’s title and all those who made it through. Thank you to Bargara Bowls Club and the Sandhills Sports Club for their support.

2023 Junior State Championships

Good luck to all juniors in this event at the Burnett and Across the Waves Bowls Clubs from January 15-20. All six days will be live streamed. Thank you to the Bundaberg Regional Council for their support.

Secondary Schools Cup

Information has been sent to clubs for this event in 2023.

Secondary Schools and bowls clubs are encouraged to align together to host an intra-school playoff to be completed by June 23. The winner will then proceed to an inter-school bowls district playoff to be completed by July 21. One winning team from each bowls district will then advance to State Finals on August 23-24. RBMs are available to assist clubs/schools.

QLD Bowler Magazine

Thank you to Jo Grey and Dee Ayre for producing this magazine and BQ Media throughout the year. A lot of work goes on behind the scenes to bring this magazine to QLD clubs and members each month.

Live Streaming

North vs South Challenge

This was another hard-fought series in Townsville, well done to all players involved. Thank you to the North QLD DBA & DLBA, Civil Plus and Suburban Bowling Club for their support.

State 8-A-Side

The Inaugural State 8-A-Side Finals were held at Club Tweed, well done to Algester for winning the event and all teams who made the State finals. This event was well received by those who entered, we expect this to grow considerably next year. Thank you to the Tweed Shire Council and Club Tweed

their support.

Thank you to the Bowls Gold Coast Tweed Media team for live streaming Bowls Queensland’s events throughout the year. Our numbers continue to grow watching our streams on the BQ Website, YouTube and Facebook. Many clubs now play these streams on their club TVs which is great for local members and guests to watch.

BQ Office Closure

The Bowls Queensland office will close for Christmas/ New Year from COB on Thursday, 22 December and reopen on Monday, 9 January 2023.

I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas, enjoy the time with your family and friends, stay safe over the holiday period and all the best for the New Year ahead.

Proudly sponsored by

Brett Wilkie

L-R: Barrie Lester, Jake Fehlberg, Damien Delgado, Her Excellency the Honourable Dr Jeannette Young AC PSM - Governor of Queensland, Peter Doherty, Helen Boardman & Serena Bonnell (Cheryl Lindfield was presented her medal in Canberra).

for

JACKAROOS VS IRELAND

By Val Febbo, Bowls Australia

November 15-16: The Right at Home Jackaroos ended the twoday, three-test series against Ireland on a brilliant note, capping off a whitewash against the visitors at Club Musgrave on the Gold Coast, after playing day one at Broadbeach Bowls Club. It was the first time the recently announced squad congregated for competition, with Aron Sherriff and Kelsey Cottrell returning for Australian duties for the first time since February 2020. After claiming the first test and honours in the opening half of the second on day one, Australia kept the foot on the accelerator in the first session on day two as they wrapped up the second and third tests.

The women sustained just one blemish throughout the series, while the men were forced to dig deep against a resilient Irish squad. That was evident in the morning as the visiting duo of Ryan McElroy and Stephen Kirkwood claimed a stunning 17-14 men’s pairs victory over Aaron Teys and Aaron Wilson. Australia continued the form as the third test commenced, with the two women’s fours games boasting winning margins of 17 and 13 respectively, but the men’s contests were a different story.

The Jackaroos won three of the five matchups in the opening session of the final test, with Andy Kyle and Simon Martin overcoming Matt Lucas (Queensland) and Carl Healey 18-11 before the foursome of McElroy, Kirkwood, Shane Leonard and Mark Wilson defeated Corey Wedlock, Jesse Noronha, Cody Packer and Wilson 21-11 in the fours.

Queenslanders Barrie Lester and Aron Sherriff were able to hold off a strong challenge mounted by Stuart Bennett and Jack Moffett as the pair held on for a crucial 20-19 victory in the second men’s pairs match of the middle session, ensuring Australia would boast the lead heading at the half way mark of the test. In the concluding session, the men boasted three victories from as many games to seal the test, while Megan Devlin, Amy Carruth and Chloe Wilson took Ireland’s first victory in the women’s competition with an epic 18-17 triples win over Jamie-Lee Worsnop, Natasha Van Eldik and Dawn Hayman.

JACKAROOS warm up with queensland team

The Right at Home Jackaroos and selected Queenslanders enjoyed some warmup matches the day before they took on Ireland at Club Musgrave. It was a good opportunity for Queenslanders to play against Australia’s finest bowlers.

Jackaroos Ellen Ryan & Chloe Stewart

STATE’S BEST CLUBS FOR 2022

By Kelsey Cottrell

Held on November 5-6 at Club Tweed, the State Pennant competition gave district Division 1 Pennant winners the opportunity to play off at group level for the chance to compete at Queensland’s State finals for the coveted Division 1 flag.

MEN

The Broadbeach Bulls men were as dominating as always during their State Pennant campaign led by their skippers Ryan Bester, Aron Sherriff and Nick Cahill.

North Toowoomba were the surprise packet finalists after knocking off Pine Rivers who were probably slight favourites to win that section.

North Toowoomba had faced off with Broadbeach on numerous occasions in QLD Premier League over the years and knew what a mammoth task it would be to defeat their star-studded team.

Tweed Heads Bowls Manager, Wayne Turley, a jack of all trades, rolled the green in the lunch break and when the players came out for the final, the green was running to perfection at 16.5 with a typical Tweed Heads cross wind.

It was the classy Broadbeach outfit who jumped out of the

the blink of an eye the game was over with North Toowoomba

Aron Sherriff defeated Jason Grundon 31-20, Ryan Bester defeated Hayden Vogler 25-13, and Nick Cahill defeated Andrew Batterham 30-4 (after 15 ends).

Men’s Grand Final Result-

Broadbeach Bulls defeated North Toowoomba 88-37

blocks and adapted to the quicker conditions; in

conceding a few ends from home.

Pennant winners (men) Broadbeach Bowls Club Back L-R: Sean Ingham, Peter Richards & John Davis (Manager). Middle L-R: Brad Lawson, Aron Sherriff, Chris Lanham, Scott Chamberlain, Andrew Waddell & Andrew Todd. Front L-R: Tom Nathan, Mitchell Mears, Nick Cahill, Mike Bermingham & Ryan Bester

WOMEN

Kawana Thunder women had the difficult task of defeating a Broadbeach Bulls side who had a strangle hold on the Division one pennant across the past eight years. Kawana got off to the perfect start with Joan Tennent and Katelyn Inch’s rinks doing most of the damage early, contributing to Kawana jumping out to a 12-shot lead on the big board.

The final 15 ends were entertaining; the quality of bowls had lifted, and Broadbeach were staging their comeback.

Every time a Broadbeach rink scored and closed the gap on the big board, Kawana Thunder would strike back and regather some breathing space.

A few telling drives by Noelene Dutton saved seven shots in two ends but Broadbeach did manage to pick up a few numbers to trail by 3 with one end to play.

Cottrell’s rink held three and a measure, but the problem was the two bowls left in Tennent’s hand; one was enough, she stepped up to the mat potentially game down and trailed the jack. Cottrell was forced to drive at the jack for the kill and when she missed the Kawana cheers went around Club Tweed.

Congratulations Kawana and Broadbeach, the last two teams standing after another brilliant year of pennants all over the state, and a big thank you to our sponsors, Club Tweed and the Tweed Shire Council.

Women’s

Grand Final

ResultKawana Thunder defeated Broadbeach Bulls 66-60

Pennant winners (women) Club Kawana Back L-R: Merrill Ahern, Di Viterale, Jenny Blundell, Liza Burgess, Leigh Fortington, Debbie Dalliston & Joan Tennent. Front L-R: Katelyn Inch, Noelene Dutton, Fay Whittaker, Lynda Brownen, Jude Whaites & Denice McLean

Runners-up Broadbeach Bowls Club Back L-R Serena Bonnell, Heather Hodgson, Adele Pershouse, Julie Keegan, Val Jackson, Kelsey Cottrell, Anne McClure, Serena Matthews & Bronwyn Stevens. Front L-R: Gail Waitai, Cheryl Heaps, Lyn Cuthbertson, Bolivia Millerick & Karen Goldsworthy

Runners-up North Toowoomba Bowls Club Back L-R: Joshua Steffans, Jim Williams, Greg Tucker, Andrew Batterham, Christopher Barrett, Hayden Vogler, Norman Head, Mark Algate & Robert Hammond Front L-R: Richard Ashton, Gary Gray, Jason Grundon, Ian Gillam & Peter Hill (Manager)

L-R: Club Tweed Deputy Chairman Peter Goldsmith, BQ President Peter Williamson & Club Tweed Chairman Leigh Tynan

Broadbeach

Edge Hill Souths Surburban

Bargara

Pialba

Club Pine Rivers Chinchilla

North Toowoomba

Broadbeach

Brothers Edmonton North Mackay

Burnett Kandanga

Club Kawana Chinchilla/Dalby/Nth Dalby/Taroom

Drayton

8-A-SIDE: ALGESTER ALL STARS TAKE ALL

By Kelsey Cottrell

It was a thrilling day for the Algester All Stars claiming victory in the inaugural State 8-ASide event at Club Tweed after two days of play against mixed club sides from all over the State.

Held on November 3-4, the event encompassed club sides of four women and four men contesting women’s pairs, men’s pairs and mixed fours disciplines in a pennant style competition, qualifying through their districts and groups to compete for a prestigious State title.

Teams from Wellington Point, Algester, Hamilton, Bargara, Souths Suburban Mackay and South Johnstone qualified for state finals to be played at one of the State’s most iconic bowling clubs, Club Tweed. A five-game round robin was conducted amongst the six competing teams all vying for a top two spot to qualify for the inaugural gold medal match. Two sides went through sectional play with four wins seeing Algester Sports and Wellington Point battling it out in the final. Algester was a comfortable winner in sectional play, but Wellington Point would get a second chance in the final when they faced off again.

The final was a much closer affair; Lyn Hartley defeated Debbie Logan in the women’s fours but Cohen Litfin and Des Cann Jr both won their respective men’s pairs matches for the All Stars. The overall score was 58-42.

This event has highlighted just how well Algester players have been doing in the past six months. During the 8-A-Side, one of their star players, Cohen Litfin, was officially named in the Emerging Jackaroos Squad for the first time, only months after making his debut for Queensland. In October, Glen Pitts claimed gold in the State Champion of Club Champion Singles and during the Australian Open, Fay Woodward made the semi-final of the prestigious Women’s Singles.

In the playoff for the bronze medal, the highly favoured Hamilton Power side was defeated by Bargara. These two sides had only just met in the final round of sectional play and the result was reversed. In sectional play Hamilton won 62-47 but Bargara won the game that mattered most, claiming bronze 61-46.

Now the inaugural State 8-A-Side has been run and won, Bowls Queensland expects the event to grow in the future. Keep a look out at your clubs for nominations to open in 2023. Thank you to the Tweed Shire Council and Club Tweed for supporting this event.

Silver medallists- Wellington Point Back L-R: Peter Shaw, Daryl Dodd, Lindsay Ponting & Tom Mullen. Front L-R: Jannelle Jones, Lyn Hartley, Sue Mullen & Sue Teitzel

Winners Algester Back L-R: Cohen Litfin, Glen Pitts & Des Cann Jnr. Front L-R: Jenny Bostock, Debbie Logan, Heather Bailey, Fay Woodward & Judd Percy

Bronze Medallists - Bargara Back L-R: Darren Mullens, Cody Fehlberg & Graeme Kath. Front L-R: Matt Tonkin, Adele Pershouse, Connie Rixon, Jenny Hearn, Deb Handley & Sandra Burgess

8 all after 2 ends!

In the third round of the 8-A-Side

fours

scored an 8 on the second end, 8 all after two ends! We thought this might be a first in bowls history, but although it is a very rare occurence, it has happened before!

Bargara scored an 8 on the first end, then South

Hamilton/Brisbane

Bargara/Bundaberg

Souths Suburban/Mackay

South Johnstone/Tropical Far Nth Qld

Wellington Point/Gateway Algester

Bargara vs South Johnstone mixed

game,

Johnstone

Bargara’s Graeme Kath & Deb Handley, South Johnstone’s Tony Burns, Jenny Burns & Cathy Hitchings, Bargara’s Sandra Burgess & Cody Fehlberg & South Johnstone’s Shane McInerney

NORTH VS SOUTH

Held on October 29-30 at Suburban Bowling Club in Townsville, the 2022 North vs South Test Series saw the south men and women prevail ing for the fifth year in a row.

The south men were on fire from the first match, maintaining a consistent lead throughout all three tests and

North men’s team

defeating the north men 3-0. After being defeated in the first test, one could be forgiven for thinking the north women would make a comeback after Adele Perhouse’s rink beat Bolivia Millerick’s team 21-16 in the second test, but the south women were always in control of the master board. The south women won eight of the nine games and claimed the victory 3-0.

Men’s Results - SOUTH DEF NORTH 2 TESTS TO 1

First Test – South def North 71-39

• (South) M Mears, N Chapman, D McWhinney, A Hewson def (North) M Edwards, N Twining, J Cribbin, A Murtagh 22-12

• (North) R Kurtz, A Paskins, N Gosley, M Armstrong def (South) S Sail, J Schiulaz, J Grundon, B Wilkie 18-16

• (South) B Lawson, S DeJongh-Fitzpatrick, N Cahill, B Lester def (North) K Whalley, J Hammond, G Kath, A Isgro 33-9

Second Test – South def North 69-34

• (South) S Sail, J Schiulaz, J Grundon, B Wilkie def (North) M Edwards, N Twining, J Cribbin, A Murtagh 27-14

• (North) R Kurtz, A Paskins, N Gosley, M Armstrong def (South) B Lawson, S DeJongh-Fitzpatrick, N Cahill, B Lester 23-17

• (South) M Mears, N Chapman, D McWhinney, A Hewson def (North) K Whalley, J Hammond, G Kath, A Isgro 25-7

Third Test – North def South 59-50

• (North) M Edwards, N Twining, J Cribbin, A Murtagh def (South) B Lawson, S DeJongh-Fitzpatrick, N Cahill, B Lester 29-10

• (South) M Mears, N Chapman, D McWhinney, A Hewson def (North) R Kurtz, A Paskins, N Gosley, M Armstrong 22-13

• (South) S Sail, J Schiulaz, J Grundon, B Wilkie def (North) K Whalley, J Hammond, G Kath, A Isgro 18-17

South men’s team

WOMEN’s results - SOUTH DEF NORTH 3 TESTS TO NIL

First Test – South def North 71-42

• (South) O Rothwell, A Evans, E Spicer, C Stewart def (North) L Foot, B Torrens, S Kington, A Pershouse 17-15

• (South) J Brownie, S Duffield, A Haevecker, B Millerick def (North) A Knight, D Walsh, M Styles, T McAlary 30-10

• (South) I Lawson, Z Stewart, S Brady, L Clarke def (North) K Burns, B Wiley, W Jamieson, J Tennent 24-17

Second Test – South def North 58-51

• (North) L Foot, B Torrens, S Kington, A Pershouse def (South) J Brownie, S Duffield, A Haevecker, B Millerick 21-16

• (South) I Lawson, Z Stewart, S Brady, L Clarke def (North) A Knight, D Walsh, M Styles, T McAlary 18-15 (North)

• (South) O Rothwell, A Evans, E Spicer, C Stewart def K Burns, B Wiley, W Jamieson, J Tennent 24-15

Third Test – South def North 70-48

• (South) I Lawson, Z Stewart, S Brady, L Clarke def 24-19 (North) L Foot, B Torrens, S Kington, A Pershouse 24-19

• (South) O Rothwell, A Evans, E Spicer, C Stewart def (North) A Knight, D Walsh, M Styles, T McAlary 21-13

• (South) J Brownie, S Duffield, A Haevecker, B Millerick def (North) K Burns, B Wiley, W Jamieson, J Tennent 25-16

Thank you to sponsors Civil Plus Constructions and the Suburban Bowling Club Townsville for hosting a great series along with the North Queensland District Men’s and Ladies’ Associations. To see the full results including rinks, visit: https://www.bowlsqld.org/events/north-vs-south-challenge.

South women’s team

North women’s team

Photos: Karen Emery

Madi Styles being interviewed by WIN News in Townsville

Photos: Karen Emery

Umpire

with Joan Brotherton

Laws on damaged jacks and bowls & a refresher on Conditions of Play

I am writing the December column after returning from four wonderful and enjoyable days attending the new initiative, 2022 State 8-A-Side Finals, and the 2022 State Pennant Finals held at Club Tweed in November. Special congratulations to all winners and to all players who participated, as it was a wonderful achievement to progress to the State Finals. I know that you all enjoyed the experience and the many friendships that were formed over the various days you were competing.

It was also lovely to catch up with many members from around the State and discuss any umpiring questions and problems that you have been experiencing.

I received the following photo which shows a jack that has been split in half during a game. It is an amazing photo as it certainly looks as though it was just cut in half. The following laws cover the situation:

Law 30 – Damaged jack (page 42):

30.1 If the jack is damaged during the course of play, the umpire must decide if a replacement jack is needed.

30.2 If a replacement jack is needed, the end will be declared dead, and Law 20 will apply.

The following law covers a damaged bowl:

Law 31 - Damaged bowls (page 42/43):

31.1 If a bowl is damaged during the course of play, the umpire must decide if a replacement bowl is needed.

31.2 If a bowl that has been struck by another bowl during the course of play splits into pieces, the end must be declared dead.

31.3 In the circumstances described in laws 31.1 and 31.2, the damaged bowl must be replaced by another bowl from the same set before the start of the next or replayed end as appropriate.

31.4 If a bowl at rest in the rink of play splits into pieces without having been struck by another bowl, the bowl must be replaced with another bowl from the same set and the end continued.

31.5 If a damaged bowl cannot be replaced by another bowl from the same set, all bowls in the damaged set must be replaced with bowls from a different set.

Conditions of Play:

Last month, I covered Conditions of Play briefly and recommended various laws to read. I highlighted that there can be slight changes in all events and these changes can make a difference. Changes may only appear once or twice, and that is why it is very important that all officials and players read the conditions covering each event in which you officiate or play.

The important information to read is the following, as it sets out various Conditions of Play that must be decided for an event before details are publicised. Some of the changes that affect many bowlers are:

Appendix A – page 95 – 100:

• Type of event

• Start and finish dates plus times

• Venue and format

• Practice and trial ends

• Clothing

• Requirements for stamps on bowls

• Dead ends or re-spotting

• Restricting movement of players during play.

On behalf of the BQ Umpire Committee: John, Jess, Barry, Trevor, Chris and myself, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

May 2023 bring you all happiness, good health and enjoyable bowling.

Have a wonderful and safe break. Thank you for your continued support of the umpire column and your friendship, which is very special.

Damaged jack

DISTRICT MIXED PAIRS: BUNDY DUO CLAIMS GOLD

By Kelsey Cottrell

Adele Pershouse and Tim Smith representing the Bundaberg District have claimed the last State Title on offer in 2022, the Bowls Queensland State District Mixed Pairs.

The champions didn’t have far to travel and had plenty of support from the locals playing at Bargara Bowls Club on November 19-20.

The event started with eight group winners from all over the state playing in two sections of four, and ended with a riveting final medal match live streamed by the Gold Coast Tweed District Media Team.

BQ’s Kerry Green with gold medal winners Adele Pershouse & Tim SmithBundaberg

Lynda Brownen and Kurt Brown (Sunshine Coast) were Bundaberg’s opponents in the final; they progressed with three wins +35, and just to be slightly outdone, the Bundy pairing qualified for the final with three wins +36. Spectators knew they were in for a close match when the first three ends were just single shots scored by the team from Kawana; however, their good work was undone on end four when they dropped a three to even the ledger.

On the eighth end it once again looked as though Kawana’s Brownen and Brown would break away scoring a four, making the score 10-5; just 3 ends later scores were level once again.

The quality draw shots from Pershouse and Smith had Kurt Brown on the drive in the backend of the match, but the drives were only reducing the count and not adding the score for Kawana. On the penultimate end, Brown trailed the jack for four; however, Smith held his nerve to draw second shot and hold on to a five shot lead playing the final end.

It was a shame for the quality match to come to an end with the crowd appreciating all the great shots being played, but they were certainly happy with the result, a win for the locals, Pershouse and Smith 20-14.

On the neighbouring rink in the playoff for bronze, it was a see-sawing battle between the Gateway District and Mackay District.

Sue Mullen and Kane Nelson had lost just the one sectional game to Brownen and Brown but had their work cut out for them against Dealia Walsh and Peter Blackburn. It was an entertaining match with never more than a handful of shots separating them. Nelson played the final bowl of the match with the game lying a draw, he managed to draw second shot just a foot behind the jack to claim a one-shot victory.

We sincerely thank the Bargara Bowls Club and the Sandhills Sports Club for their hospitality and once again congratulate the eight teams who won through their districts and groups to compete at this final state event of the year.

BQ’s Kerry Green with silver medal winners, Kurt Brown & Lynda Brownen – Sunshine Coast

Lynda Brownen & Kurt Brown – Sunshine Coast (Group 4)

Evan O’Rourke & Cheryl Lorkin – Burnett (Group 5)

Tim Smith & Adele Pershouse – Bundaberg (Group 6)

Dealia Walsh & Peter Blackburn – Mackay (Group 7)

Tony McAlary & Terry McAlary – Tropical Far North Qld (Group 8)

Sue Mullen & Kane Nelson – Gateway (Group 1)

Dawn Warren & Glen Pitts – Cunningham (Group 2)

Wendy Usher & Doug Wilson – Condamine (Group 3)

Photos by Greg Gallagher

BQ’s Kerry Green with bronze medal winners, Sue Mullen & Kane Nelson – Gateway

BQ’s Chrissy Pavlov, Kerry Green & Jim See The coveted State District Mixed Pairs Shield

L-R: Bargara Bowls

Chairperson Sandy Bianchi, Sandhills Sports Club General Manager Jodie Harris, BQ’s Jess Cannon & Kerry Green

By Kelsey Cottrell

The Bowls Premier League showcases the sports best players, it’s live on national television, it boasts the best audiences of any bowls event around the country and the format makes us watch every game on the edge of our seats.

Queensland was well represented with three franchises, the Moreton Bay Pirates (formally Brisbane Pirates), the Club Helensvale Gold Coast Hawks and the Tweed Heads Ospreys. At the end of a whopping 18 sectional matches, Queensland had just the one team left in the competition; the Moreton Bay Pirates were Minor Premiers and absolutely looking the goods to lift the silverware.

With Scottish superstar Alex Marshall MBE at the reigns, well supported by World Champion Jo Edwards (New Zealand) and Queensland representative and local Pine Rivers star Chris Rosannes, the trio were combining brilliantly and had the home-grown crowd supporting them.

Club Pine Rivers always erupts on finals night, but nothing can compare to the atmosphere of a home-crowd getting behind their beloved Pirates. It wasn’t meant to be with the Pirates bowing out with back-to-back losses against the Melbourne Pulse and Adelaide Pioneers. Thankfully the crowd hung around to witness more world-class bowls.

The Gold Coast Hawks had another disappointing finish to their BPL campaign ending at the bottom of the ladder, but it wasn’t all doom and gloom for the Club Helensvale owned franchise. Kelsey Cottrell, Nathan Rice and Shannon McIlroy (NZ) were in equal 6th position heading into the final days play and needed just two out of three wins to progress to finals, but once again the tie-breaks were not friendly to the Gold Coasters.

The Tweed Heads Ospreys spent most of BPL16 on the bottom of the ladder; however, a strong finish for Kira Bourke, Aaron Teys and Corey Wedlock moved them up into nineth with two wins on the final day. Corey Wedlock was named BPL16 MVP with a record number of votes. Wedlock polled 49 of a possible 54 votes throughout 18 games for the Ospreys, surpassing the previous record of 47 votes set by Aron Sherriff in BPL15.

We had other Queenslanders representing the sunshine state as members of other franchises. Aron Sherriff represented the Moama Steamers, alongside Broadbeach’s Ryan Bester and former Queensland representative Cassandra Millerick; they finished fifth on the ladder, scraping into finals by the barest of margins with a round 18 victory over the Adelaide Pioneers.

Their victory over the Pioneers pushed them down into fourth position so the two teams met in the knockout finals match only a few hours later, and this time it was the Pioneers taking victory.

Barrie Lester (Melbourne Pulse) represented the Dandenong-owned franchise and went into BPL16 as the Defending Champion team.

Having that title on their heads was no problem for Lester, Ellen Ryan and Gary Kelly (NRI) who finished in the prized top 2 position. They won their qualifying final against Moreton Bay to move directly into the Grand Final, to then come up against a weary Adelaide Pioneers who the Pulse made light work of, 6-3 10-1.

The next Bowls Premier League will be held in Moama from February 20-24, 2023.

Advertising Liquor Promotions during the Holiday Period

Given we are in the festive period, we thought it would be a timely reminder to recap the rules on advertising and promoting alcohol at bowls clubs. With many clubs promoting their premises as the most suitable location for special events during this period, it’s important to note the restrictions around promoting alcohol in Queensland.

Obligations for alcohol advertising and promotions

As a licensee, clubs have an obligation to ensure alcohol is supplied and promoted in a way that minimises harm and preserves peace and good order around a club. Whilst the Liquor Act does not prevent clubs from promoting activities that encourage patronage, there are several restrictions on advertising alcohol outside a club to ensure it is done in a way that minimises harm. Specifically, clubs must not advertise the following outside their premises:

• free liquor or multiple quantities of liquor (e.g. two for one deals);

• the sale price of liquor for consumption at the club; or

• promotions for discounted drinks such as a ‘happy hour’ or ‘all you can drink’ deals.

These liquor specials can be advertised within the club’s premises, so long as the advertisement is not visible or audible outside the premises (this includes a club’s website and social media pages). We suggest your club’s marketing team are made aware of the restrictions on advertising and promoting alcohol on social media, particularly if marketing is handled by a third party.

Exceptions to liquor promotion restrictions

There is an exception to the prohibition on advertising outside the club’s premises for drink specials where the club is advertising ‘meal and drink’ packages. Specifically:

• a meal and one alcoholic drink up to 1.5 standard drinks;

• a package offering accommodation and a 750ml standard bottle of wine or champagne; or

• a meal for two and 750ml standard bottle of wine or champagne.

It is important to ensure that the meal in the package is a full-size meal and any promotion does not refer to other drinks specials that are available at the club.

Promotions with prizes of alcohol

Your club may host reward promotions as long as they don’t encourage excessive consumption of alcohol or promote intoxication. Permitted promotions include:

• raffles where the prize is free liquor; and

• ‘buy one get one free’ promotions.

Low-risk promotions are also allowed, such as:

• ‘beer of the month’ brand switching to encourage trialling a new product; and

• loyalty reward programs conducted over more than one trading day.

The Mullins hospitality team can help your bowls club with its obligations when it comes to advertising and promoting alcohol for special events during the holiday period.

Please contact Matthew Bradford on 07 3224 0353.

Merry Christmas and see you all next year!

I would like to wish everyone associated with Bowls Australia & Bowls Qld a fantastic Christmas & New Year. 2022 has been a great year and I look forward to visiting each of my clubs in 2023!

- Nick Twining

RBM - NORTH QLD

Nick Twining 0429 213 207 ntwining@bowls.com.au

Happy Christmas everyone. From my family to yours we wish you all a very happy Christmas and a wonderful New Year. I look forward to continuing our endeavours in 2023.

- David Barnes

RBM - CENTRAL QLD David Barnes 0429 442 818 dbarnes@bowls.com.au

I would like to take this opportunity to wish all my clubs and their members a very Merry Christmas and a happy and safe New Year. Bring on 2023.

- Micheal Sorrensen

RBM - SOUTH EAST QLD Micheal Sorrensen 0447 507 040 msorrensen@bowls.com.au

Suggested responses to criticism about the “cheatING stick”

The picture on the right displays the four “approved” BA “arms” for lawn bowls. They are generally a matter of personal choice, except that many thousands of bowlers across Australia have a chronic physical disability, have suffered an injury which limits their movement or are just too old to manage a three-hour game of lawn bowls.

To those who challenge this personal choice, I would point out the analogy of the bowls we use to enjoy our beloved game. Although all are of similar shape, we can choose our weight (1 – 5) we can choose our manufacturer, we can choose our performance and bias characteristics and our colour schemes.

Yet, after years of “arms or sticks” being approved by BA, we still hear our selfappointed club experts criticising arm bowlers for using the cheating stick and not playing “the game”! The irony of this, as outlined above, is these same critics do not hesitate to choose their own bowls and often give advice to other bowlers on

the alleged merits of different makes and types of bowls.

Many clubs in Queensland and Australia would cease to function if members using artificial arms were denied their rights to choose this equipment and allow them to continue playing notwithstanding their “disability”! Here are some suggested arm bowlers’ responses to ill-informed comments:

• Ignore it as you would any comment generated through ignorance.

• Ask them to talk with arm bowlers to understand how their medical conditions would stop them from bowling, if it were not for the arm.

• Challenge them to roll up for at least 30 mins. using the arm. Ideally for longer in a practice game. If they are honest, they will acknowledge that the arm has as many challenges (line, length/weight and control/release point) as the human arm.

• If appropriate, use humour and confirm that to make it an even contest, you have switched off all laser sighting and radio controls in the arm!

“I’m sorry, if you were right, I would agree with you” – Robin Williams.

Contributed by Ian Rowan

BUDERIM HOLDS SUCCESSFUL COME & TRY DAY

By RBM David Barnes

If your club has ever considered hosting a Come & Try day and wondered if it was worth the while, then look no further than Buderim Bowls Club who hosted their day on Sunday, October 16.

The day was planned to go from 11am to 1pm, followed by a band on the green. Well, with the assistance from Bowls Queensland advertising the event and the club being very active within the

community and on Facebook, the day ended up being a massive success with more than100 people turning up for the event.

The band set up on the green at 1pm while there were people still bowling either side of the band until after 4pm. Not only was the day a financial success for the club, but they offered free membership for the rest of 2022, and they received 11 new forms with eight ladies and three men.

The community had a wonderful day with a lot of laughs and fun being had by everyone. The club itself could not believe the success of the day and are already planning to host similar events more regularly moving forward.

A big congratulations to the club for making the effort; this shows the effort you put into an event can bring great results and has put the club on the map in Buderim. Below is an extract from the club’s newsletter:

“What a huge weekend! Sunday morning saw our Come & Try day successfully completed, with many thanks to the Ladies’ and Men’s members outstanding support. As a result of this event, we had eight Ladies’ and three Men’s applications for membership.

Following on from the Come & Try bowls, the band ‘Hen Pecked’ took to the front green and played some outstanding music to a packed crowd.

Thank you to all members who supported the event, especially the volunteers and staff who ensured its success.”

Great work Team Buderim!

WHAT’S YOUR CLUB BEEN DOING?

Watching Nana win Silver!

Shailer Park Primary School tuned in to let the grandkids in Grades 1 and 2 watch Charlotte’s Nana play bowls on live stream.

Pictured left is Charlotte, Grade 2, watching Joan Tennent from Burrum Heads play for her silver medal in the recent Champion of Club Championships held in Mackay.

Pink & Blue Ribbon Day at Surat

Surat Ladies’ Bowls Club hosted their annual Pink & Blue Ribbon Open Day at the end of

October, raising money for both breast and prostate cancer charities. The day was supported well as always with 36 players taking to the green for a fun afternoon/night of bowls. The afternoon kicked off with the first round of 14 ends or the bell and was followed by dinner before heading back out for another round of 14 ends or the bell. Plenty of laughter could be heard across the green as everyone was enjoying themselves.

At the completion of the night, we had our presentations of overall, runners-up, first round and second round winning teams and drew our multi draw raffle where all prizes had been kindly donated. All greens fees and raffle money were donated to both charities. In total we raised $1,465 to help support breast and prostate cancer charities.

For the last six years, Armour Energy has been sponsoring this day and we would like to thank them for their ongoing sponsorship. Without their generosity, days like this would not be possible. Thank you to Armour Energy Surat team and Andrew from Brisbane for coming along and joining in with the fun.

Toowoomba City’s Open Carnival

Despite the threat of inclement weather, the 4th Toowoomba City Bowls Club $10,000 Metals-R-Us Open carnival was completed over the October long weekend. Whilst rain disrupted the fourth round on Sunday, enough play was able to be completed to determine a result. Twenty teams competed over the two day carnival, with the eventual winners being local team Jake Rynne, Jason Grundon, Gavin Bradford and Mark Algate.

Club Secretary, Graham Healy said the club was delighted with the

response from teams. “Obviously the prize money is a huge attraction for teams and again we were delighted to see nominations from right across South East Queensland”, he said. Mr Healy was particularly thankful for the continued support of local sponsor Metals-R-Us, a subsidiary of the Neil Mansell group of companies. “Neil has been a great supporter of our club for many years and it was a pleasure to have him on board again this year.” Other sponsors included Black & White Cabs, Hammel’s Plumbing & Gas, Ray White Real Estate and Andrews Meats.

Contributed by Lorraine McPherson

Winners L-R: Ryan Goodwin (MetalsR-Us), Jason Grundon, Mark Algate, Gavin Bradford, Jake Rynne & Michael Healy (Metals-R-Us)

Contributed by Graham Healy

Victoria Point’s Novice Pairs

The extremely popular third Novice Pairs morning was held on November 13. It was another wonderful and enjoyable morning with players coming from Beenleigh, Belmont Services, Capalaba, Cleveland, Ipswich, Mt. Gravatt and Victoria Point.

The friendship combined with the commitment of all players stood out and produced some remarkable and exciting bowls which was enjoyed not only by the players but by the considerable number of spectators that attended. The morning commenced with morning tea, trial ends and 21 ends of four bowl pairs. The barbeque was prepared by the club’s hard-working men – Ian, John, Marcel, Peter and Danny and was enjoyed by all.

Congratulations to the winners Nelly Gordan and Josephine Caldwell from Capalaba and runners-up Judy Hamson and Kay Hildebrand from Cleveland. We will be holding another Novice Pairs morning in the future as we received many requests for this event. Flyers with more details will be forwarded to all clubs.

Special thanks are expressed to all those members who assisted in making this special morning enjoyable for everyone.

Super Vets at Southern Cross

Southern Cross Bowls Club was the host for the SDDLBA Super Vets from Southern Cross, Tannymorel, Tenterfield, Warwick and Warwick East.

Chatter and laughter was heard throughout the club as bowlers greeted others they had not seen since the last Super Vet and welcomed several new bowlers who reached Super Vet status this year.

The carers and members of Southern Cross joined with the Super Vets for bowls. Although many of the Super Vets had not set foot on a bowling green for some time, some of the heads were so tight, it showed they had not lost their ability to play a good game. Sadly, many faces were missing due to illness, we wish you well and hope to see you soon; and to family and friends of our bowlers no longer with us, our thoughts are with you.

Thank you to all the Super Vets, the Southern Cross Bowls Club for hosting this special day, the ladies in the kitchen, the bar staff, the green keeper and all who worked behind the scenes. Stay safe and well and see you on a green somewhere soon.

Contributed by Joan Brotherton

Runners-up: Judy Hamson & Kay Hildebrand (Cleveland)

Winners: Nelly Gordan & Josephine Caldwell (Capalaba)

Contributed by Barbara Carter

Matriarchs, patriarchs and carers ready to play in the 2022 Super Vets event

Toogoolawah’s Valley of the Lakes Carnival

On October 29-30, Toogoolawah Bowls Club proudly held the 38th Valley of the Lakes Carnival, sponsored by our local IGA.

This event was started by Neville Denman in 1984, still a great supporter of the club, who was then supported by the owner of the Exchange Hotel, Max Bower and his son-in-law Bruce Reid. The XXXX brewery tossed in a keg of beer and away it all went.

The original carnival started with a visit from a bus load of Brisbane bowlers who played bowls on the Saturday, stayed the night and played again on Sunday. It didn’t have a name until the following year.

The year after that, Tyrone Richter assisted with the very successful two-day event, which continued for many years and led to its success today.

Five games came down to the last game to determine the outcome. Winners on the day were Neil Jennings team; runners-up Clayton Foster’s team; third Steve Blessley’s team; fourth Josh Haira’s team; fifth, Rob Wiemer’s team and finally the last prize went to Barra Bob’s team.

We were extremely fortunate to have such great weather throughout the event. Congratulations to all the contestants and a great thank you to the small, but wonderful, band of volunteers from our little club who made this possible.

Well done ‘Goldie’!

QRI President Keith Ware congratulating Annette Goldsworthy, who represented Burnett Bowls Club in Bundaberg West on winning silver in the National Bowlers with a Physical Disability Women’s Singles Championships.

Annette also won the bronze medal in the ladies pairs with Cheryl Lindfield and claimed the gold medal with her Queensland team for the best overall team at the national Multi-Disability Championships. Fellow Q R I members & Burnett Club members wish Annette a hearty congratulations also. Well done “Goldie”!

Contributed by Keith McWhirter

L-R: Annette Goldsworthy & QRI President Keith Ware

Contributed by Trish Hansen

It’s Carnival Time at Woodgate again!

The October Fours Carnival at Woodgate has proved successful again this year. The event began when Games Director Maurie Strano had the idea of a weekend of top class bowls and Woodgate Club Manager at the time, Charlie Redman, came on board by securing a $5,000 sponsorship from the then owner/manager of Woodgate Beach Houses in 2007.

Both Maurie and Charlie were top class bowlers who played all over the district as well as further afield. The first competition was invitation only and was quickly booked out. This popular event is a firm favourite with fierce competition and

friendly rivalry.

Fifteen years later, the competition has gone from

and teams competing from all over the State.

Pennant Team’s Determination to Succeed Pays Off

A group of ladies from the Bundaberg District wished to play in Division One Pennant but the local clubs they played for were not entering. So they all joined the Burnett Bowls Club and played under their banner, to at least have a go. They beat the strong rivals of Bargara to win at District level and then played Central Queensland and Port Curtis for the Zone finals and again won. This shows what can be achieved when you set your mind to something.

L-R: Woodgate Bowls Club President Wayne Stanley and winning team skip Brian Cornish

L-R Back: Roslyn Byers, Annette Goldsworthy, Gail Stallan, Jayne Jones & Fiona Dowling. Middle: Sally Squires, Tania Munro, Cherryl Johnston, Josie Mizzi, Penny Sellers, Sue Jardine & Donna Smith. Front: Shirley Pennington & Helen Foster

Contributed by Sue Jardine

Contributed by Lesley Christensen

strength-to-strength, with a prize pool of $11,000

Coaching with BQ coaching committee

ETIQUETTE in bowls

By Mal Mackney

As we finish up this year and prepare for the next, we thought a refresher on bowls etiquette would be timely. We coaches often hear comments such as, “there is no etiquette in bowls anymore”.

What is etiquette? What is the difference between etiquette and the rules of the game?

The Laws of the Game and Conditions of Play control the playing of the game and are enforceable by an umpire or controlling body.

There are many unwritten codes of conduct and expectations known as the etiquette of bowls and, while they are not enforceable by an umpire or controlling body, contribute to the continued flow of the game and allow everyone to enjoy the game. Some are normal good manners, while others have evolved to allow the game to provide an enjoyable time for all players.

Below are some of the etiquette of bowls suggestions:

• Be on time

• Be prepared. Ensure you have all the equipment you need for your position in the game

• Ensure your bowls bag and any other personal gear is placed neatly away from the bank so as not to interfere with any players

• Always respect your opponent/s and treat them appropriately.

At the beginning of the game:

• Introduce yourself to opponent/s, shake hands and wish everyone good bowling

• Ensure you have all your equipment with you

• Turn off your mobile phone and put it in your bowls bag

• Skips toss, communicate result to the team and ensure they carry all necessary equipment to the other end.

During the game:

• Be respectful. Never cheer false shots from the opposition or yourself that result in your favour

• If playing lead, when the opponent rolls the jack, pick their first bowl up and hand it to them, unless they request that you do not do so. Expect the same courtesy

• Stand at least 1.5 meters behind the player on the mat and 1.5 meters behind directors at the head. Always be quiet and still, otherwise stand on the bank

• Never stand in front of or behind rink markers, or directly behind the jack

• Walk down the centre of the green when changing ends

• “Possession of the mat” is a rule that all players should be aware of and follow

• When a skip has played the last bowl, as soon as the mat is clear, the opposing skip should pick up the mat and place it in a safe position on the bank

• Ensure any lifters or other equipment are placed on the bank in a safe way

• Never encroach another rink

• Any bowl from an adjoining rink on its correct bias that is stopped must be returned to be replayed.

At the end of a game:

• Shake all opponents’ hands and congratulate/ commiserate on the result

• Ensure all equipment is returned as per club policy

• Skips sign cards if necessary and cards are returned to the day’s official person on duty

• Invite/join opponent for post-game drinks

• If organised, join teammates for a debrief.

It is also important to remember that how you speak and act can, and does, affect all other players on the rink and sometimes the green. The “Beginners Guide to Lawn Bowls” and “Coaching Basics and Etiquette of Bowls” are two resources that can be purchased from the BQ website under “Forms” in Stock Requisition. I would suggest clubs buy a stock of these to be made available to all bowlers.

ECKA’S TIP

We are all aware Christmas is just around the corner, so all of us on the coaching committee would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas, certainly a Happy New Year and great bowling for 2023.

Six newly accredited Sunshine Coast District coaches,who all were made competent under the guidance of BQ coaches Eric Tomsene & Dennis O’Toole.

L-R: Jon Butler, Eric Tomsene, Graham Tanis, Richard Blackburn, Barry Ashby, Wayne Butler, Barbara Williams & Dennis O’Toole