Nelson family on a roll

NELSON BOYS

Top the table

The brothers Nelson ruled the roost in this year’s official Bowls Australia rankings, Kane Nelson, aged 15, and his 22-year-old brother Jacob took out Queensland’s top two spots as well as the second and fourth spots in the national table.

Their Dad, Greg, was also not far behind as he finished as the 10th top-ranked bowler in the State. The sports-mad brothers are thrilled with the result, although Jacob says being a runner-up to his kid brother grieves him just a bit. “I’m not going to lie, it stings a little bit that my younger brother has beaten me!” Jacob said. “I’m really really pleased with the result I got, but it feels like I just dropped short at the end of the day because I played Peter Taylor who finished number one in one of the ranked events. “He actually pipped me and it could have changed the rankings a little bit and it was really close, but I’m really happy with the result.” While Jacob is proud of Kane’s achievements, he is understandably smarting just a bit, as like most brothers they are incredibly competitive with each other. “Kane’s probably the most competitive out of the two of us I reckon, but we’re both pretty competitive and it probably helps keep us on our toes,” Jacob says. “It’s not just the bowls, we play a little bit of ping pong outside as well and that can get pretty feisty sometimes.

Top the table

“When we play any sort of sport, we’re pretty competitive..” The brothers have been bowling from a young age, their Dad introduced Jacob to the sport at the age of eight, Kane later followed his brother into the sport at the age of four. While the rivalry may be rife between them, Jacob concedes that his brother is the top dog when it comes to bowls. “Kane’s definitely the best, he puts in the most hard work and effort out of everyone in the family, he puts in so much time, and he deserves everything he gets,” Jacob says. “I’ve been lucky enough to just be able to tag along with him. “Dad’s been the same this year with his ranking scraping into the top 10 for Queensland. “He’s worked really hard along with Kane, they’ve put in a lot of practice and I’ve just been lucky to be along for the ride.” Kane remains humble about his achievements and says he enjoys being able to play with his family. “It’s a good feeling to be ranked number one in Queensland, but it’s just good to be able to play with my brother and have success with him there as well,” Kane said. All three have played at Belmont Services Bowls Club since 2016 and this year they are looking forward to getting back into competitive games after the lockdown. When they were not on the green, Jacob has continued to study his university degree in forensic science online, while Kane has been schooling from home.

“Kane had really been enjoying the lockdown as he’s not the biggest fan of school!” Jacob says. While he may have a few more years of school left to do, Kane is already looking towards life outside of it, and he hopes to find work as a bowls coordinator at a big club when he finishes, so he can merge his passion for bowls with a career. “I love the social part of bowls and being able to mix with people from all ages and being able to make good friends through it,” Kane says. “It’s just a really enjoyable sport, I also think that the social element of bowls is really good to help you in the real world as everyone should be able to communicate with people from all different walks of life and you can learn a fair bit from the older generations.” Their Dad, Greg, says he has been thrilled by the results achieved by his sons this year and could not be prouder of what they have both achieved. “I’m so proud and I’ve always been proud of the boys, but to have them finish number one and two in Queensland is just fantastic,” Greg said. “Kane told me before the year had started, that his goal was to be number one this year. “So he and I just go out and practice for hours on end and just practice, practice, practice and I’m just really proud of what he and Jacob have achieved. “It’s great to be able to share this with my sons, we’re a real bowling household and my wife says she’s a

bowling widow, which I suppose she is! But she’s always there to support us in the finals, which is great. “I’m just incredibly proud of my two boys and I look forward to many more years of bowls together with them.” Greg was also thrilled with his ranking this year but had not expected to do so well. “It was a bit of a shock really, but we play as a team, and we know each other’s game inside out which really helps,” Greg said. “It’s the compatibility, we all get along really well so that helps in a big way.” All three boys are looking forward to the pennant season now, they want to help Belmont bring home the Division 1 pennant flag this year as the club has not secured it in over 35 years. This year the Nelsons believe they are in with a shot at the 2020 title as their club has a solid roster of new players who have joined the club and are all keen to tackle the challenge. As the number one ranked player in the state, Kane says his advice for younger bowlers is to focus on enjoying the game and training hard. “I think the best advice is to make sure that you enjoy the sport and not just taking it super seriously all of the time, obviously putting in some hard work and dedication if you want to get to the top,” Kane says. “I really think you need to make sure you enjoy everything you’re doing while you play and to try and make good friends.”

NATIONAL COACH APPOINTED FOR BLIND BOWLERS TEAM

The Australian Blind Bowlers Association have announced the appointment of Jim Merrick as National Coach of the Australian Blind Bowlers Team.

Merrick is the current Board Chairman at Club Helensvale and has been a certified coach for around 10 years. He originally became involved in coaching bowlers to use the Bowling Arm. A former Chairman of Bowls Gold Coast Tweed Coaching Committee, he travelled to many clubs where he held coaching seminars and clinics for around 350 bowlers. Merrick is a former member of the Arm Bowlers National Squad and a former National Team Coach for the Arm Bowlers.

He is now committed to supporting blind and vision impaired bowlers selected, or seeking selection, for the National Team to play at their very best level.

NOMINATIONS OPEN FOR HALL OF FAME AWARDS Bowls Australia has opened nominations for the sport’s national Hall of Fame and Awards Night, and are calling on the public to recognise individuals who may be eligible.

Due to COVID-19, the prestigious function will be staged as a ‘virtual event’ for the first time this year, occurring via a video through BA’s social media platform/s, rather than an in-person ceremony, on the evening of Thursday, November 19. 12 awards will be bestowed this year, including the new Community Service Award, which aims to recognise clubs that have considerably contributed to their community through an initiative, project or program.

The Hall of Fame component, usually staged every second year alongside the Awards Night, will be incorporated annually from 2020, allowing more of the sport’s most distinguished individuals to be inducted or elevated to Legend status. Nominations for the Hall of Fame are open indefinitely, but must be submitted by midnight on Friday, August 28 to be eligible to be judged for the 2020 event. Visit the Bowls Australia website (bowls.com.au) for more information.