Flexibility would have saved premier round

ONE could ask the question last week as to what could have been an alternative in regards to the Round 8 washout in premier division?

Currently, the ruling between both competitions states that if either region cancels pennant competition due to inclement weather, then the combined premier division competition is also cancelled, regardless of where games are to be played in that round.

Reflecting back to last week, three matches were scheduled in Geelong and two in Ballarat.

Only one of those matches in Geelong was to be on turf — both other games would have potentially been on synthetic surfaces.

In Ballarat, there is a wonderful facility under a roof at Sebastopol and the other match could have been played on synthetic as well.

The question, do we, as a premier division competition, make every effort to get our matches complete?

Reflecting back, I ask this: a simple phone call on Saturday morning from the Ballarat District Bowls Division to Sebastopol, then to Webbcona, and both scheduled matches in Ballarat could have been played under the roof at Sebastopol.

It would mean that Webbcona lost its home ground ad- vantage for a week but the round of matches would have been completed.

Imagine this: a local competition cancelled due to inclement weather, two premier league matches under a roof at Sebastopol — how many spectators do you think could of turned up to watch?

All five rounds of our Gee- long Division 1 competition were completed, all be it in challenging conditions.

Maybe we, as a competition, need to look beyond the square to provide the best opportunity to promote our premier division competition.

Matt Flapper is a Geelong Bowls Region board member and Ocean Grove skipper