A hot start tipped for new-look competition
A NEW era starts tomorrow as 10 of the best teams kick off the Geelong-only Premier division.
After a 20-year combined competition between Ballarat and Geelong, the regions have parted ways.
The six teams remaining from last season’s combined competition and are joined by last year’s Division 1 premier Drysdale, runner-up Ocean Grove (2), along with City of Geelong and Torquay.
Geelong-Ballarat Premier champion Ocean Grove (1) will host Bareena.
The Grovers’ premiership side will look considerably different, with five premiership players moving on.
Victorian under-18 representative and Colac Lake premiership player Grant McLaren fills one position, along with Heath McLaren and Glenn Baudinette.
Baudinette previously had a stint with former Premier division club Sebastopol.
Ocean Grove’s young star, Brad Pavey, will be given the opportunity to take the reins and will join regular skippers Mick West and Matt Flapper.
Will Collihole has an opportunity to impress as the club’s fourth starting skipper.
Bareena will be keen to again lead the way in the home-and-away matches and will be guided by homegrown stars Ben Wilding and Brannon Shelton.
After missing a finals berth last season, Lara will be eager to get its season off to a flyer against the promoted City of Geelong outfit.
“This year will again be competitive. No games are going to be easy and that’s what makes a strong competition,” Lara’s Mick Kelly said.
Keith Matthews will make his debut for Lara, alongside regular Lara players Sheri Tump, Les Hutchison and club president Alan Gillett.
Brendan Umbers, Leigh Butcher and Anthony Briggs will join Kelly at the helm of the four rinks as they set themselves the task of getting a Round 1 win.
City of Geelong has taken a hit with players having a break.
Aaron Hyatt and Jimmy Dahler are temporarily unavailable, however, it presents an opportunity for Vince Chapman to step up and a return of Zane Lugg to the skipper’s role.
Craig Elliot will lead the way and Troy Thompson will again skip a rink, while Nick Oakes, together with Di and Peter Monk, will boost the stocks as last year’s preliminary finalists look to make an early impression in the region’s elite competition.
Two of last season’s Division 1 clubs, Torquay and Drysdale, go head to head.
Not much has changed player-wise at Torquay.
Skippers Alan Sampson and Darryl Kitchen will lead the charge and be joined by Brian Calthorpe and Karen Harrington.
Harrington will skip her first Premier division game and will be one to watch.
“We will embrace the challenge of the Premier League and look forward to testing ourselves against the region’s best,” Torquay’s Ash Prosser said.
Division 1 champion Drysdale will start the new season with plenty of confidence.
Cal Inderberg, Brad Prior and John Fry will fill the backend positions, while John Coe will make his debut as the fourth skipper.
“We want to see constant improvement, all players pushing each other, with a mentality of no passengers important to our season’s goals,” Inderberg said.
In other Round 1 matches, Highton hosts Ocean Grove 2, while Eastern Park heads to Queenscliff in what could be the match of the round. LADIES OVER-60 SINGLES Ocean Grove’s Midweek Division One skipper Jo Whitehead has earned the opportunity to contest a state final in the over-60 singles. Whitehead dominated this year’s ladies event, which started at Point Lonsdale. In a performance that could only be described as sublime, Whitehead conceded only 36 shots across five games on her way to the championship’s trophy. The men’s event will be contested between Lance Kelly (CoG) and Barrie Close (Queenscliff) at a date to be confirmed. UNDER-18 NATIONALS Today is the final day of play in the under-18 national championships in Bendigo. Geelong Bowls Region’s Grant McLaren and Katie Lewis have competed this week for Victoria and are hopeful of being part of today’s medal matches. OVER-60 STATE PLAYERS Queenscliff’s Steve Sullivan will join City of Geelong’s Veronica Kelly and Craig Elliott in contesting this year’s Australian Over-60s Championship, starting October 20. Last year’s event in South Australia proved successful for Geelong bowlers and this year they will be looking to defend their overall crown in New South Wales. BPL CUP Craig Rippon, Mick West and Matt Flapper won their way through to the national finals of the Bowls Australia BPL Cup, to be held at Pine Rivers BC in Brisbane on November 10-14. The event started at Colac Lake BC and 15 games later the trio have won their way to the national play-offs. BOWLS LINK Are we frustrated that we have to learn a new results system? Yes. However, we have to be patient. The other system was fantastic and when used properly was a great resource for prompt and accurate recordings of our pennant results. They say this new system will be even better. Let’s hope so. OVER-60 PAIRS Anglesea and Lara will host the initial rounds of the men’s and ladies’ over-60 pairs, starting Sunday. All draws have been sent to club secretaries. Please check for starting times. GOOD LUCK Eastern Park’s Nathan Bush heads to Perth on Sunday to contest the Australian Champion of Champions. Bush won the right to contest the event when he won the Victorian Champion of Champions in April. The event begins on Wednesday. Good luck, Bushy.