THE Irymple Suns will be looking to complete a rare feat on Saturday as they contest grand finals across three Bowls Sunraysia Pennant divisions.
Their opponents in Division 1 and 2 will be the Mildura Magic, who are the defending title holders in both grades, and Ouyen in Division 3.
The last time a club collected all three flags was when Mildura prevailed in the early 1990s.
Irymple and Mildura have played each other four times in the top division, with the honours being shared and just a handful of shots separating the two sides.
Mildura will be without the services of skip Keith Sharman who has a family wedding. In the past, when faced with the same situation, the Magic have promoted Bob Deacon to skip and slotted in a reliable Third. Rob Hanns will perform that task.
This contest will be one of the closest finals seen in the district for a number of years. Mildura last faced off against Irymple in a grand final in 2016 and the margin was one shot in Magic’s favour. Don’t expect that it will be any different today, both sides will be up and about looking to collect.
Mildura Magic team profile:
Bob Deacon: Skip. Solid draw shot bowler with record to match, including multiple club titles and three Division 1 medals. Bob has a solid win-loss record this season. Has a conservative approach to play; lose small, score big when the occasion arises.
Rob Hanns: Third. Rob is no stranger to grand final pressure, with multiple pennant medals in both Division 1 and 2. Rob has multiple club titles and several regional titles to boot. A solid big-time performer.
Vic Dolenec: Second. Vic brings experience and a no-nonsense approach to the game. A strong draw shot bowler who has the capacity to put the pressure back on the opposition.
Chris Richards: Lead. Chris has a long record as a leader and when on song, creates havoc for opposition skips. He has played in several winning sides. Chris also boasts a CV including multiple club, district and regional titles.
Chris Mitchell: Skip. Has 17 Division 1 flags to his credit and brings experience and a solid match record to the table. Multiple titles across all disciplines. Big on the draw, always looking to convert.
Isaiah Bettess: Third. Isaiah is enjoying a stellar year at Third. Topped off with selection in the All-Australian Schoolboys side in August. Has all the shots and steps up to the plate when under the pump. Already has multiple titles on his CV, including back-to-back Division 1 flags.
Lindsay Lynch: Quality second with a wealth of experience. Plays with conviction and determination, rating into the head when required. Has a proud record of achievement and will be up and about today.
John Simpson: Lead who sets up Mitch’s rink with quality draw bowls. Quietly goes about his business always looking to dominate his opponent. Real team player.
Mark Eckel: Skip. Heads the side with a quality CV that is respected around the traps. Over 600 Division 1 games under his belt, 20+ Division 1 flags and multiple club, division and regional titles to boot. Mark brings a wealth of experience to the game and has the capacity to win games off his own bat.
Ken Yeowart: Third. First year in Division 1 Ken has been a breath of fresh air in the Wizard’s rink. A strong draw bowler who rates consistently into the head consolidating the position or closing down opposition runs. Ken has a happy disposition on the green but plays hard.
Russell Kneebone: Second. Works hard on the practice track and has been rewarded for his commitment. Always looking to deliver by reducing the opposition’s play options or converting to create a positive head. Positive team player.
Judy Osborne: Lead. No stranger to the big stage, Judy brings a solid draw game to the table and delivers in spades. She has won multiple titles across all disciplines and is highly regarded by her team mates and respected by opponents. A big occasion player who will be up and about.
Irymple Suns team profile:
Rob Hogan. Second: Irymple Pairs champion. Premiership player for Irymple. Played most positions in the past and enjoys being a part of the club’s success.
Tanner Dickson-Arthur. Skip: Multiple club titles across all disciplines. Bowls Sunraysia and Regional state Fours winner. Two flags with Bacchus Marsh and two with Mildura. Enthusiastic and committed to playing his best every game. Tanner will be a solid contributor for Irymple on Saturday.
Matthew West. Second: Murray Mallee Regional team member, Bowls Sunraysia State triples winner and reigning club singles champion. An accomplished sports person, Westy brings a high level of encouragement and enthusiasm to every game.
Darren Cass. Third: Minor singles champion Ballarat 1993. Nangiloc Div 2 flag in 2005. Irymple Div 2 premiership player 2015. Darren is a committed member of the club and brings depth to the side. He adds years of experience to the side alongside his consistent bowls in the head.
Trevor Flack. Lead: Has won18 Division 1 flags across three clubs; Horsham, Mildura and Irymple. Trevor is a standout leader who gets the side off to a great start with solid draw shot bowls. His experience will be invaluable.
Chris Maddigan. Lead: Chris is a relatively newcomer to bowls and has shown excellent skills throughout the season. Leading for the young guns rink he will have bowls in the head for his team again this week.
Colin Sherriff. Lead: Many years of experience playing bowls with a commitment to supporting all things bowls. Competitive sportsman who encourages having fun and enjoying the game as a key to success on the greens. Col will be pumping the team up on Saturday.
Wayne Gardner. Third: Multiple club, division and regional titles. Wayne has played over 800 games, winning 25 grand finals. His knowledge of the game and experience helps to unite the club and increase the skill sets of both old and new players.
Murray Fazulla. Third: Club championship winner on several occasions, state fours, winner of winter singles twice. Murray has bowled throughout Sunraysia, Swan Hill and with SA clubs. Murray is a team player, experienced at reading the head and offers great support to his skipper.
Tom Hogan. Skip: Club singles and pairs champion, Premiership bowler for Irymple. Not much fazes Tom and he responds well to high-pressure situations. He has successfully skipped the young guns rink this season. Tom brings a big drive to the game along with his ability to dead draw when required.
Anthony Kelly. Second: Won back-to-back Country Week triples 25 years ago. After a 15-year break Anthony is enjoying getting his mojo back playing pennant for Irymple this season. A great contributor to Irymple who lets his bowls do the talking.
Graeme Lynch. Skip: Won two Division 1 pennant finals while playing with Nhill. Consistency would be the best way to describe Graeme. Joining Irymple this year, he has fitted in perfectly with the culture of the club and has proven to be a great draw bowler who adds and saves shots as required.
Division 2
MILDURA won their way in to the grand final straight from the second semi.
Irymple took the long march via the preliminary final after a strong performance against Red Cliffs in the first semi and then a tough fight to get over Nangiloc in the prelim.
Irymple had the wood over Mildura in the early part of the season, winning their first two encounters in convincing fashion. Mildura turned the table in the run home to clinch top spot and early favouritism.
Phil Newton, Chris Scott and Gus Storer topped the Player’s Ladder in Division 2 for the season and will bring the nucleus of a strong Suns unit to the fore.
Mildura also have some solid performers lining up for the main dance. Glenys Yeowart, Graeme Young, Bill Hobbs and Jon Underwood are all in the top echelon of Division 2 players and will be keen to do well.
On finals form, Irymple will start early favourites. Mildura are a team of fighters and will be working double overtime to take the match up to the Suns. The Bookmaker has both sides even money favourites.
Division 3
IRYMPLE do battle with Ouyen. Only two shots separated the two sides in the second semi final, with the Two Blues taking the points.
They will be looking to go one better than last year after finishing with the runner-up badge. The Suns fought out a tough preliminary final, getting over Underbool by seven shots.
Peter Lambert, Tracey Metcalf and John Vuik have been Irymple’s top performers for the season while Ouyen have been well served by Col Willox, Rod Poole and Joan Pohlner.
The side to settle early will have a big advantage in this game. Ouyen will be keen to make amends on last years performance and will start slight favourites in this contest.
Division 4
THE top two sides in the competition, Coomealla and Wentworth, go head-to-head for bragging rights. Coomealla have managed to hold the mantle with three wins out of four match-ups. The Cannons will be firing from their home base and on form, will start favourites.
Finals time brings the cream to the top. Coomealla’s Harold Bradley, Rob Nichols, Ron Kuhn and Rob O’Brien have a wealth of experience and bring that to the finals as the top end players on the Players Ladder.
Wentworth stack up with the next four players; Ivan Behsmann, Alan Behsmann, Rodger Smith and Trevor Page all inside the top 10.
Starting on home territory the Cannons have a slight advantage. If the Steamers’ Ivan Behsmann or Jake Ralph can get on a run on early, an upset is on the cards.
