The Nationals Start on the Gold Coast
A report for The Mercury by Peter Kirby
A small number of Southern bowlers will receive valuable elite competition during Bowls Australia’s Nationals events on the Gold Coast, Queensland, 8-25 October in preparation for the commencement of Bowls South’s Pennant season, due to start 16 October. Bowlers have either qualified or have been selected to participate in the various championship events to be contested during the two weeks of competition.
Club Tweed will host the Australian Champion of Champions Singles events for men and women and will be conducted in a round-robin format, with the first round to be played Tuesday evening. Rounds 2-4 will be played on Wednesday, and the final three rounds played on Thursday.
Participants in this event must be the current holder of their state/territory Champion of Champions Singles title, having first won their club’s open singles championship event, progressing on to win district and regional champion of champions singles to be eligible to contest the state/territory Champion of Champions Singles event.
The Men’s and Women’s Australian Champion of Champions Singles titles are prestigious as the winners earn the right to represent Bowls Australia in World Bowls Champion of Champions Singles events.
Kingborough Bowls Club’s Jason Fowler is Bowls Tasmania’s representative in the Australian Champion of Champions Singles – Men, will have a bye in his competition as the Men’s Champion of Champion from Bowls Western Australia will not be present.
Fowler can expect no easy matches during competition, with each player having progressed through a gruelling qualifying process. Among his opposition is Trystan Smallacombe, winner of Bowls Australia’s Men’s Champion of Champions Singles title in 2020 (played in 2021 due to Covid restrictions in 2020).
Invermay’s Jessica McMullin will contest the Australian Women’s Champion of Champions Singles – but will face very stiff competition with three of her opponents, Chloe Stewart (Bowls Queensland), Kristina Krstic (Bowls Western Australia) and Dawn Hayman (Bowls NSW), being current members of Bowls Australia’s national squad, the Jackaroo’s.
Dawn Hayman, in particular, will be a formidable opponent, having won this event in 2019 and 2020. No doubt, though, Jessicia will do her state proud through a strong, consistent effort.
Jason Fowler will be hoping to emulate the efforts of Bowls Tasmania’s only winner of the Australian title, Lee Schraner, who, while resident in Southern Tasmania, won the event in 2017 and 2018. While the southern bowls community will be most supportive of both Jessica and Jason there will be particular interest in Fowler’s efforts.