BOWLS

VICTORIAN OPEN

By BLAKE METCALF-HOLT

 

THOUSANDS of bowlers of all abilities, alongside club members, friends and family, converged on the Gippsland region from March 21 to March 30 for the annual Henselite Victorian Open.

In the middle of a five-year agreement with Latrobe City, the second largest premier bowls event in Australia sees lawn bowlers from across the country compete for a prize pool of more than $100,000.

Around 15 clubs across the region were utilised for the event across the two weeks, with plenty of local bowlers taking part across seven competitions.

Thirty locals participated in the Men’s Singles, with Churchill’s Craig Flanigan going as far as the second round, while Shashi Bhatti (Traralgon) and Steve Pallot (Moe) each made the knockout stages.

Queensland’s Kobe Barton took home the Men’s Singles title, defeating Craig Mills, 21 to 16.

A total of eight locals entered into the Women’s Singles division, with Boolarra Bowling Club President, Joelene Laukens going the best, losing in the third round to eventual winner Selina Goddard (Cabra Bowls).

Newborough pair Sheryl Atkinson and Lisa Arnold each reached the knockout stages, with  Arnold making it to the second round.

Goddard defeated Andrea Tudorovic, 21-12, in the Grand Final. Goddard took away three sets of trophies, winning the Women’s Pairs and Women’s Triples also.

In the Men’s Pairs, seven teams competed, with Boolarra pair Steven Davy and Joel Anderson, and David Hodson (Traralgon RSL) and Shane Holmes (Heyfield) each reaching third round action.

Tyson Cromie and Brett Mahoney defeated Aidan Zittersteijn and Grant Catterick, 20-7 in the Grand Final.

Julie Jackson and Debbie Kennedy from Newborough reached the quarter final of Women’s Pairs play, while Lynne Smith (Morwell Club) and Janice Aubrey (Drouin) and Sheryl and Samantha Atkinson (Newborough and Dandenong Club respectively) made it to the third round.

Goddard and Casandra Millerick defeated Nicole McKenzie and Kelly McKerihen, 19-13 in the Grand Final.

Six local Mixed Pairs made it to the knockout stages, with Laukens (Boolarra) and Vincent McIlwain (Traralgon), and Jo Gibcus (Newborough) and Dean Kuran (Middle Park) reaching the third round of play.

Moama’s Millerick and Kevin Anderson defeated Melton’s Chelsea Pollock and Todd Trewarne in the Grand Final, 14-8.

The Traralgon trio of Ian Hilsey, Ian Kirkup and Michael Yacoub made it to the quarter final of the Men’s Triples competition, while Traralgon’s McIlwain did as well, alongside Nathan Black (Adelaide) and Craig Mills (Yarraville/Footscray).

Luke Hoskin (Bendigo), Cameron Keenan, and Kevin Anderson (both Moama) won the Grand Final, 17-7.

Lisa Phillips (Clayton, from Yallourn North) was the only local presence in the Women’s Triples section, reaching the second round alongside fellow Clayton players Courtney Bennington and Paula Wood.

Melanie Allen (Mentone), Goddard and McKerihen (Clayton) won the Grand Final, 15-8.

The Latrobe Valley and broader Gippsland will host the Victorian Open until at least 2027.