We’re certainly not going to predict the next steps in the daily dance between pandemic and precautions but at the time of writing members may access the green with strict limits on numbers and household mingling, although access to the clubhouse is for the use of toilets only. You’ll find a covid-19 update on this website but please check your email inbox regularly as these updates are rapidly superseded. We’re taking small steps but that’s quite appropriate because if you take a big step on our fast surface your bowl will likely end up in the ditch!
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Pennant Success
This season the club bounced back from the disruption of the pandemic to field strong sides in both weekend and midweek pennant, even entering a side in each of the short 7-a-side seasons. Of the five regular pennant sides only Midweek Side 2 failed to make finals. Midweek Side 1 had a strong season but succumbed in the sectional final to a determined Port Melbourne side. The standout performance in weekend pennant was by Side 2, who finished 2nd in their section. They narrowly defeated Elsternwick Club 2 in the home semi-final and then held steady on neutral ground to win the final against Chadstone 2 and secure both the pennant and promotion. Everyone is looking forward to raising their game for success in division 4 next season.
Championship Winners
Congratulations to all winners in the 2020/21 Club Championships. Participants contended for honours in triples, pairs or singles with most being open entry, a few being restricted entry and one being handicapped. Well done to our new Club Champion, Rob H, and our five time Ladies’ Champion, Margot. Honours in the Club Pairs went to Sue G and Ross, while the Ladies’ Pairs was won by Margot and Carole (pictured) and the Mixed Pairs by Mark S and Carole. The Club Triples was won by Carole, Lambis and Tim. Graham won the President’s Handicap, Lindsay Ch won both the Ladies’ Proportional and the Club Novice while Rob F won the Club Minor. So you’ll see it’s hats off to Carole who featured in three wins while Rob H, Margot and Lindsay Ch each featured in two. Conversely, well done to those players who actually managed to win without assistance from the winningest four!
March 7th: The Day of the Succulents
Following our successful 2019 Succulents Sale several members were motivated to strike new plants for sale the following year – but 2020 brought unforeseen challenges. The sale that year was cancelled as a deadly virus confined everyone to their homes. Meanwhile the once baby succulents kept growing and dividing and growing and growing; taking over verandas and patios, spare rooms and living spaces. Well meaning horticuluralists were trapped indoors with a rampant vegetative invader. The world had not known such horror since the Day of the Triffids! Thankfully relief is at hand and we are able to announce our 2021 Succulents Sale. The sale will be held on Sunday, March 7th from 10am to 4pm at the Albert Park Bowls Club, St Vincent Gardens and is a COVIDSafe registered event. This year, expect more plants, expect bigger plants, and expect the usual low prices. These really do make attractive low maintenance additions to your home … unless of course you try to grow 500 of them in a highrise apartment!
Pennant is Back!
Freedom is back! and pennant is back! Fling off your face masks and leap onto the green! Okay don't leap - there are still some rules, like those protecting our playing surface. Hats off to Bowls Victoria who have configured the compacted season at short notice and to our midweek selectors who have already posted the teams for this Thursday's 7-a-side match. Links to the results / ladders on Bowlslink for all the sections in which our sides compete can be found on the Competitions page. Good luck to all members competing this season - let's make it memorable for the best of bowling reasons.
2019/20 Presentation Night Report
Most of us are missing our bowling but spare a thought for those whose season highlight is the dramatic presentation of the Most Valuable Player award. Due to the virus lockdown, Presentation Night was not held and there was no nailbiting anticipation as the presenter declared "with just 6 rounds to go the race for most valuable player looked like this ... then came unlucky round 13 and our erstwhile leader was panned by rinkmates and opponents alike ...".
But wait! there's a 2020 Presentation Night Report for all of us to digest in the safety of our own homes. True you'll not be able to relive the tense drama of the contest for most valuable player but there are a couple of player ranking tables based on the match 'exit polls'. Other sections of the report, which are arguably more concrete, sum up both the club's winter and summer pennant performances while the final section contains a roll call of those who have triumphed in this season's Club Championships. Enjoy!
Pennant Season Finale
The metropolitan pennant season is once again coming to an end. Sectional play is complete and just one of our five sides has made finals - congratulations to weekend pennant Side 1. See our competitions page for links to the final standings for each of our sides. Midweek sides struggled this season following the loss of several top players but both narrowly avoided relegation and achieved some notable wins along the way. With newer players refreshing their ranks, the weekend sides fared better and all had at least some chance of making finals with a couple of rounds to go. The highlight was Side 1 who were in the four for most of the season. Some results, however, did not go as hoped and our fourth place finish leaves us facing an away semi-final at Bentleigh. Strong support at the away venue could make all the difference so members are encouraged to make the trip to Bentleigh on Saturday to support our players.
Championship Winners
Congratulations to all of this year's Champions and Runners-Up, as shown in the table below, and especially to Ben Mantynen, Club Champion and Kylie Murphy, Ladies' Champion.
| Championship | Champion(s) | Runner(s)-Up |
| Club Singles | B. Mantynen | A. Singh |
| Ladies Singles | K. Murphy | M. Rolls |
| Club Pairs | M. Stevenson & W. Gill | B. Mantynen & R. Oakley |
| Ladies' Pairs | C. Rafferty & M. Keenan | B. Beedle & C. Greenhatch |
| Mixed Pairs | R. Oakley & J. Tesoriero | C. Rafferty & M. Pelzer |
| Club Triples | M. Stevenson, M. Scriven & W. Gill | S. Gill, R. Oakley & G. Atkins |
| President's Handicap | B. Toll | T. Edmonds |
| Club Proportional | J. Kibblewhite | K. Edgar |
| Ladies' Proportional | J. Kibblewhite | M. Keenan |
| Club Minor | B. Toll | R. Magnusson |
| Club Novice | R. Magnusson | L. Chaloner |
Ladies’ Champion of Champions
This year we have an opportunity to support two club members in the final eight of the Sandbelt Ladies' Champion of Champions competition. These quarter finals will take place at 9:00am on Sunday Feb 16 at Hampton Bowls Club. Both Kylie Murphy, our Ladies' Champion, and Heather Brodie, Ladies' Champion at RMGC but a dual member at our club, have reached the quarter final stage. Unfortunately the opportunity to support both players will be somewhat limited as they are playing each other! That does mean, however, that one of them will still be competing at the semi-final stage, which is scheduled for 12:00 noon at the same venue. Congratulations to both for their success so far.
Roll Out The New
It's finally installed and ready to play on. Our long awaited replacement carpet promises to guide your bowls inerringly towards the jack, or maybe not - it's up to you. We bid a not too regretful farewell to our worn, faded and quirky old carpet and look forward to bowling on a fresh looking surface that runs true. We've yet to receive images of the new carpet in use but our newsletter has been chronicling its installation over the last few weeks.