While the club’s pennant activities and formal activities roll on at the Monbulk Bowling club there is an ever-increasing presence of social bowlers occupying the greens. The advent of Barefoot, Party bowlers or function participants on Bowling greens across the Bowling landscape in Australia has become a bit of a phenomenon within the sport in recent years and Monbulk Bowling club is a snap shot of this growing popularity. An example of this is on display on Friday evenings when members Irma Turner and Vice President Brendan Griffiths assist participants at the weekly barefoot bowling session. Brendan says that “Its great fun watching and helping the new bowlers, Irma and I really enjoy it and seeing them having such a great time really gives us a great deal of satisfaction. Seeing people having a meal a few drinks and helping introduce new people to our sport and club is pretty cool, so come on down we would love to get you involved”. Irma says “ I have been Bowling for some time now and I love it, being part of Monbulk Club and the Lawn Bowls community generally is magnificent. So having the opportunity to give back by helping the new ones is nice. At the Barefoot Bowls session on Friday nights during the summer period which anyone is welcome to attend, we supply the bowls and help the newer ones get started, and its always great to see the diverse range of people that come along, from young and old. The change in demographic of Lawn Bowls is obvious these days even within the pennant competitions, the sport is getting younger. Once upon a time Lawn Bowls was seen as being for older people once they retired but not anymore, it’s now recognised as a genuine recreational activity for anyone and younger people are taking up the sport in great numbers”. And we at the Monbulk Bowling club love it.
Saturday Pennant round 12
Team 1 Division 2
The Monbulk top side travelled to Heathmont to play on grass for their round 12 clash. Coming off yet another last end heartbreaker loss in round 11 the team was keen for a win, but this was never going to be an easy assignment against a side with a lot on the line eyeing off a finals campaign. As much as the team is having a crack and the desire is obvious the bowling gods are just not smiling on the Hawks at the moment and with so much on the line for the home side it was to be a resounding win. 0/18 47/114. Rob Wilson (13/23) Dion Addison (13/27) Jim Bras (12/29) Brian Smith (9/34).
Team 2 Division 5
Whilst the Top side was receiving no love from their Heathmont hosts the Monbulk 2nd side was going about evening up the ledger against their Heathmont opponents at Monbulk. For the second week in a row the side would pocket match points on the back of a big win from one rink. In what would read as a remarkable scoreline dominated by the rink of Mark “ Candles” Hoefer (32/7,) he and his team of Mark “Grumpy” Williams, Margaret O’Brien and Peter Koomen took the match by the scuff of the neck to give the opposition a belting and with those numbers snuff out any chance that these points would be collected by Monbulk. The small loosing margins by Calvin Connell (18/20) and Case Broekhof (15/19) and the dogged performance of the Andy Smith rink (19/26) would provide enough overall support to make sure the Hoefer rink win would be rewarded and points were secured. Sitting 4th on the ladder with 2 rounds to play the team is doing well but will need to finish off their good work to ensure a finals campaign.
Team 3 Division 8
Going to Healesville to play is never an easy task on a tough green but when the team is inexperienced then the equation is even harder. The last time the Monbulk 3rd side visited Healesville they cam away battered and bruised with nothing to show for it but a nice bakery pie. However a number of weeks on from that experience and a few more week of development into this team predominantly made up of newer players and the contest was to be a lot closer. The Monbulk side sits in 5th position on the ladder with Healesville a few points ahead in fourth, so the game had some stakes attached. This plucky Monbulk side once again did themselves and the uniform proud with a tough much improved performance, however they were once again to go down but this time in a much tighter contest. 3/13, 52/62. As an example of the progress the last time the two teams met at the same venue Monbulk came away with no points and a 20 shot defeat this time one and a half rink wins and only down by 9 shots overall. Well done folks your having a great seaso . Graeme Seymour (24/19) provided the rink win and Mike Harris (18/18) picked up a point for his draw while Frank Mileto (10/25) despite playing a good game couldn’t quite get it done on this occasion. The team still sits 5th on the ladder and with a good finish to the season you just never know.
