By Tyler Wright
The Cockatoo & District Bowls club have become champions after a year of adversity, taking out the grand final in section six of division seven in the Melbourne Metropolitan Saturday pennant season.
It’s the first time the club has won a final in over 20 years.
Cockatoo & District Bowls Club president Marin Cattanach said there was “quite a few tears” after the win at Glen Waverley.
“Everyone was just ecstatic. Absolutely estatic. We were hugging and kissing everyone,” Cattanach said.
Decimated after Covid with only 10 registered players at the start of the season, and with 16 players required to field a Saturday weekend pennant team, the Cockatoo Bowls Club was approached by the Monbulk Bowls Club with a proposal to field a combined team for the Melbourne Metro Saturday Pennant season.
After a shaky start, players were able to get into a rhythm and come back strong despite a two-shot semi final loss to Lilydale 4; the “biggest low“ of the season for the club.
“We’ve had three or four first year bowlers bowling with us,“ Cattanach said.
“At the start of the season we weren’t doing too good until we mixed the teams up, and found out where we were going and then we just went ahead in leaps and bounds.“
Teeing up against Yarra Glen, the Cockatoo and Monbulk players had to fight to get into the section grand dinal; and did so by securing 102 shots to their opponent’s 60.
Against Lilydale 4, Cockatoo and Monbulk prevailed to win the section Grand Final; 101 shots to 65.
But that was not the end to the determined club’s success, with players moving into the divisional finals; playing off against Melbourne Metropolitan teams in a knockout format.
On Sunday 26 February, the club fronted up at Bundoora RSL Bowls Club to compete against Sunbury 5, defeating them 77 shots to 55.
The semi finals were held at Burden Park Bowls club Springvale Saturday 4 March where Cockatoo played Port Melbourne 3, resulting in a 101 shots to 59 win by the Hills side.
The grand final saw a tough match against Berwick 6 at Glen Waverley bowls club Sunday 5 March, with Cockatoo and Monbulk triumphant winning 84 shots to 73.
“During this season we have created and gelled into team, met, socialised and competed against some fantastic people and thoroughly enjoyed our journey to Division 7 champions,“ Cockatoo & District Bowls Club secretary Kevin Murray said.
“We must thank Monbulk Bowls Club for making this all possible, their continued support and looking forward to next season now and see what bigger and better things we can achieve.“
