Trevor McColl, Leica Roney, Jim Ferrier and Steve Cunnington were the winners of the annual R.E. Dick Australia Day tournament at Tongala Bowling Club on Sunday.
Three rounds into the R.E. Dick Australia Day Fours event at Tongala Bowling Club on Sunday there were some familiar faces lining up to have their name etched onto the honour board in the historic clubrooms.
Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content
Steve Cunnington, Philip Thorn and Peter Tinning, all previous winners of the event, were three game winners with one round to be played, but by the end of the tournament there was only one four game winner.
Echuca division one pennant skip Cunnington took the title for a third time - combining with the number one player in the division two Campaspe Playing Area competiton, Trevor McColl, along with Echuca pennant teammates Leica Roney and Jim Ferrier.
Cunnington, Roney and Ferrier are all division one bowlers in the Campaspe Playing Area - Roney lead for star skip Thorn and Ferrier third to Cunnington in the pennant competition.
Peter Tinning sends down the final bowl of the fourth round in Sunday’s R.E Dick Australia Day fours tournament.
Cunnington avoided a play-off for the lion’s share of the prizemoney by winning all four of his games.
Both Thorn and Tinning tied their fourth round games, leaving Cunnington as the sole four game winner.
Ironically, the man that finished runner-up to him in the event (Thorn) was skipper of the champion team Cunnington was a member of in both 2015 and 2018.
Thorn also won the title in 2005 and 2007.
Their major opposition, and the only other team to not be beaten (with three wins and a final round draw) on the day, was led by Peter Tinning. Tinning played with Barry and Geoff Tinning, along with Leo Davis, back in 1994 to claim the title.
Eventual champion Cunnington beat Stanhope’s Greg Fitzpatrick by 10 shots in the opening 10-end game, then his foursome accounted for Kyabram’s Joe Greco by four, Mathoura’s Beryl Murray by one and, finally, Elmore’s Wayne Billett by four.
Tinning, bowling with 90-year-old Geoff Tinning as his lead, accounted for Stanhope’s Andrew Morris, Neville Bowland from Golden Square and Moama’s Barry Cuttriss, before drawing with Rushworth skip Noel Lloyd.
Four time winner of the R.E. Dick Australia Day event, Philip Thorn, was equal runner-up in the 2025 event with three wins and a draw.
Thorn’s foursome beat Tongala’s Robyn Tooley by 10, Kevin Gilbert from Rushworth by five and Tongala’s Steve Hammond by three, before drawing with Golden Square skip Bowland in the final round.
Tongala skip Glenn Fields and another Tongala bowler, Robyn Tooley, both finished with three wins for the afternoon.
