Robert George was the only remaining skip, from last year’s losing semi-final, involved in Saturday’s winning division one pennant win by Kyabram against the team many tipped as the GV’s big improver, Mooroopna.
Photo by
Aydin Payne
Half-a-dozen of Kyabram’s most decorated lawn bowlers were behind an inspired start to the 2024-25 Goulburn Valley Playing Area division one pennant bowls season.
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They were the only players remaining from last season’s losing semi-final team and led the 16-member Kyabram team to a four-shot win in the season opener against Mooroopna on Saturday.
Ten new bowlers joined John Hausler, Rob Anset and the team’s four skips — Greg Shilling, Mal Williams, Noel Reddrop and Robert George — to start the season at Mooroopna on Saturday.
Kyabram won the match 74-70 (16-2) with Williams’ rink the only one outplayed on the day.
Shilling won his rink by three shots, Reddrop had Hausler as third in a four-shot win and George had Anset leading for him in a nine-shot win.
George was the only remaining skip from the team that was knocked out of the finals race by Shepparton Golf last season.
Shilling, Williams and Reddrop replaced Brent Reiner (who led his Shepparton Golf rink to a 25-17 win in a one-shot loss to Tallygaroopna on Saturday), David and Josh Cartwright.
That pair started their season with Murray Playing Area club Wunghnu at the weekend, alongside another family member Jacob.
He bowled third to his father David as they won 19-15, while Josh was skipper for a losing rink (21-23, Wunghnu winning by 10 shots overall).
Josh Cartwright, Brent Reiner and David Cartwright were missing from Kyabram’s division one team on Saturday (now playing with other clubs), but their absence did not impact on the result.
Kyabram’s 10 new division one bowlers were a mix of male and female members, the team boasting plenty of experience and an increased average age on recent seasons.
Eight of the 16 involved in the division one weekend pennant win had been part of the 12-member division one midweek pennant win against Euroa only four days earlier (overall by 12 shots, with Shilling and Reddrop skipping alongside Joe Greco).
Mooroopna won three games in division one last season and finished second from the bottom.
However, it was expected to be much improved and the Kyabram win was as much a shock to it as it was a surprise to the visiting team.
This week Kyabram faces Euroa after it was beaten by 33 shots in a one-sided contest against Shepparton Park.
· Merrigum played Tatura-Hill Top in its division four debut on Saturday, fresh from claiming the 2023-24 division five premiership.
Joe Chant, Greg Pell, Colin Capes and David Pettifer were the skips for the team.
Capes and Pettifer won their rinks, but Pell suffered a 15-shot loss and Chant went down by 11.
The final score was 79-69 (14-4) in Hill Top’s favour.
Merrigum beat Colbinabbin in last season’s grand final 77-48, Pell was third to Chant in that grand final and Capes third to Pettifer.
John Firmer was the other skip in the 12-player format, but was missing from the weekend’s 16-member division four team.
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