INDOOR carpet bowls has made a return to the Bellarine in a competitive nature with a seven-week pennant competition hosted by Leopold Bowls Club.
Leopold Bowls Co-ordinator Nicole Shortis along with Ocean Grove’s Bowls Coach and former Australian Indoor Bowls representative Matt Flapper guided approximately 35 new bowlers who took to the carpets for the first time.
For Flapper, who has recently retired from national duties on the outdoor scene, generating the interest in the shorter version of the game is something he is passionate about.
“When I moved to Ocean Grove I thought there was a massive opportunity to re-introduce indoor bowls, I know there are a few places around that play it socially but there was no competitive competition,” Flapper said.
The plans are in place for next year to make it bigger and better and start their own Bellarine Indoor Bowls Association. Obviously Ocean Grove and Leopold have generated the interest and Flapper has recently introduced the game to Clifton Springs Bowls Club and also Bellarine Lakes Retirement Village.
The support at both venues was terrific, about 25 to 30 potential bowlers showed an interest in the game so hopefully that will lay the foundation for a solid competition next season.
In the debut season of the introductory pennant competition it was the team of Heroes and Zeroes which include three first-season players.
Ocean Grove debutants Karen Morison, Julie Chapman, David Mackay joined forces with Leopold Skipper McMenamen as they proved too good against their Leopold opponents Maureen Callaway, Russell Morrow, Carleen Lear and Grace Maddalena in the final.
Following on from this competition Ocean Grove bowlers are now trialling the new Grubbers Football Club rooms on Shell Road for their own night of indoor bowls on Mondays.
A great response from the members as well as a number of new members taking part has seen two weeks now with maximum numbers each night.
Several Bellarine players have already experienced competition at the highest level with a number of participants experiencing State Championships in Melbourne over the past few weeks. Val Crumbie, Jane McMenamen, Nicole Shortis and Linda Flapper made it through to the semi-final stage of the Ladies Fours while McMenamen and Shortis went one step better to reach the final of the state pairs to only go down by a single shot on an extra end.
If there are any clubs on the Bellarine interested in getting involved in indoor bowls contact Matt Flapper at Ocean Grove Bowling Club on 5255 1662.
