Narrogin Bowls Club eyes big future after carnival success

Narrogin Bowls Club was the buzz of the town at the weekend, as 88 players from around the State descended on the historic club for an action-packed two day fours carnival. A total of 22 teams hit the bowling green for the annual competition. Two of those to make the trip included former State Academy players David Stanik and Matthew Whitely, who joined forces in a mixed club side. “Carnivals are good fun — we just let our hair down a bit and don’t take it too seriously,” Whitely said. “There is a nice relaxed atmosphere here at the club.” Stanik and Whitely were not the only players to travel a long distance for the event, as 17 out of the 22 teams competing came from outside the local area — including Kojonup, East Fremantle, Pingelly, Mt Lawley, Albany and Dumbleyung. Doubleview Bowls Club came out of the competition victorious, with Ryan Moyle, David Cosgrove, Brandon Hetan and Matt Hansen taking the accolades back to Perth. Stanik said the fact he got to play with someone he knew so well against so many people from different walks of life made this tournament very enjoyable. “Matty and I have great chemistry because I play pretty attacking and he plays pretty conservative, so we complement each other’s playing styles,” he said. Narrogin Bowls Club president Stephen Strahan said this carnival was of special significance to the town as it would be the last time both grassed greens would be used in competition. “We are getting the grass replaced at the end of the season so we can play all year round which will be fantastic for our social bowls competition,” Strahan said. “We hope this new turf will help bring more of the Narrogin community to come play bowls at our club.” The club had secured a sport and recreation grant to help fund the installation of synthetic turf, which he said he hoped will work alongside new trivia nights to encourage more people to join the bowls club. “If we can get this all into action, with the new green and getting our trivia nights up and running, we hope to bring back the social life to the club,” he said. Strahan said the tournament was played in great spirits. Narrogin Bowls Club spokesperson Beryl Elphick said the event could not have happened without volunteers and sponsors. “Congratulations to the winners and runners up and a very big thank you to our sponsors, supporters and players who made this years annual carnival a huge success,” she said.