Sport
29 January, 2026
Total Fire Ban halts bowls
WEEKEND pennant round 12 was meant to be played last week but a Total Fire Ban was called, abandoning the round across all divisions.
Mortlake Bowling Club selections for weekend pennant round 13, to be played this Saturday, are as follows:
Mortlake 1 Blue (div. 1) at home to Warrnambool 1 Gold.
D Grant (s), G Draffen, C Inverarity and J Tanner.
C Goldsworthy (s), D McNicoll, D Dolling and P Beardsley.
L Johnson (s), A Kubik, Anthony Wood and S Pierce (m).
Mortlake 2 White at home to City 5 Green.
C Baxter (s), N Boyden, A Mirtschin and Alan Wood.
R Draffen (s,m), J Springall, D McKenzie and S Reynolds. P Delaney (s), J Rasmussen, I MacDonald and K Johnson.
Mortlake 3 Gold away to Dunkeld 2 White.
D Murray (s), J Wallace, D Caudle and B Killey. M Heard (s), F Robertson, L Smith and G Buck.
Selections may be subject to change so please see the Selection Board closer to the time for any updates.
This Tuesday was supposed to see Midweek Pennant Round 13 being played but again, a Total Fire Ban was called and temperatures soared beyond 45°C in Mortlake alone.
Here are the selections for the final round of Midweek Pennant Round 14:
Mortlake Blue (div. 1) away to Warrnambool 1 Gold.
The equation for the Blues is simple – win with all rinks to have a chance at finals. Anything less than that is fated in the lap of the gods.
Mortlake Purple (div. 4) away to Port Fairy 5 Black.
The Purples are playing for pride – a win with full points will see the team finish fifth at best, just one point shy of the four. A fantastic effort, all things considered.
Both midweek sides have not been selected at the time of printing. Please see the Selection Board closer to the time for any updates.
Over 60’s Social Pennant also didn’t play last Tuesday due to the Total Fire Ban, so no results this week.
Both Mortlake teams still remain in the four at this stage but the margin for error has reduced.
The selections for next week’s Over 60’s social pennant weren’t received in time and players should check the selection board at the clubrooms.
The 2025-26 A Grade Champions Gertie MacDonald and John Tanner played in the Champion of Champions and both had byes in the first round.
Moving into the quarter finals, Gertie came up against Timboon’s Fiona Newey and despite being a close match with both players having their moments to claim victory, Gertie unfortunately came up short 22-25.
For John, he was up against Dennington’s Jimmy Barling and again, despite being a close game, John came up short 21-25.
A valiant effort by both Gertie and John to represent Mortlake.
In other WDPA news, Les and Kevin Johnson played in the WDPA Mens Singles at City Memorial BC and found themselves playing in the same section. After the third player in their section forfeited to both Les and Kevin, as well as having one bye each, it all came down to one match for a spot in the finals series.
For Les, his journey continued on towards finals.
In round one of finals, his first opponent was Colin Davey (City Memorial) and Les defeated Colin to move into the quarter finals, where Les was met with another local.
In the quarter finals, Les met with Kevin O’Keeffe (City Memorial) and came away with a good win to meet more tough competition in the semi finals.
Les’ next challenge was Simon Cullinane (Port Fairy) and this match was close. By all accounts, it was tough going and went down to the wire but Les came out victorious, 25-21.
In the final, Les will face off against the legendary David Wells (City Memorial) at another time in the near future.
Congratulations to Les for achieving what he has so far and stay tuned for the conclusion on this match.
Upcoming events:
Les Risk Day this Sunday, February 1 and is $5 to play. Please wear a bowls approved uniform on the day and the best afternoon tea in Mortlake will be provided.
Everyone invited to join in a fun afternoon of bowls and for more information please contact Dianne on 0408 559 256 or Scott on 0418 218 547.
Entries are now open for the mens’ pairs with the first two rounds played on Sunday, February 8. Please put your name on the signup sheet near the main entrance to the clubrooms.
Mortlake will host a two bowl mixed triples tournament on Friday, February 13. Cost is $30/team and afternoon tea is provided. For more information, contact George on 0438 898 704 and entries close on Wednesday, February 11 or when entries close.
Mortlake ladies will host a ladies fours tournament on Friday, February 27 - $80/team with morning and afternoon tea provided, BYO lunch. For more information please contact Dianne on 0408 559 256 or Marj on 0429 018 524.
The 2026 autumn twilight bowls season is back in full swing. Why not come down and have some fun while playing bowls in a friendly environment? Kick off is 6pm and it’s only $5 to play. Bowls can be provided, along with help for first time bowlers. Everyone welcome and for further information, contact Scott on 0418 218 547.
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