Barooga Sports Bowls Club

25/10/2026

This past week in the mid-week pennant, Mal Merrett's team delivered a strong Division 1 win, beating Numurkah Golf by enough to give us a 2-shot overall win. This leaves Division 1 seven points clear on top of the ladder. Unfortunately, Division 2 lost to Numurkah Town by 18 shots, so this side needs a win to climb the ladder. Better luck this week!
In Saturday pennant, we did not do so well this week, with only Division 5 bringing home the bacon and getting to sing our song with pride back at the club after the game.
Division 1 went down to Katandra West by 12 shots, winning on one rink only. Next round, Division 1 plays Numurkah at Numurkah, so we will need to be on song to win this important game. Division 2, played at home and, despite leading early, went down ultimately by 8 shots, winning on one rink only but very close on another. We have a break next week due to the Melbourne Cup, but the week after meet Wunghnu and will hopefully be back with a strong win.
Division 3 is still in the building stage, with some changes forced on them by personality changes in the teams above; however, they performed well at Tocumwal, going down by 20 shots overall with 1 rink up. Division 5, as mentioned earlier, won the day by 11 shots, with both rinks winning. Ken Gaffney’s rink won by 10 shots, and Liz Ewing’s rink got over the line by 1 shot. The win moves Division 5 up to fourth spot on the ladder.
Despite the break, next week’s practice is still on Friday at 3.00pm followed by a social and team talk. This week's lucky member draw winner was an excited Fran Thatcher, and the Spot the Joker prize didn't go off; it will be worth $150.00 this coming week, so come along even if you're not there for practice and join in for a chance to win some money and enjoy a chat.
The final of the Club Fours will be played Sunday 1st. November, starting at 10.00am, between Mal Merrett’s team of Des Toohey, Carol Rivers and Archie Ellis and Ian Smethurst’s team of Brian Baldwin, Liz Ewing and Gavan Cullen. All are welcome to come and watch.
Don’t forget the Melbourne Cup Day festivities at the Club Rooms on the Tuesday of the Melbourne Cup. Chicken and Ch*****ne will be on the menu, along with cup sweeps, so come along and join in for a fun afternoon. Names down for catering purposes would be appreciated.

15/10/2026

List for names attending is at the Club, or phone Liz Ewing on 0407 931 647

10/10/2026

Last week we reported a good start to Division 5, and now we report that the mid-week pennant team in Division 1 and our Saturday teams also had a good start to the season.
Midweek Division 1 won over Numurkah with two rinks up and one down. This was a good result as Numurkah at home are a very strong combination, so congratulations to all concerned. The overall result was 71/50 with 14 points, and at this stage they are third on the ladder.
On Saturday, we had a 50/50 result with 2 wins and 2 losses. Division 1 had a great win over last years premiers, Numurkah Golf at Numurkah Golf, winning 67/49 with 16 points, so all rinks up. Brett Wright’s rink defeated Geoff Sutcliffe’s rink 20/17, Ian Smethurst’s rink defeated Daniel Nicholl’s rink 17/14 and Peter Velardo defeated Mark Jones 30/18. Well done to all concerned. At this stage Division 1 are third on the ladder.
Division 2 played Cobram at home and also had a good win, winning on two rinks with an overall score of 67/51 with 14 points and are second on the ladder after one round. Mal Merrett’s rink had a very good win, winning 36/11.
Division 3 travelled to Nathalia and unfortunately lost 65/44 with only one rink up. Charles Mooney’s rink was the only winning rink, who won 19/12. Bad luck for our Division 3 team, but we are confident better results are on the way.
Division 5, playing their second round, travelled to Tocumwal and met strong opposition but performed well in the circumstances, losing 62/27. Tocumwal had players who may have been playing out of their division, so better things are envisaged for the rounds ahead.
It was good to see bowlers coming back to the club after their game to celebrate and to commiserate their loss. Results were again read out by no other than Peter Ware in his usual manner, much to everyone’s enjoyment so make sure you attend after a game and enjoy.
Tuesday in mid week pennant will see Division 2 play their first round, with Division 1 playing their second round. Division 1 will be playing Tocumwal home, and Division 2 will play Cobram also at home.
The Ladies 100 up final will be played Wednesday at 9.30 between Dianne McMahon and Cheryl Merrett, so come down to see some good bowling from these two.
Saturday games next week will see Division 1 playing Cobraml at home; Division 2 will play Numurkah at Numurkah; Division 3 will play Katandra West at home, and Division 5 will play Strathmerton at Strathmerton.
Good luck to all our bowlers and make sure you come along on Friday at 3.00pm for practice. Team practice is important, so if possible, your whole team should attend and practice together.

03/10/2026

27/09/2026

The trade day this past week was held at Berrigan and we don’t usually hear who won but I received the following email from Quentin Thursday night. I wonder why?
“Winners of the day with 3 wins and a draw were the team of Mal Merrett, Des Toohey and Quentin Pettit, who won by one point
Too busy celebrating the unexpected win to catch runner-up team. Neither of the more fancied teams of Newton, Ware and Campbell nor Morris, Baldwin and Nelson impressed the judges.”
It was a make-up team due to at a team dropping out at the last minute, so it just goes to show.
Keith’s Friday had 16 players, playing in fine spring weather. The winners were the combination of Neville Ingram and Jeff Nisbet with a magnificent score of plus 39 thanks to Ray Wright. Runners up were Liz Ewing and Gavan Cullen with a score of plus 14. Liz also won the final lucky draw of the season when her name appeared on the spinning wheel, collecting an additional $50.00. Best first-game winners were Fred Pinnuck and Peter Russell with +16; best second-game winners were John Bruce and Debbie Banderkomp (Visitor) with +8. Keith’s Friday will now go into recess until after pennant season finishes, as our bowling season gets too crowded for it to continue.
Tuesday 29th. is the day set aside for spraying the greens, and if you can assist in the morning it would be appreciated by the ground staff.
Our practice match against Corowa will be on this Saturday, the 3rd. with arrival time of 10.00am for a 10.30 start. Teams for the practice match and Division Five pennant sides will be selected on Monday and advised by Team App, and also on the usual notice board at the clubhouse.
All players are again reminded that Division One in both the Saturday pennant and Mid-week pennant will be live scoring this season, so players involved, make sure that you have downloaded the Bowls Australia scoring app and know how to use it. Saturday pennant, other than Division Five, starts 10th. October and Mid-week pennant commence on the 5th. October.
A roster sheet has been established on the middle notice board seeking assistance in the making of afternoon tea for pennant players, so please give it a thought and put your name down. Both men and woman are needed
Bowls practice this Wednesday is cancelled to allow members to attend the wake for Geoff Brentnall, which will commence at 1.30 pm.
A reminder also to all our members that next Sunday, 4th. October is the start of daylight saving.

20/09/2026

Last Sunday, we conducted an in-house practice match where many members were able to hone their bowling skills in preparation for the coming season, which was followed by the practice match against East Shepparton this Saturday. The practice matches against East Shepparton are played each year for the Johnson Family Shield. Barry Johnson was President here at Barooga, and Chris, his son, was President at East Shepparton some years ago when the shield was struck, we continue the contest to this day, playing for the honour of having our name on the shield. After East Shepparton won the contest last year, I am happy to report that this year we were able to win it back by an overall margin of 32 shots. Congratulations, everyone, on playing so well, and let’s hope we can do the same against Corowa on the 3rd October.
Just a quick reminder to our members that the closing date for entry for the men’s pairs is the 25th. September, and the ladies’ 100-up draw has been completed, with play to start on the 21st September. Mid-week pennant practice match against Yarrawonga is on the 22nd. September, with a start time of 9.30am and a roll-up at 9.15am.
A reminder also that our greens are to be sprayed, weather permitting, on Tuesday the 29th. September, so greens will be unavailable for play on that day. Assistance on the day would be appreciated, so if you can, please attend.
A live scoring training program was conducted by Marie Lucci on Wednesday the 16th, and it was a bit disappointing to see the number who attended. Unfortunately, a few of our members were at a tournament and missed out. If further training is required before the start of pennant for Division one bowlers, please refer to either Ruth Burnett or Archie Ellis for advice. Live scoring is mandatory for Division One this pennant season in both Saturday and Mid-week pennant.
Keith’s Friday was held as usual with 16 members attending. Winners of the day were Fred Pinnuck and Des Toohey with plus 15, runners-up were Archie Ellis and John Thompson with plus 5. Best first game winners were Geoff Sloan and Ray Wright with plus 10, and best second game winners were Dianne McMahon and Jeff Nisbet with plus 4. Next Friday will be the last Keith’s Friday for the year as pennant is about to start. It will recommence after the pennant season in 2027, so if you can, please make an effort to attend, as we will be drawing the lucky $50.00 prize until it goes off. Remember you have to be present and playing to win it. The lucky winner this week was Jeff Nisbet, who collected the $50.00 prize when his name was drawn and he was present.
On a sadder note, I would like to report the passing of one of our life members, Geoffrey Brentnall, who passed away on the 19th September, aged 96. Geoff was one of the original founders of the Barooga Sports Bowls Club after the Golf Club bowling green was closed to its members. Geoff was a well-respected member of this Club who played with us for many years.

12/09/2026

Trade day was held last Thursday in Barooga, with a full field of bowlers in attendance. 16 rinks, 96 players, made it a great way to promote our greens and club. Thanks to all involved on the day.
Winners were Neil Macklin (Nipper), Doug Larkin, and Geoff Mitchell, and runners-up were Gary Mott, Ian Cameron and Ziggy Rempel.
On Friday, we had a reduced field due to many of our members being involved in other bowling commitments during the week; however, 12 bowlers enjoyed a social bowls game in perfect bowling conditions. Winners of the day were Ruth Burnett and John Crump with a score of plus 14. Runners-up were Peter Russell and Geoff Sloan with plus 10. With a reduced field, we had no best or second games awarded however we did have a lucky draw of the card for a $10.00 prize, with the lucky winners being Archie Ellis and Dianne McMahon. The lucky draw prize of $50.00 was again held, and this time it was Quentin Pettit’s name that came out, but Quentin chose this week not to play, so unfortunately he missed out. On our last day of Keith’s Friday before Pennant, if the draw does not go off with the person present, we will continue conducting the draw until such time as a person present wins. With the incentive to play on 25th September, make it a date to play on the day.
Some club fours matches have already been played, with more to come this week. Thanks to everyone who made themselves available to play. Results will be advised next week.
Our club internal practice match is being played today (Sunday), giving players a chance to show their prowess and tune their game in a pennant format. It is important to realise that sides selected do not necessarily mean that it is the way teams will be in the pennant season, as the selectors are trying various people in different positions. Good luck to everyone playing. Don’t forget our practice match against Shepparton East on September 19th. It would assist the selectors if players could indicate if they are unavailable for play on this day.
We have a Midweek pennant practice match on Tuesday 22nd. September, with teams to be selected and posted on the team app and the ladies’ selection board, hopefully on Monday. Ladies 100 up draw will be drawn and posted on Monday as well.
Our learn-to-bowl group is continuing each Sunday at 10.00, with upwards of 20 people attending, so the idea of the program has proved to be successful, and we hope some new bowlers will continue with the club and become pennant bowlers of the future.

10/09/2026

A fantastic day on the greens at Barooga Sports Bowls Club!

What a great turnout for today’s Trade Day, with more than 90 bowlers representing 10 clubs coming together for a brilliant day of bowls, friendship and plenty of fun.

The Barooga bowlers were also looking particularly sharp, proudly showing off their new club shirts for the occasion!

Thanks to everyone who travelled from near and far to take part and help make the day such a success.

29/08/2026

The new bowler program last Sunday was a huge success, with around 20 new bowlers attending and five new bowlers hoping to join in with other activities. The new bowlers came despite it being a very cold and foggy morning and enjoyed the coaching given to them by our coach and, of course, the sausage sizzle held afterwards. It is on again today (Sunday) at 10.00am, and a decision will then be made regarding the following Sunday, as it will be Father's Day.
Cobram Anglican School will be coming on Tuesday at 1.20pm, and this is another opportunity for us to encourage young bowlers to join our club. If you can attend, it would be helpful.
Club practice will start this Wednesday at 1.00pm, and we hope all bowlers can come along for some early practice under the guidance of our coach, Chris Philpot.
Last week, the Scoungers game was cancelled due to bad weather; however, on Friday the weather was perfect, we had 26 bowlers playing. The winners of the day were Geoff Mitchell and Karen Bruce, with +15. Runners-up were Jeff Nisbet and Steve Geddes, a visitor from Karingal Bowls Club, with plus 11. Best first game winners were Geoff Sloan and Ian McMahon with plus 11 and best second game winners were Fran Thatcher and Des Toohey, also with plus 11. The lucky draw winner's name this week was Peter Russell, and as he was present, he collected the $50.00. Well done to Peter.
Our opening day, incorporating the start of the club fours, is next Saturday, the 5th. September. The day will commence at 9.30am with the opening by our Club President and the rolling of the first jack and bowl by our respective Club champions from last season. Club fours will start with a roll-up at 9.45am with games commencing at 10.00am. All sides will play their first round at 10.00am, which includes the byes. Please bring along your own lunch to enjoy after the first game, when the unveiling of the new life members board will occur along with the presentation of our new shirts for the upcoming season. If you want your name embroidered on the new shirt, please have $5.00 handy, and we will arrange to get the new shirts all done for you and returned in time for the first game of the season. You will also need to have $10.00 available for the entry fee for the Club Fours.
Teams have been selected for the Club Fours and published, but if the skippers could phone and confirm that their players are available, it will assist in the running of the day.
The first official ladies' Monday social day will be held on Monday 7th September. Ladies to bring a small plate for a shared lunch.
All members are invited to attend next Thursday to watch the running of the Ladies 5-a-side tournament, where we have 16 visiting teams coming to play interesting bowls in a different format to usual.

22/08/2026

Apologies to all, the medley pairs results that were promised last week are not available. I did not receive them, so apologies to the various winners.
Keith's Friday had 16 players playing in fine conditions. Winners of the day were decided by ends won after two teams came in with plus 12, with one team having 13 ends won whilst the other had 14, so it was a very tight finish. Winners were Ruth Campbell, sharing the skipper's role with Ray Wright and Gavan Cullen, with runners-up being Fran Thatcher and Ian McMahon, the unlucky ones.
We had two draws for the $50.00 lucky draw prize, with Jon O’Dwyer's name, then Ken Newton's, but neither were playing, so we will continue next week with two draws until it goes off, then it will revert to one draw.
This Tuesday is the final Scroungers to be played this year, so if you would like a game, please get your name down on the sheet on the notice board or ring a member of the match committee to get your name in.
Practice matches for the upcoming season are upon us with the first being for Saturday pennant on Sunday 13th. September. Teams will be selected on the 7th, so you need to have your name down for consideration by that date.
Opening day is the 5th of September, when our new shirts will be handed out to those playing pennant this season, so make sure you attend to make the process of everyone having the correct shirt to start the season off as easy as possible. Remember, we all have to have the same shirt when playing pennant.
Midweek pennant have a practice match set for the 22nd September against Yarrowonga. Selected teams will be advised closer to that date via Team App and the notice board.
The learn to bowl program commences today (Sunday) and will continue next Sunday at the same time.