Success for South Australia at 2024 Nationals
Throughout October seven South Australian state sides competed in Tweed Heads New South Wales and Broadbeach Queensland for 2024 National bowls glory against all the other Australian states and territories.
Stand out highlights included medals for several teams and Wayne Ruediger’s outstanding milestones in the Men’s side.
State Under 18 Girls Team
“Bringing along a young and inexperienced team, including two debutantes Mia Baldey and Megan Carey, was truly rewarding for us. Witnessing the girls’ progress in their performances daily across different disciplines stood out as a highlight. Their unwavering motivation and positivity, both on and off the field, were commendable. This experience has equipped them with valuable skills that will undoubtedly aid in their continuous growth and pursuit of medals in the upcoming series.” Under 18 Girls Coach Cath Greenslade said, when commenting about their highlights and experiences at 2024 Nationals.
Check out all results in BowlsLink
State Under 18 Boys Team
Including two debutants in this series, Jayden Green and Ashton Mahoney-Hughes the team achieved bronze in the triples Ashton Mahoney-Hughes | Jayden Green | Liam Coe , silver in the pairs Kobe Jarman | Charlie Hicks and silver in the singles for Charlie Hicks.
State Under 18 Boys Coach Isaac Trenorden commented “We had a diverse group of talent, with Liam, Charlie and Kobe all having represented previously and with first timers in Ashton and Jayden I had no doubts on strong performances.”
“Jayden at just 11 years old performed remarkably throughout the long days with Ashton also backing up well. Liam played a very mature game style throughout the tournament playing the big bowls when required and minimising numbers.”
“Charlie was exceptional in the singles and combining with club mate Kobe Jarman in the pairs to get to a gold medal match. A very successful trip with all the boys coming away with at least one medal.”
Check out all results in BowlsLink
State Para Team
Key achievements for the State Para Team were Chris Flavel’s silver medal in Para Men’s Singles B7/8, Aaron Emonson and Chris Flavel earning a silver in Para Open Pairs – their second medal, and the most notable feat being Andrew Reed winning South Australia’s first gold at the Para Nationals. Additionally, Simon Baker made his debut performance.
Anthony Moffatt, the State Para Team Coach, expressed satisfaction with the team’s performance. He highlighted making three out of four finals, including two singles and two pairs events. With one gold and two silvers won, Moffatt noted significant growth in the combinations throughout the competition, showcasing improvement from when they started to the end of nationals.
Check out all results in BowlsLink
State Senior Women’s Side
Even though coming fourth this year (4 wins, 3 losses) was not in the plans, Team Manager Joan Prosser commented “The opposition has been consistently improving and growing stronger each year. Our team displayed great harmony, resilience, and strong teamwork.
Our performance was impressive compared to other states, coming very close to winning on multiple occasions. Despite narrowly missing out on a few victories by small margins, the team’s hard work, unity, and support for one another were evident throughout.
We were just shy of securing wins in some games but showed great potential for the future. Looking ahead to next year, we aim to elevate our performance even further. While facing challenges in some matches, including a close win against NSW in the first game that got everyone’s hearts racing, overall, it was a commendable effort with several closely contested games.”
Check out all results in BowlsLink
State Senior Men’s Side
Our State Senior Men’s Side (article feature picture) dominated the leaderboard for most of the series, securing 6 wins and no losses to claim victory, to be awarded gold medals and lift the prestigious John Dobbie AM trophy. Despite facing tough obstacles, including a match being abandoned due to an opponent’s health scare to share points in that game against Victoria, South Australia clinched the men’s title by edging out Tasmania only after taking the lead on the leaderboard at the end of their encounter.
Team Manager, Peter Mueller is over the moon and commented “They did what was asked of them, the team was very professional, and I expected them to play well. Overall, our performance was a lot better than last year, and I think that goes down to the team practicing a fair bit. They played a few games in the off season, then we introduced the practice match with Western Australia where they competed for the Mueller Thorn Shield.”
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State Women’s Side
The State Women’s team experienced both highs and lows in their performance. Despite finishing sixth with 3 wins and 4 losses, including the debut of Tamzin Jenke, Queensland was the eventual winner. Coach Tony Lucas expressed optimism, highlighting that they were competitive in all their matches this year compared to previous seasons where they faced significant defeats.
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State Men’s Side
Andrew Smith, the Men’s State Coach, reflected on Wayne Ruediger’s remarkable achievement of breaking Ray Tume’s record. Rudi became the most capped player in South Australia’s history, and the team rallied around him in celebration. Smith also appreciated how past players and teammates showed their support for Rudi.
In terms of playing performance, achieving fifth with four wins and three losses is considered the minimum acceptable. Smith expressed disappointment in the team’s number of rink wins – only 8 out of 21. He acknowledged both strong and disappointing performances within the group and emphasised the need for all 12 players to be at their best to compete against New South Wales.
Despite falling short in some aspects of the game, Smith commended the team’s positive attitude and strong camaraderie. He highlighted that while some players didn’t meet expectations, there were also outstanding performances from others on the team.
Check out all results in BowlsLink
