Sport
11 March, 2025
Carisbrook win division two title against Golf
Carisbrook is partying like it’s 1999, winning their first bowls premiership in 26 years after defeating Maryborough Golf 67-44.
The final scoreline doesn’t indicate how tight the matchup was, with both teams trading blows for the majority of the contest.
Carisbrook came out of the blocks quickly, storming to a 10-5 advantage in the first nine ends.
Carisbrook continued their momentum, lighting up the greens at the Maryborough Highland Society to take a 26-18 lead after 26 ends.
While Carisbrook looked to steamroll away to premiership station, Golf began to get into gear and draw closer to their opponents.
Over the next 19 ends, Golf did a remarkable job of reducing Carisbrook’s lead to four. After 45 ends, the score read 41-37 in Carisbrook’s favour.
While Carisbrook would make it 49-43 after the 53rd end, everything was still to play for with only 10 ends to go.
That’s when Carisbrook kicked into overdrive, capping off their magnificent season with some picturesque ends to pull away from Golf and win their first premiership since 1999.
Ron Baker and Malcolm Milne were the x-factors for Carisbrook, with the former vanquishing Harold Patullo 26-15 and the latter conquering Ross Andrews 27-11.
Kort Gay managed to win his rink for Golf, prevailing over Ross Gregory 18-14, but it wasn’t enough.
Despite losing his rink, Carisbrook Bowls president Gregory was elated by the team’s performance.
“I don’t think I have ever won a rink in a grand final and we got beaten again today — I was getting nervy because I was thinking ‘I’m letting the side down again’ but the other two had great wins,” he said.
“We finished early and when we looked across, the others were up six or seven where you can still get beaten but you would’ve been unlucky.
“As the second last end went, it was a relief I can tell you that.”
Carisbrook team manager Phillip Burt said winning the club’s fourth premiership means a lot to him, and the club.
“It’s the greatest — this would have been the fifth grand final that we would have been knocked out in, we have been so close every time and we have just missed out at the last moment,” he said.
“You are always watching the three rinks because you can have one side right up and another side down and all of a sudden a result can change so you look at the scores all day.
“It means a lot to Carisbrook and it’s a great team effort right across the season.”