Sport
20 January, 2026
Weekend bowls returns with Charity Round
Local bowlers brought a splash of colour to the greens on Saturday as the Goldfields Playing Area’s weekend pennants restarted their seasons with the much-loved Charity Round.
DIVISION ONE
With their title defence suffering major turbulence during the first half of the season, reigning premiers Maryborough Golf have provided a massive boost to their finals chances by overcoming Dunolly Blue in a 2024/25 Grand Final rematch.
After last season’s decider and the previous meeting between these sides were both won by one shot, Golf made it relatively academic by winning all three rinks.
Anthony Chambers got the ball rolling by defeating Tony Galofaro 19-14, and his Golf teammates followed suit, with Gerry Carmody conquering Peter Waters 22-16 and Kevin Prime triumphing over Chris Williams 25-18.
Successfully overcoming a major hurdle gives Golf a 10-point cushion with three rounds to play, while Dunolly Blue now has a mountain to climb to enter the finals with the double chance, trailing second-placed Talbot by 22 points after their 70-49 win over Newstead.
Brian Daly ensured Talbot didn’t have everything their own way, earning Newstead two points by taking a thriller against Chris Crossley 16-15.
However, Peter’s Fletcher and McLaughlan led Talbot to victory, with Fletcher narrowly besting Bill Burnett 24-22 before McLaughlan dominated David Cobden 31-11.
Despite Golf’s triumph, Caris-brook kept themselves within touching distance of the top four with a hard-fought 64-50 victory against Maldon.
Roy Pickering drew first blood for Carisbrook by scoring a 23-16 win against Peter Sedgwick, but Maldon’s Wesley Honeyman answered back by overpowering Ron Baker 24-19.
In the deciding rink, Ross Gregory gave Carisbrook the match, proving too much for Annette Gillham 22-10.
The undefeated Maryborough Highland Society picked up where they left off before the holiday break, but were forced to battle for their 11th consecutive victory against a valiant Avoca, ending 66-54.
Avoca was highly competitive against the competition’s power-house, with two rinks decided by three shots or less.
However, the Highland cream rose to the top, taking all 16 points with Garry Coburn holding off Frank Shannon 25-22, Greg Shay vanquishing Ian Proctor 22-15 and Greg McHugh overcoming a tough challenge from Daniel Giddings 19-17.
DIVISION TWO
Saturday was a golden return for Dunolly Gold, tightening their grip on a finals place with a vital 41-33 triumph against the second-placed Maryborough Golf.
Dunolly Gold’s Peter Freemantle took a nail-biting rink against Gary Chaplin 18-17 before Aaron Britten sealed the deal with a 23-16 victory against Trevor Young.
Not only did the victory ensure Dunolly Gold stayed in fourth, but it has created a slight opening for them to sneak into the double chance position as the gap to Golf has shrunk to just 15 points.
Dunolly Gold can’t shoot for the stars just yet, as their closest challenger to their finals place, Talbot, made quick work of Bridge-water 52-30 to keep within eight points of fourth.
Ray Prentice was the star of Talbot’s victory, defeating Christopher Brooshooft 30-12 while Prentice’s teammate Laurie Vernon overcame Ian Clutton 22-18.
Highland White capitalised on Maryborough Golf’s defeat on Saturday, with their 42-27 triumph against Dunolly Green moving them within three points of the top two.
Frank Mifsud and Dennis Prosser ensured a Highland White sweep, with Mifsud overthrowing Fabio Delconte 24-14 and Prosser vanquishing Sandra Chaplin 18-13.
Also in the upper echelons of division two, Highland Black has taken one step closer to clinching the top seed for the upcoming finals with a 53-31 victory over Avoca.
Robert Bursill did the bulk of the damage for the ladder-leaders with a 30-14 triumph against Ann Loosmore, while Albert Spencer got the better of Geoff Loosmore 23-17.
DIVISION THREE
Dunolly placed one foot into the finals after a tough battle with Maldon ended in a 43-28 victory.
Maldon’s Leonie Briggs and Pam Lyons brought the challenge to Dunolly, but Paul Chase and Wayne Stephens were just too good, with Chase taking an entertaining rink over Briggs 17-15 and Stephens thwarting Pam Lyons 26-13.
Dunolly, who currently sits in fourth, now boasts a staggering 33-point lead over fifth-placed Avoca after they were forced to forfeit their match against Carisbrook.
The Maryborough Highland Society remains the hot premiership favourites with a landmark 41-33 win over Newstead.
Despite Newstead’s Noel Bott producing an impressive showing to overpower Tilleke Wadeson 23-13, Gregory Long proved the difference maker for Highland with a 28-10 win against Angela Hill.
ROUND 12
With the clock quickly winding down on the regular season, the finals picture across all three divisions will become much clearer at the end of round 12.
That’s especially true in division one with two blockbuster encounters pitting the Maryborough Highland Society against old foes Dunolly Blue, who look to regain some footing to Talbot as they host Mary-borough Golf.
A win for Golf would be a massive step towards finals qualification, while defeat would allow Carisbrook to snatch their top four spot if they defeat Avoca away from home.
Rounding out division one sees Maldon taking on Newstead, with both teams looking to end their seasons strongly.
Round 12 also possesses a litany of intriguing matchups in division two, none more so than Highland Black playing a Dunolly Gold team desperate to keep their finals place.
A Dunolly Gold slip-up would benefit Talbot, but they also have a tough challenge ahead against a team motivated to bounce back in Maryborough Golf.
Highland White will aim to return to the top two when they take on Bridgewater, who need a win to keep their slim finals chances alive, while Dunolly Green faces Avoca.
Division three will see Carisbrook host Newstead, the Maryborough Highland Society play Dunolly and Avoca take on Maldon.