Tara Murray
There is a lot of energy around Club Sunbury ahead of the Bowls Victoria weekend pennant division 1 season.
With a number of new players, including several upcoming stars, Club Sunbury is confident of a strong season.
Club Sunbury director Marc Bullows said they would have an additional side on what they had last season.
“We will have seven Saturday sides,” he said. “We’ve had new players come into the club that we’ve had to enter another pennant side.
“The last couple of years we’d only had two new players. We’ve had a real recruitment drive to try and strengthen the side.”
Bullows said of the players they have brought in, potentially six will play in their top side and 10 across the top two sides adding some extra depth.
The club has looked to target young players who they were hoping would be around the club for a long time.
Among those to join the club are Emilee Davies and Sebastian Pretty.
Davies has played for Victoria and won an under-18 state title.
Pretty is also part of the Victorian under-18 team and achieved success helping his previous club go from division 2 pennant to division 1 pennant.
The duo along with Akasha Fortune were recently invited to the Junior Golden Nugget.
The Golden Nugget is the most prestigious junior competition in Australia with all 32 players needing to be invited to attend.
While the new players are bringing plenty of excitement, Bullows said a slight restructure of the division 1 competition was also exciting.
With plans to bring in a second premier division competition, the division 1 competition, which was previously based on location, had been changed to even the four divisions out.
“The aim for this season is to win our section as the top two teams of four division 1 sections will form a new premier league,” Bullows said.
“Our division has been one of the stronger divisions in recent years. They’ve spread us all out and it means we will travel all over metro Melbourne.
“We’re looking forward to that as it means we get to play different clubs. We’ve played most of the same clubs for a number of years.”
While waiting for the new pennant season to begin, Sunbury bowlers have been busy around the state.
Sophie Kurzman is playing for Victoria in the open side having come straight up from the under-18 team.
Lee Wesley, Mark Ryan, Daniel Fortune and new member Vera-Lee Curnow are representing Victoria in the Bowlers arm team.
The club is also preparing for the next Bowls Premier League in Queensland in November. Carla Krizanic, Matt Flapper and Ali Forsyth return as does coach Kelvin Kerkow.
