Ocean Grove pulled away from a spirited Queenscliff to win yet another Geelong Bowls Region Premier Pennant premiership, making it back to back flags at Belmont on Sunday 8 March.
Since the pandemic, the Grovers have won four of the past five premierships, with a one-shot loss to Highton in 2023/24 the only blemish.
Queenscliff started the better of the two sides and showed few nerves, getting out to an 18-12 lead after 19 ends.
Mitch Hocking’s rink of Craig Heard, Jackson Mahoney and Jackson Reilly was well on top of Peter Loe, Craig Rippon, Andrew Forster and Josh Rudd, leading 12-0 and then 15-1.
However, Ocean Grove was in command on rink 4 with skip Tyson Cromie, lead Jen Le Cerf, second Max Rowley and third Tony Joel dominating Ben Russell, Matthew Speed, Wayne Macleod and Nathan Dixon with a 13-0 head start.
On the two other rinks, it was much closer.
Queenscliff’s Ray Butler, Wayne Visser, Adam Green and Riley Cameron were locked in a massive battle against Matt Flapper, Hayley O’Reilly, Wayne Frith and Zak Abro with the lead changing several times throughout the match and never more than a few shots in it.
Brad Pavey had only lost once this season, but his trio of Robyn Hunt, Chris Burrell and Chris Price were being challenged by Steve Sullivan, Richie McGovern, Barry Gladman and Seb Monahan.
Suddenly the two lopsided rinks started to turn around. Loe began to win precious shots, as did Russell to reverse their early jitters.
Pavey got out to a four-shot lead after 11 ends, but Russell jagged back six shots to reduce his deficit to nine against Cromie.
Meanwhile Loe’s rink was mounting a challenge of its own, clawing back to 10-20 after 13 ends.
With the score at 40 apiece after 47 ends, the crowd was being treated to a superb match and the Grovers made their move.
Pavey got six up and with Price, who was now playing some fantastic bowls, got another shot after an umpire’s call.
Flapper and Russell were going shot for shot and Hocking regained some momentum with two on the 15th end.
O’Reilly, Frith and Abro started the 14th end brilliantly and held four shots, but Russell came up with a clutch bowl to take the end by one.
Ocean Grove then clicked up a gear with Cromie picking up five on the 15th while Loe killed the end with Hocking three up and Pavey added two more shots to the total.
The Flapper-Butler seesaw continued with Butler winning three consecutive ends.
Grove led by 11 after 66 ends and Loe’s resurgence continued, inching to within eight of Hocking.
With Grove ahead 72-55 after 71 ends, Queenscliff needed something special, but Loe picked up another three to trail by just five and an animated Pavey won his end by one to lead by 11.
The Coutas weren’t giving in though, with Russell and Hocking reducing the margin to 11 with seven ends remaining.
Flapper inched past Russell 15-14 after 21 ends while Loe’s comeback was instrumental to the overall result, coming from 14 down to take 21 of the next 30 shots, and picking up four on the 21st end, to go down 22-24 to Hocking.
Russell’s comeback was just as impressive, downed 20-24 by Cromie, while Pavey pulled away from Sullivan to win 27-10 after a massive match in which the Queenscliff quartet could hold their heads high.
An 89 to 68 overall result probably didn’t tell the full story.
Ocean Grove’s grand final experience allowed it to steady and power through the final 30 ends while Queenscliff’s inexperience was perhaps telling.
The Coutas will be hungrier next season and now have that grand final experience to draw on and are expected to challenge again.
You’d be a fool to think Ocean Grove will drop off and with its Division 1 side victorious, will field two teams in the top flight in 2026/27.
Ocean Grove made it a double celebration with a nail-biting Division 1 win against City of Geelong.
Grove looked home late in the game after an entertaining encounter that had several lead changes throughout.
City picked up five shots late on one rink and led by two in the final stages, but Grove steadied and won 82 to 79 in a match worthy of a Premier Pennant grand final.
Geelong Bowls Region
Grand finals
Sunday 8 March
Players named in order of skip, lead, second, third.
Premier Pennant
Ocean Grove 89 def Queenscliff 68: Matt Flapper, Hayley O’Reilly, Wayne Frith, Zak Abro 16 def Ray Butler, Wayne Visser, Adam Green, Riley Cameron 14; Bradley Pavey, Robyn Hunt, Chris Burrell, Chris Price 27 def Steve Sullivan, Richie McGovern, Barry Gladman, Seb Monahan 10; Peter Loe, Craig Rippon, Andrew Forster, Josh Rudd 22 def by Mitchell Hocking, Craig Heard, Jackson Mahoney, Jackson Reilly 24; Tyson Cromie, Jen Le Cerf, Max Rowley, Tony Joel 24 def Ben Russell, Matthew Speed, Wayne Macleod, Nathan Dixon 20.
Division 1
Ocean Grove 82 def City of Geelong 79: Alan Drury, Brian Boyle, Paul Entwhistle, Cheyne Verrier 25 def Nicholas Craven, Helen Boult, Kerry Gooley, Lionel Harvey 11; Michael West, Thomas Warren, Casper John, Jason Bertrand 18 def by John Shell, Neil Robinson, Sarah Ashby, Mathew Nitchie 36; Owen Clark, Mia O’Reilly, Terence Brady, Rod Brehaut 23 def Sandra Tillson, Ronald Sutherland, Stephen Somerton, David Vogele 12; Simon Avery, Dylan Ryan, Daniel Henery, Alan Callow 16 def by Jayden Wombell, Gavin Lane, Ned Trease-Gordon, David Wombell 20.
Saturday 7 March
Skips named from Division 2 onwards.
Division 2
Belmont 79 def Ocean Grove 70: J. Reed 16 def by S. Collins 17; R. Stephens 21 def A. Barton 14; A. Gemmill 21 def D. Cottier 14; D. Abramhsen 21 def by B. Smith 25.
Division 3
City of Geelong 87 def Ocean Grove 61: R. Symons 17 def G. King 12; R. Gray 26 def L. Kirk 20; D. Radoslav 26 def P. Patterson 11; S. Khruapanich 18 tied with M. Allen 18.
Division 4
Norlane 84 def Geelong RSL 47: J. Ellmer 22 def N. Vivian 12; D. Evans 16 def by B. Jennings 18; F. Tarr 23 def W. Smith 9; J. Hargreaves 23 def J. Southern 8.
Division 5
Barwon Heads 103 def Torquay 62: A. Prosser 13 def by C. Lawler 20; G. Hood 48 def B. Gaudion 6; I. Duthie 23 def G. Wakefield 20; A. Duthie 19 def M. Wake 16.
Division 6
Torquay 80 def Geelong 70: J. Pryor 17 tied with R. Russell 17; G. Williams 15 def by F. Wheat 26; M. Slater 21 def R. West 11; D. Burns 27 def K. Francis 16.
Division 7
Ocean Grove 87 def Anglesea 77: W. McKelvie 20 def by C. Bird 28; D. Stephenson 18 def D. Winchester 10; J. Rogan 15 def by A. Stephen 25; L. Wilkinson 34 def W. Smith 14.
Division 8
Torquay 76 def Drysdale 67: P. Loeliger 29 def M. Reing 9; B. Ryan 17 def S. Jeffs 14; P. Phillips 18 def by T. Hawking 23; R. Tapping 12 def by A. Hayes 21.
Division 9
Point Lonsdale 59 def Bell Post Hill 50: K. Lyons 15 def by G. Lamb 20; T. Wood 24 def A. Barrett 13; I. Curtis 20 def D. Hodges 20.
Division 10
City of Geelong 45 def Geelong RSL 28: G. Madley 22 def R. Meeke 17; S. Tillson 23 def D. Wilson 11.
