Sports News
 Bowled Over
Well Done Jason!
Jason Campbell, one of the district's talented young bowlers, won the NSW Deaf Singles Championship last Sunday, defeating his opponent in the final 31-12.
Jason, now 30, started playing bowls at 15 while still at school and has gone on to achieve success at his first club, Kyogle, and more recently at Workers Heights.
As well as club titles Jason has reached the semi-finals of the District singles and has represented the District on many occasions.
Jason's even temperament and perfectly groomed delivery are key factors in his continued success.
I have been fortunate enough to play with Jason on several occasions and have always been impressed by his demeanour and sportsmanship. He is a great role model for young, aspiring bowlers. Sincere congratulations Jason – well done and well deserved.
Two events coming up which need to be noted in the diary are South Lismore's $1,200 men's pairs on October 28 and East Lismore's Spring Carnival on November 17-18 – watch this space for more details.
Reminders
Sunday, October 7, – South Lismore Fun Day of Bowls, commencing at 1pm.
Sunday October 14 – Workers Group Event is the Riley Pairs and will be played at Workers Heights, commencing at 9.30am.
Monday, October 15m – Heartbeats BC meet at Iluka Bowling Club.
Phone South Lismore on 6621 3510 for the Fun Day; Ken Willis on 6628 4110 for Riley Pairs and Ray on 6622 1792 for Heartbeats.
Umpire's Corner
Law 18 Placing the mat
18D Placement after play has commenced
i. After play has commenced in any end other than the first or an extra end the mat shall only be moved from its first position in the following circumstances:
a. If before any bowl is delivered the mat is found to have been incorrectly placed the mat shall be correctly aligned at the same distance from the rear ditch on the centre line and play continued.
b. If the mat be displaced during the progress of an end it shall be replaced as near as practicable in the same position.
c. If the mat be out of alignment with the centre line of the rink it shall be straightened.
Coaching tip
How often do we see players holding a good lead give the game away because they seize up and are unable to win the final shots?
Stress and tension adversely affect the bowler's ability to put down a good, accurate shot. Developing relaxation techniques that work for you can be the crucial factor in taking out the game.
Until next week, good bowling
 Hook and Slices
with Stan Bendall
The Quality of Golf
Lismore
Don't forget the Camp Quality Day on Sunday, October 21, for golfers and non-golfers. Only $20 per head and all funds raised go to helping kids with cancer.
This Saturday will see the final round of the 72 hole stroke championships which will be a very tight tussle between three golfers. Youngster Lloyd Kelly has taken the lead by one, from Steve Fredericks and Gene Ward, heading into the final round. Lloyd hooked into contention when he parred the course over the last two rounds, a great effort. The other grades are also fairly close but I still reckon Freddo will win the title.
Terry (Beachball) Russell won last Thursday's single stroke of the back tees by one shot from the pivot, Athol Rogers, from Chris Evans, one shot away again. Lance Perry took a break from his proteas to win the first nine from Phil Luckie and Steve Fredericks won the second nine from Wardie Ray Rann and Steve Morrissey won the gross with a one over par 71.
Troy McGuinness recorded a fine 2 under par round of 68 to win A grade in the single stroke last Saturday by 4 shots from Gene Ward, who took out the captain's trophy over 36 holes. Wolf Simandl, another very good golfer, took out B grade from Chris Evans; Chris Slade won C grade and Angelo Zorzo won D grade from sweet-swinging Gaz Underhill.
A little course news: the dam hole is now being made into a water feature with the tee on the third hole to be attended to while the 16th and 17th tees will be combined into a bigger, joint tee.
Lyn Chant and Neil Chant finished middle of the field in the Mazda mixed fourball, after winning the Northern Rivers qualifying round.
Please note the club now has three golf carts available for hire at any time.
NRDGA
The Northern Rivers team will travel to Tenterfield this weekend for the interdistrict match against New England.
Some of the Northern Rivers best junior golfers are off to Cessnock from October 9-12 for the International Junior Classic. Good luck juniors!
Mullumbimby
The mixed open day will be held on Monday, October 15.
The open day will be on Saturday, October 27 and should be a biggie!
Lady preso Faye Gannell recorded a fine 79 last week, which was a course record that will probably never be beaten.
Ken Leighton won the A grade veterans' championship last week; Mike Rosee took out B grade; Russ Marsden C grade and Ken Watson D grade.
Rohen Johnson took the honours in last Wednesday's men's single stableford.
Darryl Essery and Lex Browning won last Saturday's 4BBB stableford from Steve Marsh and John Young. Balls to 45 countback.
Gary Smith had a good day the other day when he eagled the par 4, 16th.
Woodburn-Evans Hd
A single stroke will be played for the October medal this Saturday.
There will be a 4BBB stableford played on Saturday week.
Dot Cox took out A grade in the ladies single stableford last Wednesday.
Barry Cox, Keith Sawtell and Basil Young won the veterans 12 hole three person ambrose last Thursday.
Bill Ferrier and Peter Carey won the members' aggregate stableford last Saturday and hard-working secretary-treasurer Karen Allen took out the ladies section. Onya Karen!
Jim Perkins took the honours in the RSL social members 12 hole stroke event last Sunday.
Coraki
The October mug will be played in three grades this Saturday and will be the tee up for cancer day.
The popular annual George Gooley Day will be played on Sat, October 13.
Ian Halliday, Larry Smith and Bob Julian won the Lismore Sandblasting three person ambrose, held to raise money for the Westpac Rescue Helicopter. Neil Clarke did a great job organising the successful weekend and especially arranging for professional golfers Jenny Seville and Michelle Bristow to attend. More than 200 people attended this wonderful day for an important cause. Well done Coraki!
Ballina
The October medal will be played this Saturday while the ladies play a single stroke event.
The men and ladies will play a stroke event on Saturday, October 13.
Sid Jamieson is back and won A grade in the single stableford last Saturday while Bob Morris won B grade.
Casino
Grandfather and grandson combination Ron and Wade Sweeney put in an unbelievable repeat performance to amass 50 points playing off 29 and 25 respectively to win on a countback from Dennis Westerman and Tony Shaw on a countback.
Les Isaacs won last Thursday's event on a countback from Barry Lowe.
 What's My Line
with Ian Clark
Hitting The Walls
Sometimes it is very hard to go back to work after a great couple of days off.
But after last weekend I was chomping at the bit to get back to work.
We had the AFL grand final on Saturday, a great day Sunday with a family re-union and then to top it off the NRL grand final that night.
Come Monday morning the sun was very bright compared to my head which was rather cloudy.
Janette, my wife, who is an avid Parramatta supporter was not in her usual cheerful mood for some reason and our two young blokes did their best to keep there mother in that mood for the rest of the day.
Fishing wise the weekend was not all bad for everyone though. Most anglers to wet a line on the weekend came away with at least a couple of pan size fish.
This weekend the fish should still be around in good quantities.
The best spots are the walls at Evans, Brunswick and Richmond River.
The rough seas have stirred the food up around the rocks with the foam providing some cover for the fish to get in close.
The beaches have not been the best as late but the seas should settle and they should perform as well as they have in the past.
Small tailor are still around the Ballina Walls with some good jew and bream.
Jew are further up the river but live bait is the key to attract them.
Flathead are moving about and whiting are taking worms fairly frequently.
The Evans River has had some good reports of nice flathead being caught.
A lot of anglers are having success with trolling lures but I think it would be live baits again that are attracting the big flathead.
If the temperatures keep pushing upwards the Brunswick River would be worth a hit with lures for some mangrove jack.
Until next week,
fun fishing.
Classic Bass
The Richmond Valley Sportfishing Club is conducting their Annual Bass Classic this weekend.
The past three Classics have raised $4,000 for restocking and have assisted the Club since its incorporation in 1993 to release 100,000 Australian Bass and 10,000 Eastern (Freshwater) Cod into the Richmond River system.
Their restocking work has been acknowledged by the NSW Fisheries. It has made a grant of $2,500, from the licence fee trust fund, for the restocking of Australian Bass later this year.
The competition is catch and release and will be fished within the region bounded by the Clarence in the south and west and the Tweed in the north. Toonumbar and Clarrie Hall Dams are the only impoundments eligible. Fishing is restricted to lure and fly only.
The aim of the Classic is to encourage catch and release fishing with barbless hooks and to provide funds for restocking the Richmond/Wilson River system with native Australian Bass and Eastern (Freshwater) Cod.
The Classic depends on the support of anglers from other Clubs and Associations in the area.
Sponsors already include Sarina Russo Job Access, Ballina Recreation-Mart, Sailfish Marine, Hummingbird, Shimano, Shakespeare and Abu Garcia along with 30 plus other local businesses.
Entry Fees are $25 Seniors, $15 Students and Pensioners and $5 Juniors.
Major prizes include, a Hummingbird Depthsounder, Abu, Shakespeare and Shimano bass combos.
All prizes are based on secret lengths and will be presented in eight categories.
Registration is at Lismore Lake, Bruxner Highway Lismore, from 6pm to 9pm on Friday evening, October 5, and from 9am to noon on October 6. Fishing is from sign-on until noon on October 7. All fishers must be accompanied by at least one other fisher as witness to catches.
BBQ lunch will be provided at the presentation at 1pm on the October 7.
The Times They are a' Changin'
The 2001 season bore witness to a major shift in the traditional powerbase of Soccer Far North Coast's premier division, with the regional clubs proving they have come of age when it comes to matching it with the long-established Lismore-based clubs.
For the first time in the code's 52 year history a grand final was played without a Lismore club present when Maclean and Byron Bay fought out the September decider, with pointscore champions Maclean emerging victorious to clinch their first premiership double – becoming the first non-Lismore club to do so in the process.
The success of Maclean and Byron Bay came at the expense of three of the Lismore heavyweights – Italo Stars, Richmond Rovers and Lismore Thistles – who all reached the semis but failed to progress to the grand final.
The three other regional clubs – Ballina, Casino and Alstonville – also performed well this year with Ballina just missing out on the semis for the second year running, Casino finishing just four points short of the top five and Alstonville surviving relegation after being promoted at the start of the year.
Further emphaising the shifting powerbase, the two sides destined for relegation are two of Lismore's longest-established clubs, Goonellabah and South Lismore.
Neither has faced relegation before and while Goonellabah is bracing itself to fight for survival during the off-season, Souths are resigned to re-building in the first division in 2002.
The end of the long term dominance of the seven Lismore clubs augers well for soccer's future at the top level, paving the way for a highly-competitive premier division between quality sides from throughout the region.
The re-shaping of the premier and first divisions into two 10-team competitions should also help both become more competitive.
For years the first division competition has struggled to be a legitimate testing ground for clubs seeking promotion, partly because 12 clubs were already contesting the premiers, leaving the firsts with less than 10 teams and barely viable.
The new format allows for promotion of at least one club (and possibly two) each season, putting in place a structure for the first division to produce competitive sides capable of coping with the rigours of promotion.
Records Tumble
On the level of individual performances, two players stood out for setting even more precedents in 2001, Maclean striker Daniel Fung and Ballina goalkeeper Lucas Wagland.
Fung became the first player to win consecutive Golden Boot awards, amassing 24 goals in 22 games this season, while Wagland also achieved a unique honour, becoming the first goalkeeper to win the prestigious Player of the Year award.
Looking forward to next season, defending champions Maclean will be without several key players, including two of their most potent attacking weapons in Daniel Fung and Aaron Bylos.
Both are leaving the region and with midfield general Graham Beamer talking of retirement and others such as ‘keeper Jason Rainbow and midfielder Beau Paine also likely to be leaving, the Bobcats will have a new-look side defending their newly-won crown.
One of the main threats to their twin titles will once again be Byron Bay, while Ballina and Casino will be trying hard to emulate the feats of their regional compatriots, but of course the big Lismore clubs will be out to re-assert themselves, with Italo Stars, Richmond Rovers, Thistles and Workers all looking for better seasons.
Throw in the wild cards of Uni's unpredictable lineup and an Alstonville side out to make an impact in their second season back in the top ranks, and you have all the ingredients for another fascinating season coming up in 2002.
Keen Sports
 Keen Sports now has more sports equipment and gear for sports fans.
Manager of Keen Sports James Coveney (pictured right with Jason Conte and Sue Oaten) is very pleased that Keen Sports has moved to new premises at 23 Woodlark Street, Lismore.
'These are bigger and better premises so we're now able to stock a better range of sports products. The display in the shop speaks for itself when you come in,' he said.
'We now have more gym equipment including treadmills and a lot more products covering the health side of exercise. We have a much greater range of shoes and lots more general sports equipment including everything you could need for the upcoming cricket season,' James said.
Keen Sports is offering you the chance to benefit from their move by giving you a chance to take advantage of their value-packed opening specials with discounts on items like sports shoes, clothing and cricket gear.
So if you're after some new sports equipment or if you just want to grab a bargain, head down to the new Keen Sports store at 23 Woodlark Street, Lismore.
The Year of the Volunteer
Do you know someone who offers their time to sport?
A referee, coach, administrator, assistant or anyone else who altruistically provides their time so that everyone can enjoy playing sport?
If you do, then The Northern Rivers Echo wants to hear from you.
The NSW Department of Sport and Recreation has developed the Volunteers of the Year Awards to recognise the unsung contributors to sport.
The Volunteer of the Year awards in the Northern Rivers region are proudly supported by The Northern Rivers Echo and the Lismore City Council.
The awards are designed not as a competition but rather as a way to show community appreciation for individuals who selflessly give their time so that local sport can exist.
Nominations for the awards close on October 26 and recipients will be announced on November 2. Nomination forms can be obtained through your sporting club, at the department of Sport and Rec offices, at Lismore City Council Offices in Goonellabah or at The Northern Rivers Echo (218 Molesworth Street, Lismore).
For further details check out the display advertisement on this page.
Dolphins Swim South for Grand Final
 The Lennox Head Dolphins under 11s head off to Sydney to use the tickets they received to the Telstra NRL grand final for winning a competition held throughout Eastern Australia.
The Lennox Head Dolphins under 11s rugby league team were one group who weren't complaining about the NRL grand final being played at night last Sunday.
The Dolphins under 11s received tickets to rugby league's ‘night of nights' for winning a competition held throughout Eastern Australia by Telstra and the NRL for junior rugby league clubs to demonstrate what their players put into the game.
Lennox Head club secretary Les Barnard believes the Dolphins well and truly deserved their win.
'When the juniors started back in 1998 we were struggling for numbers but the kids went out themselves and convinced their mates to play with them. That was a big achievement and now we have enough players.
'Our juniors also put a lot back into the club in other ways. Whenever there's a home game on the kids come down and set up the paddock, they run the raffles which helps us financially and they come and support the seniors. They do a lot of work and put a lot back in,' Barnard said.
In recognition of all the hard work that the young Lennox Dolphins do the NRL and Telstra awarded them a trip to Sydney which culminated in attending the NRL grand final last Sunday (and the ‘Moulin Rouge' style pre-game 'entertainment').
'It was a once in a lifetime experience. The boys all had a ball. They were treated like kings. We were taken on a tour of Stadium Australia and the Aquatic Centre, taken to Taronga Zoo, on a harbour cruise and then had the best seats in the house for the grand final. Those 15 boys will never forget it!' Barnard said.
The Dolphins were probably the only rugby league fans who actually felt that the game was more important than the result.
'Some came away happy with the result, some didn't, but they all came away with a smile on their faces,' Barnard said.
For once it seems Roy and HG were right and ‘rugby league was all about the kiddies.'
Except perhaps the pre-game ‘entertainment.'
Junior Grand Final Action
|
|
|
|
The Rous cheer squad.
|
South Lismore Under 15s show off their medals.
|
|
|
|
|
It's a dog's world for those Summerlanders!
|
Despite his side losing 4 - 5 to Italo Stars, Brad Bird of Casino (Grade 15, 2nd div.) did enough to be named Man of the Match.
|
|
|
|
Workers take a well-deserved break.
|
Hornets Host Qld team
If you appreciate athletes defying their disabilities to enjoy their chosen sport, get along to Weston Park, Goonellabah on Saturday at 1pm to see the Queensland Disabled Soccer team take on a Goonellabah lineup.
The Queensland side is comprised of deaf players who are having their final warm up before taking on NSW and Victoria in the National Disabled Titles on the Gold Coast next week.
The game is believed to be a first for the region, with a sausage sizzle and other fund-raising activities planned to assist the visitors in their campaign at the Nationals.
A little Ray of Sunshine
The Disabled Surfers Association of Australia is touring Northern NSW from November 4-10.
The team is normally based in Cronulla, in Sydney, and this will be the first time they have taken a promotional tour outside Sydney.
Disabled Surfers association president Gary Blaschke is very enthusiastic about the tour.
'The Little Ray of Sunshine Tour for disabled surfing will travel the north coast of NSW, stopping along the way at smaller surfing communities and promoting the lifestyle of disabled surfing, who we are and what we do,' Blaschke said.
The Little Ray of Sunshine tour will be in Byron Bay on November 10. The day is open for disabled people wishing to attend.
If you wish to be involved either as a disabled surfer or to assist please phone Keith Anderson on 6685 7822.
Surf Coaching Course
A Level 1 surf coaching course will be held in Byron bay on November 3-4.
Application forms and information can be obtained by phoning Keith Anderson on 6685 7822.
There is a limit on participation and since it is open to applicants from Scotts Head to the Queensland border an early reply is needed to ensure a spot.
The last ten surfers to complete this course are accredited coaches and now moving into the workforce.
|
