Rosamond Rockets Are Flying High

The Sunday Age

Sunday November 9, 2008

CAMERON NOAKES

IN VIRTUALLY every sporting association around the globe you have your Collingwoods and your North Melbournes, your Manchester Uniteds and your Hulls; in bowls it's your Altonas and your Rosamonds.

Rosamond is a club with little success and less money. This year it will be without a coach, despite it playing premier division. The club has just 48 pennant players and struggles to field three sides, whereas most of its rivals have at least twice that many.

Rosamond, in Melbourne's west, was established in 1955 and for close to 48 years the trophy cupboard was rarely opened. However, in recent years, following the acquisition of several players from Yarraville-Footscray, the Rosamond Rockets have taken off.

In the past six years it has moved from division three and, much like Hull in the English Premier League, the side is defying expectation, sitting third in the top division.

Steve Fowler is one of Rosamond's skippers and is proud of his club. But he is not sure how long it can survive.

"Our club is a struggling club with not much money in the bank. We have no pokies, no major investors, we don't pay players at all," Fowler said.

As a result of the club's impoverished state, it doesn't have state players or even former state players.

Fowler said volunteer workers kept the club running and bowler David Zitter was the club's greenkeeper.

"Zitters started as an apprentice greenkeeper 25 years ago at the club. His boss, who played for Rosamond, said he had to either work 40 hours a week or work 32 and play bowls the rest," Fowler said. "He was 17 (and) he decided it was in his best interest (to play bowls) and he got hooked. Now he is our best player.

"He was also one of the best greenkeepers in Melbourne and the club gets him at a bargain-basement price."

He said the club was surviving on spirit and passion from an eclectic mix of bowlers.

There is Neil "Taffy" Smith who once represented Wales' under-25 team, Reed "Chopper" Chanter who is one of the club's best players, with a reputation for partying at raves, Nathan Swincer, a 24-year-old from Switzerland (via the Northern Territory and South Australia) who joined this year, and Fowler, who was one of the defectors from Yarraville-Footscray and now has his family playing there, including his grandparents, father, uncle and sister. He said he had also dragged his girlfriend into it.

Fowler said there was a 94-year-old at the club who had been there since it started in 1955, a 96-year-old who still went on the end-of-season trips and an 11-year-old.

"All we have is a great social life at Houston," Fowler said, calling the club by its nickname. "That's all we can really offer; just a bunch of mates having a go and with a great start to the season it's a real Cinderella story for us."

Yesterday, Rosamond's sensational form continued, defeating Werribee at Werribee, 99-88. Werribee skipper Brendan "Snowy" Barker said it was a disappointing day for his team but the visitors got the jump early and Werribee played "catch-up" for the rest of the day.

Rosamond's Zitter provided the highlight of the game when he drove the jack and smashed it into several pieces. Zitter's rink also defeated Brett Dodd's, the first loss Dodd has endured this season.

Ladder-leader Essendon continues to streak away from the competition, outclassing cellar-dweller Bundoora, 114-64.

Bundoora team manager Peter Russell said it clawed its way back into the game in the afternoon and was six shots adrift at 4.15pm.

"There was a bit of noise and a bit of fire in the belly but they really stuck it to us ... in the last hour-and-a-half," he said.

Melbourne's lukewarm season continued, losing at home to Moonee Ponds, 96-80, catapulting Moonee Ponds into fourth. Sunbury enjoyed a big win at home against Yarraville-Footscray, 107-74. Sunbury skipper Graeme Bridge said his team started well and Michael Vesikko's rink held a 21-1 lead by afternoon tea.

"They staged a bit of a fightback as you would expect," Bridge said.

"Brett Petrie was the standout skipper of the day. His rink won 37-10."

On Friday night, the game between Clayton and Altona was washed out, resulting in the teams splitting the points, 9-0 apiece.

cnoakes@theage.com.au

© 2008 The Sunday Age

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