Garvey To Miss Shot At Big Bowls Showdown

Newcastle Herald

Wednesday March 5, 2008

John Gilmour ON THE KITTY

ETTALONG Memorial will be without marquee player Shane Garvey when they meet minor premiers Kurri Kurri in the Invitation Big Bowls Challenge grand final at Nelson Bay on Friday night.

Garvey will be playing for his club Engadine in the NSW Premier League competition against Mt Lewis. Former NSW junior singles champion Danny Morrison will play singles for Ettalong Memorial.

"Danny has played singles all season when Shane [Garvey] has been out and he will do a good job," coach and co-ordinator John Roberts said.

Morrison moving into singles has caused a reshuffle of the Ettalong Memorial side that defeated Charlestown in the final last Friday night.

Graham Mair played lead for Roberts in the pairs and takes over from Morrison as the skipper in the triples line-up of Greg Pigram and Lindsay Adamson. Kevin Smith returns to the side as lead for Roberts in the pairs.

Kurri Kurri have beaten Ettalong Memorial both times the two sides have met this season in round eight and also in the major semi-final two weeks ago.

"Both those games were played at Kurri on their synthetic green," Roberts said.

"When you don't play regularly on synthetic greens it does take you a little while to adjust, which is a luxury you simply cannot afford in the Big Bowls Challenge. We are looking forward to playing them on grass in the final."

Kurri Kurri coach and co-ordinator Nathan Dawson said his side was going into the decider quietly confident.

"We have played our strongest team all year yet still managed to qualify all of our players for the finals series," Dawson said.

Dawson will again play singles a role he has filled all year on Friday night with Aaron Appleby and marquee player John Green combining in the pairs. Matt Johnson Terry Ross and Tony Harris form their triples combination.

Green based at Corrimal and who played in the NSW Reserves side last year has been successful in his three games for Kurri so far this year.

"John [Green] has been a valuable asset when he has played and he has built up a formidable combination with Aaron [Appleby]," Dawson said. "But it has been consistency right across the green that has served us so well with our triples in particular having scored several big wins.

"In the past two seasons we have had some large victories but also suffered some heavy defeats.

"This time around we have still had the big wins but been able to minimise our losses."

The final on Friday night begins at 6pm and will be preceeded by presentations to the third, fourth and fifth placegetters as well as the minor premiership.

© 2008 Newcastle Herald

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