2023 World Championships: Right at Home Jackaroos women’s preview
It has been a staggering seven years since the last World Bowls Championships in Christchurch in 2016, and a lot has happened since Australia hoisted the Taylor Trophy and finished with the silver in the Leonard Trophy standings.
Australia’s Gold Coast will play host to this year’s showpiece event and the Right at Home Jackaroos will be in the thick of the action as the green and gold draped stars host yet another tournament.
Let’s have a look at the female members of the open squad, what they’re playing and why they can come home with the gold medal.
Lynsey Clarke
In her final international outing, Clarke has epitomised the Jackaroos 24/7 throughout the entirety of her career which has consisted of three on-green World Bowls Championships gold medals and a Commonwealth Games title.
Clarke will take part in the triples and fours disciplines, teaming with Dawn Hayman and long-time national teammate Kelsey Cottrell in both, and Kristina Krstic in the quartet format only.
The Club Tweed member and Cottrell have won an abundance of titles together, including eight Australian Open crowns, but going out with a World Championships gold would mean the world to both of the great friends, who have represented the country magnificently together for well over a decade.
The 39-year-old has conquered almost every event there is to conquer across the nation, and has exhibited a sensational team-first duty by playing in both the front and back end of her teams depending on where she has been needed.
Kelsey Cottrell
One of the most in form bowlers in the world at the moment, Cottrell’s presence in this Australian lineup will make every other country shudder.
The Queenslander will be taking part in her fourth championships, having won two on-green golds in the pairs in 2012 and fours in 2016, as well as three Taylor Trophy titles.
Cottrell will skip the triples and fours as she looks to earn another accolade for her already illustrious trophy cabinet and will once again team up with Clarke, whom she has had one of the greatest partnerships with over the years.
The 33-year-old’s prowess at the back end is one of envy around the world, with sublimity that has left many jaws dropped over the years.
Ellen Ryan
Like Aaron Wilson, Ryan will be looking to embed her name into the history books by joining David Bryant and Margaret Johnston as the only players in history to win a singles gold medal at the Commonwealth Games and World Championships.
The Goulburn native became the first Australian to win a Games gold medal on UK soil when she defeated Lucy Beere in Birmingham, and will have the chance to be the first Australian to take home the blue ribboned prize at both of the sport’s pinnacle events.
However, it was with her best friend in Krstic that she would steal headlines by sinking Amy Pharoah and Sophie Tolchard with sensational accuracy on the final bowl of the extra end to become the first bowler, male or female, to win the singles and pairs at the same Commonwealth Games.
Ryan and Krstic will team up together on the Gold Coast as they strive to replicate their Northern Hemisphere heroics in front of an adoring home crowd.
Kristina Krstic
In her maiden World Championships, the Western Australian will hope to pick up where she left off in Birmingham after her and Ryan claimed that incredible pairs gold medal.
Krstic has enjoyed a fruitful year on the green that has seen her perform with brilliant consistency, recently progressing to the women’s fours final at the Australian Open.
She will be alongside Clarke, Cottrell and Hayman in the fours at the tournament as the quartet looks to take home the Jackaroo’s gold in the discipline out of four most recent events.
The 29-year-old is a team first player and will no doubt compete until the very end in whatever position she plays.
Dawn Hayman
Arguably one of the most dangerous players on Australian soil, having won almost everything there is to win over the past few years.
Hayman has secured multiple Australian Champion of Champions titles and various other accolades that have made her irresistible to selectors, showing a proclivity to perform in whatever position required.
The 26-year-old is an accomplished singles player, but her team performances are just as sensational, having claimed two medals at the Multi Nations earlier this year, as well as the overall women’s rink at last year’s Australian Sides Series.
With Hayman in the triples and fours lineup, opponents will be even more weary and it makes the Australian outfit one of the most formidable.
