Commonwealth Games spots up for grabs
Dylan Fisher is leading the youth-driven resurgence of Australian lawn bowls as the countdown to the Commonwealth Games ticks on The 19-year-old, regarded as one of the best young players in the world, will spearhead Australia’s campaign in the three-day international friendly against Malaysia, starting in Ocean Grove tomorrow.
Australia is fielding an 18-strong team comprising six world champions against a strong Malaysian outfit that has sent its best available squad.
The hit-out doubles as a Commonwealth Games audition for the Aussies team, given only 10 players will go to Glasgow.
Fisher cemented his standing as a star on the rise in February with a career-defining win in the pairs at the Australian Open, regarded as the best competition in the country.
And he recently went on a giant-killing run at the World Champion of Champions event in New Zealand, where he made the semi-finals against fierce opposition.
“It’s been hectic, especially the past month, I’ve had a competition every week, so I haven’t been home much,” he said yesterday.
“I’ve had a few results go my way, but I’m just really thankful for the opportunity to be in the Australian squad with an opportunity to get to Glasgow next year.
“We all want to go over there but obviously we can’t.”
Nicknamed Snapper, the Melbourne bowler is the youngest member in the Australian squad.
He will be joined this week by five Victorians, including Ocean Grove’s Matt Flapper and Lara’s Sam Shannahan.
The Ocean Grove greens have been prepared to replicate Scottish conditions and the schedule of play over the week will be similar to that of the Commonwealth Games.
“It would be an honour to make the Commonwealth Games,” he said.
“I think that’s every bowler’s dream and aspiration because that’s the highest level you can go to, it would be a dream come true.
“The idea (of the Ocean Grove friendly) is to copy the format of the Commonwealth Games, because they’re big, long days, and they’re going to be pretty long here over the next few days, trying to replicate that as much as we can.”
Photo: Geelong premiership player Tom Lonergan and Jackaroo Dylan Fisher. Courtesy of Glenn Ferguson (News Ltd)
