Mark Casey to be bestowed Hall of Fame membership
Recently retired Australian Jackaroo, Mark Casey has been confirmed as the final inductee in this year’s Bowls Australia Hall of Fame. Recently retired Australian Jackaroo, Mark Casey has been confirmed as the final inductee in this year’s Bowls Australia Hall of Fame.
Gold Coast based Casey, 35, will be formally recognised at the national body’s upcoming 2017 Hall of Fame and Awards Night on October 26, at Crowne Plaza Surfers Paradise.
Casey enjoyed an illustrious career in the green and gold colours from his international debut in 2003 until his retirement in December last year, following the conclusion of the 2016 World Bowls Championships.
During his 13 years representing Australia, Casey amassed 292 international caps, as well as a swag of titles, accomplishments and golden medallions which are rivalled by very few.
The classy southpaw can lay claim to being the only male player in Australia’s history to have won both a Commonwealth Games and World Bowls Championships gold medal.
His first world title came as a 23 year-old, when he secured the inaugural World Cup singles title in Hong Kong in 2005, and one of his finest moments came the following year, when he secured a gold medal at the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games in the men’s triples, alongside Bill Cornehls and fellow Hall of Fame inductee Wayne Turley.
He continued to ply his trade on the international stage at everything from Asia Pacific Championships to Trans Tasman events over the ensuing years, until he etched his name in the history books with a gold and silver medal at the 2012 World Bowls Championships in Adelaide, as part of the nation’s most successful campaign.
He wasn’t able to replicate the golden feat at the next staging of the event, in Christchurch last year, where he finished with two silver medals, but still bowed out of international representation at the peak of his powers.
Bowls Australia President Nigel Smith said there were few individuals more deserving of this coveted honour.
“Mark Casey has solidified himself as one of the sport’s true champions,” Smith said.
“He is a stalwart of the sport across all levels and undoubtedly one of the best to have ever pulled on the green and gold uniform.”
On the national stage, an outdoor-indoor singles double in 2012 rates among Casey’s many achievements, having claimed the Australian Open’s men’s singles crown followed a few short months later by the Australian Indoor Championships men’s singles gong.
He also helped steer the Brisbane Gold to the inaugural Bowls Premier League (then called Australian Premier League) title in 2013.
Casey was also a prolific Queensland state representative, and helped the Maroons to seven Alley Shields at the sport’s state-versus-state competition, the Australian Sides Championships, over the years.
He has been supported over the years by Club Helensvale, has been employed by Bowls Australia as a Regional Bowls Manager for South East Queensland and is currently the Events and Competitions Manager for the bowls component of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.
Casey will be included in the “2000-present – Athlete” category of Hall of Fame membership.
A special announcement will be made on Monday to confirm the elevation of two Hall of Fame members to Legend status, while the finalists for the sport’s Awards Night will be made known on Tuesday.
Tickets for the 2017 Hall of Fame and Awards Night will be open to the public from Tuesday.
Bowls Australia applauds Mark Casey on his forthcoming induction into the Bowls Australia Hall of Fame.
