By John Bevin
N
ovember 2013 will herald in the inaugural Australian Premier League series to be played at Pine Rivers Bowling Club in Queensland. All the hype and quick fire action, normally the reserve of Twenty20 cricket and Super Sevens Rugby, will burst onto the bowling scene as six franchises from around Australia and New Zealand meet in an event that won’t be for the faint hearted. Competitors will be surrounded by a cacophony of noise as supporters become involved in the action and once a day each team will play under the searching lenses of Foxtel cameras. The three strong franchised playing groups will play under a Pair’s format which will have two on the green and a sub on the bank with the opportunity of pulling the sub into play at any time. It sounds simple but there are strict rules which will govern the event and these include a 30 second limit before a player needs to deliver a bowl. There will be little time to analyse a head during games which will be played over two, five end sets with a one end tie break if required. On carpet greens which will be running at upwards of 17 seconds the ability to drive and draw well will be paramount. Short bowls will be a disaster and the role of the Coach/ Manager will be one of tactician and mentor whose split second decisions will impact heavily on the team’s ability to snatch a win. Mental toughness will be equally important as physical fitness and raw bowling ability and, with the short tenure of each game, attention to detail and concentration will come into play as never before. With our state membership numbers sitting at fifth on the list of States and Territories, South Australia continues to box out of its weight division when playing at National events. The APL will provide an opportunity for our “Croweaters” to extract some revenge. It is one reason that once the Bowls SA “Adelaide Endurance” franchise was purchased, our selected and contracted foursome, which includes the highly respected and loved Faye Luke as Coach/Manager are all South Australian born and bred. The franchise was offered international and national players but instead chose to go down the route of selecting home grown talent. There is no doubt that the Premier League will lift our State’s profile in the bowling world and the flow on effect of such a venture will benefit our member clubs. Bowls SA, Bowls WA and Bowls NZ have all purchased franchises looking for the high exposure which will attract people to our game. That exposure will come in spades. At a time when all sporting organisations are looking for a larger slice of the leisure industry pie the APL and the involvement of Bowls SA and the “Adelaide Endurance” could well prove to be the catalyst to carry our sport to a new level in SA. Those chosen will don the “Adelaide Endurance” colours with pride. From Grange Bowling Club comes 37 year old Wayne (Rudy) Ruediger who is a household name within the South Australia bowling community. A raft of Club and State titles along with his high quality performances 6 | SA BOWLER | October 2013
for our State side over a long period of time led to Australian selection last year. Gold and Silver medals at the World Bowls event in 2012 have placed him among the top echelon in international bowlers. The languid and often relaxed persona of Adelaide’s Scott “Thully” Thulborn has made him one of the most popular players in South Australian bowls. A seemingly casual approach to the game hides a fierce competitor. Within this multiple State champion beats the heart of a winner who over the last three years has made State events his own. “Thully” possesses every shot in the book and a few more and despite his apparent aversion to publicity seems to be a perfect fit for the APL. 25 year old West Lakes Coach Mark “Foggles” Haines exhibits knowledge and skills beyond his tender years. A great student of our game, he is a brilliant tactician and a superb coach and these are two reasons for his selection for the “Adelaide Endurance.” It will take a lot to rattle Haines in any situation and he will pick up on the pace of the APL very quickly. In Lenswood’s Faye Luke the “Endurance” will have the most highly credentialed Coach/Manager going around. In 2011 she was asked to take on the position as Australian Manager and since that time has made the position her own. Recent results have shown the Jackaroos to be the most powerful force in World bowls and Luke has played a major part in this success. Beneath the short stature and endearing personality of the “Lady from Lenswood” in the Adelaide Hills sits a woman whose preparation and often hardnosed approach to the game has churned out a long list of champions. The preparation, training models and fitness programs prior to the event will be designed and put into action by Luke and she will demand results that will take a physically fit and mentally alert side into Pine Rivers. During the four day extravaganza the important decisions will fall squarely in her lap. There is no one better equipped to carry the load and come out of what will be a pressure cooker environment with success.
ADELAIDE ENDURANCE TEAM: Mark Haines, Scott Thulborn and Wayne Ruediger with Coach Faye Luke