Season starts for the Gippsland Geckos

Exciting times are ahead for Gippsland Bowls Region junior bowlers.
With a new bowls season pending, the Region’s recently-established Junior Development
Squad (JDS) and the Gippsland Geckos Under-18 Squad have started training to prepare for
their first tournament.
The Doug Kneebone Under-18 Tournament, the first junior bowls competition of the season will
be held at Club Sunbury, the centre of junior bowls in Victoria, on Friday 23 September.
Members of the JDS have been selected to the Gippsland Geckos to represent the region.
Squad members receive specialist bowls training to prepare them for competition against other
under 18 bowlers from around the State.
This specialist training and their involvement with local clubs provides squad members with the
preparation and pathway required to be asked to train with the State squad, followed by
possible selection for the Victorian under 18 team and ultimately our national under 18 squad.
The Gippsland Bowls Region is committed to providing access to lawn bowls for our young
community members. It comprises 19 clubs from the Wellington and East Gippsland Shires and
has about 1600 members.
Any young person between the age of 10 and 18 who is interested in learning more about this
highly skilled, non-contact sport and where they can have a roll can contact coach and
coordinator Nigel Plunkett on 0400 569 481 or gippslandbrjunior@gmail.com, investigate the
Gippsland Bowls Region website  and the Gippsland Geckos Facebook

Some of the Junior Development Squad members and their coach proudly display the
Gippsland Geckos banner. They are in training and vying for selection for the first tournament of
the season. L-R: Leah McLeish, Ayla Romanin, Alexa Sharp, Coach Nigel Plunkett, Tom
Roberts.