Koroit’s Shane Cashill is leading the push for change.
KOROIT Bowls Club is confident a motion to reduce playing numbers in Western District Bowls Division’s Saturday premier grade from next season will be supported.
The club wants the 2013-14 Saturday pennant division one, two and three competitions to have 12 players per side and envisages division four and a newly-created division five catering for eight-player teams.
Saturday pennant division one teams currently have 16 players, while its three remaining grades have 12 players a side.
The motion needs to be supported by a second WDBD club and tabled and discussed at a committee meeting.
It could be voted on at the association’s annual general meeting in May.
Koroit’s notice of motion suggests a reduction in division one playing numbers would give smaller clubs an opportunity to field sides which would be competitive with the competition’s largest clubs, even up the competition at the lower end of each division and result in promoted clubs holding their spots in higher divisions, without having to rely on recruiting or a large step-up of inexperienced players.
It has also tabled possible downfalls to the proposal, saying large clubs’ lower divisions could benefit greatly from division one players dropping back and that the winner of the division one flag would need to use four other players for regional and state pennant play-offs.
Koroit chairman of selectors Shane Cashill is leading the push for change.
“I think we will get (the motion) up. We won’t get the big clubs Warrnambool and City Memorial (to support it),” he said. “I think it will give small clubs a chance. We would have put it up whether we won division two or not.”
Cashill said a majority of clubs would need to back the proposal for the changes to be implemented. “There are nine clubs, so we need the support of five clubs to get it through,” he said.
WDBD chairwoman Margaret Sumner supports smaller division one teams.
“It is feasible. It sounds good,” she said.
WDBD’s annual general meeting will be held on Sunday, May 19.
justine.mc@fairfaxmedia.com.au
