EXPERIENCED duo Brian Lenehan and Peter Pangrazio guided Warrnambool Gold to its third straight Western District Bowls Division top-grade crown on Saturday.
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The two skippers produced convincing rink wins as the Timor Street club overcame a gallant Koroit Blue at Port Fairy Bowls Club, 110-86.
Lenehan, playing in his 11th straight decider, cast aside Barry Padgham 31-14 and Pangrazio crushed Brendan Keane 34-15.
Those two results were enough for Warrnambool Gold to offset its two rink losses after Jack Murnane (27-23) and Shane Cashill (30-22) saluted for Koroit Blue.
Lenehan said his club’s vast finals experience came to the fore.
“It was my seventh premiership for Warrnambool Gold,” he said.
“I’ve played in the last 11 grand finals. I am pretty happy with that and a few others are in the same boat as me.
“Peter Pangrazio has had a lucky streak.
“He’s only been at our club for three years so he’s played in the last three and before that he was at City Memorial and they won the two before that, so he’s played in the past five.”
Lenehan said Warrnambool Gold’s hat-trick of wins was special.
But he said it also highlighted the club’s depth as five players — Ben Cornick, Shane Dalton, Tom Pembleton, Neville Lynch and Mick Edwards — played in their first Gold premiership.
Bill Tory also returned to the club’s top-ranked side to play in his first division one grand final in at least a decade.
“They were pretty stoked, especially the ones who won their first one,” Lenehan said.
He said Warrnambool Gold expected Koroit Blue to respond after its 59-shot second semi-final loss.
And that’s what happened.
“We went in with the right attitude and it got us over the line,” he said.
“It was nearly the same story as last time, believe it or not — everyone drew the same rinks.
“We had to get off to a good start, which we did.”
Lenehan said he felt Warrnambool Gold took control of the contest after the afternoon tea break.
“All of a sudden we jumped to a 35-shot lead and I thought ‘if we hold this for the game...’,” he said.
“We sort of did that before we dropped off a bit.”
Koroit Blue rose from outside the finals to make a grand final this season.
Lenehan expects the Victoria Park-based club to challenge for years to come.
“All those players have only been playing division one for two years so they are only going to get better,” he said.
