Koroit book place in midweek pennant grand final

Now, he has the time.

Enjoying what is his first season of midweek pennant, Duffield could be considered a latecomer to the club's division one squad.

It was only after his retirement prior to Christmas that the 62-year-old had the opportunity to play in Tuesday's competition.

"I put my name down to start after Christmas, and really didn't expect to play in the top team," he said. "I was happy to play wherever."

Spending 20 years with Warrnambool Cheese and Butter, Duffield said he was "loving" retirement after deciding the end of 2021 was the "right time" to make the leap.

Stepping up into Koroit's top team midseason was a seamless transition for Duffield, he and his teammates all familiar with each other's games through their weekend pennant pursuits.

"I love the guys I play with, they treat you like a brother," he said. "It's a great atmosphere."

The former Warrnambool bowler, who shifted to Koroit close to seven years ago following a move to Kirkstall, has always been a jack-of-all-trades on the sporting field.

"I played a little bit of football, did a bit of athletics in juniors," he said. "But later on I've played water polo, I've played hockey, a bit of everything.

"Not at a high level though," he added with a laugh.

Following his introduction to lawn bowls by "his gun bowler of a mother" a decade ago, Duffield has thrown himself fully into the endeavour.

With Koroit Orange taking out top spot on the home-and-away ladder, Duffield said the idea of winning the club's first division one flag continued to propel the team forward.

"That's what all the guys have really strived for," he said. "And they've had some good results early on and kept driving along."

The club will have its chance to secure the flag in a fortnight, winning its way through to the decider with a 67-55 win over Warrnambool Gold on Tuesday.

Playing third on Richard Ross' rink, Duffield credited the team's front end play for setting up a strong field for the skip to follow through on.

"At the end of the day, if you get bowls in the head, you end up getting a result," he said. "If you haven't got bowls in the head, it makes it tough and you're chasing shots. You're skipper doesn't have much to work with."

Koroit will play the winner of next week's preliminary final, with Warrnambool Gold and Timboon Maroon set to go head-to-head.

The latter accounted for City Memorial in its semi-final, 69-44, with Duffield just as wary of the Maroon troops as he is of a Warrnambool rematch in the decider.

"Timboon ended up fourth last year and won the flag, so they are not to be taken lightly," he said. "They got some great bowlers, Arthur Finch and the likes, they're sensational."

Duffield believes if he and his teammates relax, and play like they had all season, it would go a long way to setting up a grand final triumph.

"I hope everyone enjoys it and does their best," he said. "If we all do that then hopefully we can come out winners at the end of the day."

IN OTHER NEWS:

Listen to our new series The Folkie Podcast, only on Spotify.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content:

Now just one tap with our new app: Digital subscribers now have the convenience of faster news, right at your fingertips with The Standard: