By LIAM TWOMEY
SOME of the best lawn bowlers in Melbourne’s West are hunting silverware this Easter.
Clubs throughout the area are sending teams to country Victoria to compete for the prestigious Duke of Edinburgh Shield.
The event is run by the RSL Lawn Bowls Association and has over 1400 competitors each year.
RSL Lawn Bowls secretary George Dyson said he was expecting a big weekend of competition.
“There are between 1400 and 1500 bowlers who get together around Easter every year,” he said.
“I think the goal is to go up there and have a good time with all the people that you meet.
“There are some great people who play. If you win, it is just a bonus.”
Clubs competing from the West include Footscray, Sunshine, Altona, Werribee, Melton and Keilor East.
Dyson is hoping to take home the top title with his club, Sunshine.
“We (Sunshine) have got two sides in,” he said.
“In 2010 we were lucky enough to win it which was a big thrill. In 1977 Footscray won it so twice it has been won by Western Suburbs clubs in those years.
“It was a great feeling. You need to win five games over the two days. If you don’t do that, you can still win your section but you can’t win the whole thing.”
The Duke of Edinburgh Shield will be contested in early April.
