By Luke Sheehan
RAGS-to-riches bowls stories might seem cliche after the film Crackerjack hit Australian movie screens in 2002, but Deer Park Bowls Club have combined with Deer Park Secondary College to produce a memorable script that culminated last Saturday.
Students Poppy Cherchoo, Ryan Arneill and Belinda Fox created a bit of history becoming the first side from a western suburbs school to not only make a grand final in the division four school pennant bowls tournament, but also to win it, defeating the more experienced Scotch College 17-14 in the division four final.
Allan Larrad, Deer Park’s junior vice-president, was the man who drafted the three bowlers to the club after an information session at Deer Park Secondary College last year (now Victoria University College, Deer Park campus) designed to generate interest in bowls.
“Firstly, we got in touch with the RVBA (Royal Victorian Bowls Association), to see what junior programs they have, and they have one called ‘Laying the mat’,” he said.
“So we saw them in there, got the program, made a few alterations to it, took it to the school to introduce the kids to the sport, to see if they were interested.”
Cherchoo, Arneill and Fox were quick to get involved in tournament play, signing up for the school pennant tournament, and started making waves in junior lawn bowls.
“We’re the first one (from Deer Park Secondary College) in 13 years to enter it, and they’ve done pretty well,” Larrad said.
“They’ve done five weeks of two bowl triples, and ended up on top of their section.”
The Deer Park team celebrated the big win by rewarding Cherchoo, Arneill and Fox with a free dinner.
“We made a bit of a joke early in the season of it that if they won two games, we’d shout them a tea.
“We didn’t expect them, and I don’t think these guys expected to win a game, being not really experienced at it after just a couple of months training. “They actually got their free meal, and they don’t know it yet but there’s another one coming.”
Cherchoo said the rewards for winning were her motivation in bowls.
“(I like) getting free stuff, we usually get prizes if we win, or most of the games.”
Arneill said he thought lawn bowls was for older people, but once he started playing, his perception of the sport changed.
“I thought it would be boring and cr*p, it’s an old person’s sport, or that’s what I thought.
“Doing school pennant made me realise its not just an old person’s sport, a lot of young kids get into it, and do alright in it.” Fox had a slight upper-hand on her team-mates, having played bowls before Larrad recruited the three to the club. “I thought it would be fun, because I had played lawn bowls before with my Nan.
“I like it because it’s not too loud. It’s not a noisy type of sport, and you can relax more while doing it, while with most other sports, you have to be energetic and stuff.”
Larrad credited the Brimbank Council for its financial support of the bowls club, providing up and coming bowlers such as Cherchoo, Arneill and Fox the opportunity to use new bowls.
