Beth Quinlan joins national selection panel

by admin on September 16, 2014

Bowls Australia have bolstered its national selection panel with the appointment of former Australian Jackaroos representative Beth Quinlan today. Quinlan will form part of the four-strong panel tasked with determining three of the sport’s four high performance tiers; the Australian Jackaroos squad, Australia A squad, and Australia Under-18 squad. Incumbent national selectors Kelvin Kerkow OAM and David Stockham will continue to oversee Australia’s international fortunes after being re-appointed until the end of the 2016 World Championships, which Steve Glasson will continue to chair as the National Coach. Quinlan, a nine-time international representative and part of the Australian squad until February 2013, boasts a long list of achievements, including the 2007 Australian Open triples crown and a silver medal at the 8-Nations Test in Delhi in 2010. Quinlan takes over the mantle from Sam Clough, who relinquishes the position he has held for four years and nine months. While excited about the prospect of Quinlan joining the panel – the first female member since Jenny Harrigon’s departure at the start of 2013 – Glasson said he was indebted to Clough for the the service he has provided to the sport. “First and foremost, I would like to sincerely thank Sam Clough for the contribution he has made to the sport of bowls in Australia during his tenure as a national selector,” Glasson said. “Sam has been instrumental in selecting the players charged with international action, and played no small part in the highly successful World Championships campaign in 2012 – where Australia claimed five gold and two silver medals from eight events. “Bowls Australia is extremely happy to re-appoint Kelvin and David to the roles they have held for two years, and Beth Quinlan will be an outstanding addition to the panel. “The national selectors are a pivotal part of Bowls Australia’s high performance team, and will work closely with myself and the state-based National Training Centre Coaches to ensure Australia remains at the forefront of the sport on the world stage.” The new-look national sectional panel will commence their duties almost immediately, meeting in Sydney early next week to begin planning preparations to scout identified talent, before Glasson and Stockham head to the Top End at the end of the month for the Australian Under-18 Championships, to be held at Nightcliff Bowls Club in Darwin from September 29 to October 2. Bowls Australia would like to congratulate Kelvin and David on their re-appointments, welcome Beth to her new role, and thank Sam for his tireless service over the past four years.