Meet the Mandurah APL Teams: Wanneroo
Played saturday 24th and Sunday 25th September 2016 The Wanneroo Bowling Club will be returning to the Mandurah APL Cup looking to improve on last year’s quarter finals appearance.
The suburb of Wanneroo is 25 kilometres north of the Perth CBD and was once considered an outlying suburb of the Metropolitan area. However with the continued build up of the Northern Corridor up to and beyond the City of Wanneroo, the ride is now a comfortable distance by car or public transport.
The first surveys on the area were done in 1834 but it wasn’t until 1844 when the first permanent settlers took up residence with James and Mary-Ann Cockman and their 7 children building a rough limestone house. The Cockman house still exists and is considered a rare and historical building.
It wasn’t until 1907 that the town of ‘Wanneru’ was first gazetted with a population of approximately 300 people and then not until 1953 the district’s name officially changed to the spelling of Wanneroo that we know today.
The Wanneroo Country Club applied for affiliation with the Royal Western Australian Bowling Association in 1967. With a membership of 250 male and 150 lady members, the Country Club listed in their application that one of the main objects of the Club was to promote and foster lawn bowls. The club had one bowling green in operation and about 40 members who were either bowling or were interested in becoming bowlers.
Under the guidance of the Bowling Association, a Wanneroo Bowling Club Section was formed with the Wanneroo Country Club and affiliation was approved on the 1st May 1868.
Over the last 40 years the Wanneroo Bowling Club has grown to comprise 219 playing members in the 2015-2016 season. The club has expanded to 3 excellent grass greens and one carpet green and the clubhouse continues to go through change and is now one of the best venues in Perth to sit outside and watch the game. The Country Club itself is a major part of the City of Wanneroo’s sporting precinct and is a host to a number of sports and is able to host functions at a number of different levels.
In the 2016 Mandurah APL Cup Wanneroo will be represented by Neville Costello, Peter Flack, Dave Triffitt and Karen Weir.
Neville Costello stepped into the skipping position in Premier League halfway through the season and held that position throughout the year and playing a hand in guiding Wanneroo safely through to consolidate its position back into to top flight of bowls. With a number of club championships under his belt including 2 Club Fours Championships, Neville will be looking to start the season strong and be apart of the Wanneroo Men’s Club building to be a force again.
Peter Flack was able to complete the quartet of Club Championships at Wanneroo when he was crowned the Wanneroo Club Singles Champion in 2015-16. With a previous pairs, triples and fours club championship title its makes for a well rounded trophy cabinet that Peter can be proud of. His experience will be required for Wanneroo to at equal the Wanneroo efforts of last year.
Dave Triffitt began his bowls in 2006 and has been a regular member of good Wanneroo teams in the past. Dave will also want to be apart of the continued Wanneroo build and the Mandurah APL Cup would be a good trophy to take home to the club.
Karen Weir only began in 2011 but already has 2 club titles to her name in a strong Wanneroo ladies competition. A Club Championship Triples and Fours trophy is a good beginning and a chance to mix it with some of the best Men and Women bowlers in WA will be just what Karen will be looking for.
For the Wanneroo team to better its 2015 quarter final result it is going to need all 4 players to fire at the same time but if they come together they could cause a surprise or two.
