Cody Packer, your 2023 Men’s State Singles Champion

by Pieter Harris on January 30, 2023

The Bassendean Bowling Club put on a wonderful day of finals in the Dyenamic Western Australian Men’s State Singles on Sunday both on and off the green. The sizeable crowd was treated to a great grass green with wonderful bowls on display, a slightly hot day with only a soft breeze and terrific Bassendean hospitality.

The first Semi-Final saw 2019 Champion Blake Butler (Manning) up against first time semi finallist Tod Weir (Osborne Park). Weir had a great tournament with a close 21-19 win over Joondalup’s Stein Davies in the quarter final but Butler was at his consistent best in the semi-final matchup. After surviving a huge comeback in the quarter final with a 21-20 win over Harvey’s David Goddard, Butler was able to score quickly in the semi-final in his 25-8 win over Tod Weir.

The second semi-final was a dogged affair with both Cody Packer (Osborne Park) and Shane Knott (Manning)putting on a great display of bowling. In the quarter finals, Packer was too strong over Chris Lander (Mt Lawley) 21-8, while Knott charged home over the top of Manning teammate Daniel Trewhella 21-17. Unlike the first semi-final, this match was back and forth with many singles scored as each player refused to give way. With both players playing all the shots in the semi-finals, no shot was safe until the last bowl. But finally Cody Packer got the better of Knott to book his place in the final 25-21.

The 2022-23 State Singles finals matchup of Cody Packer versus Blake Butler, turned out to be a repeat of the 2020-21 Champion of Champion Singles final with Butler going down on that occasion and looking to reverse the result.

On the fast Bassendean green, both players slipped into their work very quickly, with bowls around the jack from end one. A single to each player as they felt each other out was followed by Packer making the first break, winning three ends in a row to lead 5-1. Then it was Butler’s chance to turn the heat up with a two, one and one to draw level at 5-5. Another two to Butler saw him take the lead and winning four ends consecutively. Another two and then a single by Butler and suddenly it was six ends in a row and the signs were worrying. It wasn’t as if Packer was playing bad, he was just finding holes, sitting the wrong side of bowls, combined with generally very good bowls from Butler, especially the first bowl putting Packer under pressure straight away.

By the time the fiteenth end started Butler had won nine ends consecutively and ten of the fourteen ends played, to lead 13-5. Packer was going to have to try something different with the most obvious thing being the length of the jack, but if you cannot win an end and get hold of the mat, what else can you do? Maybe a change of hat will work! It did take an end to work but with the change of wardrobe coming after the thirteenth end, only a single was dropped on the fourteenth end and then the magic started to happen. A big three to Packer on the fifteenth end put a smile back on his face and some confidence back in the arm when suddenly the score was at 8-13 and only five behind despite so little success for the past hour of play.

Quickly Packer changed the length of the jack and threw a near full length end after Butler had been playing ends on the shorter side. A single to Packer on the sixteenth end, followed by a one, two and two saw Packer take the lead 14-13 after his own run of five consecutive ends. A single to Butler and it looked like the game was going down to the wire at 14-14 but Packer was now full of confidence and had his swagger back. A two and then a full count of four shots on the twenty second end broke the game open with jumping to a 20-16 lead having outscored Butler 15-3 since the fourteenth end. A two to Butler was immediately answered by Packer with a three and putting him within two of the title.

Blake Butler continued to fight hard and won the next three ends to get to 20 but on the twenty eight end, holding one with two feet to draw for the title Packer drew the shot required for two shots required to win the match.

Was it the change of jack length or was it the change of hat that got Packer over the line, we may never know but one thing is for sure, Cody Packer is the 2022-23 Dyenamic Western Australian Men’s State Singles Champion.