Australia picks elite squads for next 12 months

Bowls Australia have today made the first step towards choosing its representatives for two upcoming benchmark international events, with the naming of the Australian Jackaroos and Emerging Jackaroos squads.

The sport’s national selectors have cast an eye towards the 2019 Asia Pacific Championships and 2020 World Bowls Championships in selecting the new 20-strong top-tiered contingent and 14-player second-tier feeder squad.

The Australian Jackaroos contingent will be contracted for the next 12 months, following the Asia Pacific Championships, while the Australian Emerging Jackaroos team will remain intact for the rest of 2018, giving selectors an opportunity to include any in-form omissions ahead of 2019’s first international competition, the Trans Tasman Test Series in February.

Maiden inclusions for the Jackaroos are Warilla’s Jesse Noronha and St Johns Park’s Ben Twist, both of whom made their international debuts abroad early this week against England as part of a UK Tour team, while former Vice-Captain Brett Wilkie made himself unavailable for selection following resignation after the 2018 Commonwealth Games and former World Champion of Champion Scott Thulborn was relegated to the Emerging squad.

Earning the favour of the selectors in the Emerging Jackaroos squad is newly crowned Australian Open under-18 girls’ singles winner Jessie Cottell, reigning Australian Indoor Championships men’s winner David Ferguson, recent Australian Open men’s pairs winner Carl Healey and Australian Champion of Champion men’s winner Lee Schraner, a former one-time Australian representative from 2010.

The national selection panel elected to reduce the number of players within the Emerging squad by four, to ensure that the athletes are better serviced by the sport’s high-performance personnel and to ensure all players are realistically pushing for progression into the main contingent.

The Australian team enjoyed a stellar Commonwealth Games campaign in April, securing five gold and two silver medals from ten disciplines contested, resulting in nine of the ten competitors entrusted with inclusion in the squad again.

The 10-player team chosen for next June’s 2019 Asia Pacific Championships, which is a qualifying event for the following year’s World Championships, is widely believed to be selected from among these two squads.

“Bowls Australia’s high-performance team are committed to identifying and developing the players that give the nation the best possible chance of success at the upcoming international competitions over the next year, and ultimately, the 2020 World Bowls Championships,” National Coach Steve Glasson said.

“Collectively, we are driven to achieve further success, consistent with recent Asia Pacific Games, World Championships and Commonwealth Games performances.

“The players chosen in these squads have the potential to be immediate and long-term international competitors and are capable of achieving world titles, if they strive to reach it with hard work and dedication.”

Bowls Australia congratulates the athletes entrusted with representation in the Australian Jackaroos and Australian Emerging Jackaroos squads.

Australian Jackaroos
Women:
Lynsey Clarke (Club Helensvale, QLD)
Kelsey Cottrell (St Johns Park, NSW)
Carla Krizanic (Sunbury, VIC)
Kristina Krstic (Manning Memorial, WA)
Bolivia Millerick (Broadbeach, QLD)
Karen Murphy (Cabramatta, NSW)
Ellen Ryan (Cabramatta, NSW)
Natasha Scott (Raymond Terrace, NSW)
Chloe Stewart (Tweed Heads, QLD)
Rebecca Van Asch (Invermay, TAS)

Men:
Barrie Lester (Mulgrave Country Club, VIC)
Jesse Noronha (Warilla, NSW)
Ray Pearse (Cabramatta, NSW)
Nathan Rice (Club Helensvale, QLD)
Wayne Ruediger (Grange, SA)
Aron Sherriff (Club Helensvale, QLD)
Aaron Teys (Warilla, NSW)
Benjamin Twist (St Johns Park, NSW)
Corey Wedlock (Cabramatta, NSW)
Aaron Wilson (Cabramatta, NSW)

Australian Emerging Jackaroos
Women:
Tiffany Brodie (St Kilda, VIC)
Jessie Cottell (Club Helensvale, QLD)
Dawn Hayman (St Johns Park, NSW)
Samantha Shannahan (Melton, VIC)
Jessica Srisamruaybai (Tweed Heads, QLD)

Men:
Jayden Christie (Club Helensvale, QLD)
Jonathon Davis (Dubbo Railway, NSW)
David Ferguson (Engadine, NSW)
Curtis Hanley (Melbourne, VIC)
Carl Healey (Cabramatta, NSW)
Sean Ingham (Broadbeach, QLD)
Dane McKinnon (Altona, VIC)
Lee Schraner (Rosny Park, TAS)
Scott Thulborn (Adelaide, SA)