GRAHAM SCOTT

October 1, 2009

As is the case with many bowlers, Graham Scott turned to bowls when his football career ended. “I was playing with Maylands Amateurs, and the highlight of every week was the Sunday morning keg,” he laughed when we caught up with him recently.

“After I gave footy away, a few of us, having heard about the amber stuff being cheaper at the Bowling Club in Eighth Avenue than it was at the Maylands or Peninsula pubs, with the added attraction of George Black and his band playing every Saturday night, ambled down there to check the joint out. It wasn't long before we were all out on the green.”

“My first set of bowls were a set my father gave me: Henselite 4, and they were brown.”

When the Maylands club moved to the river, Scott was on the committee. “It was an exhilirating time for me, and I got completely hooked on the game.”he recalled. “I was very keen on improving my standard of play, but unfortunately those ambitions weren't shared by most at the club, the general consensus being that they were happy to stay in the lower divisions.”

After winning the Maylands singles in 1980, Scott moved to Bedford, where he made an instant impression, winning that club's singles event in 1981. Nominating for the Champion of Champions event, he reached the final, after disposing of Bert Sharp and Bob Trainer in the quarter and semi finals. “My bubble well and truly burst when I fronted Merv Sheahan in the final,” Graham ruefully recalled. “Merv brought me right down to earth and taught me a few things. He played ditch to ditch, and won quite comfortably. I knew I had a lot to learn.”

In 1990, after nine years with Bedford, Scott moved to Morley. “Dennis Mullenger and myself moved closer to home,” he said. Having won the Bedford singles once again in 1989, it was dejavu for Graham when he won the Morley singles in his first season there. He later bought a Chicken Treat franchise at Padbury, which had a marked affect on the time allocated to bowls, with the distance to Morley being a factor.

“I was playing in the Quality Fours at Bedford with Murray Robinson, Dennis Mullenger, and Gavin Grieve,” Scott recalled. “In one game we played against Mal Dempsey and Tim Murray. Over lunch and a few cleansing ales they did a sales pitch worthy of Mal at his best, and succeeded in signing the four of us.”

In 1993, Graham Scott joined the Wanneroo club. “It was an exciting time for the boys at Wanneroo,” he reminisced. “The club went from one gold to one red in three years, and were later to win the Premier League pennant, after I had left.” He served as President in his time there.

After winning a silver medal at the Masters Games in Alice Springs, work commitments became increasingly demanding, and Scott spent a year out of bowls in 1999. In what was to be a season of easing his way back into the game with lower division club, Beaumaris, in 2000, he showed he had lost none of his ability by being runner up in the Champion of Champions event again, this time to Tony Krajancic, at the same time helping the fledgling club win a third division pennant.

Retiring from work in 2001 and moving South of Perth, Graham joined Safety Bay in that year, and has been a handy recruit for the seaside club ever since, on and off the green. He is an ex President of Safety Bay, and has served in many capacities on the committee, as well as helping out in other areas.

His ability hasn't waned either, winning two more singles titles in 2007 and 2009. “I got knocked out first game in 2008,”he quipped. He is a leading skipper at the club in their top side.

Graham Scott named a Bedford Bowl win with Dennis Lynch, Trevor Tilka, and Reg Humphreyson as a highlight of his career. Another memorable success was the Nollamara Classic, when Kevin Edwards, John Sheridan, and Mullenger were his team mates. “I recall asking John for his “dribble shot” once and he queried me on what a dribble shot actually was. I retorted “one that dribbles slowly and unerringly onto the jack”, and whenever we see each other he reminds me about it.”

Graham in his younger days at Bedford

Graham says he learnt a lot about the game by picking Peter Sardelic's brain. “I would question him about different aspects of bowls. He was a font of knowledge on all things bowls, and his theories on being up into the head, and creating wicks had a big impression on me.”

Asked about the best bowlers he had witnessed, the names of Ron Taylor and Robbie Ball had pride of place. “Ron's approach to the game was influential. He played the odds, saying that on an open draw the jack has to stick. Robbie is inspirational. An example of Robbie Ball was a game at Melville, when there was a bit of competition for the jug of beer awarded to the team with the highest winning margin. I was on the next rink, and I heard Robbie's instructions to his team. “Nothing short, all at the back, and I'll trail the jack.” True to his word, he did, and the pot was theirs.”

Graham also had praise for Rob's brother, Terry, to whom he gave credit for teaching him the core assessments of a game. One of his best mates was the late Ian Moir, who we lost recently much too soon, after he had spent some years at Balingup. “There was never a dull moment with the Road Runner,” he said. “I recall a carnival we were playing in once at a country town. I noticed a slight oral altercation as were were crossing over one end , then looked back to see that the bloke from the other mob had bitten the dust. “Just an accidental brush,” explained Ian. After the club closed, we adjourned to the local pub, where it transpired that his combatant was the publican. It turned out to be a very dry argument that night.”

Graham's wife, Lyn, has taken the game up, and was named in the State Development Squad five years ago. She now plays in the Premier League.

Graham Scott has had a forty year association with bowls, and has been a leading player in pennants and carnivals for most of those years. He has not only won singles titles at four clubs, but has been a big contributor where it is most needed, in the off field running of them, serving as President of two, and is a respected figure on the bowling scene in Western Australia.

RON HEAD