Albany brothers bowl over opposition

Albany-raised brothers Tom and Matt Mitchell continue to shine on the WA lawn bowl scene and have been named in the initial WA squad that will compete at next year’s Australian Sides Championship.

The Mitchell brothers, who played in the same event last year, are among the 16-strong squad, with the final team of 12 to play at the championships in South Australia on April 6 to 9 next year.

The pair moved to Perth after completing school in Albany at Great Southern Grammar and play for the Manning Memorial Bowling Club.

The news comes after Tom won the Rosenthal Medal recently for the men’s bowler of the year at the Bowls WA awards night.

He became the first person to win the award four times and it was a third consecutive season Tom had won the award as WA’s premier male bowler.

Tom was also runner-up in the Men’s Champion of Club Champion Singles, an event he has won previously, and in 2015 he won the Men’s State Singles crown.

He is the number one ranked bowler in WA, with brother Matt ranked number three.

Tom said since a young age they had always aspired to play lawn bowls at a high level.

“We both love the game and love playing,” the 29-year-old said.

“There are a lot of young people in it at the high level.

“The highlight for me was winning the State singles title and the first time representing WA.”

Tom will play in the lucrative Premier League tournament run by Bowls Australia, which begins in Brisbane on November 8.

Earlier this year Matt was part of the winning side in the men’s State triples final, joining forces with Manning teammates Matt Ayres and Miles Kemp.

They knocked off rival Manning team of Tom, Dave Farley and Shane Knott, 17-11 in the event, which was closely fought.

Matt will play for WA in the Australian indoor finals later this month, where he hopes to perform well.

“Bowls is something very addictive from a young age,” the 26-year-old said.

“You get out of it what you put in, but it has been quite pleasant playing at the same club as Tom.

“Beating him in the (triples) final was a highlight along with our club winning the pennant premiership and getting picked to play for the State.”

The brothers played at the Albany Bowling Club before they moved to Perth as teenagers.