After a number of tough seasons, Altona Sports is excited for a big finals series in the Bowls Victoria pennant competitions.
Having had its top side drop from division 1 to division 4 in recent seasons, Altona Sports has set about rebuilding its program.
Vice-president Alan Barham said the club was celebrating one of its most successful seasons in recent history with four of its four pennant sides finishing top two and qualifying for finals.
The side has four weekend pennant sides and one mid-week side.
“To be honest we had been strugglin the last couple of years,” he said.
“We’ve been able to recruit some new members and we’ve had a couple come back after a couple of years away.
“We’ve got some new members who have joined us and have been really good.
“They’ve put a lot of practice in and a couple are playing in our top side with only 12 months of bowling.”
Barham said it had been really encouraging to see members joint their social bowls program and then want to become part of the pennant teams.
He said they also had a successful junior program with eight players under-18 playing in their pennant teams.
The club’s top weekend side plays in division 4, section 1.
It finished second on the ladder behind Point Cook. The two teams that make the grand final will earn promotion.
Barham, who has been at the club the past few seasons when they’ve dropped down hope they can start going the other way.
“To get promoted into division 3 would be really good,” he said.
“Hopefully it might encourage a few players to come back or join us.”
The winner of the Point Cook and Altona Sports semi final will win through to the grand final.
The loser will play in Sunday’s preliminary final against the winner of Altona 4 and Yarraville Footscray 4.
