What looks like it hurts Ballarat bowls, is actually going to be a good for the game across our greens.

One season into a dramatic overhaul, two Ballarat teams will be dropped from the combined league for the first time under new rules. They will make way for Ballarat’s pennant division one premier and Geelong’s equivalent.

The reason? New rules state the two lowest ranked teams be relegated – not the lowest ranked from each city. 

It is unfortunate the first year this ruling comes into play that City Oval and Buninyong were in the drop zone.

But this restructure is great for bowls, no matter how many Ballarat bowlers blanch as stark as their whites at the prospect of losing footing in the premier league.

It will actually mean fairer competition and greater exposure for lawn bowls in Ballarat and Geelong.

It might seem a fairer split to have the best five teams from Ballarat and Geelong do battle. Under that model, when it comes to relegation, if Geelong occupied the whole top half of the ladder, a fifth-ranked team would be dumped back to domestics.

This happened to Bareena once. Geelong ranks are still smarting over it. 

Or it could create a situation like Queenscliff, which once faced its final regular season match as a decider if they were to play finals or be relegated – a situation that hardly seems fair.

Geelong is traditionally dominant, bolstered by a larger population stretching down along the Surf Coast. This means a deeper pool of bowling talent.

Unless this restructure compromise was reached, Geelong Bowls Region was going to pull its teams and premier bowls completely. There is a stipulation that neither city can field more than six premier teams in the three-year trial, which ensures Ballarat stays well in the mix.

The situation right now, means Ballarat teams, and the Ballarat District Bowls Division as a whole, must fight harder to claw back. This should drive the BDBD to sharpen competition and add bite on the mats, rather than Ballarat clubs feeling overpowered.

In a ripple effect, this season’s double Ballarat relegation creates a massive shuffle through the whole BDBD weekend pennant as each grade adjusts to extra teams dropping down.

Relegation-promotion structures in sport mean there is so much more to play for as regular season draws to a close. It spurs all teams to play smarter, sharper and fuels tension in every end.

Rivalries are more intense between Ballarat clubs and even more so now, against traditional all-sport rival Geelong.

Teams at the top, really have to earn their place more. 

Sebastopol will play premier finals this season. Webbcona and Victoria were not too far off play-offs. We can more than manage ourselves against Geelong’s best.

This is fantastic promotion for our game and our bowlers in the community as a whole. 

We may be fielding less teams next summer, but the move reinforces a stronger bowling pathway.