Learmonth will use the COVID-affected season to development its fringe players in the 2020-21 Ballarat District Bowls Saturday Pennant Premier competition.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Learmonth finished outside top four spot last season after a slow start to the 2019-20 campaign.
Despite not recording a win before Christmas, it found form after the break, winning a string of games to finish one shot off a finals berth.
"We started off slowly, losing our first seven, but once we got our rinks sorted and got our combinations right we were pretty strong," club chairman and premier player David Kelly said.
READ MORE
The BDBD board waved promotion and relegation for the 2020-21 season owing to a lack of preparation brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kelly said the club would use the amended rules as an opportunity to development its lower division players.
"We are looking to blood some of our division three players and get them into premier to give them experience," he said.
"We see it as an opportune year for blokes who have been on the edge of selection to try and teach them a few things."
The club will enter the new campaign virtually unchanged from last year's core. However it will be without veteran third Greg Blier, who has taken his talents to Midlands for family reasons.
"He's an experienced and good clubman and he'll be sadly missed but he's gone for good reasons and we wish him the best of luck," Kelly said.
Following COVID-19 interruptions, Learmonth reopened its green last month and has since held its club championships and a number of social games.
Kelly said the Saturday Premier side would play a practice match this week.
He expected a competitive effort when the season got underway next month.
"We know if we get our combinations right and get that going again we'll compete with anyone," he said.
"We are a small country club but we will give it a good shot I reckon."
Last month the BDBD postponed its summer pennant competitions until November.
The midweek pennant will begin on Tuesday, November 17, and Saturday pennant on November 21.
In addition, what had previously been known as Monday pennant will now be played on Tuesday.
Meanwhile Mt Xavier has added Mal Sargent and Robert Ockwell to its list for the upcoming Saturday premier campaign.
Elsewhere Ballarat Bowling Club has secured the services of Aaron Wood, while Mick Storey has joined BMS.
