Sport
4 November, 2026
Daphne Kirkman ladies singles champion
DAPHNE Kirkman has been crowned the 2027 Innisfail ladies singles champion after defeating Maisie Smith in the championship final on 28 October, capping off a strong season of competition on the greens.
The championship decider headlined another busy week at Innisfail Bowls Club, with a strong roll-up of ladies enjoying the competition despite the warm conditions. A refreshing river breeze provided some welcome relief as players battled it out on the greens.
In social bowls, a nail-biting contest took place as Marilyn Allen, Diana O’Brien, Carol McRobbie and Kath O’Brien edged out Helen Paterson, Christine Pascoe, Joan Atkinson and Kath O’Brien by the narrowest of margins, 15-14.
In the other game, Dell Steve, Jan Dunn and Lyn Stevenson produced a dominant performance to record a convincing 22-8 victory over Bev Anderson, Dian Catelan and Julie Connors.
Off the greens, several Innisfail ladies travelled to Gordonvale Bowls Club on 2 November to attend the Tropical Far North Queensland presentation day, joining bowlers from across the region to celebrate another successful year.
Competition remained strong in the men’s social bowls on 29 October, with a field of 28 players taking to the greens. The team skipped by Wayne O’Neill, alongside Sam Micale, Greg McDonald and Dennis Ryan, finished on top with 27 points.
They were followed by the team of Mark Elliott, Joe Van Tienen, Tim Kerrigan and Bill Hoskins, who finished on 24 points, highlighting another afternoon of close and entertaining competition.
Club officials said the consistent turnouts continued to reflect the popularity of bowls throughout the district and extended an invitation to new players interested in joining the sport.