Number one in 2023: Tongala skip Barry Tinning is the top-ranked player in the Campaspe division one lawn bowls competition after nine rounds of the Bendigo Campaspe Goldfields Association. He has won all eight of his games this season, four of them as skip and the other half as third to son Brad.
Barry Tinning has had to wait for his day in the sun, somewhat of a generational “middle child syndrome” attached to what is a rather impressive list of lawn bowling achievements with Tongala Bowling Club.
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In season 2023-24 the son of legendary 88-year-old Geoff and father of Brad and Jarryd has put his name up in lights ― the only player in the Campaspe playing area’s division one competition to have won all eight of his games this season.
Barry’s dad Geoff set an early tone for the family, alongside elder brothers Keith and Ivan, the youngest of the trio remaining a valuable member of the division one team to this day ― along with Barry’s two sons and his older brother (by a year) Peter.
On Saturday, in fact, Geoff registered the fifth win of the season and has only lost one match as a lead bowler for high performing skip Matthew Liverton.
The Tinnings had representation on all three rinks, Peter lead to nephew Brad, Geoff lead for Liverton and Barry skip of the remaining rink.
But it is completely unnecessary to take a deep dive into the Tinning bowls heritage ― that has been done on a consistent basis through many decades ― suffice to say that Geoff (and wife Marie), Keith (and wife Elaine), along with Ivan are all on the honour board as life members of the club.
Last season Barry was hardly a shrinking violet. He was the equal top-ranked bowler in Campaspe (and top-ranked third) as the Bulls completed back-to-back premiership seasons, with a 7-1 record.
Sharing the top of the ladder with him were rink colleagues John Reidell and son Brad.
Ironically the trio and lead bowler David Hester, who has been brilliant again this season, lost their grand final bout with Rich River opponent Jason McCloy.
Tug of war: Stanhope skip Rob Ponton lost his “tug-o-war’’ with unbeaten Tongala skip Barry Tinning at the weekend, losing by 10 shots. Ponton is Stanhope’s top-ranked skipper and 11th overall.
This season, however, has been all about Barry. He has won four games as third to son Brad and four games as a skip in his own right.
Next best on the Campaspe Playing Area high performers list is the man who has bowled alongside him for seven of those eight weeks, Hester.
Hester started the season as lead to Brad Tinning, on the same rink as Barry (who was third), but a few weeks ago the change-up saw him promoted to third for the second generation Tinning.
In the past month Barry and Hester have recorded 19-12, 18-17, 24-13 and 29-19 wins ― with a mixture of Sam Lyon, Steve Usher and Phil Cooper as their lead bowlers.
Prior to Barry Tinning and Hester taking control of their own rink they acted as support bowlers to Brad Tinning (who has a 6-1 win-loss record, and one draw, this season) to register a pair of 18-16 wins, an 18-14 victory and a 14-13 success against top team Moama Steamers.
Hester didn’t play with Barry Tinning in that Steamers match, having to settle for a draw as third to Jarryd Tinning.
Hester has a seven win-one draw record and the Tongala pair is ranked ahead of four Moama Steamers players at the top of the players’ ladder with one round remaining before the Christmas break.
Stepping up: Matt Liverton has a six win-one loss record this season and is the third-ranked skip in the Campaspe division one competition. He has made the step up after being the fourth-ranked third in Campaspe last year during the Tongala Bulls’ back-to-back premiership campaign.
After winning against Stanhope at the weekend Tongala sits second on the ladder, one point ahead of Deniliquin, but 32 points behind Moama Steamers.
The Bulls have a 4-4 record this season, Barry Tinning’s exceptional season among only a handful of highlights.
Several of Tongala’s games have been close, apart from a 19-shot opening round loss to Stanhope and the weekend’s one-sided 40 shot win ― against the same club.
The Bulls lost to Rich River by two shots before beating Echuca by 11, then lost by 16 to the Steamers and suffered a six-shot defeat at the hand of Deniliquin.
In the final round before Christmas they face second-from-the-bottom Rich River, hoping to reverse that round two clash and remain on track to qualify as a top two team for the finals.
There are five home and away rounds after Christmas, with the season resuming on January 20.
You’re number one: David Hester signals to his skip, Barry Tinning, that he has a one-shot advantage during the weekend’s match with Stanhope. Hester has a six one-one draw record of his own this season, the second-ranked bowler in the Campaspe Playing Area.
