Cardinia Waters’ resident Marion Stevens received the ultimate accolade last week – being inducted into the Bowls Australia Hall of Fame.
Marion and her husband Bryan – both still active players at Cardinia Waters – flew to the Gold Coast where Australia’s best bowlers and contributors were celebrated for their achievements.
Stevens was one of only four new Hall of Fame inductees.
Having emigrated from England, Stevens elevated into rare territory, winning gold medals for Australia at the sport’s two biggest events, the World Bowls Championships and Commonwealth Games.
Those medals alone stamped Stevens as one of the greats of Australian Bowls, but her record – from grass roots to the elite level of the sport – is quite remarkable.
Stevens was Australia’s 37th capped women’s representative, debuting for the Jackaroos at the 1988 Bicentennial International Bowls event, before earning selection for the 1988 World Bowls Championships, in Auckland.
Stevens secured the women’s triples and fours world titles at that event, and then returned to New Zealand in 1990 to win a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in the fours.
At club level, Stevens has won a staggering 19 Club Singles Championships and won the Victorian State Fours and Champion of Champions event as well, and has represented her State at many team events over her journey.
On the admin side Marion was on the State Selection Committee from 2001 to 2004, and on the National Selection Committee from 2001 to 2006.
She has put her selector’s hat on for Cardinia Waters this year, and is still playing pennant for the village.
Our region was well represented on the night, with Eric Sydenham from Narre Warren Bowls Club winning the Volunteer of the Year Award.
The Gazette will run feature stories on both Stevens and Sydenham in next week’s 26 October edition of the paper.
The 2022 Bowls Australia Awards Night Honour Roll
COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD
Chirnside Park Bowls Club (Chirnside Park, VIC)
VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR
Eric Sydenham (Narre Warren, VIC)
OFFICIAL OF THE YEAR
Ann Walsh (Mornington Peninsula, VIC)
COACH OF THE YEAR
John Rodis (West Dubbo, NSW)
CLUB OF THE YEAR
Club Merrylands (NSW)
BOWLER WITH A DISABILITY OF THE YEAR
Serena Bonnell (Broadbeach, QLD)
UNDER-18 FEMALE BOWLER OF THE YEAR
Taylor de Greenlaw (Cabramatta, NSW)
UNDER-18 MALE BOWLER OF THE YEAR
Jack McShane (Club Merrylands, New South Wales)
MALE BOWLER OF THE YEAR
Nick Cahill (Broadbeach, QLD)
FEMALE BOWLER OF THE YEAR
Kelsey Cottrell (Broadbeach, QLD)
INTERNATIONAL FEMALE BOWLER OF THE YEAR
Lynsey Clarke (Club Tweed)
INTERNATIONAL MALE BOWLER OF THE YEAR
Aaron Wilson (Cabramatta, NSW)
HALL OF FAME (HOF) INDUCTEES
Marion Stevens, Dennis Dalton, Herbert (Bert) Sharp, Albert (Bert) Palm and Ronald (Ron) Tuckerman.
ELEVATION TO LEGEND STATUS (HOF)
Karen Murphy (AM), Steve Glasson (OAM), Rob Parrella (OAM).
