2016 Australian Open
Fitzroy Victoria’s Tiffany Brodie and Sebastopol’s Josh Barry have won two titles each at a most successful 2016 Australian Open for Victorians.
Brodie, 17, teamed with current Victorian women’s singles champion Chloe Stewart (now Broadbeach, Qld), Bendigo’s Amelia Bruggy and Queenslander Georgia White to win the women’s fours title.
They beat a four skipped by ex-Victorian Sam Shannahan (Merrylands, NSW), and featuring Victorians Kylie Whitehead (Wodonga) and Tayla Spence (Bundoora RSL), plus West Australian Kristina Krstic 16-13 in the decider.
Then Brodie also won a high-quality under 18 girls singles final 21-19 over Tweed Heads’ Jessica Srisamruaybai.
Barry also had a sensational Open – also winning two finals.
Barry took out Victoria’s first title at the 2016 Open, defeating Queensland’s Tony Bonnell (Pine Rivers) 21-11 in the Physical Disability Men’s Singles final.
Then he teamed with Queensland’s Nathan Appleton to win the Multi Disability Pairs final, after seeing off Victorians Tim Slater and Lucas Protopapas in the semis.
Victorians Barrie Lester, Josh Thornton and Jerome Coles, who teamed with Queenslander Wayne Wilson, made the men’s fours final, but lost 16-13 to a four skipped by South Australian Scott Thulborn.
Somerville BC’s Brendan Elliott made the Intellectual Disability Mixed Singles final, but went down 21-17 to Appleton in the final.
Sunbury’s Carla Krizanic and pairs partner Natasha Scott made the women’s pairs semi-final, bowing out in a thriller to Tasmania’s Rebecca Van Asch and Anne Johns by a shot.
Heathmont BC’s Dene Milner was Victoria’s best finisher in the Over 60s Men’s Pairs – he and Queensland-based Nev Wood-Bradley making the quarter-finals.
2013 Australian Open champ Aaron Wilson’s run through the men’s singles ended at the semi-finals, with a 21-17 loss to Aron Sherriff from NSW.
In the women’s singles, State mixed pairs champion Laureen Smith (Club Mulwala) and new Altona BC signing Gayle Edwards performed best of the Victorians, making the round of 16.
Results via Bowls Australia
Bowls Australia’s Australian Open news portal
