PREMIUM
News

Hardie and Nisbet name top 20 GVBD bowlers

author avatar

Brian Nisbet and Dave Hardie have been to the well once more.

The Goulburn Valley Bowls Division icons have put together their annual lists of the top 20 bowlers in the competition and, as always, there is plenty of disagreement between the pairing.

Although last year's edition saw a rare agreement on the best player in the business, the opinions have quickly diverged again.

Nisbet has crowned Shepparton Golf coach Brad Orr the number one man for a bowling mission, but for Hardie it is Tallygaroopna's Mark Ryan who gets top billing after a summer of dominance in division two.

“Brad Orr I believe has got the record on the board,” Nisbet said.

“He's playing all of the events in Bendigo (at the state finals), he's the best bowler, a match-winner. He'll deliver 10 bowls that will win a game for you that no one else can probably play.”

Ryan and Orr fill the respective second spots on each list, while Matt Robertson (Tallygaroopna) and David Daws (Shepparton Golf) are also in both top fives.

Hardie has East Shepparton coach Daniel Nichols at number five, but for Nisbet it is Shepparton Park coach Paul Nichols (fourth) who wins the battle of the father-son duo.

“I reckon he has been underrated for quite some time,” Nisbet said.

“I think this year he's been exceptional apart from one bad loss. I think he's the better player (between him and) Daniel and Daniel would probably agree.”

There are 14 similarities between the two lists in total, with the only lead among the group - Golf's John Dagger - providing a big point of discussion.

“Dagger seems to always be my opponent, I've had him twice this year,” Hardie said.

“He's a really good leader.”

But both agreed that Josh Warren (Shepparton Park) is the most improved bowler in the district and Ken Sutcliffe (Euroa) is the best at using an arm in the region.

Hardie made special mention of Golf's John Stokes, Rushworth's Jean Sprague, Kyabram's Rob George and East's Ash Lawlor as an unlucky quartet to miss out on his list.

Nisbet dubbed Hardie himself unlucky to miss his list, while Golf's Graeme Myers was also close to the top 20.

● As always the lists will generate plenty of debate, with the main talking points to be discussed on the Bowls Show on One FM this morning from just before 8 am with special guest Mark Ryan in the studio.

Dave Hardie's Top 20

Mark Ryan

Brad Orr

Matt Robertson

David Daws

Daniel Nichols

Josh Warren

Col Power

Paul Nichols

Ken Sutcliffe

Geoff Franze

Shane Walsh

Greg Shilling

Leigh Clark

John Gribble

Tim Hancock

Glenn Fields

John Dagger

Paul Warren

Garry Russell

Neville Manton

Brian Nisbet's Top 20

Brad Orr

Mark Ryan

David Daws

Paul Nichols

Matt Robertson

Daniel Nichols

Col Power

Russell Locke

Greg Shilling

Josh Warren

Ken Sutcliffe

Ash Lawlor

Geoff Franze

John Stokes

Shane Walsh

Paul Warren

Dennis McHarry

Rob George

Glenn Fields

Rob Page