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After a long winter, the greens are cut, the mats are out, and One Blue action is finally back! With a couple of fresh faces promoted and a few clubs looking to bounce back up the ranks, this season promises to be one of the most competitive in recent memory. Let’s take a look at the Round 1 matchups.
Bassendean v Mount Lawley
Bassendean
Saffronne Alden, Nick Pleasance, Wayne Davidson, John Holman
Gregory Sadler, Geoffrey Malaspina, Phillip Hutchinson, Neil Strachan
Norman Kirkup, Shane Colegate, Joel Hitchcock, Butch Dinnison
David Snelgar, Brooke Chaney, Grant Stokes, Jovan Krstic INS: Davidson, Kirkup, Hitchcock, Stokes OUTS: O'Neill, Britton, Cash, Atkinson
Bassendean return to One Blue after coming down from One White last year, and they still boast several players capable of mixing it at Premier League level. Mount Lawley, who finished 4th in this division last season, are in a similar boat with plenty of top-end talent.
For the home side, not too many surprises in their lineup—it’ll be interesting to see how they respond as they push for a quick return to White. Mount Lawley field a familiar side with Loftus coming in, opting for Saturday bowls after the Friday night PL games run a bit past his bedtime (and clash with his early-morning gym routine).
Both teams look top-four bound, and with the Mount Lawley PL side playing the night before, expect a lively peanut gallery on the sidelines.
Mount Lawley 6–2
Wanneroo v Yanchep
Wanneroo
David Triffitt, Martin Nievelstein, Noel Davey, Leslie Bryson
Stuart Binnie, Glen Jack, Kyle Rayner, Kingsley Toster
Neil Williams, Gareth Hughes, Derek Griffin, David Anderson
Patrick Gooch, Harold Whitman, Eckhard Widermanski, Pieter Geus INS: Triffitt, Davey, Rayner, Gooch, Widermanski OUTS: Bucowski, Burns, Beazley, Collins, Sarich
Yanchep
Wayne Evans, Stephen Hyde, Anthony Passeretto, Daniel Hartzer
Chris Roe, Colin Morfitt, Tamara Arnold, Callum Arnold
Neil Cank, Mark Jones, David Hitchman, Chris Street
Russell Drury, John O'Brien, Leon Smith, Patrick Daley INS: Evans, Passeretto, Morfitt, Cank, Jones, Street OUTS: Ellis, Deegan, Tomasso, Petzer, Ferguson, Newbey
An intriguing clash to start the year as Wanneroo welcome newly promoted Yanchep, who were dominant in the division below.
There might be a typo in the Roos’ first rink, with big Stein and Triffitt usually found at the back end, but otherwise it’s a familiar lineup. Yanchep will make the short trip down Wanneroo Road with nothing to lose and plenty of momentum after their stellar 2024/25 season.
With quality across the board—Daley, Arnold, Hartzer (as well as Callum Arnold) all very handy players—they’ll be up for the challenge. Wanneroo have an excellent home record, but Yanchep’s excitement and energy could get them over the line.
Quinns Rocks
Trevor Hines, Michael McConnell, Derek Richmond, Steve O'Neill
Lawrence Johnson, Glenn Mountford, Neville Costello, Shane Smith
Steve Cavanagh, Christopher Bartle, Peter Morgan, Hugh Ward
Peter Wilson, Scott Richmond, Rohan Cantrill, Warrick Ferris INS: McConnell, Cavanagh, Morgan, S Richmond, Ferris OUTS: Dean, Rogers, Eadie, Papadoloulos, Burrows
The Mavericks are back in One Blue after winning their challenge final against the Doggies last year. Their team hasn’t been released yet, but if it’s similar to last season, it’ll be full of experience and familiar faces. Morley have long hovered between the top end of 2nd Division and the lower end of Blue, but without many fresh recruits, they may struggle to break that pattern.
Quinns, meanwhile, look strong again and continue to threaten promotion to White. Skips O’Neil, Ward, and Smith have plenty of experience at higher levels, and new skip Ferris is an unknown name—but if he’s been given a rink, he must be half decent.
Quinns Rocks 7–1
Ellenbrook v Sorrento
Ellenbrook
Boyd Eynon, Alex Debarro, Graham Falconer, Robert Ball
Leigh Farrow, Robert Currie, Josef Rollnik, Michael L Ryan
Hamish Hellyer, Mark Boyd, Philip Moore, Michael Lovett
Malcolm Nicol, Brian Kapitzke, (substitute), Aaron Cole INS: Eynon, DeBarro, Rollnik OUTS: P Ryan, Kosovich, McGill, Boorer
Sorrento
Gary Bayne, Ian Linford, Stanley Lindsay Baker, Timothy Murray
Gerald Hanna, Pauline Bourne, Ricky Hutchinson, Richard Bone
Philip Potts, Lily Leach, Brad Wicks, David Dunstan
Wendy Flack, Ian Munro, Ronald Rogers, Lance Martin INS: Bayne, Wicks, Flack OUTS: Mortimer, Burton, Cunningham
Ellenbrook return to Blue after topping their division last year, fielding a side that’s barely changed in a decade. That familiarity makes them tough to beat on their home turf.
Sorrento also have a core group that’s been together a long time. They started slowly last season before finishing strongly to sneak into finals. This will be a good early test, but Ellenbrook’s experience at home might just get them the points.
Ellenbrook 7–1
Warwick v Cambridge
Warwick
Wayne Wyatt, Andrew Dixon, Keith Willett, Raymond Loran
Stewart Fraser, Stuart Hutchinson, Clive Boyle, Geoffrey Hinge
Andrew Howitt, Glenn Yabuka, Graeme Smith, Sean Wright
Heath Berryman, Bernie McNamara, Allan Hornby, Ivan Sparrowhawk INS: Fraser, Hutchinson, Hinge, Howitt, Berryman OUTS: Chappell, Shier, Ledingham, Wilson, Worthington
Cambridge
Shonah Buckley, Mark James, David Phillips, Stuart Lofthouse
Keith Granger, Geoffrey Jones, Edward Leahy, Garry Hawkes
Andrew Ness, David Foulsham, David Sladen, Peter Easom
Robert Gauntlett, Nicholas Parker, Phillip McShane, Neil Bolton INS: Buckley, Granger, Foulsham, Sladen, Gauntlett, Parker OUTS: Lewis, Garlick, Duncanson, Wooldridge, Palmer, Manning
Both Warwick and Cambridge were competitive in this division last season and look largely unchanged heading into 2025. With the overall strength of the division up a notch this year, both clubs will be keen to start on the right foot.
Warwick were tough to beat at home last season, while Cambridge struggled on the road—a trend that may continue.
