Tara Murray
Bowls star Alex Marshall didn’t know much about Deer Park when he agreed to join the club for the second half of the Bowls Victoria pennant premier division season.
A proud Scotsman, Marshall has been a regular visitor to Australia playing in all the country’s major events such as the Ultimate Bowls Championships and BPL and calls Australia his second home.
So when the approach was made to join Deer Park, he jumped at the chance.
Marshall has won 21 world titles, is a gold medallist on five occasions at Commonwealth Games level and is Scotland’s most decorated athlete in Commonwealth Games history.
“It’s my first time playing over in Victoria,” he said.
“I was coming over to Australia for the Bowls Premier League competition and then at the end of March and early April, playing in the Ultimate Bowls Challenge.
“I had some free time and Mark Casey (Deer Park head of bowls operations) and he asked if I was interested in playing at Deer Park and here I am.
“I had only been to Deer Park once before.”
Marshall has played three games for Deer Park so far and won all three rinks. The club sits on top of the ladder and primed for a finals tilt.
He said he was really enjoying playing with the club.
“It has been really great,” he said. “They’re a great bunch of guys.
“Mark has done a fantastic job and the games are going well.
“We’re sitting on top of the ladder. Hopefully we stay there for the rest of the season.”
Playing with Koby and Tyson Cromie, Marshall said he was enjoying the challenge of helping two future stars of bowls in Australia.
“They are great players of the future.”
As well as playing with Deer Park, Marshall said he was keen to get back to playing with Brisbane Pirates in the Bowls Premier League, having missed the last couple of years due to Covid.
The 55-year-old said that playing in Australia had kept him wanting to continue to play bowls.
“I love the fierce competition,” he said.
“You always have a good game and there’s a good standard of competition and there isn’t that drop off.
“It’s always really high and if you don’t play well, you don’t win.
“I have to be at the top of my game. The competition in Australia has helped me a lot and the competition in Australia has helped me keep going and playing at the highest level.”
