JIM McKENZIE
Lyn and Jim McKenzie
May 27, 2010
Jim McKenzie's fondness for a cold ale was noticeable at an early age, and it was the catalyst for the beginnings of his life in bowls forty three years ago at Carlisle-Lathlain Bowling Club........
Jim™s family had strong ties with the Demons Footy Club. His father, Bill, was one of Perth's alltime greats, a member of the club's Team of the Century, two time State player in 1948 and 49 and runner up to Sonny Maffina for the 1949 Sandover Medal.
It was this passion for sport and a drink that provided an intro to lawn bowls. Following a match at Lathlain Park Jim and a few of his mates (sick of pushing through crowds to get to the members bar) headed for the nearby Carlisle Bowling Club. No trouble getting to their bar, they enjoyed the clubs hospitality.
Dinny Cowper, a family friend had Jim sign a nomination form and that was that.
Later that year a phone call had McKenzie joining three 70 year olds to play his first pennant game in sixth or seventh division. The twenty one year old initially had no intention of taking the sport up. It was like going into Sunset Home in there, Jim laughed. I lowered the average age of the club members significantly.
His new team mates were a little impressed with their new member and they played a few marches together until an investment in a taxi meant Saturday™s was for work and not play. Still the seed had been sown.
The young McKenzie may not have inherited his father's sporting ability at football, but he made up for it on the golf course. A single figure handicap enabled Jim to play pennants for the WA Golf Club
Jim in Esperance 1974
In 1972, McKenzie moved to Kalgoorlie, where he joined the Kalgoorlie Bowling Club, and played grade cricket and golf, winning the Kalgoorlie Golf Club Championship in 1975. It wasn't until his return to Perth four years later where he joined the Yugoslav Club that he took the game of bowls seriously. The Yugoslav Club was a great club socially, and very competitive on the green, and it was there that I had my first taste of State events, playing state pairs with Vic Andrijasevich, he said.
McKenzie, along with Joe Rodin and Dave Wallis organised the first Easter Carnival at the Yugoslav Club. The final that year was completed in the dark. There were no lights, and cars were parked around the green with headlights on, enabling Col the butcher Lindsay to play out a hard fought affair, Jim recalled.
The Butcher asked for a loan of a cigarette lighter. Flicking it on he said to his third: See that light? Put your bowl alongside it. Col and his rink went on to win a memorable event.
Jim was a bit of a moving target in those days, and joined Subiaco in 1981. It was a tough assignment at Suby, he remarked. It was either top red or three yellow. It was also where I learnt a lot about the game. Doug Arrowsmith had a profound influence on me, both as a bowler and a person. Moving to Dianella in 1984, he joined Yokine, where he was part of the club's promotion to top red.
After a few years at the Doggies, McKenzie found a better way to enjoy a beer and went into the hotel business at Katanning.
After a year away from the green, he was talked into joining the local bowling club and took over the town, winning every club event, playing with novice bowlers in the pairs and triples, capping it off with the League singles crown. He repeated the performance the following year, taking the fours, pairs, and triples and could only manage a runner up in the singles. The Katanning Shire Council subsequently presented him with a plaque in recognition of his achievements in lawn bowls.
Returning to Perth, Jim spent a year and a half at Melville, then a year at Gosnells, and fourteen years at Thornlie, before a move to Roleystone saw him at the local club for a season. McKenzie is now back at Gosnells.
Think of Jim McKenzie and you think of Over Sixties Bowls.
Former WA Bowling Association CEO, Andrew Collings, posted a proposal for seniors bowls on the WABA website one day, Jim explained. I was extremely interested in the idea, and hounded him about it for a couple of months.
After what he considered was too much procrastination, he offered to look after it, get it organised and hand back a neat package two years down the track. With the help of Roger Barnes and Trevor Barron, Jim took it on, and the Over Sixties concept has subsequently ballooned nation wide. It's created an avenue for older bowlers to play for their State.
The monthly Monday carnivals are extremely well attended, with bowlers of varying abilities playing with and against each other. The Over 60™s state events are well patronised and winning any of them is not for the faint of heart. There is a heap of talent among the more mature in the bowling community and it is rewarding to see them out there doing battle for state honours once more.
There has been a lot of fun with the over sixties as well.
On it's first interstate trip to Melbourne and the Mulgrave Country Club, the WA team hired a bus. McKenzie, being the team manager and designated driver, was in the driver's seat. I'd lived there for a little while about fifteen years earlier, so reckoned I was a full quid on Victorian geography, he recalled.
On the way into town from the airport he missed the turn for the tunnel (new since McKenzie™s last trip to Melbourne), and Steve Srhoy made the comment that he'd never been over the Westgate Bridge, well, Steve went over it twice that night and we don™t think he is in a hurry to go over it again. McKenzie was in a real pickle and with a bus load of good advice and heading for Geelong, it was Prickles Thorn who was heard to say to someone on his mobile phone “ this poofter driving our bus is lost “ tell the wanker how to get to Waverley “ with that the phone was passed to McKenzie and the intrepid travellers eventually arrived at their destination.
Jim McKenzie was equal third in the State singles with Glen Ellis from Doubleview, behind Geoff Oakley and Keith Doncon, and last season was third in the Champion of Champions, beaten by eventual winner, John Goddard, 21-16. He has won both the Thornlie and Gosnells singles titles.
-----------Jim McKenzie in his losing game when finishing 3rd in the State Singles
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His wife, Lynn, doesn't play. Despite her dislike for bowls, Jim got her involved in a mixed fours event at Yokine and the team finished in the money. This was probably the worst move of my life, he said. Lynn often explains that she never practiced and won cash at her first outing “ with all the time you spend on the green “ where is all your money?
Jim has always involved himself in the nitty gritties of the game, and served as President of Subiaco Bowling Club as well as on selection and match committees at a few other clubs. He is committed these days to putting something back into the game. Bowls had the tag of being an old man's game, he told us. It's changing, but I'm not sure promoting high performance is making it a more desirable sport to the wider community. We should be catering for a wider spectrum of participants to make it a more desirable sport, with promotion to a broader cross section of the population.
Chatting about bowlers, McKenzie spoke of the respect he had for Bert Sharp. He was a phenominal player, he said. He was so quick off the mat. I saw him one day playing third in pennants for Rance Dewson. Rance was still bending over the head giving Bert an idea of what he wanted. Bert yelled out: get out of the road as his bowl closed in on the jack. On drawing a resting toucher, the little master commented Is that what you had in mind?
John Rainoldi, Dennis Katunarich, Robbie Ball, John Caffell and Doug Arrowsmith are also among his top players.
Jim McKenzie's passion for the game is evident. Despite a back problem, there is no easing of the quantity or quality of the bowls he plays. The over sixties events are growing in popularity, and he's rapt about that.
I'm happy to have had the opportunity to put something back into the game and I will continue to promote this great sport on every possible occasion was his comment
A snap of Jim playing in this years Champion of Club Champion Singles
RON HEAD