RANCE DEWSON

January 11, 2010

Rance Dewson walked into the Osborne Park Bowling Club in 1971 looking for someone to teach him the game and walked out at the end of the year with a trophy.

And he's been doing it ever since.

The initial silverware was for Most Consistent Bowler. Since then he has won everything the club has to offer, most of them several times, including a clean sweep of the singles, pairs, triples, and fours in 1974.

A broken bone in his hand was the catalyst for his turning to bowls. “I had been playing football next door for the Osborne Park Saints, and had enjoyed some success, with a few premierships under a couple of good coaches, including another bowling convert in Bob Sadler.

A broken hand put me on the sidelines, so I wandered over to the bowling club,” he recalled, when we spoke with him recently.



“I liked what I saw, and got onto a mate, Murray Odgers, who played at Claremont, to show me the ropes.”

Rance didn't walk straight into the pennant side. “The teams were settled, and a newbie like me couldn't get a look in.”he laughed. But the rookie was keen, and a spot was found for him. His early mentors were Marion Yaksich and Harold Elsegood. “They taught me a lot about the game,” he said. “But I'm a great believer that you have to get out and do it yourself, learn by your mistakes, and watch the good players. I learnt a lot from watching Branko Katuna-Rich.”

In the early days, Dewson played with a set of Henselite size four. “I bought them from Max Barnes for ten quid, and they were black, as they all were in those days,” he reminisced.

Rance Dewson has represented Western Australia in interstate Second Side contests, as well as country versus metro games. He has been a member of two first division premiership sides, one in 1977, playing second to Bill Gerard, with Chris Pratt and Bob Newton, and the other in 1996, when he skippered Aaron Delaporte, Bill Boyd, Ron Francesconi.

Dewson has always been a tough competitor, and, at 72, has lost none of that quality. A man who enjoys a running shot, he is also a very good draw bowler, and takes no prisoners on the green.

A fellow bowler who will remain nameless told us of the time he came up against Rance: “I was skippering against Rance one day, and we were doing well. Only mine to go and all I had to do was put down a reasonably good counter to get the shots to win the game. As I picked up the potential matchwinning bowl, Rance ambled alongside me and commented, “bloody green's slowing down a bit, isn't it”

“You know the rest.”

Rance plumps for Olympic Gold Medallist Bert Sharp as the best bowler he has seen and played with. He is a keen Claremont supporter, although he's been a bit quiet about that lately.

“The heart and soul of Osborne Park Bowling Club” is a description given to us about Rance Dewson. He is certainly a hands on member of the Greens committee, and puts in many hours of voluntary work, along with his willing helpers, in ensuring the surrounds are in immaculate condition. His loyalty and commitment to the club were rewarded with life membership last year.

RON HEAD