2025 Nationals: Day 4 wrap
Two events have come to a close at the 2025 Nationals on the north west coast of Tasmania, with the winners of the Australian Champion of Champions and the Australian Under-18 Championships being decided following a busy day at Devonport Country Club and Burnie Bowls Club.
Australian Champion of Champions
Max Kleinig and Natalie Lewis have been crowned the 2025 Australian Champion of Champions after one of the most hotly contested tournaments in recent memory.
In a sensational finish in the men’s draw, Port Noarlunga Bowling Club’s Kleinig and Club Helensvale’s Brett Wilkie both went into the last round on five wins from their six matches.
However, Clayton Bowls Club’s Ali Forsyth, who only had the two wins to his name heading into the final match, stormed home to defeat the 2011 Champion in Wilkie 21-4.
Kleinig went down to bronze medallist Daniel Baker from Darwin Bowls Club 17-21, but it didn’t matter as the South Australian product had a higher shot difference to claim the gold medal.
The South Australian product had a fruitful tournament, only dropping a game against Wilkie, who finished in second to obtain the silver medal, and also against Baker.
It caps off a sensational return to the sport after Kleinig decided to take three years off to focus on his family.
Baker finished in third position to win the bronze medal with five wins in a successful tournament for the Northern Territory.
In the women’s draw, Natalie Lewis was named the victor after defeating Bussleton’s Karen Gaglia 21-18 in her final match.
The Club Merrylands product won the gold medal by finishing a game clear of her competitors with six wins.
Lewis’ victory is even more remarkable when you account for the fact that she was 20 weeks pregnant.
Bagara Bowls Club’s Adele Pershouse was sensational throughout the tournament to claim the silver medal.
The Queenslander has enjoyed a prolific 2025 after also winning the Women’s Over 60 Pairs at the Australian Open earlier this year.
Home town hero Rae Simpson, representing Port Sorell Bowls and Community Club, finished her campaign with a bronze medal.
View the Australian Champion of Champions results HERE
Australian Under-18 Championships
New South Wales have cleaned up at the Australian Under-18 Championships after taking home the Boys Champions, Girls Champions and Overall Champions trophies with a dominant display that resulted in five gold medals and three silver medals across the eight disciplines.
Timothy Thorning finished on top of the blue-ribbon boys’ singles event with four wins in a tightly contested field.
The New South Welshman was the outright victor, with Australian Capital Territory’s Jordan Sturgiss, Western Australia’s Callum Alberti, Victoria’s Bailee Randell, South Australia’s Charlie Hicks and Tasmania’s Oliver Morrison all finishing on even ledgers with three wins and three losses.
In the end it was Sturgiss and Alberti that claimed silver and bronze respectively.
Thorning made it the singles and pairs doubles, teaming up with Jacob Martin to go undefeated in the boys’ pairs.
Victoria’s Charlie Boswood and Max Heaton-Harris only suffered the one loss to the New South Wales duo to finish with the silver medal, while South Australia’s Jayden Green and Charlie Hicks got the bronze medal.
Tasmania’s Fletcher Felmingham, Oliver Morrison and Lachlan Thurley were flawless in taking out the gold medal in the boys’ triples over New South Wales (silver medal) and Victoria (bronze medal).
In the boys’ fours, the Victorian quarter of Harry Coleman, Jacob Cartwright, Charlie Boswood and Max Heaton-Harris, claimed their sole gold medal of the tournament over New South Wales (silver medal) and Queensland (bronze medal).
South Australia’s Anda Panchawat capped off a terrific final year in the under-18 disciplines, claiming the gold medal in the girls’ singles after also winning the Australian Open Under-18 Girls Singles in June.
New South Wales’ Chanel Chakouch finished with the silver medal, while Sophie Hays brought home a bronze medal for Western Australia.
Chakouch was able to get her hands on a gold medal after teaming up with Zoe Daniels in the girls’ pairs.
They finished ahead of Queensland’s Lilly Vardy and Tilah Mason by one shot on the ladder, while South Australia’s Panchawat and Daisy Coe finished in third position.
The gold rush continued for New South Wales, with the girls’ triples team of Charlotte Hayman, Tahlia Kennedy and Ella Cameron claiming gold over South Australia (silver medal) and Queensland (bronze medal).
The New South Wales team of Davies, Hayman, Kennedy and Cameron were flawless in the girls’ fours, defeating Queensland (silver medal) and Victoria (bronze medal) to win the gold medal.
View the Australian Under-18 Championship results HERE
Para Nationals
In the men’s singles, Newly crowned World Cup Para Men’s Singles Champion James Reynolds will face off against his 2023 World Bowls Championship Men’s Para Pairs gold medal partner in Damien Delgado after the two Para Jackaroos had nail biting games in their semifinals.
After a hot start where he led 11-0, New South Wales’ Reynolds held off a fast-finishing Josh Thornton from Victoria 20-19, while Queensland’s Delgado also halted a comeback from Tasmania’s David Minns to win 19-17.
It will also be New South Wales verse Queensland in the men’s pairs final, with New South Wales’ Michael Vassallo and Aaron Kelly defeating Victoria’s Lucas Protopapas and Josh Barry in the semifinal, while Queensland’s Bret Sellars and Clive Williams got the win over Tasmania’s Jeremy Bracken and Jacob Sheerin-Wall.
The men’s triples currently sees Queensland on top with an unblemished record while Victoria and New South Wales round out the top three.
Queensland’s Serena Bonnell remains in the lead of the women’s singles, with New South Wales’ Carolyn Nelson residing a win behind in second position.
South Australia’s Susan Kruger, Victoria’s Annette Ruffle, Tasmania’s Debbie Maher and Western Australia’s Maureen Brett round out the table.
In the women’s pairs, Queensland’s Louise Hoskins and Cheryl Lindfield kept their perfect record to sit on top of the ladder ahead of Tasmania’s Marijke Raine and Shannon Hyland, New South Wales’ Christine Constable and Simone Smith, Western Australia’s Lesly Marshall and Jodie Nikolic, Victoria’s Stella Durdin and Alison East, and South Australia’s Vanessa Wildy and Catherine Vluggen.
Queensland are in the lead of the women’s triples, followed by New South Wales and Western Australia.
View the Para Nationals results HERE
Bowls Australia thank and acknowledge Devonport Country Club and Devonport City Council for their partnership in hosting these Nationals, made possible alongside the support of the Tasmanian Government through Events Tasmania.
The 2025 Nationals will run from November 10-28, 2025, with live streaming to take place on Bowls Australia’s YouTube channel from the 10th.
