Touch footballers spring to life at Edinburgh

By WOFF Mick Farina

A THRILLING A grade grand final provided a fitting finish to RAAF Base Edinburgh's Spring touch football season.
Nine B grade and four A grade teams competed, with the grand finals run on August 1.

Although numbers were limited, it was great to see many new faces coming out and enjoying the game. Special mention must go to the DSTO organisation, which fielded three teams.

In the B grade, the Up The Guts team turned the tables on Vipers, running out easy winners 7-4.

DSTO and Guano then shaped up in the A grade final in what turned out to be a terrific game.

Scores were tied 6-6 at the end of full-time, so the game went into a “dropoff” situation where one team member is taken from the field every five minutes.

Both teams had their chances in extra time, however when the teams were reduced to three on three, DSTO was able to manufacture the winning touchdown.

Thanks to Kenno for coordinating the competition and Squadron Leader Stu Freeman for coordinating the referees (who all looked great in their new shirts).

Individual awards

• MVP A grade: Sergeant Matt Basedow
• MVP B grade: Brice Mitchell
• Most touchdowns A grade: Sergeant Matt Basedow
• Most touchdowns B grade: Corporal Chris McGarrity

  Civilians claim top spots at national tenpin titles
  

  By Michael Weaver
  
  ALMOST 50 ADF and civilian tenpin bowlers from Queensland, NSW, ACT, Western Australia and South Australia loaded the lanes of the Wetherill Park Bowling Alley in Sydney for the recent annual ADF Tenpin Bowling National Titles.
  
  Bowlers competed in singles, masters and teams events, with Defence civilians rolling their ADF counterparts.
  
  Rob Charles from RAAF Base Richmond claimed the ADF’s top tenpin bowling title by winning the masters title with a 222-point average from Sergeant Max Byers from RAAF Base Williamtown.
  
  The top 16 ADF bowlers formed the masters playoffs after 18 games, most averaging around 200 points a game.
  
  Canberra-based Defence Materiel Organisation executive assistant Jenni Rush won the GB Plate (named after patron Group Captain Graham Bond for bowlers not making it to the masters playoffs) by two pins in a tight contest.
  
  Richard Cooper, a facilities support officer from RAAF Base Amberley, finished second on 156 points.
  NSW was named the champion state.
  
  The top 20 bowlers were then selected for the ADF national team.

.