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Issue Seven Saturday 20 October 2012 - FREE

WEATHER FORECAST

Min Max

SUN 18 38

Possible Showers. Extreme UV Index

MON 18 38

Cloudy. Extreme UV Index

TUE 21 40

Sunny. Extreme UV Index

WED 22 39

Possible Showers. Extreme UV Index

WEATHER FORECAST

Showjumping is always one of the most popular Equestrian events and many spectators have enjoyed relaxing in the grandstand while the horses and riders performed their tricks.

Equestrian Convenor Sonya Liddle said statistics showed that during the London Olympics, Equestrian events were among the most attended and viewed on television.

“Equestrian is so diverse, from dressage to reining, to driving and showjumping,’’ Sonya said.

“There are hundreds of medals which go to the horse and rider combination.

“A rider can win the gold and silver for the same event on different horses.

“Some riders, like Jo Doyle, have three horses they are using through the week while others have one horse for all the events.’’

Competitors have come from the Top End of the Northern Territory to Adelaide, SA and placed in between.

If medals were awarded for effort in travelling to the Games, Equestrian would win gold. There is an extra level of difficulty with horses in tow.

“It is not a day trip, often taking a number of days as the horses need to be rested, let out of the float and allowed to move around,’’ Sonya said.

“There are only a few places to camp safely with horses so the trip has to be well planned.’’

Ros Beckhouse, from Katherine, is at her second Alice Springs Masters Games and stopped overnight at Tennant Creek on her 1200km two-day trip.

“The trip down was a bit slow as there were a few more pit stops along the way but the week has been good.’’

Gold medals are up for grabs with final play offs in a number of sports leading up to the Closing Ceremony.

Baseball was the first to get the ball rolling with the Division 2 medal deciders, followed by exciting games to decide Division 1 with the gold medal play-off at 2.45pm.

East Coast Slammers have been the form side through the week but there has been little between the Legends, Diamond Dogs and the Thorn Boomers.

For those who want to sit inside and watch sport, Basketball has finals in grades from 30+ through to the 55+ division to be played during the day.

There will also be finals played in the Hockey at Traeger Park this morning.

There has been a lot of hot competition during the week with the Cairns Stingers slightly favoured in the women’s 30-40 division.

In the men’s competition, the Pilbara Iron Warriors team from WA has put

in a good performance adapting from the tennis court used at home to the synthetic water-based turf in use at the Games.

Lawn Bowls also has finals to be played at the Alice Springs Memorial Club green today.

It is the final round of the Golf 54-stableford competition for the 35 to 59 age group.

There are some single stroke handicap players in the field and two playing off scratch so there will be some good shots during the day.

The action is continuing at The Dustbowl where the Tenpin bowlers will continue to prepare for tomorrow’s final event; the Masters Open Men and Women’s finals.

All in all, there is plenty of choice for Masters participants to sit back and relax watching the quest for gold in these sports that are making the most of the week.

Don’t miss the Closing Ceremony at Anzac Oval when the 14th Alice Springs Masters Games will officially end with the lowering of the flag.

The party will rock on with the iconic entertainers ICEHOUSE featuring in the free concert.

A true-blue ‘Masters’ band, ICEHOUSE dates back to 1977 (yes they’re 35 years old) when Iva Davies formed the group the ‘Flowers’ playing pub rock songs.

Who can forget their epic anthem ‘Great Southern Land’, a song that has continued to feature in the charts in Australia, USA and Europe?

The Closing Ceremony is a chance to celebrate with teammates and friends (old and new) and remember a great week at the Games.

Supporting ICEHOUSE will be Damian and the members of Dr. Elephant, who will once again rock Anzac Oval to some of the best cover

songs of our era. Alice Springs’s own rock and roll legends In Tatters and UK DJ will also keep you jumping.

Check the website or souvenir program for free bus times and pick up points. There are four pick-up times on the west and south services and two on the north and east routes. The times in the program detail when the buses begin their runs. Buses then stop at designated bus stops along the way.

Everyone is welcome at the Closing Ceremony. There will be delicious food and bar stalls at the grounds. No food and alcohol is to be brought into the area – bags may be searched at the gates.

Don’t miss the chance to say good-bye to The Friendly Games and start reminiscing about the fun, triumphs and experiences of the Alice Springs Masters Games of 2012. Gates open at 5pm.

Equine riders jump to Games action

Finals countdown

Don’t miss out on the closing spectacleICEHOUSE will be performing at the closing ceremony on tonight

Sam Langford and Gaynor Chambers enjoying the Equestrian events during the Games week

Weather Alert!With the temperatures soaring and an Extreme UV Index don’t forget to hydrate regularly and cover up to avoid heat distress.

Don’t forget to pick up the final edition of the 2012 Friendly Times from the Games Centre

between 12noon and 2pm.

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SportS HoroScope14th Games – will it be

lucky for you?

LibraEnjoy relaxing in the outdoors but try not to melt. You’ve had a good time at the Games – stay balanced.

ScorpioDon’t let success go to your head. Quick thinking will save you from an awkward situation and land you in an interesting predicament.

SaGittariuSTake credit for hard work. You haven’t got this far without good preparation, and that will reap its own reward. Continue to aim high.

capricornGo for variety, and make good use of the resources around you. Romance is in the air so if you are in a relationship, stay grounded.

aquariuSEnsure you tell others of the experiences you have had. The joy you have to share will bring greater pleasure to others in the years to come.

piSceSFollow up on ‘that’ connection on Day 1, you won’t regret it. Friendships made this year will lead you on an interesting journey.

arieSRams are used to being in charge of the flock. You’ve done the hard yards, now sit back and see the results. Don’t let the jealousy of others bring you down.

tauruS

Don’t go bull at a gate at every obstacle, find a better path to success. Taking it quietly and more logically will serve you better.

GeminiThe twin goals of an athlete are challenge and reward. The rewards might not be in winning, but in better health and lasting friendships. Good luck.

cancerGrab your next opportunity as it comes your way. You may not get the chance again. Don’t forget to sign up for 2014, a greater destiny awaits you.

LeoYou may not take home the lion’s share of the spoils, but you will enjoy the memories for years to come. Keep your phone charged, someone of great significance is trying to call you.

VirGoPure motives bring a better focus on the task. Let nothing distract you from your goals. Look after yourself, but reward your success with a little self-indulgence, you deserve it.

If you have news or want to give a shout out please SMS or CALL

Based on the team names, there has been a lot of birds of the feathered variety at the Hockey during the week.

A couple of stray birds put some of the players off their strokes.

A shag on the turf, which the water bird mistook as a lake while it was being watered, was bad enough but players cried foul when a galah landed in the middle of the field during a game featuring Golden Galahs from NSW.

Pistol shooter Marg Cleland from Pyalong, Victoria might have to get a new crystal cabinet after collecting another seven medals at her ninth Alice Springs Masters Games.

She won five medals at her first Games in 1994 and has already emptied the glass out of the cabinet to make room for her collection.

Marg said she took most satisfaction in beating the men, including husband Ralph, in the open shoots.

The couple’s daughter Andrea is also here at the Games and has helped set

The nearest beach might be over 1000km away from Alice Springs to the north or south, but that has not stopped a dedicated group joining together for the Indoor Beach Volleyball competition.

NT Independent MLA Gerry Wood has teamed up with an unlikely group of Beach Volleyballers to compete in the Alice Springs Masters Games.

The Uni Beach Bulls couldn’t pull together enough players for cricket, so decided to enter into Beach Volleyball instead.

The only question they asked the Convenor, Grant Whan, when

registering: “do you have a bar?”

The team, with only one experienced player, has largely come down from Darwin, with several ex-Groote Eylandt players.

In the spirit of keeping things friendly, the FaCarps and the Beach Bulls played a social game on Thursday, mixing teams together, and sharing points to ensure a draw, with the real play off between the two teams in the division playing for gold on Friday night.

Either way, both teams feel like they are winners from the Friendly Games.

Robert Kittle used to speed around the racing track in Toranas and Chev Corvettes, but he has traded in the speeding cars for speeding bullets in a sport which he says keeps him young.

He won his final NT Sedan Title in 1983, but is seeking gold in this year’s Masters in the Sporting Shooting events.

Robert learnt to shoot rabbits as a 17-year-old lad around Alice Springs. He now shoots with fellow competitors, including Lee Whitrod from South Australia to ‘keep him interested’.

The variety of the different events in Sports Shooting is lively, and Robert enjoys shooting at falling plate targets.

While Robert has not participated in any safari hunts, either in the NT or elsewhere, he said some members of the Sports Shooting Association of Alice Springs are involved in conservation and pest management, which may include eradication of feral animals from around the Centre.

Shooting for Robert is a family affair, with his son being a crack shot with the shot gun, and his wife president of the complex which overlooks the prison and the joint American and Australian Defence base at Pine Gap, commonly referred to as the space base.

The SSAA has not received any offers for providing security for the Alice Springs Correctional Centre it also overlooks.

Beverly JohnsonRobyn Richter

Gary WeirAnthony ConnorChristine CrampJohn Dermody

Lex FitchettGrant Stevens

Mary AbreyAnne Walker

targets as an injury prevents her from shooting.

Pete and Louise Brady have been a popular couple around the Athletics even though Pete has won virtually every event he has contested.

Louise is a brave competitor in the cross country and finished midfield in her category.

She is still receiving treatment from a severe injury after falling in the event in 2010, which resulted in time spent in Alice Springs and Darwin hospitals.

A case that was definitely women only occurred at the Sports Medicine Clinic.

A gorgeous woman from Touch came in needing her groin strapped before she played.

“I hope you do it as well as I did with my dog’s leash yesterday,” was her only request.

It is obvious NT Health Minister Dave Toller practises the healthy lifestyle he preaches.The 46-year-old Basketballer is winding back the clock, showing some impressive form with 40+ Countrymen.An All-star player in his youth, the Minister has been hustling hard on the court.It is also great to see that he and former ALP Minister Karl Hampton have put their political differences aside to be teammates.Throw in ex-AFL footballer Daryl White and they are tipped to win in the grand final against Mildura Storm today.

The girls are on the hunt for who flooded the Lasseters Laundry during the week.Apparently a sock got sucked into the plug hole where the water from the washing machine empties.They apparently believe it was a mere male – and they had the sock as evidence.

A proposal at the Hockey after meeting in 2010: Tony Duggin popped the question and Jenny Edgeworth said yes. He’s an ‘Old Crow’ and she’s a ‘Fusion’ girl.

A father and son team have driven up from Reynella in South Australia to play the sport that they love; Lawn Bowls. Colin, 71 yrs, and David Lawn, 37 yrs, may have had no choice given their name.The pair say they are holding up well in the heat, and have the record to prove it, winning gold in 2004 when the average temperature for the games was 42 degrees.

The lost property continues to grow at tennis. The list includes: a mobile phone, ear-rings, a belt and.... female and male underwear.

From racing car to shooting star

beachballers spike into great actionWe’d love your

FEEDBACK!Please complete our participant survey on the Games website

www.alicespringsmastersgames.com.au

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SMS 0498 597 267 with your name, Accreditation ID (on your Accreditation Pass) and make a

caption for today’s photo. The best caption will win a prize. Winners announced in each edition

of The Friendly Times.

Robin Hood and his merry Lang

Lawn boys bowl them over

Lynne sets a great example

Strike a light, Alan’s on fire

Bruce Lang, 57 of Adelaide has done something that some archers never achieve in a shooting career; a ‘Robin Hood’, perfectly shafting fellow competitor’s Ross Geoghegan’s arrow on the target, so that one arrow

was split by the other. Unfortunately, it wasn’t in the bullseye.

This is Mr Lang’s first Alice Springs Masters Games, but he has been competing in the Australian Masters

on and off since 1987.

With around 10 gold medals up for grabs in the Archery, competitors are likely to be taking home a piece to remember the Games.

Did you know: the average age of the Australian Lawn Bowls team is younger than the average age of the Australian Cricket team? Journalist Steve Menizies has quoted this fact all week. Make no mistake, the spritely bunch that have graced the greens of the Memo club this week can hardly be called old.

Among the long time bowling veterans is Victorian Mark Killen, former local school principal, and now Mornington resident. He has played bowls for more than twenty years, and has come to Alice Springs to enjoy his second Masters.

“Alice Springs is a great place to revisit, and it’s a warm welcome from the wet and cold lawn at home!” said Mark. He and his wife drove up from Victoria, through snow in the Adelaide Hills, to enjoy the warm weather and company of the Friendly Games.

Like many Masters participants, Mark hasn’t limited himself to Lawn Bowls, snatching a silver in the 5km cross country run and a bronze in the 10km run on Friday. Mark said the

heat isn’t an issue for the running events, as they were held early in the morning.

The personalities are many on the green, and one hard to miss is the towering Russell Simon, a 63 year old from Thornlie in Perth, Western Australia. Russell ventured to the Red Centre with his wife Gloria. Russell, who represented Australia for the World Championships in Yugoslavia in 1970 and the Montreal Olympics in 1976, had to give away slam dunks for the gentler Lawn Bowls due to knee troubles.

Russell says the best part about representing Australia at the Olympics was the Opening Ceremony. He said the Alice Springs Masters Games Opening Ceremony was certainly more friendly and relaxed, and he enjoyed chatting and catching up with friends.

Russell won gold in the last Masters games, and hopes to take it home again this year. The finals for Lawn Bowls will take place on Saturday at the Memo club.

86-year-old Alan O’Brien is such a pro, he can bowl a strike on demand. Or at least that’s what happened at the Dust Bowl on Thursday.

Mr O’Brien has competed in the Alice Springs Masters Games since 2000, missing only one game for a hip replacement.

It was his niece that lured Mr O’Brien to the Games. Upon hearing he had competed in the Dunedin Masters in 98, she insisted that he join in the Alice Games so he could visit at the same time.

Mr O’Brien feels lucky to still play. In the past ten years he has had his hip replaced, a stroke, gall bladder removed, and broken a vertebrae in a fall which should have left him wheelchair bound. But nothing keeps this bloke from the lanes.

Between answering interview questions, he bowled a strike then a spare.

Mr O’Brien missed out on the end of the Games to return to Adelaide on the Ghan on Thursday afternoon

Eight teams from across Australia have enjoyed competing with three teams from the Alice.

Lynne Blom, 49 yrs, is a well-respected member of the Alice Springs Volleyball community. Having played in town for over 20 years, Lynne has been part of many teams in the local competition.

A nationally qualified AA level

referee, Lynne travels interstate to officiate at National Junior tournaments and legs of the National Beach Volleyball tour.

Team mate Dale McIver has enjoyed the long games this week with Lynne.

Lynne has recently won her battle with cancer and is living proof that if you put your mind to it, you can really achieve anything!

An archer at the Dead Centre Bow Hunters Club prepared for competition

Alice Springs Mayor Damien Ryan with Tenpin Bowlers at The Dust Bowl

“Of course I scored last night”

Yesterdays Caption Winner

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