It's different for each club, each association, each state. How many pennant practice matches do you think is right for your situation?

In Melbourne metro we have an 18 round season and many clubs I know of play 4 practice matches. If you don't make the finals, this takes your tally to 22 weekends.  If you DO make the finals, you've played for 25 weekends - let's call it 6 months.  That's a long time.

Some other states, take NSW for example, tend to play an 8-10 week pennant season followed by finals and inter-zone.  It's a different format, however if you are successful it can drag on for months (inter-zones are underway as I write this). How many practice matches do NSW clubs tend to play? SA? Anybody?

Having just stated how much of your life bowls (pennant) can take up, how should those bowlers that can't or don't make themselves available for practice matches be dealt with at the selection table?  In your average Division 1 or Division 2 club, how many bowlers can expect to walk back into a skippers position, in the top side, without playing all (or at least the majority of) practice matches?  For a club that is striving to be competitive I would suggest that these sort of people should be making their way back via a lower side or lower position - for both form and disciplinary reasons.  Otherwise what message are we sending to the rest of the club?  From March to October you're fine to go off into obscurity and not put down a bowl, but we'll keep your seat warm - even though plenty of your club mates have been training, improving, playing in tournaments and challenging themselves.  Give me a break!  Imagine a footballer NOT doing pre-season.

There are always exceptions - the proven champion, the bowlers that chase the sun and bowl year round (always making it home in time for pennant).  But by and large, most bowlers should be earning their spot each season.

There's no doubt that at the lower end of the spectrum the reasons for playing and the necessity to put in hours of practice may not be the same.  However, for those clubs that are wanting to be competitive and give their section a red-hot crack, you're not doing your club any favours by continuing to accept such poor practices from those bowlers that are obviously not as committed as you need them to be.

There will be a myriad of reasons as to why people can't make themselves available.  However they understand they are playing a competitive sport yet choose to treat it and/or their club and selectors with contempt in many cases.  Where's the respect?