By RUSSELL BENNETT
TAYLA Morison was at school at Cranbourne East Secondary College when she got the phone call that launched her lawn bowls journey into the stratosphere.
“It was a dream come true to get the call that I was selected to represent Australia,” the 15-year-old told the News.
“I was crying a lot and my friends were all really excited for me because they knew how much it meant.
“It just great to know that hard work really does pay off.
“To get there and know that I could achieve my dreams was an amazing feeling.”
In addition to being named to the Australian under-18 squad – made up of the top five bowlers in the country – she competed in the National Lawn Bowls Championships in Darwin where she won both a gold and a bronze medal.
She was also recently selected in the Victorian ladies senior team to take on Tasmania at the start of December in the Apple Isle in what can only be described as a whirlwind 2014.
She followed her mother into the sport six years ago and now the whole family’s involved.
“I think it’s the only sport where you can actually play with Australian and Commonwealth representatives,” Tayla explained.
“I’m going away in a few weeks and I’m playing with two Australian representatives and one of them (Carla Odgers) has just come back from the Glasgow Commonwealth Games and she won a medal over there.
“Even on Saturdays I don’t think many cricket players can go out and play with Australian representatives, but that’s what we can do with bowls. We just have so many idols we can play against and meet.”
Tayla’s idol is another Commonwealth Games representative Matt Flapper, who she met a year after first representing Victoria.
“That was pretty inspirational, that I got to meet him and see that he’s just so down-to-earth,” she said.
“He’s really supportive of me too.”
As for the notion that lawn bowls is just for the older generation, Tayla couldn’t disagree more.
And she’s clearly gone a long way to dispelling the myth.
“There are so many young people involved in bowls,” Tayla said.
“I’ve been a mentor to little girls of around eight-years-old – they’ve got great actions and they’re awesome.
“It’s a sport for everyone – you can start young or old and you’ll have something to do.
“Anyone can play but how far you want to go in it depends on how patient you are and your ability to stick to something for a good couple of hours.
“It’s just about how mentally strong you are and if you can stick to it.”
