A new competition name, club and promotion rules highlight changes to the district's lawn bowls association for the 2021-22 season.
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The Western District Playing Area - formerly known as the Western District Bowls Division - will kick off its midweek pennant seasons on October 19 and weekend competitions on October 23.
The WDBD is now dissolved after the Western Region switched to playing areas.
Each of the region's playing areas has its own pennant committee, which is tasked with ensuring its competitions run smoothly.
Daryl Andrew is chair with Ian Prout, Barry Bowen and Marian Treweek also part of the playing area's pennant committee.
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The Western District Playing Area still has its nine member clubs of City Memorial, Dennington, Lawn Tennis, Warrnambool, Koroit, Mortlake, Port Fairy, Terang and Timboon.
Dunkeld is now the area's 10th club after moving its two Saturday competition teams, which will play in division one and five, into the WDPA.
WDPA committee member Marian Treweek said Dunkeld featured in division two last year after the other nine clubs voted it in and allowed it to start in the second grade.
Dunkeld Blue went on to win the division, scoring promotion to division one for the 2021-22 campaign. This summer its division five side - Dunkeld White - will make its debut.
Treweek also confirmed the WDPA would continue with "true promotion and relegation" throughout its grades.
"In the past we had a rule that a club couldn't have more than two teams in division one," she said.
"Now we have true promotion and relegation. Most of the areas have that rule.
"In midweek pennant City had won it three years in a row and they were stuck in division two but now we have natural progression up and down."
The rule means City Memorial will have three sides in the midweek pennant's first division for the 2021-22 campaign. City Pink won last season's division two grand final, defeating Lawn Tennis Green 65-59.
City's three division one teams will be known as Sapphires, Rubies and Diamonds. Warrnambool Blue was relegated to division two while Mortlake will not feature in the top grade.
Lawn Tennis will field five teams this season but some of its sides will have to play home matches at City Memorial due to space restraints at its Pertobe Road green.
Treweek said the WDPA may have to return to morning and afternoon sessions to split the divisions and ensure social distancing rules were abided by.
She said the pennant committee was hopeful of a season uninterrupted by COVID lockdowns.
Teams will play 14 rounds in both divisions. Midweek semi-finals are booked for February 22, prelims for March 1 and the grand final at Terang on March 8.
The weekend pennant will play its semi-finals on February 26, prelims on March 5 and grand finals also at Terang on March 12.
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Sean Hardeman
I'm a sports journalist for the Warrnambool Standard who covers a number of different sports across the south-west of Victoria. I enjoy watching cycling, surfing, football, soccer and Formula 1.
I'm a sports journalist for the Warrnambool Standard who covers a number of different sports across the south-west of Victoria. I enjoy watching cycling, surfing, football, soccer and Formula 1.
