Review of the 2018 Illawarra Open Billiards Championship
Illawarra Master Builders Club, 61 Church Street, Wollongong NSW 2500
Friday 31st - Sunday 2nd September 2018
By David Walsh
A whirlwind of three-ball mania injected further notes of edginess and verve to the ever industrious city of
Wollongong as the Illawarra Master Builders Club slid open its white-framed doors to host the 2018 Illawarra
Open Billiards Championship, both a World Ranking and Australian National Ranking event. Late August
gales did not deter an intrepid band of participting billiardists keen to display their well-honed prowess, to
settle old scores and to occasionally loll in the ubiquitous grunge seeping from every nook and still, to this
day, filling the nostrils with teen spirit.
Such was the volume of entries that a second venue, the Western Suburbs Leagues Club in neighbouring
Unanderra, held a number of Round Robin matches on Day 2 of this 3-day event. Certainly, a diverse range
of nationalities, age groups and personalities was splendidly to the fore and culiminated in yet another
fiercely contested, but mostly gentlemanly, billiards contest. Representing the proud billiards State of Victoria
were tournament favourite Seve Mifsud, the Colebrook-Richter-Pitt Brat Pack and their much improved
understudy Neil Machlachlan. Prominent New South Wales players included State Champion Michael
Pearson, the colourful Joe Minici and both of this year's Minor State Champions; Malaysian sensation Adwin
Teh who ran riot in the esteemed timed format and the inaugural 150-up winner David Walsh who
represented Ireland at this event. Completing the cast was an unflagging horde of Illawarran bravehearts
(including the Tournament Director) and a flock of second-seed Kiwi cueists who flew across the ditch to
garnish and more than likely spike the seething melting pot.
At a first glance, the basement lounges of the Builders Club seem more in tune with punch-drunk 1980s
school discos or early 90s battle-of-the-band mosh pits. The retro vibes and spectral beats don't end there;
bounded by brick-lined walls, tattered notice boards and a curious stainless steel guardrail are 4 meticulously
refurbished billiards tables - a more classical throwback to good times past that would bring a smile to even
the most hardened and disgruntled of Gen X nostalgics.
Friday afternoon heralded Steve Cowie's first shrill utterance of "has everybody strung?!" as the balls got
rolling in the preliminary Round Robin stage. Group A must have felt like one of those exotic Interstate or
overseas weddings where you end up sitting at a table with your next-door neighbours, one of which is a
trigger-happy photographer claiming to have "an intuitive understanding of light". In the end it was Joe Minici
and Vic Cravino who staved off the cabin fever to reach the next stage of the competition.
Michael Pearson topped Group B while the in-form Adwin Teh saw off Marconi maestro Vit Sacco to clinch
the crucial runner-up spot. Group C was another classy affair as two of the most respected gentlemen of the
sport, Steve Mifsud and Roger Farebrother, sailed into the Last 16 despite the noble efforts of Illawarran
dynamo Adrian Hinks.
Phantom of the opera Peter Tankard was less Silverchair but more leather-backed ergonomic office chair as
he sat out a wicked 289-83 hammering from Group D winner Jason Colebrook, but the tenacious
Turramurran crucially side-stepped the challenge of Mick Boyne to reach the knockouts.
Local shark Keith Coomber was the joker in the Group E pack as his multi-cushion happy-go-lucky antics
bamboozled his bewildered international foes, David Walsh and Russ Delahunty. But it was the slick cueing
of his fellow Illawarran Mick Batelic and the steely determination of Don Richter that saw both of these
players advance to the next round.
David Pitt and Gene Crossingham were too strong for their Group F opponents, but hats off to Neville Moore
who discarded the white gloves to rack up an incredible break of 66 and pinch two wins to finish third. The
local entrants continued to do the region proud as Phil Miller and the acrobatic Brad Williams overcame an
out-of-sorts Todd Hayward to progress from Group G while in Group H the very talented Darren Martin joined
his Kiwi namesake Darren Taylor in the knockout stage.
The notable results in the Last 16 included an epic win for Brad Williams over the King of Crafty David Pitt
and the up-and-coming Adwin Teh's nail-biting defeat of Australian No. 9 Don Richter. Two Brats from the
Pack down. One to go.
In the Sunday morning Quarter Finals, steady play from the majestic Steve Mifsud ended Brad Williams'
impressive run in this tournament. Meanwhile, despite trailing his close companion Vic Cravino by 100 points
in the early stages, Michael Pearson did manage to find time on his hands and clocked out with a convincing
130-point victory.
Roger Farebrother outclassed Jason Colebrook with a delightful break of 112, while the live YouTube
audience was treated to a classic encounter between the Harry Potter of billiards Adwin Teh and one of the
finest druids of the game Joe Minici. Never shy from raging against the Machine, Adwin pushed Joe all the
way but ultimately was left rapping his knuckles on the mahogany in half frustration at what could have been
and in half admiration for Joe's Dumbledoresque ability to pull off the big ones when under the cosh.
They say vengeance is a dish best served cold. Well, both Semi Finals tossed up frosty platters as Joe Minici
rectified his NSW State Semi Final loss to Roger Farebrother (465-327) and Steve Mifsud hit top gear with 2
thumping breaks of 221 and 246 to ruthlessly avenge his Sydney Open Semi Final defeat by Michael
Pearson (865-244).
An eclectic mix of long-haired post-punkers, yesteryear groupies, caffeinated hipsters and polo-shirted toffs
descended the winding steps to convene at centre stage for the hotly anticipated 2 hour Final between
defending Champion Joe Minici and recent winner of the Victorian Billiards and the National Australian
Snooker Championships, Steve Mifsud. Timekeeping TD Steve Cowie, who never seems to run out of gas,
would be the first to admit that there was a genuine sense of electricity in the air. Even the live stream
viewers could detect the excitable jangle of Vic Cravino's keys amongst the hustle and tattle of the front row.
The first half of the Final did not live up to its illustrious billing as both of these great champions of the green
baize struggled to compile a sizeable break. The mutual respect between both, which cannot be understated,
perhaps explains why the billiards wasn't quite flowing. However, the deadlock was broken at the midway
point by a stroke of bad luck for Joe and a stroke of genius by Steve. Joe was just 37 points in arrears and
was on a break of 32 when a deft screw cannon presented an awkward leave. An audacious run-through inoff
recovery double-kissed with disastrous consequences as Steve was gifted with perfect top of the table
position!
The Victorian supremo rocked the Church Street vault with a spellbinding break of 327, a record
break for the Illawarra Open and one that sealed an emphatic triumph. As the clock rang out the scoreline
read 713-327. Joe, who didn't play anywhere near his best in this tournament, humorously threw in the towel
while Steve, the new champion, accepted the plaudits of all and sundry in his usual unassuming and sporting
manner.
Illawarra Master Builders Club, 61 Church Street, Wollongong NSW 2500
Friday 31st - Sunday 2nd September 2018
By David Walsh
A whirlwind of three-ball mania injected further notes of edginess and verve to the ever industrious city of
Wollongong as the Illawarra Master Builders Club slid open its white-framed doors to host the 2018 Illawarra
Open Billiards Championship, both a World Ranking and Australian National Ranking event. Late August
gales did not deter an intrepid band of participting billiardists keen to display their well-honed prowess, to
settle old scores and to occasionally loll in the ubiquitous grunge seeping from every nook and still, to this
day, filling the nostrils with teen spirit.
Such was the volume of entries that a second venue, the Western Suburbs Leagues Club in neighbouring
Unanderra, held a number of Round Robin matches on Day 2 of this 3-day event. Certainly, a diverse range
of nationalities, age groups and personalities was splendidly to the fore and culiminated in yet another
fiercely contested, but mostly gentlemanly, billiards contest. Representing the proud billiards State of Victoria
were tournament favourite Seve Mifsud, the Colebrook-Richter-Pitt Brat Pack and their much improved
understudy Neil Machlachlan. Prominent New South Wales players included State Champion Michael
Pearson, the colourful Joe Minici and both of this year's Minor State Champions; Malaysian sensation Adwin
Teh who ran riot in the esteemed timed format and the inaugural 150-up winner David Walsh who
represented Ireland at this event. Completing the cast was an unflagging horde of Illawarran bravehearts
(including the Tournament Director) and a flock of second-seed Kiwi cueists who flew across the ditch to
garnish and more than likely spike the seething melting pot.
At a first glance, the basement lounges of the Builders Club seem more in tune with punch-drunk 1980s
school discos or early 90s battle-of-the-band mosh pits. The retro vibes and spectral beats don't end there;
bounded by brick-lined walls, tattered notice boards and a curious stainless steel guardrail are 4 meticulously
refurbished billiards tables - a more classical throwback to good times past that would bring a smile to even
the most hardened and disgruntled of Gen X nostalgics.
Friday afternoon heralded Steve Cowie's first shrill utterance of "has everybody strung?!" as the balls got
rolling in the preliminary Round Robin stage. Group A must have felt like one of those exotic Interstate or
overseas weddings where you end up sitting at a table with your next-door neighbours, one of which is a
trigger-happy photographer claiming to have "an intuitive understanding of light". In the end it was Joe Minici
and Vic Cravino who staved off the cabin fever to reach the next stage of the competition.
Michael Pearson topped Group B while the in-form Adwin Teh saw off Marconi maestro Vit Sacco to clinch
the crucial runner-up spot. Group C was another classy affair as two of the most respected gentlemen of the
sport, Steve Mifsud and Roger Farebrother, sailed into the Last 16 despite the noble efforts of Illawarran
dynamo Adrian Hinks.
Phantom of the opera Peter Tankard was less Silverchair but more leather-backed ergonomic office chair as
he sat out a wicked 289-83 hammering from Group D winner Jason Colebrook, but the tenacious
Turramurran crucially side-stepped the challenge of Mick Boyne to reach the knockouts.
Local shark Keith Coomber was the joker in the Group E pack as his multi-cushion happy-go-lucky antics
bamboozled his bewildered international foes, David Walsh and Russ Delahunty. But it was the slick cueing
of his fellow Illawarran Mick Batelic and the steely determination of Don Richter that saw both of these
players advance to the next round.
David Pitt and Gene Crossingham were too strong for their Group F opponents, but hats off to Neville Moore
who discarded the white gloves to rack up an incredible break of 66 and pinch two wins to finish third. The
local entrants continued to do the region proud as Phil Miller and the acrobatic Brad Williams overcame an
out-of-sorts Todd Hayward to progress from Group G while in Group H the very talented Darren Martin joined
his Kiwi namesake Darren Taylor in the knockout stage.
The notable results in the Last 16 included an epic win for Brad Williams over the King of Crafty David Pitt
and the up-and-coming Adwin Teh's nail-biting defeat of Australian No. 9 Don Richter. Two Brats from the
Pack down. One to go.
In the Sunday morning Quarter Finals, steady play from the majestic Steve Mifsud ended Brad Williams'
impressive run in this tournament. Meanwhile, despite trailing his close companion Vic Cravino by 100 points
in the early stages, Michael Pearson did manage to find time on his hands and clocked out with a convincing
130-point victory.
Roger Farebrother outclassed Jason Colebrook with a delightful break of 112, while the live YouTube
audience was treated to a classic encounter between the Harry Potter of billiards Adwin Teh and one of the
finest druids of the game Joe Minici. Never shy from raging against the Machine, Adwin pushed Joe all the
way but ultimately was left rapping his knuckles on the mahogany in half frustration at what could have been
and in half admiration for Joe's Dumbledoresque ability to pull off the big ones when under the cosh.
They say vengeance is a dish best served cold. Well, both Semi Finals tossed up frosty platters as Joe Minici
rectified his NSW State Semi Final loss to Roger Farebrother (465-327) and Steve Mifsud hit top gear with 2
thumping breaks of 221 and 246 to ruthlessly avenge his Sydney Open Semi Final defeat by Michael
Pearson (865-244).
An eclectic mix of long-haired post-punkers, yesteryear groupies, caffeinated hipsters and polo-shirted toffs
descended the winding steps to convene at centre stage for the hotly anticipated 2 hour Final between
defending Champion Joe Minici and recent winner of the Victorian Billiards and the National Australian
Snooker Championships, Steve Mifsud. Timekeeping TD Steve Cowie, who never seems to run out of gas,
would be the first to admit that there was a genuine sense of electricity in the air. Even the live stream
viewers could detect the excitable jangle of Vic Cravino's keys amongst the hustle and tattle of the front row.
The first half of the Final did not live up to its illustrious billing as both of these great champions of the green
baize struggled to compile a sizeable break. The mutual respect between both, which cannot be understated,
perhaps explains why the billiards wasn't quite flowing. However, the deadlock was broken at the midway
point by a stroke of bad luck for Joe and a stroke of genius by Steve. Joe was just 37 points in arrears and
was on a break of 32 when a deft screw cannon presented an awkward leave. An audacious run-through inoff
recovery double-kissed with disastrous consequences as Steve was gifted with perfect top of the table
position!
The Victorian supremo rocked the Church Street vault with a spellbinding break of 327, a record
break for the Illawarra Open and one that sealed an emphatic triumph. As the clock rang out the scoreline
read 713-327. Joe, who didn't play anywhere near his best in this tournament, humorously threw in the towel
while Steve, the new champion, accepted the plaudits of all and sundry in his usual unassuming and sporting
manner.