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Review of the 2018 Club Marconi Sydney Open Billiards Championship
Club Marconi, 121 Prairie Vale Rd, Bossley Park NSW 2176
Friday 6th - Sunday 8th April 2018
By David Walsh
In the aftermath of an early Easter, remnants of magic and make-belief lingered in the balmy Bossley plains
as Australia's Mediterranean cuesports Mecca, Club Marconi, proudly hosted the second installment of the
annual Sydney Open Billiards Championship. For some it was the lure of representing State and Country at
a magisterial WBL event while for others it was the wanton scramble for National Ranking points that drew
an elite band of International and Interstate cueists as well as a motley crew of cads, sharps and galahs
braced for punishment.
Whether deliberatley in tune with the time of year or a subconscious poetic statement, wedged between door
jambs in the far corner of Marconi's greyscale interior lay a timber cruciform structure with blood-red tape
supports, which would indeed serve as a salivating portent for all kinds of billiardistic crucifixions as the
weekend progressed. Dressed in black and primed for consecration, principal celebrant Neville Moore
wielded the necessary implements for the tasks in hand. Indeed for the sadists and schadenfreudists
amongst us, live online streaming of all matches played on Table 3 was available to the yelps and howls of
the baying masses.
In the opening round robin format, where each match was contested over 80 minutes, World No. 1 Peter
Gilchrist made his Group A opponents seem more like half-baked ducks in a barrel than fresh and energetic
rabbits as he waltzed his way to the knockouts with customary mirthfulness and glee and recorded an
impressive combined tally of century and double-century breaks in the process. Roger Farebrother, a stylish
cueist in his own right, cruised his way to the crucial second spot while the remaining group antagonists,
namely Brice Hilliard, Mick Newman and Dave MacMahon, registered one win each to exit the event with
heads still held high.
This year's winner of the Oceania Billiards Championship, Joe Minici, topped Group B but came perilously
close to losing his match against group runner-up Adwin Teh who replicated the outstanding form that
emphatically won him the New South Wales Minor Billiards Championship in February. In the end, it was
Adwin's 19-point victory over the experienced Illawarran Adrian Hinks that got him over the line and into the
next round. But the drama didn't stop there. The group's bottom seed, Steve Fabian, ought to be
commended for pushing Adrian all the way resulting in a level score in their game as the clocks rang out.
Bizarrely, in his allotted 3-minute visit to the table, Steve failed to score from the re-spot position while Adrian
duly obliged to win the match by 2 points.
Group C didn't stray too far from the script as NSW trailblazer Michael Pearson ruthlessly put paid to all of
his challengers. Meanwhile, Vic Cravino, who holds a key to everyone's heart as well as every room and
cabinet in Marconi, looked perfectly at home as he comfortably unravelled the necessary combination to gain
entry to the next round.
Despite sharing the same initials as The Messiah, Jason Colebrook told no parables and took no prisoners to
finish a convincing winner of Group D and was followed in hot pursuit by the slightly more pious and
perpetually reverent disciple of Marconi's cathedral of hazards, Vit Sacco.
One of Australia's greatest cueists, Steve Mifsud skipped to the summit of Group E with ease and majesty
and finished the round with an awe-inspiring average points difference that exceeded 430 points. The
ensuing clamber for second place was, however, uproarious and chaotic at best, a pattern of results that was
helped in no minute manner by the involvement of Turramurra's tenacious tango addict, Peter “Pavarotti”
Tankard. The first shock of the group was Dirk Hellenbroich's stunning victory over Michael Batelic, who had
been quietly confident prior to this event as word on the street had it that he was re-discovering old form and
was looking good on the practice tables. Dirk then fell foul of Mr. Tankard's cunning schemes and theatrical
booby-traps to lose by just 14 points, which threw the group wide open. Ultimately, Michael Batelic had the
last laugh as victories over John Burns and the operatic Turramurran sealed his passage to the Last 16. In
the meantime, an inspired display of longe-range potting and losing hazards sealed an unlikely win for John
in his final group match, a result that rendered Dirk speechless and no doubt stinging for weeks to come.
Snooker ace Ben Judge demonstrated his billiards prowess to claim the scalp of Victoria's finest David
Collins, which settled the race for first place in Group F. And last but by no means least, Roger Davey
shocked all and sundry with his pre-tournament announcement that he would be retiring from billiards
refereeing to focus more on playing the game. However, it does seem that old habits die hard as Roger
finished bottom of this group and proceeded to officiate a total of 4 games throughout the tournament.
There are not many predatory herbivores on this planet. But Group G's George Chammas certainly fitted that
bill as a steady torrent of 50+ breaks saw him comfortably into the next round. Second-placed David Pitt
played some nice billiards as he joyously spearheaded a tumultuous invasion of wine-swigging Victorian
rogues. Lastly, despite not managing to break on through to the other side of this particular stage, Jim
Morrison basked in the limelight and seemed acutely in tune with the mayhem of butchered classics and
smashed mirrors which played out as a less than heavenly backdrop to the mainstage drama. Indeed, ask
Jim any day and he'll tell you that the West is the best.
The ever punctual Todd Hayward hit the ground running in Group H against hapless Irishman David Walsh
with a thumping 500-157 conquest but came unstuck in the tie that decided pole position, his nemesis being
the tenacious veteran Don Richter, a keen tourist who rarely shies from the path to glory. Similar to Groups A
and F, the red-faced rabbits embroiled in the relegation quagmire summoned one triumph each to scamper
home battered and belittled but with smidgens of hope still in essence.
The round robin rejects cursed their luck and hobbled home to listen to The Smiths, while the suave and the
slick sprang upon the Saturday night boards as the 90-minute Last 16 matches got underway. Peter Gilchrist
was in glittering form as a lively haul of 203 and 185 put paid to Michael Batelic's confident return to
competitive billiards. David Collins saw off Don Richter in a gruelling encounter and Roger Farebrother
edged out George Chammas in a similarly nail-biting contest.
Similar to his group game with Adwin Teh, Joe Minici performed a minor miracle to escape from the clutches
of death against Vic Cravino. Another Marconi die-hard, Vit Sacco, put up a sturdy ruck against Steve Mifsud
but could not withstand the ease and flow of Steve's raw scoring capabilities. Meanwhile, Ben Judge
displayed nerves of steel and kept Todd Hayward in his chair for long stretches to run out a 36-point victor.
Alas, the runaway Adwin Teh train ran out of tracks as Michael Pearson blitzed the Malaysian sensation by
almost 400 points in a performance that was hailed by the wide-eyed onlookers as being ruthlessly machinelike
but with enough magical moments to warm the coldest of hearts.
Undoubtedly, the shock of the round was David Pitt's crafty defeat of Jason Colebrook, a result that spurred
the 2018 Oceania Billiards finalist to make a wild dash for the Harbour Bridge only to run out of puff half way
down Prairie Vale Road.
The Sunday morning Quarter Finals almost produced two further upsets; a classy display from David Collins
came unstuck when Peter Gilchrsit saved his best till the last with crucial breaks of 169 and 122 to secure a
577-406 win. Meanwhile, despite another Hurculean effort, Ben Judge lost by the skin of his teeth (327-298)
to Steve Mifsud whose successful negotiation of the baulk line crossing rule proved pivotal when the going
got tough. Michael Pearson looked in fine fettle as he compiled clinical breaks of 63 and 99 to quell the
increasing menace of the green baize specialist Roger Farebrother. And finally, Joe Minici rediscovered
some of his old tricks, which gave David Pitt no option but to raise the white flag.
The 2-hour Semi Finals couldn't have contrasted more sharply in terms of ambience and chips on the table.
A tense Table 1 audience could hear a toothpick drop on a pillow as Steve Mifsud and Michael Pearson
strung for the break-off, while the frenzied Table 3 circus sniggered and twitched as two of the greatest
billiardist showmen, Peter Gilchrist and Joe Minici, merrily jostled for the loudest hoots.
Michael hit the ground running and played his best billiards of the weekend to upset the odds and build an
unassailable lead afer 1 hour of play. Steve found his rhythm in the latter stages and referee Gary Fell was
made to sweat as the 3 times Australian Open Billiards champion played with such speed and fluency in a
bid to put respectability on the board. With the clock running out, Michael cleverly opted for an open table
approach to keep Steve in his chair and seal an admirable passage to the Final.
On a slightly less competitive note but an exceedingly more comic one, Joe happily played second fiddle to
another towering show of force from his Singaporean counterpart. Peter's swashbuckling contributions of
332 and 209 put the result well beyond doubt before Joe had even taken his first sip of water. In fact, the only
items that were missing from Neville Moore's chest were a bucket of tar and a bag of feathers as Peter
cheekily teased Joe with multiple cushion cannons and devilish side bets on who could land the most
audacious stroke of magic. With the scores reading 907-304 in Peter's favour, experienced NSW referee
Warren Ackary was inexplicably oblivious as Joe proceeded to play with Peter's ball and managed a
commendable 63 break to boot. All the while, Peter sat back in his seat grinning like a cheshire cat on
Santa's lap. At the handshake, Joe was jumping for joy having cracked the 500 mark on the official
scoreboard. Peter's grin hadn't faded one iota as he knew very well that 12.5% of Joe's tally was bogus!
A sizeable Marconi crowd bore witness to a quality Final where once again, Peter Gilchrist did most of his
damage early on to take a commanding lead. The elegance, swiftness and mastery of his break-building
stunned the faithful as visits of 236, 173 and 151 were combined with an avalanche of 50+ breaks - a lethal
cocktail for any opponent. Nevertheless, a meritorious effort from Michael Pearson yielded three breaks over
70 and he even afforded a few trickshots of his own as the magic of the occasion and the inevitability of the
result dawned. At the final bell, the man who had been summoning rabbits all weekend (as well as bashing
them to smithereens) stood to rapturous applause and greeted the well-wishers before leading the messianic
parade to an exquisite supper. Peter was a worthy winner indeed.
Speckles of stardust and echoes of anecdotes remained as the sultry Sunday sun faded in Sydney's West.
Once a dormant sport and almost forgotten, the spirit of billiards had been rekindled and seemed alive and
well as Gilchrist left the building.
Acknowledgements
Such a glorious event as this one would not have been possible without the kind support and cooperation of
Club Marconi as well as the meticulous scheduling and organisational dexterity of everyone's favourite
ticking time bomb, Tournament Director Steve Cowie. A colossal appreciation is owed to Warren Ackary and
Gary Fell who relayed their refereeing adroitness throughout and this review would not be complete without a
special mention to the man who bravely carried the cross over a very long weekend: in what will surely be
logged in the annals as the Holy Trinity of billiards, Neville Moore instigated and successfully broadcasted
live video footage of 17 matches and somehow conjured up the energy to deliver a refereeing masterclass in
the Final as well as simultaneously controlling the digital scoreboard. Kudos to Neville for a marvellous
contribution. And let us not forget the tireless and steadfast commitment of the Billiards Australia crew who
give so freely of their time and willingly do all that is necessary to keep this roller-coaster show on the road.
Club Marconi, 121 Prairie Vale Rd, Bossley Park NSW 2176
Friday 6th - Sunday 8th April 2018
By David Walsh
In the aftermath of an early Easter, remnants of magic and make-belief lingered in the balmy Bossley plains
as Australia's Mediterranean cuesports Mecca, Club Marconi, proudly hosted the second installment of the
annual Sydney Open Billiards Championship. For some it was the lure of representing State and Country at
a magisterial WBL event while for others it was the wanton scramble for National Ranking points that drew
an elite band of International and Interstate cueists as well as a motley crew of cads, sharps and galahs
braced for punishment.
Whether deliberatley in tune with the time of year or a subconscious poetic statement, wedged between door
jambs in the far corner of Marconi's greyscale interior lay a timber cruciform structure with blood-red tape
supports, which would indeed serve as a salivating portent for all kinds of billiardistic crucifixions as the
weekend progressed. Dressed in black and primed for consecration, principal celebrant Neville Moore
wielded the necessary implements for the tasks in hand. Indeed for the sadists and schadenfreudists
amongst us, live online streaming of all matches played on Table 3 was available to the yelps and howls of
the baying masses.
In the opening round robin format, where each match was contested over 80 minutes, World No. 1 Peter
Gilchrist made his Group A opponents seem more like half-baked ducks in a barrel than fresh and energetic
rabbits as he waltzed his way to the knockouts with customary mirthfulness and glee and recorded an
impressive combined tally of century and double-century breaks in the process. Roger Farebrother, a stylish
cueist in his own right, cruised his way to the crucial second spot while the remaining group antagonists,
namely Brice Hilliard, Mick Newman and Dave MacMahon, registered one win each to exit the event with
heads still held high.
This year's winner of the Oceania Billiards Championship, Joe Minici, topped Group B but came perilously
close to losing his match against group runner-up Adwin Teh who replicated the outstanding form that
emphatically won him the New South Wales Minor Billiards Championship in February. In the end, it was
Adwin's 19-point victory over the experienced Illawarran Adrian Hinks that got him over the line and into the
next round. But the drama didn't stop there. The group's bottom seed, Steve Fabian, ought to be
commended for pushing Adrian all the way resulting in a level score in their game as the clocks rang out.
Bizarrely, in his allotted 3-minute visit to the table, Steve failed to score from the re-spot position while Adrian
duly obliged to win the match by 2 points.
Group C didn't stray too far from the script as NSW trailblazer Michael Pearson ruthlessly put paid to all of
his challengers. Meanwhile, Vic Cravino, who holds a key to everyone's heart as well as every room and
cabinet in Marconi, looked perfectly at home as he comfortably unravelled the necessary combination to gain
entry to the next round.
Despite sharing the same initials as The Messiah, Jason Colebrook told no parables and took no prisoners to
finish a convincing winner of Group D and was followed in hot pursuit by the slightly more pious and
perpetually reverent disciple of Marconi's cathedral of hazards, Vit Sacco.
One of Australia's greatest cueists, Steve Mifsud skipped to the summit of Group E with ease and majesty
and finished the round with an awe-inspiring average points difference that exceeded 430 points. The
ensuing clamber for second place was, however, uproarious and chaotic at best, a pattern of results that was
helped in no minute manner by the involvement of Turramurra's tenacious tango addict, Peter “Pavarotti”
Tankard. The first shock of the group was Dirk Hellenbroich's stunning victory over Michael Batelic, who had
been quietly confident prior to this event as word on the street had it that he was re-discovering old form and
was looking good on the practice tables. Dirk then fell foul of Mr. Tankard's cunning schemes and theatrical
booby-traps to lose by just 14 points, which threw the group wide open. Ultimately, Michael Batelic had the
last laugh as victories over John Burns and the operatic Turramurran sealed his passage to the Last 16. In
the meantime, an inspired display of longe-range potting and losing hazards sealed an unlikely win for John
in his final group match, a result that rendered Dirk speechless and no doubt stinging for weeks to come.
Snooker ace Ben Judge demonstrated his billiards prowess to claim the scalp of Victoria's finest David
Collins, which settled the race for first place in Group F. And last but by no means least, Roger Davey
shocked all and sundry with his pre-tournament announcement that he would be retiring from billiards
refereeing to focus more on playing the game. However, it does seem that old habits die hard as Roger
finished bottom of this group and proceeded to officiate a total of 4 games throughout the tournament.
There are not many predatory herbivores on this planet. But Group G's George Chammas certainly fitted that
bill as a steady torrent of 50+ breaks saw him comfortably into the next round. Second-placed David Pitt
played some nice billiards as he joyously spearheaded a tumultuous invasion of wine-swigging Victorian
rogues. Lastly, despite not managing to break on through to the other side of this particular stage, Jim
Morrison basked in the limelight and seemed acutely in tune with the mayhem of butchered classics and
smashed mirrors which played out as a less than heavenly backdrop to the mainstage drama. Indeed, ask
Jim any day and he'll tell you that the West is the best.
The ever punctual Todd Hayward hit the ground running in Group H against hapless Irishman David Walsh
with a thumping 500-157 conquest but came unstuck in the tie that decided pole position, his nemesis being
the tenacious veteran Don Richter, a keen tourist who rarely shies from the path to glory. Similar to Groups A
and F, the red-faced rabbits embroiled in the relegation quagmire summoned one triumph each to scamper
home battered and belittled but with smidgens of hope still in essence.
The round robin rejects cursed their luck and hobbled home to listen to The Smiths, while the suave and the
slick sprang upon the Saturday night boards as the 90-minute Last 16 matches got underway. Peter Gilchrist
was in glittering form as a lively haul of 203 and 185 put paid to Michael Batelic's confident return to
competitive billiards. David Collins saw off Don Richter in a gruelling encounter and Roger Farebrother
edged out George Chammas in a similarly nail-biting contest.
Similar to his group game with Adwin Teh, Joe Minici performed a minor miracle to escape from the clutches
of death against Vic Cravino. Another Marconi die-hard, Vit Sacco, put up a sturdy ruck against Steve Mifsud
but could not withstand the ease and flow of Steve's raw scoring capabilities. Meanwhile, Ben Judge
displayed nerves of steel and kept Todd Hayward in his chair for long stretches to run out a 36-point victor.
Alas, the runaway Adwin Teh train ran out of tracks as Michael Pearson blitzed the Malaysian sensation by
almost 400 points in a performance that was hailed by the wide-eyed onlookers as being ruthlessly machinelike
but with enough magical moments to warm the coldest of hearts.
Undoubtedly, the shock of the round was David Pitt's crafty defeat of Jason Colebrook, a result that spurred
the 2018 Oceania Billiards finalist to make a wild dash for the Harbour Bridge only to run out of puff half way
down Prairie Vale Road.
The Sunday morning Quarter Finals almost produced two further upsets; a classy display from David Collins
came unstuck when Peter Gilchrsit saved his best till the last with crucial breaks of 169 and 122 to secure a
577-406 win. Meanwhile, despite another Hurculean effort, Ben Judge lost by the skin of his teeth (327-298)
to Steve Mifsud whose successful negotiation of the baulk line crossing rule proved pivotal when the going
got tough. Michael Pearson looked in fine fettle as he compiled clinical breaks of 63 and 99 to quell the
increasing menace of the green baize specialist Roger Farebrother. And finally, Joe Minici rediscovered
some of his old tricks, which gave David Pitt no option but to raise the white flag.
The 2-hour Semi Finals couldn't have contrasted more sharply in terms of ambience and chips on the table.
A tense Table 1 audience could hear a toothpick drop on a pillow as Steve Mifsud and Michael Pearson
strung for the break-off, while the frenzied Table 3 circus sniggered and twitched as two of the greatest
billiardist showmen, Peter Gilchrist and Joe Minici, merrily jostled for the loudest hoots.
Michael hit the ground running and played his best billiards of the weekend to upset the odds and build an
unassailable lead afer 1 hour of play. Steve found his rhythm in the latter stages and referee Gary Fell was
made to sweat as the 3 times Australian Open Billiards champion played with such speed and fluency in a
bid to put respectability on the board. With the clock running out, Michael cleverly opted for an open table
approach to keep Steve in his chair and seal an admirable passage to the Final.
On a slightly less competitive note but an exceedingly more comic one, Joe happily played second fiddle to
another towering show of force from his Singaporean counterpart. Peter's swashbuckling contributions of
332 and 209 put the result well beyond doubt before Joe had even taken his first sip of water. In fact, the only
items that were missing from Neville Moore's chest were a bucket of tar and a bag of feathers as Peter
cheekily teased Joe with multiple cushion cannons and devilish side bets on who could land the most
audacious stroke of magic. With the scores reading 907-304 in Peter's favour, experienced NSW referee
Warren Ackary was inexplicably oblivious as Joe proceeded to play with Peter's ball and managed a
commendable 63 break to boot. All the while, Peter sat back in his seat grinning like a cheshire cat on
Santa's lap. At the handshake, Joe was jumping for joy having cracked the 500 mark on the official
scoreboard. Peter's grin hadn't faded one iota as he knew very well that 12.5% of Joe's tally was bogus!
A sizeable Marconi crowd bore witness to a quality Final where once again, Peter Gilchrist did most of his
damage early on to take a commanding lead. The elegance, swiftness and mastery of his break-building
stunned the faithful as visits of 236, 173 and 151 were combined with an avalanche of 50+ breaks - a lethal
cocktail for any opponent. Nevertheless, a meritorious effort from Michael Pearson yielded three breaks over
70 and he even afforded a few trickshots of his own as the magic of the occasion and the inevitability of the
result dawned. At the final bell, the man who had been summoning rabbits all weekend (as well as bashing
them to smithereens) stood to rapturous applause and greeted the well-wishers before leading the messianic
parade to an exquisite supper. Peter was a worthy winner indeed.
Speckles of stardust and echoes of anecdotes remained as the sultry Sunday sun faded in Sydney's West.
Once a dormant sport and almost forgotten, the spirit of billiards had been rekindled and seemed alive and
well as Gilchrist left the building.
Acknowledgements
Such a glorious event as this one would not have been possible without the kind support and cooperation of
Club Marconi as well as the meticulous scheduling and organisational dexterity of everyone's favourite
ticking time bomb, Tournament Director Steve Cowie. A colossal appreciation is owed to Warren Ackary and
Gary Fell who relayed their refereeing adroitness throughout and this review would not be complete without a
special mention to the man who bravely carried the cross over a very long weekend: in what will surely be
logged in the annals as the Holy Trinity of billiards, Neville Moore instigated and successfully broadcasted
live video footage of 17 matches and somehow conjured up the energy to deliver a refereeing masterclass in
the Final as well as simultaneously controlling the digital scoreboard. Kudos to Neville for a marvellous
contribution. And let us not forget the tireless and steadfast commitment of the Billiards Australia crew who
give so freely of their time and willingly do all that is necessary to keep this roller-coaster show on the road.
