The tournament gathered the winning weekend pennant sides from across Victoria, the Steamers earning their place by winning the Bendigo Campaspe Goldfields Premier League to be the BCG representative at the event.
The home greens of Moama Bowling Club provided familiar surrounds for the Steamers at this year’s tournament as they kicked off their campaign in a six-team group stage.
Moama’s toughest game of the tournament would come in the opening round, as Frankston pushed the Steamers to the limit.
Skips Matt Robertson and Kevin Anderson would win their rinks, two of the total three contested, as Moama escaped by a single shot 40-39.
The Steamers would go on to record more comfortable wins over Kyneton, Paynesville, City Warrnambool and Ocean Grove to go 5-0 in the group stage.
As both teams entered their contest undefeated, the battle with Ocean Grove was the decisive contest for the group, Moama’s 38-28 win securing its place in the final.
The Steamers would meet Traralgon, who also went undefeated in the other group, in the decider.
Moama prevailed in all three rinks in a confident 46-23 win to claim the title.
Cameron Keenan skipped his quartet to a 16-8 success, while Robertson scored a 13-5 win, and Anderson got up 17-11.
“It's unreal to be honest, it's a massive achievement for everyone involved,” team captain Kevin Anderson said.
“It's tough enough to win the Bendigo league and looking at the class that was on show at the weekend, we probably wouldn't have been favourites going in.
“We were always a chance, but it's just amazing to get it done, still hasn't quite sunk in yet, but it's been really good for the club and for everyone involved in it.”
12 months ago, Moama was runner-up at the tournament, but went one better this year, surging to its first ever weekend state pennant championship.
Deer Park defeated the Steamers in all three rinks in the 2024 final, but the side learnt from last year’s effort, only to come back more determined this time around.
“We were practising two or three times a week leading up to it so all the players knew what we had to do after last year,” Anderson said.
“Obviously, getting beaten in the final last year against Deer Park was a tough one but they are a super outfit and to go one step better this year was brilliant.
“It’s just down to all the hard work of the players leading up to it.”
The state championship was contested under a slightly different format than the BCGR Premier League, with fewer ends per match and three rinks instead of four.
Knowing only 12 players from the weekly pennant were required in each round, the Steamers employed a rotational system to keep their bowlers fresh throughout the weekend.
The Champion of State Pennant is the highest honour a domestic club can reach in Victoria.
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