Not a bad question actually - you could probably write a book on the subject.
There's been a lot of bowlers from Tasmania who - if they had of kept on with the game could have been anything.
Joel Wilson - Got sick of the crap that goes with bowling - whingeing, whining, politics - and retired in 1993-94 after a few years at the top - made a brief comeback in 1995-96 but quit again weeks later.
What most likely could have been one of Tasmania's best ever was gone for good.
Andrew Tylutki - Big, fiery and aggressive. Andrew was Captain of our Boys Shield Team team for a number of years including our 1990 Champions.
Had 8 years off and came back only recently at the age of 29 - averaging around 190 in league at Moonah but has appeared to have lost that "spark" he once had.
Possessed a huge shot which could have seen him go one to very big things - had the shits with the game after a while and left.
Todd Russell - An outstanding local player who won heaps of tournaments as a junior and was also a member of the 1990 Squad.
Would have probably done very well with good exposure to mainland competition on a regular basis - but lost interest in the sport - as many do here - with the isolation, lack of competition and great expense to come to the mainland. Retired about 1992.
Gavin Hawkes - Possibly a little under-rated outside Tasmania but from what I saw of this guy he could be a machine when he got going.
Possessed many shots - this lefty had a beautiful arm-swing and powerful shot but unfortunately fell into the trap many bowlers of a youngish age fall into - trying to crank the ball too much, which is not advantageous to ones game on the very dry lanes here.
Gavin had as much potential and mental toughness as anyone I ever saw from here to beat anybody on his day and, would have done very well in big tournaments but sadly lost interest in the game and now quite frankly, wants nothing to do with the sport becasue of the politics involved in it.
A talent definately wasted.
Adam Johnson - Big AJ as he was known was a huge man.
Standing at about 6'6" and weigh about 110kgs, AJ had the ability to tear a centre apart when he got going.
AJ was a team mate of mine in the 1992-1993 Shiled Squads and was our best player in the 1993 Shield.
My last memory of tournaments with AJ will be the 1993 Under 21 Coke Classic at Moonah.
The big fella's rocked in and absolutely blown Moonah to pieces averaging well over 240 to win the tournament. With that, he walked casually into the pro-shop grabbed his other gear sitting in there, grabbed his trophy and walked out of Moonah - not to return for another seven years.
Came back in 2000 to bowl Sponsors League as a part time player but never really got the "bug" back and quit again.
Business interests and being sick of the politics was mostly the reason why AJ gave it away - this guy could have been anything.
Matt Burtt - This guy had talent to burn. Won many tournaments around the country, was (Correct me if I'm wrong) an FIQ rep as well and went to America and bowled College Bowling, was a Shield Captain in 1993 and also shot a 300 as a junior - he was awesome.
Then in about 1994 he left Tasmania for good and hasn't been back since.
Haven't really heard of him since which is a great shame because he's another that would have been a "big-time" player.
I can also think of guys from the mainland such as David Brooker, A-J Foxford, Brad Hampson, Leo Di Benedetto, Danielle McAdam.
The list goes on..................
