They've been there and done it before but that doesn't mean the feeling of success is any less special for this year's winners of Warrnambool Bowls Club's Autumn Classic fours event.
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Skipper Scott Boschen (Koroit), Warren Perris, Mick Marchment (both Warracknabeal) and Mick Funcke (Minyip) saluted in Sunday's final to clinch the title for a second time after first triumphing in 2021.
The players, wearing their Wimmera-Mallee All-Stars uniform, defeated a South Australian team 12-11 amidst a mixture of sunshine and rain.
Boschen, who lives in Warrnambool but was raised in Minyip, was delighted with the victory.
"It's great to get over the line," he said.
"This is our second go, we've lost the final a couple of times. It's lovely, it's great. Doesn't get boring."
Boschen and Funcke, who grew up together, have been contesting the tournament together for about 15 years while all four players have competed together for the past decade.
The side's skip said the team entered the three-day competition with confidence but never went in expecting to win.
He added he thought it was the group's consistency that led them to victory.
"We bowled very well as a team and if somebody was off, somebody was on," he said.
"It was a good team effort today."
Boschen also spoke highly of the standard of play across the tournament.
"It (the standard) was pretty good," he said.
"We had to work really hard to win quite a few games. That was satisfying in that regard."
Matt Hughes
Matt is a sports journalist at The Standard.
Matt is a sports journalist at The Standard.
