The Woolsthorpe-based sheep farmer is fresh off claiming his third consecutive Victorian indoor bias bowls’ men’s singles crown – and fourth overall, with his first coming back in 2012 – and preparing to defend his Australian title at the end of August.

The state title win comes just a month after Draffen represented Australia in a Test series against New Zealand.

“I’m probably in the form of my life, really,” the 56-year-old said. “I’m probably playing the best I’ve ever played.”

Draffen won through to the decider after winning five preliminary matches back on the first weekend of June, having gone into the competition not sure how he would fare.

“I’d come back from the test series, which we played on a different length mat,” he said. “It’s a bit difficult to get your form back on the longer mat.”

He defeated Trafalgar’s Ben Jackson 21-17 in the final over 21 ends, starting well only for Jackson to catch up and challenge every step of the way.

“Ben was an up-and-comer. He hadn’t been in the final before,” Draffen said.

“I was hoping I could jump him a bit.

“On the first end, I played four really good bowls – I couldn’t have played them any better than I did.

“I got four on the first end, but then he just pegged me back. After five ends, we were four-all.”

The final continued in a similar fashion, with Jackson dragging back every break Draffen managed to build, until the Woolsthorpe bowler found himself up by an unassailable nine shots with two ends to play, after three strong ends in a row.

With indoor bowls reaching its peak season, Draffen has already turned his focus to the men’s fours state title, which will be held this weekend.

He will compete alongside fellow Cudgee bowlers Shane Cashill and Rob McLean and Koroit’s Brendan Keane.

“I’m actually pretty keen to do quite well there,” Draffen said. “We won it four years ago, in 2013. We’ve been in the mix every year we go down.”

Another south-west bowler made it to the Victorian titles finals, with Warrnambool’s Maureen Drennan going down in the ladies’ singles 9-21 to Keysborough’s Karen Brodie.

Drennan is among a host of south-west hopefuls bound for the Australia titles along with Draffen, following state selection trials, which were also held over the weekend.

South-west indoor bowlers selected in the Victorian team:

Arthur Finch (Heytesbury) in the men’s singles; Gillian Phillips (Warrnambool) and Pam Wines (Heytesbury) in the ladies’ pairs; Rodney Wilson (Warrnambool) in the men’s pairs; Shane Cashill and Jacinta Marney (Warrnambool) in the mixed pairs; Brent Mungean (Heytesbury) and Brendan Keane (Warrnambool) in the men’s triples; Nicole Collins (Warrnambool) and Jean Clover (Heytesbury) in the ladies’ fours; Harvey Robins (Heytesbury) in the men’s fours; Jenny Meade (Heytesbury), Debbie Keane, Ian Lake and Brian Lenehan (Warrnambool) in the mixed fours; Jacoba and Lara Mungean (Heytesbury) and Edith Smith (Warrnambool) in the junior girls’ singles; Liam Keegan (Warrnambool) and Noah Mungean (Heytesbury) in the junior boys’ singles. Jeanette Robbins (Colac) and Karl Keegan (Warrnambool) have been named team emergencies.