The Warrnamool Blue recruit has joined the Western District Bowls Division from Nyah District.

“I am looking forward to summer when I don’t have to put up with 48 degrees,” he said of his seachange from the searing Mallee heat to the Shipwreck Coast.

“It will be much more pleasant. If 40 degrees (is forecast) on the Friday night, they don’t play on the Saturday.

“We missed quite a few games through summer – we might have missed four or five games because of the temperature and you might throw in a wet day as well.

“That’s the beauty of synthetic greens (used in Warrnambool). It was all grass greens in Swan Hill.”

McCallum, 47, moved to the south-west for work in March with his wife and three teenage sons.

He picked Warrnambool as his new club after enjoying “a few frothies” with some of its players.

McCallum, who made his Western District debut in Warrnambool Blue’s round one win over Timboon Gold,  arrived with extensive experience. He spent 12 seasons at Swan Hill Racecourse before switching to Nyah District for 12 months, winning a pennant flag with each club.

“I won one with Racecourse as division one skipper. It was 28 years before they won one,” he said.

Warrnambool Blue travels to play Mortlake Blue on Saturday. Its clubmate, reigning premier Warrnambool Gold, will start its season against Port Fairy Red after a bye in the opening round.