ROLL up Timboon Bowling Club's gravel driveway and you'll notice a parking spot marked 'bar manager' alongside president, treasurer and secretary.
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That park - reserved exclusively for nine-year player Gary Duro - sums up the club's love of camaraderie and banter.
Duro, who took up bowls after growing tired of golf, has seen finals action just once in his nine-year tenure at the club.
But the tide is turning.
Timboon's eight-win season - its best in almost a decade - has netted a semi-final berth against Mortlake on Saturday.
You definitely don't play to be losing, you play to win.
- Gary Duro
"It's good because this is what you play for," Duro said.
"You definitely don't play to be losing, you play to win."
Duro said the Western District Bowls Division's move to slash rinks from four to three had benefited smaller clubs.
"They've cut the rinks back to help the smaller clubs, because they don't have the volume of players," he said.
"It's probably helped because we're in finals and Mortlake is in finals, so it's helped that way."
The former dairy farmer, who lives in Timboon, said the club was buzzing due to success in multiple grades.
The club's division three side, over 60s team and midweek pennant outfit are all still alive in their respective finals series.
Duro's off-green role is also a good barometer for club-wide success.
"The sales go up," he laughed.
Another club stalwart - Arthur Finch - is also relishing Timboon's good form.
Finch, a long-time player, said shrewd off-season recruiting had helped his club climb the ranks.
"We've had Shayne (Pudney), Gill (Vorwerk) and Zac (Pearson) come out and they're all good players," he said.
"We just don't get that too often. Now that it's 12 players instead of 16, it's huge.
"Hopefully we can play well Saturday and whatever happens, happens. I still think even if we don't win on Saturday, the next two or three years should be positive.
"We've gotten to know Shayne and Zac and Gill and hopefully they're back again next year. It's just good."
Finch said while Timboon was embracing its underdog status against Warrnambool-based giants City Red and Warrnambool Gold.
"Bowls is different to tennis or footy or golf," he said.
"I can play a golfer one day and I could be too good for him most times or vice-versa. Tennis and footy are similar.
"But anyone can put a bowl on kitty. It's just how often they do it, how well they handle the pressure, make the good decision.
"If we can have a bit of a day (anything can happen)."
Timboon faces Mortlake at Terang's bowling greens on Saturday.
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