Chris Burrell has taken to lawn bowls like a student of the game.
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In only his first competitive season, accolades have come thick and fast for the Geelong-based Dunkeld bowler.
But for the man known as the "The Buzz", his efforts have purely been made possible by the time spent practicing his new sport. A principal corporate lawyer by day, Burrell fits a minimum 90 minutes of training in a day before work.
"It's like anything, you want to get better at it you've got to put the time in," he said.
Named West Coast Region's 2021-22 Novice Singles Champion on January 16, Burrell also took out Dunkeld's B-grade club championship and was part of the association's winning fours squad.
On Tuesday, Burrell was back on deck at City Memorial Bowls Club for his first Des Notley Memorial Classic Pairs, eager to learn from the best in the business.
"It's a great event, any opportunity to come and play six games of bowls against the quality of the bowlers you've got here," Burrell said. "We just played Matty Flapper, who has been an Australian Champion and won a Commonwealth Games bronze medal - what a great opportunity to be able to bowl against that calibre of player."
Partnering with Dunkeld teammate Stephen Field for the two-day tournament, Burrell also plies his trade within his club's division one weekend pennant team. Burrell said it was several of those players who first convinced him to give the sport a go.
"We've brought a block of land (in Dunkeld) to build a holiday house, so the guys said why don't I come and have a bowl. I started playing, and since then I've been hooked on it," he said.
Playing second on Angus Jackson's rink, Burrell felt the team was in a good position in its first year in the top-tier division.
"It's really competitive and I'm loving the competition," he said. "The guys, we're a little bit louder than everyone else, we like to cheer and enjoy it. I think it's great, it gets everyone involved in the game."
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