Haydn Bojkowski was just nine when he participated in a family fun day of barefoot bowls at the Dungog club.

“We couldn’t get him off the green,” said mother Lisa, “and he joined the club for his 10th birthday, so he could play in competitions.

The same goes for Andrew Deasey, who along with his father Craig and mother Sandra, had his first game of bowls at a twilight competition in 2005.

The boys, who are now 16 and 15 respectively, are totally absorbed by the game and have built their life around the friendships they have drawn from the sport.

Haydn recently won the zone junior singles, pairs and fours.

He won the pairs with Damien Baily from Maitland City and the fours with Damien, and Andrew (Deasey) and Zac Curtis from Kurri Kurri.

Both Haydn and Andrew will compete in the NSW State Junior (under 18) Championships at Warilla next week.

Both juniors, who are ranked in the top 16 junior bowlers in the state, will also represent zone 6 at the Junior 7-a-side championships at Port Macquarie next month.

They have also been selected in the in the Hunter Region Lawn Bowls team to compete at the NSW Combined High Schools Championships at Penrith in August.

While Haydn still plays with the Dungog club, he now plays competitively with Maitland City Bowling Club under the watchful eye of Terry Harmer.

Andrew has coaching with Dungog’s Ian Watson and Jack Carroll from Kurri Kurri Bowling Club.

Both boys do their own bowls training for Thursday afternoon school sport.

A member of the Newcastle Academy of Sport, Andrew recently completed his introduction coaching certificate which qualifies him to assist first-time bowlers to learn the basics of lawn bowls.

“It’s a great game and I am so pleased I have taken it up,” Andrew said.

“Haydn and I have made so many friends through bowls . . . pretty much our social lives revolve around our bowling friends.”