Winner winner: Greg Toy, left, holds his medal after defeating Lucas Protopapas, right, at the Victorian State Disabilities Championships in Bendigo last month.
Tatura’s Greg Toy is a Victorian bowls champion once again.
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Toy, who plays at Hill Top Bowling Club at Tatura, took home the top prize at the State Disabilities Championships held in Bendigo last month, the second time he has earned the crown.
A champion in 2019, Toy went all the way again this year, improving on his semi-final appearance in 2022.
As a person with muscular dystrophy, Toy competed in the Para B5/B6 Singles category.
He was in fine form in the opening rounds, earning a clean sweep in his three pool games.
Toy defeated Peter Floropoulos 21-14, Greg Britten 21-6 and Paul Kearney 21-16 as he finished on top of his group.
That set up a semi-final encounter with a familiar foe in Andrew Brandolin – the man who defeated Toy in the 2022 grand final.
It was Brandolin who triumphed in 2022, but this time Toy was able to extract his revenge as he prevailed 21-5 to advance to the final.
In the grand final Toy wrote his name into the history books once more, defeating Lucas Protopapas 21-14 to earn his second state championship.
Double delight: Greg Toy added a second state disabilities title to his collection, having also won the crown in 2019.
This year was the first time the disabilities titles have had separate sections for B5/B6 and B7/B8, with Toy’s previous title coming when they were part of the same group.
Toy has been bowling for more than two decades, playing the sport not just across Victoria, but across the country.
“I first bowled at Yarra Junction many years ago and I was a club champion down there,” Toy said.
“We travelled around Australia for several years and I bowled socially as we travelled around the country.
“When we came back I played a season in Warburton and later settled in Tatura.”
Having bowled for more than two decades, Toy first began competing in the disabilities category in 2019 – but he said he was originally hesitant to do so.
“I have only been playing in the disability category since 2019. Before that I was too stubborn to be graded,” he said with a laugh.
“I am disabled, I was just too stubborn to say I was.
“I really enjoy that it is something I can do, I don’t have to be super physical to be able to do it. And the comradery with all the competitors and the mental aspect keeps my brain going.
“I have a disability, but people don’t really care – they are all trying to do their best to beat me and I am trying to do my best to beat them.”
At the ready: Greg Toy in action for Hill Top Bowls Club.
Photo by
Megan Fisher
Now a two-time state champion, Toy said his next goal was to be able to compete against the top bowlers from Australia.
“I’m hoping to be selected to represent the state in the national titles over in Perth in October,” he said.
“I have ever represented the state before.”
In the meantime though, Toy is staying busy during the bowls off-season.
Even though the pennant competition is done and dusted, he has still been bowling in tournaments in the region, while also hitting the greens at his local club.
Toy helps run Hill Top’s social bowls on Tuesday nights and he encouraged anyone interested in having a go to come on down and say hello.
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