They are regulars in the Bowls Dunedin Wednesday afternoon competition but this week was the first time Tom Galway (101), Dave Hanlin (95), Colin Challis (93) and Ray McBride (90) had played together as a team.
Their average age playing Green Island at the St Kilda green on Wednesday was 94.75 years. Their oldest opponent in the Green Island team was 86-year-old Maurice Stewart.
It was a gallant effort because most of the team have some health problems.
McBride, who retired from his job as a pattern maker at Hillside 30 years ago, has two metal knees.
Hanlin has had failing sight for the past 10 years and is not able to see the bowls at the other end of the green. He is instructed by team-mates, who tell him what weight to apply to get his bowls to the other end.
Galway, a retired purchasing officer, has been mates with McBride since they worked at Hillside 50 years ago. He suffers from sugar diabetes and carries a meter to games to test his blood-sugar levels. He has a pillbox of jellybeans to eat if the count is too low.
Galway's wife died 17 years ago and he lived alone in South Dunedin before shifting to the Yvette Williams Home four years ago.
He is still drives his Honda Civic car and used to travel to Australia with his daughter Carol McRobie-Shaw each winter. That stopped when he turned 100 last year because he can no longer get travel insurance.
Challis, the skip of the team - which lost to Green Island 27-17 - is a retired motor mechanic. He still drives his car and enjoys dancing at the RSA each weekend.
‘‘I have always enjoyed sport but it is the friendship on the green that keeps me coming back now,'' McBride said.
None of them have any special secret that has kept them active on the bowling green.
‘‘It's just the luck of the draw,'' Challis said.
‘‘My good genes make it possible for me to keep playing.''
The word retirement never passed their lips during the game at St Kilda.
‘‘I keep myself reasonably fit. While I'm capable I'll keep playing,'' Galway said.
St Kilda Wednesday selector Lew Campbell was impressed and intends to keep the team together for the rest of the season.
