Shilling (50), a Dunedin radiation therapist, won the Heenan Plate in the singles at the national championships at Wellington and the Doubles Plate with Dunedin composer Anthony Ritchie at the same event.
The plate event is for players who fail to reach the semifinals. It means that Shilling came fifth in both events.
These performances gained him entry to the Silver Tray Invitation tournament for the best eight players in the country at Christchurch last week. He finished third-equal.
Shilling, the first Otago player to represent New Zealand at a world championships, finished ninth-equal in the United States in 1998. He was on the verge of a successful international career when he suffered from arthritis and a wrist injury that forced him to take a long break from the sport.
That experience has made him wary of setting too rigid goals.
''I'll keep playing as long as I can and as long as I keep enjoying the game,'' he said.
''I want to be able to keep on improving.''
Shilling had another taste of international croquet when he represented New Zealand at the World Croquet Federation's tournament at Adelaide in 2012. There were 80 players in the tournament and he finished in the top 25. Because of his experience with arthritis, Shilling must be careful about his training and not push himself too hard.
''I try to practise for at least an hour each day leading to tournaments,'' Shilling said.
''I like to have straight hits. You have to hit every time at 14m in top-level croquet.''
Shilling has reached the semifinals twice at the New Zealand open championships in 1986 and 1998. His goal is to get past this to make a final.
Shilling knows how difficult it will be to break back into the top team because New Zealand is the best team in the world. It won the MacRobertson Shield and became world champion when it beat England 13-7 in the final at Mount Maunganui in January. It had earlier beaten Australia 15-4 and the United States 20-1.
''The standard of croquet at the top level has not changed in the last 20 years but there is a bit more depth now,'' Shilling said. There is a new type of hoop used in croquet today that makes for more of a test.
''There is a narrower clearance and it is more difficult to get the ball through the hoop,'' Shilling said. Shilling started playing croquet at Wellington College when he was 17.
''I went along to an interclub game with a guy from my sixth form class and got hooked on it,'' he said.
''I like the challenge. Croquet is like snooker on grass. The tactics are like chess. You have to think ahead and concentrate the whole time.''
Shilling and Ritchie play for the Punga Croquet Club in Dunedin and will be giving instruction to beginners at the club open day tomorrow from 11am to 3pm.
