FOR talented young Kangaroo Flat lawn bowler Cameron Keenan his short-term goal is to earn selection in the Victorian open state side for the first time.
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His long-term goal is to be a part of the action when Bendigo plays host to the lawn bowls at the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
Keenan, 17, will get his opportunity to press his case for selection in the Victorian open team this weekend when he plays in the City vs Country series, which is also doubling as a trial for the state team.
The City vs Country series will be hosted by the Bendigo Bowls Club this Saturday and Sunday, with teams comprising 24 men per side (six rinks) and 16 women per side (four rinks).
Five 15-end games will be played across the series, with the country team the defending champions.
Keenan heads into this weekend's series at Bendigo in fine form having recently won three of the events at Bowls Victoria's under-18 state championships.
Keenan - who is doing Year 12 at Rochester Secondary College - won the boys singles, boys pairs (with Koby Cromie) and open triples (with Jacob Brighton and Olivia Cartwright).
"I was really stoked to win three of the four events I competed in," said Keenan, who also played in the mixed pairs, but lost in the first round.
"To win one is a fair achievement, but to get three is something you only dream of, I guess."
With his under-18 success behind him, Keenan is now keen to impress for the Country team against its City counterparts this weekend.
"My next goal is to try to break into the open state team... if I keep bowling well then I'd like to think I'd be every chance of making it," Keenan said.
My next goal is to try to break into the open state team... if I keep bowling well then I'd like to think I'd be every chance of making it
- Cameron Keenan
"All I can do is just keep doing my best every time I get the opportunity."
Keenan has spent the past three years playing pennant with Kangaroo Flat after joining the club alongside his father, David "Crackers" Keenan.
The Flat has given Keenan an enormous opportunity to further develop his bowls by skipping for the past two seasons, the first of which was when the side made it through to the grand final, but lost to South Bendigo.
"Being able to skip is a good challenge every week and obviously a great learning curve," Keenan said.
"It's a high standard of competition, which is obviously improving my bowls.
"It's such a good fun sport to play no matter what your age is... it's competitive, but you can also have a bit of a laugh at the same time and now with Bendigo hosting the lawn bowls at the Commonwealth Games in 2026, I think that's a goal I'd like to aspire to.
"It's obviously really enticing... but it's one step at a time.
"My aim is to try to make the Victorian open team first and then see what happens."
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