WHEN Matt Roberts isn't playing in front of tens of thousands at the SCG, he can often be found on a much quieter sporting stage.

For the Sydney midfielder, lawn bowls offers a welcome escape from the crowds, heavy contact, and relentless pressure of AFL football. On the green at Hillsdale Bowling Club, he has claimed a club championship, forged friendships far removed from the footy bubble, and inspired fellow bowlers to support his Swans.

Hillsdale Bowling Club boasts all the classic suburban charm while breaking the traditional mould, reflecting its multicultural Eastern Suburbs community with a diverse, significantly younger membership and a rapidly growing female contingent.

Enjoying a quiet roll-up has become particularly important during a demanding season for Roberts, who considers hobbies outside football essential for managing the mental and physical toll. While his Sydney teammates often turn to surfing or golf to unwind, lawn bowls offers Roberts his own way to reset.

"The season can be long and mentally draining, so we talk about filling your bucket back up outside of footy," he told AFL.com.au.

"Obviously, we all get a lot of enjoyment out of playing footy, but the pressure and the stress it can create mentally over the course of a year makes it important to have an outlet."

After moving into the local area earlier this year, Roberts sent a simple cold email to the club to see if he could join the Hornets. But as Roberts discussed his availability with bowls manager Brett Hughes, he casually dropped a surprising detail about his employment.

"I met up with him at the club, and he said he was keen to play some competition bowls," Hughes told AFL.com.au. 

"He said he worked some Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, so I asked what he did. He said he played footy for the Sydney Swans and I thought, 'Right'.

"You don't see many current AFL players, cricketers or NRL players playing bowls at a local club.”

Roberts soon made his competitive debut, stepping into the club's fours side as a late substitute. He admitted that his Hornets debut went much smoother than his first AFL game for the Swans four years ago.

"I played better in my lawn bowls debut than I did in my Swans debut, to be honest," he said with a smile. 

"It was a bit different, with a smaller crowd and a bit less pressure."

The stats from his AFL debut read: one kick, one handball and one tackle in a six-point win over Richmond in round 11, 2022. But the stakes could hardly have been more different. Since then, Roberts has emerged as one of the Swans' most important players. After a breakout 2024 season that earned him a Telstra AFL Rising Star nomination and the club's Rising Star Award, the 23-year-old has reached 68 games and cemented his place in Sydney's best side ahead of Friday's preliminary final against Fremantle.

A South Australian native, Roberts took up casual lawn bowls largely to follow in his father Brenton's footsteps.

"My old man's a bowls enthusiast, so I probably got it from him," Roberts said.

"Dad's been playing bowls for a while now, and I just go out and have a roll with him whenever I'm home. He thinks he's pretty good, so now and then I like to keep him honest and knock him off."

Roberts quickly established his credentials, claiming the 2025–26 Hillsdale Handicap Consistency Singles title after competing across June and July while sidelined from footy with groin soreness.

"I filled in for the semi-finals for the pennants team, and they ended up going on to win the title, which was cool. Then I won a singles event at the club, which was something new," Roberts said.

"It's called Consistency Singles, so it rewards points for getting a lot of balls close to the jack.

"It's a whole club thing, so it's a pretty good standard. I beat a couple of pretty good bowlers. Not a bad result."

Hughes was among those left impressed by Roberts' natural ability, having been on the losing end during the Consistency Singles tournament.

"He's just naturally talented. If he'd taken bowls up seriously from a young age, I genuinely think he could have represented at state level and maybe even higher," Hughes said. 

Recently, Roberts also teamed up with Hughes for the Sylvania Classic Triples, where their trio went undefeated before finishing as runners-up.

Nicknamed 'Swanny' for his dual sporting life, Roberts is treated on the green just like any other Hillsdale member.

"At our club it doesn't matter whether you're Matty Roberts or Julie Smith, everybody gets treated the same," Hughes said. 

"He'll come down and have a roll three or four days a week. It's an outlet away from AFL for him. He's not someone who arrives and talks about being an AFL player. You honestly wouldn't know."

While many members did not follow AFL before meeting Roberts, they now tune in regularly to support the Swans. For the preliminary final, the club is hosting a red-and-white themed night featuring big screens to show the match and even a specially created 'Matt Roberts cocktail' made with vodka, cranberry juice, and whipped cream.

The affection between Roberts and the club clearly goes both ways, with the winger arranging for his sponsors to customise his boots for the game, featuring the Hornets logo on one side and 'MR34' on the other.

"It meant a lot," Hughes said of the gesture. 

"If he's gone to the effort to do something like that, it shows what the club means to him. Actions speak louder than words."

Roberts finds it deeply rewarding that his involvement has hooked an older generation on footy, proving that inspiring fans isn't reserved only for kids.

"They treat me no different," he said.

"Obviously, they know I play footy. Not many of them watched AFL before I joined up, but now quite a few watch the footy and support the Swans, which is cool.

"To have an impact like that where people watch the footy because they know someone playing, it's pretty cool, too."

Roberts approached the Hornets hoping to squeeze in a few games around his football commitments, asking about upcoming tournaments whenever he has a day off. If his schedule allows, he jumps straight in to play as much as he can.

"I got stuck in and just said, 'Hopefully I can play a few games here and there when I can between footy' and they said they'd love to have me,” Roberts said. 

"From there, the rest is history."

What began as another way to keep active has become much more than that, giving Roberts a community away from football and a chance to switch off from the demands of the game.

"It's something that I enjoy, just another way to keep me busy," Roberts said.

"It's low impact on the body, keeps the competitive edge going, and there's a good group down there. It's good fun."

The sport's relaxed pace also allows him to stay sharp without adding physical strain.

"It's not too hard; you just roll a few balls and walk down the other end, so it's not too energy-exhausting," Roberts said.

"You also can't get injured playing lawn bowls."

But the appeal extends well beyond the sport itself.

"It's good to interact with a different group of people. Most of the time we're just talking garbage, really; talking about anything and everything, not just footy," Roberts said. 

"It's good to be able to talk to different people and get a perspective on their lifestyles and what they're doing.

"I've probably got 20 years on the next youngest, but I love it."

Roberts' interest in greens also include a turf management course, inspired by his love of the outdoors and a childhood playing cricket.

"I just enjoy being outside. I played a lot of cricket growing up, so turf pitches and stuff like that interest me," he said. "I'm not sure how far I'll go with it, but it's just something else to keep me busy."

The online coursework fits easily around his football schedule. He jokingly admits studying turf helps more with golf and bowls than AFL; laughing off any suggestion he goes around major venues examining or "eating" the grass.

While unsure where the course might lead, it hints at a clear post-sport direction. Asked if that future could include elite bowls or even a Commonwealth Games campaign, Roberts wasn't looking that far ahead.

"Maybe. It could be between golf and lawn bowls in the future, but I've certainly got my retirement sorted post-footy," he quipped. 

"So, I'm all good."

Roberts is keen to play in as many tournaments as possible once the Swans' campaign ends, but for now, the sport serves a simpler purpose. Beyond the competition, it offers a community outside football, a broader perspective, and a place to switch off.

As Hughes summed up: "He's always talking to members and spending time around the club. When he plays championship bowls, he's not someone who rushes off afterwards. He'll stick around for a chat, whether it's about footy or everyday life."