Couple SA’s top male and female darts players

PETER Machin is the state’s top-ranked male darts player and has beaten 14-time world champion Phil Taylor, but outside the SA darts community he is anonymous.

23/3/2015 pic tonight at the Hope inn Sports and Social club at Ridleyton are SA's top men's and women's darts players are husband-wife Peter and Debbie Machin.ran out of time as competition was about to start ....PHOTO DAVE CRONIN

PETER Machin is the state’s top-ranked male darts player, an Australia representative and has beaten 14-time world champion Phil Taylor.

Virtually everyone in the SA darts community knows Peter, 41, but outside it he is anonymous.

“I can walk down the street and no one knows what I do,” he says.

“Sometimes people at tournaments ask for a photo but otherwise no one has any idea unless I tell them.”

It is a Monday night at Adelaide’s home of darts, Hope Inn Sports and Social Club, and players are competing in the SA Darts Association competition.

The Northern Messenger is here for its new series, Out of Left Field, which aims to shine a light on Adelaide’s little-known sports and their stars.

Peter’s wife Deb is supposed to be at home with their two children but has brought them along after being asked to fill in for a Hope Inn team short on personnel.

Peter is there throwing for Hope Inn Northerners.

The Elizabeth couple, who became the first SA pair to win the Australian mixed doubles in July, met through the sport at a state trial in Jamestown in 2004.

“It’s a cheap, family sport and we take the kids wherever we go,” Peter says.

Husband and wife Peter and Debbie Machin are SA’s top-ranked male and female darts players. Picture: Dave Cronin

Despite her rise to number one this year, Deb, 34, says her goal in the sport is to support Peter.

He has won an Asia-Pacific tournament, played at the World Masters in England, been in every state team since 2001 and represented Australia for four years.

But his biggest claim to fame, at least to his mates, is being the only person to beat Englishman Taylor during an exhibition game in the Barossa Valley in 2012.

A clip of the match is on Youtube.

“Not many people can say they’re 1-0 up on Phil Taylor,” says Deb, who usually plays in the Tuesday night ladies association.

Peter, a BWS retail manager, is sponsored by a darts and eight-ball store and a newsagency, helping him to travel to about half of the 13 national grand prix events.

Singles winners at each grand prix usually pocket between $1000 and $3000.

Peter keeps his winnings in a stubbie holder at home.

“The money that you win you just put back into it.”

In the blood

DEB and Peter Machin both grew up in darts-mad families.

Kadina-raised Peter followed his father Brian, who was in the first SA darts team, into the sport when he was 10.

Deb, the state’s top female player, took it up after years of taking on her older siblings.

“I lived and breathed it as a kid growing up,” says Peter, the state’s top male player.

Peter would tag along with his dad to social darts competitions, trying to win to earn $5 pocket money.

Later, a friendly father-son rivalry developed that fostered Peter’s competitive streak.

When he was 17 the duo faced off in a tournament where first prize was a trip to Kangaroo Island.

“The winner of the men played the winner of the ladies and I met dad in the men’s final, and he absolutely towelled me,” Peter says.

“Two hours later he was drunk as a skunk, lost to the lady and cost me the trip.

“He’s got this clock trophy that sits on the television at his house and every time I go there I’m reminded of that bloody tournament.”

Debbie and Peter Machin take a break from the darts action at the Hope Inn Sports and Social Club. Picture: Dave Cronin

Peter says he has a few beers before every game, even major tournaments, to calm his nerves.

“I’ll probably only have half a dozen but it’ll be between 9am and 3pm, then I’ll drink water because you don’t want to be pissed.

“That dart trophy that dad won, he was too drunk but he was there for a beer and good time.”

Social it may be, but the sport occasionally features dirty tactics and gamesmanship.

Peter cites the final of a Geelong doubles tournament, where an opponent kicked the toe-line – the mark from which each player throws – as an example.

“I had a word to him afterwards,” Peter says.

Bad sportsmanship does not appear to be a problem at Hope Inn Sports and Social Club, where friendly chatter among competitors is mixed with cheers from a TV showing international darts.

About 10.30pm, Peter and Deb’s games finish.

“I was going OK then I went s*** and then I lost,” Deb says.

Peter wins his three singles matches but his side also goes down.

“That’s darts,” he says.