Football gets a guernsey during winter in Merrylands, too.

But they're just a warm-up for the real action.

That happens indoors around the snooker table.

The Chammases haven't yet come to blows or wrapped cues around each other but the daily competition is intense.

And the Chammases are proof that intense competition brings out the best in everyone.

Jason, 13, has just beaten Johnny, 14, in the NSW under15s billiards final at Narrabeen RSL.

Johnny turned the table in the snooker, beating Jason in the under 15s snooker semi-final before losing the final.

Any disputes, gamesmanship, joking around?

``No, we were just smiling,'' said Jason of the fraternal fight to the finish.

There may be examples of brothers playing each other in billiards and snooker state semi-finals and finals, but they would be rare.

But not as rare as young teenagers playing billiards, a game of high mental and physical skill with few practitioners.

There was a time when billiards was huge; a time when Walter Lindrum ruled the world and set records which still rank him as arguably Australia's greatest sportsperson, greater even than Bradman.

``We both prefer billiards. It's a brain game,'' said Jason of the brothers' preference.

They like snooker, too, but Jason is dismissive of pool as hit-and-giggle kids' stuff.

``It's not very popular in Australia. It's a game you play when you're mucking around.''

That's a statement which would earn a cue around the head at several pubs.

The Chammases started learning the higher artforms, the techniques and strategies from father George when old enough to hold a cue.

``Dad teaches us,'' said Jason. ``He gives us a start and smashes us.''

The Chammases still play cricket, rugby league and soccer but older brother Michael long ago put his cue in the rack in favour of a cricket bat and football.

That's save for when the money's on. He practises for a few weeks and ``he always gets lucky'', Jason said.

``Boring,'' said Michael of games whose skills are of another pre-technology, pre-instant-excitement age.

Skills kept alive by devoted cueman like the Chammases.