Possible Australian record as Highland Muscle leads games at Celtic Festival

"This is probably the best field yet, last year was really good as well," Mr Mitchell said as around 10 strong men and women wrapped up the third event of the day.

One competitor hurled a ground record, which the team is waiting to confirm might be an Australian record, lobbing a 12kg weight more than 22 metres.

Those who can trace a Celtic lineage wear the tartans of their ancestors on their kilts, while others pick patterns to suit their style.

The team launched some personal bests and also interacted with the crowd, showing how heavy some of the weights and throwing stones were on Saturday ahead of a second day of competition on Sunday.

"Actually holding the stone is quite awkward - as you can see with the heavy stone being a 17kg odd looking thing it makes it difficult and it's part of the challenge," Mr Mitchell said.

Mr Mitchell, who is Australia's current Caber Toss champion said the log-hurling event was a definite favourite among spectators and competitors.

"Caber toss is definitely the pinnacle event for highland games in the world - it's super challenging, it's really hard to do, it's pure technique - you've got to be strong enough to hold it once you've got it, but it's technique it's my favourite.

"Hammers are probably next most popular after that."

After launching Highland Muscle in 2008, Mr Mitchell said he was thrilled to see Highland Games reaching new heights in Australia, securing an international championship in Melbourne next year and the team boasting a soon-to-be international competitor.

The team has aligned with the International Highland Games Federation and Terry Sparkes has qualified for Worlds in Norway after winning the Australian Championship.

"Terry is now the Australian Champion, the New Zealand Champion and the Oceanic Champion which has earned him a ticket to Worlds in Norway."

Securing an international competition is a highlight for the team though after helping rebuild the popularity of the sport.

"I started this in 2008 with my brother, it's taken us this long to really get traction and get noticed and start working to bring the sport back from the ground up to let it grow again," he said.

"Highland Games in Australia was huge in the 60s, 70s and 80s and it really fell away - we're a small nation with so many sports so it fell away a little bit - but it's starting to come back and I put in about two years work with the Melbourne committee to get an international event.

"We've finally got across the line and thanks to the Victorian Government they've come on board to help fund it so we're bringing about 30 international competitors and judges and TV, it's going to be a huge event."