The surfer mates of 15 years are currently competing in the popular renovation show, set to air in August. 

The Sussex Inlet pair has both worked on their own homes and are putting their skills to the test on The Block jobsite. 

While they may have swapped the producer’s request for a ‘mood board’ with a ‘nude board’ in the application process, the two said there was no confusion when it came to entering the series. 

“I just said, ‘should we go on The Block, Wombat?’ Sticks said. 

There was no hesitation from Wombat. 

“Sticks just said, ‘come round tomorrow and we’ll make a movie.’ That was it,” Wombat added.

“We brainstormed for half an hour and got it done.”

Sticks, 31, is a carpenter and photographer. Married with a 15-month-old son, his life got even busier recently. He welcomed the birth of his baby while on set and made a quick trip home to meet the new arrival. 

Sticks, otherwise known as Mark Croker, got his nickname as a kid due to his gangly stature. While he’s got the trade to get the job done, he’s leaving all the pesky budget issues to Wombat. 

Wombat, 37, is a salesman and a self-confessed ‘tight-arse with a dollar’ who has the lifestyle to match. 

He’s living ‘off the grid’ in a shipping container with no electricity, running water – and no toilet. The simple life suits him fine however, and he and son Jake, 7, enjoy their time together in the bush.

“He loves it out here,” Wombat said, who shares custody of his son with his ex-wife who lives nearby.

When he’s not in the surf or working for a local board manufacturer, Wombat can be found with a textbook in hand, homeschooling Jake or over at Sticks’ house watching TV. 

“I don’t have one at home,” Wombat said. 

For Wombat, who hasn’t got the practical skills and expertise of his friend, the lure of giving it a go and learning a thing or two along the way was too great. 

“I’m living in a shipping container, and the whole idea is to finish it off. I want to do it by myself,” he said. 

“I gave a hand to build two houses but I want to have the skills to build mine from start to finish.”

As for their style, they’re not entirely sure what that will be yet but they do know who will be doing the styling. 

“I’m colour blind,” Sticks said. 

The pair see The Block as an extension of their adventures and can’t wait to get stuck in.