Find out why Boomers captain Nick Brown enjoys giving back to his club

A passionate cricketer and casual soccer player at junior level, Brown returned to the club in 2018 after some time away and hasn't taken a backward step.

Coach Andrew Grove slotted him into the back four and the 23-year-old has become an integral member of one of the league's best defences in recent seasons.

But his passion for the club stems far beyond his role on the field as he also coaches juniors and serves on the committee.

"I've just been really entrenched in the club and loved it. It's certainly been like a second family in a lot of ways," Brown said.

"You see how much work guys like Grove, (president) Matt Burt and 'Griffo' (Adam Griffith) is another one. It's hard to name names because there's so many that keep the club afloat.

"Being on the committee and coaching, I get a lot of joy out of it anyway, so I've always wanted to help out where I can.

"I'm certainly not the only one. Jacob Miles has been fantastic. He's a young one to look out for and will end up bumping me out for the captaincy sooner or later and Lachlan Simpkin is another.

"I've been at the club since I was 10 and I've got a lot of great mates at the club. It was just for a bit of fun and a kick around at first, but it's become a little bit more serious since I came back and I haven't looked back."

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Brown said he idolised former captains Pieter Noordewier and Dustin Patten when he was coming through the junior ranks at Boomers and was thrilled to follow in their footsteps.

"It was certainly unexpected, but it's a great honour. Especially being young and looking up to a lot of those guys that have come before me," he said.

It's been a roller-coaster year for Boomers, who sit fifth after a loss to Albury United on Sunday, but they'll have the chance for revenge next month when they face the Greens in the inaugural FA Cup final.

"If you look back a couple of years ago and where we were heading, we were a bit of an older side after the cup final in 2018," Brown said.

"We were probably lacking a bit of depth in the juniors, but now we seem to have this core group from 17 to 23.

"I think there's seven or eight guys that are going to be around Boomers for the next 10 years, so that's really exciting going forward."

Brown lives in a soccer-mad household with teammates Noah Spiteri, Lachlan Simpkin and Jeremy Scott and they're in their element with the Euros in full swing.

"Apart from 'Simmo' (Simpkin) we're all school teachers or aspiring to be, so we're on holidays and there's been a few late nights and we're not rising until much past 12," Brown laughed.

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