Myrtleford's Declan Bren nominated for Rising Star award

But for those who have watched the Ovens and Murray's latest Rising Star nomination Declan Bren in action, courage is not an issue.

"His attack on the ball is one thing that we really like, he's a straight-line player," co-coach Jake Sharp praised.

The teenager was on the end of the season's biggest hit against Lavington on April 17.

Powerhouse Panther Aidan Johnson hit him in a perfectly legal tackle just as he was kicking the ball.

He sailed a metre and a half in the air and crashed back to earth on his back.

Bren was forced from the field to catch his breath before returning to play a crucial role in the comeback win against the premiers.

The crafty forward kicked a goal against the Panthers and finished with 20 from his 10 matches, with the Lavington game his first of the year in seniors and just his fifth after debuting in 2019.

"Probably just the bigger bodies, I'm still young and small," Bren suggested when quizzed what's been the most difficult aspect of moving from the under 18s.

"I think I adjusted better to it this year than I did in 2019."

Bren was part of the Saints thirds which won the competition in 2019 - just a year after it didn't have the numbers to field a team.

"He's got incredible speed and his goal sense is something that you can't teach," Sharp revealed.

"He had a couple of set shots for goal in moments that we needed a young player to stand up and convert those shots and that's a sign of his maturity."

Bren also showed his ability to cope with disappointment when he returned from playing with the Murray Bushrangers' representative team and had to come back through the reserves.

"He took it on the chin like a champion, whatever you put in front of him, he keeps lapping up," Sharp explained.

And Bren has also shown his maturity, off the field, by starting out in business in the fitness industry with Dec's Outdoor Bootcamp.

"I was working in the same area and I just loved the work at the bootcamp I was doing, loved the people and it was just a good vibe," he enthused.

"There were quite a few members I was still in contact with a lot and it just gives me a kick to get into it, getting back into it was unreal."

The business world has, unfortunately, been littered with companies struggling under the weight of COVID restrictions.

"It's all pretty fresh at the moment, so it's been a bit stressful," he admitted of the rollercoaster ride.

"Once I got a lot of the harder stuff out of the way, getting qualified and insured, it's been easier with most of my time being taken up with writing programs and coaching classes, which is the fun part."

ALSO IN SPORT:

You get the impression that if Bren can handle going into business as a teen, during COVID, there's nothing that will worry him too much on the field.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: