The full-time inclusion of Carman this season has been a huge bonus for Holbrook since the Lavington premiership player relocated after 18 months in Wollongong.

Carman, 24, found his sea legs while living on the coast but he's now got his feet firmly back on the dry land and his eyes set on adding a Hume league flag to his CV.

"My girlfriend got a job in Wollongong and I was happy to move," Carman said.

"I learned to surf and had a couple of years off footy, although I came back and played three games for Holbrook last year.

"The plan was to play four and play finals before COVID hit.

"I was happy enough to come back and play for them because I just love playing for Holbrook."

Brookers coach Matt Sharp is thrilled to have Carman at his disposal every week.

"When I first started in 2018, Brad was an unknown but he was doing this back then," Sharp said.

"He's a consistent footballer, a line-breaker, he carries the ball 30 metres and kicks it 50.

ALSO IN SPORT

"He's just got that X Factor about him, he hits the ball with pace and he's as tough as anything above the shoulders.

"He's a real weapon we've got up our sleeve.

"He's a quiet kid but he takes his footy seriously and he's a hard worker.

"During the pre-season and the start of the year, with his work commitments, he probably lacked a bit of touch but now he's training as well as anyone and it's showing."

Carman believes Holbrook's growing camaraderie could be the deciding factor in a final against undefeated Osborne.

"They only beat us by three goals the other week and we had a lot of positives out of the game," Carman said.

"We've still got a few players to come back in and they're definitely beatable.

"We're all close mates and in the last few rounds, we've bonded a bit more, knowing how everyone plays and how people run, moving patterns, so it's coming together.

"That stuff is very important and I think it'll make the difference.

"If you're not mates off the field, you're not willing to work for each other 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: