SAM Breuer has one big recommendation for any aspiring AFL player in the years leading into the Draft: "If you can, try and get yourself into a boarding school, it's been the best few years of my life."
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Breuer, originally from Horsham, has boarded at Ballarat Grammar, and not even a pandemic has stopped him from developing his football craft with the Greater Western Victoria Rebels and also making lifelong friends he says he will cherish forever.
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"Living in a boarding house with 50 other boys, it's an awesome experience and I'd highly recommend it to everyone," he said.
"There's two boys boarding houses, so there's a tradition every year that they play off in a game and it's one of the biggest footy matches in Ballarat I reckon, they get all the Old Grammarians from Ballarat Grammar to come and watch.
"It's awesome just being able to have 50 brothers, all the way from year 12 to year seven."
The son of former Geelong and Port Adelaide player Shayne Breuer, the 18-year-old is very much his own man, despite sharing many playing characteristics of his father.
Shayne Breuer played 125 games with Geelong and Port Adealide at the elite level in the 1990s, playing two grand finals with the Cats in 1994 and 1995. He was also the player who kicked Port Adelaide's first goal in the AFL in round one 1997.
Sam said his father had stepped back and generally only offered advice if he had done something that he didn't like, which had allowed him to develop his own way.
"He's been really good, he's stood back and let me experience everything on my own and not place any expectations on me," Sam said.
"Dad's never been the main coach, but he's always been someone to help mentor me, always likes to tell me what I'm doing wrong, but it's great to be able to learn from someone who has played at the elite level, he's been great to have as a mentor and as a dad."
Breuer started the season on the back flank but was switched into the middle as the season progressed.
"It was an awesome year with the Rebels, we had a really strong side and there was some awesome opportunities to play with some great players," he said.
"Ben Hobbs, Charlie Molan, Josh Rentsch, Sam Butler, the list just keeps going on and on.
"We had such a great environment and we could see that in the games and our results.
"Once I moved into the middle I started to touch a bit more of the footy.
"As the year went on I slowly got more comfortable and was able to work on my strengths and weaknesses. As we got through the season, I felt we all got better."
Breuer said he had spoken to a few clubs along the way, but as school exams have ramped up - and just finished - it had slowed down.
"We had the speed dating with the clubs up in Melbourne, it's all been pretty much the same across the board, you just have to hope the clubs like what they see in you," he said.