> Watch Brad Dick speak to the media after his round 11 nomination for the AFL Rising Star award

GETTING drafted to Collingwood brings with it the privilege of playing with one of the most historically significant clubs with first-class facilities and the chance of regular matches in front of big crowds.

While some young players can be overwhelmed by the big stage, Collingwood youngster Brad Dick is right in his element.

Dick booted five goals in front of more than 60,000 people at Monday’s game against Melbourne and says he enjoyed every minute of it.

“I don’t mind playing in front of a big crowd. It’s good for the supporters to get along,” Dick said.

 “I’m pretty confident. When I’m up and going I’ve got that mindset of keep going, keep going.”

Dick is the NAB AFL Rising Star Nominee for round 11 and has been going from strength to strength this year in his return from a full knee reconstruction.

It was the injury that all footballers dread and Dick admits he didn’t cope well with the time on the sidelines.

“It was really hard with my knee. All my mates were playing football and I wasn’t. I didn’t know if I could keep going mid-way through the season but I stuck to it and all the boys got around me at training and kept me smiling,” he said.

“I had Simon Prestigiacomo in the weights room with me and he kept me going every day. To get knowledge off guys that had injured their knees like Tarykyn Lockyer, Rhyce Shaw and Alan Didak was great.”

The 20-year old has booted nine goals in his past three matches and is averaging 14 disposals, four tackles and two goals across his five games this season.

While they are impressive stats, Dick is under no illusions about the competition for spots among Collingwood’s raft of small forwards.

“I think it might be difficult. There are a lot of small forwards. I didn’t realise how many we had here. With Meddy (Paul Medhurst) coming back in a few weeks it should be interesting. I’ve just got to keep training hard and working hard on the ground,” he said.

“Leon Davis is in the midfield but he was a small forward when he got here. Also Tarkyn and Alan. There are plenty of blokes to learn from. I always get around to the boys and they give me tips on positioning. They’re happy to help me out.”