The 39-year-old is a single parent to daughters Kimberley, 16, Kaitlyn, 15, and Brittney, 12, and is one of three men vying for the title of south-west Father of the Year.

Brauer College student Kimberley was responsible for his nomination and said she was proud of her dad's dedication.

"He has been looking after my two sisters and I for about 10 years all by himself, and that is not simple," she said. "I have never told Dad how thankful I really am, so I thought this would help me out and show him."

More than 600 entries were received for the Father of the Year competition, which is run by Moyne Shire and the Warrnambool City Council.

Organiser Ian Cairns said judges found it difficult to choose finalists from the hundreds of stories and drawings received.

"Judging was a process that was heartwarming, heartbreaking and very hard," he said.

"The diversity of the entries was huge. In between regular father figures, we also had nominations for granddads, step-dads and uncles."

Mr Flook said he was shocked and humbled after learning he had been nominated.

"It's nice to know that they have that much respect," he said of his children.

"I don't think I've had a huge challenge yet - I'm pretty lucky, I have three kids who have never really given me any reason to worry or to stress too much."

The Warrnambool resident said his daughters' passion for clothes, music and make-up could sometimes be baffling.

"It's always a big effort to get ready," he said with a laugh.

"You make some tough decisions as a parent sometimes and you don't always think you're appreciated for it. So to know at the end of the day that they still respect you and love you no matter what is a nice thing."

Mr Flook will be joined at tomorrow's Father of the Year breakfast by fellow nominees Jason Harris and Joel Hayward, with a Melbourne holiday and vouchers among prizes on offer.

The event was developed by the Rotary Club of Warrnambool in conjunction with the Men's Family Relationships program at Brophy Family and Youth Services to recognise and promote local fathers - biological or honorary - who are positive role models for their children and community.