THE saying hard work pays off is often casually thrown around but Dean Brebner is living proof .
After two seasons on the development list of NBL team Cairns Taipans, the Camperdown basketball export failed to make the 2009-10 side.
While the 26-year-old's motivation levels could have easily slumped, instead he got hungrier.
"I always wanted to give it another shot," he said of securing a place in the team.
"There was no remorse or anything.
"I knew that I had to get in a bit better shape and work on a few things about my game."
Brebner focused on his season with the Cairns Marlins in the Queensland Basketball League.
He aimed to improve on some "finer details" of his game.
"Like defence on the perimeter and my ball handling," he said.
"I probably wasn't in the best shape going into the season, so I really wanted to get my game fitness up."
He averaged 10.8 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game for the Marlins in 2010.
After the season wrapped up in August, he was approached by Taipans coach Aaron Fearne.
"He said there had been a couple of spots up for grabs and there was one spot left," he said.
"It came down to me and another bloke and we just trained for a week with the team.
"I was pretty happy with my training.
"I thought I trained hard and was pretty good defensively."
The coaching panel obviously agreed as Brebner won the last spot on the roster.
"I was ecstatic," he said.
"It really didn't sink in until a couple of days ago.
"When you want something since you were 12 years old and it comes true, not many people get to live out the goal they always had."
The 200cm forward started pre-season with the Taipans about a fortnight ago.
"We just had our first pre-season game (on Sunday night) against Townsville, which we lost by three points," Brebner said.
"I played about 30 minutes.
"It was a really good experience.
"Hopefully I can get some more minutes like that in other pre-season games to show what I can do.
"I'm not expecting to play 40 minutes but that's where I want my fitness to be.
"It's pretty close to it now.
"I've been watching my diet and I'll make sure that I keep training hard."
Brebner played with the Warrnambool Seahawks, four years of US college basketball with Augusta State University, an SEABL stint with Geelong Supercats, then a development season with NBL outfit South Dragons before heading north.
Most of his family is still in Camperdown.
"This is just as much for them, just with all the sacrifices they've made for me," he said.
"They travelled around the countryside and followed me to America.
"My grandma used to take me to games if my parents couldn't.
"I'd really like to thank them all for their support."
The Taipans open their NBL season on October 16 when they take on Townsville.
Inaugural Warrnambool Mermaids coach Trevor Gleeson will lead the Crocodiles for the fifth successive season.
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