The 19-year-old works with Lewis Brothers Fencing Contractors alongside Sam and Darcy Lewis and Doggies playmaker Simon Jenkins.

"There's a fair bit of talk about footy on Monday or Friday, it's a good way to prepare and it's pretty much all we talk about on those days," he said.

"We do farm, town and pool fences and work all around the district. It's good, I enjoy it," he said from Portland.

Sam Lewis rated Van Kempen as a fair worker.

"He's not bad. He's pretty good Tuesday to Friday but he's usually not much good on Mondays. He's not a Monday person," he said.

Van Kempen and Tyler Keane hold down the two key defensive posts for Dennington and they will be crucial again this week travelling to Panmure.

The Bulldogs need to win to secure third place on the Warrnambool and District league ladder and the double chance while Dennington needs a win against a top-three side after being belted by reigning premier Kolora-Noorat a few weeks ago.

Van Kempen said he had known Keane since moving from Terang to Warrnambool with his family when he was 11.

"We get pretty big jobs each week. Tyler and I take the key forwards. There's also Ben Parkinson and Luke Duncan down there and Brad Umbers is a quiet achiever. The other back pocket changes a bit depending on match-ups," he said.

"The hardest job I've had this season was probably on (Panmure's Simon) Stawbs Schrama. He flies under the radar. He used to play in the back line at Terang but he's a very good forward."

Van Kempen said he was enjoying his football under Dennington's new playing coach Parkinson.

"He's a bit more straight forward than Trav Thornton. He's more straight down the line, there's no bullshit at all which suits me and he gets his point across without much beating around the bush," he said.