Clem, 16, wore the grand final keepsake in his Hampden league senior debut for Koroit on Saturday after the Saints' new jumpers failed to arrive in time for the season-opener.

It will now be stored away and feature alongside Levi's three other premiership momentos.

But Clem will carry a piece of his brother into every game after Levi, who has moved to Geelong, handed him his number two.

"He's probably been one of the biggest influences and when we were younger it used to always be competitive and that helped me a lot," Clem said of his brother, who is eight years his senior.

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Clem is priming himself for a busy season.

The Emmanuel College student, who lives on the family farm at Hawkesdale and travels half-an-hour to school in Warrnambool, wants to hold his spot in the Saints' best 21.

He is also striving to earn a debut with NAB League club Greater Western Victoria Rebels as a bottom-age prospect.

"I am hoping to play one or two games and just try and get in the team," he said.

Clem's already ticked off the main target on his to-do list in 2019 - run out for the Saints.

His round one selection came after an injury-impacted pre-season. 

He fractured his ankle before Christmas which required a six-week recovery period.

But he knuckled down and coach Chris McLaren - another of the big influences on his football - picked him to play against Hamilton Kangaroos.

"It was a big goal of mine this year to try and play seniors for Koroit," he said.

"The bodies were much bigger than the under 18s but after the first quarter I started to get used to it and got into the game.

"I like to play on the outside, I'm not an in and under big-bodied sort of kid. I like to use my pace on the outside."

Clem shook off pre-game nerves to get an early touch.

"I got out on the wing and ran it down to the forward line and tried to kick it to the big forward and it went over his head," he said with a wry smile.

Now Clem's aiming to stay in the team with a grand final rematch against Camperdown on Saturday next on his agenda.

"There's a couple of players to come back in so I will have to get to training and work hard and try and impress Chris," he said.

Clem, who credits Saints duo Brett Harrington and Jeremy Hausler for helping fast-track his development, was part of the Western Bulldogs' Next Generation Academy at under-15 level. That program prepared him for the NAB League and, in turn, the Hampden league.

"The Rebels are really big on fitness and I think that will probably help me a lot playing seniors and trying to get through the games," he said. "I am more of a sprinter but I am trying to improve my (aerobic) capacity."

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