THERE'S so many feathers being added to Nic Broes' cap lately that it looks like it's ready to sprout wings.
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The latest of those feathers for the Bathurst player came with Wednesday's Luke Bush Rising Star award for his efforts in the ACT/NSW Country Comets side.
Just earlier this month Broes had walked away with the elite 19s player of the series award for his title-winning efforts with the Canberra West representative team, and prior to that he'd won the ACT Premier Cricket first grade crown in his debut season with Western District.
"This one's definitely right up there," Broes said of his latest prize.
"It's something that let's me know, after the all the hard work and the big transition to Canberra, that everything is paying off. Rep cricket is where you've got to perform and to get that award, which is a representative award, is pretty special.
"It just shows that I can make it at the higher levels and it puts a lot of doubters behind me. It was great in that sense as well."
Broes averaged 43 over his debut season with Western District.
He said he couldn't thank fellow Bathurst graduate Blake Dean enough for getting him the opportunity to play with such a welcoming club.
"Obviously the start of the season went really well for me. Being picked in the Under 19s Nationals side was a big goal of mine," he said.
"Towards the back end I lost some of that consistency ... but with that opening three quarters of the season I can't be too hard on myself.
"Blake getting me [to Western District] was huge. Getting a couple of other players like Josh Staines from Sydney to come play in Canberra, and Scott Murn from another club, was great and it was a fun culture to be around.
"The team being successfully obviously plays its part, but it's a team full of approachable people and most of them come from a country background, which makes things easier transition-wise."
After a season which included appearances for ACT at the Under 19s National Championships and the Australian Country Cricket Championships Broes has already set his sights on the next goal.
"I'm already booked in to play another season with Wests but the main goal is to try and play in the [Comets] 2nd XI," he said.
"Whether that will be running this season is another question ... and if it doesn't then it's just a year to try out some new stuff and work out what I need to work on.
"I'm currently in the Comets squad for training, it's just about trying to push my case now to play matches."