When Collingwood’s Darcy Moore leaps over opponents’ heads and burst past would-be tacklers, it’s easy to see the athletic abilities that have blessed the Magpies’ next champion forward.

But what the public isn’t privy to is the hard-work the 20-year-old puts in during the week and his determination to succeed at the elite level.

Speaking to Aflplayers.com.au, teammate and close friend Jordan De Goey says the son of former Collingwood ruckman Peter Moore is desperate to become a footballer in his own right.

“His drive is enormous – he’s a really driven person. In the gym and out on the track, he’s working really hard to develop his body into a key forward who can push blokes around. He’s always working hard and trying to improve himself,” De Goey says.

“He wants to create his own legacy. Obviously his dad was a big name player but he doesn’t want to stay in the shadows of his old man, he wants to make his own legacy and make everyone else proud.”

Moore received the Round 19 Rising Star nomination after kicking three goals and taking five contested marks against West Coast despite only playing 34 per cent of game time due to a hamstring concern mid-way through the second term.

Before the weekend’s contest, he had shown glimpses of brilliance throughout the season without producing a breakout game. He kicked five goals in his third AFL match in 2015 against the Bulldogs but was overlooked for the round’s Rising Star nod in favour of Adelaide’s Jake Lever.

But De Goey says despite the frustrations of being an emerging key forward, Moore isn’t negatively affected by a sub-par performance.

“That’s the thing about Darcy, whether he’s had a good game or a bad game, he’s still the same bloke. He’s carefree, does what he has to do and puts it behind him if he has a bad game and always puts his best foot forward.

“He’s always been like that. He gives everything his best shot and tries to control what he can control and, other than that, he’s pretty relaxed.

“He’s pretty much the same away from the club as he is when he’s around the boys. He’s carefree and likes having a joke here and there. He’s easy to get along with, that’s what so good about him.”

With his main focus on football, Moore also casts an eye to his off field development.

Spending a lot of his free time studying, Moore can speak fluent Indonesian and has already made a name for himself as a thinker at the club.

“He’s a very switched on guy. He knows what’s going on and where he needs to be on the field, he picks up that stuff really quickly and if he doesn’t know or agree with something he always speaks up, which is good,” De Goey says.

With the Magpies searching for their next group of stars, they can be sure Darcy Moore will shine on and off the field.