A teenage North Melbourne fan has been welcomed to Arden St as a hero after single-handedly saving two girls from drowning in South Gippsland.

Tom Walsh, 13, visited the club on Monday to meet senior coach Alastair Clarkson and the Kangaroos team.

Three weeks earlier, the young volunteer lifesaver had been holidaying with his family at Venus Bay in Victoria's south-east. On an unpatrolled section of the township's main beach, he noticed 15-year-old Charlotte Baker and her friend Nikita struggling in a dangerous rip.

Racing to grab a flotation tube from public rescue equipment newly installed along Venus Bay's beaches, Walsh dived into the waves.

"It was a flash rip," Walsh told Clarkson when recounting the incident on Monday. 

"The tides were changing, so the pull of the currents was much stronger.

"I was about 10 metres away from (the girls), and then suddenly they were 20m away, so I had to swim in.

"It took me about five minutes to get to them, and then to bring them back in took about 10-15 [minutes].

"I was swimming backwards and using the waves to push us back in as well."

Baker, who said she had given up and was just "floating, screaming" after being sucked out in the heavy surf, told Channel 9 she was thankful to be alive after Walsh's brave action. 

"I don't know how he did it," she said. "That was so brave of him. Putting himself in harm's way to save me and my friends, that is so incredible, and I thank him for it so much."

Clarkson echoed Baker's words, praising Walsh's courage and quick thinking.

"I'm sure your family's really proud of you, mate," Clarkson said. "We're also really proud to bring you to the footy club and recognise your achievement in saving those two girls.

"The beach is a big part of Australian culture, and it's a terrific initiative by the government, probably long overdue, but terrific initiative that they put these flotation devices and mechanisms there so that we can assist where we possibly can.

"Great effort, mate. Well done."