HAWTHORN great Dermott Brereton has joined St Kilda as a part-time specialist forward coach.

The five-time premiership centre half-forward will help the Saints' taller targets with their forward craft with weekly sessions.

Brereton, 54, agreed to the move to Moorabbin after being approached by veteran administrator Graeme Allan, a senior advisor to St Kilda's football department.

The pair first worked together during Brereton's 1995 season at Collingwood, where Allan was the football manager, and their relationship has resulted in Brereton tutoring forwards at both Brisbane and Greater Western Sydney.

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"It's the same sort of stuff I was doing at GWS, the same stuff I was doing with some of the Collingwood boys back in the day, and the same stuff I've done with Hawthorn many years ago, and even (former Brisbane star) Jonathan Brown ... I used to take him for one-on-one sessions before he played a game of League football," Brereton told SEN radio on Thursday morning.

"(It) is a bit of one-on-one tuition, or a bit of one-on-three tuition and just showing them some game-craft of being a forward."

Brereton will work closely with Saints forwards Josh Bruce, Tim Membrey, Rowan Marshall, mature-age recruit Matthew Parker, prized draftee Max King, and Paddy McCartin when he returns from concussion issues.

"The kid who's got a bit of upside is the boy Parker from Western Australia, and also one of the King boys, who's yet to play a game (and has) just come back from injury," he enthused.

"(King) probably needs a fair bit of it given he's so tall, he's literally just outstretched and outreached players in under-18 competition. He's going to come up against a lot craftier players at League level (who are) a lot more powerful and a lot bigger.

Max King is one of the Saints' forwards who will work with Dermott Brereton. Picture: AFL Photos

"You just can't, as a key forward, base your game on outreaching opposition. You'll never touch the footy if you've only got a one-wood and nothing else."

A member of the Australian Football Hall of Fame, Brereton played a total of 211 games and kicked 464 goals for Hawthorn, Sydney and Collingwood.

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