Nathan Brown on the impact Melbourne Storm legend Billy Slater has had at St Kilda

Legendary Melbourne Storm star Billy Slater has had a profound impact since he joined St Kilda as a mentor last year, Saints defender Nathan Brown lauding the dual NRL premier as someone players look up to.

Nathan Brown says NRL great Billy Slater has had a profound impact at St Kilda.

Billy Slater’s impact at St Kilda has been profound, with players “hanging off every word” from the Melbourne Storm great, defender Nathan Brown says.

Slater joined the Saints last October in a part-time mentoring role just weeks after he played his 321st and last game for the Storm.

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Brown said the rugby league legend had provided a different perspective to the players.

“Everyone knows he’s been such a great personality and sportsman for Australia for a long, long time, (so) to get someone like that into your club (to) impart some wise words and some philosophies on sport and life outside of footy and how to attack certain things, it’s been really good,” Brown said of the Storm dual premiership fullback.

“He’s one of those guys that, when he speaks, everyone sits up straight and ears prick up and really listen to him.

“You look at the guys and they’re just hanging off every word that he says.”

Nathan Brown says NRL great Billy Slater has had a profound impact at St Kilda.

Brown said the 35-year-old’s long involvement in elite sport had helped him impart his vast knowledge in a way the players could understand and act on.

“The great thing with Billy is … he speaks our lingo and our vocab and some of the great messages that he’s got he can just say and deliver it in such a way that everyone understands it,” Brown said.

“Billy’s fantastic and having him around the club, even just to catch up for a coffee or just to pick his brain (to ask), ‘OK, I need help with this’.

“He’s just such a good person too, good family person.

“You want guys like that involved in your program. Guys look up to him and young guys want to be like that. To have him, we’re blessed as a club.”

The Saints have been the early surprise-packet of season 2019, shooting out of the blocks with a 4-1 start.

They have a date with Adelaide on Saturday afternoon, where a win would give them their best start to the season since 2010.

Originally published as Nathan Brown on the impact Melbourne Storm legend Billy Slater has had at St Kilda