Dermott Brereton on how he almost ended up with Tony Lockett at St Kilda

Hawthorn legend Dermott Brereton formed one of the greatest forward partnerships in AFL history with Jason Dunstall — but it almost didn’t happen. Here’s how the blond superstar almost ended up alongside Tony Lockett at St Kilda.

Dermott Brereton and Jason Dunstall formed one of the greatest forward partnership's in the game's history - but could have been Derm and Tony Lockett, had it not been for a couple of streets.

Hawthorn legend Dermott Brereton formed one of the greatest forward partnerships in AFL history with Jason Dunstall — but it almost didn’t happen.

Brereton revealed on last night’s episode of I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out Of Here! that he almost ended up alongside Tony Lockett at St Kilda.

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Jason Dunstall and Dermott Brereton formed one of the AFL’s greatest forward duos.

“In that stage there was only zoning and so they invited me from the zone to Hawthorn to play (and) train in a scholarship squad with other seventeen, eighteen year olds,” Brereton said.

“I just played locals at Frankston and there was always a bit of conjecture where if I lived two streets away I would have been in St Kilda’s zone, which is a wonderful club but hardly steeped in success.

“My career could have been vastly different had I been a St Kilda player. I could have quite easily worked in and played in a forward line with Tony Lockett — he is one of the greatest players to ever play — had I been born a couple more streets away.”

Tony Lockett with Dermott Brereton alongside him would have been an even scarier proposition.

Brereton would go on to win five day and five night premierships with Hawthorn in a 13 year career that included late stops at Sydney and Collingwood, booting 464 goals in 211 games.

He still holds the record for most goals on debut in a finals match, booting five goals in a 1982 semi final win over North Melbourne when he was called up to cover injuries.

“They had a couple injuries and they thought ‘well, noone has seen this kid play, not at the top level but he’s got a little bit, so let’s give him a go’,” Brereton said.

“Somehow, that day, kicked five goals in my first game in an AFL match.

“So I got a big feather in my cap next to the highest debut in a final goal tally in the history of our game.”

Cuuuute @DermBrereton23 #ImACelebrityAU pic.twitter.com/gOHetOV2MC

— #ImACelebrityAU (@ImACelebrityAU) January 15, 2019

The 54-year-old arrived at Hawthorn at the tender age of 15 and was starstruck by the great Leigh Matthews.

“Leigh Matthews is the greatest player of the 20th century,” he said.

“First time I spoke to him, I did everything I could not to call him Mr Matthews.

“Other people called him Leigh and he knew my name … which I was completely and utterly flattered.

“I went to school the next day and said ‘Leigh Matthews knows my name’.”