FROM promoting goal celebrations to expert tackling sessions, St Kilda's newest off-field recruit Billy Slater is already having a profound impact at Moorabbin.
Arriving in a part-time mentoring role this summer, the NRL great's main priority has been to work closely with a leadership group stinging from a horror 2018.
And while his mid-week commitment currently sits at one day a week, the Saints are hopeful Slater's involvement can increase to a role on match days in season.
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"Billy's done quite a bit of work with the leaders and what we want to stand for as a footy club," Alan Richardson told AFL.com.au as part of a day of exclusive access last week.
"What are we going to do about it (2018 season) and how are we going to respond?"
Another part of Slater's teaching has centred around increasing on-field celebrations.
In a closed-door session last Tuesday, Slater showed highlights of Storm players going above and beyond with teammates after scoring a try.
Hoping Saints players adopt a similar philosophy, Slater's method appears to have already been accepted, typified by captain Jarryn Geary in a team meeting the following day.
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As part of a new initiative employed by Richardson this summer, two players' strengths are praised by a younger member of the group in one of three weekly pre-training meetings.
With Josh Bruce's aerial prowess and competitiveness highlighted by second-year midfielder Nick Coffield, Geary then took the chance to emphasise the key forward's goal celebrations.
Geary is one of several leaders Slater has spent time with developing the club's 'Crest' of key performance indicators after several years of working towards club 'trademarks'.
Slater's diary is also set to be clear for St Kilda's matches this season ahead of a potential role on the interchange bench talking players through high pressured situations.
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With the Saints stripped of all Friday night matches this year, Slater's Thursday and Friday NRL commentary commitments for Channel Nine aren't expected to clash.
And while much of his work has been off the field, Slater hasn't been afraid to get involved on the park.
"He's such an enthusiastic, positive person, he gets his hands dirty when he's on the track," Richardson said.
"If you just think about him as an athlete and forget about the code he played, his step and evade and ability to stop someone else, he's been able to do some really good work with our players in that space."
Slater has taken several sessions, with a number of physical tackling sessions also completed off-site at Jiu Jitsu guru John Donehue's gym in Notting Hill.
