THE tall, gangly blond half-forward flanker training with St Kilda last week may have given some long-term supporters a fond reminder of the club’s greatest day.

Teenager Tom Lamb, who was training with the club as part of his education with the AFL/AIS academy is the grandson of former St Kilda great Ian Cooper, who has been universally acknowledged as the team’s best player in the 1966 premiership win over Collingwood.

With many physical traits not too dissimilar to his grandfather who played 69 games from 1964-69, Lamb says his family was proud to see he would be serving part of his AIS apprenticeship at the red, white and black.

“He was lucky enough to play in the Grand Final and play well,” Lamb said of his grandfather.

“Pop is always there for me, he doesn’t get too involved in my footy, he is just there for backup if I want someone to talk to but he was pretty stoked to hear I was training at St Kilda.”

Lamb and Dandenong Stingrays teammate Daniel Capiron spent a week with the Saints in shortly before they depart for Europe as part of the AFL/AIS academy.

They were in many ways thrown into the deep end, with temperatures above 40 degrees for each of their sessions with the St Kilda team.

“It’s been a very good experience training with the likes of Nick Riewoldt, Lenny Hayes and Leigh Montagna,” Lamb said.

“Obviously it was a pretty hot week. A few of the boys have said they’ve never experienced a week this hot but it’s been a good experience.”

Capiron has his own connection to the club with his father Charles playing reserves football for the Saints in the 1980s.

A half-back flanker who splits his time between the Stingrays and Caulfield Grammar

“It’s been amazing just to get the opportunity to be at an AFL club and get a good insight to how hard training is. The intensity is a step up from the AIS and TAC Cup level,” Capiron said.

He worked particularly closely with the St Kilda development coaches as part of his education.

“Lindsay Gilbee has helped me out a lot. I had to interview him as part of my homework,” Capiron said.

“He watched a bit of my vision and helped me with things to work on.”