After enduring a difficult start to his career at St Kilda, key defender Jake Carlisle has earned the playing groups respect this summer, says veteran star Leigh Montagna.

Carlisle has gradually been integrated back into the main group this pre-season, following hip surgery during his time away from the club.

Montagna believes the former Essendon swingman has matured in the wake of a trying year out of the game.

“He’s going really well actually,” Montagna told Melbourne radio station SEN on Thursday morning.

“I think I’ve noticed a bit of maturity in the last 12 months from when he came to pre-season a year ago.

“He’s really fitted into the group really well this time around, he’s training hard, he’s a hard worker and he’s just a big unit.”

The arrival of former Collingwood premiership full-back, Nathan Brown, will complement the inclusion of Carlisle in St Kilda’s defensive key posts in 2017, with the pair set to bolster a back six that included Montagna on a permanent basis last year.

‘I’ve done some work with him in the back half and he’s certainly going to be a great asset for us,” Montagna said.

“I like the way he goes about his footy; he knows what he’s doing and he’s got his body in good shape which is really important.”

With Christmas and New Year’s quickly fading into the past, St Kilda’s pre-season program has entered an important phase with the club's intra-club only a month away and the Saints’ opening JLT Community Series fixture just 42 days away.