Luke McPharlin has returned to the Freo training track but things are a little bit different this time around for the retired defender.

McPharlin, who hung up the boots in 2015 after playing 256 games for Freo and Hawthorn, will spend the next month working as a defensive coach.

“I’ve come back as the defence specialist coach, I’m here for December and I’ll be working with some of the defenders on bodywork and other things when it comes to defending,” McPharlin said.

“At the moment I am working closely with Griffin Logue but I will be working with all the tall key defenders, Luke Ryan, Alex Pearce, Joel Hamling and Michael Johnson.”

“Hopefully, I’ll be able to impart some of the wisdom I was able to gather over a long career.”

Tuesday morning was the first time McPharlin had an inside look into the club’s facilities in Cockburn and the 35-year-old joked that he might have given up the game a little early. 

“I wish I had played for a couple more years, it’s far more spectacular than the facility I trained in when I was playing,” McPharlin said.

“It’s great to see what the football club was able to acquire and it’s fitting for a professional football team.”

Since retiring in 2015 McPharlin has undertaken some coaching work at East Fremantle Football Club, worked in the media and most recently finished a pharmacy degree.

“I am starting work at Fiona Stanley Hospital next year which will be interesting and quite different,” McPharlin said.

“I also have two young girls who have also been keeping me busy.”