St Kilda will wear black armbands in their AFL preliminary final to honour club stalwart Jack Barker, who died on Friday.

Barker, 84, was a legend of Melbourne suburban football and a revered figure at the Saints.

He was the father of former St Kilda captain Trevor Barker, who died aged just 39 in 1996.

Jack took pride in being referred to as "the father of Trevor" at Moorabbin, but he was a talented player as well.

He played more than 300 games for suburban team Cheltenham and their home ground was named in his honour two years ago.

There was a strong turnout of current Saints players at the dedication ceremony, reflecting his standing at the two clubs.

Jack was a fixtures in the Saints rooms post-match and at their training sessions - he had an unofficial "access all areas" status at the club.

A tribute on St Kilda's website read: "Jack was an elder of the Saints tribe and part of the fabric of the club."

Barker died on Friday morning in an aged care facility at Hampton, not far from the Saints's home ground, after a long illness.

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