AFL great Dermott Brereton reveals he has skin cancer

AFL legend Dermott Brereton has opened up about his battle with skin cancer and urged people to get checked out.

The 58-year-old Hawthorn legend had two melanomas removed from her thigh and chest and also underwent chemotherapy for a sunspot on her eye.

Brereton, who has won five premierships and works at Fox Sports, says he has “been through some tough times” amid this ordeal.

“Melanoma on my thigh and one on my chest, so they were cut out and I was very vigilant to look for all forms of cancer due to excessive sun exposure,” he told the Herald Sun.

‘I had another sunspot cancer cut out of my eyeball. We tried to get it with chemo drops, but I gave up in the end, they were too horrible.

“I’ve taken my treatment cream morning and night for the past few weeks so it’s starting to calm down a bit now. That rips the shit out of you, but we all have to deal with things.

Reflecting on growing up in 1970s Australia, Brereton recalls how people who used sunscreen were looked down on.

“I grew up in the ’70s, anyone who used sunscreen was weak,” she said.

“If you went for the really heavy grade sunscreen, you went for 15 plus.

“We used to climb on a buddy’s tin roof and put on baby oil. That’s what we did in the ’70s, you breed them tough.

More to follow.