There is more positive news on the recruiting front for St Mary’s, with livewire forward Paddy Dowling set to return to Anthony Costa Oval.
Dowling will head back down Noble Street after spending 2024 at Bellarine club Geelong Amateur.
Dowling had a standout season with Ammos, playing every game and kicking 51 goals to be named at centre half-forward in the BFNL Team of the Year.
At St Mary’s, he played 86 games and kicked 147 goals, featuring in the Saints’ 2019 and 2022 premierships.
In 2022, Dowling kicked 47 goals and was named in the GFNL Team of the Year.
He has also played 12 VFL games with Geelong and one with Collingwood and made ten reserves appearances with SANFL club Glenelg in 2021.
St Mary’s will also welcome back former junior Charlie Lang from Murray League club Finley.
Lang made two senior appearances with the Saints in 2018 before crossing to Newtown & Chilwell and playing 15 matches.
He spent 2021-22 with QAFL club Labrador before heading to Finley to join brothers Tom and Jack.
Lang won the best-and-fairest as the Cats fell just short of their first premiership since 1988, losing the grand final by one point to Congupna.
The signings of Dowling and Lang are more good news for the Saints, following the additions of Ryan Pendlebury and Ben Berry last weekend, and continue to offset the departures of Kade Chalcraft (Shepparton United), Sam Dobson (Koroit), Dion Johnstone (Newcomb), Harry Ling (Anglesea), Damian McMahon (Barwon Heads), Joe Maishman (Geelong Amateur), and Nick Minchin (Murrumbeena)
More to come
X: @krockfootball
