Saints in shape for strong finish to 2022

NUMBERS have remained strong at St Mary’s Sporting Club, with several football and netball teams enjoying success on and off the field.

St Mary’s president John McMahon was worried junior numbers would dip following the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the Saints community is as strong as ever nearing the end of 2022.

“We were a little nervous that junior numbers would be smaller coming into this season given we understood that people’s lives might have changed a little bit in the past two or so years,” McMahon said.

“But that didn’t happen to us, our coaches and our volunteers are a large reason for that, they’re just superstars.

“For me to see the club band together as it did, it was both mind-blowing and impressive.”

Beginning with the senior men’s football side taking out the Geelong Football League’s minor premiership, the junior football section has also enjoyed strong success.

The players across the Under 9 to Under 12 age groups had a great year and the club is excited to watch the development in these age groups across the year.

The strength of the program, about 150 kids across three age groups, ensures a strong future for junior and senior football at St Mary’s.

The Under 14 to Under 16 teams also made finals runs.

The club’s netball section was competitive in all grades with four teams to compete in the upcoming finals.

Six junior netball sides finished their respective seasons with a ladder position of fourth or higher rounding out a solid junior foundation.

St Mary’s begun work on its $2.5 million upgrade of the Don Mathieson Pavilion in 2019, but McMahon said 2022 was the first season the club could fully use its new facilities.

“The facilities, we started building a couple of years ago, but we hadn’t used them in full capacity until this year,” McMahon said.

“This year though they’ve been flat out, the finances are in a good place right now, so is the function room, but the facilities at the club are very much a major highlight for this season.”

St Mary’s boasts one of the largest clubs in the region with more than 700 players registered.