Lyon honours resilient recruit after significant injury challenge

Having dealt with hundreds of young players across his 16 seasons, Ross Lyon has handed down some significant praise to St Kilda’s highly rated injury-ridden recruit.

25-year-old midfielder Paddy Dow is rapidly his first appearance for the club in 2025, having dealt with a serious knee infection that resulted in three bouts of surgery over the course of the off-season and beyond.

After being selected by Carlton with the third overall pick in the 2017 draft, Dow experienced difficulties in transitioning into AFL football, struggling to remain healthy before spending a significant stint with the Blues' VFL team.

Playing just 73 games over six seasons with the Blues, Dow was traded to St Kilda in 2024, managing just 10 games yet averaging a career high in disposals, marks, and tackles in his debut season while continuing to battle from a significant knee complaint.

Now, with all likelihood suggesting the talented midfielder will appear for the Saints in the coming weeks, Ross Lyon has labelled Dow one of the best players he’s dealt with across his time in the AFL system.

“Paddy Dow is a great story,” Lyon said in his Round 15 press conference.

“If he gets through today, he’ll play. He had a staph infection in his knee, he had a blister in his toe, and he had a knock on his knee, the staph went up through the blister into his knee.

“It resulted in numerous arthroscopes; it was a really serious situation.”

“He has carried himself incredibly well. I don’t think I’ve met a better young man in football. His resilience, his temperament, his embracing of his teammates, he loves the club here.

“We’re thrilled that he comes back and plays as long as everything goes smoothly this week. He is a talented midfielder that we’ve sorely missed.”

The Saints are set to face the Magpies at Marvel Stadium on Saturday night.