ST KILDA midfielder Paddy Dow will return to the main group on Wednesday for the first time since being hospitalised for three weeks during the Christmas break due to a traumatic infection, which required three bouts of knee surgery.
The 25-year-old has endured a slow road back to full health since reporting a fever to veteran club doctor Tim Barbour on December 18.
After three rounds of surgery to eradicate bacteria in the knee joint, Dow was finally discharged on January 6 and has slowly returned to full fitness over the past five months.
Dow is aiming to be back playing in the VFL by the end of June and then start putting his hand up for senior selection in the closing months of the 2025 season.
The former top three pick has spent the past six weeks progressing his high-speed running load and skills work away from the main group.
Dow hasn’t reported any soreness in his knee and will inject energy into the group on Wednesday ahead of this weekend’s trip to Alice Springs to face Melbourne at Traeger Park.
After missing the first few months of last season, Dow made his first appearance for Ross Lyon in round 10 and played 10 games in the second half of the year, adding another layer to the Saints’ midfield.
Paddy Dow warms up ahead of the match between West Coast and St Kilda at Optus Stadium in round 12, 2024. Picture: AFL Photos
Star forward Max King will start running outside on Wednesday for the first time since undergoing a second round of arthroscopic surgery on his knee.
The 24-year-old has completed three runs on the Alter-G treadmill and will now start building towards a return in July.
St Kilda is hopeful the spearhead will return by round 18, but will be guided by how King’s knee responds to an increase in his workload.
The Saints won’t have a spot in Wednesday night’s Mid-Season Rookie Draft after opting not to move a player to the inactive list on Tuesday.
