Premiership midfielder James Gow returns to Koroit for 2023 Hampden league season

The 25-year-old star, who spent time on Geelong's VFL list, last played for the Saints in the club's 2019 Hampden league grand final win.

He then spent a couple of years with Geelong football league powerhouse St Joseph's and is in the midst of a Northern Territory football league campaign with Nightcliff.

McLaren said Gow's character was just as valuable as his elite skills.

"It's obviously very pleasing to have someone like Gowy (return), clearly the player but the person as well," he said.

"James, he's such a great person too. He's a super popular person around the club and anytime you can get returning players coming home is a great win for the club and the players."

The Saints mentor is unsure how many games Gow will play for the club this season but said his availability would increase in the back-half of the year.

The former GWV Rebel will be fresh off two consecutive seasons of football when the Hampden league gets under way and McLaren expects he will need time to recharge.

"He'll be a little hit-and-miss in the first half of the season," he said. "He's going to be in Darwin for a little bit longer and enjoy a bit of the dry season and stuff like that.

"He'll probably play two or three games in the first three or four games.

"And then we mightn't see him for a little bit. Back half of the season he'll be available pretty much every week."

Gow joins recruits Tim McIntyre and brothers Levi and Clem Nagorcka, in returning to Koroit for the upcoming season.

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