Newly formed St Paul’s Old Scholars to play amateur football predecessor Mawson Lakes

ST PAUL’S Old Scholars will wear black and gold guernseys and be known as the Saints on its return to amateur football this year — but so will fellow division six club Mawson Lakes.

ST PAUL’S Old Scholars will wear black and gold guernseys, be known as the Saints and sing to the tune of When the Saints Go Marching In when it wins games on its return to amateur football this year.

But so will fellow division six club Mawson Lakes — known as St Paul’s Old Scholars until five years ago and a club which shares its history.

The two Saints will face off in round two at Mawson Lakes Oval on April 18.

Jake Winters and Matthew Rowson, who graduated from St Paul’s in 2010 and have spearheaded the old scholars side’s re-emergence, said the clashes should fire up players on both teams.

“People are looking forward to it,” Rowson said.

“On our side there’s going to be some emotion and I’m sure some of our players are going to be pretty keen to come out and play well.”

But Winters and Rowson said the club’s primary focus was “big picture”, including recruiting players, sponsors and volunteers.

“We’re more worried about the season as a whole and how well we establish ourselves as a club,” Winters said.

St Paul’s Old Scholars joined the amateur league for three seasons from 1980 before folding amid financial problems.

The club re-emerged in 1993 and rose to division four in eight years.

It moved home games from the school to Mawson Lakes Oval ahead of the 2009 season and changed its name later that year.

Rowson said the idea to re-establish an amateur side stemmed from an old scholars day at St Paul’s College in August.

“We thought it’d be the best way to be able to play footy with our mates.”

Mawson Lakes president Chris Rae did not believe a rivalry would develop between the clubs.

He was confident his club, which has up to 30 former St Paul’s students, would not lose any players to the new side this season.

“We’re not that concerned at all,” Rae said.

“We offered for them to come join us as one big club but they’re not interested in that.

“Good luck to them.”

The away team will need to wear a clash guernsey when the sides play.

Amateur league chief executive John Kernahan said St Paul’s would start in division six, rather than division seven like most new clubs, because it had a strong enough squad to cope with the higher standard.