Local powerhouse St Mary’s signs ex-VFL player Ryan Pendlebury, brother of Collingwood champion Scott

This local club has had several players depart this off-season, but they have added the younger brother of a Collingwood icon.

Ryan Pendlebury (right) has joined St Mary’s. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images for Kayo Sports

Local footy powerhouse St Mary’s has secured a big name signing after several departures, landing the younger brother of Collingwood champion Scott Pendlebury.

Ryan Pendlebury, who has played VFL football for Collingwood, Port Melbourne and Werribee, has been a playing coach with Euroa in the Goulburn Valley league for the past year while working as an assistant with North Melbourne’s AFW side.

Pendlebury, 32, lives in Werribee and departing Euroa for the Geelong league will cut down his commuting time and allow him to narrow his focus on his midfield coaching role with the Roos.

The 192 centimetre key defender will bolster the Saints’ backline and add vital on-field leadership after seven departures this off-season, including important trio Damian McMahon (Barwon Heads), Sam Dobson (Koroit) and Dion Johnstone (Newcomb).

He will also help the Saints

Pendlebury has spent the past two seasons with Euroa and has played with his hometown club Sale and the Darwin Buffaloes in the Northern Territory league in recent years.

Ryan Pendlebury in action for the Darwin Baffaloes. Picture: Celina Whan/AFLNT

St Mary’s has also picked up Cobden forward-ruck Ben Berry, who represented the under-23 Hampden league side this year.

Saints co-coach Luke Rayner said a former St Mary’s player and teammate of Pendlebury helped get the ball rolling about six weeks ago.

“It was actually a referral from an ex St Mary’s player in terms of his potential availability,” Rayner said.

“The opportunity came about for us to have a chat to him about joining us so it is a good outcome.

“He has played at a really good level and he is a natural leader in terms of on-field.

“It is probably an area that we certainly feel like we can improve in, we have obviously lost a bit of experience through the departures.

“We are going to catch up with Ryan more post his AFLW commitments, but we’ve obviously been able to sign him, tuck him away, and we’ll see how things develop once we can catch up and have a more in depth chat.”

Ryan Pendlebury gets a kick away for Port Melbourne back in 2019. Picture: Michael Klein.

Rayner said he is excited by the prospect of a new-look Saints line-up next year, having already blooded a host of youngsters this season.

“We certainly knew of a few (of the departures) and sometimes it can be a bit of a domino effect I suppose,” Rayner said.

“The exciting part is that we are going to be a different look, your guess is as good as mine as to what that looks like.

“But that’s the exciting part of it. So I will certainly be really bullish, really confident, really trusting.

“The list is going to be regenerated, we played 13 players under 22 years of age this year, so it really gives those guys an opportunity to consolidate their senior careers at St Mary’s and also exciting for some of those in and underneath that as well.”

Originally published as Local powerhouse St Mary’s signs ex-VFL player Ryan Pendlebury, brother of Collingwood champion Scott