St Peter’s legend Marcus Stow says his son Callum has benefited from two seasons in the UK

The father of an emerging Geelong leg spinner has revealed how his son first took up the art and what’s behind his stunning breakout season.

Plying his craft in the UK over the past two winters has helped young left arm Geelong spinner Callum Stow enjoy a breakout season in 2023-24, his proud father says.

The younger Stow, 21, is fourth on the Victorian Premier wicket table with 30 at the excellent average of 18.5 apiece, after learning his craft at Leopold a decade ago.

And he comes from great stock, with his father Marcus viewed as one of St Peter’s’ greatest bowlers.

The elder Stow, who began his career as a keeper, would join St Peter’s from St Joseph’s in the early 1990s as a teenager and would go on to take 264 wickets at a miserly average of 15.56 from 148 games.

Playing the most GCA1 matches in the club’s history with 70, Stow also boasted an economy rate of 2.84 per over.

Callum Stow took 6-44 against Kingston Hawthorn. Picture: Carey Neate.

Stow, a 2003-04 club champion who took 11 five-wicket hauls and hit a total of 1263 runs with a highest score of 82, was a Jack Paley medallist for best first grade player on two occasions and won five consecutive Terry Anderson awards for the most dedicated player.

And the younger Stow is on the path to emulate his father.

Marcus said seasons with Urmston in 2022 and Alvaston and Boulton in 2023 – netting more than 100 wickets in total – had developed Callum’s craft.

“Smaller grounds over there as well, they don’t mind having a go at you,” Stow senior said.

“I think he’s learned a lot and developed a lot from playing over there.

“He’s always had that talent.”

Callum began his career at Leopold and bowled “seam up” before taking to the subtle art of leg spin at training.

“I thought: ‘Geez, they’re pretty good’. He was even bowling them to the seniors as an 11-year-old and getting them out,” he recalled.

Stow attempts a caught and bowled against Lara.

“One of the older guys (Frank Meek) who was a spinner said at the time: ‘He needs to just concentrate on bowling those’.

“He stuck at it. He has got a lot of potential.”

Stow would join Geelong at the age of 14 in fourth grade.

And he has enjoyed a stellar season so far in Victorian Premier, taking over as the Cats’ number one spinner after the departure of Tom O’Connell back to South Australia.

“He’s taken it on with open arms, he’s thrived with that challenge,” Marcus said.

The senior Stow said he didn’t need to advise his son too often: “You don’t have to tell him a lot, he knows what he’s doing.”

Marcus Stow bowling for Leopold against Thomson in February, 2006.

Meanwhile, St Peter’s will hold a special past players day and Hall of Fame evening on February 24 — the senior Stow was inducted in the initial group of 12 in 2011.

Stow was recruited by now president John Plummer after a discussion at an 18th, before turning to bowling in his early 20s.

“I always bowled in the nets and bowled alright, but had never really much in a game until probably my third or fourth year at St Peter’s,” he said.

“They made me the player I was in the end I suppose, it gave me that opportunity.”

St Peter’s past players day and Hall of Fame evening will be held on February 24 from 5pm at the club.

Originally published as St Peter’s legend Marcus Stow says his son Callum has benefited from two seasons in the UK