Angus McLennan has been called up for his debut this afternoon at Marvel Stadium, coming into the side as a late replacement for Ryan Byrnes (illness).

The Category B Rookie — recruited from St Kilda’s Next Generation Academy in 2022 — has been named as an emergency for the past three weeks, but was given the nod for a senior berth this morning after Byrnes' omission from the squad.

Born in Australia, raised in Cairo for six years and arriving at St Kilda via the club’s Moorabbin Airport Next Generation Academy, McLennan’s route to landing on an AFL list is more worldly than the norm.

Igniting his love of footy at Glen Iris Junior Football Club after returning to Australia from Egypt as a junior, the intercepting defender was a certainty to get drafted in 2021 before a serious shoulder injury sidelined him for the next 18 months. 

After rediscovering his love of the game prior to his arrival to St Kilda’s playing list in late 2022, McLennan has since built his defensive attributes while representing Sandringham in the VFL under the tutelage of development coaches Jake Batchelor, Damian Carroll and Lenny Hayes.

The 20-year-old has been a consistent performer for the Zebras over the past two seasons, with his form rewarded with today’s late call-up.

McLennan is the fourth player drafted from St Kilda’s Moorabbin Airport Next Generation Academy to represent the club after Mitch Owens, Marcus Windhager and Jack Peris, with Owens to celebrate his 50th game today.

The 1648th player to represent the red, white and black at AFL level, McLennan is the ninth new Saint to feature this season and the club’s sixth AFL debutant of the year following Darcy Wilson, Lance Collard, Angus Hastie, Hugo Garcia and Arie Schoenmaker.