Bishop Emeritus Hurley DD AM served as Darwin Bishop from 2007 to 2018. Bishop Hurley accepted the role as foundation Patron of the MacKillop Saints Sporting Association in 2017. Bishop Hurley’s Awards and recognitions include Knight Commander, Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre, patron of the Melaleuca Refugee Centre, member of the Ministerial Council on Asylum Seekers and Detention, Department of Immigration and Border Protection, member of the Australian Bishops Conference, past deputy chairman of Caritas Australia, founder of the Catholic Pastoral Care Team at the former Woomera Detention Centre and most recently, a Member of the Order of Australia. Bishop Emeritus Hurley DD AM is thrilled to provide the strong foundation and vision for our wonderful club.

The Saints trace their origins to the establishment of MacKillop Rugby League at the College’s foundation in 2012. Under the leadership of foundation president David Graham they joined existing inter-school competitions including the Knights Cup, Catholic Cup and Eels Cup.

In 2014, MacKillop Catholic College entered into a partnership with the University Sharks, a local Rugby League club founded in 1973 as the Northern Suburbs Sharks. The team relocated to Palmerston as the MacKillop Sharks, integrating with the MacKillop Rugby League programme, and the College became their home ground. In 2016, the MacKillop Sharks were named champions of the local competition. Despite this on-field success, the arrangement was found not to be beneficial to the goals of the College programme and disbanded at the end of 2016. In 2017 it was succeeded by the MacKillop Saints, who remained at the College, and the Northern Sharks, who remained in Palmerston at a new home ground.

The new brand, MacKillop Saints, was adopted under the guidance of our club patron, then Bishop Eugene Hurley, with the name paying homage to the local Saints (St Mary’s) AFL team which was also established by the local church as a vehicle for sporting participation for often disadvantaged youth in our community in 1952. The use of the MacKillop nomination was given the formal approval of the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart, who had likewise given their blessing to the establishment of the previous MacKillop Sharks.

At the school competition level, MacKillop got its first taste of victory in 2015, winning both the Knights Cup and Catholic Cup. They would go on to win their first Palmerston Cup the following year, and won the Eels Cup for the first time in 2020.

Shortly after the rebranding, the MacKillop Saints restructured as the MacKillop Saints Sporting Association Incorporated. After an unsuccessful bid to enter the local Rugby League club competition as a new team, in 2018 the Saints switched codes and were welcomed into the local Rugby Union club competition at the junior levels for both boys and girls, whilst continuing to play in school competitions for both codes.

At the end of 2020 President David Graham moved interstate, being succeeded by then Vice President Oren Tyler, with Head Coach Matthew Sharp becoming Vice President. During their time in Club Rugby Union, the Saints brought a great deal of new talent into the game, eventually becoming runner-up in the finals of the 2023 competition. This would, however, be the Saints last game at the club level, as they then renewed their original focus on school-based competition.

The Saints also expanded into other sports in this era, offering programmes in Hockey, Basketball and Touch Football, as well as coordinating a running club and gym programme. They also offered opportunities for older players with entry in the Hottest 7s competition, various overseas 7s trips, and social senior touch football and hockey teams.

Grade of Origin was established in 2020, starting a new tradition of rivalry between Year 9 and Year 10, with Year 10 winning the inaugural clash.

At the end of 2025, the Saints were again formally restructured from an incorporated association back to a school-based entity. With the dissolution of the board, Matthew Sharp was officially named as the Saints third President.