DYSON, Ricky

Ricky Dyson was drafted from Northern Knights with pick 44 in the 2003 National Draft. He made his debut in Round 3, 2004, aged only 18. He was an excellent left-foot kick and began as a clever winger, but later was used as a running defender who rotated through the midfield. He was troubled by groin soreness several times in his first the next two years. although he did manage to play 10 games in succession in 2006.

He was offered a contract by Fremantle but was convinced to stay by Essendon's new coach, Matthew Knights. Although his 2008 season was interrupted by an appendectomy, he still managed to play 15 games.

His best year was 2009 when he played every game, including the losing Elimination Final, winning the Most Improved Player award and finishing seventh in the Club's Best and Fairest award. He kicked a critical goal from the boundary in the last three minutes of the exciting Anzac Day game, but it tends to be overshadowed by David Zaharakis's last minute major.

However, he struggled to maintain a regular spot and it was nearly a year between his last game in 2010 and his next game in Round 16, 2011. He played 12 games with Bendigo Bombers, Essendon's VFL-affiliate team, and finished third in their Best and Fairest award.

He spent several years with the Club's "On the Ball" program which aims to use sport as the hook to address depression, obesity and substance abuse among young people. After his retirement, he became a qualified personal trainer, setting up his own business but continuing his strong community conscience by working at the Parkville Juvenile Justice Centre taking physical education classes.

Dyson was delisted at the end of 2012 and went on to play and then coach the Bundoora Bulls, winning a premiership in 2017, although he had to stand out of all football in 2016 due to his suspension because of the Supplements saga.. He returned to Essendon in 2019 to become the VFL team's backline coach while also playing with Banyule. He left Essendon in 2020 to become playing assistant coach at Banyule in the Northern Football League. When the NFL abandoned its 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Dyson requested a transfer to Rennie in the Picola League, but returned to Banyule in 2022.