RIDLEY, Todd

Todd Ridley came to Essendon in 1991 after being recruited from Claremont in WA where he had won the Simpson Medal as the best player in their 1996 premiership.

He was a versatile player, although most of his 25 games for Essendon were in defence.

At the end of 1994, Ridley became part of a complex trade deal which saw him and Tony Delaney traded to the newly-formed Fremantle Football Club in exchange for a priority draft pick, which Essendon used to secure the young Matthew Lloyd.

He secured a place in the Dockers history by kicking their first goal in the AFL.

After two seasons and 21 games at Fremantle he returned to Melbourne in 1997 to play for Hawthorn but only managed two more games and he retired at the end of the season.

Ridley returned to Perth in 1998 and played with Subiaco until 2001, winning the Bernie Naylor Medal as the WAFL's leading goalkicker in his first season.