RYDER, Paddy

Paddy Ryder was an Under 18 All-Australian player and playing at East Fremantle in the WAFL when Essendon took him with their first pick, number seven overall, in the 2005 National Draft.

He was tall, athletic. a great high mark, with a remarkable spring and elite speed. He was seen as a great ruckman in the making.

He made his AFL debut in Round 1, 2006, against Sydney, when the Bombers upset the reigning premiers by 27 points after leading by 41 at three-quarter time. It was the only win he would play in that year - and the only Essendon win in the first 16 rounds - and he finished his first season with nine games.

The following year Ryder won a Rising Star nomination for his opening round game against Adelaide and he played all but one game that season.

He had all the attributes of a champion but at times drew criticism for inconsistency.

In the 2009 Anzac Day match, he rucked the entire game single-handedly after number one ruckman, David Hille, went down with a serious knee injury just two minutes into the game. His outstanding performance won him the Anzac Day Medal as the best player on the ground and the Bombers triumphed when David Zaharakis kicked a goal in the dying seconds of the game.

He won both the Club's Most Courageous Player award and the Bill Hutchison Foundation community award in 2009.

It was Ryder's best season and he finished fourth in the Club's Best and Fairest award. By now he was Essendon's leading ruckman, and despite some up and down performances, had the ability to make a big impact when on song.

He was remarkable consistent and barely missed a game between 2007 and 2011.

At the end of 2014 he announced he wanted to leave Essendon, citing concerns about the Club's supplements program and nominated Port Adelaide as his preferred destination. He joined the Power in 2015 after 170 games and nine years at Essendon.

He missed the 2016 season due to the supplements saga ban, but eventually played 73 games for Port Adelaide between 2015 and 2019. He won Port's best and fairest award and All-Australian selection in 2017. He was awarded AFL Life membership in 2022.

At the end of 2019, he requested a trade to St Kilda, citing a perceived lack of ruck opportunities at Port Adelaide. He joined the Saints in 2020 and despite a number of injury-interruptions, played 38 games until he announced his retirement at the end of the 2022 season. He had played 281 games and kicked 197 goals in his 17-year AFL career at three clubs.

Paddy Ryder returned to Essendon in March 2023 when he was appointed Indigenous Players Development Manager.