Paddy Ryder facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Paddy Ryder |
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Ryder playing for Port Adelaide in June 2017
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| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Patrick Ryder | ||
| Date of birth | 14 March 1988 | ||
| Original team | East Fremantle (WAFL) | ||
| Draft | No. 7, 2005 national draft | ||
| Debut | 1 April 2006, Essendon v. Sydney, at Docklands Stadium |
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| Position(s) | Ruckman | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | St Kilda | ||
| Number | 18 | ||
| Career highlights | |||
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Patrick Ryder (born 14 March 1988) is a former Australian rules football player. He played for the Essendon, Port Adelaide, and St Kilda Football Clubs in the Australian Football League (AFL). Ryder was known for his amazing speed, quickness, and jumping ability, especially for someone his size. His first AFL coach, Kevin Sheedy, even compared him to the famous Indigenous Australian rules football star Graham "Polly" Farmer. Patrick's father, Revis Ryder, also played football for East Fremantle.
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Early Life and Junior Football
Patrick Ryder is from the Noongar people, an Indigenous Australian group. He grew up in Geraldton, Western Australia. He started playing junior football with the Rover Football Club at Greenough Oval.
Before joining the AFL, Ryder was a talented young player. He was part of the AFL under-18 All-Australian team. He also represented Australia in the under-18 international rules games in Ireland. He played for the East Fremantle Football Club in the West Australian Football League (WAFL).
AFL Career Highlights
Playing for Essendon (2006–2014)
Essendon chose Patrick Ryder as their first pick in the 2005 AFL Draft. He was the seventh player picked overall in the league.
He played his first AFL game in round 1, 2006, against Sydney. He played as a ruckman and got his first possession by winning a free kick. Essendon won that game by 27 points.
Ryder was recognized for his great play in round 1, 2007, and received a NAB Rising Star nomination. In 2009, he won the Anzac Medal. This happened after his teammate David Hille got injured early in the game. Ryder had to play as the only ruckman for the rest of the match.
He played his 100th AFL game in round 6, 2011. In that game, Essendon had a huge win against the Gold Coast Suns by 139 points. In 2013, Ryder played a big part in Essendon reaching the finals. He was important as a ruckman, but also played well when he moved forward or into defence. He continued to be a key player for Essendon in 2014.
Moving to Port Adelaide (2015–2019)
After the 2014 season, Patrick Ryder decided to leave Essendon. This was due to concerns related to a club program. Ryder and his wife were worried about their unborn child's health. They felt let down by the club and lost trust. Ryder wanted to join Port Adelaide.
Essendon did not want to trade him at first. Ryder's manager even said he might retire if the trade was blocked. On 16 October, he was officially traded to Port Adelaide.
In 2015, Ryder was a big new player for Port Adelaide. He couldn't play in the pre-season games. He was cleared to play just a few days before the first game of the season. He played 18 games for Port Adelaide that year. He even kicked four goals against his old club, Essendon.
In January 2016, Patrick Ryder and many other past and present Essendon players faced a suspension. This was because of a club program from the 2012 season. They were suspended for two years, but with time already served, the suspension ended in November 2016. This meant he missed the entire 2016 AFL season.
When he returned in the 2017 season, Ryder became one of the best ruckmen in the league. He played his 200th AFL game in round 14. Port Adelaide won that game against Collingwood. That year, he was named an All-Australian ruckman. He also won the John Cahill Medal as Port Adelaide's best and fairest player.
Playing for St Kilda (2020–2022)
At the end of the 2019 AFL season, Ryder asked to be traded to St Kilda. The trade was completed on 15 October. Ryder and his Port Adelaide teammate Dougal Howard joined St Kilda. Ryder chose St Kilda because he felt he would have more chances to play as a ruckman there. He said he still had a lot to give to the game.
In the 2020 season, Ryder played 14 games for St Kilda. He played a very important role in their winning final against Western Bulldogs. However, an injury in that game ended his season early.
In March 2021, it was announced that Ryder would take a break from the club. He wanted to spend time with his family and elders. The club fully supported his decision. Ryder returned in April and played his first game of 2021 in round seven. He played well, getting many tackles, clearances, and hitouts. He had a great run of games in rounds 10-12, with many hitouts. Ryder's last game in 2021 was in round 19. He then had an Achilles injury and missed the rest of the season. After playing 12 games, he signed with St Kilda for another season.
After another season with injuries in 2022, Ryder announced his retirement on 20 August. He finished his career having played 281 games across three clubs.
After Playing Football
After retiring as a player, Patrick Ryder returned to the Essendon Football Club. This was his first time back since leaving in 2014. Ryder now works as the club's Indigenous Player Development Manager. In this role, he helps young Indigenous players. Some of the players he works with are the sons of his former teammate Alwyn Davey.
Images for kids
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Ryder playing for Port Adelaide in June 2017
