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Senior Ryan Lester (2010-)

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[PLAYERCARD]RYAN LESTER[/PLAYERCARD] - PREMIERSHIP PLAYER!

That has a nice ring to it.
 
Great to see Joe Daniher carrying his son around on the ground after the Grand Final win. Even greater to see his son with number 35 on the back of the gurnsey he was wearing.
 
Merrett-Murray Medal – Top 10
1. [PLAYERCARD]Lachie Neale[/PLAYERCARD] - 73
2. [PLAYERCARD]Dayne Zorko[/PLAYERCARD] - 72
3. [PLAYERCARD]Josh Dunkley[/PLAYERCARD] - 71
4. [PLAYERCARD]Hugh McCluggage[/PLAYERCARD] - 64
5. Dary Wilmot - 61
6. [PLAYERCARD]Ryan Lester[/PLAYERCARD] - 60
7. [PLAYERCARD]Harris Andrews[/PLAYERCARD] - 56
8. [PLAYERCARD]Jarrod Berry[/PLAYERCARD] - 56
9. Joe Daniher - 56
10. [PLAYERCARD]Oscar McInerney[/PLAYERCARD] – 54
10. Cam Rayner - 54

Outstanding result for Ryan in our B&F. He is right up there as one of our most important and consistent players.
 


It’s all here, including LESTER’S RUN and some brilliant defensive spoiling and tackling.
 

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3KZ is Football said:


It’s all here, including LESTER’S RUN and some brilliant defensive spoiling and tackling.
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I was thinking about that run... It requires enormous trust, on a few fronts.

1, obviously you have to trust Hugh to be able to hit that kick, which required him to pinpoint Froggy on the move in the middle of about 5 Swans players.

2, you need to be able to trust the rest of your team mates that if the kick doesn't come off and it gets turned over, that somebody is going to be covering your man and performing your role, at least for a few seconds.

3, you need to be able to trust the coaching group that they won't roast you - either Hugh for messing the kick up or Froggy for running off his man in an attempt to create. In fact, they'll still back you to do it again, in the belief that the majority of the time it will come off. I guess that comes back to the goldfish mentality they tried to adopt late in the season.

It's a classic example of how having a strong and stable defence demonstrably made us more potent in attack. There is no way we'd have even attempted a play like that back in say 2022.
 
McIvor said:


I've long had my doubts, but fair to say he's solidified his status as a bona fide no.1 pick, which really is a standard and expectation held by others. He's a gun and a proven match winner and superstar, we just want more consistency which we saw more of in 24.
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I like how you've put a post about 3KZ is Football's favourite player, in a thread about his other favourite player. Clever.

Also rate the Nickelback backing track for that clip 👏
 
Lester is having another fantastic season. He really has become one of our most important defenders. I would not be the least bit surprised to see him finish in the top 5 or 6 in our Best and Fairest again this year. He is just so consistent and honest.
 
Lester’s tackling has been awesome this year. Looking at our defensive unit, he provides so much physical hardness. He is our highest rated defender for tackles and among our strongest tacklers in the side, among our regular players.
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250028_Re-Signing_Announcement_Ryan_Lester_Article_Header.jpg

Lester locked in for 2026 after signing new deal. #Lester250

https://www.lions.com.au/news/1890992
 
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Lions stalwart [PLAYERCARD]Ryan Lester[/PLAYERCARD] glad to have spoken to premiership-winning star before deciding to extend AFL career

Lester also approached family, friends, Lions coach Chris Fagan and Daniher for advice before signing a new contract.

“Joe’s a better player than I am and he probably had three, four, five years left in him, but he values other things in life,” Lester said.

“He’s got a great family and life balance which I really admire. For me footy is wonderful and it’s given me so many opportunities, but there are also other parts of my life that I’m keen to put energy towards.

“I’ll keep playing while I can, certainly next year, and then put my energy towards those things after that

“I’m in a very lucky situation with where the team’s at at the moment. We’re competing every year, and as a lot of people have told me, you’re a long time retired, so I may as well keep playing.”
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3KZ is Football said:
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When you see all those bundled up in quick succession you see a couple of patterns emerge which might otherwise go unnoticed. (1) How many hurried hack kicks out of defence there were early on in the game and (2) when he was spoiling he very deliberately batted the ball towards the ground to reduce the potential for any juggled Geelong mark. Actually similar to the way a cornerback might look to bat away a pass to a wide receiver in American football.
 
Grasshopper17 said:
When you see all those bundled up in quick succession you see a couple of patterns emerge which might otherwise go unnoticed. (1) How many hurried hack kicks out of defence there were early on in the game and (2) when he was spoiling he very deliberately batted the ball towards the ground to reduce the potential for any juggled Geelong mark. Actually similar to the way a cornerback might look to bat away a pass to a wide receiver in American football.
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The idea was clearly to clear the ball at all costs. I loved the way he kept the ball in front of himself. The priority was to not let it get out the back and to keep it as far away from the Geelong goal as possible. There were some desperate kicks out of defence to contests, which worked. He also consistently got hands on the loose ball and dished it off to a runner. There were the usual gives to Zorko and some beautiful and quick handballs to Fletcher. Lester getting it in the cauldron and dishing it to a rebounding Fletcher may go unnoticed, but it is so important and you can bet Fagan sees it. Lester played a ripper game in defence, and the commentators recognised it. Lester was the top rated player on the field in the third quarter, doing all the grunt work. People will rightly remember Cameron and Neale in the third, but it was Lester and Andrews who got right on top of their opponents in the third and that was vitally important. In the highest pressure game of football imaginable, our defence stood tall, while Geelong’s cracked.

In the third quarter Lester was equal first on the ground for Disposals, Tackles and Marks. Inspirational!
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