All the best Ryan

[Rohan25]

I thought I'd make a thread for a player who has been much maligned here over the last few years. While injuries, and much publicised personal struggles have conspired to make the past couple of seasons very difficult for Ryan Lonie, I prefer to remember the promise Ryan showed as a youngster in 2001. His long, daring runs off half back, and his devastating left foot gave us all a ray of hope, at a time when spirits were low.

Having barely turned 18 he kicked 3 goals in a half of football in Round 8 against Port Adelaide, helping us pull off an upset win, and announcing his arrival. The following year, he was among our best players in the 2002 Grand Final side. I won't forget the way the crowd noise always rose significantly whenever he got the ball within 70 metres of goal.

At one stage he looked destined to play 250 games, but his career has now come to a close after 123 games and 61 goals. He conducted his career with dignity and professionalism, and has confirmed his retirement the same way. I wish him well.

 

[skeetz]

copy+paste of my post in another thread:

I will always remember him streaming through the center and belting through a sausage roll from outside 50. Me and dad would jumping around yelling ONLYYYY THE LONNIIEEEEEE!!!
Good times, great memories.
Congratulations on playing over 100 games for the biggest and best sporting club in Australia. That's no mean feat.

 

[Optimax]

Some of his running goals were awesome.

As a youngster he was up there with buckley as our most damaging by foot, sadly injury cut down his major weapon and his last years are remebered for other reasosns.


Still congrats ryan on a fine carreer

 

[scruffydog]

Take care, handball receiver. Thanks for the memories.

 

[skeetz]

Classy.
That's a real dog of a post 'scruffydog'.

Call us up when you play over 100 games in the Black and White Stripes.

 

[scruffydog]

Classy.
That's a real dog of a post 'scruffydog'.

Call us up when you play over 100 games in the Black and White Stripes.

If you say so. I liked Lonie... he had a clear role and he played it very well, kicking heaps of goals for us. My friend and I called him 'handball receiver' because he seemed to get a lot of his possessions that way... but there's nothing wrong with that in my mind because he was usually a better kick (or in the case of shots on goals, had more momentum) than the person he received the ball from.

It wasn't meant as an insult...

 

[skeetz]

sure

 

[scruffydog]

sure

I seriously have no idea what your deal is man. Stop trying to make me out to be a bad guy. If 'handball receiver' is actually an insult, tell me how and why, don't just roll your eyes at me. Your turning what's supposed to be a thread dedicated to someone who's done our club a service into an argument for no good reason at all.

Please feel free to PM me and stop your foolishness.

 

[conodie05]

I thought I'd make a thread for a player who has been much maligned here over the last few years. While injuries, and much publicised personal struggles have conspired to make the past couple of seasons very difficult for Ryan Lonie, I prefer to remember the promise Ryan showed as a youngster in 2001. His long, daring runs off half back, and his devastating left foot gave us all a ray of hope, at a time when spirits were low.

Having barely turned 18 he kicked 3 goals in a half of football in Round 8 against Port Adelaide, helping us pull off an upset win, and announcing his arrival. The following year, he was among our best players in the 2002 Grand Final side. I won't forget the way the crowd noise always rose significantly whenever he got the ball within 70 metres of goal.

At one stage he looked destined to play 250 games, but his career has now come to a close after 123 games and 61 goals. He conducted his career with dignity and professionalism, and has confirmed his retirement the same way. I wish him well.

Very weel put there Rohan. I concur with everything you mentioned in your final paragraph.

Lonie's ability to thread it from 55-65 was the highlight of many games I witnessed over his career. I'll never forget him bolting down the wing or through the middle unmanned whilst someone like Tarks was lining up 50 out. In would bolt Lones for the handball and would let roost from just inside the centre square. Nine times out of ten it would sail through the middle of the big sticks. It is a real shame that injury and most probably lack of confidence cut him down.

I'm probably guilty of forgetting all about Lones over the last couple of seasons. Hopefully he doesn't forget his career and all the opportunites he had that most of us have not and never will expereince.

Good luck with whatever career move you make next Mr Lonie.

 

[conodie05]

I seriously have no idea what your deal is man. Stop trying to make me out to be a bad guy. If 'handball receiver' is actually an insult, tell me how and why, don't just roll your eyes at me. Your turning what's supposed to be a thread dedicated to someone who's done our club a service into an argument for no good reason at all.

Please feel free to PM me and stop your foolishness.

I knew exactly what you were getting at there Scruffster. Hence I made a similar comment in my previous post.

 

[scruffydog]

I knew exactly what you were getting at there Scruffster. Hence I made a similar comment in my previous post.

Good! I was getting worried that I'd somehow said something massively insulting and was going to get red-carded.

Back on track, I can happily say I didn't forget about Lonie this year. I used my last 2 SuperCoach trades getting the 2 Lonies into my team (in the one game Ryan played), calling it 'The Lonie Masterstroke.' Didn't actually help me win at all, but I didn't have a chance anyway so I thought it was worth a shot, lol.

 

[skeetz]

If i have grossly misunderstood you, then I apologise.
I thought it was pretty much a given around here that if you are calling someone a "handball receiver" or pretty much a receiver of any type, then you are insulting said player. IE they don't dive to the bottom of a pack and claim the ball themself.

back on topic - LOVE YA WORK LONES!
Will be sorely missed. A fit Ryan Lonie would have added a lot to our side. At least we got to see you one last time

 

[The Norm]

Good luck, Lonestar.

I can remember him being designated for kick-outs in his 2nd game.
We all would've thought he was going to have a much bigger part in our long-term future, but that wasn't the way it turned out.
A trademark Lonie bomb from outside 50 is definitely one of my common memories from "the grand final years".

 

[aydo]

as everyone has pretty much said above, will always remember those great streaming runs and goals in the early 00's.

good luck with life after footy!

 

[Tarks]

Goodbye The Lonie Ranger...
i got majorly pumped when he got another crack this year and thought here we go he's back! unfortunately he had little if any impact in the game which was sad.
he seemed to cop it a bit around these places but unfortunately he will be filed in the what could have been file.
Chin up Ryan.

 

[Bay Pie]

He invested the dish off receive and long bomb from outside 50, that guys like Gram, Goddard, Gilbee & Drummond do nowadays.

 

[OneEyedPie7]

I would like to echo the sentiments of the initial poster. We all know that Ryan Lonie was no lazarus, but he did play an important role in the fabric of our side in his prime. I am dissapointed that such a gifted player could fall away into the wilderness so quickly and lament not having his polish and poise running around in the black and white for longer.

All the best for your future endeavours Lonie, whatever they may be. We "will" miss those type of footskills and dash in our side, I assure you.

 

[pendles]

He invested the dish off receive and long bomb from outside 50, that guys like Gram, Goddard, Gilbee & Drummond do nowadays.

Here here.

Could have been anything.

 

[Jabso]

His great 2002 finals series, his record against Goodes at his peak and his long running goals are what I'll remember of him for (oh and that long pass to Rocca in the 2002 prelim for the 65metre goal).

They can't all be champions, in the entire scheme of things he had a good career, isn't the average career 50 games or something? I enjoyed watching him play when he was in full flight. I thought he turned it around in 2005 or was it 2006 where early on in the season he played well in the middle, but he wasn't able to complete the turn around.

 

[Shakermaker94]

must admit, ryan lonie was my fave player. although he wasnt the best. his runs through the centre of the ground, and goals from outside 50 made me love him as a player. he had a great career. wish him the best