Retired Patrick Ryder

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Paddy Ryder opens up on his decision to take personal leave from St Kilda
Paddy Ryder went from the AFL hub to an off-season locked down and completing a rehab program. Soon after, it became too much.

St Kilda ruckman Paddy Ryder has opened up on his decision to take personal leave from the club at the start of the season, declaring the move had allowed him to get back to “enjoying everything about my life” again.
The veteran Saints big man missed the first six games of the season after he was granted leave from the club to go home to spend time with his family and elders in his community in Western Australia.
Ryder said a prolonged absence from his family had taken “its toll on me mentally” and he had felt like he was “going through the motions” during training at the club.
The 32-year-old said he had prioritised his rehabilitation initially in the off-season following hamstring tendon surgery, leaving him without a window for his usual family time.
“The off-season is normally the time when you go and spend time with family and I didn’t get the opportunity to do that because I came back here from (the hub in) Noosa, had surgery, we were still in lockdown here and then I got stuck into my rehab,” Ryder said.
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Paddy Ryder has made a huge difference since returning to the Saints. Picture: Michael Klein

Paddy Ryder has made a huge difference since returning to the Saints. Picture: Michael Klein
“I was speaking to the club the whole time and we were looking at opportunities to be able to go back home but I prioritised my rehab, which is really important to me, but the other side of that was I didn’t get to enjoy myself and see my family.
“Not being able to do that, I think after a while it just took its toll on me mentally. I came in and I was honest with the footy club and told them that I was going through the motions a bit at the club … and I needed to go home and spend time with my mum, the old people, my family and I knew that would get me back in a good space. ”Ryder said despite feeling “fit and strong” physically, he had been struggling in training, highlighting the strain he had been under mentally.
“At that point, I was fighting fit but I was training and I was struggling in training and that just shows the mental side just wasn’t going well for me,” Ryder said.
“The club, they were really supportive, they asked how long I needed and I just said, ‘I won’t need too long, I will stay in touch and I shouldn’t be too long’.
“I’ve been able to come back and get straight back in the team and play my role, which is really important to us at the moment.”
After a four-week break in WA, Ryder returned to Melbourne and was back in the team for the Saints’ Round 7 win over Hawthorn.
“Ask anyone around, they are probably noticing a big difference to how I was,” Ryder said.
Paddy Ryder booted a vital goal in a tight finish against Gold Coast.

Paddy Ryder booted a vital goal in a tight finish against Gold Coast.
“My energy levels are back to where they were, my mood levels are back to normal and I’m back really enjoying everything about my life and about the football club, and I think as I start to get my match fitness back that will start showing with my output in games.”
“The team struggled a little bit and it wasn’t good timing. But you can’t just open a calendar and pick the days in the future where you don’t feel like being OK. That’s just life, life just throws that stuff at you and you have got to roll with the punches.”
Speaking ahead of the launch of St Kilda’s Indigenous guernsey, designed by club great Nicky Winmar, and its ‘Point + Be Proud’ program to help raise awareness about the ongoing effects of racism, Ryder said he would be proud to wear the jumper Winmar created.
The jumper features a silhouette on the front of Winmar’s famous stand against racist taunts from the crowd at Victoria Park in 1993.
“It’s one of the most iconic photos ever taken in Australia and to have him at our club is awesome for us to share his story and wear his jumper that he designed,” Ryder said.
“He is one of our favourite players. It’s always exciting even just being around him and having a chat … it gets the boys going a little bit.
“He has been through a lot over his life and football journey, so it’s going to mean a lot to wear his jumper.
“It’s a great opportunity to tell Nicky’s story because it’s such a powerful story.”
 
Will veteran be offered a new deal?
St Kilda is keen to extend Paddy Ryder’s career into a 16th season as the club admitted he might have walked away from football if not granted early-season personal leave.

St Kilda’s mature approach to Ryder’s four-week leave period saw the club adamant that Ryder needed to be approved leave to work on “areas missing in his life”.

Now he has returned to put together some slashing form as the Saints attempt to push for finals on the back of the Ryder-Rowan Marshall ruck combination.

Ryder’s two-year deal expires this year after stints at Essendon and Port Adelaide.

Paddy Ryder is out of contract at the end of the year. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

Paddy Ryder is out of contract at the end of the year. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images
But St Kilda chief operating officer Simon Lethlean said the club hoped Ryder, 34 in March next year, had more football left in him.

“This is the second year of his two-year deal and I think he intends to play on next year and we are keen to have him. We haven’t got to that conversation yet but if he wants to play on we want him. He has been one of the better tap ruckmen in the competition in the last decade or so, him and Nic (Naitanui) are up there, and he allows Rowan to lay alongside Max King in the forward line.

“We were always going to (grant him leave), but in your quiet moments it’s pretty difficult to accept because you are not going to pick your best team. But we knew his wellbeing and welfare were critical to him and us. If he wasn’t allowed to go, he might not have played again at all. The pay-off is he’s better and happier and he’s playing again. He’s in a really good space at the moment.”
 
Pretty good day for Paddy against the Swans and our ex-ruck Hickey who finally seems to have found some consistency.
Playing as the sole ruckman Paddy played most of the game in the ruck finishing with 16 disposals, 4 marks, 4 tackles, 4 clearances and 34 hit outs.
Unfortunately we couldn't make the most of the hit outs and are still lacking some connectivity in the middle since Jones got injured.

Paddy is gradually getting better with the job of sole ruckman but feel like we see the best out of him when Marshall is playing too.
 
Statistically not too bad an outing from Paddy although didnt do as much as we have seen in the past and some of his taps didnt quite find their target like they had been. Did spend a bit more time fwd than we have seen in the last few games with Hunter's inclusion.
Ended up with 10 disposals (9 kicks and 1 handball), 2 marks, 2 tackles and a behind to go with his 28 hitouts.

Think he will enjoy the bye as a rest after shouldering the ruck load a lot over the last few weeks.
Hoping to see his ruck buddy Rowan back after the bye and see his form spike up again.
 
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