St Kilda ruckman Paddy Ryder opens up on the road back from his Achilles injury

Because of the pandemic, Saturday’s game against Geelong was the first time Ryder’s father Revis, a senior sergeant in the West Australian Police force, travelled to watch his son play for St Kilda, where he was traded in late 2019.

Revis, a Noongar man now living in Perth, had been stationed at Warakurna in WA Ngaanyatjarra Lands, not far from the Northern Territory border. He waited outside the Saints changerooms after their stirring win over the Cats, while his grandson, Paddy’s son Harlan, wandered in to embrace his dad.

And what a game for Ryder snr to see in person. Twenty-two points down midway through the third term, the Saints surged to kick eight of the next 10 goals, including two in the final term from Ryder, whose influence both in the ruck and up forward was immense. It was just St Kilda’s second win over Geelong since the end of 2010; consolidating the Saints’ spot in the top eight.

Ryder’s performance was all the more remarkable given only months ago he wondered whether he was a spent force. The grumbly Achilles that prematurely ended his 2021 campaign had continued to flare up well into the pre-season. His birth certificate wasn’t exactly a source of optimism either.

“It got to a point where you start questioning whether you can play out the season,” Ryder says, reflecting on his mindset over the summer.

“I had doubts coming into this season, because I’ve had it before. It sort of derails your season. You play with it but you get unfit because you can’t run too much, the club’s trying to look after you.”

The Saints were patient. Ryder missed the first couple of rounds of the season, coming back via the VFL. His season was interrupted again by a two-match suspension for a bump on Hawthorn’s Will Day in round four.

And yet on Saturday, Ryder was at his artistic best. With the game in the balance during the third term he palmed the ball masterfully to Jack Billings, setting up the goal that put St Kilda ahead.

Then came his final quarter interjections. Thank goodness those thoughts of giving it all away were quashed.

“I think I learnt from the past, what I’ve done right and what I’ve done wrong. The club trusted me to be able to have a lot of input in my program. We’ve got a few boys with Achilles issues at the moment, and I’m the one that’s in better shape,” Ryder says.

“It’s all the work during the week. It’s a lot of boring stuff. You’ve just got to keep ticking it off, it’ll all pay off in the end.

“At the moment I’m just taking it year by year. I feel like I’m still one of the best ruckmen in the comp. My role within the team, the club values it, and I value it as well. I’ll just keep playing until I don’t think I’m good enough to do it. Or if the club gives me the flick! Hopefully not.”

Ryder will probably never again fire on all cylinders, and his ruck buddy Rowan Marshall is also a touch banged up following a recent cork to his quad. But having them fit enough to play together makes an enormous difference for St Kilda. The stats back it up. Since the start of 2020, the Saints are 17-8 when Ryder and Marshall have both played. When one or both has been absent, they are 10-15. Both are threats as forwards as well as in the ruck, while having the extra height inside 50 also takes some of the heat off Max King.

“Big Ro’s struggling a little bit, carrying a little injury, but it’s great to have him out there. We’ve got a good partnership,” Ryder says, not prone to overstatement.

One of those periods in which the pair were forced apart was early last year, when Ryder took an extended break from the game to reunite with family interstate. It was a challenging time, but the veteran is glad he did it.

“I needed to get back home, reconnect with my family, who I missed dearly. I’m in a good space now,” Ryder says.

Ryder has been in the AFL so long there wasn’t even an Indigenous round when he was drafted. Indeed, the pioneering Dreamtime game had only been played once. Race relations in Australia have continued to evolve since that time more than a decade-and-a-half ago, and while clearly still not perfect, the situation has improved, according to Ryder.

“The conversations that are being had now,” Ryder says.

“There’s a lot of awareness. And people want change. I think we’re on the right track. This is something that’s going to take many years, for us to get it to where we want it to be. The biggest thing from my point of view is non-Indigenous people are starting to lead the talks, and wanting to get things better. That’s the thing that I’m really proud of.”

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The Saints have a club-record eight Indigenous players on their list, a source of pride for St Kilda heading into Sir Doug Nicholls Indigenous Round. Ryder is the elder of the group, leading the way with his gentle guidance.

“He’s a legend. I call him a brother. Always having a laugh, in the changerooms, around the club and that,” says Indigenous utility Ben Long.

“Someone I can lean on, and that a lot of the boys have as well. Just a great man, a great family man, and a great teammate.”