Paddy Ryder reveals he finished some games last season with his leg dragging behind him as he welcomes arrival of Scott Lycett

Paddy Ryder has welcomed premiership Eagle Scott Lycett’s arrival at Port Adelaide after revealing he finished some games last season with his left leg dragging on the ground behind him.

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Paddy Ryder has welcomed premiership Eagle Scott Lycett’s arrival at Port Adelaide and is excited about their new ruck combination after revealing he finished some games last season with his left leg literally dragging on the ground behind him.

The 30-year-old, who just 12 months ago was the All-Australian ruckman, believes the addition of Lycett will be a huge boost to Port’s midfield and forwardline and hopefully extend his career beyond next year.

Ryder missed six games last season with achilles and hip flexor injuries but continued to ruck largely on his own with relief from Charlie Dixon and Justin Westhoff while the Power’s next generation of big men developed at SANFL level.

“As you get older I guess you get a good feel of how you’re going in the game, and I think I’ve come to terms with that although I might want to be the sole ruckman, that’s not the way it’s going to be,” Ryder said.

“I might burn out in a year and my career is over, so with Scotty coming over it allows a little less crash and bash on the body and hopefully that extends my career as well.

“I reckon the risk of injury would be lower from the workload that goes into the number one ruck role, so I’m really excited about this year coming up and then fighting to play on as well.

Paddy Ryder and Scott Lycett during a Power training session in Noosa. Picture: Sarah Reed.

“I think my best attributes as a footballer can go well in the forwardline, high marking, speed on the lead, I’ve still got plenty of that so I’m looking forward to it.”

Ryder - who is fully fit and firing this pre-season - has for the first time revealed the extent of last season’s debilitating injuries.

“There were games where my plan was to go out and run until my leg would stop moving, as crazy as it sounds,” he said.

“I’d get to the end of some games and the hip flexor just didn’t respond and my leg would be dragging, that was when I had to put my hand up to come off.

“I think it was just bad timing because some of our younger rucks were still trying to work on their game, and although there was a lot of negativity towards selection (and not playing a second ruckman), I guess that was a chance for them to get a lot hungrier.

“And young Bill who came in for that last game played really well for us, and the way he’s training now and running around and attacked it is probably built on the back of being starved of the opportunity for a little while there.”

Both Ryder and Lycett have today opened up on their new ruck combination in a wide-ranging interview with The Advertiser from Port Adelaide’s pre-season training camp in Noosa. They hope to become a dangerous duo in the ruck and forward of centre.

In just 16 games last season Ryder won 489 hit-outs while Westhoff had 183 and Dixon 159. At West Coast it was a much more even split with Lycett winning 454 in 22 regular season games and Natanui 459 in 15 games before his season ended with a knee injury.

Ryder said he was pain free and moving strongly in pre-season so far.

“I’ve got no niggles at the moment, I was in rehab for a week and a half when I first came back just because I’d had a limited off-season in terms of running, but the boys put me straight back in there and I’ve been able to respond pretty well without breaking down so we’re pushing forward and have kept ticking off the sessions.”