Rowan Marshall gave St Kilda’s pursuit of Paddy Ryder resounding tick of approval
Paddy Ryder’s arrival at Moorabbin will mean less time in the ruck for Rowan Marshall. But the breakout Saint star has revealed he gave the tick of approval to the club’s pursuit of the veteran big man.
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Blossoming St Kilda ruckman Rowan Marshall has hailed the recruitment of Paddy Ryder as he looks to take his game to another level next year.
Marshall was the shining light in the Saints’ disappointing 2019 campaign, finishing second in the best and fairest after a spectacular breakout season in which he carried a huge load.
Rather than feeling threatened by Ryder’s arrival, the 23-year-old said he was eager to learn from the 2017 All-Australian.
“I’m stoked, I’m over the moon,” Marshall said.
“He was obviously an All-Australian ruckman a couple of years ago and I’m pretty new to the craft. I’m looking forward to learning from him and I think we can be a pretty good duo down the track.”
Drafted as a forward, Marshall said he was more than happy to spend more time inside 50m to accommodate Ryder, believing they can form a dangerous double act in 2020.
The pair have been in touch over the phone in recent weeks.
“We spoke about going forward and how it’s going to work. I’m excited to either play in the ruck or down forward – I’m just happy to play in the senior side and whatever is best for the team,” Marshall said.
“I think I’m more than capable of playing as a forward and I really love playing down there. We’ll wait and see how it works out.
“I was in talks with ‘Gags’ (list manager James Gallagher) last season and I was all for it. Whoever takes the ruck role it’s going to be a lot stronger in there because we can pinch it more and have more of a rest.”
Regardless of role specifics, Marshall said he would soak up as much information as he could from Ryder in the hope the former Port Adelaide big man could fill the blanks in his skillset.
“He’s a superb tap ruckman … that’s one weakness of my game I’ve got to work on,” he said.
“I think, at times last year against the bigger ruckmen I got found out a little bit in the ruck craft, but with Paddy here I’ll be able to improve on that.”
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Ryder was one of five players snared by the Saints in a hectic trade period. He will join Brad Hill, Dan Butler, Dougal Howard and Zak Jones at training from November 18.
“We’ve brought in five really good players who should play senior footy every week so the vibe around the club at the moment is really good and I’m excited about next year,” Marshall said.
“Everyone wants to play finals, but we’ll focus on having a good pre-season and starting the season well.”
WHY RYDER, MARSHALL ARE A ‘WAIT AND SEE’ PAIRING
Sam Edmund
We’ll call them the ‘wait and see’ couple.
St Kilda took to the track for the official resumption of training on Thursday, fresh from an off-season dripping in positivity and optimism.
The new coach’s first pre-season, a glittering trade period, key coaching appointments and the expected natural improvement of its youngsters has the long-suffering Saints faithful feeling all warm and fuzzy.
But on a gloomy Thursday morning, our wait and see pair were nearly as cool as the unseasonal weather.
When you’re virtually the only two supporters watching pre-season training on November 7 weekday, it’s safe to say this isn’t your first rodeo.
We start the conversation.
You blokes would be feeling good about your boys?
Wait and see.
Your coach is made from the right stuff though.
Wait and see.
But that trade period – that will make a big difference.
Wait and see.
Our rusted-on duo have been coming here for decades – with a few years worth of detours to Seaford in between – and they’ve seen their share of disappointments and false dawns at the one-flag foundation club.
They are the reminder of the sometimes out-of-proportion excitability of the trade period and the fact games are harder to win on the field in July than they are on paper in October.
They watched from the fence, near a large chunk of roped-off freshly-laid turf as about 20 of the club’s 1-4 year players were put through a low-key session.
Fittingly, for a club that has seen the winds of change sweep through its coaching and playing ranks, a gale howled across this famous old ground.
Yet there was no Brad Hill or Paddy Ryder here, while most of St Kilda’s senior core were en-route to Byron Bay for former teammate Josh Bruce’s wedding.
A major reason the Saints were happy to trade Bruce was out there though, with Max King doing some drills and run throughs with Jonathon Marsh.
Hunter Clark, Jade Gresham, Ed Phillips, Nick Coffield, Josh Battle and Nick Hind were among those to be eased in to the program run by high performance manager Matt Hornsby.
Coach Brett Ratten devoted some one-on-one time to highly-rated teenager Jack Bytel and new part-time strength and conditioning coach Sean Dempster was a keen onlooker.
Former Bomber Nathan Lovett-Murray (indigenous welfare support) was also on-field.
Watching it all from a balcony above was football strategist and the recently-appointed “head of football program” David Rath, having been lured from the AFL.
As he cast a bespectacled eye on proceedings he was joined by football manager Simon Lethlean.
If the latter helped lay the exciting foundations in the trade period, both will be entrusted with ensuring it bares fruit.
There’s a vibe at Moorabbin. But will it translate to a first finals appearance since 2011?
Wait and see.
Originally published as Rowan Marshall gave St Kilda’s pursuit of Paddy Ryder resounding tick of approval