Paddy Ryder signs with MPNFL Division 2 club Devon Meadows
Former AFL star Paddy Ryder has signed with a Mornington Peninsula league club — and declared he wants to win an elusive premiership.
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They are bursting with excitement at Devon Meadows footy club.
The Panthers have pulled off a massive recruiting coup by signing former AFL star Paddy Ryder.
The club announced his arrival on Wednesday night.
“I don’t think there’s a bigger signing in local footy, just about ever,” Devon Meadows coach Ryan Hendy fizzed.
Ryder follows St Kilda teammate Dean Kent to Devon Meadows.
Hendy said Ryder would play every game next season and was motivated to win an elusive premiership.
“He’s going to stay in the gym, keep fit and do a full pre season,” Hendy said.
“He reckons in 17 years of playing AFL football there was one thing he never got to do and that was win a premiership.
“And he goes, ‘that’s all I want to do, I want to come and win a premiership’, and that’s the main thing on his mind at the moment. He’s full steam ahead. He said he’s going to play every game.”
Ryder played 281 games across 17 seasons in the AFL.
He joined the Saints at the end of 2019 after a brilliant four-year stint at Port Adelaide where he won the best and fairest and All-Australian selection to cement his stature as one of the premier ruckmen in the game.
He played 170 games with Essendon in the first half of his career after being drafted in 2006.
Hendy said Ryder had “some massive offers” from local football clubs but chose Devon Meadows.
“He just wanted to come and play with blokes he knew and felt comfortable with, so it’s worked out really well,” he said.
“It’s pretty big for the club.
“It’s a small community Devon Meadows and for something like this to happen to the place, the joint is just going to be booming.”
Devon Meadows snapped a 21-year finals drought last season and is seen as a club on the rise in MPNFL Division 2.
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