Ryan Lancaster reached his 300th for Wandella after injury delay

WANDELLA’S Ryan Lancaster is the quintessential one-club man.

Ryan Lancaster, Wandella FC, Yuri Kouzmin

WANDELLA’S Ryan Lancaster is the quintessential one-club man.

Early last season, Lancaster, now 35, was closing in on his 300th senior match with the Golden Rivers League club when an injury-free record came to a painful end.

In Round 5 last season against Nullawil Lancaster fractured his ankle which ruled him out for the rest of the season.

He was back this year and fin­ally ticked off his milestone against Ultima on the weekend.

Lancaster played in Wandella’s four premierships between 2008-11 and captained the first two, but the first one was the highlight after earlier disappointments.

“We’ve always had good sides, we’ve always played fin­als. We’d played that many fin­als and never won one, until ’08,” he said.

Wandella made the finals last year and Lancaster was desperate to return.

“I tried running … I couldn’t run. I tried. I ran water and that was pretty hopeless,” he said. “I’ve been part of the side for that long, sitting and watching is frustrating.”

Lancaster’s wife, Janda, said his injury turned things upside down for them with the farm, in the midst of the cropping season and four children to look after.

They said friends helped manage the property while he was out of action.

Lancaster plays in the backline and joked that this year’s coach Peter Morris, a premiership teammate, thought he got lost in the forward line.

“I do training drills and kick a few goals and I say ‘I can kick goals, coach’, but nope, he reckons that’s where I’m best suited,” Lancaster said.

Lancaster was only the sixth player to reach the milestone for the club.