Strong, fast and ready to hunt. Words that were a part of this year’s Indigenous All Star war cry also aptly describe Essendon’s tight-knit Indigenous playing group.

Essendon’s own Patrick Ryder, Courtenay Dempsey, Alwyn Davey and Leroy Jetta were all key members of the All Stars side, led by Nathan Lovett-Murray, who thrashed Richmond earlier this year in the pre-season showdown in Alice Springs.

The game started with the All Stars’ war cry, led by Alwyn’s brother Aaron in front of an 8000 strong crowd at Traeger Park.

Ryder described the week-long experience as ‘humbling’.

 “The words from the war cry itself mean strong, fast and hunting and that’s how I think we went about the (pre-season) game against Richmond,” Ryder said.

“Initially, we were supposed to do the war cry a couple of years ago but the game got cancelled so we were really looking forward to the chance [to sing the war cry] this year.

“We went to hunt Richmond and in a strong and fast manner and that’s the way the boys played. We were the first ever team to be able to do [the war cry] in the AFL and to be a part of that was incredibly special,” he said.

Ryder also highlighted the bond shared between the indigenous players across the AFL competition.

“To be able to go away and meet up with the ‘brother boys’ from the other teams and to get to know them, it was massive,” Ryder said.

“You see how everyone bonds together. Some of the blokes on the camp I met for the first time and by the end of it, those guys are as close to you as some of your dearest mates.

“From a captaincy point of view – Nathan was fantastic. He really stood up throughout the week with his responsibilities.”

A key contributor to Essendon’s community programs, Ryder acknowledged the influence he and his teammates have on the wider community.

“To me, it is important to go out in to the communities and to be a role model for the younger kids,” he said.

“Throughout the camp we visited a number of schools and communities throughout Alice Springs to remind children about the importance of leading healthy lifestyles.

“As profiled footballers, we have a real influence on young children which is really important to me and I’ve tried to give that back to the kids.”