His easy-going style, on and off the field, lends itself to ideas a playful personality. A big kid having fun.
There’s something about his lead-up to 2011, however, both personally and as a player, which suggests he might be more ready than ever to blossom on the AFL stage. He’s grown into his dual role as a ruckman and key forward, and understands he’s one of the key players in Essendon’s line-up. He’s also grown in confidence off the field.
Generally reserved and shy, Ryder has matured into one of the club’s marquee players. Yesterday, when speaking about the club’s preparations ahead of its round one clash against the Western Bulldogs, he was at his most expansive.
“We’ve got Friday, Saturday and Sunday off just to refresh before getting into the actual training and preparation for the Western Bulldogs clash. All the boys will clear their minds over the weekend as we’ve had a big week on the track this week,” Ryder said.
“When we come back on Monday that’s when we’ll be switched on for the game and get into the planning side of things,” he said.
It’s been a strong start to the season for Ryder and the Bombers. Making the NAB Cup Grand Final was a start, but it has been the improvement of the players which has excited most.
Tom Bellchambers’ form in the ruck has been impressive, particularly against Collingwood’s Darren Jolly last week, and Ryder said it was indicative of a change at the club where nobody is guaranteed a game.
“Tom’s stepped up a fair bit and it’s a credit to him because he’s been thrown the challenge. The best thing about it is he’s still young so he’s got a few years ahead of him until he reaches his full potential and on the weekend he rucked against a premiership ruckman and dominated him,” Ryder said.
“Nothing’s easy anymore, and everyone has to fight for their spot.”
“You need younger players to step up and put the pressure on the other guys ahead of them at that stage to create more depth. It makes the other players that are already in the 22 really put their noses down and say, ‘these guys aren’t taking my spot'.”
On the back of its pre-season form, Ryder said the club had a “much different environment that what it has been in the past.” Such a feeling is evidenced is his thoughts against the Bulldogs, a side that Essendon has struggled to counter in recent years, particularly their harder bodies around the ball.
“We’ve shown in the NAB Cup already that we aren’t the biggest of bodies, but that doesn’t mean you can’t win your fair share of contested ball,” Ryder said. “We’re pretty confident.”
