Patrick Ryder

Patrick or “Paddy” as he is more commonly known was drafted into the AFL as the seventh pick by Essendon in the 2005 AFL Draft from East Fremantle.

He made his debut for Essendon on 1 April 2006 against Sydney at the Telstra Dome. He was also part of the AFL U18 All-Australian Team and travelled to Ireland with the International Rules team.

Due to his great agility and speed, he has at times been compared to the great Indigenous player, Graham “Polly” Farmer.