Garry Lyon has pointed out what he believes is an “ironic” situation unfolding in St Kilda’s ruck department.
Paddy Ryder and Rowan Marshall are splitting the minutes in the role after the club acquired the veteran from Port Adelaide in the trade period.
Lyon looks back to when Ryder was a young emerging ruckman at the start of his career at Essendon, but was stuck behind David Hille at the time.
When Hille went down with an injury on ANZAC Day in 2009 two minutes into the game, Ryder stood up and won the medal for best on ground.
Now 11 years later, Ryder is the veteran potentially holding back Marshall who has to spend more time inside forward 50 to accommodate the former All-Australian, who was coincidentally in a similar position back in the day.
“The game starts and (Marshall is) playing in the forward line and Paddy Ryder is playing in the ruck. Do you know the full circle conundrum here?” Lyon told SEN Breakfast.
“Paddy Ryder was given an opportunity at Essendon in an ANZAC Day game (after Bombers ruckman David Hille went down).
“Ryder was thrust into the ruck and he rucked and dominated and played a great game.
“From that point forward the frustration for him was that he wasn’t the starting ruckman.
“He wanted to play in the ruck and so eventually he left to Port Adelaide so he could be the starting ruckman and had some really good moments.
“He is now ironically, potentially, doing the same to Rowan Marshall as what was happening to him.
“Marshall needs to ruck. He emerged last year as this potential All-Australian ruckman and yet he was biding his time in the forward line. He’s going to have to ruck. That’s a conundrum for them.”
The Saints were dominated by Collingwood on Saturday afternoon, with Brodie Grundy comfortably winning the hit-out battle with 31 compared to Ryder (17) and Marshall (11).
Tim Watson added that Grundy did an excellent job taking Ryder’s jumping space away and praised his ruck craft and smarts.
“The first couple of times Paddy jumped into Grundy and used him as a step ladder and tapped the ball,” said Watson.
“After that, I reckon it might have been the fourth or fifth centre bounce, he shuffled around to almost the same side of the line as Ryder and then he just stepped in quickly and took away Ryder’s jumping space and just nullified him.
“It was so intelligent. You talk about his craft around the ground, but that ruck craft there was just outstanding.”