An emotional Paddy Ryder has struggled to hold back tears during a fitting farewell to St Kilda teammates a day before ending their season.
Ryder entered a Moorabbin function room at the club headquarters with his wife and three children in tow on Saturday, breaking down crying after sighting players, officials and staff.
"Oh, far out, it's already started," a tearful Ryder said before regaining his composure.
"I love this place ... and everyone here.
"Sorry I will try and get some more words out."
The Noongar man's retirement ends a 17 season, 281 game AFL career for three clubs.
But it was the last three years and the 38 appearances for the Saints Ryder talked up, overshadowing the nine at Essendon in which he was unwittingly was caught up in the supplements scandal and the five at Port Adelaide where he was traded out.
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"I want to thank the club for the opportunity of coming here a few years ago when my old club thought I was done at the time," Ryder said.
"I hope I've shown in my time here that I have justified why you guys picked me up.
"We haven't reached the heights of what I had in mind, but that won't take away from the moment, from all the good and the relationships I've created here."
The 34-year-old's recent form suggested another year was on the cards rucking in tandem with Rowan Marshall.
But a torn calf in round 18 that ruled Ryder out for six weeks, effectively ending his 2022 season, gave plenty of time to contemplate life without football.
"Once you start getting up to 14, 15, 16 years, if you're lucky to get there, it takes a lot out of you to keep going," Ryder said.
"I just want to start investing time into my kids, so ultimately that was the No.1 reason behind my decision to spend more time with them to be more present in their lives."
Ryder was plucked by Essendon coach Kevin Sheedy as a wiry tall schoolboy out from East Fremantle at pick seven in the 2005 draft.
"I have been in Adelaide for the last couple of days and I've found myself just driving around, thinking about my whole journey," he said.
"It keeps coming back to the people I've met.
"I think that's the biggest takeout of my whole career.
"But I've done some good stuff personally."
The decision to hang up the boots coincides with teammate and cousin Bradley Hill said to be open to leaving St Kilda.
North Melbourne has been rumoured as a possible suitor, which would reunite Hill with his Hawks premiership coach and new Kangaroos boss Alastair Clarkson at Arden Street.
Ryder singled out Hill for special praise after previously playing eight years on rival teams before both joined St Kilda in 2020.
"Bradley, it's been amazing coming here to play with you," he said.
"It's always been a dream of mine from watching you tear it up at other clubs.
"I was so stoked to get here, play some footy with you and get a lot closer with you, so it's something I'll be forever grateful for."
The bright lights of Dreamtime at the 'G during his early days at Essendon and running out with six Saints' "brother boys" against Hawthorn this year were named his most treasured moments.
Ryder said playing in the AFL had given he a platform to "help educate people about Indigenous culture".
"In my time here, all you blokes have treated me with so much respect," he said.
"Probably a little too much respect at times, so I have loved my time here."
Story by Andrew Mathieson
