Saints legend Paddy Ryder to lace up for Mornington Peninsula division two footy club

Guest Author Published October 29, 2022 at 6.35am (AWST)

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Paddy Ryder has turned down lucrative suburban and country club offers to continue his football journey with a group of good mates.

The move from St Kilda to Mornington Peninsula division two club Devon Meadows has come about through relationships of the last of Ryder's three AFL clubs.

Former Saints teammate Josh Battle introduced Ryder to Panthers coach Ryan Hendy earlier in the year and an agreement was struck to join the club, located on the edge of Melbourne's south-east.

Ryder ended his stellar AFL career at the end of the 2022 season after 281 matches.

The move to the small Naarm (Melbourne) fringe club sits easy with the 34-year-old, who also considered moving back to Adelaide.

"I caught up with (Paddy) a few times throughout the year and just mentioned to him if you decide to retire from AFL football, we would be more than welcoming to have him at the club," Hendy told the Pakenham Gazette.

"Once he retired last year, I was talking to him, and the money side of things doesn't concern him - he just wanted to play with blokes he knows and feel comfortable with.

"He has had loads of offers from other clubs, but at the end of the day it wasn't about that - it was about him wanting to enjoy the next couple of years of his journey."

The Noongar and Yamatji man will join another ex-teammate from Western Australia Dean Kent, who also retired from St Kilda, to play alongside one-time Saints defender Brandon White in the red, white and black of Devon Meadows.

The Panthers have lured retired AFL stars Luke Hodge and Brett Deledio briefly while Melbourne premiership midfielder James Harmes started his career at the club.

After securing its first finals appearance this season for 22 years, the latest big-name recruit has strengthened Devon Meadows towards securing an elusive first flag.

"Getting Paddy and Dean Kent,a and all these kinds of blokes (Hodge and Deledio), is only going to help that advance quicker as well," Hendy said.

"We're impatient, I must admit that, but anyone would be if you haven't won a senior flag...the boys got a taste of finals footy last year, so hopefully that taste spurs them on to go bigger next year."