Paddy Ryder

Patrick Ryder, known as Paddy (born 14 March 1988), is a former Australian rules footballer who played for Essendon, Port Adelaide and St Kilda in the Australian Football League. He was noted for his speed, agility and leap for a player of his size, which led his first league coach, Kevin Sheedy, to compare him to Graham Polly Farmer. Of Noongar heritage, he was raised in Geraldton, Western Australia, began with the Rover Football Club, was part of the AFL under 18 All-Australian team and represented Australia in the under 18 international rules series in Ireland. Essendon took him with its first selection, the seventh pick, in the 2005 draft and he debuted in round 1 of 2006 against Sydney.