Patrick Ryen

Love my family and friends
Health/Fitness 🥊
Viking Aussie 🇦🇺🇳🇴
Essendon Football Club Track Watcher
🖤❤️👊 @essendonfc

[Patrick Ryen @PatrickRyen]

I BELIEVE ETHAN DREVER WILL BE ESSENDON’S PICK 1 in the open draft!

👀❤️🖤

I’m calling it now. Ethan Drever to the Bombers!

188cm. Powerful. Tough. Clean. Explosive. Can win it inside, burst from congestion and then take the game on.

And that speed is real. Drever ran a 2.905-second 20m sprint at the Draft Combine, showing exactly the sort of burst you want in a modern midfielder! 🚀

He also fits beautifully with the direction Mark McVeigh is bringing to Essendon.

Speed. Attack. Flair. Aggression. Moving the ball forward.
Drever has the tools to play exactly that way.

Pick 1. Ethan Drever. That’s my call. 👊
Biggest off-season in our history. We MUST nail this draft!

#godons @essendonfc #ethandrever

👊❤️🖤

[Patrick Ryen @PatrickRyen]

@sheikoftweet11 Absolutely

[Patrick Ryen @PatrickRyen]

Next up in my Top 20 Essendon players since 1980 is the brilliant Mark Mercuri.

Mercuri was pure class. One of the most naturally gifted and silky smooth players of his generation. A beautifully skilled footballer who could change a game in the blink of an eye. He was a maximum damage player who could turn a contest, put sides to the sword and completely change the momentum of a game. When Mercuri got going, opposition teams had a serious problem.

He had the skill, poise, vision and footy smarts to hurt teams in so many ways. His balance and decision-making under pressure were exceptional, and his ability to use both feet with such precision made him incredibly difficult to contain.

Primarily a dangerous half-forward flanker with a knack for kicking crucial goals, he could also rotate through the midfield and across half-back. He had so much to his game and was one of those players you paid to watch because you never knew what he was going to produce next.

Across 13 seasons from 1992 to 2004, he played 207 games and kicked 242 goals for the Bombers.
His resume speaks for itself.

🏆 Premiership player in 1993 and 2000
⭐ All Australian in 1999
🏅 W.S. Crichton Medallist in 1999
🏅 ANZAC Medallist in 1999
🥈 Brownlow Medal runner-up in 1999
❤️🖤 Essendon Hall of Fame inductee in 2023
🔴⚫ Italian Team of the Century member

And 1999 was something special. He won our best and fairest, the ANZAC Medal and finished runner-up in the Brownlow. That's some season!

Mercuri was a key figure in Essendon's modern dominance and a huge part of two premiership teams.
He was also named at number 41 in the Champions of Essendon list in 2002, further recognition of just how highly he is regarded in our club's history.

Geez, I loved watching this bloke play. He had that bit of magic about him and could do things on a footy field that very few others could. Silky smooth, plenty of tricks and capable of doing serious damage when the game was on the line. A dual premiership Bomber and an absolute favourite of mine. What a player!

❤️🖤👊

#godons #patstop20 @essendonfc

[Patrick Ryen @PatrickRyen]

@pauljames1968 He is joining the VFL side.

[Paul Amy @PaulAmy375]

Plenty of VFL recruiting news around, including a new home for former Kangaroo Cooper Harvey. He's off to Essendon.

https://t.co/gTNftFIJqy

[Ben Waterworth @bjwaterworth]

Scouts have spent much of the year lauding Marlon Neocleous’ professionalism and diligence.

It's easy to see why after speaking to him.

Inside The Nuke's weekly routine, his passion for the one-percenters and beautiful family bond @FOXFOOTY #AFLDraft👇
https://t.co/Re1BV5lZQs

[Ben Waterworth @bjwaterworth]

Just over a week to go until the #AFLDraft.

Latest on who your club could take with its first pick - and why - plus a few later-pick tidbits.

With @JackJovanovski on the new-look @FOXFOOTY website 👇
https://t.co/NumlIZ3Cfo

[Patrick Ryen @PatrickRyen]

@bjwaterworth @JackJovanovski @FOXFOOTY Great work Ben 🖤❤️🤝

[Callum Twomey @CalTwomey]

Final draft order now through - a maximum of 80 picks available across next Thursday and Friday night.

Expected to be around 65 live picks used.
@AFLcomau

[Patrick Ryen @PatrickRyen]

@Alison78296235 @essendonfc Yep that's right Alison 👍🙏

[Patrick Ryen @PatrickRyen]

Koby Bewick pure silk 🖤❤️👊

#kobybewick #godons @essendonfc

[Patrick Ryen @PatrickRyen]

@Deanoo73 Perfectly said Deano. Absolutely mate 👏

[Patrick Ryen @PatrickRyen]

@liparota @gregpeartpolish Had it all Gino 🙏

[Patrick Ryen @PatrickRyen]

@happyharrygrant @TimmySquire @Nerds4lifeSC @BomberRicko @ScooterMcNeice 💯😉🎯

[Patrick Ryen @PatrickRyen]

@MrJohnnyRainman @gregpeartpolish Absolutely brother 🙏

[Patrick Ryen @PatrickRyen]

@adrian_cosstick Absolutely buddy

[Patrick Ryen @PatrickRyen]

@adrian_cosstick A young bloke who trained on Monday has some similar traits too 😉

[Patrick Ryen @PatrickRyen]

@PHX_ESS_RM Absolutely totally agree. A champion 🙏

[Patrick Ryen @PatrickRyen]

@adrian_cosstick Just a star Adrian. In the blink of an eye he could turn a game mate 💪

[Patrick Ryen @PatrickRyen]

@dustinfletch31 Totally agree Fletch 🙏🤝

[dustinfletcher31 @dustinfletch31]

@PatrickRyen One of the best ! Champion 👏

[Patrick Ryen @PatrickRyen]

@AFLSC_Noah @JG232_ @Nerds4lifeSC @BomberRicko @ScooterMcNeice Absolutely brother 🙏👏😉

[Patrick Ryen @PatrickRyen]

@Stinger22710991 Absolutely brother