Luke Ryan delivered an excellent second season in the AFL for Fremantle, highlighted by a top-five finish at the 2018 Doig Medal.
The 22-year-old said he felt the biggest positive was getting through an almost-full season, missing only the final two games due to a minor hamstring injury.
Taken with pick no.66 in the 2016 National Draft, Ryan arrived at the club with concerns over a recent shoulder injury.
The defender proved to be a draft bargain, earning a NAB AFL Rising Star nomination in 2017 and building to become one of Freo’s best and most consistent players in 2018.
“To come in and play a role for 20 games, I’m pretty happy with that,” Ryan said.
“Especially considering I had injuries and where I come from.”
Ryan said he was excited to see how Freo’s younger players develop in 2019.
“It's really exciting to see the young talent we've had come in,” Ryan said.
“We saw Adam Cerra and Brennan Cox get a Rising Star nomination, and great performances from the likes of Andrew Brayshaw, Taylin Duman and Bailey Banfield.
“We’re so young, so not many of us have much experience out there but we’ve got great leaders. Fyfey (Nat Fyfe) and Alex Pearce have been unreal this year.
“If we all just stick together and help each other out, that will make it a lot easier for us.
“It’s been a bit of a different year but I’ve enjoyed every minute of it. We won eight games with such a young list so I’m looking forward to next year and the years to come.”
