Sport
Former Shepparton United gun Oscar Ryan is ready to establish himself in the AFL in 2025
Oscar Ryan’s route to establishing himself as one to watch in the AFL has not been as the Crow flies.
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The 19-year-old is still yet to debut at the highest level, but Ryan’s season spent developing in the SANFL has helped the flying half-back grow his game physically and mentally.
A first-round bolter in his draft year, Ryan came from relative obscurity to be selected with Adelaide’s pick 27 in 2023.
Intercept ability and rebound speed were two traits that caught AFL recruiters' eyes while he was playing for Shepparton United and Murray Bushrangers.
At 187cm and with pace to burn, Ryan was a dangerous threat for Adelaide in the SANFL in 2024 where he averaged 18.5 disposals a game in 17 outings at 88 per cent efficiency.
After 15 months in the system and a third place in the Crows' SANFL best-and-fairest, Ryan believes he is poised to secure a spot in Adelaide’s best 23 in 2025.
“Hopefully, next year (2025) I will be (playing regularly) in the AFL, but we will see,” Ryan said.
“It was a challenge at the start, but once I found my feet during the middle of this year (2024) it was a pretty good (experience).”
Oscar Ryan’s 2024 SANFL season
Games: 17
Disposals: 18.5 a match
Disposal efficiency: 88 per cent
Rebound 50s: 4.8 a match
Best-and-fairest placing: third
Over the border in South Australia, Ryan said he had been soaking in advice from fellow half-back flanker at the Crows Wayne Milera.
The 27-year-old — who has played 99 games and is in his 10th season in the AFL — has acted as a mentor for Ryan during the start of his career.
“(Milera) has been great,” he said.
“Just an older role model for me, he is obviously a half-back and I just learned little things off him at the start of the year.
“He and Brodie Smith are two of the main ones that have helped me out in my short career so far.”
Ryan understands the importance of a quality mentor better than most his age.
During his draft year, Ryan himself mentored one of the region’s brightest junior football prospects Lincoln Brand about how a junior player should prepare, act and hold themselves as they push through the ranks.
The Crows defender said he had kept in touch with Brand despite being more than 700km apart.
“Me and Lincoln are still good mates since that mentoring program,” he said.
“Once I am back in Shepparton, I will definitely do a couple of sessions with him.
“I love that aspect of helping the younger boys out as much as I can, so I will keep doing that.”
The mentoring program was something Ryan held close to his heart during his draft year in 2023.
Although he has made the move to a different state, Ryan said he hadn’t lost sight of his love for volunteering thanks in part to a Crows ruckman.
“Reilly O’Brien, he does some (community work) here in Adelaide,” he said.
“Myself and Billy Dowling have been doing some stuff at Bedford, which is like a place where (people with a disability) work and find opportunities in life.
“We have gone there a couple of times and it was great fun.
“I will keep doing that stuff, the stuff I love.”
The 19-year-old is primarily focused on time trials, skills sessions, team meetings and diet planning, but he still manages to keep a close watch on how Shepparton United is faring in Goulburn Valley League.
Despite the Demons struggling on the park in 2024 (three wins from 18 matches), Ryan is bullish on his home club’s chances this year.
“I always keep an eye on United,” he said.
“I think they have picked up a couple of good recruits this year and kept some of the boys that played well (in 2024) too.
“Hopefully, the boys can go a bit better next year and I definitely think they will.
“It’s only up from here.”
The representation of the Goulburn Valley in the South Australian football scene has grown in recent months, with Shepparton key forward Jack Whitlock and Benalla small forward Joe Berry getting drafted to Port Adelaide.
Ryan said he was quick to reach out to his former Murray Bushrangers teammates after they were picked up in late November.
“I know Joe and Jack quite well,” he said.
“I played basketball with Jack back in my under-16 days and I played with them both (in 2023).
“We all caught up on Sunday and just had breakfast and talked footy stuff and outside of footy as well.
“I just said, ‘Talk to all the coaches and players and get the most out of what you can’.
“You never know how long you are going to be there for.”
Given the second-year Crow is a medium defender and Berry is a small forward at the Power, Ryan said the pair was already salivating at the prospect of lining up on each other in the Showdown in round nine.
“Me and Joe were talking about how we will probably first meet each other sometime next year (2025) whether that is in the AFL or SANFL.
“It will be good to see some Bushies boys going at it in a Showdown.
“We will hopefully win, obviously.”
Cadet Sports Journalist