If we can't trade for a key defender we could do worse than this guy by the sounds of it. Has some Sam Davidson vibes about him as a late developer who has impressed in the VFL. Stands at 199cm.
Werribee defender Ryan Eyers emerges as top mature-age AFL draft chance
His VFL season was cut short by injury — but Werribee defender Ryan Eyers quelled some of the state league’s best forwards, emerging as a top mature-age draft hopeful.
Week after week, he lined up on the VFL’s big forwards.
Hugh Dixon of Southport in Round 1.
Tyler Sellers of Essendon in Round 2.
Jordan Croft of Footscray in Round 3.
Logan McDonald of Sydney in Round 4.
On it went for Werribee key defender Ryan Eyers.
And, in the estimation of the Bees, he beat everyone he stood, right up until Round 12, when he suffered a season-ending hamstring injury against Geelong.
Werribee was desperately disappointed to lose him.
But no doubt a few goalkickers around the league didn’t share its upset.
In his dozen matches, Eyers, in his first year at Chirnside Park, had proved himself among the best key defenders in the VFL.
Bees coach Jimmy Allan calls him a “pure defender’’.
“I know the modern game asks for defenders to intercept mark and be attacking and that sort of stuff, but I still think there’s a real place for a defender who can defend,’’ he says.
“We were under the pump a fair bit this year and he stood up under immense pressure. He just finds a way. He’s got those Inspector Gadget arms. He’s lightly built but he’s strong enough and he’s got really good defensive craft. He uses his body well. He gets an arm in. He’s super-brave in the air.’’
Despite Eyers missing the second half of the season, Werribee has nominated him for the Fothergill-Round-Mitchell Medal as the most likely Under 24 player in the VFL.
The award will be presented on Monday night at the JJ Liston Trophy count.
There is no clear favourite to win this year’s medal.
Allan suspects it would be former Murray Bushrangers prospect Eyers if he hadn’t been injured.
“Obviously we don’t see every team in the competition and we only get to see the other teams live once, apart from Southport and Willy, but his ability to shut down gun key forwards, I haven’t seen anyone else do that,’’ he says.
“Jordan Croft for example. He’s a very good player and went up and played some good AFL footy. He had one touch against us – and the ball was going in there a fair bit as well. He was so valuable for us.’’
The Bees had lost 2024 premiership defender Nathan Cooper. Allan came to regard Eyers as the “perfect replacement – and Nathan was the best in the business’’.
This season Cooper returned to the Ovens and Murray league.
Eyers, 22, hails from the same competition, calling Corowa home. “Born and bred Corowa,’’ he says.
He played junior and senior football with Corowa-Rutherglen and with Murray Bushrangers during Covid, having his bottom-age year wiped out but sharing the best and fairest as a 19-year-old player in 2022. He also attended the state combine.
That season was his first as a backman. Until then he had played as a forward and relieving ruckman. Bushies coach Mark Brown suggested the switch.
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“It ended up a transition year. I was learning the role at the same time as trying to perform in the role,’’ he says.
“I knew I probably wasn’t tall enough to be a ruckman and he (Brown) said, ‘We feel like you read the play pretty well, we’ll sit you behind the footy’. I became more comfortable. It was one of those years where you could see my development from the start of the season to the end of the season.’’
Although Eyers put down a marker in his first year at Werribee, he is in fact a third-year VFL player.
Having got into Deakin University to study radiology, he spent 2023 and ’24 at Geelong, but opportunities were scarce; he managed nine games as a Cat. Last year he was in the best players in one match, but dropped for the next.
No dissection of selection is needed at clubs with their own reserves. The AFL-listed players get first dibs.
In Eyers’ case, he had to bide his time behind AFL draftees Emerson Jecka and Connor O’Sullivan, both key defenders.
“It pushed me out unfortunately,’’ he says.
“The feedback throughout the year was, ‘You’re doing everything you can, we just don’t have a spot for you’. Frustrating but I understand that’s part of being at an AFL-aligned club.’’
Eyers spent most of his 2024 season with Corowa-Rutherglen, which was making a comeback to football after dipping into recess in 2023.
WHAT WERRIBEE SAID...
Without a doubt the No. 1 full back in the competition. Having played on the best key forwards in the competition, Ryan was outstanding in nullifying their influence and was building his offence game nicely before being struck down with injury.
As a defender, he saw a lot of the ball; his team won only one game. He won the best and fairest, represented the Ovens and Murray league, and was in the team of the year.
The prospect of more openings and potentially replacing Cooper as a defensive pillar took him to Werribee.
He says he gained confidence from being entrusted with the job of bringing down the opposition’s key forward.
His approach was simple.
“I don’t really judge my game based on my touches. It’s more about what my opponent does. I’m a defend-first kind of defender.’’
When Eyers joined Werribee, Allan fell hard for him.
“The thing I fell in love with straight away is that he’s so competitive and just hates losing,’’ Allan says.
Eyers admits as much.
“Yep, I do hate losing. Always have. I don’t know if it’s something my parents instilled in me but I’m extremely competitive. I absolutely hate losing. I’m that livid if I lose. That’s something I took into every game. I’m here not to get 20 touches. I’m here to play on the best forward, stop him having an impact on the game and helping the team.’’
As for the hamstring injury, it was his first soft-tissue injury. “And I’m going to make sure it’s the last one,’’ he said.
For all his admiration for Eyers’ defensive qualities, Allan says there is scope for his backman to spread his offensive wings.
Bees assistant and former AFL player Kyle Hartigan was working with Eyers along those lines before he was injured.
“It’s something he’ll continue to develop,’’ Allan says.
“From my point of view, I’d much rather someone who can defend first and then build that part of their game. I think it’s harder to go the other way. It’s really exciting for him. The foundation’s there to be an outstanding player at this level and higher possibly.’’
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While it’s way too early and I’m basing all analysis off Twomey with a smidge of my own.
around our pick I’m hoping we land one of:
Sam Cumming
Noah Hibbins-Hargreaves
Jevan Phillipou
Lachy Dovaston
all forward half playersLeave a comment:
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Burton had spent a lot of time on ball this season so not sure that's like JJ in any way.
Either way, I could handle finding a Norm Smith Medalist with a rookie pick again.Leave a comment:
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I’ve watched a bit of Hibbins-Hargreaves (partially because the name reminded me of Ryan, despite the spelling)
Have to say, I am not seeing why he’s been described as skillful (seen this from multiple draft-watch sources). There is plenty in his game to suggest he could possibly be a decent forward prospect, but his field kicking feels quite poor honestly. Just never weights his kicks properly, often falling short of his target, or not having the right penetration). There was one game in particular, where he kicked 3 or 4 goals (about a month or so ago I think?). Despite that scoreboard impact, I don’t think I saw him hit a single target by foot that whole game. Besides the goals of course..
His forward craft looks a real strength. Just don’t see anything to suggest he’d suit a wing at AFL level personally
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