Bodie Ryan Talks Up Demons Move, And Good Luck To Him

Another day, another recruit sitting down for the obligatory ‘settling in nicely’ interview. This time it’s Bodie Ryan at Melbourne, and fair play to him, he’s saying all teh right things.

New teammates are great. The club’s welcomed him with open arms. A star Demon has apparently already slid into his DMs to say g’day. Sounds lovely, doesn’t it? Carn the Pies, I say, because at least when our blokes rock up we don’t need a press release to tell us they’re settling in.

So Who’s Reached Out Then?

The big tease in all this is that a ‘star Demon’ has already made contact with Ryan. Now I don’t know about you, but I love a good guessing game.

Is it the skipper doing the ring-around? Is it one of the senior midfielders making sure the new fella knows where the coffee machine is? Could be anyone really. Melbourne’s got no shortage of blokes who’d know how to make a new recruit feel at home, I’ll give them that much credit.

But let’s be honest, this is pretty standard stuff. Every club does it. Big name reaches out, new bloke feels special, journo gets a nice soft story out of it before round one even rolls around. It’s the pre-season equivalent of a participation medal.

What’s His Role Actually Going To Be?

This is where it gets interesting for Demons fans, and where it gets mildly interesting for the rest of us who just like picking apart other clubs’ plans.

Ryan’s been spruiked as a bloke who can play a few positions, which in footy speak usually means the club itself isn’t entirely sure where he fits yet. That’s not a knock on him, it’s just how recruiting works these days. You bring a bloke in, you say he’s versatile, and then round 8 rolls around and he’s still finding his best position.

Melbourne will want him doing a job defensively most likely, maybe some rebound off half back, maybe a bit of time through the midfield rotation if the legs allow it. It’s the classic ‘utility’ tag, and every club’s got a list full of blokes wearing that label.

• Defensive half back role, intercepting and rebounding
• Possible midfield minutes if the engine room needs legs
• Depth option across half forward in a pinch

Honestly? That’s about as specific as anyone can get this early. The pre-season hype machine loves promising a bloke can do everything. Reality usually settles things down pretty quick.

Why Melbourne Fans Should Be Cautiously Optimistic

Look, I’m not here to tear the bloke down. He hasn’t kicked a goal for them yet, hasn’t laid a tackle in anger, so judging him now would be a bit rich coming from a Pies supporter who knows exactly how premature pre-season hype can go.

Remember when every new recruit at every club was going to be the missing piece? Collingwood’s had plenty of those over the years. Some worked out beautifully. Some, well, let’s just say the highlight reel was shorter than promised.

Demons fans have every right to be a bit excited here. New faces bring new energy, and if Ryan’s genuinely clicking with his new teammates already, that’s no bad thing heading into a pre-season full of hard running and harder selection calls.

Every club says their new recruit is settling in well. It’s what happens round 12 that actually tells you the story.

The Bigger Picture For The Demons

Melbourne’s had their ups and downs since that flag in 2021, haven’t they? One minute they’re the benchmark, next minute everyone’s writing them off, then they’re back in finals contention again. It’s been a wild few seasons watching them from the outside.

Bringing in a bloke like Ryan and talking up his role suggests they’re still tinkering, still trying to find that right mix through the midfield and defence. Every premiership-calibre list needs refreshing eventually, and this is clearly part of that process for them.

Will he be the difference between finals and missing out? Probably not on his own. Nobody’s one recruit away from a flag, no matter what the club spin doctors tell you in pre-season. But depth wins premierships just as much as star power does, and if Ryan can slot in and do a tidy job in that role, he’ll have done exactly what was asked of him.

What This Means Heading Into The Season

These feel good stories are standard fare this time of year. Every list announcement, every trade period acquisition gets the same treatment. Happy player, welcoming teammates, exciting role ahead. It’s the pre-season equivalent of a job interview where everyone says they’re a ‘team player’ and ‘detail oriented’.

The real test comes when the ball’s bounced and the opposition’s got a genuine crack at running through him. That’s when you find out if the role talk was accurate or just hopeful thinking from the club media team.

For what it’s worth, I reckon Melbourne’s recruiting has generally been solid under their current regime. They don’t tend to throw big money at reclamation projects, they target specific needs. If Ryan’s been brought in to do a defensive job, chances are that’s exactly the job he’ll end up doing.

Final Word

Good luck to him, genuinely. The bloke seems switched on, the club seems happy, and the rest of us will find out soon enough whether the role matches the reality.

Just don’t expect me to get too excited about it from a Collingwood perspective. We’ve got our own list to worry about, our own pre-season storylines, and definately enough umpiring conspiracy theories to keep us busy until round one actually arrives.

Carn the Pies. Melbourne can have their feel-good recruit story, we’ll be busy planning how to knock them off when it matters.