Eleventh Calder Cannon of 2015 to become a Lion.
Coburg are thrilled to announce the signing of its eleventh Calder Cannon from its 2015 list, in Luke Ryan.
While he trained with Essendon’s VFL side throughout the 2016 pre-season, Luke has decided to have another crack at state league football with the Lions.
Luke began his senior career with EDFL division 2 side Moonee Valley as a seventeen-year-old in 2013, where he played in the losing Grand Final against Hillside that season.
Moving to crosstown arch rivals and Premier division club Maribyrnong Park, Luke managed to be named 10 times amongst the coaches best in fifteen matches. His form attracted the eye of the Calder Cannons scouts and Talent Manager Ian Kyte, who decided to list him halfway through the 2014 season. Making his debut in Calder’s second last regular season match, Luke held his spot in the side and played in every game as the Cannons made the Grand Final, in its loss to the Oakleigh Chargers.
Luke would be retained as a Cannon for the 2015 season as a 19-year-old, however after playing the opening few matches, he decided for himself that he would spend the rest of the year with Maribyrnong Park.
Lions List Manager Sebastian Spagnuolo, who previously worked with Luke at Moonee Valley in 2013 was delighted to have attained Luke’s services for 2016, after missing out on making Essendon’s list. “Although only 20 years of age, Luke brings 3-4 years of senior local football experience as well as having been a part of the Calder Cannons program. We believe Luke has the potential to play senior football at our club early on and will offer us great versatility in our back half as he can play on small and medium forward types.”
The arrival of Luke adds depth to our playing list, especially regarding our squad numbers as well as the club’s defensive and outside midfield options, as he is equally capable of playing either role. We are looking forward to seeing what Luke can achieve in 2016.
