Ryan Lester has been the epitome of persistence through 11 years at the Brisbane Lions. Set for his 150th game against the Gold Coast Suns at Metricon Stadium on Saturday, he has been in and out of the side no less than 23 times. He is a no-frills type, content to let others share the spotlight, but at 29 the much-respected utility player and leadership group member is playing the best football of his career. Here are 14 things to know about him.
1. A graduate of Glen Waverley Secondary College in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs, he was drafted with selection #28 in the 2010 National Draft. In the same year the Lions also drafted Jared Polec, now at North Melbourne, with pick #5, Patrick Karnezis at #25, Josh Green at #32 and Brad Harvey in the rookie draft. In the same draft Jarryd Lyons, now a mainstay of the Lions midfield, went to Adelaide at #61.
2. He was a product of the Oakleigh Chargers in the then TAC Cup League in Melbourne and was one of seven Chargers drafted that year. The others were Andrew Gaff, who went to West Coast, fellow Lions draftee Patrick Karnezis and injury-stricken Sydney premiership player Alex Johnson. Others Lions draftees from the Chargers have been Luke Power (1997), Sam Sheldon (2006), Tom Cutler (2013), Toby Wooler (2017) and Noah Answerth (2018).
3. His first player penpix in the AFL Guide in 2011 read: “Amazingly quick for a player of his size and capable of playing in defence, forward or even in the midfield. Played in the backline for Vic Metro at the 2010 NAB AFL U18 Championships, averaging 16 disposals and four marks. Impressed the Lions as a midfielder for his club.”
4. He debuted under coach Michael Voss and captain Jonathan Brown at 18 in Round 1 2011 against Fremantle at the Gabba. He had 16 possessions and kicked a goal in a two-point loss after the Lions had led by 17 points midway through the final quarter. Of his debut teammates only Daniel Rich is still playing with the Lions. Tom Rockliff (Port Adelaide) and Jack Redden (West Coast) are playing elsewhere, Jed Adcock is on the Lions coaching staff, Simon Black and Brent Staker are on the Lions ALFW staff and Daniel Merrett, formerly an AFLW coach, is a Commercial Sales Executive with the club.
5. He was one of 24 AFL debutants in Round 1 2011. Of them, 14 are out of the AFL system. The others are West Coast’s Andrew Gaff (223 games) and Jack Darling (222), North’s Shaun Atley (222), Adelaide’s Brodie Smith (191), Carlton’s Ed Curnow and Geelong’s Cam Guthrie (190), Essendon captain Dyson Heppell (178), Tom Liberatore (156) and Reece Conca of Richmond/Fremantle (148).
6. He played three games in a row before a foot injury ended his first season. Year by year his game tally has been 3-19-16-14-9-19-22-15-9-15-8. During his time the Lions have played 227 games. On top of his 149 appearances he has missed 29 with injury and been an emergency 28 times. Among the 23 times he has lost his place in the side, either by injury or non-selection, four were in 2012 and 2015. And in his 23 stints in the side he has played 10 or more games in a row only four times – 11 in 2013, 10 in 2016, 30 in 2017-18 and a current 16-game run from Round 12 last year.
7. He has played under four Lions coaches – 35 games under Voss, three games under 2013 caretaker coach Mark Harvey, 42 games under Justin Leppitsch and 69 games under Chris Fagan.
8. He has been a member of the Lions leadership group for five years, having joined it as an 80-game 24-year-old in Chris Fagan’s first year at the helm in 2017
9. Overlooked for the finals in 2019 when the club tasted September action for the first time in his career, he made his finals debut in his 140th game last year. Among current AFL players, only six waited longer – ex-teammates Tom Rockliff (205) and Stefan Martin (180), current captain and brother-in-law Dayne Zorko (167), Collingwood’s Jeremy Howe (159), Richmond’s Tom Lynch (154) and Melbourne’s Tom McDonald (144).
10. Despite his ‘best is now’ status, his statistical highlights came early in his career. He had a career-best 27 possessions in his 24th game in 2013, with a career-best 17 contested possessions. And he kicked a career-best four goals in his 58th game in 2015.
11. His only Brownlow Medal vote came in his 87th game against Carlton at the Gabba. He had 26 possessions (11 contested) and a goal in a 30-point win to rank behind Dayne Zorko (26 possessions and three goals for three votes) and Dayne Beams (30 possessions and three goals for two votes).
12. He has played more games in jumper #35 than anyone else in the extended Lions family. Michael Rischitelli (111) is the only other Brisbane player to top 100, while others to wear #35 have been Ken Judge (17), Gavin Keane (7), Peter Worsfold (10), Jason Akermanis (17), Nick Trask (12) and Shane Morrison (5).
13. He will be the 27th 150-gamer on an all-time Brisbane playing list of 336, putting him in the top 7.8%. Only 41 of 1157 Fitzroy players (3.54%) played 150 games.
14. In 13 Q-Clash outings he has enjoyed a 10-3 win/loss record, enjoying wins in his 50th and 100th games against the Suns and plotting for another win in his 150th. He will play his 14th Q-Clash on Saturday to move to equal fourth on a Q-Clash games list headed by Suns veteran Jarrod Harbrow (17) from Zorko (16), Rich(15), ex-Lion turned Sun Pearce Hanley (14) and Suns captain David Swallow (14). With Harbrow having missed selection the last three weeks it could be a double celebration for the brothers-in-law, with Zorko set to equal the Q-Clash record this week.
