PORT ADELAIDE ruckman Paddy Ryder says playing in Tasmania won’t give Hawthorn an advantage, despite the Hawks calling it their second home.
Hawthorn plays four games in Launceston in 2018 and has played at the University of Tasmania Stadium 57 times in total for 44 wins.
Port Adelaide has won five of its eight matches there to leave it with the third-best record at the venue behind Sydney and the Hawks.
“We’ve been able to win in China and we don’t play there often,” Ryder said at a press conference on Monday, to laughs from the media.
“I don’t think it’ll be too much of an advantage for them, they’ll probably know it better but at the end of the
“You want to be able to play your style of football anywhere you go and we want to be a team that travels well.”
After missing five games with an Achilles injury, Ryder has played the past three and was particularly impressive in the thrilling Showdown win over Adelaide.
But he said he would need to manage the injury for the rest of the season and only a lengthy break would allow it to fully heal.
"I'm still building my way back into things and working my way into how my body feels,” he said.
"I've got to be able to train well, be able to get the right training loads in to perform on the weekend.
"The stuff we have got in place is working pretty well at the moment
"I probably need a decent break for it to be able to come good, but I'm not able to get that during the season.”
Last year’s All-Australian ruckman will have the honour this weekend of his side running out in a guernsey he helped design with his uncle Kevin Bynder as part of the Sir Douglas Nicholls Round, which recognises and celebrates Indigenous players and culture.
The Power will also wear the guernsey in its Round 12 home match against Richmond.
“I feel pretty lucky and pretty privileged,” Ryder said of the opportunity to design the
“This club is a great club with a proud history and to be able to put my mark on the Port Adelaide jumper, there are not many people going around that are able to do that.
“We’ve got 10 Indigenous players on our list, which is the most in the AFL and something we’re pretty proud of, so that’s the centre point of the whole jumper design.
“There’s the club in the middle, the ten Indigenous boys sitting around sharing stories with Kenny and it’s about the club, the Port Adelaide region and the Indigenous boys that we’ve got on the list.”
Port Adelaide comes out of its bye with six wins and three losses and faces the Hawks, Richmond, Western Bulldogs and Melbourne in a tough month of football.
“We’re in a good position,” Ryder said.
“The guys know what we have to do to play good footy and just keep ticking the wins over so that’s our main focus.”
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