22-year-old defender Jakob Ryan is returning to the Glenelg Tigers in the SANFL, after being delisted by Collingwood at the conclusion of the AFL season.
The South Australian took to an AFL field once, in late 2023, for the Pies clash with the Brisbane Lions, mere weeks before the sides met again in the Grand Final.
He was concussed in that fixture, and substituted out of the game as a consequence.
He would never feature at the top level again.
Ryan was one of six players let go by decision makers on Olympic Boulevard, but unlike former cricketer Wil Parker, who landed at Carlton as a delisted free agent, Ryan has, as yet, been unable to glean a second chance at the top level.
Instead, the mullet-sporting halfback returns to the club where he plied his trade as a junior, and is excited to do so.
“I'm super excited to be back at Glenelg, where it all started for me. Having such a strong connection with the club and coming through the junior program, it was hard to see myself anywhere else,” Ryan said.
“I'm incredibly grateful for everything Glenelg has given me throughout my career, and I'm keen to get back, reconnect with the group and get to work.
“I think there's a great opportunity for us to make a deep finals run, and that's something I value very highly.
“I'm looking forward to playing my part in what should be a big 2027.”
Ryan made headlines last week, after airing his grievances with how he and his development were handled by the fabled black and white club.
"They said they felt I'd been going well this year … but with the backline they've got and [the] fact they're still going for a flag, it's going to be hard for me," Ryan told the CODE Sports.
"I did exactly what they (coaches) said, but it didn't pan out.
"Even if you're not sure if I'm going to play, just tell me that, instead of trying to pump up my tyres.
"I was playing pretty well week by week, so that's where I felt pretty frustrated by it all and I sort of lost the love for footy."
"I got some of the clarity I was seeking in the end.
"It was more for my mental peace to realise why I wasn't getting a game."
