Bill Ryan

Recruited from Swan Hill, Bill Ryan was a high-flying key position player who became a cult hero at Geelong for his spectacular aerial ability. Standing 188cm, he possessed a tremendous vertical leap and "buckets" for hands, allowing him to operate effectively as a centre half-forward or undersized ruckman during the Polly Farmer era. While his set-shot kicking could be erratic, his contested marking was elite; his soaring grab over a pack of players in the 1968 first semi-final against St Kilda remains one of the most iconic images in the club's history.

Ryan’s tenure at Kardinia Park was defined by dramatic moments, most famously in Round 1, 1967, when he kicked a match-winning goal after the siren against Collingwood. He had been smothered on his first attempt, but coolly converted a second opportunity after opponent Terry Waters was penalised for overstepping the mark. He played in the Cats' narrow Grand Final loss to Richmond later that year. Following his VFL career, Ryan moved north and became a pivotal figure in the development of Queensland football, captaining the state side and playing in five premierships with Southport before being inducted into the Queensland Football Hall of Fame.