Ottawa Swans Australian Football Club - Official Site

Ryan Nader joined the Ottawa Swans Australian Football Club in 2008. Having played just a couple of games in his first season, he remained eligible as a rookie player for the 2009 season, ultimately joining Sean Robertson-Tait as a co-winner of the Rookie of the Year award.

Nader has built a reputation as a patient learner with the one of the best kicks on the team. "He's got a fantastic attitude toward developing his game and has been patient while the coaches experimented playing him in different positions," explained 2009 assistant coach Chris MacLean. "He can also put the boot to the ball. He kicked some pretty important goals this season."'

 Playing several different positions is not an easy task for any player, let alone one who is new to the game. This fact is not lost on Nader. "The coaching staff has been great, as have all the players. I went through a bit of a rough patch half-way through the season while trying to figure out my new position on the wing," he said.

Upon moving to the wing, one of the most challenging positions to play, Nader turned to another old hand at the club in 2008-09 Spurrell Medal winner Luke Walsh. "Luke has been the biggest influence on me at the club. He took me aside and gave me some tips and advice on how to adapt my game to the new position and how to play it better."

The 2010 season will be another big year for Nader. The coaching staff will look to him to build on his 2009 performance. "The success he enjoyed in 2009 should motivate him to solidify himself as a go-to player in 2010," MacLean said, indicating Nader will be used in a variety of roles again in 2010. Nader will look to improve on his game through improved fitness and polishing his basic skills, hoping to help the Swans build on their 2009 success.

"The upcoming season will present some new challenges, as we have lost many of our core Australian players. But if everyone works that extra bit harder, we should be able to pull off a few wins again."

With quality Canadian players like Nader filling the ranks, Swans supporters can look forward to some exciting years ahead.

 2009 Award Winners Series

• PART 1: Darren Roffey (2009 Runner-Up Best & Fairest, 2009 Most Consistent, 2009 Leading Goal Kicker)
• PART 2: Rich Keane (2009 Runner-Up Best & Fairest)
• PART 3: Zac Plunkett-Latimer (2009 Most Improved & Coaches Award)
• PART 4: Sean Robertson-Tait (2009 Rookie of the Year)
• PART 5: Ryan Nader (2009 Rookie of the Year)