St Kilda has denied reports suggesting Bradley Hill and Paddy Ryder were dropped due to disciplinary reasons after being involved in a “verbal exchange” with patrons at a pub earlier this month.
Both Hill and Ryder were left out of the side that faced Sydney at the weekend, with Hill officially left out for “personal reasons” while Ryder was “managed”.
St Kilda confirmed that both players as well as a third unnamed player were involved in the pub incident, which occurred on the night of June 18.
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“Reports this evening stating that Paddy Ryder and Bradley Hill were not part of the Saints’ round 15 team due to disciplinary reasons are incorrect,” a club statement read on Monday night.
“Both Ryder and Hill, accompanied by another teammate, attended a venue in Mordialloc on the Saturday after our round 14 match against Essendon on the Friday night.
“Following a verbal exchange and disagreement with fellow patrons, all three left the venue without a fight ensuing.
“As previously communicated by the club, this incident had no impact on selection, with Ryder missing due to ongoing management and Hill for personal reasons which meant that he was unable to train on both Monday and Tuesday and not in a condition to take his place in the side against the Swans.”
St Kilda’s statement came after Ryder took to social media claiming that he was not involved in the incident.
https://twitter.com/PRyder4/status/1541388638369370112
“I wasn’t involved in any altercation which has come through the media outlets tonight,” he tweeted.
“Just want to make that clear. Anyone have anything different to say please come forward, show your face and name yourself. I’ll wait. Good night all.”
According to The Age, the three St Kilda players left the venue when security intervened amid the exchange. None of the players involved have been disciplined by the club.
While Ryder and Hill were absent in St Kilda’s loss to the Sydney Swans on Saturday, the third player involved is understood to have played in the match.
News of the players’ run-in with patrons at the pub comes with the Saints currently in the midst of a three-game losing streak that has seen the side slip out of the top eight.
Veteran AFL columnist Caroline Wilson called news of the incident involving the three players “disappointing”.
“It’s just not good enough,” she told Nine’s Footy Classified.
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“Ryder was managed and Brad Hill missed the game for personal reasons, and you have just have to wonder whether that was linked to what happened on the Saturday night.”
St Kilda has continued to back unsigned coach Brett Ratten despite the current form slump.