'No distraction to me': Liam Ryan unfazed by charge ahead of Grand Final
Livewire first-year West Coast forward Liam Ryan says a drink-driving charge issued by WA Police just days from Saturday's AFL Grand Final will not hamper his performance at the MCG.
The AFL rookie, selected at pick 26 in last year's draft by the Eagles, said the timing of the charge just days before the biggest game of his life would not impinge his focus for Saturday.
"It's no distraction to me, no, not at all," Ryan said as thousands of mad footy fans cheered West Coast and Collingwood players during Friday's traditional Grand Final Parade through Melbourne.
Details of the charge were made public as the 21-year-old departed Perth Airport on Thursday for Melbourne with his West Coast teammates.
But Ryan, who has impressed in 12 matches for the club in his debut season, appeared unfazed by ahead of the 2018 premiership decider in front of a sell-out MCG crowd.
"I'm really focused on my footy, I just push past that. The path I'm focused on is the grand final," Ryan said.
Eagles coach Adam Simpson counselled Ryan on Thursday after the charge became known but said the July incident was not an issue.
"This is all old news for us," Simpson said at Friday's grand final press conference.
"We're not surprised the day before the granny (grand final) that someone wants to talk about it, that is just what this week is about.
"It was an incident that happened in July that everyone is aware of and now there's a process in place, a court hearing in a few weeks, that is all that has happened."
West Coast banned Ryan for two games in the aftermath of the incident, when Ryan crashed a Toyota Rav4 into a tree in the south-east Perth suburb of Armadale.
Ryan revealed on the eve of the AFL finals the incident "straightened me up" and thanked his Eagles teammates, in particular Josh Kennedy and Lewis Jetta, for helping him through a tough time.
“I had a bit of stuff going on off the field. But now I’m fine, I’m all cleared with all that, and just focused on finals footy,” he said earlier in the finals series.
The nippy forward, who has earned himself the nickname 'Flyin' Ryan', had an excellent debut AFL season and impressive finals series to help West Coast reach its second grand final since 2015.
The club said on Thursday it would continue to support Ryan through the incident.
“While Ryan was suspended for two AFL games by the club at the time, it has and will continue to work closely with him, with his health and wellbeing always being a priority,” a club statement said.
Ryan will appear in court early next month.