Luke Ryan says he’s ‘ready to go’ for Fremantle Dockers’ season opener, but remains locked in selection battle

Luke Ryan has declared himself “ready to go” in Saturday’s season opener against Geelong, but Justin Longmuir has again acknowledged the dual All-Australian is in a selection battle to earn his spot. Ryan has worked his way through a disrupted pre-season following a shoulder reconstruction, with the defensive stalwart not featuring in either of Fremantle’s main practice hit-outs against West Coast and Adelaide amid regaining full form and fitness. The 30-year-old said he was now confident his body was ready to withstand the rigours of an AFL game, provided he was picked to make the trip east. “My shoulder feels pretty much 100 per cent now, and I’ve played a fair few (warm-up) games,” Ryan said on 6PR. “I’m ready to go. It’s just a matter of if I get picked or not. “I’ll try to put my hand up, but the boys are playing well. So we’ll see what happens over the next couple of days, and hopefully, I’ll play.” Ryan has reeled off 107 consecutive games - the third-longest streak in Dockers history - and has not missed a match since mid 2021. The 2020 Doig medallist was pragmatic about the team’s impending selection call. “It’s just keep being myself around the club and keep leading the younger boys and going out there and doing what I do, and have some fun,” he said. “If I get picked, I get picked. If I don’t, I don’t. “It’s a long season, and I’m sure the boys will go well regardless. “Whatever JL does, I respect the decision. I’ve got some work to put in. I’ve put in a lot of work, but you just never know.” The addition of Judd McVee over the off-season and the encouraging summer form of Brandon Walker has contributed to the selection squeeze in Fremantle’s back half, though the Dockers have a question mark over the status of Brennan Cox (calf) ahead of Saturday. Ryan said he was clear on what he needed to continue to focus on to stake his claim to be selected. “There’s a few things they’ve told me to do. But it’s just a matter of time, getting some game time into me, and stuff like that,” Ryan said. “I’m not sure what they’re going to do this week, if I’m playing 1s, 2s, or just a training block. “I feel like I’m ready to go, but just waiting on JL, I guess.” Speaking on Tuesday morning, Longmuir acknowledged Ryan was in a selection battle. “With Luke, it probably comes down to selection a little bit more,” Longmuir said. “We’ll see how it plays out. He’s got some good competition for spots down there. “The Geelong forward line’s probably a little bit unknown, with (Jeremy) Cameron and (Patrick) Dangerfield possibly coming back. So we’ll have that discussion (on Tuesday) afternoon.”