Ryan Gardner arrived at the Kennel with pick six overall in the 2019 NAB AFL Mid-Season Rookie Draft, in what was a whirlwind year for the Tasmanian. A Footscray-listed player at the start of the season, after being added to the senior list mid-season, he made his AFL debut the following week in Round 11 against West Coast. Gardner had two games at senior level after impressive form in the VFL in first half of the year, but a knee injury largely kept him out of action in the second half of the season. Gardner previously spent three years on Geelong’s list without playing an AFL game, after being drafted with pick 59 in the 2015 NAB AFL Draft. He was a durable performer for the Cats at VFL level, playing 52 games between 2016 and 2018. He played 10 matches for the Bulldogs in 2020.