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Liverpool vs Arsenal LIVE from 3amTrade talk: Luckless Bomber star wants out
SEN • August 31st, 2025 4:55 pm
Essendon defender Jordan Ridley has expressed his desire to leave the club following a treacherous run with injury.
As reported by 9News journalist and SEN regular Tom Morris, the former All-Australian raised the prospect of a trade in his exit meeting with the club last week, related to his frustration around injury management.
Reports suggest that the defender would ideally seek a move to the Brisbane Lions, citing family connections in the state of Queensland while also appearing as the ideal club for dealing with injury management.
Drafted in 2016, Ridley has only managed 104 senior games despite being a crucial cog in the Bombers’ back half, nearly 100 games less than fellow draftee Hugh McCluggage, and over 70 less than teammate and 2016 No.1 pick Andrew McGrath.
In 2023, the star defender went down with a high-grade quad strain that ruled him out for the remainder of the season, missing the final six games of the home and away season and significantly denting the Bombers’ hopes of a finals appearance.
Since then, Ridley has only managed 19 games across two seasons, re-injuring his quad during a pre-season game in 2024, returning to play just nine games before straining his hip flexor in Round 20.
In 2025, Ridley has endured three significant hamstring complaints, the most recent of which occurred during their Round 10 smashing at the hands of the Western Bulldogs.
