RYAN Rykers knows all about being part of Ballarat’s biggest soccer team.
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Now, he has turned his attention towards helping a much lesser-known club put itself on the soccer map.
Since joining Sebastopol Vikings at the start of last year, Rykers has already seen a vast change in the club’s future.
The Vikings are now competing in the Football Federation Victoria state league five competition, having previously played in the Ballarat District Soccer Association until this year.
Rykers, 28, played soccer for the Ballarat Red Devils for 10 years, before a vast change in personnel at the club saw his days with the Reds come to an end.
But with that end came a new opportunity to steer a new club in a new direction.
Rykers won the best and fairest at Sebastopol and won the league goal scoring in 2012.
And if early season form is anything to go by, Rykers and Sebastopol are certainly on the right track, although he has now turned defender.
The Vikings sit second on the ladder, with three wins and a draw from their four matches so far.
“It’s a good start we’ve made, which I suppose was a bit unexpected. Hopefully we can start to turn a few heads now,” he said.
“It was hard to know what it was going to be like really when we entered the league.”
Today the Vikings will host Point Cook at home, a side that includes the likes of former Socceroos Joe Spiteri and Danny Tiatto.
“It will be good for the guys to learn off the likes of those really experienced guys, we are all really looking forward to it.”
LIKELY LINE-UP
GOALKEEPER: Matt Smith
DEFENDERS: Vinny Cotronea, Jye Cartledge, Ryan Rykers, Jason Hekkema
MIDFIELD: Anton Maggi, Scott Berg, Matt Jamieson
FORWARDS: Luke Terrill, Paul McClounan, Justin Robson
SUBS: Kyle Burns, Marcus Lynch, Sam Young.
patrick.nolan@fairfaxmedia.com.au