There are not many towns in Australia that Girgarre is bigger than, but the remote West Australian township of Kalumburu is one of them – mind you there is not a lot in it.
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The reason the Kimberleys community, located on the Drysdale River, and Girgarre are being compared is that they have both played a large part in the life of Girgarre’s senior football ruckman Byron Dryden.
He spent his childhood growing up in the Wunambal and Kwini Aboriginal community, which has a year round average daily temperature of between 31 and 37 degrees.
While we are making comparisons that brings into play a great one as Dryden moved to Victoria as a teenager and soon found himself working in Wonthaggi, which has a year round average temperature of just 19 degrees.
Dryden has spent the last five years living in Girgarre, attracted to the area initially by an employment opportunity with Greenham’s Abattoirs and not long after recruited to play with the Kangaroos.
He played a handful of games in 2021 before breaking his foot and having a late start to the 2022 season.
In the past two years though he has been, alongside Ryan Butler, the most consistent perfomer for the Kyabram District League club – in the best players on 24 occasions from his last 40 games.
Dryden was lured to the Kangaroos by his former boss at Greenhams, Russ Myers, but since crossing to work at Coprice has stayed with the club.
His senior football journey started when he was convinced by his twin brother, Johnny, to play with Inverloch-Kongwak as a 16-year-old.
That was his first game and yes, it was in the ruck.
Inverloch-Kongwak won its first premiership last season, in the West Gippsland Football League.
Dryden’s talents were soon noticed by the neighbouring Wonthaggi club, which competed in the strong Gippsland league and he played 123 senor games between 2011-17 with the Blues – losing a 2014 grand final and representing the league as a full back in 2015.
He grew up as a basketballer, hence the leap which caught the attention of recruiters.
“Having grown up in a very remote community north of Wyndham I played what everyone else was. At the time that was basketball,” the now 34-year-old father of three explained.
“When I dropped out of school I moved to Wonthaggi and started working at abs.
“My brother got me into footy and that was it. I’ve pretty much played ever since.”
Dryden has his parents, three sisters and another brother are all back in Western Australia.
His twin, however, is currently staying with him at Girgarre and filled in for the Kangaroos reserves (also kicking a goal) for the first time a week ago.
“We are identical twins, but he is a tiny bit taller than I am,” Dryden explained
Dryden spent most of his time in the Gippsland league as a key defender, just that little bit short in the major Gippsland league to spend his entire time in the ruck.
He twice finished in the top handful of players in the Wonthaggi best and fairest, explaining his representation of the league was a career highlight.
After a long stint at the top regional level he lost interest and spent a season playing with Dalyston in the West Gippsland league before moving to Girgarre.
His talents did earn him a spot as a teenager in an Indigenous sporting program that was supported by mining giant Rio Tinto.
“We were staying across the road from Carlton on that trip and I got to meet Eddie Betts. That was a real highlight,” the life long West Coast supporter said.
He also reminisced about watching a skinny kid playing for Maffra when he was living at Wonthaggi.
“I asked someone and they said his name was Irving Mosquito. I knew him from Halls Creek,” Dryden said.
Halls Creek has also produced players includes Sam Petrovski-Seton and Collingwood’s Ash Johnson. Amazingly Dryden explains the northern West Australia town as being “down the road” from his home town – the distance is in fact 823 kilometres.
Dryden lives with his wife Leesh and their three children, four year old Kehlani, Jarli (seven) and Hunter, who will soon be 12.
As for his consistency on the football field in recent seasons he said he feels really comfortable playing in the ruck and loves Girgarre.
“I really enjoy playing for the club,” he said.
Dryden finished runner-up to his “right hand man” Ryan Butler in the best and fairest last year and could potentially go one better this year.
“He (Butler) is not playing at the moment, but he is normally my right hand man,” he said.
As for rucking opposition Dryden said he most enjoyed going up against Stanhope’s Daniel Flynn.
“He is my greatest combatant. He has a real crack and then goes up forward and can kick a handful of goals. I find that really impressive,” he said.
Anyone who has watched Dryden play will know just how physical he is in the rucking role, something which he says he enjoys.
“It is a bit different to how I started, when I could jump. I have learned to play a physical game in the ruck,” he said.
And the way the rising 34-year-old is playing, there are several more seasons left in the tank.
Kyabram Free Press and Campaspe Valley News editor