DARREN MONCRIEFF
Thursday 2 February 2012
ARRERNTE man Ryan Liddle's co-workers know some eye candy when they see it so it was only a matter of time before he would be nominated for Cleo magazine's Bachelor of the Year.
Without his knowledge, of course.
The South Alice Springs footballer (pictured -- in guernsey -- with Souths team-mate Charlie Maher) is one of two Indigenous Australian rules players nominated for the annual awards this year.
Liddle joins Collingwood and AFL premiership player Sharrod Wellingham in line for the bachelor gong.
And Liddle's team-mates won't let him forget it, now that since Souths' pre-season training has started.
"My co-worker, Lauren, nominated me as a bit of a joke and she didn't tell me until after she had done it," Liddle said.
"My reaction was …. well, I was a bit mad at first but surprised too. It was just for a bit of banter and in the beginning no one knew about it.
"Fast forward about a month and I have people asking me for interviews, people coming up to me in the street to talk about it and family and friends calling me about it, not to mention the footy lads (sigh!) .... they're giving me a bit of good-natured grief too! So yeah, it's kind of snowballed a bit!"
Liddle, who presents the news on Imparja Television, is a wildcard nomination for the Cleo Bachelor title.
Liddle started in TV after he completed year 12 at the age of 17 as a job in summer to save money for university.
At 18, he was Imparja Television’s full-time news reader and the youngest in Australia at the time. He was also the first newsreader, alongside his cousin, Catherine Liddle, on NITV and was a full-time reporter for Channel 9 in Darwin, covering everything from police stories to sport.
Currently, Liddle covers news stories with radio-style news updates that run throughout the day.
Like all modest males, Liddle said he doesn't expect much of his chances with Cleo readers.
And yes, ladies, the brother is single.
"Well I'm only in the competition because of a joke that kinda got out of hand," he said.
"But, you know, if I did have half a chance then I think it'd be a great opportunity to get some exposure. Calvin Klein hasn't returned any of my calls yet so I can't see my modelling career taking off anytime soon … that's a joke by the way. But hey, if it could help me landing a TV job in the city then that would be great!
"I don't really fancy my chances but if I did win then I'd think it would be a great way to show the rest of Australia that maybe people need to take a second look at us brothers, that maybe we aren't as bad they might think!"
* Ryan Lidddle's Cleo Bachelor nomination profile.
AboriginalFootball@westnet.com.au
Last Modified on 02/02/2012 15:10