2026-06-21, 12:04 AM - Word count:
Now that Rylakn has successfully completed his first SSL Academy match, let's take some time to reflect on how he got here and how his first match went.
To do that, we need to travel back in time, to when he was at his lowest. He was still stuck in his self pity and wallowing phase, with very little drive or direction in life. His AFL career was over and he hadn’t yet made the decision to get back into the world and try to be a better version of himself. So what exactly was the catalyst for this aggressive transformation from entitled arrogant AFL star, you up and coming SSL prospect.
Picture this scene, a rather scruffy unkempt Rylakn lays silently on his couch. He is surrounded by take away containers and empty beer and Pepsi Max cans. His hair is unwashed and his beard is untrimmed, all in all he looks well on his way to cosplaying as a homeless man. He flicks through various streaming services, looking for the next show that will capture his attention and allow the hours and days to fly by. Much by chance he stumbles across Disney+ and a show called Welcome to Wrexham. He watches one episode after another, quickly becoming hooked. The uplifting stories of the players and townspeople really resonate with him, in his current scenario and after finishing the third season, he decides that he can overcome this roadblock that life has put in his way. He doesn’t do anything about it for a few more days still, as he has a couple more seasons to watch yet, but as soon as he is finished with the show, he starts to google soccer and look into the sport. How can he get started, how hard is it to play, what are the rules, will his shoulder injuries be a problem. All of these and more questions run through his head, but ultimately don’t stop him from trying. He embodies the resilience of the local Wrexham fans and is determined to not only turn his life around, but to better himself on an emotional level too.
Now you know a bit more about how he got here, let's have a look at the stats from his first match in the Academy. As a Wing Back, I don’t personally know the best metrics to look at for a good game or not yet, but in his debut, Rylakn had a rating of 7.7, which was good enough for second highest on his team and only 0.3 short of winning the player of the match. One of his crosses resulted in an own goal, as he crossed it along the ground into the 6 yard box into a defender and into the back of the net. While this was credited as an own goal and not directly impacting his stats, I think it is safe to say this goal belongs to Rylakn. Outside of that he had 42 passes attempted with an 85% completion percentage, completed 3 Key Passes and generated 3 Clear Cut Chances. He may need to work on his Crossing a bit more, as only 26% of his 15 crosses were completed. Offense was clearly the name of the game this week, as he only attempted 1 tackle and was unsuccessful. Despite focusing mainly on offense he didn’t take any shots, instead choosing to set his team mates up instead.
I look forward to watching the next match to see if he can do a better job with the crosses and maybe get his first assist. That being said, the academy really is a learning ground. A place for Rylakn to play against a good quality opponent and really challenge himself to learn and grow. If he can’t succeed at this level, then he has no shot at progressing further up the SSL hierarchy. It is very early on still, so his focus remains squarely on the academy and his improvement, but before long he will need to start honestly thinking about what he wants from a career in the SSL as the scouts are sure to come knocking before long.
To do that, we need to travel back in time, to when he was at his lowest. He was still stuck in his self pity and wallowing phase, with very little drive or direction in life. His AFL career was over and he hadn’t yet made the decision to get back into the world and try to be a better version of himself. So what exactly was the catalyst for this aggressive transformation from entitled arrogant AFL star, you up and coming SSL prospect.
Picture this scene, a rather scruffy unkempt Rylakn lays silently on his couch. He is surrounded by take away containers and empty beer and Pepsi Max cans. His hair is unwashed and his beard is untrimmed, all in all he looks well on his way to cosplaying as a homeless man. He flicks through various streaming services, looking for the next show that will capture his attention and allow the hours and days to fly by. Much by chance he stumbles across Disney+ and a show called Welcome to Wrexham. He watches one episode after another, quickly becoming hooked. The uplifting stories of the players and townspeople really resonate with him, in his current scenario and after finishing the third season, he decides that he can overcome this roadblock that life has put in his way. He doesn’t do anything about it for a few more days still, as he has a couple more seasons to watch yet, but as soon as he is finished with the show, he starts to google soccer and look into the sport. How can he get started, how hard is it to play, what are the rules, will his shoulder injuries be a problem. All of these and more questions run through his head, but ultimately don’t stop him from trying. He embodies the resilience of the local Wrexham fans and is determined to not only turn his life around, but to better himself on an emotional level too.
Now you know a bit more about how he got here, let's have a look at the stats from his first match in the Academy. As a Wing Back, I don’t personally know the best metrics to look at for a good game or not yet, but in his debut, Rylakn had a rating of 7.7, which was good enough for second highest on his team and only 0.3 short of winning the player of the match. One of his crosses resulted in an own goal, as he crossed it along the ground into the 6 yard box into a defender and into the back of the net. While this was credited as an own goal and not directly impacting his stats, I think it is safe to say this goal belongs to Rylakn. Outside of that he had 42 passes attempted with an 85% completion percentage, completed 3 Key Passes and generated 3 Clear Cut Chances. He may need to work on his Crossing a bit more, as only 26% of his 15 crosses were completed. Offense was clearly the name of the game this week, as he only attempted 1 tackle and was unsuccessful. Despite focusing mainly on offense he didn’t take any shots, instead choosing to set his team mates up instead.
I look forward to watching the next match to see if he can do a better job with the crosses and maybe get his first assist. That being said, the academy really is a learning ground. A place for Rylakn to play against a good quality opponent and really challenge himself to learn and grow. If he can’t succeed at this level, then he has no shot at progressing further up the SSL hierarchy. It is very early on still, so his focus remains squarely on the academy and his improvement, but before long he will need to start honestly thinking about what he wants from a career in the SSL as the scouts are sure to come knocking before long.
![[Image: Rylakn.gif]](https://sig.grumpybumpers.com/host/Rylakn.gif)
