A new club, new teammates and a new little member of the family; it’s been a busy few months for Ricky Henderson as he adjusts to life at the Ricoh Centre.
Henderson, who looked set to run out in the brown and gold for the first time against North Melbourne, was a late exclusion from the Hawks’ JLT2 squad as he and wife Jenny welcomed their first child.
“We welcomed Rylee Rose into the world on Saturday arvo, so that was very exciting,” said the former Crow.
“I was a bit exhausted after that, so we thought it was best I sit the game out on Sunday and spend time with the family.”
With little Rylee not yet two weeks old, Henderson admits that juggling fatherhood with a full time training schedule has not been an easy task.
“It’s certainly a struggle, but it’s something I’ve got to get used to pretty quickly.
“It’s an exciting challenge and one that I need to look forward to, otherwise it can be pretty taxing. But to be honest, I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Henderson is hoping to run out with his new teammates for the first time when the Hawks take on Port Adelaide this Sunday.
“I’m looking forward to playing with the boys, getting to know them and how they play on the field.
“It will be good to be in the change rooms to get use to each player’s routine, so hopefully I get that chance this week.”
While the versatile No.31 can float between the midfield and in defence, he is particularly keen to head down back and play alongside some of the Hawks' senior personnel.
“I’m looking forward to playing with Gibbo and Frawls down back,” said Henderson.
“Hopefully I can spend a bit of time down there and learn a thing or two from those boys.”
The Hawks will head to Adelaide on Saturday, before commuting south to the town of Noarlunga for their final JLT clash with Port Adelaide on Sunday afternoon.
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