North Melbourne congratulates long-time staff member and club historian Greg Ryan on receiving the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the 2023 King’s Birthday Honours for his service to community health.

Greg lives with anorectal malformation (ARM), a congenital condition which affects one in 5000 births in Western communities and is the founder of not-for-profit organisation, the One in 5000 Foundation, a resource for the IA/ARM (Imperforate Anus/AnoRectal Malformation) community worldwide.

The One in 5000 Foundation connects all within the IA/IRM community including patients and their families as well as medical professionals who specialise in the field.

Greg hosts Rare and Resilient: ONE in 5000 Podcast and is the author of two publications, A Secret Life: Surviving a Rare Congenital Condition and Rare and Resilient: ONE in 5000 Anthology.

Greg is a member of the Continence Foundation of Australia and has been a keynote speaker at colorectal conferences in Austria, France, Switzerland, the US and UK.

The Ryan family connection to the North Melbourne Football Club dates back decades with Greg making a significant contribution over the years as football department property steward, and more recently, club historian.

Congratulations on this well-deserved recognition, Greg.