After making a debut in the backend of 2023, Ryan impressed across his three games, booting four goals.
Key stats:
AFL games: 3
Total goals: 4
Disposals per game: 6
Marks per game: 3.3
Season summary:
Having made the leap from local footy to the AFL in just over six months, Ryan was selected by Hawthorn with Pick 12 in this year’s mid-season rookie draft. The 25-year-old found himself on the Hawks list after catching the eyes of recruiters during the first half of the VFL season while dominating for the Northern Bullants. Ryan broke through for his first AFL game eight weeks later against St Kilda in Round 20, finishing with one goal. The 200cm Barwon Heads product then rose to another level in his second game the following week, kicking three goals from nine disposals and five marks in Hawthorn’s massive win over premiership favourites Collingwood in front of more than 62,000 fans at the MCG.
Best AFL game:
The mid-season draftee kicked a career-high three goals against eventual the premiership winners in Collingwood in Round 21 in what was just his second game of AFL.
How the coaches saw him:
“We’ve seen some things from you that just makes you think “wow”. We saw enough to say there is something definitely there with him, which is really pleasing. There is something about that big, awkward guy that’s quite a tough match-up. He’s got some footy smarts, he’s been around a little bit, being 25 years old. When we see him at training he often does something uncanny, and when you convert that into AFL, he’s got some things in his kit bag you can’t teach. He’s an exciting player.” – Sam Mitchell
