Ryan Burton
Burton playing for the Hawthorn Hawks in April 2018
Personal information
Date of birth	(1997-01-31) 31 January 1997 (age 27)
Original team(s)	North Adelaide(SANFL)/PHOS Camden
Draft	No. 19, 2015 national draft
Debut	Round 21, 2016, Hawthorn vs. North Melbourne, at Melbourne Cricket Ground
Height	191 cm (6 ft 3 in)
Weight	90 kg (198 lb)
Position(s)	Defender
Club information
Current club	Port Adelaide
Number	3
Playing career1
Years	Club	Games (Goals)
2016–2018	Hawthorn	047 0(5)
2019–	Port Adelaide	092 (16)
Total		139 (21)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2023.
Career highlights
22under22 team: 2017
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Ryan Donald Burton (born 31 January 1997) is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the Port Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).

Early life

Ryan Burton was raised in Adelaide, and attended Sacred Heart. He participated in the Auskick program at his primary school.^[1] He later played his junior football at PHOS Camden and Sacred Heart.^[2] In 2014, he played four games for North Adelaide in the SANFL, all at the age of 17.^[3][4] He was still young enough to play in the 2014 NAB AFL Under-18 Championships.^{[citation needed]} He kicked five goals in a game for South Australia against Western Australia.^{[citation needed]}

Late 2014 Burton broke his leg while playing football in an interschool match. He required surgery for the injury, resulting in orthopedic surgeon Matthew Liptak, a former Adelaide Crows player, inserting a metal plate and 10 screws into his leg.^[5] Burton spent 2015 in rehabilitation.^{[citation needed]} Before he broke his leg, Burton was the state's hottest 2015 draft prospect.^[6]

AFL career

Hawthorn

He was drafted by the Hawthorn Football Club with their first selection and nineteenth overall in the 2015 national draft.^[7]

He played two games early for Box Hill before having an operation to remove the screws and plate in his leg. He came back to play two more Games for Box Hill before getting a call up to play for Hawthorn.

He made his debut in round 21, 2016.^[8] He kicked a goal with his very first kick.^[9] Burton played four games in a row but he suffered a calf injury during the 2016 Qualifying Final versus the Geelong Cats, and his season ended there.

Entering into his second season, Burton changed from number 35 to the number 5 guernsey following Sam Mitchell’s move to West Coast at the end of the 2016 season.

He earned a Rising Star nomination in round 2, 2017, in a 24 point loss to Adelaide at the MCG, with 26 possessions, nine marks and four tackles.^[10]

On 17 July 2017 it was announced that Burton had signed a three-year contract extension to stay at Hawthorn until the end of 2020.^[11]

Port Adelaide

At the conclusion of the 2018 season and start of the AFL Trade Period, it emerged that Hawthorn were seeking to trade Burton to Port Adelaide in order to facilitate the arrival of Chad Wingard. Burton, who was overseas on holiday at the time, was reportedly unhappy with how Hawthorn was treating the trade with him and especially the circumstances with him being a contracted player. Nonetheless, Burton saw the opportunity to return home to South Australia and play for this boyhood club. Burton was officially traded to the Port Adelaide on 17 October.^[12]

Family

Burton is the son of dual North Adelaide premiership player Craig Burton.^[4] This enabled him to transfer from Glenelg to North Adelaide under the SANFL father son rule.^[13]

Statistics

Updated to the end of 2023.

Notes

Honours and achievements

Team

• Minor premiership (Port Adelaide): 2020

Individual

• 22under22 team: 2017
• AFL Rising Star nominee: 2017
• Hawthorn most promising player: 2017