Matthew Ryan (born 2 June 1967) is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Collingwood, the Sydney Swans and the

Brisbane Bears The Brisbane Football Club, nicknamed the Bears, was a professional Australian rules football club based in Queensland on the Gold Coast (relocated to Brisbane in 1993). The club participated in the Victorian/Australian Football League (VFL/ ...

in the Victorian/Australian Football League (AFL). Ryan, who was originally from

Eltham Eltham ( ) is a district of southeast London, England, within the Royal Borough of Greenwich. It is east-southeast of Charing Cross, and is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. The three wards of E ...

, played just five games in his first two seasons but then had his best year in 1987. A rover, he amassed a club high 478 disposals, at just under 24 a game and was Collingwood's second best goal-kicker behind Brian Taylor with 28 goals.AFL Tables: Matthew Ryan
/ref> He also finished runner-up in the

Copeland Trophy The E.W. Copeland Trophy is an Australian rules football award given by the Collingwood Football Club to the player adjudged best and fairest for Collingwood during the year. The Copeland Shield, as it was formerly known, was donated by Ern Cope ...

and was his club's best performer at the

Brownlow Medal The Charles Brownlow Trophy, better known as the Brownlow Medal (and informally as "Charlie"), is awarded to the "best and fairest" player in the Australian Football League (AFL) during the home-and-away season, as determined by votes cast by t ...

, securing nine votes. The following season he was again a regular fixture in the team, playing 18 games, including a semi final. Collingwood traded Ryan to the Sydney Swans at the end of the 1989 season, in return for draft picks 22 and 82, which were used on Mathew Hanrahan and Troy Lehmann. His Sydney debut in 1990 was against his former club and he performed well with 25 disposals and three goals. After just one year in Sydney he again changed clubs, this time to the Brisbane Bears through the pre-season draft. He also averaged 21 disposals a game in 1991 but struggled to hold a place in the side the next year.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ryan, Matthew 1967 births Australian rules footballers from Victoria (state) Collingwood Football Club players Sydney Swans players Brisbane Bears players Eltham Football Club players Living people