Phillip James Ryan AM (9 June 1915 – 7 January 2014) was an

Australian rules football Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an oval field, often a modified cricket ground. Points are scored by k ...

er who played with

Hawthorn Hawthorn or Hawthorns may refer to: Plants * '' Crataegus'' (hawthorn), a large genus of shrubs and trees in the family Rosaceae * ''Rhaphiolepis'' (hawthorn), a genus of about 15 species of evergreen shrubs and small trees in the family Rosace ...

in the

Victorian Football League The Victorian Football League (VFL) is an Australian rules football league in Australia serving as one of the second-tier regional semi-professional competitions which sit underneath the fully professional Australian Football League (AFL). It ...

(VFL). He was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 1991, for services to the community and sport.

Playing career

Ryan played his early football at Kew CYMS and was a member of Old Xaverians's 1938 premiership team. He spent six years in the VFL, during which time he made 52 league appearances for Hawthorn, mostly as a ruckman and up forward. His younger brother, Ted Ryan, played with Collingwood in the 1940s.

Administration

From 1948 to 1967, Ryan served in a variety of positions at Hawthorn, including Vice President, Chairman of Selectors and Treasurer. Ryan was club President from 1968 until 1979, with Hawthorn winning three premierships while he was in the role. In 1980, Ryan became the VFL's Commissioner for player payments.

Honours and achievements

Individual *

Hall of Fame *

life member

References

External links

* * 1915 births 2014 deaths Australian rules footballers from Melbourne Hawthorn Football Club players Hawthorn Football Club administrators Old Xaverians Football Club players Members of the Order of Australia People from Kew, Victoria {{AFL-bio-1915-stub