Rhyan Mansell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rhyan Mansell |
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Mansell with Richmond's VFL team in July 2022
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| Personal information | |||
| Nickname(s) | Nigel | ||
| Date of birth | 4 June 2000 | ||
| Original team | Woodville-West Torrens (SANFL) North Launceston (TSL) |
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| Draft | Pre-season supplemental signing, 2020 | ||
| Debut | Round 4, 2021, Richmond v. Port Adelaide, at Adelaide Oval |
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| Position(s) | Small Forward | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Richmond | ||
| Number | 7 | ||
| Career highlights | |||
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Rhyan Mansell, born on June 4, 2000, is a professional Australian rules footballer. He plays for the Richmond Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL), which is a major football league in Australia.
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Rhyan Mansell's Early Life and Junior Football
Rhyan Mansell grew up in Prospect, a suburb in Launceston, Tasmania. He started playing football with the Prospect Hawks AFL Auskick program. Later, he played junior football for the North Launceston Football Club and went to St Patrick's College for high school.
As a young player, Rhyan was part of the Tasmanian State Academy. When he was 16, he joined the North Melbourne Next Generation Academy in 2016. This program allowed him to train regularly with the North Melbourne's AFL team.
Playing in State Leagues
In 2017, Mansell played state football for the Tassie Mariners. That same year, he made his senior debut in the Tasmanian State League (TSL) with North Launceston. He was part of the team that won the premiership (championship) that September.
In early 2018, Rhyan had a quad muscle injury. This affected his performance during the national academy series with the Mariners. Even so, he was chosen to play for The Allies team in the 2018 AFL Under 18 Championships. He missed two games because of his injury. Later that year, he returned to TSL football and helped North Launceston win another grand final. After the season, he was invited to the Tasmanian AFL draft combine, where players show their skills to AFL clubs.
After not being chosen in the 2018 national or rookie drafts, Mansell could have been signed by North Melbourne. However, they did not pick him.
In 2019, Rhyan joined the new Tasmania Devils team in the Victorian-based NAB League Boys competition. He finished fourth in the club's best and fairest award. He also continued to play for North Launceston in the TSL, winning his third straight premiership. Despite his strong performance, he was not drafted by an AFL club in 2019.
In 2020, Mansell moved to Adelaide and played senior football in the SANFL for Woodville-West Torrens. He became an important player and helped his team win the premiership. In the grand final, he had a great game, playing as a half-back. Even after this successful season, AFL clubs did not pick him in the 2020 drafts.
Rhyan Mansell's AFL Career
Joining the Richmond Football Club
After the 2020 draft, Rhyan Mansell was given a chance to train with the Richmond team. He impressed them during his trial period. In February 2021, the club officially signed him under the AFL's pre-season supplemental selection rules. This rule allows clubs to sign players outside of the main draft periods.
Mansell started playing practice matches with Richmond's reserve team in early 2021. After a strong game against the Collingwood reserves in April, he was chosen to make his AFL debut. This happened in Richmond's round 4 match against Port Adelaide at the Adelaide Oval.
Player Profile
Rhyan Mansell is known for playing as a "shutdown" small-defender. This means he is good at stopping smaller, fast opponents from scoring. He also plays as a rebounding half-back, which means he helps move the ball from defense into attack.
Honours and Achievements
Rhyan Mansell has achieved several important wins in state-level football:
- 3x TSL premiership player: 2017, 2018, 2019 (He won the Tasmanian State League championship three times)
- SANFL premiership player: 2020 (He won the South Australian National Football League championship once)
Personal Life
Rhyan Mansell is a Palawa Indigenous Australian. His father, Brett Mansell, also won a TSL premiership with North Launceston in 1995. Rhyan is also the cousin of former North Melbourne player Tarryn Thomas.
