Rhyan Mansell facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rhyan Mansell
Mansell with Richmond's VFL team in July 2022
Personal information
Date of birth	(2000-06-04) 4 June 2000 (age 25)
Original team	Woodville-West Torrens (SANFL) North Launceston (TSL)
Draft	Pre-season supplemental signing, 2020
Debut	Round 4, 2021, Richmond v. Port Adelaide, at Adelaide Oval
Position(s)	Half-back
Club information
Current club	Richmond
Number	7
Career highlights
3x TFL premiership player: 2017, 2018, 2019 SANFL premiership player: 2020

Rhyan Mansell (born 4 June 2000) is a professional Australian rules football player. He plays for the Richmond Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).

Rhyan's Early Football Journey

Rhyan Mansell grew up in Prospect, a suburb of Launceston. He started playing football with Prospect Hawks AFL Auskick. Later, he played junior football for the North Launceston Football Club. He also went to high school at St Patrick's College.

When he was 16, Rhyan joined the North Melbourne Next Generation Academy. This program helps young players develop their skills. He even trained with the North Melbourne's main AFL team regularly.

In 2017, Rhyan played for the Tassie Mariners, a state representative team. That same year, he played his first senior game in the Tasmanian State League (TSL) with North Launceston. He was part of the team that won the premiership (championship) that September.

Overcoming Challenges

In early 2018, Rhyan had a serious leg injury (quad injury). This made it hard for him to play his best 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 won another grand final with North Launceston.

After 2018, Rhyan was hoping to be picked in the AFL draft, but he wasn't chosen.

In 2019, Rhyan joined the new Tasmania Devils team in the NAB League Boys competition. He played well and finished fourth in the club's best and fairest award. He also played for North Launceston again and won his third TSL premiership in a row! Even after this success, he was still not picked in the AFL draft.

Moving to South Australia

In 2020, Rhyan moved to Adelaide. He played senior football in the SANFL with Woodville-West Torrens. He became a very important player for them. He helped his team win the premiership, playing as a half-back. He had a great game in the grand final, getting 19 disposals (kicks or handballs), eight marks, and five tackles.

Even after a strong season, AFL clubs still didn't pick Rhyan in the 2020 national and rookie drafts.

AFL Career with Richmond

Joining the Tigers

After the 2020 draft, Rhyan got a chance to train with the Richmond Tigers. He did really well during his trial period. In February 2021, Richmond signed him under special AFL rules. This was a big moment for Rhyan after being overlooked so many times!

Rhyan started by playing practice matches with Richmond's reserve team. He played very well in a game against the Collingwood reserves team in early April. Because of his strong performance, he was chosen to make his AFL debut. This happened in round 4 of the 2021 season 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 opposing players from scoring. He also plays as a "rebounding half-back," which means he helps move the ball from defense into attack.

Statistics

Updated to the end of the 2024 season.

Achievements and Awards

State-league

• 3x TSL premiership player: 2017, 2018, 2019
• SANFL premiership player: 2020

Personal Life

Rhyan Mansell is a Palawa Indigenous Australian. His father, Brett, also won a TSL premiership with North Launceston in 1995.

Rhyan is the cousin of former North Melbourne player Tarryn Thomas.