Ronnie Burns (footballer) facts for kids

Ronald Paul Burns, born on March 13, 1973, is a former professional Australian rules footballer. He played for two well-known teams, the Geelong Football Club and the Adelaide Crows, in the Australian Football League (AFL). Ronnie, as he is often called, is an Indigenous Australian player.

Early Life and Background

Ronnie Burns grew up in a place called Pirlangimpi, located on the beautiful Tiwi Islands. He also has famous uncles, Tony and Benny Vigona, who were also Australian rules footballers. Ronnie went to school at St John's College, Darwin in Darwin.

AFL Playing Career

Starting His Football Journey

Ronnie Burns began his football journey with the St Mary's Football Club in the Northern Territory Football League. He then moved to Western Australia and played junior football for the Claremont Football Club. After a short time back in Darwin, he was encouraged to return to Perth to play for the West Perth Football Club.

Time with the Geelong Cats

Ronnie was then chosen by the Geelong Cats in the AFL draft. He quickly became a key player for the Cats. He was known for being a "small crumbing forward," which means he was good at picking up the ball close to the goals and scoring. Ronnie was the top goalkicker for the Cats five times in a row, from 1997 to 2001. This was a challenging time for the club, but Ronnie's scoring ability was a highlight.

Moving to the Adelaide Crows

After playing many games for Geelong, Ronnie moved to the Adelaide Crows in 2003. He played for two more seasons with the Crows. While he continued to play professional football, he didn't have the same big impact he had made at Geelong.

Career Totals

Throughout his career from 1995 to 2004, Ronnie Burns played a total of 154 games. In those games, he kicked an impressive 262 goals.