Ryan Willits
Ryan Willits (born 23 January 1987 in Melbourne, Victoria) is an Australian Rules Football player who played with the Port Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL) and for Glenelg and West Adelaide in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL).
| Ryan Willits | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Ryan Willits | ||
| Nickname(s) | Brucey | ||
| Date of birth | 23 January 1987 | ||
| Place of birth | Melbourne, Victoria | ||
| Original team(s) | St Marys (VMFL) / Northern Knights | ||
| Height | 198 cm (6 ft 6 in) | ||
| Weight | 98 kg (15 st 6 lb; 216 lb) | ||
| Playing career1 | |||
| Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
| 2005–06 | Glenelg (SANFL) | 25 (15) | |
| 2006–08 | Port Adelaide (AFL) | 3 (1) | |
| 2007–12, 2015– | West Adelaide (SANFL) | 102 (96) | |
| 2013–14 | Montmorency (NFL) | ? (?) | |
|
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2015. | |||
| Career highlights | |||
| |||
| Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com | |||
Career
Willits was recruited by Port Adelaide from St Marys (VMFL)/Northern U18 as Port's number 19 selection in the 2004 AFL Draft.
Standing at 198 cm and weighing 100 kg, Willits was one of the most powerful young players in the AFL in terms of strength and size.
He debuted for Port late in the 2006 AFL Season, playing three games and totalling 25 disposals.[1] He has played in the ruck and as a key forward for Port. He has also played as a defender for SANFL club Glenelg. In 2007 Willits was de-listed by Port Adelaide, before being re-listed by Port as a rookie. He was de-listed again in 2008, but continued to play in the SANFL.
Ryan Willits moved to West Adelaide in April 2007 to seek more opportunities to play in a forward role and led the Bloods goal kicking in both 2008 and 2009, though he has since proven to be one of the better ruckmen in the competition.[2] At the close of the 2011 season Willits has played 116 games and kicked 96 goals in the SANFL.
Willits returned to Melbourne after West Adelaide's 2012 SANFL Grand Final loss to Norwood. He has signed to play for Northern Football League club Montmorency for the 2013 season.
At the end of the 2014 Northern Football League season, Willits announced his intentions to return to Adelaide for work. His return to Adelaide also saw him return to West Adelaide for the 2015 SANFL season. Willits played in the ruck in West Adelaide's 11.12 (78) to 7.6 (48) win over Woodville-West Torrens in the 2015 SANFL Grand Final at the Adelaide Oval.