Rhys Stanley Biography

Rhys Stanley is set to miss at least the next fortnight after suffering a knee injury in the Cats' win over Port Adelaide at Adelaide Oval.

Rhys Stanley and Zach Tuohy have signed one- and two-year contract extensions respectively with Geelong.

"Both Rhys and Zach have become key parts of our team over the years and we are pleased they will be continuing with us," Cats general manager of football Simon Lloyd said.

"We believe they will help us to continue to challenge for finals and a premiership. Both are great around the club and influential in the community. They are proud to be Geelong players."

Rhys Stanley signs a new two-year deal with Geelong to remain at the club until the end of 2020.

"Rhys produced a strong block of games this year where he demonstrated the type of football he can play," Cats general manager of football Simon Lloyd said.

"He is focussed on taking his game to another level through consistency and professionalism."

Rhys Stanley has gone from whipping boy to No.1 ruck at Geelong, answering coach Chris Scott's calls for him to make the spot his own.

Ranked the second-best ruckman in the game since round 13, Stanley is closing in on a two-year extension with the Cats.

"It's up to me to do my job and playing to the best of my ability, and the rest will take care of itself," Stanley said.

"The last 5-6 weeks, I've been playing in that position and if I can continue to perform to the level the team needs me to, that's what I mean by earn it."

Rhys Stanley admits his career at St Kilda was "running into a bit of a wall" and says his move to Geelong at the end of 2014 has helped re-ignite his passion for the game.

"I feel the environment change has sparked my love for footy," Stanley said.

"To be able to come to a side and restart and refresh the mind, I feel like that's good for a player at times when you feel like you're stagnant and you feel like you're running into a bit of a wall.

"It's good to freshen things and there's a great bunch of blokes down here so I'm loving my time down here."

Rhys Stanley says improved consistency has been the biggest difference in his game since leaving St Kilda.

"Being able to fit into a group down here that's obviously had some success has been really pleasing for me," he said.

"Also surrounding myself with the coaching group and being able to learn from some really great players - I'm just enjoying my footy.

"And I really enjoy playing in the ruck."

Rhys Stanley will undergo surgery on his injured foot to insert screws to repair ligament damage incurred against Port Adelaide in round 11.

The surgery will rule Stanley out for the rest of the season.

"Scans showed damage to the ligament in Rhys' right foot. After discussing with a specialist, it was decided that the best option was surgery," Geelong football manager Steve Hocking said.

"Due to the fact there was no clear break, we were hopeful Rhys would avoid surgery.

"It's disappointing for him and the club that he will miss the rest of the season, but on a positive note, he will be able to complete a full pre-season."

Rhys Stanley will consult a specialist later this week to determine the seriousness of a foot injury he suffered against Port Adelaide.

Cats physio Mark Young told the club website that scans showed Stanley had suffered "some damage to the ligament and the bone" and he will miss Sunday's game against Melbourne.

St Kilda coach Alan Richardson says the decision to trade Rhys Stanley to Geelong was not an easy one.

"Rhys was very much a required player, and we thought that his best games last season went to another level, but we just felt that there were players at that pick (21) that we rated really strongly," Richardson said.

"As it turns out we're incredibly pleased with who's come in the door, and although we didn't know who it was going to be, we rated that pool really strongly."

St Kilda and Geelong have finalised a trade sending tall forward Rhys Stanley and pick No.60 to the Cats in exchange for pick No.21 in the upcoming NAB AFL Draft.

Shane Savage praises the efforts of Rhys Stanley after the St Kilda forward kicks three goals from 19 disposals and 14 marks in the Saints' upset 58-point win over Fremantle.

"It was only a matter of time until he had a game like that. It was a breakout game for him," Savage said.

"He's always had that talent and he's one of the hardest trainers at the club."

After being called on to plug holes in a desperately undersized backline last season, St Kilda utility Rhys Stanley is looking forward to playing a more natural forward/ruck role in 2014.

"Playing back was a little bit unnatural for me, but it's what we needed as a club and the role I needed to play," Stanley said.

"My natural game would probably be to play forward and be able to run around down there.

"I'm really excited about the year ahead and looking forward to playing in those roles."

The seasons of St Kilda's Arryn Siposs, Rhys Stanley and Tom Simpkin are over with all three booked in for surgery this week.

Siposs will have an operation on his shoulder, while Simpkin has already gone under the knife to relieve pressure in a compartment of his lower leg.

Stanley will have surgery to repair his fractured collarbone.

Rhys Stanley is expected to miss up to four weeks after hyperextending his knee against Sydney in the NAB Cup.

St Kilda finals hopes have suffered a blow, with news the club has lost two of its key talls in Rhys Stanley and Jason Blake for six weeks each with hamstring and ankle injuries respectively.

St Kilda ruckman Rhys Stanley will be a Saint until the end of 2015 after signing a new deal.

"I couldn't be happier, the club has shown faith in me until the end of 2015, so I'm stoked," Stanley said in a statement.

"I'm really excited to push this club forward and grow the membership base, and help develop the club as one of the big powerhouses of the competition."

St Kilda's big man stocks have taken another hit, with Rhys Stanley set to miss four to six weeks with a hamstring injury.

St Kilda suspends Zac Dawson, Rhys Stanley, Jack Steven and Paul Cahill over an incident involving alcohol and sleeping pills during a pre-season training camp in New Zealand.

Saints CEO Michael Nettlefold says the issues at the Saints are symptomic of those seen in general society.

"We are a mirror of the broader society. We don't have all the answers, all we can do it rethink how we approach these issues," Nettlefold told SEN radio.

"The AFL has some outstanding programs in use for respect and responsibility and drug issues. It's come out of left field for us and we haven't put our head in the sand about it."

Rhys Stanley makes his AFL debut for St Kilda with 9 disposals (4 kicks and 5 handballs), 3 marks and 3 tackles in a 35-point win over West Coast.

Rhys Stanley says that contrary to popular belief, he is a footballer first and not a basketballer despite his 202cm stature and quickness on the field.

"I've read it. I've heard it that many times myself and it gets to me because I only played two or three years of basketball," he says.

"I only started playing basketball at 16 and I played football from when I could walk.

"As soon as I was born, Dad had a footy in my hands."