Ryan Burton Biography

Ryan Burton is ruled out of Port Adelaide's semi-final against his former club Hawthorn at Adelaide Oval due to calf tightness.

Ryan Burton is facing at least a month out with a hamstring injury sustained while chasing Brisbane speedster Charlie Cameron.

"When you see them pull up like they that when they're running at top speed … (you know) it's a significant hamstring," Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley said.

"Sometimes they can be three or four weeks, sometimes they can be worse. We can be pretty certain Ryan's going to miss a month of footy."

Ryan Burton says Port Adelaide's gameplan has been easy to adapt to since his move from Hawthorn.

"I found it pretty easy to pick up coming over from Hawthorn," Burton told AFL.com.au.

"The defence is really similar and the way we move the ball is really fast. We want to be really bold and really attack the opposition.

"That works personally for me and how I run off half-back and how the other boys do as well."

Power recruit Ryan Burton admites he was shocked and shattered when first told Hawthorn wanted to trade him as part of the Chad Wingard deal.

However, he said he never considered digging in his heels to see out the remaining two years of his contract at the Hawks.

"I was just a bit shocked, and a bit shattered that the club was sort of trying to get a deal done, but the fact it was getting to come home to a club that I grew up loving just made it a lot better," Burton said.

"Being contracted, of course I had a choice, but once you get put up on the trade block, you don't really feel comfortable going back unless you're 100 per cent wanted."

Chad Wingard is a Hawk and Ryan Burton has officially joined Port Adelaide alongside Lion Sam Mayes in two significant trades on final day of the 2018 AFL Trade Period.

It also left the Power armed with Brisbane’s pick No.5, exchanging pick No.6 with the Lions.

Hawthorn’s pick No.15 moved to the Power, the Lions gaining Hawthorn's pick No.35 and a future third-round selection.

Contracted to the Lions for one more season, Mayes was granted his wish to return to South Australia to be closer to his family.

Ryan Burton's manager Marty Pask says his client is excited about joining Port Adelaide on a four-year deal.

"Obviously, the initial emotion (for him) was shock," Pask said.

"It got to the point where he was really happy and excited to join Port.

"Excited because he barracked for them as a kid, and he obviously gets to go home now and be surrounded by friends and family and continue his AFL dream by playing footy for Port."

Ryan Burton will undergo a medical test with the Power as he contemplates moving to Port Adelaide to help facilitate the Chad Wingard trade.

Burton is holidaying in the United States but members of Port's medical team will test him in Las Vegas.

"The medical staff are flying first class to Las Vegas to do a medical on a guy who's probably sitting in a pool probably having a couple of Coronas," Power list manager Jason Cripps joked.

Ryan Burton is the only Hawthorn player who has been put on the trade table as the Hawks scramble to convince Port Adelaide to release contracted forward Chad Wingard.

Burton, contracted with the Hawks until 2020, is on holiday in the United States but will consider whether he wants to return home to South Australia over the next few days.

Chad Wingard requests a trade to Hawthorn after the Western Bulldogs fall out of the race for his services.

Port are reported to have inquired about Ryan Burton's availability and the Hawks are reported to be prepared to include the key defender in the deal.

Adelaide secures the services of dual Sturt premiership-winning coach Martin Mattner as an assistant coach for 2019.

"As a player and coach, Marty knows what it takes to achieve the ultimate success," Crows head of football Brett Burton said.

"Not only is he a quality person, but he has a proven record of helping young and experienced players alike improve their games.

"His positive influence at Sturt stretched beyond the (SANFL) side to the reserves and juniors, and we look forward to him joining our coaching department."

A severe bump by Hawk Ryan Burton led to Shaun Higgins spending two nights in hospital with concussion, while also requiring plastic surgery for a cut on his lip.

However, Higgins has no issue with Burton, who texted him following the incident.

"He was great, he was obviously a little bit distressed as well," Higgins said of Burton.

"I don't think in the incident itself there was any intention to cause the injury or the impact that it did.

"He was in a tough position, that's just what he chose to do."

Shaun Higgins is involved in a sickening head clash with Ryan Burton in the third-quarter of the Bulldogs' clash with Hawthorn at the MCG.

Higgins, whose wife gave birth to their first child only hours earlier, remained motionless for some time before eventually being taken to Epworth hospital.

Versatile Ryan Burton says he will be playing predominantly as a defender for the Hawks in 2018.

"I did a fair bit up forward at the start of the pre-season, but I think I’ll stay down back again," he said.

"We have plenty of good forwards who can kick goals for us so I’m pretty comfortable down back and the club is pretty comfortable with me there."

Ryan Burton signs a three-year contract extension with Hawthorn that will keep him at the club until end of 2020.

"Both Ryan and the club were eager to secure his future at Hawthorn and we are rapt to have extended his contract for a further two years," Hawthorn list manager Graham Wright said.

"He has been in terrific form this season and has really cemented his spot in the backline, with the ability to play on a variety of talls and smalls."

Ryan Burton says he wants to be a big part of Hawthorn's new era.

"We have a few boys that are my age coming through now," Burton said.

"I'm trying to forge my way into the team and try and get a game every week and there are plenty of other young boys trying to do the same.

"The team will change in the next few years and hopefully it's us young boys changing it."

Ryan Burton claims the round two NAB AFL Rising Star nomination after gathering a career-high 26 disposals, nine marks and four tackles against Adelaide at the MCG.

Burton's father, Craig, is a dual SANFL premiership player with North Adelaide, where his son debuted as a 17-year-old, and played a key role in his development.

"Back then, the SANFL was a pretty high standard and I always looked up to my dad as a good footballer in the whole of Australia, not just South Australia," Burton said.

"To be a player like him was always a goal of mine and AFL was always a goal of mine, too, and dad's been really supportive of that."

Ryan Burton reflects back on the anxiety he felt prior to the 2015 national draft after missing the year due to a broken leg.

"Early on when I had the injury I was pretty nervous that I might not get picked up, and it was a long year trying to keep my mind off the draft," Burton said.

"But once we got a week out from the draft, a lot of clubs spoke to me and reassured me I'd get drafted, so going there on the night wasn’t too nerve-wracking. And to be honest, I didn’t care how early I was drafted as long as I was."

Ryan Burton makes his AFL debut for Hawthorn at the MCG with 10 disposals (6 kicks and 4 handballs), 5 marks, 3 tackles and a goal in a 39-point win over North Melbourne.

Hawthorn has moved to relieve draftee Ryan Burton of any anxiety about his future by re-signing the youngster before he undergoes more surgery on his troublesome leg.

Burton has inked a one-year extension to his original draft deal, tying him to the Hawks until at least the end of 2018.

"Ryan needs to have an operation to take out the plate and screws from his 2014 injury," Hawthorn list and recruiting manager Graham Wright said.

"(By re-signing him) we wanted to take away any anxiety that he may have had, and show him that we think he’ll be a really important player for us long-term.

"We drafted Ryan knowing he had an in injury that would need time to overcome.

"We’ve been really happy with his progress so far and think he will be a really good player for us in the future."

Hawthorn select Ryan Burton with pick No.19 in the 2015 NAB AFL Draft.

"He started training with North Adelaide last week and was doing various physical activities, so he’s ready to step things up with us," Hawthorn recruiting manager Graham Wright said.

"We've watched him play and train regularly and (fitness coach) Andrew Russell has a terrific record with getting players right so we’ll trust him with Ryan."