Gryan Miers Biography

When Gryan Miers fractured his fibula in round seven last season – and again late in the season – he headed down to the recruiting department inside GMHBA Stadium and asked to be put to work.

Under the watch of Geelong list boss Andrew Mackie, veteran talent spotter Stephen Wells and recruiter Liam Woodland, Miers was assigned projects to analyse types of players – live and on the computer – and write reports on prospects.

"I want to stay in footy. I'm very lucky to have people around me that are in the areas I want to get into and I'm using them as resources. Liam Woodland has helped me out heaps this year. The goal is to become a list manager one day, at this stage. You never really know where your career takes you but I know recruiting is a pathway into that," he said.

"Any time I've been injured over the last year or two, I’ve gone to the under-18 champs or down to games or watched vision at home and done some reports. It's quite funny, I did reports on four of our draftees from last year about what I like about them and what I don't like about them, now they are some of my best mates, so it's very interesting and pretty awesome to get that opportunity."

Gryan Miers undergoes surgery for a syndesmosis injury to his left ankle sustained at training. The Cats have not put a timeline on his return to training.

After a year on the Cats list in 2018 spent trying – unsuccessfully – to break into the senior team, Gryan Miers felt like he was wasting time and craved respite from the pressure-cooker environment of AFL football.

Miers approached his junior club Grovedale during the pre-season and was offered an assistant coaching role with the under-17s and on Sunday, he watched on proudly as the eponymous Grovedale Miers team came from behind to win their division one Grand Final against Bell Park.

Miers accepted the role at Grovedale not really expecting to play at AFL level this year. As it's turned out, the 20-year-old has played every game and will line up in Friday night's sudden-death semi-final against West Coast.

That hasn't stopped him from fulfilling his coaching commitments, although competing schedules meant he could only make it to about half of their games. Every Monday and Thursday between 4.30pm and 6pm, Miers made time to attend Grovedale's training sessions. The way he tells it, coaching at his junior club has been both enlightening and therapeutic.

"It brings you back a bit - they're only two years younger than me, some of them – but just to being back with my mates. They're coming straight from school and they're just so excited to be able to get to footy training and hang out and play some footy," Miers said.

"I have so much fun with them. I thought once I started playing AFL games that it would be such a burden to go down on a Monday or Thursday night. But I really look forward to it to get away."

Gryan Miers is the 2019 round eight Rising Star nominee after his third 20-plus disposal game in succession, gathering 22 possessions and kicking 1.3 in Geelong's 24-point win over North Melbourne at Marvel Stadium.

In the opening eight rounds, Miers has averaged 17 possessions (six contested) and tallied 10 goals and six goal assists.

A local product from Grovedale, Miers knew he probably could have caught more attention by taking a more self-absorbed approach to his game, but he heeded the sage advice of the Cats' VFL coach Shane O'Bree.

"I could have gone kick chasing and tried to stand out a bit more to get myself (an AFL) game, but I did a lot of (video) edits and a lot of extra training and skill sessions with Shane O'Bree to replicate what I'd do if I was actually in the AFL team. That really helped me then, and it's really helped me step up to AFL level this year," Miers said.

Gryan Miers makes his AFL debut for Geelong at the MCG with 11 disposals (6 kicks and 5 handballs), a mark and 3 tackles in a 7-point win over Collingwood.

Gryan Miers boots seven goals to steer the Geelong Falcons to a drought-breaking TAC Cup premiership after a thrilling two-point win over the Sandringham Dragons.

Miers was clearly the best player on the ground and the deserving recipient of the TAC Medal, picking up 16 disposals and three marks to go with his bag of goals.

It ends what has been a consistent season for the 177cm product, who shapes as a possible second-round selection at November's NAB AFL Draft.