Ryan Bastinac

Date of Birth: 22/06/1991

Club: Brisbane Lions FC

Games (Goals): 161 (91)

Recruited From: 2009 NAB AFL Draft, Pick 21 from Dandenong Stingrays (TAC Cup)

Ryan has not missed a beat since being drafted by the North Melbourne Football Club. Taken at pick 21 of the 2009 NAB AFL Draft, he made his debut against Port Adelaide in Round 1 of the 2010 season collecting 23 possessions. Ryan is renowned for his endurance and his good decision making. A midfielder by trade, Ryan can extract the ball from inside the contest as well as being able to spread into space to become an offensive weapon. 

Throughout the 2014 and 2015 seasons, Ryan was increasingly used up forward by coach Brad Scott so he could utulise his footy smarts around goal. This combined with his ball winning ability no doubt helped the rise of North Melbourne up the ladder.

At the conclusion of the 2015 season an opportunity from the Brisbane Lions presented itself to Ryan which would not only sure up his long term future but also had the potential for Ryan to play more time in the midfield, a position he thrives in. It was a hard decision for Ryan to make as North Melbourne had given him the opportunity to live out his AFL dream, however after much deliberation he felt a move to the Brisbane Lions would be extremely beneficial to his career.

Whilst it was a tough season for the Lions in 2016 who battled with injuries and playing consistent footy, Ryan played every game of the season and provided stability and leadership for his younger team mates. Under a new coach in 2017, Ryan found himself playing in a new role mainly at Half Forward where he excelled in his defensive pressure as well as hitting the scoreboard. Season 2018 was a tough one for Ryan as he found it tough to break into the senior team on a regular basis, however since freshening up post season Ryan has hit the ground running and is looking forward to a big 2019.

Off the field Ryan has shown a keen interest in mentoring and coaching kids. He has also found a new love in Golf where you can now find him regularly working on his game.