59 Facts About Ryan Houlihan

Ryan Houlihan was born on 21 January 1982 and is a former Australian rules footballer who played 12 seasons and 201 games for the Carlton Football Club in the Australian Football League from 2000 to 2011.

Ryan Houlihan has been by far the most successful of the four.

Ryan Houlihan was named All Australian Under 16 in 1998 and represented Australia in the 1999 youth series against Ireland.

Ryan Houlihan was named in the Murray Bushrangers' best team of all time.

Ryan Houlihan made his debut for the Carlton around the middle of the 2000 season.

Ryan Houlihan quickly had an impact for Carlton as a classy, skilful, running forward, with an uncanny ability to kick goals.

Ryan Houlihan ended up played 13 games in his debut season and was nominated for the AFL Rising Star award after a 20 possession game in the Round 20 blockbuster against Essendon before over 90,000 people.

Ryan Houlihan received the Carlton Past Players Encouragement Award for his debut season.

Ryan Houlihan continued on from his impressive debut season with an even better year in 2001, continuing as a forward.

Ryan Houlihan played 23 of 24 games and kicked 28 goals.

Ryan Houlihan played an important part, kicking three goals, when an undermanned Carlton had a surprise victory over reigning premiers Essendon in Round 3 and again in the Round 20 win over St Kilda.

Ryan Houlihan had a number of two-goal games that year.

Ryan Houlihan is a highly skilled player and has been extremely versatile, able to play a variety of positions.

Toward the end of 2002, Ryan Houlihan began to play-off the half-back line, where his skill and run were used to set up forward thrusts.

Ryan Houlihan played an important role off half back in the Round 21 victory against the Bulldogs, with 23 possessions and set up the winning goal.

Ryan Houlihan played all 22 matches in 2003, the highlight being the Round 3 victory over Essendon, in which he would gather a then career best 28 possessions, kick two goals and receive the three Brownlow votes.

Ryan Houlihan kicked three goals in the Round 5 victory over the Kangaroos.

Ryan Houlihan would spend the next three seasons in that role.

Ryan Houlihan finished 2003 off well with a team and new career high 31-possession effort and was one of the few players to stand up in the Round 22 thrashing by the Kangaroos.

Ryan Houlihan's improved consistency saw him finish in the top 10 in the Best and Fairest and in the top four for disposals and kicks for the first time.

Ryan Houlihan remained in the top 10 for average disposals and kicks every year from 2003 to 2010.

Ryan Houlihan had another consistent year playing off halfback in 2004, managing 21 of 22 games, again finishing in the top 10 in the Best and Fairest and in the top five for disposals, marks and kicks.

Ryan Houlihan played his 100th game in season 2005 and became the third youngest Carlton player ever to achieve that mark.

Ryan Houlihan continued to mostly play in defence but in the absence of regular midfielders Scott Camporeale and Heath Scotland, was brought into the midfield in the drawn game against Port Adelaide in Round 4.

Ryan Houlihan shone in that game and was probably Carlton's best player, with 26 disposals and was able to set up a number of goals with precise kicking.

Ryan Houlihan worked very hard during the 2006 pre-season, becoming a lot bigger, stronger and fitter, so he could play in the midfield.

Ryan Houlihan played all 22 games in 2006, improving to become second at the club for kicks and disposals, highlighted by a career best 35 disposals in Round 4.

In 2007 Ryan Houlihan played 21 of 22 games and recorded his best ever finish in the club's Best and Fairest- fourth.

Ryan Houlihan continued to perform run with roles in all parts of the ground on some of the AFL's best players, such as Gary Ablett Jr, James Hird, Alan Didak, who he kept to a season low 10 possessions, Andrew McLeod, who he kept to just 14 possessions, Aaron Davey to a season low 4 possessions, Tadhg Kennelly to 6 and Josh Drummond to 12.

Ryan Houlihan played some high possession, more offensive games, highlighted by a season best 33 possessions in Round 20 against Essendon and despite a number of defensive roles, still finished second at the club for kicks and third for possessions.

Ryan Houlihan had not kicked a lot of goals since being moved to defence but kicked three skilful goals for the first time in a game since 2003 in Round 11 against Port Adelaide.

Ryan Houlihan had however been battling a hip problem for four years, which worsened after playing the first three games of 2008 and required surgery.

Ryan Houlihan played 20 games in 2009, at both ends of the ground, as Carlton returned to the finals for the first time in eight years, although it only lasted one game.

Ryan Houlihan showed a lot of improvement in the defensive side of his game.

Ryan Houlihan improved his tackling numbers to a career-high 2.6 per game.

Ryan Houlihan improved his contested possessions and hardball-gets to career high levels, averaging 6 and 3 per game respectively and had as many as 14 contested possessions in the Round 16 game against Sydney.

Ryan Houlihan was one of just two players who had previously played in a final for Carlton the last time they made the finals in 2001 and took it upon himself to help prepare his younger teammates.

Ryan Houlihan had 25 possessions, 10 of which were contested, 5 clearances and 3 tackles- one of which stopped a likely Brisbane goal.

Ryan Houlihan scored an important early goal after smothering the ball, demonstrating the improved defensive side to his game to complement his well-known skill.

Ryan Houlihan had a solid year in 2009, finishing 11th in the club's Best and Fairest, missing the top 10 by just one vote.

Ryan Houlihan was one of a number of Carlton players involved in off field incidents following Carlton players' 2009 Christmas party to be fined and suspended from pre-season training for a month.

In 2010, following Brendan Fevola's departure, Ryan Houlihan became Carlton's longest serving player.

Ryan Houlihan had a series of excellent performances playing as a defensive forward in 2010, in which he was given the task of negating the influence of the opposition's key running defender, while using his skills to kick and set up goals.

Ryan Houlihan kicked a career high 4 goals in the Round 11 victory over Melbourne.

Ryan Houlihan kicked 15 goals and just 4 behinds for the year- a little over a goal per game and No 1 at the club for accuracy, an indication of his elite finishing skills in front of goal.

Ryan Houlihan finished a creditable 12th in the Best and Fairest, despite having missed 10 games.

Ryan Houlihan would have made the top 10 on average votes per game.

Ryan Houlihan was only seen briefly at the end of the game as the substitute player.

Ryan Houlihan played his 200th game in Round 19 against North Melbourne, the same side he had debuted against 11 years previously, becoming just the 31st player in the history of the Carlton Football Club to achieve that.

Ryan Houlihan's time had come to step away, he stated.

Ryan Houlihan said he will be remembered for his poise under pressure and smooth skills.

Ryan Houlihan was honoured by the AFL in the 2011 Grand Final pre-match with a lap of honour as a retiring 200 game player.

Ryan Houlihan was one of the featured footballers in Nova FM Radio Station's Naked footballers under the shower promotion in 2010.

Ryan Houlihan was appointed coach of Greater Western Sydney Giants 'Academy' players for 2012 and joined the Sydney Hills Eagles in their debut season in the North East Australian Football League Eastern Conference as a player and assistant coach.

Ryan Houlihan was named in the NEAFL Eastern Conference Team of the Year for 2012.

In 2013, Ryan Houlihan played for St Bernard's Old Collegians in the Victorian Amateur Football Association, and in 2014 he is playing for Deer Park in the Western Region Football League.

Ryan Houlihan participated in the EJ Whitten Legends Game in 2013 and 2014.

The academy will be coached by former Blue Ryan Houlihan who played 201 games for Carlton from 2000 to 2011.

Ryan Houlihan has devised a structured program based on each child's age and in accordance with the AFL guidelines.