Ryan Edwin Turnbull was born on 23 September 1971 and is a former Australian rules footballer who represented the West Coast Eagles in the Australian Football League.
38 Facts About Ryan Turnbull
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Ryan Turnbull played with the Claremont and East Perth Football Clubs in the West Australian Football League, and was awarded the Sandover Medal in 2001 as the best player in the competition, as well as winning the Simpson Medal in 2001 and 2002 as the best player in the league's grand final.
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In State of Origin football, Ryan Turnbull represented Western Australia in five matches between 1992 and 1999, and captained a Western Australian representative team in 2003.
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Ryan Turnbull was born to John Ryan Turnbull and Kaye Holdsworth on 23 September 1971, in Mount Lawley, Western Australia.
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Ryan Turnbull's father played 209 games for Swan Districts in the WAFL, including the 1961,1962 and 1963 premierships.
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Ryan Turnbull's mother was the daughter of Ted Holdsworth, who played 143 games for Swan Districts, kicking 532 goals.
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Ryan Turnbull was educated at Christ Church Grammar School in Claremont, Western Australia, and played in the school's First XVIII in 1987.
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Ryan Turnbull played junior football for the Karrinyup Saints Junior Football Club.
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Ryan Turnbull played for the University Football Club in the Western Australian Amateur Football League in 1989 before making his debut for Claremont in the WAFL midway through the season.
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Ryan Turnbull played in Claremont's 1989 premiership before being selected by the West Coast Eagles with a compensatory pre-draft selection, along with Peter Mann.
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Ryan Turnbull switched to East Perth in the WAFL for the 1991 season after a difference of opinion between Claremont coach Gerard Neesham and West Coast coach Michael Malthouse on how he was being used at WAFL level.
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Ryan Turnbull made his debut for West Coast in round seven of the 1991 season, against Hawthorn at Princes Park, as the youngest member of the team, gathering nine disposals and effecting four hit-outs partnered with Dean Irving.
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Ryan Turnbull played four further games in the 1991 season, being kept out of the side by older, more experienced key-position players such as Michael Brennan, Ashley McIntosh, Glen Jakovich, Dean Irving and Stevan Jackson.
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Ryan Turnbull managed six games in 1992, including five of the Eagles' first seven, but was again kept out of the side by first-choice ruckman Paul Harding.
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Ryan Turnbull did not play for the Eagles in 1993, mainly due to the form of Irving and Harding, but managed to win a second F D Book Medal.
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Ryan Turnbull was a favourite for the 1993 Sandover Medal, but lost to Robbie West, finishing seventh overall.
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Ryan Turnbull broke into the Eagles' side in the 1994 season, playing in all 23 of the Eagles' games, including the 1994 Grand Final, which the Eagles won by 80 points.
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Ryan Turnbull received his first votes for the Brownlow Medal in round 18,1994, gaining one vote for 23-hit-out game against Richmond.
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Ryan Turnbull played in all of the Eagles' games in the 1995 season as their first-choice ruckman.
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Ryan Turnbull played the first game of the 1996 season, but was dropped for Jason Ball.
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Ryan Turnbull returned to the side in round 11 after kicking seven goals in seven games with East Perth, and played all but one of the Eagles' remaining games, filling in for the injured Glen Jakovich at centre half-back.
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Ryan Turnbull was named as the ruckman in the Eagles' Team of the Decade, announced in 1996 to coincide with the AFL's centenary celebrations.
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Ryan Turnbull again played in every West Coast Eagles game in 1997, playing behind Michael Gardiner as the Eagles' back-up ruckman.
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Ryan Turnbull played the first seven games of the 1998 season, again as a back-up ruckman to Gardiner, but was dropped after a round 7 game against Adelaide where he only managed one disposal and one hit-out.
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Ryan Turnbull was recalled for the round 12 game against Hawthorn, but re-dropped after again managing only one disposal and one hit-out.
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Ryan Turnbull spent the rest of the 1998 season with East Perth in the WAFL.
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Ryan Turnbull did not play for the Eagles in the 1999 season, with Gardiner and Jason Ball the first-choice ruck combination.
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Ryan Turnbull played 17 games for East Perth in the WAFL, and was considered one of the favourites for the Sandover Medal, eventually losing to Gus Seebeck by one vote.
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Ryan Turnbull won a third F D Book Medal as East Perth's best and fairest.
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Ryan Turnbull re-established himself in the Eagles' team for the 2000 season, playing all 22 games.
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Ryan Turnbull played as the first-choice ruckman in the second half of the season after an injury to Gardiner.
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Ryan Turnbull was unable to regain a place in the Eagles' side in the 2001 season playing only three games, behind Gardiner, Dean Cox and David Sierakowski, before being de-listed at the end of the season.
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Ryan Turnbull played 17 games for East Perth in 2001, including in the 2001 premiership team, winning the Simpson Medal as the best on ground in the Grand Final.
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Ryan Turnbull won the Sandover Medal for the best player in the WAFL.
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Ryan Turnbull played 19 games for East Perth in 2002, again winning the Simpson Medal in East Perth's Grand Final victory.
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Ryan Turnbull continued to play for the Royals in 2003 and 2004, but was impacted by an eye injury sustained in the 2003 finals series.
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Ryan Turnbull retired from football at the end of the 2004 season.
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Ryan Turnbull is currently a commentator for ABC Sport, commentating on WAFL coverage.