Ryan Schoenmakers
RYAN SCHOENMAKERS
Hawthorn: 121 AFL games, 51 goals

Ryan Schoenmakers played for the Hawthorn Football Club in the AFL.

Schoenmakers started his career with the Tea Tree Gully Football Club in Adelaide. He moved to Norwood as a junior. Schoenmakers played at centre half forward for the South Australian Under 18 side, as well as for Norwood in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL).

He made his debut for Hawthorn in the opening round of the 2009 AFL season, in the rematch of the 2008 AFL Grand Final against Geelong.

He was given the nickname “Drago” after his striking resemblance to Dolph Lundgren’s character Ivan Drago in the movie Rocky IV.

Schoenmakers ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and strained the medial ligament in his right knee, during the Round 4, 2013 game against Fremantle in Launceston. He underwent a knee reconstruction and missed the 2013 premiership.

Schoenmakers returned to the senior side in round 7 of 2014, with coach Alastair Clarkson choosing to play him in the forward line. Schoenmakers kicked four goals in the first half, before returning to the back line after Brian Lake was subbed out.

In the 2015 AFL season he played both in the forward line and in defence, kicking 15 goals in 16 games. In the finals series of 2015 he was not selected in the first final against West coast, but was selected for the next two finals. He was selected for the 2015 Grand Final, playing in the Hawks 46 point victory over the West Coast Eagles.[4]

Schoenmakers missed most of the 2016 season with a groin injury that didn’t respond well to treatment.

A reoccurring Achilles issue plagued Schoenmakers over the later part of his career. On 18 October 2019, Schoenmakers announced his retirement from the AFL.

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