Jarryd Lyons

Jarryd Lyons (born 22 July 1992) is a former professional Australian rules footballer who last played for the Brisbane Lions in the Australian Football League (AFL) before his retirement in 2024. He also previously played for the Adelaide Football Club from 2011 to 2016 and the Gold Coast Suns from 2017 to 2018.

Early life Lyons' father Marty played 27 games for between 1975 and 1977. His younger brother Corey was listed at the from 2017 to 2020. Lyons attended Malvern's De La Salle College.

AFL career

Adelaide (2011–2016) Lyons was drafted with selection 61 in the 2010 AFL draft by , having previously played for the Sandringham Dragons in the TAC Cup. He did not play in his first AFL season, but showed good signs with South Australian National Football League (SANFL) side. Lyons made his AFL debut in round 5 of the 2012 season, against at AAMI Stadium in Showdown XXXII. He played only three games in that season but continued to perform in the SANFL and could have played more if it hadn't been for an ill-timed foot injury.

Lyons played ten games in 2014, beginning to cement his place in the side in the latter half of the year. In late 2014 Lyons was bitten on the leg while asleep and developed symptoms consistent with a white-tailed spider bite, leading to him being hospitalised. He recovered to play 13 games for the 2015 season, nine of them as Adelaide's starting substitute, in what was a trying year for the club, following the mid-season murder of their coach, Phil Walsh. Lyons slotted straight into the midfield at the Suns and enjoyed a career-best season in 2017, playing 18 games and averaging 25 disposals, despite the Suns only winning six games and their coach, Rodney Eade, being sacked towards the end of the season. Lyons played 19 games in 2018 and again averaged 25 disposals, and was also equal-third in the AFL for clearances. Despite this, new coach Stuart Dew dropped him twice during the season, and he was delisted at the end of the season with a year left on his three-year contract.

Brisbane Lions (2019–2024) Lyons was signed by the at the beginning of the 2018 first delisted free agency period on 1 November 2018, the day after his delisting from Gold Coast, joining his younger brother Corey at the club. He made his debut for the club in a 44-point upset win against reigning premiers at the Gabba in round 1 of the 2019 season, and played his 100th career game in the loss to the at Mars Stadium in round 8. After accumulating 33 disposals and eight marks in a best-on-ground performance in the win against at the Gabba in round 11, Lyons had a career-best game in the win against Port Adelaide at Adelaide Oval in round 17, accumulating 36 disposals and nine tackles, and followed up a week later against North Melbourne with 30 disposals and two goals. He went on to poll a career-high 13 votes in the Brownlow Medal and finished fourth in voting for the Merrett–Murray Medal, in what was a career-best season.

On 12 September 2024, Lyons announced his retirement at the end of the club's season, just prior to their semi-final clash with Greater Western Sydney. Lyons will return to SANFL club Glenelg for the 2025 season alongside his brother Corey (already a dual Premiership player at Glenelg).

Statistics

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