Rhys Palmer

Palmer was born in 1989 and played junior football for the Bullcreek Leeming Junior Football Club.{{cite web|title=Bullcreek Leeming Junior Football Club Hall of Fame|url=http://www.bljfc.com.au/hall_of_fame.htm|publisher=www.bljfc.com.au|access-date=2008-09-17}}

He made his West Australian Football League (WAFL) debut for {{WAFL|EF}} in 2007, playing 14 games, obtaining over 20 possessions in his final six games, include five goals in one game.{{cite web|title=Rhys Palmer|url=http://www.sportingpulse.com/nf/team_info.cgi?player=Rhys%20Palmer&action=PSTATS&pID=185270748&client=1-2393-21525-49803-4320172|publisher=SportingPulse|access-date=2008-09-17}}

Palmer was a key member of Western Australia's victorious 2007 AFL Under 18 Championships side, averaging 32 possessions and 3 goals per game. He finished second by one vote behind Cale Morton in the Larke Medal and was named in the Under 18 All-Australian side.{{cite web|first=Scott|last=Heinrich|title=West boys end title agony|url=http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,22062158-5012734,00.html|publisher=foxsports.com.au|date=2007-07-12|access-date=2008-09-17}}

Palmer gained attention again at 2007 AFL Draft Camp finishing second in the 3 km time trial with a time of 10min 25sec and fifth in the beep test with a score of 14.8.{{cite web|title=2007 AFL draft camp results|url=http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,22548836-11088,00.html|publisher=Herald Sun|date=2007-10-08|access-date=2008-09-17}}

Palmer was taken at pick #7 overall in the 2007 AFL Draft by Fremantle.

He put in some impressive performances in the 2008 NAB Cup and after being named as an emergency for the opening round of the 2008 season, Palmer made his debut in Round 2 at Subiaco Oval against Hawthorn. Whilst his debut match was impressive individually, with 22 possessions and a goal, Fremantle lost the match by 15 points.{{cite web|first=Justin|last=Chadwick|title=Hawks get the job done|url=http://sportal.com.au/afl-news-display/hawks-get-the-job-done-45708|publisher=sportal.com.au|date=2008-03-29|access-date=2008-09-17}} In his second match he was awarded the AFL Rising Star nomination for his outstanding performance in the Western Derby,{{cite web|title=Palmer handed Rising Star nomination|url=http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/afl/story/0,26576,23504841-19742,00.html|publisher=Herald Sun|date=2008-04-08|access-date=2008-09-17}} despite receiving a gash to his head in the opening quarter.{{cite web|first=Courtney|last=Walsh|title=Bloodied Docker's 'dream' derby debut|url=http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,,23495555-23211,00.html|publisher=foxsports.com.au|date=2008-04-07|access-date=2008-09-17}}

After being nominated in Round 3, Palmer won the 2008 AFL Rising Star ahead of Cyril Rioli from Hawthorn with 8 of the 9 judges voting him as the best emerging player. He missed most of the 2009 season because of a knee reconstruction.

Palmer joined {{AFL GWS}} in September 2011, becoming the third uncontracted player, after Phil Davis and Callan Ward, to join the club in preparation for its entry into the AFL for the 2012 season.[http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/122787/default.aspx Palmer joins GWS] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111025071813/http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/122787/default.aspx |date=25 October 2011 }} – afl.com.au. Written by Nathan Schmook. Published 6 September 2011. Retrieved 6 September 2011.

At the conclusion of the 2016 season, Palmer was traded to Carlton. He made his first senior appearance for Carlton at the MCG against Essendon, as a late inclusion. Carlton recorded their first win of the season, winning by 15 points.{{cite news|url=http://www.afl.com.au/news/2016-10-20/three-giants-caleb-marchbank-jarrod-pickett-rhys-palmer-head-to-carlton|title=Three Giants head to Carlton in last-ditch mega-trade|date=20 October 2016|work=AFL.com.au|publisher=Bigpond|access-date=20 October 2016}} At the conclusion of the 2017 season, he was delisted by Carlton.{{cite news|url=http://www.afl.com.au/news/2017-10-20/blues-chop-trio-including-threeclub-veteran|title=Blues chop trio, including three-club veteran|last=Navaratnam|first=Dinny|date=20 October 2017|work=AFL.com.au|publisher=Bigpond|access-date=20 October 2017}}

In 2018 he returned to Western Australia and joined Swan Districts in the West Australian Football League (WAFL).{{cite news|last1=Lacy|first1=Bridget|title=Swan Districts recruit Rhys Palmer on his time in the AFL and what the future holds|url=https://thewest.com.au/sport/wafl/swan-districts-recruit-rhys-palmer-on-his-time-in-the-afl-and-what-the-future-holds-ng-b88729257z|access-date=12 April 2018|work=The West Australian|date=30 January 2018}}

In March 2019 he threw his shoes onto the Gloucester Park harness racing track during the feature race. No horses or reinsmen were injured, but there were calls for Palmer to be banned for life from racetracks due to the dangerous act.{{cite news |last1=Manning |first1=Ernie |title=AFL star likely to get boot for shoe caper |url=https://thewest.com.au/sport/horse-racing/former-afl-star-rhys-palmer-likely-to-get-boot-for-shoe-caper-at-gloucester-pakr-ng-b881137710z |work=The West Australian |date=15 March 2019 |language=en}}

On 16 March 2019, at roughly 7:30pm local time, Palmer suffered serious injuries in a motorcycle accident in Perth, resulting in Palmer being placed in an induced coma.{{cite news|url=https://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/former-afl-star-rhys-palmer-placed-in-induced-coma-after-serious-motorcycle-accident/news-story/5c9c300b45be356b47fc271b4cd33401|title=Former AFL star Rhys Palmer placed in induced coma after serious motorcycle accident|date=17 March 2019|access-date=17 March 2019}}

Palmer has since relocated to Kalgoorlie-Boulder and continues to play football with the Kalgoorlie City Football Club (Kangas). He was awarded Best on Ground in the 2021 Grand Final and later won the club’s fairest and best award for the season.

: Statistics are correct to round 19 of 2017 season{{cite web|url=http://afltables.com/afl/stats/players/R/Rhys_Palmer.html|title=Rhys Palmer stats|work=AFL Tables|access-date=4 August 2017}}

{{AFL player statistics legend}}

{{AFL player statistics start}}

|- style="background:#eaeaea;"

! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2008

|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL Fre}}

| 10 || 20 || 10 || 8 || 270 || 192 || 462 || 100 || 47 || 0.5 || 0.4 || 13.5 || 9.6 || 23.1 || 5.0 || 2.4

|-

! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2009

|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL Fre}}

| 10 || 5 || 3 || 1 || 45 || 59 || 104 || 18 || 20 || 0.6 || 0.2 || 9.0 || 11.8 || 20.8 || 3.6 || 4.0

|- style="background:#eaeaea;"

! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2010

|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL Fre}}

| 10 || 13 || 4 || 3 || 113 || 136 || 249 || 46 || 52 || 0.3 || 0.2 || 8.7 || 10.5 || 19.2 || 3.5 || 4.0

|-

! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2011

|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL Fre}}

| 10 || 15 || 6 || 6 || 110 || 121 || 231 || 48 || 57 || 0.4 || 0.4 || 7.3 || 8.1 || 15.4 || 3.2 || 3.8

|- style="background:#eaeaea;"

! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2012

|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL GWS}}

| 7 || 15 || 9 || 9 || 158 || 128 || 286 || 66 || 34 || 0.6 || 0.6 || 10.5 || 8.5 || 19.1 || 4.4 || 2.3

|-

! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2013

|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL GWS}}

| 7 || 11 || 9 || 5 || 103 || 80 || 183 || 51 || 32 || 0.8 || 0.5 || 9.4 || 7.3 || 16.6 || 4.6 || 2.9

|- style="background:#eaeaea;"

! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2014

|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL GWS}}

| 7 || 17 || 23 || 12 || 147 || 136 || 283 || 54 || 49 || 1.4 || 0.7 || 8.6 || 8.0 || 16.6 || 3.2 || 2.9

|-

! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2015

|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL GWS}}

| 7 || 14 || 18 || 16 || 133 || 79 || 212 || 53 || 38 || 1.3 || 1.1 || 9.5 || 5.6 || 15.1 || 3.8 || 2.7

|- style="background:#eaeaea;"

! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2016

|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL GWS}}

| 7 || 12 || 13 || 7 || 94 || 73 || 167 || 53 || 28 || 1.1 || 0.6 || 7.8 || 6.1 || 13.9 || 4.4 || 2.3

|-

! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2017

|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL Car}}

| 24 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 6 || 6 || 12 || 4 || 2 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 6.0 || 6.0 || 12.0 || 4.0 || 2.0

|- class="sortbottom"

! colspan=3| Career

! 123

! 95

! 67

! 1179

! 1010

! 2189

! 493

! 359

! 0.8

! 0.5

! 9.6

! 8.2

! 17.8

! 4.0

! 2.9

|}

{{Reflist}}

{{Commons category}}

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• {{AustralianFootball}}
• {{WAFL FootyFacts}}

{{Inaugural Greater Western Sydney Giants team}}

{{Ron Evans Medal}}

{{AFLPA best first year player}}

{{2008 AFL Rising Star nominees}}

{{2007 AFL national draft}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Palmer, Rhys}}

Category:1989 births

Category:Living people

Category:Fremantle Football Club players

Category:East Fremantle Football Club players

Category:AFL Rising Star winners

Category:Australian rules footballers from Western Australia

Category:Greater Western Sydney Giants players

Category:Carlton Football Club players

Category:Northern Bullants players

Category:Swan Districts Football Club players

Category:Australian people of Scottish descent