Ryan Fitzgerald

Ryan Fitzgerald
Personal information
Full name	Ryan James Fitzgerald
Nickname(s)	Fitzy
Date of birth	(1976-10-16) 16 October 1976 (age 40)
Original team(s)	South Adelaide (SANFL)
Draft	#4, 1998 National Draft, Sydney
Height / weight	199cm / 96kg
Position(s)	Forward
Playing career1
Years	Club	Games (Goals)
2000 2002 Total	Sydney Adelaide	10 (15) 08 0(8) 18 (23)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2002.

Ryan James "Fitzy" Fitzgerald (born 16 October 1976) is a former Australian rules footballer, Big Brother participant, and radio and television personality. After being drafted from the South Adelaide Football Club, he made his Australian Football League debut for Sydney in 2000, before being traded to Adelaide, where he played eight games in 2002. Fitzgerald later appeared in Big Brother Australia 2004, beginning a wider media career in television on Channel 10's Saturday night AFL show Before The Game.

Fitzgerald attended Wirreanda High School and played junior football for Port Noarlunga.

A tall forward drafted by the Sydney Swans with the 4th overall selection in the 1998 AFL Draft from South Australian National Football League club, South Adelaide, Fitzgerald was unable to make his AFL debut until 2000, due to a shoulder injury. On debut, Fitzgerald kicked five goals and "looked set for a big career". He played nine more games for the rest of the season. At the start of 2001, Fitzgerald injured his knee, requiring a reconstruction that resulted in him missing the entire season. In 2002, he was traded to the Adelaide Crows, but only played eight games for the Crows before retiring from AFL football due to another ACL injury that required a reconstruction.

Fitzgerald was a contestant in Big Brother Australia 2004, and finished in fourth place at the conclusion of the show. After that he became co-host of the Adelaide Nova 91.9 Breakfast show and made occasional appearances on Before The Game (AFL). In 2005, he had a new role as a co-host on the new Friday night Big Brother Australia show Friday Night Live with fellow Big Brother 2004 contestant Bree Amer, which became a stand-alone show in its own right in 2006 as Friday Night Games.