Tigers honour for ‘magic’ MauriceLAUREN WOOD,
Herald Sun
10 December 2018 6:30pmMaurice Rioli has been honoured by the Tigers, with the “magic” late star awarded life membership at Richmond.
Rioli, who played 118 games for Richmond, passed away on Christmas Day in 2010 at the age of 53 but was represented by his nephew Daniel, who played in the Tigers 2017 premiership win and accepted the life membership on his uncle’s behalf.
Daniel - who hails from Pirlangimpi on Melville Island, one of the Tiwi Islands - said it was recognition that would be appreciated by the entire region.
“It’s something that really means so much, for not only me but the whole Rioli family and the Tiwi Islands,” he said on accepting the accolade on his great-uncle’s behalf.
“The Rioli family and the Richmond Football Club have a great connection, and we look forward to that continuing in the future.
“Thank you very much for this award, and I’m sure the whole of the Tiwi Islands will be very proud.”
Former Richmond rover Dale Weightman said there was no one quite like Maurice, who left his opponents “floundering”.
“Maurice just did things that you marvelled at, and no-one could lay a hand on him,” Weightman said.
“He was so good in heavy traffic out on the field. It was just boom, boom, boom and next second he’d be gone, and opponents would be left floundering.
“So many times I saw blokes who thought they had him covered, and he’d just slide around them sideways and then slot the ball down the throat of one of our forwards. It was just brilliant to watch.
“He was a magic player.
“You knew when Maurice was around the ball that you had a chance, whether it was a one-on-one situation, one-on-two, one-on-three, even one-on-four … As long as Maurice was the one, you always had a chance because he just had that ability to be able to beat opponents.”
Rioli — a three-time All-Australian who finished second in the 1983 Brownlow Medal — kicked 80 goals during his six years at Richmond and became the first losing player in a Grand Final to win the Norm Smith Medal as best afield in the 1982 Grand Final defeat at the hands of Carlton.
Richmond’s longest-serving president, George Bennett, along with two star players from the earliest years of the club — Jimmy Parker and Bill Mahoney — were also recognised as life members.
https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/more-news/magic-maurice-rioli-honoured-with-richmond-life-membership/news-story/1a566deb024c7a24c3ca833abdf31787
