Dimma praises his pressure forward after 'tough week'
Daniel Rioli's matchwinning goal reward for effortBy Sarah Black
afl.com.au
16 May 2021RICHMOND coach Damien Hardwick's worries about Daniel Rioli were put to rest as the Tiger kicked the match-winner in Saturday night’s four-point thriller over Greater Western Sydney.
Hardwick said he was concerned for Rioli following a week of scrutiny, after the small forward and teammate Shai Bolton were involved in an altercation at a night club last weekend.
"I thought he got his hands on a couple of important balls. His last quarter was quite special, I thought. It was great for him to finish with that goal that put us in front," Hardwick said.
"We had a tough week, there's no doubt. We just want to get out there and play, I was a little bit worried about him last night.
"(I called) back and forward a couple of times to see how he was feeling from a stress point of view, but he was adamant he wanted to play and played an important part in getting us over the line."
Hardwick said he hadn't received any indication from Rioli that the 24-year-old was wanting to withdraw from the side, but was concerned nonetheless.
"Not from him, more I was worried about him. The increased stress can lead to injury, but he was pretty cool, calm and collected on the phone.
"He's just one of those guys who loves playing the game. He just wanted to play. Good on him, sometimes it's good for him to tell me when he's playing and when he's not. It was a real positive for us."
https://www.afl.com.au/news/613119/dimma-praises-his-pressure-forward-after-tough-week--------------------------------------------------
More from Dimma talking about Dan:Q. You said earlier about Rioli that you were worried about his state of mind. What does it say about his character than he comes out and kicks such a big goal?Hardwick: Well, it's funny about a guy like Daniel. Sometimes you forget what people brought to the footy club. The culture he brought, the sense of connection, the sense of family, it started around his coming. I'm not saying he's the sole reason it happened but I know from my own humble beginnings when he moved in with me and Danielle, the fact it brought out family back closer together again. What he's brought and the indigenous culture overall has brought this overall sense of connection. We've got the most indigenous players in the AFL are on our list. No doubt, no doubt, it adds to us so much and is important to the way we go about things.
