3-year contract extension looms for Daniel Rioli

[one-eyed]

Contract extension looms for silky premiership Tiger

AFL.com.au
Mitch Cleary
Jan 22, 2019

RICHMOND is closing in on a contract extension for exciting forward Daniel Rioli, one of a dozen premiership Tigers seeking new deals this year.

AFL.com.au understands the Tigers are well advanced in negotiations to re-sign Rioli for up to three years.

The livewire has added significant currency since his last two-year deal in mid-2017, recovering strongly from an ankle injury last year that he sustained in the 2017 flag triumph.

Returning in round 13, the 21-year-old played the final 12 games, averaging a career-best 14.2 disposals and 3.8 tackles a game.

His long-term commitment at Punt Road will also be crucial with the impending arrival of cousin Maurice Rioli jnr, who is eligible to be drafted as a father-son in 2020.

Rioli jnr, who is open to be selected by the Tigers or Fremantle due to late father Maurice's time at Punt Road and South Fremantle, has previously flagged his intentions to nominate the Tigers.

Other key Tigers set to fall out of contract in 2019 include David Astbury, Brandon Ellis and Shane Edwards – all of whom will become free agents at season's end.

Nick Vlastuin, who is regarded as a potential future captain of the Tigers, Kamdyn McIntosh, Nathan Broad and small forwards Jason Castagna and Dan Butler are also in need of fresh deals.

Veterans Shaun Grigg and Bachar Houli were retained on one-year deals in September, while forward Jacob Townsend will resume this year as a rookie.

It comes as premiership heroes Alex Rance (2021), Jack Riewoldt (2021) and captain Trent Cotchin (2022) restructured their contracts last year to accommodate the arrival of spearhead Tom Lynch.

https://www.afl.com.au/news/2019-01-21/contract-extension-looms-for-silky-premiership-tiger

[Assange Tiger 😎]

I'd wait until Claw says Rioli has shown enough before we decide to keep him on

[one-eyed]

Rioli contract talks heat up at Tigerland

JON RALPH,
Herald Sun
22 Jan 2019

Daniel Rioli has started contract talks with Richmond as he seeks to rebound from an injury-hit season that reaped only a dozen goals.

Rioli is in peak fitness at Richmond’s Gold Coast training camp after foot surgery kept him out of the Tigers’ premiership defence until Round 13.

He kicked three goals in the Tigers’ qualifying final win over Hawthorn but despite his trademark pressure couldn’t hit the heights of his brilliant second season.

Now after keeping fit over the Christmas break running between waterholes in the Tiwi Island with relative Willie Rioli, he and his teammates have six weeks until their first JLT Series game against Melbourne.

His manager Paul Koutoufides last month clinched a new deal for breakout Tigers star Kane Lambert and has started talks with the Tigers on a deal for Rioli.

He said Rioli - cousin of Hawthorn premiership star Cyril - was happy to stay at the Tigers with talks continuing.
Daniel Rioli celebrates a goal.

“We wanted to finish the Lambert deal first, which we have done and we are talking,’’ Koutoufides.

“We haven’t finalised anything but he is happy at the club and has fitted in well.

“He had an interrupted year last year and he was back mid-season and was a little quieter, but he has no intention of leaving.”

Rioli had been living with coach Damien Hardwick but the boyfriend of Mia Fevola now lives with the Fevola family.

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/teams/richmond/daniel-rioli-in-contract-talks-with-richmond-as-he-looks-to-bounce-back-from-injuryhit-season/news-story/a133a5b9121c52688a2757c852942f51

[Tiger Khosh]

Need to lock away vlastuin next!