Daniel Rioli [merged]

[Tigeritis™©®]

It was good to see him do some run and carry and kicking was very very good the whole game. 

Much more of this please. 

[Andyy]

Very serviceable.

Was solid last week too, from my view at the game.

Might have a few meters gained this week to satisfy the rest.

Much better than servisable - he was fantastic tonight. Like him Stack and Mansell down back

Agreed. Stack and Mansell.

Can't believe we've been playing Houli over those two!

[TigerLand]

Good on ya Dan. Hopefully squashes the crazy talk of trading you.

[Francois Jackson]

Very serviceable.

Was solid last week too, from my view at the game.

Might have a few meters gained this week to satisfy the rest.

Much better than servisable - he was fantastic tonight. Like him Stack and Mansell down back

Agreed. Stack and Mansell.

Can't believe we've been playing Houli over those two!

Yep. Houli is finished as a full time player in our side.

Get some kgs into mansell and it's all over.

Lots to like.

[Jobba]

Very serviceable.

Was solid last week too, from my view at the game.

Might have a few meters gained this week to satisfy the rest.

Much better than servisable - he was fantastic tonight. Like him Stack and Mansell down back

Agreed. Stack and Mansell.

Can't believe we've been playing Houli over those two!

Really? Can’t believe?

You can’t believe we’ve been playing a 230+ gamer, three time premiership player, and 2019 All Australian half back over a kid in his first year still trying to find his feet and a guy who due to multiple COVID breaches came back to the club about 6 months behind everyone else and is only now back to AFL level fitness?

I know Houli has had somewhat of a poor year, but if that isn’t a combination of recency bias and revisionist history I don’t know what is.

[Andyy]

Very serviceable.

Was solid last week too, from my view at the game.

Might have a few meters gained this week to satisfy the rest.

Much better than servisable - he was fantastic tonight. Like him Stack and Mansell down back

Agreed. Stack and Mansell.

Can't believe we've been playing Houli over those two!

Really? Can’t believe?

You can’t believe we’ve been playing a 230+ gamer, three time premiership player, and 2019 All Australian half back over a kid in his first year still trying to find his feet and a guy who due to multiple COVID breaches came back to the club about 6 months behind everyone else and is only now back to AFL level fitness?

I know Houli has had somewhat of a poor year, but if that isn’t a combination of recency bias and revisionist history I don’t know what is.

You must be blind. Houli has stunk it up basically all year and Mansell has looked serviceable since day dot.

I've been saying it for a long time. Nothing to do with recency bias.

[Jobba]

Very serviceable.

Was solid last week too, from my view at the game.

Might have a few meters gained this week to satisfy the rest.

Much better than servisable - he was fantastic tonight. Like him Stack and Mansell down back

Agreed. Stack and Mansell.

Can't believe we've been playing Houli over those two!

Really? Can’t believe?

You can’t believe we’ve been playing a 230+ gamer, three time premiership player, and 2019 All Australian half back over a kid in his first year still trying to find his feet and a guy who due to multiple COVID breaches came back to the club about 6 months behind everyone else and is only now back to AFL level fitness?

I know Houli has had somewhat of a poor year, but if that isn’t a combination of recency bias and revisionist history I don’t know what is.

You must be blind. Houli has stunk it up basically all year and Mansell has looked serviceable since day dot.

I've been saying it for a long time. Nothing to do with recency bias.

I must be blind. I must have missed the fact that Mansell and Houli don’t play the same role. Also must have missed the fact that Mansell comes in almost at the same time Vlastuin is out as they play quite similarly. I also must have missed the dominant displays Mansell had in the VFL to force himself into the side.

I also must be blind to the fact that as a club over the last four years we back our veterans during poor bouts of form, and give them the chance to turn it around. Especially to a vet who had a delayed start to the season due to injury.

Don’t get me wrong, not saying Houli hasn’t been poor (in fact I believe I said exactly that), but I’ve definitely missed all these performances from Stack and Mansell et al in the VFL that warrants replacing Houli.

[Andyy]

Mansell is a small defender isn't he? Houli is too? Mansell defends better than Houli and Short combined and he's certainly no Vlastuin. The only reason he comes in when Vlastuin goes out is because there's no one left. You are indeed blind as a bat if you think Mansell is playing Vlastuin's role as a medium defender and interceptor.

Houli should have retired last year and playing him ahead of Mansell has been a mistake. Stack needed match fitness but I have been very vocal about Mansell>Houli.

It's one thing to back a bloke in poor form (think Castagna), it's another to keep backing them when they consistently lose contests, succumb to soft tissue injuries, and are at an age that is generally over the hill for most AFL players. It's not a form slump for Houli - he's finished. Doesn't mean I don't love the bloke but those are the facts. It's been plain as day virtually all year. Cotchin and Astbury are close as well.

[Jobba]

Mansell is a small defender isn't he? Houli is too? Mansell defends better than Houli and Short combined and he's certainly no Vlastuin. The only reason he comes in when Vlastuin goes out is because there's no one left. You are indeed blind as a bat if you think Mansell is playing Vlastuin's role as a medium defender and interceptor.

Houli should have retired last year and playing him ahead of Mansell has been a mistake. Stack needed match fitness but I have been very vocal about Mansell>Houli.

It's one thing to back a bloke in poor form (think Castagna), it's another to keep backing them when they consistently lose contests, succumb to soft tissue injuries, and are at an age that is generally over the hill for most AFL players. It's not a form slump for Houli - he's finished. Doesn't mean I don't love the bloke but those are the facts. It's been plain as day virtually all year. Cotchin and Astbury are close as well.

Mansell plays as a lockdown defender on medium to smalls. As does Vlastuin at times. There role is somewhat different (Vlastuin’s strength is zoning off and intercepting, something that comes from 170 AFL games). But make no mistake, both Mansell and Vlastuin’s role is to lock down their opponent first and foremost.

Houli and Short’s roles are to overlap, run and carry and dispose. It’s why both players have massive handball received statistics, are the top 2 for disposals per game this season, were 3rd and 4th last season (behind Dusty and Prestia) and Vlastuin has been outside the top 10 in both years.

So yes, they indeed play different roles.

[Tigeritis™©®]

Rioli is playing the Houli role at the moment.

This week was a much better performance from Rioli in that role and I really liked his kicking and decision making throughout the game.
He is still some way away from the reaching Houli’s lofty levels but let’s hope confidence and belief will help him in the future if we end up keeping him at the club.

He still has a long way to go.

[Simonator]

For me it’s just good to see him getting more of the ball and using his strengths. Obviously got stale in the small fwd role. He’s got plenty of attributes to be a solid hbf so hopefully he can keep progressing

[eliminator]

Much better game. Good decision making and really pleased by his efforts.

[one-eyed]

Dimma's comments:

“We think [Dan Rioli]’s really growing into the role nicely,” Hardwick said.

“He’s got some things in his game that he’ll learn, but the growth in him in a couple of weeks has been really significant from our point of view.

“Really pleased with how he went about his game . . .

“Those back three young Indigenous boys in “Nige” (Rhyan) Mansell and Sydney Stack (along with Rioli) I thought were really important late in the game.

“They won some crucial contests, some big tackles.

“We love what those boys are doing.

“If they continue to play the way they are, they’re going to be good long-term players for us in those positions.

“So, that’s really exciting for us moving forward.

“It’s something we didn’t have at the start of the year, but we’ve certainly found some players that can play that role. And they’ll only get better, I think, as the season progresses.”

https://www.richmondfc.com.au/news/982710/rioli-rebounding-as-a-defender

[the claw]

Unlike a lot i thought him servicable but some of the comments here are laughable it smacks of people willing him to succeed and letting it cloud their judgement.

Just off Rioli topic. For me we still have a big problem in player type or more to the point player size when it comes to defense.

We look a much better team and are far more balanced and capable of covering all situations when Vlastuin at 187 and big bodied and the mobile versatile Broad at 192/89 are in the team.

We just cannot play so many small defenders we finally get Baker out of there and into a good role and then bring in another small and if honest the only reason we have done it is so he can find some form.


Lets forget ability for one moment and concentrate on player type and in particular size.

In the past we have had this set up and it works. 2017 G/F

Vlastuin 187/88 - Astbury 195/96 - Grimes193/92
Broad 192/91  - Rance 194/96 - Houli 180/84.

2018 preliminary Final The same team with Short as an outlet player.

2019 G/F

No Rance we lost him rnd 1. We did get games into both Garthwaite and Balta but they both didnt play  finals. I think Balta was played mainly forward.
Luckily we had the taller players like Grimes and Broad while not ideal   could play KPD  and third tall for us and they did a great job, Vlastuin is another who has shown he can play on taller opponents its this versatility that allowed us to win in 2019.
 Smalls can only play one role well, i lie they can only play on one type. They are either outlet players or they are a bit of both and can defend or they are at the other end of the scale and are shut down defenders.But they can only play on fellow smalls in general.

Vlastuin - Astbury - Broad
Short - Grimes - Houli

2020 G/F
We went back to what we have always wanted.That is two Kpd's and the three  flexible versatile medum to  tallish defenders with a couple of outlet players.

Vlastuin187/88 - Astbury195/96 - Grimes 193/92
Broad 192/91- Balta 194/100- Houli 180/84 With Short as the outlet.

2021

With Balta gone they have played Garthwaite but i think if injury had not hit the bigger and actually quicker Miller, he  would probably be getting a game now. Again ability aside imo a player of Miller size would be ideal 198cm around 98kg he would be ideal to take on any number of 200cm key forwards that are going around atm.the question remains is he going to be good enough.

Reckon DE-S is probably gone thats one less small defender cluttering up the list. Houli i think most now agree he should retire. The diminutive Baker has rightly been taken out of the defense and should go alright as a small fwd. It leaves Short, Mansell Stack and Now Rioli and imo opinion its one too many.

Imo if they want to rescue Rioli's career it should be on a wing i think both Mansell and Stack can become both good defensive players while providing run and carry.They look to be more than just outlet players to me.

One last comment we have just Vlastuin on the list who is a medium sized defender thats not the team its the whole list.Would dearly love for us to have at least another medium sized defender in our system.

[one-eyed]

Adam Kingsley's comments about Rioli:

"I think Daniel's performances over the last fortnight have been encouraging. He's got a great blend of being able to attack and try and use the ball and get the ball, but also to defend. To be able to defend (Brisbane's) Charlie Cameron deep in the goal square one-on-one is a really good effort for a guy who's never really done it before. He had a few of those occasions and did really well, we're really proud...He often sits down during the week with Bachar Houli to either preview the game or review his game and Bachar's been really good for both Daniel and Sydney Stack."

Source: RFC website