Cyril Rioli

Cyril Rioli (born 14 July 1989) is a former Australian rules football player who played with the Hawthorn Football Club in the Australian Football League.

Born to Cyril Jr. and Kathy in 1989, Rioli comes from a bloodline of talented footballers.

His father Cyril Jr. was a champion footballer in the Northern Territory and the brother of the late Richmond Norm Smith Medallist Maurice Rioli.

His impact on the game was described as instrumental as Hawthorn defeated Geelong, in the club's first premiership since 1991.

Rioli assisted in a couple of first quarter goals and kicked two goals for himself in the final, achieving a total of 10 possessions in the game.

After the game Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson said, "We knew Cyril was a beauty, but you just never anticipate that they're going to play every game of the season and be able to play in a grand final."

His mother Kathy is the sister of two-time premiership player and 1993 Norm Smith Medallist Michael Long.

Another former footballer, Dean Rioli, is his cousin.

Cyril Jr. played for Northern Territory Football League club St Mary's, where he won 12 premiership medallions and the 1995–96 Nichols Medal as the league's best and fairest player.

Rioli moved to Melbourne in 2004 as a 14-year-old, where he attended and boarded at Scotch College for four years while playing for the school's football team.

The move came about after a decade-long relationship between the school and Indigenous communities of the Northern Territory.

Dr. Rob Smith, a teacher at Scotch College, had expanded the school's four-week exchange program for talented Indigenous footballers into a full scholarship program, following numerous tours of the Tiwi Islands and specifically, Bathurst Island.

Rioli was the first selected into the program.

He originally made the trip alongside his cousin Steven, after just three days in Melbourne the two re-packed their bags with the intention of returning home.

In an effort to retain the boys, Smith phoned Michael Long, who came out to the school with Derek Kickett and Sibby Rioli, another uncle.

Long said he knew Cyril was making a life-defining choice at just 14; "That was the big moment, whether he'd tough it out or go".

Steven returned home and Cyril persisted in Melbourne.

Nicknamed "Junior" or "Junior Boy", he shone in his final season with Scotch College, despite suffering injuries throughout the season; including a broken collarbone and a severely damaged ankle.

He developed somewhat of a cult following while playing for the school, following a video clip of his highlights being uploaded to YouTube.

He has since stated that he believes the early move to school in Melbourne made the transition a lot easier.

Rioli was also a standout performer in the 2007 AFL national under 18 championships, becoming the only Northern Territorian to earn All-Australian honours, following a seven-goal performance in a match against Queensland.

He was tipped to go high in the national draft, from anywhere between five and twenty-five.

In this final year of junior football, he was one of five players, including Trent Cotchin, to be chronicled in the book The Draft: Inside the AFL's Search for Talent, by The Age journalist Emma Quayle.

Despite Rioli's speed, evasiveness and flashy tricks, the scouts at the AFL's draft camp were still to be convinced of his dedication, with his skin folds being described as "less than brilliant" and his commitment to AFL still being questionable.

Prior to the draft, Rioli said "I have had a few clubs call me, and it's just confusing. I love playing footy, and I think I am pretty good at it, but it doesn't really matter where (I go in the draft)."

He reportedly spoke to both the Kangaroos and the Adelaide Crows, before eventually being drafted by the Hawthorn Football Club in the 2007 AFL Draft.

The Hawks used their first-round draft pick and the number 12 pick overall to claim Rioli.

Just a few days after being drafted by the Hawks, Rioli attended the club's trek of the Kokoda Track.

He covered 90% of his first pre-season schedule for the club; a very high volume of work for a first-year player according to the head fitness coach Andrew Russell.

Russell said, "Nobody that I worked with in the last four years at Hawthorn did that much in their first pre-season."

Rioli made his AFL debut in Hawthorn's defeat of the Melbourne Football Club at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in round one 2008.

He built a reputation around his ability to chase and pressure the opposition as they attempted to rebound from the forward line.

In round six, he was nominated for the AFL Rising Star Award, after his display against, in which he received a nomination for Goal of the Year.

Rioli appeared in every game in his debut season, including an inspirational performance in Hawthorn's defeat of Geelong in the 2008 AFL Grand Final.

With nothing but praise for Rioli, Clarkson also made mention of his achievements in 2008, "He's got a premiership medal now, but he's been in contention for mark of the year, goal of the year and the rising star and he's been very, very consistent. He's a 15-possession, five-tackle a game player with a goal or two – he's been a sensational acquisition to our club.

Rioli was a member of four premiership teams and the Norm Smith Medallist from the 2015 AFL Grand Final.

Primarily a forward pocket, Rioli also spent time in the midfield, although injuries limited his ability to spend long periods in the midfield.

Rioli was noted for not being a particularly high-possession player, and instead using his few possessions efficiently.

After the 2015 season his nephew Daniel was drafted to the Richmond Football Club.

He spent the first eight years of his life in the Tiwi Islands before moving with his family to Darwin in the Northern Territory.