Daniel Rioli

He turned in a starring performance the next week though, kicking a career-high four goals as he helped Richmond towards their first Grand Final since his uncle Maurice did so in 1982.

There he became a premiership player, contributing 11 disposals and five tackles in his side's 48 point victory over minor premiers.

He did not come away unscathed however, suffering a broken foot that would require surgery and at least three months of rest and rehabilitation.

At season's end Rioli was named on the bench of the AFL Players' Association's 22 Under 22 team which recognises the best young players in the league.

He also received the league Goal of the Year award for his round 3 snap, despite it not winning the fan vote for that round's best.

Daniel Rioli (born 16 April 1997) is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the Richmond Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).

He moved away from home to Victoria at age 14 however, where he boarded at St Patricks College in Ballarat and played in the school's 2015 state schools championship winning side.

In 2015 he played nine matches for the North Ballarat Rebels in the TAC Cup, including a four-goal performance in the club's qualifying final against the Geelong Falcons.

Rioli played representative football for the Northern Territory in the 2015 Under-18 championships where he appeared in three matches for the side.

He went on to play as part of the Under-18s Allies in a match against the AFL Academy held prior to the 2015 AFL Grand Final in which he kicked four goals.

At the 2015 Draft Combine he recorded impressive results, finishing second in the 20 metre sprint and first in the 30 metre repeat sprint tests.

Rioli was drafted by with the club's first selection and the 15th pick overall in the 2015 national draft.

He made his AFL debut in round 1 of the 2016 AFL season in a victory against the club's traditional rival at the MCG.

He did not play the following week, sitting out one match with a minor leg injury.

Rioli kicked his first career goal in his next match, a round 3 loss to.

He missed another match in round 9, this time to travel home because of an illness in the family.

At the mid-season bye he had played 10 of a possible 12 matches and kicked six goals over that span.

He missed two matches after the bye, this time in rounds 14 and 15 before returning in round 16 and remaining in the side for the final eight matches of the season.

Rioli won nomination for the 2016 AFL Rising Star award after a 16 disposal, four tackle and two goal performance in the club's round 22 loss to.

He finished his debut season having played 18 matches and kicking a club sixth-best 13 goals.

He also finished ranked sixth at the clubs for tackles and was awarded the Cosgrove-Jenkins Award as Richmond's best first-year player.

He is a three-time premiership player with the club and in 2017 he received the award for the AFL's Goal of the Year.

Rioli was born in Fremantle, Western Australia and grew up in Pirlangimpi on Melville Island, among the Tiwi Islands of the Northern Territory.

He first attended high school at St John's Catholic College in Darwin and played competitive football with the St Mary's Football Club in the Northern Territory Football League.

Rioli, along with forward-line companions Jason Castagna and Dan Butler, played a key role in Richmond's five game unbeaten start to the 2017 season.

After five rounds the small-forward trio had combined for 23 goals (Rioli with eight) and 44 tackles (10 for Rioli).

Rioli earned a goal of the week nomination in round 3 for a boundary line snap in the club's win over.

In addition to his work on-field, Rioli was impressive with his leadership off-field.

Captain Trent Cotchin lauded Rioli for his leadership and maturity, saying "He's been nothing short of outstanding and taking other guys that we’ve drafted into the club under his wing this season has been really special.” In April, coach Damien Hardwick said a midfield role lay in Rioli's future, once the young forward developed the aerobic capacity required to play higher up the ground. After six rounds, Rioli was tied-second at the club for goals scored that season. His 76.9% conversion rate was the best of Richmond's top five goal kickers. At the mid-season bye Rioli had played in all 11 Richmond AFL matches and kicked a total of 12 goals. In round 19 he kicked a then career-best three goals, with all coming in the first quarter of the club's win over . To that point he ranked fourth among all forwards in the league for both turnovers created and points from turnovers created.

When September came Rioli would play in his first career final, turning in eight disposals and four tackles in a qualifying final victory over.

Rioli ranked first at Richmond and eighth in the league for tackles inside 50 in the 2017 season.

The lingering effects of his previous year's foot injury saw Rioli miss the entirety of the club's 2018 pre-season training including a second surgery to remove the previously inserted metal plates.

Initial forecasts had Rioli slated to begin running again in early January but these proved overly optimistic.

His return to training would instead be delayed until late January, with club officials at that time still remaining optimistic that he would be fit for a round 1 return to AFL action.

Again, these predictions proved optimistic, with Rioli ruled no chance to play in round 1 from as far out as early March.

He returned to full training after round 5 of the AFL season but club doctors remained tight-lipped on an expected match-day return date given his significant lack of conditioning.

He set a personal goal to play in the club's round 11 Dreamtime at the 'G match with Essendon and appeared close to the mark when upgraded to 'possible' on the club's injury list in mid-May.

He made his return to competitive football, albeit in limited game-time and via the club's reserve side in the VFL, in the weekend of the AFL's round 9.

He played a further three matches at the lower level, increasing playing time with each.

Rioli finally earned a return to AFL football in round 13's win over at the MCG.