Maurice Rioli

Maurice Joseph Rioli Sr. (1 September 1957 – 25 December 2010) was an Australian rules footballer who represented St Mary's Football Club in the Northern Territory Football League (NTFL), in the West Australian Football League (WAFL) and in the Victorian Football League.

Acknowledged as one of the greatest players of his era, Rioli was one of the first Indigenous Australian footballers to have a significant impact on Victorian football, and was named in the centre for the Indigenous Team of the Century.

A highly skilled and solidly built centreman with exquisite ball-handling skills and lightning reflexes, Rioli was a renowned performer on the big stage.

After retiring from football, Rioli became a politician in the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly, and then worked in community services on the Tiwi Islands.

Born into the to-become famous Rioli footballing family on Melville Island off the coast of the Northern Territory, the young Rioli learnt the game at the Garden Point Orphanage on the island.

He was educated at St John's College, Darwin.

He joined St Mary's in the Darwin competition for the 1974–75 season; football in the top end is played during the summer months, or 'wet season'.

Richard Woodgate a scout from the South Fremantle club in Perth spotted the sixteen-year-old and lured him to Western Australia to join his brother for the coming season.

At this stage in his sporting life, Rioli was also an excellent amateur boxer, who some thought good enough to go to represent Australia at the Olympics.

He later won state amateur titles at light middleweight and welterweight.

Rioli chose to sign on with South Fremantle as a professional footballer and quickly won a reputation as a brilliant, elusive centreman.

During this era, Rioli was one of a number of brilliant Aboriginal players in the WAFL who caught the eyes of recruiting scouts from the VFL clubs in Victoria.

The change worked well, and Richmond finished the season on top of the ladder for the first time since 1974.

The Tigers booked a berth in the Grand Final with a comfortable win in the semi-final against arch-rivals.

Pitted once more against Carlton, Richmond went into the match as slight favourites.

However, despite leading at half-time, the Tigers lost the match.

South Fremantle, under ex-Richmond player Mal Brown, were a form team of the competition, playing in three consecutive WAFL grand finals between 1979 and 1981, including winning a premiership in 1980.

Rioli won the Simpson Medal as best player afield in the 1980 and 1981 Grand Finals.

Rioli created history by winning the Norm Smith Medal as best afield, the first Indigenous player and the first player from a losing team to do so; when combined with his consecutive Simpson Medals from the 1980 and 1981 WAFL Grand Finals, Rioli had been best on ground in three consecutive Grand Finals.

Shortly after, Rioli won the Jack Dyer Medal as the club's best and fairest to cap off an impressive first season.

But problems lay immediately ahead.

Raines approached the club and requested a contract commensurate with Rioli's earnings.

When refused, Raines walked out and asked for a clearance to.

Other prominent players fell into a financial dispute with the club and left.

Rioli was recruited by Richmond for the 1982 VFL season, after playing 116 premiership games and five pre-season/night series games for South Fremantle between 1975 and 1981.

To this point, few Aboriginal players had extended careers in the VFL.

On his arrival in 1982, which coincided with the transfer of the Krakouer brothers to North Melbourne, Rioli spoke about the racial taunts and obstacles faced by Indigenous players in the game.

Rioli chose to shrug much of the racism off, and he was certainly possessed with an intense concentration on the field.

His reputation as a boxer probably helped to avoid confrontation during a game – Rioli was a scrupulously fair competitor who found no trouble with the umpires.

Richmond awarded Rioli the number 17 made famous by Jack Dyer.

Richmond supporters quickly warmed to their much-heralded recruit, who specialised in the audacious baulk, the pinpoint foot pass and the lightning-fast handball.

His ability to work the ball out of packs and congestion was uncanny.

Although his leg speed wasn't very fast, his quick mind appeared several steps ahead of the play and he had no problem adjusting to the faster tempo of Victorian football.

It was just as well, because the Tigers opted to play him in his favoured centre position where Geoff Raines had dominated.

For the previous five years, Raines had been the best player in the team (winning three best and fairest awards) and acknowledged as the best centreman in the competition, but he was moved to accommodate Rioli.

Rapidly falling from the success of 1982, the decimated team struggled and finished third-last in 1983.

Rioli, however, had another stellar season, again winning the best and fairest, finishing runner-up in the Brownlow medal, gaining Western Australian and All-Australian selection, and winning the Simpson Medal for his state of origin performance.

An acknowledged star of the game and arguably the best player at the club, Rioli continued to stand out in a mediocre team.

He represented Australia in Gaelic football against Ireland, and was an immediate choice for Western Australia in state of origin matches.

However, after finishing second in the Richmond best and fairest in 1985, his days there soon looked set to end.