Maurice Rioli Jr. facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Maurice Rioli |
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Rioli with Richmond's VFL team in April 2021
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| Personal information | |||
| Nickname(s) | MJ | ||
| Date of birth | 1 September 2002 | ||
| Place of birth | Darwin, Northern Territory | ||
| Original team | St Mary's (NTFL)/Scotch College/Oakleigh Chargers | ||
| Draft | No. 51, 2020 AFL draft | ||
| Debut | Round 21, 2021, Richmond v. North Melbourne, at MCG |
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| Position(s) | Small forward | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Richmond | ||
| Number | 17 | ||
Maurice Rioli, Jr. (born 1 September 2002) is a professional Australian rules football player. He plays for the Richmond Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He is known for his speed and strong tackling.
Contents
Early Life and Junior Football Career
Maurice Rioli Jr. is named after his famous father, Maurice Rioli. His dad was also a great Australian rules footballer. He played for Richmond and South Fremantle.
Maurice Jr. grew up in a place called Pirlangimpi. This is on Melville Island in the Tiwi Islands. Many of his family members are also famous footballers. One of them is his nephew, Daniel Rioli, who also plays for Richmond.
Maurice Jr. started getting attention for his football skills when he was just 14. This was because of his family's football history. Several AFL clubs were interested in him. Richmond and Fremantle could pick him because of the father–son rule. This rule lets clubs pick a player whose father played for them.
He played for the Northern Territory team when he was 14. He scored many goals in the 2017 AFL Under-16s Championships. Later that year, he played his first senior game. This was for St Mary's in the Northern Territory Football League.
In 2018, Maurice Jr. moved to Melbourne. He went to Scotch College and played football for the school. He also played for the Northern Territory again in the Under 16s Championships.
He continued to play for St Mary's during the summer seasons. In 2019, he joined the Oakleigh Chargers team. He trained with the Richmond AFL team in 2019/20. This was part of their father–son program.
Joining the AFL
In September 2020, Maurice Rioli Jr. was invited to the AFL Draft Combine. This is where young players show their skills to AFL clubs. He officially chose to be picked by Richmond. This was possible because of the father–son rule.
Before the draft, experts thought he would be picked around pick 47 or 52. They said he was good at tackling. He also had a great sense for scoring goals and was very fast.
AFL Career with Richmond
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Richmond picked Maurice Rioli Jr. in the 2020 AFL national draft. He was the 51st player chosen overall. Richmond used their father–son rule rights to get him.
He started playing for Richmond's reserve team. This team plays in the VFL (Victorian Football League). He played well in these games. He was often named as an emergency player for the main AFL team. This means he was ready to play if another player got injured.
Maurice Jr. kept playing strongly in the VFL. He was good at tackling and scoring goals. In August 2021, he was chosen to play his first AFL game. This was in Round 21 against North Melbourne.
Player Profile
Maurice Rioli Jr. mostly plays as a small forward. His main job is to put pressure on the other team's defenders. He is very good at tackling and forcing mistakes. This helps his team get the ball back.
Personal Life and Family Connections
Maurice Rioli Jr. comes from a very famous football family. He is the sixth person from the Rioli family to play in the AFL. His father, Maurice Rioli, was a legend. Other family members who played in the AFL include his cousins Dean, Cyril, and Willie. His nephew, Daniel Rioli, also plays for Richmond. The Rioli family has a huge impact on Australian rules football.
