DARREN MONCRIEFF
Wednesday 11 January 2012
HE certainly wasn't the first to search for a southern football experience but Maurice Rioli's on-field exploits made him the first standout Northern Territorian player across three States and ultimately Australia-wide.
The high regard in which Rioli is held in the Territory a year after his untimely death at 53 of a heart attack last Christmas was demonstrated recently when the NT Government and AFL Northern Territory announced the grandstand at TIO Stadium will be named the Maurice Rioli Grandstand in honour of the late, great Tiwi man.
The Sandover, Simpson (WAFL) and Norm Smtih (V/AFL) medallist left the Top End and followed his brother, Sebastian, to South Fremantle in the mid-1970s.
Here, he would play in five WAFL Grand Finals, winning the 1980 decider against Swan Districts and adding the Simpson Medal as best-on-ground.
Rioli would do the same the following year against Claremont, this time however without the premiership medal. In fact, his Norm Smith Medal for best-on the 1982 VFL Grand Final made it three such awards in succession.
Rioli joined Richmond for the 1982 season where his impact in the then VFL was almost immediate. He added steel to the Tigers' midfield with his hard tackling and run complementing what the team had.
His contribution to the Territory, and that to his people, continued post-football.
Rioli was elected as the member for Arafura in the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly for the ALP in 1992, a position he held until 2001 when he retired from parliament.
Later, Rioli worked as a community services manager for the Tiwi Islands Council until his death in 2011.
"Maurice Rioli is arguably the pioneer of Indigenous Territorians making it to the highest level of Australian Rules Football," NT Chief Minister Paul Henderson said.
"He join the Richmond Football Club in 1982, named the best-and-fairest player at the club in 1982 and 1983, as well as winning the Norm Smith Medal in 1982.
"Maurice laid the foundations for so many more Indigenous Territorians to succeed at the VFL and AFL including Michael Long and Andrew McLeod who also won Norm Smith and premiership medals.
"This grandstand at TIO Stadium will be named in Maurice's honour and will stand as a permanent sign of his champion life."
AboriginalFootball@westnet.com.au
Last Modified on 16/01/2012 13:47