Maurice Rioli Sr. has been inducted into Richmond’s Hall of Fame.

The Tigers bestowed the honour upon Rioli at the President's Function before the Round 18 match against Essendon.

Rioli, who passed away in 2010, had a mighty impact in just six seasons of League football with Richmond.

The Tigers won a hotly-contested race to snare the prized signature of Rioli, who had been a star for WAFL club South Fremantle, after making the trek to Perth from his Melville Island home.

Rioli would go on to play 118 games for Richmond from 1982-87 and kick 80 goals. He won the Club’s prestigious Jack Dyer Medal in his first two years at Punt Road (1982-83), collected the Norm Smith Medal for being best afield in the Tigers’ 1982 Grand Final loss to Carlton (the first player in a losing side to do so), and finished runner-up in the 1983 Brownlow Medal.

Throughout his time at Tigerland, Rioli thrilled Yellow and Black barrackers with his dazzling on-field deeds.

He was sublimely skilled, exceptionally creative by both hand and foot, had superb vision, lightning reflexes, amazing evasiveness and was an outstanding tackler.

Rioli also was tough and possessed great courage.

An extract from the 1983 Richmond Football Club Annual Report had this to say about Rioli’s exciting arrival on the League football scene:

“No other player entering VFL ranks over the past couple of years has captured the imagination of football supporters more so than Maurice Rioli. Maurice epitomises a great VFL player, courageous, skilled and dedicated to winning. The winner of the Club Best and Fairest award in 1982, Maurice capped off a magnificent season again winning the Best and Fairest award and finishing runner-up in the coveted Brownlow Medal.”

Rioli becomes the 72nd person inducted into Richmond's Hall of Fame. Click here to see all Hall of Fame members.

Here is what several of Rioli’s Tiger teammates had to say about his fantastic football ability.

Kevin Bartlett

“I played just the two years with Maurice – 1982 and 1983 – but when I picked the best team of Richmond players I had played with, in a book I did (KB: A Life In Football), I had no hesitation in including him in it.

“In 1982, which was his first year at Richmond, we made the Grand Final and he won our Best and Fairest. 

“In 1983, he lost the Brownlow Medal to Ross Glendinning by one vote and, if he had have won, he would have been the first Indigenous player to win the game’s most coveted individual award.

“His evasive skills and his tackling skills brought a new dimension to the Club. He had a sixth sense, knowing the whereabouts of opposition players, sidestepping at just the right time to create extra space, and he was a beautiful left-foot kick.

“He had a very low centre of gravity, so he never lost his footing, and he didn’t fumble. Great players don’t fumble.

“In today’s game, you would play him on the ball. He was just so good.”

Michael Roach

“Maurice was the best tackler that I’d seen at Richmond. He was a tackling machine. None of us had ever seen anything like that. It just never happened back in our day. 

“His awareness of what was around him, what was going on, was amazing. He was just awesome.

“He wasn’t a real powerful kick, but it (the ball) just lobbed in your arms. You didn’t have to change stride. Maurice would loop it up and it would just land in your arms. You didn’t have to change stride. He’d actually kick it to where you should be...‘you just go there, and I’ll put it in your hands’.

“It was just a dream as a full-forward to have him kicking the ball to you. He was a great player. Being a left-footer was always handy, too.

“Although Maurice was fairly quiet, he had a burning desire to succeed. He was a fierce competitor and always did everything within his considerable powers to try and help us win.

“I reckon he’d have been an even better player in today’s game with full-time training and all the sports science stuff.”

Dale Weightman

“Maurice didn't talk much, but he let his footy do the talking, and he was poetry in motion.

“Pure class, silky-smooth, a great ball-handler, a great dodger and weaver, and a beautiful left-foot kick. He always seemed to have time, and he never lost his feet – he had unbelievable balance.

“He was ahead of his time with his tackling. He was one of the best tacklers of all time.

“Maurice’s all-round football skills were magnificent. He just did things that you marvelled at. No-one could lay a hand on him. That’s what amazed me the first time I saw him play. He was dodging and weaving...they’d be coming at him, and he’d be going this way, that way.

“So many times I saw blokes who thought they had him covered, and he’d just slide around them sideways and then slot the ball down the throat of one of our forwards. It was just brilliant to watch.

“There’s no doubt that Maurice is one of the best players that I’ve played with, and one of the best I’ve seen, full stop.

“You always knew when Maurice was around the ball that you had a chance, whether it was a one-on-one situation, one-on-two, one-on-three, even one-on-four. As long as Maurice was the one, you always had a chance because he just had that ability to be able to beat opponents.”

Brian Taylor

“He was just one of the greatest natural talents I have ever seen. He was the best tackler in his day and is still the best tackler I have ever seen.

“There was nothing better than being at full-forward and leading to Maurice Rioli. There are only a few players in your time that you can lead to with great certainty, you knew they could put the ball where it needed to be put. Maurice was certainly one of them.”

Click here to book now for the Round 24 President’s Function and enjoy Strong & Bold Hospitality.