The tributes for Indigenous Richmond great Maurice Rioli have continued to flow, following his state funeral last week.
At the funeral in Darwin on Friday, Bishop Eugene Hurley delivered a heart-felt homily to the massive congregation of family and friends.
And among hundreds of letters and emails from fans, the Club received messages from Richmond Vice-Patron Cardinal George Pell, and Olympic silver medallist Robert Kabbas.
Richmond president Gary March, CEO Brendon Gale, captain Chris Newman and former team-mate Dale Weightman attended the service.
Excerpts of the Homily of Bishop Eugene Hurley - Diocese of Darwin
“Occasionally in our lives we have the privilege of meeting some extraordinary person or witnessing some extraordinary talent. When we are privileged in this way we are both inspired by their personality and we are amazed at their talent and their giftedness. On even rarer occasions, we meet a person who combines all these elements, resulting in one outstanding and committed person.
When we encounter such a person we are challenged to examine our own lives and to wonder about what the possibilities of life might be. We are inspired by such a person to dream...to hope and to believe that all things are possible. We are encouraged to believe in the possibilities of the future because we can see it in the person before us...we are challenged and encouraged to dream. Maurice Rioli was one such person.
He was talented beyond belief, but not only was he blessed with natural God-given gifts but he committed himself to developing those gifts to a level of awesome perfection. He was a person who loved and respected the gift of life and the culture that nurtured him as a person. He was a person who dared to dream and dared to follow his dream into unfamiliar places, and into unchartered waters.
Maurice Rioli personifies all that is wonderful and inspiring bout the place of sport and particularly AFL and its place in developing wonderful people.
Whilst we celebrate all that is good about the sporting prowess of Maurice and his countrymen, there needs to be an awareness that is not, and should not be, the only avenue to dignity and success for our first Australians. Maurice was a proud Tiwi man who demanded that we recognise the history, the beauty and the dignity of his culture. Today we celebrate the life of this wonderful Tiwi man and allow ourselves to be challenged by unanswered questions that linger for us. May he rest in peace.
Cardinal George Pell - Richmond Football Club Vice-Patron
“As a catholic priest and bishop and a Richmond supporter for over fifty years, I want to express my sympathy to the family of Maurice Rioli on his untimely passing. My prayers are with you all.
Maurice was a champion footballer. In fact I think he was the best from the north. No player in the history of the game was a better mover as he was poetry in motion in action and regularly delighted tens of thousands. He was a hero to the kids. In those days many of the boys on the Tiwis took the name Maurice as their saints’ name at Confirmation.
I pray that his soul may rest in peace and that his memory will continue to inspire many young men to goodness and greatness.”
Robert Kabbas - President of the Australian Weightlifting Association, silver medallist at 1984 Olympics and dual Commonwealth Games gold medallist
“The Richmond Football Club made a huge contribution to my Olympic success in 1984, not only by providing a training venue for me at Punt Road, but more importantly, through the acceptance and encouragement of staff and players alike. Maurice was particularly supportive in his gentle, quietly-spoken manner. 
The group photo just prior to my departure for the games remains a treasured memento of that support and the friendships formed during my time at the club.”
