58 Facts About Daniel Rioli

Daniel Rioli was born on 16 April 1997 and is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the Gold Coast Suns in the Australian Football League.

Daniel Rioli was born in Fremantle, Western Australia and grew up in Pirlangimpi on Melville Island, among the Tiwi Islands of the Northern Territory.

Daniel Rioli first attended high school at St John's Catholic College in Darwin and played competitive football with the St Mary's Football Club in the Northern Territory Football League.

Daniel Rioli moved away from home to Victoria at age 14 however, where he boarded at St Patricks College in Ballarat and played in the school's 2015 state schools championship winning side.

Daniel Rioli played representative football for the Northern Territory in the 2015 Under-18 championships where he appeared in three matches for the side.

Daniel Rioli went on to play as part of the Under-18s Allies in a match against the AFL Academy held prior to the 2015 AFL Grand Final in which he kicked four goals.

Daniel Rioli was drafted by Richmond with the club's first selection and the 15th pick overall in the 2015 national draft.

Daniel Rioli made his AFL debut in round 1 of the 2016 AFL season in a victory against the club's traditional rival Carlton at the MCG.

Daniel Rioli did not play the following week, sitting out one match with a minor leg injury.

Daniel Rioli kicked his first career goal in his next match, a round 3 loss to Adelaide.

Daniel Rioli missed another match in round 9, this time to travel home because of an illness in the family.

Daniel Rioli missed two matches after the bye, this time in rounds 14 and 15 before returning in round 16 and remaining in the side for the final eight matches of the season.

Daniel Rioli won nomination for the 2016 AFL Rising Star award after a 16 disposal, four tackle and two goal performance in the club's round 22 loss to St Kilda.

Daniel Rioli finished his debut season having played 18 matches and kicking a club sixth-best 13 goals.

Daniel Rioli finished ranked sixth at the clubs for tackles and was awarded the Cosgrove-Jenkins Award as Richmond's best first-year player.

Daniel Rioli earned a goal of the week nomination in round 3 for a boundary line snap in the club's win over West Coast.

At the mid-season bye Daniel Rioli had played in all 11 Richmond AFL matches and kicked a total of 12 goals.

Daniel Rioli turned in a starring performance the next week though, kicking a career-high four goals as he helped Richmond towards their first Grand Final since his uncle Maurice did so in 1982.

Daniel Rioli did not come away unscathed however, suffering a broken foot that would require surgery and at least three months of rest and rehabilitation.

At season's end Daniel Rioli was named on the bench of the AFL Players' Association's 22 Under 22 team which recognises the best young players in the league.

Daniel Rioli received the league Goal of the Year award for his round 3 snap, despite it not winning the fan vote for that round's best.

Daniel Rioli ranked first at Richmond and eighth in the league for tackles inside 50 in the 2017 season.

Daniel Rioli returned to full training after round 5 of the AFL season but club doctors remained tight-lipped on an expected match-day return date given his significant lack of conditioning.

Daniel Rioli made his return to competitive football, albeit in limited game-time and via the club's reserve side in the VFL, in the weekend of the AFL's round 9.

Daniel Rioli played a further three matches at the lower level, increasing playing time with each.

Daniel Rioli finally earned a return to AFL football in round 13's win over Geelong at the MCG.

Daniel Rioli showed no signs of injury the following week, when he kicked a season-best three goals in a tight loss to the Greater Western Sydney that saw him labelled in Richmond's best by AFL Media.

Daniel Rioli played his 50th AFL match in round 20, adding 12 disposals in a win over Geelong at the MCG.

Daniel Rioli added three goals in what was ultimately a 31-point win, including a notable dribble kick goal in the second quarter of that match.

Daniel Rioli played at full health and recorded 14 disposals in the club's preliminary final, a shock knock-out loss to Collingwood that brought his season to an end.

Daniel Rioli finished the season having played 12 matches and set new career best averages in all major statistical categories including goals, disposals, marks and tackles.

Daniel Rioli was among Richmond's best players in the first of his club's two pre-season matches, where he spend part of his time playing as a midfielder.

Daniel Rioli followed that with three goals against the Greater Western Sydney in round 3, but where he suffered bruised ribs during a collision with an opposition player.

Daniel Rioli did not miss a match as a direct result of that injury, but in round 7 suffered more damage with thigh, hip and rib bruising sustained in a marking contest that would lead to him to be ruled out from playing the following week.

Daniel Rioli returned to AFL level for the Dreamtime at the 'G match in round 10, wearing a guernsey he had designed with his mother and father and that featured imagery central to his family and the Tiwi Islands that were his childhood home, including the family totem of the turtle.

Daniel Rioli lifted his goalkicking tally over the next month, with five goals across the three weeks from round 13.

Daniel Rioli closed out the regular season with form The Age described as "patchy", kicking three goals in total and only twice gathering more than 15 disposals in the final six weeks of the season.

Daniel Rioli was named by AFL Media as one of his side's best players in a 47-point qualifying final victory over the Brisbane Lions to open the finals series, kicking two goals but suffering a rolled ankle during that match.

Daniel Rioli received four Coaches' Association award votes for his performance in that match, which was played without a crowd in attendance due to public health prohibitions on large gatherings imposed as a result of the rapid progression of the coronavirus pandemic into Australia.

Daniel Rioli instead played in an unofficial scratch match against St Kilda's reserves that same week, held due to all AFL clubs' withdrawal from the VFL season.

Daniel Rioli held his spot for a further three matches, over which time the club was relocated to the Gold Coast in response to a virus outbreak in Melbourne.

Daniel Rioli was dropped from senior football in round 10, this time following an eight disposal outing against Greater Western Sydney the previous week.

Daniel Rioli was among his side's best during round 13's Dreamtime in Darwin match, recording 16 disposals, a team-high five tackles and kicking a goal in his first AFL match in his Northern Territory home.

Daniel Rioli played in each of the final four matches of the regular season, before contributing a season-best two goals in a qualifying final loss to the Brisbane Lions.

Daniel Rioli had another goal and recorded 15 disposals in a semi-final win against St Kilda one week later, before adding 39 pressure points and six tackles to help his side to a preliminary final victory over Port Adelaide.

Daniel Rioli became Richmond's youngest three-time premiership player ever the following week, adding four tackles in his side's 31-point grand final victory over Geelong.

Daniel Rioli finished the year having played 18 of a possible 21 matches, and placed equal 14th in the club's best and fairest count.

Daniel Rioli was hampered by part of the 2021 pre-season training period with an ankle injury, but was ultimately recovered to feature in both the club's pre-season match against Collingwood and its season-opening match against Carlton.

Daniel Rioli was again dropped the following week, but played reserves football in the VFL.

Daniel Rioli faced no sanction from the league or the club for his part in the fight and he was medically cleared to play the following week despite suffering a cut to the face, going on to kick the match-winning goal in that round 9 victory over Greater Western Sydney.

Daniel Rioli was returned to the starting lineup for a single game in round 13, before being dropped to reserves level for an extended period.

Daniel Rioli was trialed in a new role as a half-back during his stint at VFL level and was immediately impressive, earning elevation to the club's AFL backline in round 17 following a 26-disposal game in the VFL and an injury to veteran half-back Bachar Houli.

Daniel Rioli grew well into the role over the final seven weeks of the season, playing in each match and recording 20 more disposals on three occasions.

Daniel Rioli was traded to the Suns on the final day of trade period, joining his previous coach Damien Hardwick.

Daniel Rioli is notable for his acceleration and sprint speed while carrying the ball out of defence.

Daniel Rioli is the fourth in the Rioli family to play in the AFL, following in the footsteps of uncles Dean and Maurice as well as cousin Cyril.

Daniel Rioli is cousin to former Essendon player Michael Long as well as his son Jake and nephew Ben.

Daniel Rioli lived with Richmond senior coach Damien Hardwick and his family for the first two years of his AFL career.