Cyril Rioli is happy in retirement but if he ever wanted to play AFL again it’d be for Hawthorn

CYRIL Rioli doesn’t regret his early retirement decision but if he ever decides he wants to play AFL again, it’d only be for one club — the same club he won four premierships with during his glittering career.

Cyril Rioli says if he ever decided to play AFL again, it would only be for Hawthorn. Picture: Michael Klein

THE good news for Hawthorn is that if Cyril Rioli changes his mind about retirement he will return wearing the brown and gold.

The bad news … he’s highly unlikely to play again with the four-time premiership hero enjoying life too much back in Darwin.

Rioli features on this week’s popular ‘Howie Games’ podcast where he revealed to host Mark Howard that he has no regrets about his decision to quit Hawthorn midway through the season.

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On the possibility of a comeback, he said: “I’m pretty happy and content where I am back home, if I were to (return) obviously the Hawks. But I couldn’t really see myself playing anywhere else to be honest.”

The 2015 Norm Smith Medallist explained how turning his back on a lucrative contract wasn’t an issue.

Cyril Rioli says if he ever decided to play AFL again, it would only be for Hawthorn. Picture: Michael Klein

“Money was the last thing on my mind to be honest, I felt like we just wanted to be home, because who cares about the money, we grew up on nothing, or not nothing, but it wasn’t a priority,” Rioli said.

“Getting back to that feeling of just enjoying life, and being happy being home, that’s the main thing and just relaxing. People say I’m crazy but in terms of the next phase of our lives, I wouldn’t be able to do things if I’m down here (Melbourne) and not there.”

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He also revealed the near-fatal heart attack which his father suffered last year had put his own life in perspective.

“I questioned a lot of things, it hit home a lot with the family history of heart attacks. In a way, the priorities of life really set after all that sort of stuff.”

Originally published as Cyril Rioli is happy in retirement but if he ever wanted to play AFL again it’d be for Hawthorn