VAFA Division 1: Therry Penola thrilled with Dean Rioli’s impact

THERRY Penola has praised the impact of outgoing coach Dean Rioli after he stepped down following a season as coach of the VAFA club.

Ben Ratcliffe of Therry Penola celebrates a goal during the VAFA football match between Therry Penola v Preston Bullants played at Oak Park on Saturday 11th August, 2018.

THERRY Penola has praised the impact of outgoing coach Dean Rioli after he stepped down following a season in charge of the VAFA club.

The ex-Essendon player led the Division 1 outfit to a finals appearance this year, but the Lions bowed out of the premiership race with a one-point semi-final loss to Oakleigh.

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The club confirmed last week Rioli had reluctantly stepped aside, owing to increasing work and family commitments.

“I think he has left a legacy on a lot of the players,” Therry Penola president Rod Moran said.
“When you have got someone of Dean’s calibre with his experience and (with) his knowledge of the game, how could you not want to listen and not want to learn?”

Therry Penola’s Ben Ratcliffe celebrates a goal during the VAFA Division 1 season.

Moran said Rioli’s greatest legacy at John Pascoe Fawkner Reserve would be the number of under-19 players he blooded at senior level throughout 2018.

“I think we had five under-19 players playing in the finals side,” he said.

“He was really big on pushing that and he also really pushed the integration of all the sides. “He just added that spark the club probably needed after a reasonably disappointing year the year before.”

So invested has Rioli been in ensuring the club’s future success, he has been assisting with its search for a replacement and recruits to bolster its senior squad.

Therry Penola and Preston Bullants clash during the VAFA Division 1 campaign.

“We are open to any applicant as long as we believe they can deliver what we require for that particular group and the club,” Moran said.

“We have had no indications or players moving on and in fact we have already commenced the recruitment process.

“We have already got a few we are eyeing off, either to get back to the club and playing or to come to the club for the first time.”

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Moran said Rioli had delivered a “wealth of experience” during his short tenure, lauding his ability to “galvanise” the Lions’ players and spearhead a “real push for the development of the young kids”.

Therry Penola finished the regular season with a 12-6 record under Rioli, who had a 63 per cent winning rate.

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