Andrew McLeod: Cyril Rioli is why we watch the footy

CYRIL Rioli will forever be a Hawthorn great but fourteen years is a considerable period to be away from family, his culture, from country and that connection, writes Andrew McLeod.

Rioli has lived a long time far away from the Top End. Picture: Michael Klein

CYRIL Rioli will forever be a Hawthorn great but as he signs off on a superb career, it’s perhaps timely to remember that in doing so he spent half of his life away from the country and the family who are so dear to him.

He has lived a long time far away from the Top End.

Cyril left his Darwin home as a 14-year-old to attend and board at Scotch College on a football scholarship.

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Fourteen years is a considerable period to be away from family, his culture, from country and that connection.

Back in 2015 I had the privilege of presenting Cyril with the Norm Smith Medal after the Hawks beat West Coast in the Grand Final.
A day to remember for both of us.

Cyril Rioli played with style and could do things on the field that other players could only dream of. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

Of course, Cyril’s honour that day repeated the efforts of his uncles Maurice Rioli (Richmond) in 1982 and Michael Long (Essendon) in 1993.

Cyril really did have a true football pedigree.

As a Territorian and as a fan of Cyril it was a pleasure to hand the medal to one of my favourite players.

His playing record of 189 games, four premierships and the Norm Smith Medal, as impressive as they are, only tell part of the story.

He played with style and could do things on the field that other players could only dream of.
A rare talent.

Cyril played at a different level. Probably the thing that sums Cyril up is that he didn’t have to have the footy to have an influence on a game.

He was arguably the best small forward of his time and some of the stuff that he was able to do and manufacture we all marvelled at.

Rioli has lived a long time far away from the Top End. Picture: Michael Klein

Plenty of people talk about the X-factor. That was Cyril. He could bring something different to the game, and his awareness of his surroundings was something that not many others have.

He’s the reason you watch footy.

I’m proud to say that I played footy against him and also played against his dad, Cyril Sr, when I was a young bloke up in Darwin so it was good to see that tradition continue.

And now returning home is right for him as a proud indigenous man.

Cyril has a big family who have a strong connection to his culture and the islands (Cyril was originally from the Tiwi Islands) so the move at age 28, is pretty understandable.

After 11 years at Hawthorn performing at the top level, family rightly now takes priority for Rioli. Picture: Getty Images

Being in Melbourne it’s almost 4000km from where he comes from and there’s been some health issues with family and so he wants to be close.

And so after 11 years at Hawthorn performing at the top level, family rightly now takes priority.

Cyril has been on compassionate leave since early last month, when he returned home to deal with personal matters.

I wish him all the best.

The pull and connection of the land and his people is not an unfamiliar story to me.

I’m lucky to help run the McLeod Centre of Excellence at the Adelaide Football Club which engages and empowers indigenous youth.

We support young kids who leave home to come to Adelaide to take up boarding school opportunities and help provide a support another support mechanisms for them.

It’s tough to do it. They come out of their communities to the city — it’s like going to Mars.
A bit like Cyril did in 2004.

Andrew McLeod won two premierships and two Norm Smith MEDALs in 340 games for Adelaide. He now manages the Club’s McLeod Centre of Excellence.