Maurice Rioli Jr speaks about pride in following his late legend father at AFL’s Richmond Tigers

MAURICE Rioli Jr, the son of Richmond legend and 1982 medallist, has told of his pride in following his dad’s footsteps to Tigerland.

Former St Mary’s star and Richmond pick-up Maurice Rioli Jr celebrates a goal with Shaun Edwards. Picture: Glenn Campbell

MAURICE Rioli Jr, the son of Richmond legend and 1982 medallist, has told of his pride in following his dad’s footsteps to Tigerland.

Rioli Jr was taken at pick 51 in Wednesday AFL national draft, flew into Melbourne from Darwin this week and will join cousin and triple premiership winner Daniel at Punt Rd.

He is expected to join training at Punt Rd with the club’s first-to-fourth year players next week.

“I have a few memories of him. I don’t think he taught me footy, I can’t remember really, he used to take me to watch the footy in Darwin or back on the Islands, the local footy,” Rioli Jr told Nine newspapers.

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“He would take us out hunting. I love fishing. I catch barras most of the time. Turtle you have to wait like an hour for them to get up and get them. Go shooting, shoot geese, magpie geese.

“I watched a few highlights of dad, which was pretty good to see where I get my bits from him. I can see some bits. I don’t model myself on him. I’m more a small forward obviously and just – hard, I would say.” ’

Rioli Sr died on Christmas Day 2010, aged 53.

Northern Territory team captain Maurice Rioli with vice-captain Michael McLean at training on February 29, 1988.

The 175cm Maurice Jr had been a border at Scotch College before the coronavirus crises and is good friends with schoolmate and No.1 draft pick Jamarra Ugle-Hagan.

He has represented the Northern Territory in the NAB League and played for St Mary’s last summer.It is not yet known what number he will wear at Richmond. Cousin Daniel wears his father’s famous No.17.

Essendon made a bid to snatch Rioli Jr at the draft by nominating him at pick 51. But Richmond quickly matched the offer and took him as a father-son selection.

His dad was a club great with the Tigers as a three-time All-Australian, dual best and fairest and the first Indigenous player in the league to win a Norm Smith Medal, and fellow Tiwi Islands product Daniel has claimed two flags there.

Richmond’s No.51 pick and former St Mary’s star forward Maurice Rioli Jr playing in NTFL in February. Picture: Felicity Elliott/AFLNT Media.

St Mary’s co-captain Shannon Rioli told News Corp earlier this year that Maurice Jr had the classic Rioli traits exhibited by his other cousins, ex-Hawthorn star Cyril and West Coast goalsneak Willie: fierce tackling, repeat efforts, pace and an eye for goals.

“He’s a jet,” Shannon said.

“We keep saying with every Rioli that comes through, but he could be the best of the lot.

“He’s already been doing stuff with Richmond and I know other teams would be keen on him — they’d be silly if they weren’t.

“We knew he was pretty handy and from a young age he was always better than most kids his age, but last season he did some pretty special things.”

The hype grew in February after Rioli kicked four goals in a best-on-ground performance in a semi-final for St Mary’s, where his father began his career.