Willie Rioli, Jack Peris, Alwyn Davey among big recruits for 2024-25 NTFL season
AFL premiership player Willie Rioli Jr has locked in an NTFL homecoming confirming the club he will play for in the upcoming season. Check out all the latest signing news.
The Tiwi Bombers have confirmed AFL premiership player Willie Rioli Jr will return to the club for the upcoming 2025-26 NTFL season.
Rioli, who won a premiership with the West Coast Eagles and enjoyed a recent stint at Port Adelaide, called time on his 109 game career in August.
The announcement sent the NTFL world into a frenzy trying to predict where the small forward would end up if he was going to play in the 2025-26 season.
His junior club St Marys, Waratah and Tiwi, the club he was at before he was drafted, were all suggested as possible destinations but it was the latter that won out.
Bombers coach Patrick Bowden said Rioli had made contact with the club announcing his intentions to play with Tiwi from about Round 2.
“His experience is one thing but his leaderships and being a mentor for the young Tiwi fellas is going to be most important for the football club,” Bowden said.
“He’s a renowned footballer and we want him to enjoy his football, but we also want the younger players to gravitate to him and try to learn as much from him and his experiences.”
Bowden also confirmed that former Port and GWS player Jeremy Finlayson would be making the trip north for a few games across the season as well.
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All the big recruits for the 2025-26 NTFL season
Recently retired AFL star Willie Rioli Jr remains the biggest talking point for the 2025-26 NTFL as the Tiwi Bombers emerge as favourites to recruit him for the season ahead.
Rioli had moved to the Bombers to play under his father, the then coach, ahead of his AFL career, which included a premiership at the West Coast Eagles and a stint at Port Adelaide across 109 matches.
Tiwi is again tipped to be the club he returns to, with reports former Port teammate Jeremy Finlayson could join him, though they aren’t the only club in the hunt.
Members of Rioli’s junior club St Mary’s have confirmed they’ve been in contact with the forward who kicked 151 AFL goals.
He won the Chaney Medal for a five goal, best-on-ground showing with the Green Machine in the 2013 grand final as a teenager.
Then there’s Waratah, a club his father Willie Rioli Snr was heavily involved in, and where his former Saints coach Rick Nolan is now based.
Meanwhile, Nightcliff has confirmed Jack Peris, a club junior, will return to the side after spending two years on St Kilda’s list and playing 53 VFL matches for Sandringham and Essendon.
He joins son of AFL great Bryon Pickett, Byron Pickett Jr, who recently kicked 117 goals in 12 games in the Western Eyre Football League, while Brandyn Parfitt is primed to return to the Tigers.
Waratah has a few sons of guns of its own with Joel Stevens and Zac Withers moving back to the club where their fathers were both premiership players more than 20 years ago.
The big gets for the Tahs include Dane Swan, who will make an appearance in Round 3, and Port Adelaide SANFL player Cody Szust who previously played at Nightcliff.
Palmerston has lured Baxter Mensch back from the Buffaloes, and will hope they get plenty out of the big ball winner.
The Magpies have also been in contact with recently delisted Alwyn Davey Jr and his twin Jayden Davey for their own returns to the nest.
Southern Districts has made its own big moves adding Quinton Narkle to an already strong squad with names such as Jed Anderson and Steven Motlop.
And Saints may have the answer to their ruck issue of last season with Liam Read joining from the Jabiru Bombers, where he was named best on ground in the grand final win playing alongside Cyril Rioli Jr.
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Originally published as Willie Rioli, Jack Peris, Alwyn Davey among big recruits for 2024-25 NTFL season
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