TWO RIOLIS CAN ONLY MEAN MORE EXCITEMENT

FOR most football fans, the prospect of watching one Rioli in Friday night football is enough to make you a touch jittery, let alone two.

Friday night was the first time four-time premiership star and 2015 Norm Smith Medallist Cyril has faced off against six-gamer Daniel. Neither dominated, but both had their moments in truly eyecatching Rioli style.

A flash of brilliance here or a lightning quick spin out of trouble there is all it takes to notice Cyril. And now we have two of them. Daniel finished with 11 disposals and four tackles, while Cyril’s 17 possessions and one goal were complemented by three score assists and seven tackles.

Daniel was just six when his father’s cousin, Cyril, moved from Darwin to Scotch College in Melbourne. He was 10 when Cyril was drafted. And then last year, Daniel stayed at Cyril’s house during October’s draft combine.

On Friday they were opponents starting at opposite ends of the square. Rarely did they cross paths, although Cyril did give Daniel a nudge midway through the first term, almost to say “g’day” rather than “get out of my way”. Respect runs deeper than results for Riolis.

Daniel, wearing fluoro green boots that 10 years ago would have been considered outrageous but are now commonplace, wore his late great uncle Maurice’s No. 17.

It’s a revered guernsey at Tigerland, with Jack “Captain Blood” Dyer and Barry Richardson also making the number famous.