WILLIE RIOLI RETURNS TO THE TERRITORY WITH EAGLES
WILLIE Rioli was more than 1600km south of his Tiwi Islands home yesterday, but for the West Coast goalkicking wizard just being in the Northern Territory is enough.
Rioli and his Eagles are in Alice Springs for a must-win game against AFL rival Melbourne today.
A late starter this season due to a foot injury, the 22year-old premiership player will run on to Traeger Park for his 32nd game in Eagles colours.
“It's pretty special being back in the NT,’’ he said. “Simmo (coach Adam Simpson) said he wanted to request a game up here and being in Alice still feels like home to me,’’ Rioli said.
“It’s good to be here in the desert country, we got a good welcoming and the guys are pretty keen to get out there.’’
Rioli said he had played catch-up football over the past few weeks after recovering from a foot injury that prevented him from playing until Round 9, ironically against Melbourne.
“My fitness has hit where I got to last year and my GPS and running has improved back to last year as well,” he said.
“Hopefully I can hit some form in the next six weeks and to hit the scoreboard would be good.’’ Rioli said his Eagles were keen to take four premiership points away with them when today’s game kicks off at 2.50pm.
“I guess the finals are not far away and every team is hoping to win as many games as they can. We just take every game as it comes and the more games we win we get closer to qualifying for the finals.
“This game will be no different. The Demons will come out with all guns blazing and hopefully we will be ready for them.’’
Rioli was the most sought after by autograph hunters at yesterday’s training session, many of them former teammates in NT Thunder under-18 and championship sides.
Today’s 11.10am curtainraiser will feature the Alice Springs Redtails and Top End Storm.
Both sides have been drawn from remote indigenous communities for the second edition of the North v South representative fixture.
The Redtails will have last year’s best on ground Thomas Gorey and returning players Dylan Barry, Dominic Forbes and Baydon Ngalkin in their line-up.
Top End Storm have NTFL players Adam Sambono, Matthias Liddy, Tyrell Lui, Sam Christie and Jordon Briston in their ranks. U16