The Rioli family are a notable

Australian rules football Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an Australian rules football playing field, oval field, often a modified ...

family from the

Tiwi Islands The Tiwi Islands ( meaning "two islands") are part of the Northern Territory, Australia, to the north of Darwin, Northern Territory, Darwin adjoining the Timor Sea. They comprise Melville Island, Northern Territory, Melville Island, Bathurst I ...

in the

Northern Territory The Northern Territory (abbreviated as NT; known formally as the Northern Territory of Australia and informally as the Territory) is an states and territories of Australia, Australian internal territory in the central and central-northern regi ...

. Six family members have played in the

Australian Football League The Australian Football League (AFL) is the pre-eminent professional sports, professional competition of Australian rules football. It was originally named the Victorian Football League (VFL) and was founded in 1896 as a breakaway competition ...

(AFL), with a further five playing in the

West Australian Football League The West Australian Football League (WAFL "waffle" or "W-A-F-L") is an Australian rules football league based in Perth, Western Australia. The league currently consists of ten teams, which play each other in a 20-round season usually lasting f ...

for South Fremantle. Many more family members have played for the Tiwi Bombers or St Mary's in the

Northern Territory Football League The Northern Territory Football League (NTFL) is an Australian rules football competition, operating in Greater Darwin, Northern Territory, Darwin and the Northern Territory, formerly run by the Northern Territory Football League Incorporated a ...

(NTFL) and the

Northern Territory Thunder The Northern Territory Football Club, nicknamed NT Thunder, was a Northern Territory-based Australian rules football club that competed in the North East Australian Football League (NEAFL) between 2011 and 2019, and the VFL Women's between 2018 ...

in the

North East Australian Football League The North East Australian Football League (NEAFL ) was an Australian rules football league in New South Wales, Queensland, the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory. The league was formed in November 2010, and its inaugural ...

(NEAFL). Nineteen members of the family have played a combined total of more than 1000 games for St Mary's. Cyril Senior (7 July 1934 – 3 June 2014) was awarded an

Order of Australia Medal The Order of Australia is an Australian honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of then ...

in 2014 for services to develop the Tiwi Island community. *Sebastian (Sibby) Rioli (17 Jan 1954 – 3 May 2012): South Fremantle (1972–1976) *

Maurice Rioli Maurice Joseph Rioli Sr. (1 September 1957 – 25 December 2010) was an Australian rules footballer who represented St Mary's Football Club in the Northern Territory Football League (NTFL), in the West Australian Football League (WAFL) and ...

(1957–2010): South Fremantle (1975–1981,1988–1990),

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, a city in the United States * Richmond, London, a town in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town ...

(1982–1987) *John Rioli: South Fremantle colts Jack Clarke Medal 1982 *Cyril Rioli Jr: South Fremantle (1987) *Willie Rioli Sr (21 Feb 1972 – 12 July 2022): South Fremantle (1989–1990, 1994) *

Dean Rioli Dean Rioli (born 20 May 1978) is a former Australian rules football player who spent his whole professional career with the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League. The nephew of Maurice Rioli, the Richmond Football Club champ ...

(born 1978): South Fremantle (1995–1997),

Essendon Essendon may refer to: Australia *Essendon, Victoria **Essendon railway station **Essendon Airport *Essendon Football Club, in the Australian Football League *Electoral district of Essendon *Electoral district of Essendon and Flemington United Kin ...

(1999–2006) *

Cyril Rioli Cyril Rioli (born 14 July 1989) is a former Australian rules football player who played with the Hawthorn Football Club in the Australian Football League. Rioli was a member of four premiership teams and was the Norm Smith Medallist in the 2015 ...

(born 1989): Hawthorn (2008–2018) *

Daniel Rioli Daniel Rioli (born 16 April 1997) is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the Gold Coast Suns in the Australian Football League (AFL). Before moving to Gold Coast in 2024, Rioli was a three-time premiership player with and in ...

(born 1997):

(2016–2024)

Gold Coast Suns The Gold Coast Suns, officially the Gold Coast Football Club, are a professional Australian rules football club that competes in the Australian Football League (AFL). The club is based on Queensland's Gold Coast, Queensland, Gold Coast in the ...

(2025–) *

Willie Rioli William Rioli Jr. (born 4 June 1995), formerly known as Junior Rioli, is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the Port Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL), having initially been drafted to the West C ...

(born 1995): West Coast (2018–2022),

Port Adelaide Port Adelaide is a port-side region of Adelaide, approximately northwest of the Adelaide city centre, Adelaide CBD. It is also the namesake of the City of Port Adelaide Enfield council, a suburb, a federal and state electoral division and is t ...

(2023–) *Ben Rioli (born 1993): South Fremantle (2020–) *

Maurice Rioli Jr Maurice Rioli, Jr. (born 1 September 2002) is a professional Australian rules footballer who plays for the Richmond Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL) Early life, junior football and state-league football Rioli is the namesak ...

(born 2002):

(2021–) Michael Long,

Benny Vigona Benedict John "Benny" Vigona (born 9 October 1958) is a former Australian rules footballer best known for playing for in the West Australian Football League (WAFL). Biography Vigona is from a large extended family who are heavily involved in No ...

, and current

AFL Women's AFL Women's (AFLW) is Australia's national semi-professional Australian rules football in Australia, Australian rules football competition for women's Australian rules football, female players. The 2017 AFL Women's season, first season of the l ...

player

Danielle Ponter Danielle Ann Ponter (born 8 January 2000) is an Australian rules footballer playing for Adelaide Football Club in the AFL Women's (AFLW). She played for St Mary's and Essendon in her junior career, typically as a forward. Ponter was selected w ...

are also related to the Rioli family by marriage.

References

{{surname Lists of people by surname Rioli family Australian rules football in the Northern Territory Tiwi Islands people

See also

References