Maurice Rioli Jnr

[The Big Richo]

I'm still a massive buyer of MJR stock.

Many because a bloke called Dustin Martin reckons he is a going to be a superstar and that is good enough for me.

 

[Stoobes]

If he can build tank and develop as a mid like we saw a glimpse of today, is there another player like him in the AFL?
He'd be a serious X factor as a pressure inside mid allowing our attacking mids like Shai & TT to do their thing.
Long way to go but I'd love to see him getting bulk midfield minutes in the 2's going forward.

 

[waiting]

If he can build tank and develop as a mid like we saw a glimpse of today, is there another player like him in the AFL?
He'd be a serious X factor as a pressure inside mid allowing our attacking mids like Shai & TT to do their thing.
Long way to go but I'd love to see him getting bulk midfield minutes in the 2's going forward.

The trouble is and I’m not picking on the player but Hoppor & Taranto can’t play next year together.

Shai
MRJ
Sonsie

Get them all extremely fit and strong. More minute minutes for those three in 24.

 

[Stoobes]

I think we need to give Hopper some time to settle, he's had a tough interrupted year.
Agree with the building those 3 but MRJ is still a while a way and not sold on Sonsie as a long term mid.
I think we could use his class elsewhere eventually.

 

[Tony Braxton-Hicks]

He turned the game our way but his short kicks to the leading forwards were awful, and that's been an issue for some time.

 

[TigerMasochist]

He turned the game our way but his short kicks to the leading forwards were awful, and that's been an issue for some time.

True, Moju's still got a decent handful of disposal issues to work on. Hopefully some of that is from simply trying to hard n rushing everything.
A bit of a nasty problem when playing pressure small forward in starvation corner and only getting near the ball a handful of times.
Not so much of an issue when you're playing serious mid field minutes as the in and under extractor tank simply shuffling the ball out to team mates in a bit more space.
Could be that Moju's another youngster we've been using wrong at senior level? I know he's not everyone's favourite type of player on here, but in the wet slippery conditions I'd happily call Moju's third qtr efforts as very Tom Mitchell like. Moju simply got down low, worked his arse off and kept shunting the ball forward and harassing the crap out of the opposition mids.
There was nothing pretty or polished about his work but it was indeed beautiful to watch as he turned the game for us.

 

[TigerFurious]

Eye catching performance in the midfield yesterday. The way he hunted the ball and the man with the ball was something else. It’s early days but geez, he looks like he has a real future in the midfield even if only on a part time basis.

 

[The_General]

Could MoJu be an Edwards type, if he builds a tank? To me he seems to lack both the tank and clean hands to be anywhere near the discussion.
But if we wanted him to, could he rotate for stints in the middle like Shane?

 

[tigerman]

We may have a replacement for the Chimp.
There will only be one Trent, but ya got to really like the way Junior has gone about things in his two VFL games in the midfield.
Can't see why MJ can't be effective bringing that brand of footy to AFL level. Hasn't got the lateral movement of Senior, but I can see other similarities.
I'm looking forwards to the next 12 months, who knows Junior might be a bona fide midfielder this time next year.

 

[Sintiger]

Maurice is another victim of Dimma/Mini's small forward graveyard. Other small forwards buried there are Butler, Higgins, Stengle, Stack, D.Rioli, Castagna and more recently Cumberland. Some fortunately saved their careers by requesting a move away. Charlie Cameron, Bobby Hill, Cody Weightman, Josh Rachele etc could not survive in this graveyard. The Richmond small forward is the most taxing and confusing role in the AFL. You have to clog space in our forward line and chase / apply pressure at the same time. Getting the ball and kicking goals is secondary. All while the delivery into F50 is mostly sub-standard. Maurice has been asked to do this all alone and people wonder why he got the ball only 6 times.

In 2017 we got lucky we had 3 quick, young, energetic, eager to impress up and comers Butler, Rioli and Castagna on the list and Dimma went with the small forward chaos pressure game. This was luck and a masterstroke at the same time. The 3 were able to share the load of clogging space and chasing and it brought us a flag. We struck gold and it changed the game. We had 3 eager fast small forwards and there was no kick in and stand rule at the time.

If Mini gets the job he needs to get a bit more creative in how he uses the likes of MJ, Cumberland, Coulthard, Clarke, Campbell etc before we brake them all.

Whilst I don't disagree on the premise I don't think Stack was a victim of this, he was a victim of many other things including himself.
I also don't put Cumberland in that space either, different type of player who has had different types of issues.
The best overall small forward group in the AFL to me is at Brisbane with Cameron, Bailey, McCarthy and Raynor.

 

[waiting]

We may have a replacement for the Chimp.
There will only be one Trent, but ya got to really like the way Junior has gone about things in his two VFL games in the midfield.
Can't see why MJ can't be effective bringing that brand of footy to AFL level. Hasn't got the lateral movement of Senior, but I can see other similarities.
I'm looking forwards to the next 12 months, who knows Junior might be a bona fide midfielder this time next year.

I want us to preserve with this move till seasons end, into pre season and into season 24.

He has a purpose.

As that small forward , lost as, but as a midfielder, sees ball, attacks and runs.

We’ve got a midfielder next year if we PERSIST.

The “Ferrari’ for now can be that ‘hybrid’ small forward for us with Cumberland.

Waiting’s view.

 

[tigertime2]

Could MoJu be an Edwards type, if he builds a tank? To me he seems to lack both the tank and clean hands to be anywhere near the discussion.
But if we wanted him to, could he rotate for stints in the middle like Shane?

Edwards always had a tank. So no. You can build a little but not a lot.

 

[Stig]

Breaking News
————————

Caesar did you notice MRJ out there today?

Did you see any incident at training?

Actually run into himself and suffered concussion

 

[Webbie26]

Centre square gun this kid will be as I've been banging on about. its only fitness thats holding his skill level back. This kid bolton hopps and taranto as mids aint enough for the future though we desperately need to draft some genuine mids and key forwards

 

[RoarEmotion]

Excited to read the MRJ reports today.

 

[Smoking Aces]

True, Moju's still got a decent handful of disposal issues to work on. Hopefully some of that is from simply trying to hard n rushing everything.
A bit of a nasty problem when playing pressure small forward in starvation corner and only getting near the ball a handful of times.
Not so much of an issue when you're playing serious mid field minutes as the in and under extractor tank simply shuffling the ball out to team mates in a bit more space.
Could be that Moju's another youngster we've been using wrong at senior level? I know he's not everyone's favourite type of player on here, but in the wet slippery conditions I'd happily call Moju's third qtr efforts as very Tom Mitchell like. Moju simply got down low, worked his arse off and kept shunting the ball forward and harassing the crap out of the opposition mids.
There was nothing pretty or polished about his work but it was indeed beautiful to watch as he turned the game for us.

He will never be pretty or polished. But that’s not his one wood. It’s speed and ability to put pressure on the ball carrier. But from a midfield perspective it’s his ability to win contested ball. He is far from the finished product but he needs midfield development. That’s where we will see the true gold from MRJ.

 

[Smoking Aces]

Could MoJu be an Edwards type, if he builds a tank? To me he seems to lack both the tank and clean hands to be anywhere near the discussion.
But if we wanted him to, could he rotate for stints in the middle like Shane?

Doesn’t have the footy smarts to emulate Edwards. In fact not many do. But he brings other strengths to the table.

 

[French Tiger]

Could be the spark out midfield needs alongside Shai moving forward?

Good to hear some positive news on him

 

[wigglyworm]

Cant put him in the midfield in and AFL team with his disposal at the moment. Needs major work

 

[Dont Argue]

We may have a replacement for the Chimp.
There will only be one Trent, but ya got to really like the way Junior has gone about things in his two VFL games in the midfield.
Can't see why MJ can't be effective bringing that brand of footy to AFL level. Hasn't got the lateral movement of Senior, but I can see other similarities.
I'm looking forwards to the next 12 months, who knows Junior might be a bona fide midfielder this time next year.

Here I was trying to immerse myself, somewhat reluctantly, into the over the top adulation of a great half of football in the Magoos and someone has to come along and spoil it by comparing him to his dad.
Come on now.
There is nothing remotely similar to the two players other than the surname. Not a hint of a trait.
You never saw an opponent lay a hand on Maurice. You never saw him go to ground, never saw him miss a target on either foot and most importantly never saw him refuse a phone call from the coach.
Let’s all calm the farm. He’s a work in progress