TIGERS STAR SET TO STAY
Riley Beveridge, Callum Twomey
afl.com.au
21 July 2022
RICHMOND fan favourite and triple-premiership star Daniel Rioli is on the cusp of signing a long-term extension to remain at Punt Road.
AFL.com.au understands Rioli is on the verge of agreeing to a new deal with the Tigers, having initially delayed talks to focus on his football throughout the season.
As revealed by AFL.com.au's Inside Trading in April, Rioli had elected to park talks with Richmond officials over a new deal after only signing a one-year extension to remain with the Tigers for this season.
It led to widespread speculation over his future among clubs, though after changing management groups shortly after the 25-year-old is close to committing his best years to Damien Hardwick's side.
Rioli played key roles for Richmond in each of its premiership campaigns in 2017, 2019 and 2020, but has made a successful switch into the backline recently to average 20.7 disposals and five marks per game this year.
He had a career-high 31 disposals against Gold Coast a fortnight ago, having previously racked up personal-best tallies of 27 and 28 touches against Geelong and then West Coast in the two weeks prior.
Rioli's signature is set to be a significant fillip for a Richmond side battling to retain its position inside the AFL's top-eight, after close losses to the Suns and the Kangaroos over the last fortnight.
Richmond has a series of intriguing contract decisions still to make in the final weeks of the season, with veteran trio Jack Riewoldt, Trent Cotchin and Shane Edwards – along with important utility Liam Baker – nearing the end of their current deals.
https://www.afl.com.au/news/802966/...iple-flag-tiger-dons-contract-call-on-skipper