Re: Northern Blues vs. Richmond at Richmond on Sat
Reply #19 –
"Gointo.." is probably, like most Blues supporters, relatively unimpressed with Rioli because AJ consistently kept him goal-less over the past few seasons! AJ couldn't cement a spot in the team, but by joves, he had Rioli's measure!
I have to agree. Rioli is one of the most overrated players to play the game. Yes, he is quick and skilled, but he couldn't pick up a man to save his life.
The player to keep him down is a quick guy who is willing to play close and sacrifice his game if necessary. That is AJ in one. At the moment, most of our smaller defenders tend to run off guys and are not so tight: nothing wrong with them as players, but they don't suit Rioli. Rioli makes assumptions about what is going to happen to the ball, usually that opponents will turn it over and kick it near him on the rebound. Works well with a team like Hawthorn, as their midfield pressure does cause turnovers. He runs forward of the ball and gets a lot of the ball on his own. A man who plays him 1 on 1 and can match him for pace has him covered every time.
Spot on LSL and Crash, I wonder if people here actually watch the sport some time.