- Dec 14, 2008
- 19,841
- 32,320
- AFL Club
- Essendon
Tale of the tape;
Dean Rioli stands at 180 cm, and played at a weight of 96 kgs (huge)
Derek kickett stands at 180 cm and played at a weight of 88 kgs
Rioli played 100 games averaging 13 disposals over his career with a total of 91 goals.
Kickett played 77 games averaging 15 disposals over his career with a total of 94 goals.
I think these two are the perfect match up, not just because of their heritage; both were mercurial, both battled weight issues, both missed premierships in tears, both had short lived careers for differing reasons but both were sublimely skilled. Ring the bell, ding ding.
Early years;
Kickett could be described as a football journeyman, even in early days he moved clubs regularly due to ‘incidents’. It may point to a personality trait. In fact he has played with 7 senior clubs across his career. He began at West Perth leading their goal kicking in 1984 before leaving for Claremont in a messy transfer. Here he was an integral part of their record breaking undefeated premiership season. He polled 46 votes in the Sandover medal; winning by a huge 16 votes however was ineligible due to slapping an opponent. From here he moved to Central districts in the SANFL before being drafted by North Melbourne and being delisted after one season playing 12 games and kicking 12 goals. This brought him to Essendon in the year 1990. He played 19 games in a fairly dominant Essendon season culminating in a grand final, a game in which he played a bit of a lone hand in the face of a big loss.
Rioli was born and raised in the remote Tiwi islands in the Northern territory, the nephew of the great Maurice Rioli. He moved South to play for South Fremantle in the WAFL, the club his father played for. Rioli played 18 games and kicked 20 goals going on to win the 1997 premiership before being rookie drafted by Essendon and pick #3. If memory serves he kicked consecutive bags of 5 goals in the reserves pretty much knocking the door down for a promotion, he debuted against Sydney in round 3 1999 – a game in which Matthew Lloyd kicked 13, Rioli layed 2 goals for Lloyd out on a platter, deftly knocking balls into his path showing his exquisite skill and game sense from game one.
Strengths and weaknesses;
Kickett was a freakish talent, he could do things others could not but that’s not to say he couldn’t also be a regulation footballer. He had all the tools (bar a tank) to play bread and butter football as well. He had vice like hands overhead, and a tremendous spring which saw him take many hangers. He had a raking left foot kick that was very accurate in passing and when shooting for goal. He also loved a barrel, if he took a mark anywhere within 80m the crowd would begin humming wondering, waiting, to see if the big barrel would be unleashed. Kickett was also super evasive, he was a real twisting, turning type of player who could spin himself out of tight holes with beautiful balance and technique. Usually players like this like to do it all on their own but he also was a great exponent of the handball; he could pump it as good as a kick and used it to create play. He was however quite streaky, when on he was the best player in the world, but the very next week he could have tumbleweeds rolling around him, not getting a touch. His peak possession count was 36, with regular high 20s thrown in but his floor was low, low low, some games he could garner less than 5 touches, not enough for a man of his quality! I suppose his weight was also an issue, not that he was obese, but he definitely had the paunch, I suppose he never had the tank to run for long stints on the ball, but he had the tools to be this type of player. He also had the knack of making things more difficult than they needed to be. I remember on more than one occasion he had a set shot for goal inside 30m but chose to try and take on the man on the mark, twisting, turning into trouble, then out of trouble, then getting the goal. Derek you could have just kicked it from 30m!
Rioli was sublime, in fact pound for pound I’d have to say he was the most sublimely skilled footballer I have seen play. Big call I know but he just had it, for a man his size I found it amazing the way he was able to manoeuvre in and out of traffic, it was just an effortless sidestep but he was also strong enough to shrug or fend off any would be tacklers, in fact I’ve heard he was near on impossible to tackle. I also reckon he had a great football brain, He was brilliant at getting to the right spot to pick off a crumb while in the forward line and use his silky skills to finish off at whatever angle he may be at. He was also good for deft touches and knocks ons and other pieces of play to bring others into the game. However being at the weight he played at there was inevitably going to be issues, his knees and back were pretty much shot from the start, I reckon it got to the point that he was played off half back to just get him running in straight lines, and I think this role suited him well, he really upped his possession count and hit targets with regular precision. He had a rare ability to come into the side off zero preparation, with zero fitness and just look like he hadn’t missed a beat.
Career;
After playing 19 games in 1990 with regular high 20 possession counts Kickett had a bit of a let down in 91, playing only 13 games and kicking 9 goals. He however didn’t miss another game in the next two seasons of football, in 1992 he only failed to deliver double figure disposals in one outing polling 13 Brownlow votes. In 93 his possession count was down but goal tally was up, to 38, this was due to being stationed more as a forward. In a memorable game against Footscray late in the season Kickett kicked 8 in a lone hand, pretty much one out in the 50 the for the entire second half. A game after this we embarked on a finals campaign; during these 3 games he produced possession counts of 8, 2 & 5. Cleary enough for Sheedy to make the big call and omit him from the grand final after not missing a game for the previous two years. Sheedy cited lack of endurance and lack of form. Kickett never watched the game, never forgave Sheedy and sought a transfer to Sydney. Here he played a further two seasons having a fairly successful time of it. The first time he played Essendon again he went through James Hird like a steam roller in a non to subtle message to Sheedy and the club.
Rioli burst onto the scene in his first season of 99 kicking 29 goals, earning a rising star nomination and generally looking like he had been playing AFL for years. But injury struck in round two 2000 then again in round 21 the game after his comeback game. He was restricted to only 4 games in what would be a common thread for his career. Who could forget a tearful Rioli being consoled on the boundary as we celebrated out grand final victory. He picked himself up off the mat to play 17 games and kick 24 goals the following season but injuries threatened to derail his season again the following year. The bomber brains trust in a last ditch attempt to keep his career afloat decided to play Rioli off half back to limit the toll on his body, it was a great move, he was brilliant streaming off half back using his sublime kicking skills. He upped his possession counts to average 17 over the season of 2003 but his body would again let him down, only allowed to play 13 then 11 the following two season. In his final year of 2006 his body was shot, Rioli’s knee was so bad he was unable to train, even run. He was just able to swim and do low impact work. He was nursed to 100 games off zero preparation, eking out 4 games and being chaired off the ground by a couple of brave Essendon team mates.
Verdict;
Bit of a weird one to assess this one, I get the feeling it will just come down to personal preference of the voter. Both these players had all the ability in the world but for varying reasons couldn’t deliver nearly as much as they could or should have. Rioli seemed to me to be a great team man but it would have been hard to stay as such when you were always worrying about your body or just trying to get back on the park. He almost filled mascot status at times. It’s such a shame he wasn’t able to play more because he was a joy to watch, by his own admissions he spent too much time in the off seasons in the Tiwi eating turtle – I mean it’s hard to worry about skin folds when there’s turtle to be had! Kickett was a freak of a talent but as his career has shown, seems to have a bit of a chip on his shoulder, leaving many clubs with bad blood. I still enjoy watching him in the Whitten game, sidestepping people and kicking goals over his head at 125kgs. Kickett could win a game off his own boot, Rioli could be relied on as a more genuine player.
In a true super heavyweight battle I’m going for Dean Rioli because I loved watching him play so much. I hope there continues to be room in our game for a few flashy impact type players while they methodically turn the rest of the game into a series robotic functions. This will make them stand out even more and let us enjoy their skills so much more.
edit: changed my mind! Kicketts early career as a more prolific midfielder takes him ahead. Controversial vote change!
Rioli magic - sublime
Kickett magic - note Don Scotts commentary - gold!
Dean Rioli stands at 180 cm, and played at a weight of 96 kgs (huge)
Derek kickett stands at 180 cm and played at a weight of 88 kgs
Rioli played 100 games averaging 13 disposals over his career with a total of 91 goals.
Kickett played 77 games averaging 15 disposals over his career with a total of 94 goals.
I think these two are the perfect match up, not just because of their heritage; both were mercurial, both battled weight issues, both missed premierships in tears, both had short lived careers for differing reasons but both were sublimely skilled. Ring the bell, ding ding.
Early years;
Kickett could be described as a football journeyman, even in early days he moved clubs regularly due to ‘incidents’. It may point to a personality trait. In fact he has played with 7 senior clubs across his career. He began at West Perth leading their goal kicking in 1984 before leaving for Claremont in a messy transfer. Here he was an integral part of their record breaking undefeated premiership season. He polled 46 votes in the Sandover medal; winning by a huge 16 votes however was ineligible due to slapping an opponent. From here he moved to Central districts in the SANFL before being drafted by North Melbourne and being delisted after one season playing 12 games and kicking 12 goals. This brought him to Essendon in the year 1990. He played 19 games in a fairly dominant Essendon season culminating in a grand final, a game in which he played a bit of a lone hand in the face of a big loss.
Rioli was born and raised in the remote Tiwi islands in the Northern territory, the nephew of the great Maurice Rioli. He moved South to play for South Fremantle in the WAFL, the club his father played for. Rioli played 18 games and kicked 20 goals going on to win the 1997 premiership before being rookie drafted by Essendon and pick #3. If memory serves he kicked consecutive bags of 5 goals in the reserves pretty much knocking the door down for a promotion, he debuted against Sydney in round 3 1999 – a game in which Matthew Lloyd kicked 13, Rioli layed 2 goals for Lloyd out on a platter, deftly knocking balls into his path showing his exquisite skill and game sense from game one.
Strengths and weaknesses;
Kickett was a freakish talent, he could do things others could not but that’s not to say he couldn’t also be a regulation footballer. He had all the tools (bar a tank) to play bread and butter football as well. He had vice like hands overhead, and a tremendous spring which saw him take many hangers. He had a raking left foot kick that was very accurate in passing and when shooting for goal. He also loved a barrel, if he took a mark anywhere within 80m the crowd would begin humming wondering, waiting, to see if the big barrel would be unleashed. Kickett was also super evasive, he was a real twisting, turning type of player who could spin himself out of tight holes with beautiful balance and technique. Usually players like this like to do it all on their own but he also was a great exponent of the handball; he could pump it as good as a kick and used it to create play. He was however quite streaky, when on he was the best player in the world, but the very next week he could have tumbleweeds rolling around him, not getting a touch. His peak possession count was 36, with regular high 20s thrown in but his floor was low, low low, some games he could garner less than 5 touches, not enough for a man of his quality! I suppose his weight was also an issue, not that he was obese, but he definitely had the paunch, I suppose he never had the tank to run for long stints on the ball, but he had the tools to be this type of player. He also had the knack of making things more difficult than they needed to be. I remember on more than one occasion he had a set shot for goal inside 30m but chose to try and take on the man on the mark, twisting, turning into trouble, then out of trouble, then getting the goal. Derek you could have just kicked it from 30m!
Rioli was sublime, in fact pound for pound I’d have to say he was the most sublimely skilled footballer I have seen play. Big call I know but he just had it, for a man his size I found it amazing the way he was able to manoeuvre in and out of traffic, it was just an effortless sidestep but he was also strong enough to shrug or fend off any would be tacklers, in fact I’ve heard he was near on impossible to tackle. I also reckon he had a great football brain, He was brilliant at getting to the right spot to pick off a crumb while in the forward line and use his silky skills to finish off at whatever angle he may be at. He was also good for deft touches and knocks ons and other pieces of play to bring others into the game. However being at the weight he played at there was inevitably going to be issues, his knees and back were pretty much shot from the start, I reckon it got to the point that he was played off half back to just get him running in straight lines, and I think this role suited him well, he really upped his possession count and hit targets with regular precision. He had a rare ability to come into the side off zero preparation, with zero fitness and just look like he hadn’t missed a beat.
Career;
After playing 19 games in 1990 with regular high 20 possession counts Kickett had a bit of a let down in 91, playing only 13 games and kicking 9 goals. He however didn’t miss another game in the next two seasons of football, in 1992 he only failed to deliver double figure disposals in one outing polling 13 Brownlow votes. In 93 his possession count was down but goal tally was up, to 38, this was due to being stationed more as a forward. In a memorable game against Footscray late in the season Kickett kicked 8 in a lone hand, pretty much one out in the 50 the for the entire second half. A game after this we embarked on a finals campaign; during these 3 games he produced possession counts of 8, 2 & 5. Cleary enough for Sheedy to make the big call and omit him from the grand final after not missing a game for the previous two years. Sheedy cited lack of endurance and lack of form. Kickett never watched the game, never forgave Sheedy and sought a transfer to Sydney. Here he played a further two seasons having a fairly successful time of it. The first time he played Essendon again he went through James Hird like a steam roller in a non to subtle message to Sheedy and the club.
Rioli burst onto the scene in his first season of 99 kicking 29 goals, earning a rising star nomination and generally looking like he had been playing AFL for years. But injury struck in round two 2000 then again in round 21 the game after his comeback game. He was restricted to only 4 games in what would be a common thread for his career. Who could forget a tearful Rioli being consoled on the boundary as we celebrated out grand final victory. He picked himself up off the mat to play 17 games and kick 24 goals the following season but injuries threatened to derail his season again the following year. The bomber brains trust in a last ditch attempt to keep his career afloat decided to play Rioli off half back to limit the toll on his body, it was a great move, he was brilliant streaming off half back using his sublime kicking skills. He upped his possession counts to average 17 over the season of 2003 but his body would again let him down, only allowed to play 13 then 11 the following two season. In his final year of 2006 his body was shot, Rioli’s knee was so bad he was unable to train, even run. He was just able to swim and do low impact work. He was nursed to 100 games off zero preparation, eking out 4 games and being chaired off the ground by a couple of brave Essendon team mates.
Verdict;
Bit of a weird one to assess this one, I get the feeling it will just come down to personal preference of the voter. Both these players had all the ability in the world but for varying reasons couldn’t deliver nearly as much as they could or should have. Rioli seemed to me to be a great team man but it would have been hard to stay as such when you were always worrying about your body or just trying to get back on the park. He almost filled mascot status at times. It’s such a shame he wasn’t able to play more because he was a joy to watch, by his own admissions he spent too much time in the off seasons in the Tiwi eating turtle – I mean it’s hard to worry about skin folds when there’s turtle to be had! Kickett was a freak of a talent but as his career has shown, seems to have a bit of a chip on his shoulder, leaving many clubs with bad blood. I still enjoy watching him in the Whitten game, sidestepping people and kicking goals over his head at 125kgs. Kickett could win a game off his own boot, Rioli could be relied on as a more genuine player.
In a true super heavyweight battle I’m going for Dean Rioli because I loved watching him play so much. I hope there continues to be room in our game for a few flashy impact type players while they methodically turn the rest of the game into a series robotic functions. This will make them stand out even more and let us enjoy their skills so much more.
edit: changed my mind! Kicketts early career as a more prolific midfielder takes him ahead. Controversial vote change!
Rioli magic - sublime
Kickett magic - note Don Scotts commentary - gold!
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