Hawthorn great and Norm Smith medallists Cyril Rioli is set for a football comeback this year
After a six-year break the charity match is returning in August with a raft of big names locked in including Rioli and Gary Ablett junior.
Rioli, a four-time premiership player and Norm Smith Medal winner, was unveiled as the All Stars' No.1 pick on Tuesday morning.
The selection of the former excitement machine is a positive sign after he was involved in a lengthy battle with his former club over historical claims of racism including some levelled at his premiership coach, Alastair Clarkson, first raised in 2022.
The matter involved mediation and court proceedings before being settled by the Human Rights Commission in May without a determination of the allegations.
Rioli has played several matches in the Northern Territory but has lived a concealed life since his premature retirement.
Another all-time great in Gary Ablett Jnr was named Victoria's No.1 pick.
All Stars coach Shane Crawford said he was looking for a 'bums on seats player' and found the perfect type in his former premiership teammate.
'We thought we might go with Kane Cornes when they said (Gary) Ablett Jnr so we could tag him,' Crawford told SEN.
'Our number one pick, we want to have fun, we've gone the ultimate 'No. 1 bums on seats player'.
'A player with one of the all-time great highlight reels in the history of the games and that is Cyril Rioli.'
There was a report earlier this year Rioli pondered an AFL return under coach Alastair Clarkson when he accepted the role as North Melbourne coach.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
ABC News
36 minutes ago
- ABC News
The Club World Cup in Trump's America showed co-hosting the biggest global sport event may be an issue
The FIFA Club World Cup, called "the undisputed pinnacle of global club football" by the governing body's president, came to a close after weeks of poor ticket sales, empty seats and significant weather delays. Despite Gianni Infantino's claims the tournament showcased "a world-class stage" for football, the test run for the 2026 FIFA World Cup at times appeared to underwhelm. Almost four in every 10 seats across the cup's 11 host cities weren't filled by fans. The US will co-host the 2026 FIFA World Cup with neighbours Canada and Mexico, with 104 matches played across 16 cities between June 11 and July 19. With less than 12 months until the first ball is kicked, FIFA's plans for the tournament face potential challenges as it invites professional footballers into a United States governed by the uncertainty of politics and life under Donald Trump. So, what does that do to the viability of America's key role in what many argue is the world's biggest sporting event? Let's break it down. The modern, global FIFA Club World Cup has existed — in one form or another — since the year 2000. Back then, it was known as the FIFA Club World Championship and was designed to pit the club footballing champions of each continental knockout competition against each other. The tournament has been played 20 times since, but in 2025 it was revamped to become a quadrennial event described as "a powerful demonstration of club football's global appeal". The 21st edition this year boasted its largest-ever format, expanding from just seven teams when it was last played in 2023 to 32 teams representing 20 countries. It's a feat Infantino has also sought to achieve in next year's nations-based World Cup, which will include teams from 48 countries — the tournament's first expansion since the adoption of 32 teams in 1998. When the Club World Cup began in mid-June, stadiums of monumental capacity awaited rowdy crowds at venues located across the US — including in heavyweight cities like New York, Los Angeles, and Miami. What came next for various games were rows and rows of empty seats — broadcast around the world — as fans simply didn't show up. The club tournament simply isn't as popular as the World Cup, where players compete for their countries rather than for a domestic team. The costs — both for games and travel — also kept some fans away, while for others there were lingering concerns of potential US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids at matches amid Mr Trump's crackdown on illegal immigration. "It's like playing football during lockdown," observed one fan on social media during the June 18 Ulsan HD vs Mamelodi Sundowns FC match. For days afterwards, FIFA didn't register the attendance of that game on its website. That was because the official number at the 25,500-seat Inter&Co Stadium in Orlando, Florida came out to be 3,412 by the final count — fewer than 14 per cent of seats had been filled. There were similar scenes eight days later when Japan's Urawa Red Diamonds played Mexico's CF Monterrey at LA's famous 89,702-seat Rose Bowl Stadium, where fewer than 14,500 fans showed up. On June 18, 11,974 people entered Seattle's Lumen Field to watch Argentina's River Plate play Urawa but more than 82 per cent of the seats stayed empty. A handful of other early fixtures at various venues also managed to fill less than a third of the total seating capacity. There were some notable exceptions — which FIFA has chosen to focus on, instead. "The total attendance across the group stage of 1,667,819 — at an average of 34,746 fans per match — shows just how the most inclusive global club competition ever has captured the imagination of supporters," a statement said. Monday's final between Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) understandably topped the attendances list, with more than 81,000 people at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium. Another 80,619 fans went to the Rose Bowl to watch PSG play Atlético Madrid in the groups, while 76,611 watched Real Madrid face Borussia Dortmund in New York. The Palmeiras vs Chelsea match in Philadelphia attracted 65,782 spectators, while Bayern Munich and Boca Juniors played in front of 63,587 in Miami. Despite those figures, analysis conducted by the ABC of all of the Club World Cup fixtures shows that while almost 2.5 million people attended games, on average, 38.93 per cent of the total seating capacity of all host venues remained unfilled. There was not a single sell-out throughout the cup. The LA PSG vs Atlético Madrid fixture fell just short of the 84,163 who watched the English FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium and was well above the 64,327 attendance for the Champions League final — European club football's biggest match. At the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, there was an average attendance of just under 50,000 per game for the opening week. David Zdrilic, an ex-Socceroo, former assistant coach with the Chicago Fire in the US-based Major League Soccer (MLS) competition and current Perth Glory head coach in the A-League, says he believes the empty seats could be attributed to the freshness of the Club World Cup as an international tournament format. He also says he expects next year's World Cup to generate far higher levels of fan interest, as it has over previous decades. "It's not so much a United States thing, it's more the Club World Cup is a new concept — and you're not just selling it to the United States, you're selling it to the rest of the world," he told the ABC. "It's the first time we've seen anything like it. Empty stadiums, however, were not the only obstacle faced by FIFA in the US over the past two months. Players were expected to take to the field during extreme heat, which FIFPRO — the federation representing professional footballers — says will likely pose an even bigger issue next year. Due to football's popularity in Europe, many Club World Cup matches were played in the middle of the day so fans overseas could watch in real time at night. The cup was also played during a time typically known in the US for intense summer thunderstorms, which saw more than six games suspended for periods of up to two hours. Those lengthy delays sparked concerns over player welfare and supporter disinterest after stadiums quickly emptied out once teams left the field to seek shelter. "I can understand that for security reasons, you have to suspend the game," Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca said after the club's June 29 match against SL Benfica was halted. Those criticisms highlighted a sentiment also shared by former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp. "[The] Club World Cup is the worst idea ever implemented in football," he said last month. "People who have never had anything to do with day-to-day business are coming up with ideas… perhaps not everyone has recognised the real problem yet, that next season players will suffer injuries they've never had before. "If not this season, then it will happen at the World Cup or afterwards." Zdrilic says that while weather delays can be a point of frustration for players and staff involved in the game, they're unavoidable. "It's not ideal … It can totally reset the game in one direction or the other," he said. "I don't think it's going to be a massive problem. [The US] had a World Cup before, it was very successful in terms of getting things right. "The US are built for big stadiums, big crowds, they've got great infrastructure… there's a lot of positives." Yes, according to Dr Emma Shortis, director of The Australia Institute's international and security affairs program. She says Donald Trump's aggressive illegal migration crackdown and ongoing ICE raids are already impacting the desirability of travelling to the US for international visitors. "We already have evidence for that in that travel to the US is down by international tourists," Dr Shortis said. "There's been a downturn in the industry generally and revenue for the industry because people are reconsidering travelling to the US in direct response to what the Trump administration is doing. "That uncertainty is only going to increase. "People's legitimate concerns about travelling to the US — not just as athletes but as spectators — are only going to deepen in the next couple of years in the lead up to the World Cup next year and then the [2028 Los Angeles] Olympics." Zdrilic, however, pointed to the political and welfare concerns raised prior to the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, which he says ultimately did not create any turbulence during the tournament. "World Cups always find a way to break all those sort of boundaries [that] are put up," he said. "There's always a political background to almost any event that's been put out there, especially in the time that we live now, but when they're putting on such a big event, surely they have to make accommodations to allow for the people to come watch." Dr Shortis says the case of members of the Senegalese women's basketball team being denied visa entries into the US last month contradicts that and highlights a point of potential concern for the 2026 World Cup. The visa denials came amid a push by the Trump administration to have countries improve vetting travellers or face a ban on their citizens visiting the US. The Trump administration announced a sweeping travel ban on visitors from 12 countries on June 4, with US authorities later suggesting they were considering adding at least 36 other nations to the list. Senegal wasn't on that initial list of countries and it was not immediately clear why the visas were denied. Iran, however, is among the banned nations — and the Middle Eastern country has already qualified to participate in next year's World Cup. "They've said there'll be exemptions for the World Cup, but of course, there cannot be any trust placed in the Trump administration's willingness to stick by its own rules," Dr Shortis said. "It has arbitrarily revoked visas already, it's deporting people in the United States legally without giving them access to due process and so, it's almost inevitable that this will spill over into those big events. 'It's entirely possible a big incident where someone of high stature is denied entry or treated poorly at the border, which has already happened to citizens of other countries — including Australia, that could cause another international incident for the Trump administration. The US will host 78 of the 104 matches at next year's World Cup, including the knockout rounds and the final, to be played at MetLife Stadium, near New York City. ABC/AP
News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
Eels playmaker's snub is biggest slap in the face for Newcastle
Newcastle has been dealt another black eye with reports Dylan Brown turned down an opportunity to join the club early last month. With the club in crisis following revelations Kalyn Ponga is exploring a move to overseas rugby, the latest news about the Eels playmaker is the last thing the club needed. As revealed by Code Sport on Tuesday, Brown was told Parramatta would not stand in his way if he wanted to join the Knights early before he June 30 deadline. FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every game of every round in the 2025 NRL Telstra Premiership, LIVE with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer. With a 10-year deal reportedly worth around $13m on the table, Brown and Ponga are the one-two punch the club has gambled its future on. Now it appears neither of them want to be there. The staggering report from Code Sports, suggests Brown elected to remain in the Blue and Yellow colours even after being informed by Eels coach Jason Ryles he would be dropped to play in NSW Cup this season. With the Eels' 2025 campaign already in tatters, Ryles has reportedly been given the green light from the front office to shake things up and test junior talent Joash Papalii in the halves alongside Dean Hawkins before Mitchell Moses returns from a calf muscle injury. Brown was moved to hooker during the club's loss to the Panthers and has been dropped for their clash with the Raiders in Canberra on Saturday. This is the decision Brown made when he had the option of starting his new life in Newcastle on the front foot. Brown's decision has left some NRL commentators staggered. Leading NRL journalist Andrew Webster said on the Off The Record podcast there has been a lot of angst from former players at the Knights about the fat contract given to Brown. 'I've been told Parramatta were prepared to let Dylan Brown go to Newcastle early,' Webster said. 'Even telling him that he would be playing NSW Cup. And he preferred to stay.' Webster went on to say: 'Don't you think it says more that he didn't go? He had the opportunity to go there and there's so many questions.' Ryles told Code Sports there is no lingering resentment between himself and Brown with both parties understanding they are on different paths. It makes Brown's decision to remain with the club for the next three months even more staggering. Brown's apparent disinterest in the Knights is another public relations nightmare for a club that is already facing reports coach Adam O'Brien is circling the drain and Ponga is looking for the exit sign. Knights centre Bradman Best was on Tuesday left to be the person answering all the tough questions from reporters after the Ponga bombshell dropped on Monday. Best said hasn't heard anything definitive from Ponga or O'Brien. Ponga still has two years left on his deal, but reports suggest the injured skipper has linked up with a New Zealand rugby agent to scour the market for a potential code switch. The Maroons fullback joined the club in 2018, and while they've made finals in four of the past five seasons, they've never threatened for a title since he's been there. Scoring points has been a major issue for the Knights, with Brown's arrival next year on huge money meant to sort out those issues. Fairly or unfairly, Brown's decision to see out his season with the Eels also does not reflect well on O'Brien when the coach is fighting to save his job. They are just one win above the bottom-placed Titans and have scored the fewest points in the competition with a stack of changes in the halves over the past two years. The news about Ponga's itchy feet must also be difficult for Brown to hear. The opportunity to play with one of the best players in the game was one of the biggest selling points the club had to get Brown to sign on the bottom line. NRL legend Cameron Smith on Monday night said: 'I'm sure he (Ponga) was a big reason why he'd want to move to Newcastle. 'One would've been the money, but two when you're playing with one of the best talents in the game.' Responding on Channel 9's 100% Footy, Phil Gould said: 'I'm sure that (playing with Ponga) would have been raised with Dylan when they tried to sign him.' If the Knights weren't in crisis before, they are now.
News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
Premier League giants Manchester City land $2 billion kit sponsorship deal with Puma
Manchester City have signed a blockbuster new kit deal with Puma worth a reported £1 billion ($2.05 billion) over the next 10 years. City's extension of their contract with Puma ranks as the largest kit manufacturing partnership in Premier League history. Having agreed a £65 million per year deal with the German company in 2019, City's new arrangement is believed to be worth a £100 million per year until 2035, according to British media reports. That figure shatters the £90 million per year deal signed by Manchester United with Adidas in 2023. FOOTBALL LATEST Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona are both reported to have kit deals worth in excess of £100 million per year. 'We joined forces with Puma with the ambition to challenge ourselves and go beyond the expectations. We have achieved this and more over the last six seasons,' City Football Group chief executive Ferran Soriano said. 'Puma have seamlessly integrated into our organisation, and we have enjoyed many historic moments together, engaging fans globally.' Puma chief executive Arthur Hoeld added: 'Puma's partnership with Manchester City has been a great success both on and off the pitch. 'Trophies, a perfect stage for our performance products and commercial success were exceptional.' City's massive deal comes after the club's first season without major silverware since 2016-17. Pep Guardiola's men finished third in the Premier League after winning the title for the previous four seasons. They also suffered a shock FA Cup final defeat against Crystal Palace and crashed out of the recent Club World Cup in the last 16 against Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal./mw
