David ClarkeAbout Time Cyril! Right?
April 29th 2008 11:23
Cyril Rioli has been named the NAB rising star nomination for round 6 after another exhilarating performance against the Tigers at the MCG. About time right! Right? Does young Rioli deserve his nomination? Of course he does. And if he didn’t receive it this week, I fear there would have been a march on AFL headquarters demanding answers. What an outrage! Still, better late than never right?
It is clear that in Victoria there is a very centralized view of our great national game. Obviously what happens in Melbourne is foremost in terms of interest, and barring a Ben Cousins bender or a left-hook from Barry Hall, the old adage of ‘nearest is dearest’ rings true. So with that in mind, is it possible we have pumped up young Cyril without giving the same respect to many of the other young stars applying their trade outside of Victoria? Let’s look at the last three nominations from rounds 3, 4, and 5, and rate their worthiness.
Round 5: West Coast’s Ben McKinley – Kicked 5 goals straight against Port Adelaide to bring his seasons tally to 12 in three games.
Round 4: Sydney’s Kieren Jack – 14 possessions, a goal and a whopping 9 tackles in the Swans win over West Coast.
Round 3: Fremantle’s Rhys Palmer – played a vital role in his teams win over West Coast with 24 disposals in a tense local derby.
Who? Give me that name one more time? Never heard of him!
Chances are if you live in Victoria this may have been your response. And fair enough too, how many Eagles fans for example would know of your team’s new young gun who has less than 6 games to his name?
But it does go to show that at the same time that some Melbourne footy lovers, Hawthorn fans in particular, have been banging their drums in disbelief on a weekly basis at Rioli’s lack of a nomination, there have simultaneously been a number of young talented players proving their worth around the country too.
So of course Cyril Rioli deserves his nomination this week, and if he is able to maintain his form, he is a good chance at doing what some of the biggest stars in the game have done previously in winning the Rising Star Award. But let’s keep our eyes open for some of the other young guns who may not be household names yet, but are sure to be one day, after all, it is a national competition.
And if you think Cyril Rioli is stiff, spare a thought for the 19 year old who has kicked more goals, and taken twice as many marks as the Hawthorn livewire. Geelong’s Tom Hawkins is yet to receive a Rising Star nomination, but just like today with Cyril, his time will come too.
It is clear that in Victoria there is a very centralized view of our great national game. Obviously what happens in Melbourne is foremost in terms of interest, and barring a Ben Cousins bender or a left-hook from Barry Hall, the old adage of ‘nearest is dearest’ rings true. So with that in mind, is it possible we have pumped up young Cyril without giving the same respect to many of the other young stars applying their trade outside of Victoria? Let’s look at the last three nominations from rounds 3, 4, and 5, and rate their worthiness.
Round 5: West Coast’s Ben McKinley – Kicked 5 goals straight against Port Adelaide to bring his seasons tally to 12 in three games.
Round 4: Sydney’s Kieren Jack – 14 possessions, a goal and a whopping 9 tackles in the Swans win over West Coast.
Round 3: Fremantle’s Rhys Palmer – played a vital role in his teams win over West Coast with 24 disposals in a tense local derby.
Who? Give me that name one more time? Never heard of him!
Chances are if you live in Victoria this may have been your response. And fair enough too, how many Eagles fans for example would know of your team’s new young gun who has less than 6 games to his name?
But it does go to show that at the same time that some Melbourne footy lovers, Hawthorn fans in particular, have been banging their drums in disbelief on a weekly basis at Rioli’s lack of a nomination, there have simultaneously been a number of young talented players proving their worth around the country too.
So of course Cyril Rioli deserves his nomination this week, and if he is able to maintain his form, he is a good chance at doing what some of the biggest stars in the game have done previously in winning the Rising Star Award. But let’s keep our eyes open for some of the other young guns who may not be household names yet, but are sure to be one day, after all, it is a national competition.
And if you think Cyril Rioli is stiff, spare a thought for the 19 year old who has kicked more goals, and taken twice as many marks as the Hawthorn livewire. Geelong’s Tom Hawkins is yet to receive a Rising Star nomination, but just like today with Cyril, his time will come too.
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