Maurice Rioli refuses to talk to Richmond Tigers coaching staff after being taken off vs West Coast
Moment irate footy star Maurice Rioli brutally snaps at Richmond’s coaching staff after being dragged off the field during West Coast win
- Rioli refused to talk to staff over the phone
- He was eliminated in the last quarter against Eagles
- The 20-year-old had only six disposals
Caretaker coach Andrew McQualter says he will investigate an incident in which Maurice Rioli refused to take a call from the coaching staff during Richmond’s 38-point win over West Coast.
Rioli slumped on the bench grumpily after being taken off in the last quarter when a Richmond staff member tried to hand him the phone which has a direct connection to the coaching box.
When Rioli didn’t respond, another member of staff sitting on the other side of him tapped him on the shoulder to make sure he knew the phone was being handed to him.
Rioli, who recorded just six disposals for the match, continued to look straight ahead in frustration before turning down the phone with a wave of his hand.
Two members of the Tigers staff tried to convince Rioli to speak to coaches on the phone when he was substituted, but the star was having none of it.
The 20-year-old angrily brushed off their attempts on Sunday with a dismissive hand gesture for refusing to make eye contact
McQualter was not on the phone with the coach at the time and said he didn’t want to comment too much on the incident before investigating.
“The reality is I’ve been replaced before and that’s not a nice feeling,” said McQualter.
“I understand—young boy, he’s trying to get his way. I understand if he was disappointed. So he’ll be fine.
‘I don’t know exactly how it ended then. So whatever happened, we will deal with it when necessary.
“I will probably wait until I fully understand the situation before commenting further.”
The Tigers secured the win on Sunday by 14.14 (98) to 8.12 (60) with a six-goal blitz either side of halftime.
Although 11th-placed Richmond (8-1-8) failed to give their percentage a huge boost, they are now just half a win away from sixth-placed St Kilda, seventh-placed Western Bulldogs and eighth-placed Essendon.
Rioli (pictured right celebrating a goal with his teammates in Perth) had just six decisions for the match as he was dragged off the field
Shai Bolton finished with 2.4 from 23 disposals against West Coast, while veteran Dustin Martin recorded 23 possessions, four clearances and 2.2 in a brisk display.
Martin could get in trouble for an off-the-ball elbow to Eagles defender Alex Witherden’s midriff, but the incident leads to a fine rather than a suspension.
“We don’t want any of those moves to cost us the ball because it ends up hurting the team,” McQualter said.
‘I’m not sure there’s much more in there, right? So hopefully it won’t happen again.’
West Coast veteran Andrew Gaff came on as a substitute in the first quarter as Reuben Ginbey succumbed to a hamstring injury.
The young Tiger struggled to impress – and coach Andrew McQualter will examine his angry reaction to his substitution
Gaff, who recorded just six disposals against Brisbane last week, finished with 24 possession in a much improved game.
Forward Oscar Allen kicked three goals after overcoming a wrist injury in the second quarter.
Eagles forward Jack Darling kicked his 500th career goal late in the third term, sparking a huge cheer among the 40,501 fans in attendance.
“He’s probably going to go down as one of our greats… and he still has some footy in him,” Eagles coach Adam Simpson said of Darling, who finished with 1.3 and seven points from 16 disposals.