Cyril Rioli: Deck of Dream Team 2011

Name: Cyril Rioli
Club: Hawthorn
Position: Foward
Bye Rounds: 6 & 17
2010 Average: 86
2010 Games Played: 19
Predicted Average: 95

Why should I pick him? Delicious….. yes, fair call. This guy not only looks awesome when he is scoring his DT points, he does it frequently and with an ever growing ceiling (last years top 3: 127, 130, 143). Cyril is an ever growing talent who has mastered the forward line and looks set to concur the midfield in the near future. Sometimes when you watch footy, you just sit back and say, wow, they are way better than everybody else out there. I know I’ve said it about Gazza a few times, but just behind him, I’ve said it the second most about Cyril. The year Rioli reaches his potential and can shrug off injury concerns, look out competition, and any DT that doesn’t have him. If he can get the tank to play midfield, lock him in. In the last two rounds last year, he gave us a look into the crystal ball with a 115 average.

Why shouldn’t I pick him? At this stage in his career, when Cyril is having a quiet game, it is heavily reflected on his DT output. An example of that is last year, he failed to reach 70 points on 8 occasions and as coaches we need more. The poor kid is in a position where he is so good, he gets tagged before he has even had a chance to develop fully as a players, let alone learn the art of breaking tags. Hopefully with another pre season under his belt, and a new captain that is far more likely to assist him in breaking the tag, this may be a lesser issue. Although he only missed 3 games last year, there were various weeks where his hammy’s were a concern including his half time ending to their knockout final vs Fremantle.

Deck of DT Rating. KING – At his price, he must be considered a king. Although you are expecting improvement, he will be seen as a keeper and not a stepping stone to a “better player”. I’m a huge fan of Cyril and if on the off chance he is duel position, he is a huge chance to be in my team. Last year he missed alot of the pre season through injury so I think if he can get through this one unscathed, an instant improvement is unbackable. With increased midfield time, bulk and experience, a 100 point average is in the near future for this talented kid.