Hawthorn champion Cyril Rioli has announced his retirement from the AFL at the age of 28.
It was a decision that took 12 months to make, after his father suffered a heart attack last year. Rioli stated that he wanted to return home to be with friends and family. "The decision to retire from football is something that I have thought long and hard about over the past 12 months. I've weighed everything up and I am confident the decision I've made is the right one for me and my family," Rioli said. "Football has been my life but it's always been difficult being away from home. Now is the right time to go home and spend more time with friends and family. "I love the Hawthorn Football Club and I cannot thank them enough for the opportunities they've given me and the way they've embraced me and my family over the past 11 years. "I'll always be a Hawthorn person and I look forward to seeing what the boys can achieve over the rest of the year and beyond." Rioli only played seven games in 2017, before his season ended with a knee injury. He returned to football this year, but played his last game for Hawthorn in round four, where he finished with a medial ligament injury. The 28-year old was expected to return to the side in round 13, for Hawks teammate Shaun Burgoyne's 350th game, but flew to Darwin instead to spend time with his family. Rioli debuted for the Hawks in round one of 2008, where he played every game that season, including the premiership win against Geelong. He played in three more premierships, in 2013, 2014, and 2015, where he won the Norm Smith Medal. Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson reflected on Rioli's career, stating that he was an "integral part" of the game's history. "Cyril has been an outstanding servant of this football club for a long period of time and there have been very few players that have brought as much excitement to the game," Clarkson said. "His ability to influence a contest with a minimal amount of disposals is like no player I have ever seen and that's why the whole footy world loves watching him play. "Cyril came into our club as an 18-year-old kid and leaves and integral part of the fabric of the brown and gold family and the history of our game. "I'd like to thank Cyril, Shannyn and the broader Rioli and Long families for their outstanding contribution to our club and wish them all the best for the next chapter of their lives." Rioli played 189 games and kicked 275 goals while playing at Hawthorn. He was a three-time All Australian and won the AFL Goal of the Year in 2009.
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