Damo Fears Cyril May Never Play Again

"It’s absolutely an unknown.”


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Triple M Footy’s Damian Barrett says it’s unknown as to whether Cyril Rioli will play footy again and there’s a chance we may have actually seen the last of the Hawthorn superstar.

Rioli was granted indefinite compassionate leave by the Hawks this week so he could travel to the Northern Territory to be with his family.

The four-time premiership star was granted compassionate leave late last year as well to spend time with his father who suffered a heart attack.

“He was unlikely in the eyes of many Hawthorn people at one stage of the pre-season to even come back this year,” Damo told Triple M’s Rush Hour during The Midweek Rub on Wednesday. 

“Something changed, the players got around him and they convinced him to come back and he did.

“He got injured again and now, for whatever reason, this period has seen him make the decision to again go back (to the NT). 

“There is no adamant timeframe about when he does return and obviously you then put a question mark – does he actually return?

“I think it is that stage (where you start questioning whether he plays ever again), only because we know for a fact that he was thinking that way himself in the most recent off-season.

“Again, you can’t say that because things change. Things have already changed with Cyril, hasn’t it? Because he came back this year.

“But it’s absolutely an unknown.”

13 June 2018




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