And there is no reason to think Rioli won’t be an important player for Essendon this weekend. Rioli was coming off an extended period on the sidelines when Essendon played Port Adelaide five weeks ago. At half-time in that match, he was clearly the best player on the ground with his creativity and reading of the play a highlight. In horse-racing terms, he sprints well fresh.
But Rioli is also an important player without the ball. His blocking at stoppages is critical to Essendon and even if he doesn’t finish up with the footy he is often the reason his teammates end up with it.
""We have worked him pretty hard in his time off and physically I think he is in as good a condition as he has been all year,"" Essendon fitness coach John Quinn said. ""And his attitude is right where it has to be so I think we will see a very focused Dean Rioli this weekend.""
""We will have one last look at him this week but I would be very sure he will be right to go. He could nearly have played last week but we took a bit of a punt hoping things panned out and we were in the finals.""
Quinn worked closely with Rioli to ensure his fitness levels remained where they needed to be over the past month. Cross-training was an important part of that and his running workload has jumped as he has got nearer the end of his rehabilitation program.
""Initially we worked him hard while he was sidelined but we have tapered that off coming into the finals. He has done a fair bit of additional running but it has also been a good freshen up for him. I think he will play an integral role this weekend and hopefully beyond,"" Quinn said.
""He is just one of those naturally gifted players who can come of a prolonged break and still have the skills as sharp as they were before he got injured. There aren’t many players like that going around – at Essendon I would say James Hird and Damien Cupido are the other two that come to mind.""
