RICHMOND is keeping close tabs on father-son prospect Maurice Rioli Jnr as the Tigers approach this year's NAB AFL Draft.
Rioli, the son of former Richmond great and Norm Smith medallist Maurice, is eligible for this year's draft.
The talented small forward is also eligible to join Fremantle under father-son rules and could also have opted to be linked with Essendon under Next Generation Academy rules.
INDICATIVE DRAFT ORDER Your club's picks as they stand
However Rioli, who is the cousin of current Richmond forward Daniel Rioli, is keen to head to Punt Road and shifted to Melbourne from the Northern Territory to board at Scotch College.
Tigers recruiting manager Matt Clarke told this week's Road to the Draft podcast the club was keeping in contact with Rioli throughout this lost season for draftees in Victoria.
"He's been down here going to school doing his remote learning through Scotch as most boys were. He's been doing some work on his own as much as he can. It's been difficult for Maurice and a lot of those boys who probably needed some more exposure through their school footy this year and hopefully some NAB League footy as well with Oakleigh," Clarke said.
"He's been working away with school and keeping his fitness up. It's about all they can really do given the restrictions in Melbourne.
DRAFT HUB Latest news, profiles, highlights, more
"He's got a lot of talent. We've obviously done some work with him, he's been at the club before last year just briefly but we're keeping an eye on his progress for sure."
Rioli put in an eye-catching our-goal performance earlier this year playing for St Mary's in the NT with four goals in the semi final.
Rivals see Rioli as a likely later selection and Clarke said the Tigers would be considering adding the son of the club legend to their list.
"He'll be a discussion point for us at some point in the draft I would have thought or the rookie draft or whatever it looks like," Clarke said.
PHANTOM FORM GUIDE Cal Twomey's latest rankings
"He's got a bit of work to do, Maurice, he knows that, but it would have been good [to have] another season for him whether if it was even six to eight games as they had originally planned. It would have been great for him to do that, so he'll come into discussion for us."
Maurice senior played 118 games and won the 1982 Norm Smith Medal in a glittering career that also saw him play 168 games for South Fremantle. He died in 2010.
