Retired Hawthorn superstar Cyril Rioli’s old No.33 is being brought out of mothballs.
No one at Waverley Park had worn the number since Rioli’s premature retirement three years, but another Indigenous Hawk has finally received the honour.
Tyler Brockman, a fellow small forward, flashed glimpses of his vast potential in his debut season and he will upgrade from No.42 to 33 next year.
Read Next
Rioli was a key part of Hawthorn’s golden era, playing in the 2008 and 2013-15 premierships, winning the 2015 Norm Smith Medal and being an All-Australian three times across 189 games.
“I’ve always looked up to him – I think a lot of us Indigenous boys have,†Brockman said.
“But it’s a dream come true to wear a number that’s obviously (had) a great career.â€
Hawthorn is staggering its jumper announcements across four days, with Changkuoth Jiath’s switch from 29 to No.9 another significant change.
Shaun Burgoyne’s retirement this year made the famous number available, which Brownlow medallists Shane Crawford and Robert DiPierdomenico also previously wore.
New coach Sam Mitchell approached DiPierdomenico and asked him who he thought was a worthy recipient.
“Straightaway, I thought about you (Jiath),†DiPierdomenico said.
“You’re exciting, you’re quick, you take risks, you’re good looking like me and I thought there was only one person who could wear the No.9 with the dare and the flash that the No.9s have been – and that’s you, mate.â€
The other reveals so far are Dylan Moore moving from 36 to 13, while draftees Sam Butler (30), Jai Serong (29) and Ned Long (27) are also locked in.
Read Next
Discover more from PressNewsAgency
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.