Two-time Adelaide premiership captain Mark Bickley is expecting Junior Rioli to thrive as a member of Port Adelaide.
Rioli was a key piece of the massive four-team trade that also saw Jason Horne-Francis head to the Power, with the livewire forward heading to South Australia after playing three seasons of senior footy across six years at West Coast.
Now having had time to settle into his new club, Bickley is confident that Rioli is well-suited to the culture of the Power.
“He’s come into Port Adelaide, traditionally you hear they train pretty hard and they have done so again this year,” he told SEN WA Mornings.
“The reports I’ve heard is he’s looking really fit and fitting in really well, of course Adelaide not totally foreign to Junior, played a bit of footy at Glenelg over here in years gone by.
“Port Adelaide’s trial from all reports was a little bit scrappy as well, so I think they’ll enjoy playing against real opposition.”
In Bickley’s view, Rioli’s talents within the forward 50 are going to fill a vital role for the Power this year.
“There’s a position for him because Robbie Gray finished up at the end of last season,” he said.
“They really have lacked, probably Robbie last year wasn’t quite to the level that we’d seen him in previous years, so they’ve lacked that sort of sharp small forward.
“Orazio Fantasia hadn’t been able to get on the park at all last year, that wasn’t ideal.
“I think what Junior brings is lacking at Port Adelaide, so he’ll get every opportunity.
“His last season at West Coast probably wasn’t as good as some of the earlier ones, but I think Port Adelaide are pretty excited with what he brings.
“He can be a threat in the air, he’s a threat on the deck and he knows where the goals are.
“Those players are pretty handy if they’re up and firing.”
Rioli played 13 games in 2022, averaging 12 disposals and 1.1 goals per game.
