State funeral for footy star

Maurice Rioli was a former AFL Richmond star who played more than 100 games for Richmond. He has been in the news because the Northern Territory government announced it will hold a state funeral after he died of a suspected heart attack on Christmas Day.

The Northern Territory government announced it will hold a state funeral for Maurice Rioli, and NT Chief Minister Paul Henderson confirmed the offer to the family, which they accepted.

According to the article, details of the state funeral will be announced next week.

Maurice Rioli represented the vast electorate of Arafura in the Northern Territory Parliament for nine years, serving until 2001. More recently he worked as community services manager for the Tiwi Islands Shire.

Born in 1957 on Melville Island in the Tiwi Islands, Rioli was a role model for the Aboriginal Tiwi Island Bombers in the NT football league and helped guide the community in his role with the Tiwi Islands Shire.

Before his AFL career, Maurice Rioli was a boxer and a rugby league footballer, according to the article.

Maurice Rioli served in the Northern Territory Parliament for nine years, representing the electorate of Arafura until 2001.

NT Chief Minister Paul Henderson said he spoke to Maurice Rioli’s immediate family, extended the offer of a state funeral, and that the family accepted the offer.