After winning his second premiership in four years, former St Patrick's student and North Ballarat Rebels player Daniel Rioli couldn't quite believe what he'd achieved.
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Speaking shortly after the Tigers hoisted the AFL Premiership cup, Rioli said growing up watching his cousin Cyril win four premierships with Hawthorn, he never could of imagined he would be in a similar position so soon.
"I can't believe it," he said.
"I obviously watched Cyril growing up, he's won four premierships and played in five grand finals... who would have thought I'd be a two-time premiership player... it's just amazing."
The 22-year-old spent only a single year in Ballarat but said his time both at St Pat's and with the Rebels helped him immensely in becoming the player he is today.
"(I want to thank) My coach Howard Clarke (former St Pat's football coach), he's one of the big dogs up there that runs the first XVIII and Phil Partington from the Rebels was amazing, they put in a lot of hard work to get me to this point and I couldn't thank them enough."
Rioli, who was unable to walk on his own around the boundary after breaking his foot in the 2017 grand final said he was relishing in his ability to do so after the Tigers trounced Greater Western Sydney.
"It felt so weird to know the final siren had gone and thinking 'I can walk," he laughed.
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