RILEY Bice's immediate impact at AFL level has come as no surprise to former Werribee teammate Dom Brew.
In 2024 Brew had a front-row seat to the Bice show, as they won the VFL premiership, while also both being named in the Team of the Year. By late November Bice had been drafted to Sydney with pick No.41 and was heading north to play for the club he grew up supporting.
"Lacing out a few people on the weekend was no surprise," Brew told the State of Play podcast.
"Riley's super talented. He's one of those people that's very annoying because he's naturally really fit. So, what many people don't know, Riley's an Albury boy same as myself … Riley didn't actually come down for pre-season until after Australia Day. Just moving down didn't work out to get down sooner, but there was a bit of a worry that, would he be up to speed and that.
"But since he came in the door, yeah, he's phenomenal. He's a super talent, his kicking ability. Like, when you get players that are just naturally, hand-eye coordination stuff, that's him."
It's everything Sydney coach Dean Cox could have hoped for in the recruit, with Bice's 26 disposals and 433 metres gained important in the club's 65-point win over North Melbourne on Saturday.
"I think the thing with Riley is, ever since he got to the football club he's wanted to learn and get as fit and as conditioned as he possibly can for AFL level. He had a great season last year at Werribee. To his credit, when he got here, head down, worked as hard as he possibly could, and wanted to learn and be a sponge," Cox said.
"He's defending well first, that's the good part about the way he's playing, and then his two-way efforts, to be able to counter with ball in hand, that's one of his great strengths, but he's doing it both ways at the minute which is really good."
That ability to work two ways was potentially the only knock on Bice's game coming into the system, but it is something he has picked up with aplomb since being elevated.
"Probably the only criticism that would have caught Riley may have been around his contest stuff… you just watch the boys when they're playing and watching on the weekend, he's defending really well, he's doing all the right things," Brew said.
And with that willingness to work defensively, and elite foot skills, Bice has been empowered to get creative with his ball use on the rebound.
"We sort of speak to players about the options that they can take, some people have a little bit more licence than others, and Riley's one of those, to be able to execute the way he does. He sees the game really well and for me, it's about, you know, if you see it hit it, back yourself in and so far, he's doing it really well," Cox said.
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And for Brew, even though it means a gap has opened up in Werribee's premiership defence, he is enjoying sitting back and watching Bice do his thing on a national level.
"Him just improving on that and just honing in on his craft has been unreal," Brew said.
"And to be honest with you, he's an extremely hard worker and he's a really, really good kid. Come from a great family and I'm just so happy for him that it's actually all panning out the way it is, because as naturally gifted as he is, he does work very hard and always got a ball in his hand."
