AFL players have taken to social media to respond to the shock news of Cyril Rioli's immediate retirement.
Teammates and opponents alike have posted of their admiration for the Hawthorn champion and his impact on the game.
Thanks for inspiring millions to play this game @CyrilRioli33! On and off the field influenced not just indigenous Australians but our whole nation, thanks brother and enjoy retirement! Absolute freak of a player ✊
— chad wingard (@chadwingard20) July 4, 2018
Cyril Rioli
— Charles Cameron (@Charles__23) July 4, 2018
I’ll miss making sure browny is on Cyril and I’m as far away as possible!! Nightmare to play against, a pleasure to watch. Congrats on an amazing career @CyrilRioli33
— Brodie smith (@Brodiesmith33) July 4, 2018
Thankyou brother for being a champion role model and idol to a lot of us. Congrats on a stellar career, the game won’t be the same without some Cyril magic pic.twitter.com/hGSiElBtKE
— Nic Naitanui (@NicNat) July 4, 2018
The reason our game is so awesome, and my favourite player from the modern era. Plenty of fishing and hunting to be done now Brother.#FourTime #Normie pic.twitter.com/GEQCz6Mtnu
— Andrew McLeod (@bunji_XXIII) July 4, 2018
Fantastic career by Cyril Rioli was amazing to watch and never fun to play against. All the best moving forward
— Scott Pendlebury (@SP_10) July 4, 2018
Cyril one hell of a player. Never fun to play against but always great to watch. Good luck mate.
— Joel Selwood (@joelselwood14) July 4, 2018
Cyril Rioli retirement feels like a death A sad day for @HawthornFC and AFL football lovers #freak
— Shane Crawford (@SCrawf9) July 4, 2018
Going to miss watching you showing us what is a Tiwi Magic.
— Anthony McTipungwuti (@McTipungwuti43) July 4, 2018
Thanks for the great show you put on for us and that we can do the same and show our skills and magic when we go out and play the game we love.
Thanks you Jr Boy⭐️ pic.twitter.com/Wn5pnL0JhE