You can’t blame Ben Rigoni for wanting to make the jump up in class.
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Seymour’s midfield technician and 2022 Morrison medallist is clearly cut from a different cloth, and he could well already be patched into Goulburn Valley League’s fabric as one of the best in the competition again this season.
But at the weekend Rigoni extended himself one step further, trading his Seymour garb of red, yellow and blue for a different shade of Lions attire.
The 22-year-old debuted for Coburg Lions in the VFL on Sunday, slotting into the centre of the ground as they fell to North Melbourne 13.17 (95) to 9.11 (65) at Piranha Park.
Rigoni tallied 12 touches and six tackles against the Kangaroos, who featured AFL-listed players Tristan Xerri, Ben Cunnington, Aaron Hall, Blake Drury and Jacob Edwards, playing the majority of the match in midfield before a stint up forward during the last quarter.
“It was a decent step up in terms of the pace of the game and skill level,” Rigoni said.
“North were a really well-drilled side and were hard to stop when they had the game going.
“I wanted to see how I’d go at that next level, so it’s all been pretty good.”
Rigoni had been in contact with the VFL outfit for a couple of seasons, doing enough to earn a spot on the club’s list after starring on trial during the most recent pre-season.
Sunday was his day to prove not only to himself, but also others, that he’s the real deal.
Because in comparison to other midfield bulls of the GVL, many of which have paraded around AFL and VFL paddocks countless times, Rigoni perhaps took an off-piste route on the way to becoming a bona fide superstar of the competition.
He began his exploits on the oval at Broadford, his home town, up until under-16s when he made the switch to Kilmore.
An under-17 flag followed, but with the club not fielding a thirds side the next year, Rigoni was coaxed across to Seymour by some ex-teammates.
Under the tutelage of senior coach Ben Davey, Rigoni has broken out of his shell and has filled out into a hardened enforcer who tucks, runs and tackles without fear.
For that, he has Seymour to thank.
“Last year, at the start of the year I didn’t have many expectations on myself,” Rigoni said.
“I put a lot of extra time and effort into getting the best out of myself and Ben Davey has been absolutely huge for me over the past couple of years.
“He’s put a lot of trust into me, to get the best out of me and a lot of the other boys on the side too ― he’s just a really good coach and knows how to get the best out of everyone.
“We’re all a fairly young side and the majority of the group has been together for a couple of years now, so we’re all really close with each other and love one other.
“It makes it a lot easier to play for each other and makes those wins extra special.”
Rigoni’s budding career is yet to be gilded in accolades and, while the gun on-baller stepped onto the field as a Coburg Lion on Sunday, his Seymour Lions took a forward step towards earning a major mantle the day prior.
Seymour knocked off undefeated premier Echuca, an extra special win by all accounts.
Though it’d be foolish to read into the win too much, even without one of their main talents the Lions proved the Murray Bombers do bleed – they are human – and crucially, are beatable.
Then you add back in Rigoni, who ranks elite in average disposals (23.4), contested possessions (11.4), clearances (six), score involvements (5.2) as well as inside 50 entries, ground ball gets and tackles, and the back end of the season becomes an exciting prospect for the young Lions.
“The boys were pretty rapt with that (result), it was a good win for them and it shows where we’re at and how competitive Seymour is this year,” Rigoni said.
“At Seymour, obviously we’ve got our eyes on the flag and it’d be nice to bring that home at the end of the year.
“And then personally, I want to hopefully get a few more opportunities at VFL level and test myself against some of the best in the state.”
Off the field, Rigoni spends his time working as a roof plumber while also supporting his girlfriend Cassidy’s equestrian adventures.
Many inside Rigoni’s close circle made the trip to Coburg to watch him in action, leaving the young talent grateful in the aftermath of his debut.
“The support that I get from friends and family and the boys at Seymour is huge,” he said.
“They’re always messaging me, seeing how I’m going, what I’m up to and a fair few of them came down on the weekend for my debut, so it was really good to hear them cheering on from the sidelines.
“I’d also like to say thank you to Coburg Football Club for the opportunity to train and play at the next level and thanks to head coach Jamie (Cassidy-McNamara) and Matt White the midfield coach for the help and advice along the way.”
Senior Sports Journalist