At selection No.61 in the 2003 National Draft, Michael Rischitelli was a bargain.

Rischitelli had risen quickly through the junior ranks before injuries seemed to have hampered his dream of being drafted to the AFL. The Vodafone Brisbane Lions, however, could not go past the Keilor product and didn’t hesitate in taking him with their last selection.

After only 22 senior matches, Rischitelli has stamped himself as an important cog in the Lions midfield and is widely recognised as one of the young stars of the competition. He has already been one of the team’s standout performers so far in NAB Cup competition as he approaches his fourth season of AFL football.

After being one of the Lions’ best in the team’s soggy win over St Kilda in Cairns, Rischitelli was brilliant in last week’s Quarter Final where he amassed 29 touches to help dismantle the acclaimed Western Bulldogs midfield.

His impressive development triggered senior coach Leigh Matthews into suggesting that Rischitelli is set for big things as his AFL career progresses.

“He’s not a dominant personality, so he takes a lot of time to get the belief in himself,” Matthews said at a press conference on Wednesday.

“He is a very, very capable player. I think he is an All Australian in the making.”

Earning such praise from the man many consider to be the best football player in history was the ultimate compliment for the young midfielder.

At only 21, he represents the next generation of exciting players at the Club which includes Justin Sherman and Jed Adcock.

Rischitelli made the most of his first opportunity at the senior level against Adelaide in 2004 following a late withdrawal from the team by veteran Shaun Hart. With short notice, Richitelli’s parents were promptly flown up to the Gabba to witness the beginning of their sons AFL career.

Rischitelli’s trademark ferocious tackling was on display from the moment he took to the field. Playing predominantly as a small forward, he pressured the Crows defence and managed to kick two goals in the record breaking 144-point victory. Despite being replaced in the side following week by Hart, it was an eye-catching debut that whetted the appetites of all Lions members and supporters.

While injuries forced him to miss much of 2005, he enjoyed a breakthrough season last year when he played 18 matches, earned a National Rising Star nomination, finished a career-best 8th in the Club Champion award and was honoured as the Club’s Most Improved Player. What’s more, he committed himself to the Club and re-signed with the Lions despite attempts from Victorian clubs to lure him back home.