Dean Rioli joined the Board in November, 2022.

Dean is one of Essendon’s most celebrated Indigenous players, playing 100 games for the Bombers between 1999 and 2006. A Tiwi man, Dean was recruited from the South Fremantle Football Club in the 1998 Rookie Draft.

Following his AFL career, Dean spent 15 years supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in to meaningful employment. He worked with organisations to develop a culturally safe environment to attract and retain Aboriginal workforce. Dean is the Managing Director of Bunji Hire, established in late 2019 a majority owned Aboriginal business offering a range of plant and equipment to clients across Australia. He is also the Deputy Chair for Bridging the Gap Foundation, on the Board for Melbourne Indigenous Transition School and the current Head Coach for the Moonee Valley Premier League Women’s team.

Dean is the chair of the First Nations Advisory Council and a member of the People & Remuneration Committee.