‘NEVER GOT A CHANCE’: BASKETBALL PLAYER IDENTIFIED AS FATAL STABBING VICTIM
0‘Never got a chance’: Basketball player identified as fatal stabbing victim
By Cassandra Morgan March 14. 2022 — 9.15pm Save Log in. register or subscribe to save articles for later. Share Normal text sizeLarger text sizeVery large text size A 23 year old man who was stabbed to death in Melbourne at the weekend has been identified as promising basketball player Alier Riak. Mr Riak. who lived in Western Australia. died at the Royal Melbourne Hospital in the early hours of Sunday morning. A social media slide posted by the Darwin Salties of Alier Riak. who died after being stabbed in Melbourne in the early hours of Sunday. Credit:Facebook Victoria Police are still hunting for his attacker. having found Mr Riak with stab wounds to his upper body after they were called to reports of a brawl between a group of men in Bourke Street in Docklands. Another 26 year old man stabbed in the incident was discharged from The Alfred hospital on Sunday morning. Members of the basketball community were among those mourning Mr Riak’s death on Monday. Mr Riak had only last month signed up to play with the semi professional basketball team Darwin Salties in the Northern Territory in 2022. Men’s head coach Matt Flinn said he was “in disbelief” when he heard Mr Riak had died. and it was devastating for the young player’s family and everyone who knew him. “The last thing we spoke about (last Friday) was how excited we both were to start this new journey together.” Mr Flinn said in a statement. “He had such a raw passion that shone through every time we spoke about basketball and life I told him to select his flights and get moving. he was pumped. “I am still in a bit of shock to be truthful. Alier will always be a part of our program. we will honour his legacy that he never got a chance to start ... again it is more about his immediate family right now.” Basketball WA general operations manager Adam Bowler described Mr Riak as someone who was not only a talented young basketballer. “but also a great character”. “He was a former WA high performance state team athlete who excelled playing in the NBL1 West for the Warwick Senators and was a valued employee with Basketball WA working as a Games Controller.” he said. Darwin Basketball general manager Kerri Savidge said that. while Mr Riak was yet to wear a singlet for the Salties. his coach. teammates. and the wider Darwin community were excited to have him on board. She said they would “honour his place as an inaugural team member and provide a legacy in his honour”. Western Australian based team the Warwick Senators said Mr Riak was a talented junior and NBL 1 player and “a kind and genuine man”. Police were yet to make any arrests related to the incident on Monday evening. A 16 year old boy. Declan Cutler. was also fatally stabbed at Reservoir in Melbourne’s north on the weekend. Our Breaking News Alert will notify you of significant breaking news when it happens. Get it here. Thank you for reading The Age. This article is complimentary. Register or log in now to read more articles and unlock extra benefits. No payment required Read more Continue with GoogleContinue with Apple or Email addressContinue By continuing. you agree to your personal information being collected under our privacy policy and accept our terms of use. Hide content
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