Alex Aurrichio

Early life and career Alex Aurrichio was born in Huntington, New York. The son of Louis and Jill Aurrichio, he grew up with his four siblings in Dix Hills, Long Island.

Aurrichio attended Half Hollow Hills High School West, where he played basketball, baseball, and soccer. He was a member of the team's Division 1 premiership team.

While trying to find a club for the 2015 season, he trained with as , and in the Victorian Football League (VFL). On 27 January 2015, the Northern Blues signed Aurrichio for the 2015 VFL season. The club described him as "perhaps the most high-profile of all recruits anywhere in the VFL". He joined the VFL Academy squad to develop his football skills.

After playing several games for the Blues' Development League team, Aurrichio made his senior VFL debut against at Preston City Oval in round 6, recording 18 hitouts during the match. In round 19, he was named among the Blues' best players in a 90-point loss to . At the end of the year, he won the Oscar Lipson Award as the Blues' best clubman.

He played a total of eleven matches for the Blues, although his opportunities at the senior VFL level were limited in 2016.

South Adelaide In March 2017, Aurrichio left the Northern Blues and moved to in the North East Australian Football League (NEAFL). However, through the contacts of Brad Gotch, he instead joined in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL). He arrived in Adelaide on 7 April 2017, the day of his first SANFL reserves match.

Aurrichio continued playing for Waratah during the 2019–20 season. After the conclusion of the season, he made the decision to move to Darwin permanently. When not selected by Southport, Aurrichio played for in the Queensland Australian Football League (QAFL).

During the 2019 NEAFL season, he played four matches and kicked one goal. He won the Ken McDonald Most Dedicated Player Award at Southport.

All the football clubs that Aurrichio had played for in Australia released statements paying tribute. The Northern Blues described him as "larger than life character [who] influenced our group with enthusiasm and motivation", South Adelaide said he "leaves an impact far greater than the eight games he played",

In the United States, National Basketball Association (NBA) player Tobias Harris, who played with Aurrichio at Half Hollow Hills High School West, said he was "sad, shocked and in disbelief". A resolution to express condolences was introduced by Katherine Kazarian in the Rhode Island General Assembly and passed on 17 June 2020.

A fundraiser set up by former Waratah and AFL Women's (AFLW) player Abbey Holmes raised to help Aurrichio's family in having his body returned to New York. The funeral service for Aurrichio was held on 22 June 2020 at St Mary's Star of the Sea Cathedral and live-streamed online. His eulogy was read by Tom Fields, who played with Aurrichio at the Northern Blues, South Adelaide and Southport. His high school basketball jersey number was retired in December 2021.

Legacy Alex Aurrichio Medal The Alex Aurrichio Medal (sometimes referred to as the Alexander Aurrichio Medal) was awarded to the player named best-on-ground in VFL matches between and the Northern Bullants (formerly known as the Northern Blues) from 2022 until the end of 2025.

Southport joined the VFL after the NEAFL was disbanded in 2020; the clubs did not play each other during the 2021 season, which was curtailed due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the first match between the clubs in 2022, Southport's Boyd Woodcock won the inaugural medal after recording 34 disposals and kicking two goals in a 68-point victory over the Bullants at Preston City Oval. In 2023, the match was played at Fankhauser Reserve for the first and only time; Woodcock won the award for a second year in a row and passed the medal to Tom Fields after he received it.

The fourth edition of the award was in 2025, when Southport won by 109 points – its highest-ever winning margin over the Bullants. Hugh Dixon received the medal after kicking 13 goals during the match, including five in the first quarter. This would become the final time the medal was presented, as the Bullants had its VFL licence revoked at the end of the season and entered voluntary liquidation several months later.