From Ramco, South Australia, Ricciuto started as a junior with the local Waikerie Magpies Football Club.

Consistently considered one of the best midfielders in the competition during the early 2000s (decade), Ricciuto shared the 2003 Brownlow Medal with Nathan Buckley and Adam Goodes, and was selected in the All-Australian team for four consecutive seasons between 2002 and 2005, captaining the side in both 2004 and 2005.

After a stellar year in 1997 (in which he received his second All-Australian guernsey) he ended up missing the 1997 premiership due to a late season injury.

In 2003, he was joint winner of the league's highest individual honor, the Brownlow Medal, with Collingwood's Nathan Buckley and Sydney's Adam Goodes.

Late in the 2006 season, Ricciuto was ruled out of the Crows' final few matches due to a "mystery ailment" which was later found to be parvovirus B19.

During his career, he amassed an incredible eight All-Australian selections, a record matched in the AFL era only by St Kilda's Robert Harvey as well as Lance Franklin.

[7] In 2009, he played for Prince Alfred College Old Collegians in division 4 of the South Australian Amateur Football League.

[8] Ricciuto now works in the media is an AFL commentator for both Triple M and Fox Footy and also hosts the weekday Triple M breakfast show with former Australian world number 1 squash player Chris Dittmar and local media personality Laura O'Callaghan.