Port Adelaide’s Willie Rioli has stepped away from team duties

amid fallout from an online outburst targeting Hawthorn.

The small forward skipped a recovery session this week,

with the club backing his choice to take temporary leave.

His Instagram account vanished shortly after the controversy.

Rioli’s fiery clash with Hawthorn’s Changkuoth Jiath during Sunday’s match

culminated in a dramatic double-goal sequence and a scuffle.

Posting footage of the incident, he captioned it with a cryptic message,

claiming long-standing family grievances fuel his disdain for the Hawks.

Port officials emphasized support for Rioli’s well-being,

stressing his absence is open-ended but likely brief.

The incident reignited tensions beyond on-field rivalry,

hinting at unresolved personal history between the parties.

Willie Rioli, the Port Adelaide goalsneak, was recently given a day off from training following an incident on social media. The player faced racial abuse after posting content related to Hawthorn, which he later deleted.

The AFL Players Association stood firmly behind Rioli, condemning the unacceptable racist and homophobic comments directed at him. Paul Marsh, the chief of the AFLPA, issued a statement highlighting the need for fans to stop racially abusing players, emphasizing that this is not the first time such a request has been made.

Racism within the sport has a personal history for the Rioli family. Willie Rioli Sr., who passed away in 2022, was drafted by the Hawks in 1990 but never played a senior game. Additionally, Cyril Rioli, Willie's cousin and a four-time premiership player with Hawthorn, along with other former indigenous Hawthorn players, settled a federal court case with the club over racism claims last year.

In response to the recent events, Port Adelaide released a statement acknowledging the deep pain and sadness the Rioli family continues to feel due to past experiences. The club emphasized that while social media may not have been the right platform for Willie to express his emotions, his well-being remains a top priority, and they will continue to support him and his family.

After the heated match against Hawthorn, Power coach Ken Hinkley downplayed Rioli's taunt towards Changkuoth Jiath, referring to it as showmanship. Hinkley admitted he did not see the specific incident but was pleased that Rioli got a second shot at goal during the game. It's worth noting that Hinkley himself was fined $20,000 by the AFL last year for taunting Hawthorn players after a close semi-final win.

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