‘Foolish and weak’: Caroline Wilson slams AFL for lack of leadership on Rioli

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‘Foolish and weak’: Caroline Wilson slams AFL for lack of leadership on Rioli

By Jon Pierik
Updated

Port Adelaide’s account of the daily racism experienced by Willie Rioli has exposed a lack of leadership from the AFL in its handling of Rioli’s alleged threatening behaviour, according to prominent football journalist Caroline Wilson.

Rioli returned to training at Alberton on Monday and completed light duties, with Port hopeful the goalkicker will line up against Geelong at Adelaide Oval on Saturday after standing himself down for last weekend’s Showdown.

Port Adelaide hope to have Willie Rioli back in their team this week against Geelong.

Port Adelaide hope to have Willie Rioli back in their team this week against Geelong.Credit: AFL Photos

He would have served a one-match AFL suspension anyway, after two allegations of on-field threats against opponents came to light following an initial reprimand, but not suspension, from the league for allegedly sending a threatening message intended for Western Bulldogs player Bailey Dale.

Speaking on the Real Footy podcast on Monday, Age columnist Wilson said the AFL looked “foolish and weak” for its initial lack of action, and because no senior figure had spoken publicly about the matter. Wilson was among the first to call out booing of former Swans champion Adam Goodes at the time and to criticise the AFL and then chief executive Gillon McLachlan for being slow to condemn it.

The AFL later apologised for the game’s treatment of Goodes, who still does not attend AFL functions such as the Brownlow Medal, which he has won twice.

“He [Port football boss Chris Davies] was so strong on the racism Willie has faced that leads to this frame of mind. [Port chairman] David Koch has been so strong, [coach] Ken Hinkley. We’ve not heard one word from an organisation that the last leadership at the AFL, the biggest, biggest blot on Gillon McLachlan’s leadership was Adam Goodes. And we’re heading down this road again,” Wilson said on the podcast.

“I’m told that when they were told on that [club] CEO hook-up on Thursday, when the CEOs were told, ‘you’ve got to dob people in, you’ve got to tell us about these incidents, don’t just leak it to the media’ – I gather some CEOs just openly scoffed at them. Coaches secondhand hearing it, openly scoffed,” Wilson added.

She was critical of AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon, football executive Laura Kane, inclusion executive Tanya Hosch and AFL Players Association chief executive Paul Marsh.

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“… The suspension was irrelevant because he’d already stood down, it was grandstanding … The words I think that [were] used were, ‘it shows a pattern of behaviour’. I mean please … No one from a position of leadership apart from Port Adelaide has come out and said anything on what I feel is a really big and potentially divisive issue.”

The AFL has been contacted for comment.

Davies and others at Port condemned Rioli’s alleged behaviour but the football boss provided context in an interview with Nine Radio on Saturday about the treatment he regularly receives both while playing and on social media.

“Willie Rioli gets racially abused almost every day, when he does something good or bad in people’s eyes,” Davies said.

“I think firstly, it’s really important to say Willie has put his hand up and said that he wished he didn’t send the text message after the game.

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“[And I am not] suggesting in the two instances highlighted [that] anything said was believed to be racist, but what you’ve highlighted [weight and drug abuse commentary] are two issues Willie has to deal with regularly.

“My question to you would be, if someone has been abused through their life as overweight and part of that conversation has included what they are eating as part of their cultural diet, would you expect that the next time that person is called overweight, that person, in some way, links that back to what they have received across their life.

“The marijuana use ... would you consider ‘go and smoke drugs with your mates’, is that something that, when it has been prevalent in a community, it might have more significance for the person that is hearing it.”

The Power lost to Adelaide by five points at the weekend and Hinkley acknowledged Rioli “might have been handy tonight”.

“He’ll be fine. We’ll look after him, we’ll make some decisions and make sure he’s OK,” Hinkley said.

Geelong playmaker Tom Stewart is pushing to play against the Power after an injury-interrupted start to his season.

Geelong playmaker Tom Stewart is pushing to play against the Power after an injury-interrupted start to his season.Credit: Getty Images

“Our major focus is to make sure Willie is OK ... he has got our care, and he always will.”

A Port spokesman confirmed on Monday he was back at the club and took part in light work on the training track.

“We expect him to be available this weekend,” the spokesman said.

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The Cats, meantime, expect Tom Stewart to return on Saturday.

Coach Chris Scott said the match-winning, creative half-back, was in contention to play, having missed the past fortnight with a knee problem. Lawson Humphries (concussion) was also due back.

“According to him, he is a lock,” Scott said of Humphries.

Defender Jack Henry (hamstring) could also be in contention, although Scott pointed out that there was only a five-day break between the clash with the Power and the Cats’ next game against the Western Bulldogs at GMHBA Stadium.

with AAP

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