The saga involving yet another Indigenous AFL player, Willie Rioli, has recently gotten a very sour twist. In fact, he chose not to play in a recent match against Adelaide over the weekend, and the league handed him a one-match suspension for doing so. The player’s extraordinary situation has caused unprecedented uproar. Then indirectly threatened Western Bulldogs player Bailey Dale, which resulted in his receiving racial abuse after threatening Geelong players earlier. As Rioli trains for Saturday’s next Showdown against the Crows, the storm from all these incidents continues to swirl.
Rioli showed great strength by pulling out of an exhibition game against Adelaide in response to the AFL announcing his suspension. This suspension was already the case because of his repeated prior violations. This suspension adds a new layer of complexity to his situation. It’s that last affront that the league is currently and actively working to sort out a solution to, and that’s only one such incident of racism and death threats between its players.
Rumors started circulating that a letter asking for Rioli’s release had actually been written almost a month prior. This letter grounded him, illustrated the challenges he was going through, and the possible consequences of his behavior. Unfortunately for Rioli, colorful history of targeting Geelong players in the past bubbled back up. This ever-present unfortunate behavior has brought massive backlash from both media and Joker fans alike.
Rioli, who in recent weeks has been the target of racial abuse on social media, shared that experience on his Instagram before deleting the post after taking some screenshots. Most prominently, his social media activity reached a new level of controversy with a classic post showcasing a clip scoring a match-winning goal against Hawthorn. The caption for the video blindsided IGOT with the specific, personal attacks. It detailed familial problems that served to intensify his hatred of the organization. This post was quickly deleted in the face of increasing outrage and criticism.
Adding to the controversy, Chris Davies, a representative from Port Adelaide Football Club, expressed his devastation regarding the reporting of Rioli’s situation. He communicated with Tanya Hosch, emphasizing the impact this incident has had on both him and the Port Adelaide Football Group.
“Tanya, I hope that I have always been seen by our Indigenous and Multicultural players, and AFL staff members, as an ally in supporting the AFL in trying to stamp out racism in our game but I must admit, this incident has had an impact on me and all the PAFC Football Group.” – Chris Davies
These events occur at a particularly impactful time. They correspond with Indigenous Round, a week focused on honoring Indigenous culture within the game. Journalist Caroline Wilson positively tore apart the AFL’s handling of racial issues in this time period. Even worse, she noted, is the failure of key actors—including Andrew Dillon and Laura Kane—to communicate.
“I just can’t understand why this is not something that we are confronting in a week when we are meant to be confronting and celebrating our Indigenous heritage and our Indigenous players, and I don’t understand why everyone at the AFL is avoiding it.” – Caroline Wilson
Wilson’s comments are a reflection of a growing frustration from both partisan and nonpartisan observers. They feel the league has not done enough to address systemic issues involving racism and player behavior. Yet she didn’t stop there, challenging the leadership behind the AFL, demanding greater accountability from those in power.
“We haven’t heard from Andrew Dillon at all, we haven’t heard from Laura Kane, or Tanya Hosch, or Richard Goyder.” – Caroline Wilson
The controversy surrounding Willie Rioli underscores larger issues within the AFL regarding player behavior, racial abuse, and the effectiveness of the league’s disciplinary system. Former player Nick Riewoldt condemned this system, operating under Laura Kane’s leadership, claiming it’s arbitrary and not transparent.
“Under Laura Kane, the AFL’s disciplinary system has been a disaster. It’s just been a spin the wheel and see where it lands.” – Nick Riewoldt
Rioli looks set to spend another week on the sidelines from competitive action, as he prepares to miss Saturday’s Showdown against Adelaide. At the same time, serious questions remain about the AFL’s handling of these alarming incidents. The league is clearly under pressure to do the right thing and properly respond to Rioli’s situation. Finally, it needs to do more to challenge racism with tougher penalties, not only for the integrity of Australian football, but the integrity of Australian society.
