Port Adelaide and Sam Mitchell comment on Willie Rioli's Hawthorn attack

Warning: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that this story makes references to a person who has died.

UPDATE

Port Adelaide has released a statement regarding the since-deleted social media post from Willie Rioli directed at the Hawthorn Football Club.

“Willie Rioli and his family continue to carry deep-seated pain and sadness from past family experiences,” read the Power statement.

“Despite the depth of feeling Willie and his family have, social media was not the appropriate forum for Willie to share his emotions last night. Willie understands this.

“Willie’s welfare remains our priority and the club will continue to provide support for Willie and his family through this time.”

Hawks coach Sam Mitchell also commented on the situation surrounding his former West Coast colleague.

“I’ve had a relationship with Willie for a long period of time,” Mitchell said Channel 9’s Footy Classified.

“We worked together over in the west, and we’ve been in regular contact since then.

“I hope we can have a conversation about this at a more appropriate time. If we do, that will remain private.

“I’m not sure of all the detail around it, we haven’t heard from Willie himself at this stage.

“If I was to get in contact with him, that would not be a public forum, it’s something I’d do privately.”

EARLIER

The resigning AFLPA CEO Paul Marsh has spoken of the hate comments received by Rioli following his social media message targeting the Hawks.

“The racist and homophobic comments sent to Willie on his social media accounts are beyond unacceptable," Marsh said.

"For what feels like the 1000th time, we ask these so-called football supporters to stop racially abusing the players.”

In the since-deleted Instagram post, Port Adelaide’s Rioli took aim at Hawthorn.

The Power forward cheekily showed the ball to Changkuoth Jiath as he kicked a goal late in Port’s 30-point win over the Hawks at the Adelaide Oval on Sunday night.

Jiath took offence to Rioli's actions and felled him in the goal square, resulting in a free kick and a simple second goal which essentially ended the contest.

Rioli reposted the AFL’s video of him on his Instagram story, accompanied with a scathing message.

“Play with fire, you’re gonna get burnt," he wrote.

"My hatred for this club goes way pass last year antics, what they did to my dad, and my brother, is why I can’t stand them. Not the players. #Cococlub.”

Rioli’s late father Willie Snr was drafted by the Hawks in 1990 but never played a senior game for the club.

His cousin Cyril - a Hawks legend - was the lead applicant in a lawsuit against Hawthorn which was settled in November.

Last week Rioli lifted the lid on the emotional trauma and guilt he has experienced since serving his drug-related ban from the AFL.

The 29-year-old was handed a back-dated two-year suspension in March 2021 for tampering with a drug sample. He was playing for the West Coast Eagles at the time of the ban.

“I don’t shy from my passed (sic),” he wrote under a video montage of Andrew Dillon, Adam Simpson, his teammates, family and children.

“I do blame myself everyday and have sleepless nights for hurting my teammates, the club, the ones I love and who were there for me along my journey.

“I know I hurt so many people during my situation and darkest time, it took me a while to accept my faith, I believe now everything happens for a reason, the good and the bad, but regardless of the situation, I learnt not to dwell on the passed (sic) and on the things out of my control any more.

Rioli booted three goals and provided two goal assists as Port shocked the Hawks in the final fixture of Gather Round.