Secret Cyril Rioli texts reveal comeback plan under Alastair Clarkson before Hawthorn racism saga exploded

Shock texts have revealed Cyril Rioli was plotting an AFL comeback to play under Alastair Clarkson just weeks before the Hawthorn racism saga erupted.

Hawthorn great Cyril Rioli explored a shock AFL comeback under former coach Alastair Clarkson at North Melbourne only one month before Hawthorn’s racism saga exploded.

In a dramatic new twist to one of the AFL’s most devastating scandals, the Herald Sun can reveal Rioli spoke with Clarkson on the phone and in a series of text messages in August and September, 2022, about reigniting his brilliant career under his former senior coach.

The shock messages with Clarkson about a possible AFL comeback showed the pair remained in contact only weeks out from the racism scandal erupting in grand final week of September of 2022, which marked the beginning of legal action against those involved.

The pair queried whether Rioli would wear “charcoal and orange or blue and white” in his second AFL stint under Clarkson, as the four-time premiership coach weighed up strong interest from the Kangaroos and GWS Giants.

Cyril Rioli and Alastair Clarkson after Hawthorn’s 2008 premiership win.

Rioli said “Yeah, I’m interested and keen” to pull the boots back on age 33, and later congratulated Clarkson when the club announced he had signed a five-year deal to coach North Melbourne ahead of the 2023 season.

Clarkson, who remained in contact with Rioli over the four years since his shock retirement in 2018, was buoyed by Rioli’s interest in a comeback, and invited the brilliant small forward from Darwin to Melbourne for a secret training stint.

In the never-before-publicly-revealed text message exchange, Clarkson said the club would only commit to giving Rioli a list spot if the 2015 Norm Smith Medalist and three-time All-Australian showed his commitment and fitness levels over pre-season leading into 2023.

But as the weeks passed, Rioli conceded to Clarkson he would need another year to build fitness, and raised the prospect of instead joining the Kangaroos in an off-field role such as mentor or indigenous liaison officer.

Rioli told Clarkson he was interested about the possibility of playing under him at GWS Giants or North Melbourne.

Rioli indicated he could play a key role helping teach young Indigenous players under Clarkson in his first season in charge at Arden St, but also made inquiries about the terms of a playing or potential coaching contract.

Rioli, who is considered one of the greatest small forwards of the modern era after a sparkling career at Hawthorn including four premierships, questioned how the Kangaroos could pay him as part of the Roos’ salary cap or soft cap.

Rioli, who kicked 275 goals over 189 matches for the brown and gold, declined to comment to the Herald Sun on Friday.

He has privately acknowledged there was communication about considering a comeback in the text messages which were shown to the AFL after the scandal broke.

Alastair Clarkson and Chris Fagan during their time together at Hawthorn.

The Herald Sun can reveal the text messages following a two-year legal battle which saw Clarkson and former Hawthorn football operations manager Chris Fagan stood down from their senior coaching positions in late 2022 over allegations they ran a racist regime at Hawthorn in 2008-2015.

The communication between Rioli and Clarkson suddenly dried up when the racism saga erupted only days before the 2022 AFL Grand Final between Geelong and Sydney Swans.

It comes as former Bomber David Flood, who was development coach at Waverley between 2008-2012, this week contacted the Hawks in a bid to clarify comments he made in the Hawthorn cultural safety review which accused the club’s football department of operating like the “Russian Mafia”.

Rioli retired in 2018 after 189 games with the Hawks.

Cyril Rioli celebrates a goal during the 2015 Grand Final.

Rioli became the lead complainant in a statement of claim against his former club which accused Clarkson, former football operations manager Chris Fagan, welfare officer Jason Burt and player development manager Cameron Matthews of separating Indigenous players from their families.

Rioli accused Hawthorn of “unlawful discrimination” causing “psychological harm”, “distress” and “personal harm” throughout his career between 2008-2018.

Rioli and his partner Shannyn Ah Sam-Rioli, said they felt “culturally unsafe” at Hawthorn in their time at the club.

In particular, they had expressed their displeasure with former president Jeff Kennett about some comments he made about a pair of ripped jeans Shannyn wore at Launceston airport in June 2018 which left her feeling “belittled and humiliated”.

But Rioli’s friendship with Clarkson continued over text message over the following years, leading to Rioli’s comeback pitch in August-September, 2022.

The pair have not spoken since then despite Clarkson’s attempts to check in on Rioli’s welfare.

Kennett apologised to the Riolis for his insensitive comment about the jeans.

Hawthorn resolved the Federal Court matter on AFL draft night in November last year and apologised to Rioli and Shannyn, Jermaine Miller-Lewis, Montanah-Rae Lewis, Carl Peterson and former Hawthorn indigenous officer Leon Egan for their suffering at the club.

The four former Hawthorn coaches and staff members strongly denied the allegations and remain deeply affected by the saga.

Clarkson experienced a mental health breakdown in 2023 and took personal leave from the Kangaroos amid the devastating fallout.

Originally published as Secret Cyril Rioli texts reveal comeback plan under Alastair Clarkson before Hawthorn racism saga exploded