AFL 2019 | West Coast Eagles star Willie Rioli to be stood down after ASADA ‘irregularity’

West Coast Eagles star Willie Rioli has broken his silence on the tampering allegations levelled at him by ASADA after heading home to the NT.

Willie Rioli celebrates after scoring a goal.

West Coast Eagles star Willie Rioli has broken his silence over the scandal that has seen his season ended in the wake of allegations that he tampered with a urine sample provided to ASADA.

The bombshell was dropped on Thursday and AFL general counsel Andrew Dillon said in front of the media there had been an “adverse analytical finding and potential violation of the Australian Football anti-doping code”.

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“Following an out of competition doping control test on 20 August this year, it is asserted that Rioli’s A-sample returned an adverse analytical finding for urine substitution which is a prohibited method under the code,” he said.

“ASADA informed the AFL yesterday of the results of the testing of the sample and Rioli was formally notified late last night when he came to Melbourne. Under the code, ASADA conducts testing for the AFL as part of a comprehensive doping program designed to protect the integrity of the AFL competition. The provisional suspension is effective immediately.”

After the test Rioli had fled to Darwin to be with family and friends as he dealt with the consequences but on Friday afternoon he broke his silence in a post on his Facebook page.

Willie Rioli (left) has touched down in Darwin to be with family. Picture: Supplied

“Just want to thank all my real family & friends for all the love and support through this tough time!” Rioli said in a post on Facebook on Friday.

“Im so so sorry I had to put yous (sic) all through this! We will get through this!

“I’ve gone through tougher times life support, depression, bullying an we’ve gotten through!

“Hopefully this lil mistake is a lesson to be learnt! This definitely doesn’t define me as a person! I love yous all.”

Willie Rioli has broken his silence after one day.

Rioli will not be eligible to compete while the investigation is ongoing but will be able to train with the West Coast squad.

He is however going to have to watch West Coast from afar against Geelong this evening and his assertion that it is a “lil (sic) mistake” might be extremely far from reality.

The maximum ban for the charge he faces is four years away from footy.

Willie Rioli could be looking at a four year ban.

MCLACHLAN WEIGHS IN ON LONG PROCESS

Earlier on Friday AFL chief Gillon McLachlan said he feels for Willie Rioli, but has warned West Coast to prepare for a lengthy investigation into his alleged tampering with the urine test.

McLachlan and West Coast have expressed their concerns for Rioli’s mental health while he has the threat of a four-year ban hanging over him. But the AFL boss said that the joint AFL-ASADA investigation must be given time to run its course.

“Technically there are provisions for an expedited hearing but my understanding is (it won’t be),” McLachlan replied on 3AW on Friday when asked if there was any chance the investigation could finish before the grand final.

Gillon McLachlan is concerned for Willie Rioli’s wellbeing.

“The priority for West Coast and for us is Willie’s mental health — that’s not something that’s in contemplation.

“He has been provisionally suspended while ASADA continues their investigation and the case comes to a head.

“These things take some time and this is clearly something that’s different from the standard ones so I’m sure it will take some time.”

Collingwood’s Sam Murray was recently handed an 18-month doping ban arising from a test that occurred in August last year.

“It’s the way that the code works,” McLachlan said.

“These are complicated cases but our industry, the AFL and our clubs, accept that they are signatories to this code and that’s the way it works.”

Rioli can train with the team during his provisional suspension, but can’t play in the WAFL or any other league that is signed up to the World Anti-Doping Agency code.

“I’m cautious — but I think they (ASADA) were only clear when the final results came in on Wednesday that it wasn’t urine,” McLachlan said.

McLachlan would not say whether Rioli has been tested again after the alleged tampering took place or whether he has any strikes to his name under the league’s illicit substance code, which is separate to the ASADA code.

POURING LIQUID INTO THE BEAKER

Earlier Dillon said the provisional suspension will last until the matter is finalised with the maximum penalty of four years for the violation of the code.

Herald Sun journalist Sam Edmund reported Rioli “was caught pouring a liquid into a drug-test beaker” in “attempt to dupe anti-doping officers”.

“You are saying in your story that the substitute, or the attempted substitute, took place under their (testers) nose and they spotted it at the time?” Tim Watson asked Edmund on SEN Breakfast.

“That this is not a sample that has been taken away and then they’ve gone, ‘hang on…’”

“Yes. The report has been filed immediately,” Edmund said in response.

“It’s happened too quickly for that they tell me. If it had gone through the lab, the process is a lot slower.

“The tight turnaround and the mail we received subsequent to that is that, yes, the detectors picked up the substitution in the act of doing the actual test.

“What he’s used, we don’t know. There’s lots of theories going around that he’s put water in, he’s put Gatorade in there. We don’t know how.”

The question was then put to Edmund if the livewire Eagles player panicked when ASADA testers arrived to performer the drug test.

“100 per cent, I think so,” he said.

“No one is saying anything around the space that it is performance enhancing. So we are led to believe that it’s an illicit substance of some kind.

“When ASADA test for an illicit substance and you glow, you test positive. There’s not even a strike, it’s a slap on the wrist (if not on game day).

“This wasn’t game day. It was a Tuesday after the West Coast Eagles played Richmond at the MCG. He’s gone from in a state of panic, we think, from no ban whatsoever to a potential four-year ban.

“The people I spoke to yesterday say manipulating a urine sample is just about as serious as it gets. This is bug stuff.”

Rioli played two games after the test was conducted.

But the decision hasn’t sat well with some AFL pundits with AFL360 host Mark Robinson, AFL Tonight’s Leigh Montagna and retiring star Jordan Lewis raising concerns around the test.

Robinson said the process entails players dropping their pants and underpants to their knees, their shirt under their arms with the tester watching.

Robinson said he didn’t understand how the urine could be substituted.

“I would not be surprised if the error here is ASADA’s doing,” Robinson said. “Unless he is the most elaborate sleight of hand person, if he watched Willie wee into a jar, how could it possibly not be urine.”

Gerard Whateley said it was hard to understand if it was ASADA’s issue why Rioli would be suspended now.

Earlier, St Kilda great Montagna didn’t understand how Rioli could have done what appears to be alleged.

“I find it incredibly hard to believe he has intentionally got away with deceiving ASADA in producing something other than urine,” Montagna told AFL Tonight.

“I don’t think there’s anything there to suggest that Willie Rioli is in the wrong.

“They’re just saying the sample has come back as saying ‘something other than urine’ in the sample.”

Willie Rioli in action.

Four-time premiership player Jordan Lewis said he couldn’t understand how it could possibly happen.

“It’d just be how has this happened,” Lewis said on AFL360. “Even the information that’s come out so far, we talk about it and we go it’s just not possible. From a player who’s been through the testing regime as recently as two months ago I just can’t see how it can possibly happen.

“I don’t know how it has happened. I would think it’s impossible.”

Speaking this afternoon, West Coast GM of football Craig Vozzo said Rioli was “very, very flat” and had left the team to be with family.

“The club and the staff are really worried about his wellbeing. He’s not in a great space and it’s our job to help him as much as we can,” Vozzo said.

“He’s a little bit of a mess to be honest emotionally, we’ve had some productive discussions with him but they’ll be ongoing with David Grace QC, who will be our leading counsel on the matter. We’re still in the fact finding process.”

Vozzo said the players were “pretty emotional” about the news.

He said it was the beginning of the process with the “something other than urine that has been produced by Willie as part of the testing process”.

General Manager of Football Craig Vozzo addressed the media regarding Willie Rioli. pic.twitter.com/BcYGr4KfD6

— West Coast Eagles (@WestCoastEagles) September 12, 2019

In regard to the Willie Rioli announcement, he has not tested positive to a banned substance. The AFL presser is that his sample allegedly shows urine substitution. So it is more a tampering /substitution allegation.

A most serious allegation.

— Richard Ings (@ringsau) September 12, 2019

To clarify, test suggests sample was allegedly tampered with, not substituted with another person’s urine. Investigation pending but Rioli can not play AFL or WAFL under provisional ban. Can train.

— Ryan Daniels (@FootyRhino) September 12, 2019

West Coast GM of football Craig Vozzo speaks to the media.

The West Coast Eagles released a statement of their website.

“The West Coast Eagles have been made aware that Willie Rioli is the subject of an ASADA and AFL investigation,” the statement read.

“The club is extremely disappointed that one of our players has been provisionally suspended while a matter is being investigated and it will comply fully and openly with ASADA and the AFL through the process.

“The club is fully committed to supporting Willie during what is a personally distressing time.

Our primary concern is Willie’s health and welfare.

“As this is an ongoing investigation the club, its staff and players can make no further comment until the investigation is completed.

“The West Coast Eagles fully supports the AFL and ASADA in its ideal of our game being drug free.”

The AFL Players’ Association said they would “continue to provide support to Willie and the club throughout the process”.

Jack Petruccelle has flown to Melbourne as a replacement for Rioli for the final against Geelong.