AFL were not aware of previous alleged Willie Rioli threats when they declined to hand down punishment
It’s been revealed that the AFL’s decision not to hand down a punishment to Willie Rioli was made without the knowledge of previous alleged threats to players as a third incident emerges.
AFL officials were not aware of allegations that Willie Rioli had made previous threats to opposition players when they declined to punish the Port Adelaide forward for his hostile warning to Bulldog Bailey Dale.
Rioli allegedly threatened an unnamed Geelong player during the round 9, 2024 clash between the two sides.
But it is understood the information was only brought to AFL football manager Laura Kane on Tuesday, after the league chose to not sanction the Power player for his message to a Dogs player threatening Dale.
Port Adelaide on Tuesday night confirmed Rioli’s alleged incident against the Cats.
There was reportedly a third incident earlier this season, where Rioli allegedly said similarly threatening words towards an unnamed Bombers player.
Rioli privately apologised to Dale after he messaged one of Dale’s teammates after Saturday’s game, suggesting the defender should not leave his hotel room during the team’s trip to Darwin.
Geelong opted to not alert the AFL of the incident at GMHBA Stadium, instead dealing with the matter directly with Port Adelaide after the player requested to keep the incident private.
The comments made by Rioli were heard by several Geelong players, who were reportedly shocked by the comments.
The Power have been providing counselling and support to Rioli for some time regarding his use of social media and how he responds to others.
The club also understands there is a distinction between comments made on-field and those Rioli made later through a text or direct message on social media, with insults made in the heat of a game more common.
Rioli and Dale had a scuffle on the field, where Rioli was fined $1000 for striking the Bulldog.
However the message was not sent until the following day.
The AFL chose not to sanction Rioli despite the threatening tone of his message, however shortly after league officials became aware of similar incidents dating back a year.
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