Exiled West Coast Eagles star Willi Rioli rejects cheat claim
West Coast forward Willie Rioli is awaiting resolution on doping charges 11 months after an initial breach amid disquiet about the ongoing delay.
Exiled Eagle Willie Rioli has declared he would never cheat in a video that has since been deleted as he awaits judgment on multiple doping breaches.
The premiership forward has not played since being withdrawn from the West Coast side prior to their losing semi-final effort against Geelong in Melbourne in September last year.
The 25-year-old was provisionally suspended for tampering with a urine sample in a test taken in August last year. He later tested positive to a metabolite of cannabis on match day and is still awaiting a finding 11 months after the initial breach.
Rioli faces a potential four-year ban on the tampering charge, but challenged suggestions he was a drug cheat.
“I’m not complaining or hiding away from my mistake. We ain’t done yet. I’ve never needed to cheat. Check my family footy resume,” he wrote before deleting the post.
The Eagles, meanwhile, are bracing for a significant test of their credentials on the field over the next fortnight after returning to the eight for the first time since Round 1.
The seventh-placed Eagles claimed their third win in succession when they defeated Fremantle by five goals in the western derby on Sunday night.
It is the Eagles’ fourth win from seven matches this season and positions them well given the likelihood they will play another five matches in succession at home before a potential relocation.
West Coast coach Adam Simpson believes the Eagles have found their rhythm after struggling through the early stages of their stint in the Gold Coast hub.
Introducing youngsters such as Brayden Ainsworth, who made his derby debut as a late replacement for sidelined skipper Luke Shuey, has lifted enthusiasm in the team.
Simpson said for a period in the early stages of the season resumption it felt as though the Eagles were not running hard enough in matches, but he feels that has been rectified.
While West Coast ultimately found a semblance of their best in the latter stages of the hub stint, returning home has also proved beneficial.
But a truer test of their standing will come over the next fortnight when they play Collingwood on Sunday and Geelong a week later.
Those sides complete their quarantine requirements in Perth this weekend and will play the two West Australian-based clubs in Rounds 8 and 9.
The Eagles’ losses have come against Gold Coast, Brisbane and Port Adelaide, with those three clubs all sitting in the eight.
Their wins have come against clubs outside the eight. The third-placed Collingwood and the Cats, who are sitting fifth, are considered fellow premiership contenders.
“Whether we are back on track and in a space that is going to compete with teams like Collingwood and Geelong, we will find out,” Simpson said.
“The next two to three weeks is really going to define everyone’s season and we are probably going to have to step up another level to knock off the Pies next week.”
Shuey, who is among the spate of stars in recent weeks to suffer hamstring injuries, is expected to return on Sunday after his late withdrawal from the derby.
The West Coast coach believes clubs will need to use more of their lists in coming weeks to cope with the compressed fixtures between Rounds 9 and 12, which are expected to be released on Tuesday.
The Eagles currently have used 30 players in their seven matches to date.
Of clubs sitting in the eight before St Kilda’s clash against Adelaide on Monday night to complete Round 7, Brisbane, Geelong and Gold Coast had used 28 players.
The Bulldogs sit at the other extreme, having used 34 players this year.
There have been calls from some coaches to increase the number of players on the interchange bench through the next phase of the fixtures to ensure players can cope with the greater frequency of matches.
But Simpson believes the introduction of shorter quarters this year has been beneficial and should enable players to cope with the demands.
More Coverage
To our members and fans, THANK YOU! ðŸ™ðŸ’™ðŸ™Œ pic.twitter.com/3pA6K1mNc6
— West Coast Eagles (@WestCoastEagles) July 19, 2020
The emotional moment Petracca truth became clear
There is no doubt what Christian Petracca went through last year had the star questioning his future. But Simon Goodwin knew in December – his star was back and ready to get even better.
Dons’ dual half-back threat lights up match sim
Majority of Essendon’s best 23 had the chance to play together in match sim on Saturday as the battle for a list spot heated up. Get the latest intel.