Willie Rioli reveals late father’s inspiration behind 100-game AFL milestone

Willie Rioli has opened up on how his famous father’s last words have helped inspire him to achieve a football milestone he deemed “impossible” during a chequered AFL career.

More than once, for numerous reasons, 100 AFL games looked “impossible” for Willie Rioli.

And ahead of his milestone the Port Adelaide star small forward has revealed the advice from his late father that drives him and how he wants to be remembered.

On Saturday against Fremantle at Optus Stadium, Rioli will play his 100th game of a career that has had plenty of challenges and lessons learnt.

That it will happen in Sir Doug Nicholls Round makes it extra special for the 29-year-old from the Tiwi Islands.

Willie Rioli during West Coast’s 2018 Grand Final win over Collingwood. Picture: Mark Stewart

Rioli is pumped up during last year’s finals series.

“I always say everything happens for a reason and I am grateful that it happens on this day,” he said in an interview filmed by the Power.

“Something I carry very close to my heart is playing for everyone back home and every indigenous kid who feels like the AFL is a long way away for them.

“Coming from a remote community… it was something we all dreamed of but the reality is it is so far away and so hard to get here and I am grateful that it has landed on this day.”

Getting to 100 games would have seemed far away for Rioli at various points in his career.

“I never thought I would get drafted first but to then get drafted and then to play one game and all the injuries and setbacks I’ve had, 100 games did look impossible at certain times of my career,” he said.

“I’m just grateful for the support I have had along the way and the people I have met on my football journey.”

The setbacks Rioli has had have been highly publicised.

Rioli returned to football after a two-year ban from ASADA.

Rioli has become a much-loved player at the Power.

He was banned from playing AFL for two years by ASADA after tampering with a drugs test, in which he attempted to swap his urine with a clean sample from a Gatorade bottle during the test in September 2019.

In April 2021 he was caught with marijuana in his pants at Darwin Airport while trying to board a flight to the Tiwi Islands.

This year he was banned for a game after it was revealed he sent a message threatening Western Bulldogs defender Bailey Dale to a teammate and then the subsequent emergence of on-field threats to two players.

Rioli apologised to Dale after the revelations and at the time said he says things “from time to time on the footy field in the heat of the moment that I wish I didn’t and I’m continuing to work with the club on managing this moving forward”.

Willie Rioli celebrating his role in the 2018 premiership. Picture: Mark Stewart

Despite the recent incidents, Rioli remains a popular figure among Power fans and is often one of the last players to leave at signing sessions with fans.

Rioli said that connection with fans came from the advice from his dad, Willie Rioli Senior, who died in 2022 age 50 from a heart attack.

“My dad knew I was coming back (to football) and he said to me ‘son everyone knows you can play the game it is how you conduct yourself outside of football is how you are going to change your image,”’ he said.

Willie Rioli produces pure magic to win our 'Goal of the Week' 🙌 pic.twitter.com/rpc1Ed9xk5

— Fox Footy (@FOXFOOTY) July 31, 2019

“And that is the reason why when we do signing sessions I want to be the last one out there, I want to give everyone who came to that session time with me to remember and I think that’s the way I want to be remembered.

“The last conversation I had with my dad, was give your time back to the kids and the supporters and the people who have come to watch you train and play because you never know what they might be going through and just a hello and a friendly chat might change their perspective and their whole day.”

Originally published as Willie Rioli reveals late father’s inspiration behind 100-game AFL milestone