Willie Rioli

Willie Rioli
Rioli playing for West Coast in July 2019
Personal information
Full name William Vigona-Rioli Jr.[1]
Date of birth (1995-06-04) 4 June 1995
Place of birth Tiwi Islands
Original team(s) Glenelg (SANFL)
Draft No. 52, 2016 national draft
Debut Round 2, 2018, West Coast vs. Western Bulldogs, at Etihad Stadium
Height 175 cm (5 ft 9 in)
Position(s) Forward
Club information
Current club Port Adelaide
Number 15
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
2017–2022 West Coast 51 (60)
2023– Port Adelaide 54 (89)
Total 105 (149)
Representative team honours
Years Team Games (Goals)
2025 Indigenous All-Stars 1 (1)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of round 17, 2025.
Career highlights
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

William Rioli Jr. (born 4 June 1995), formerly known as Junior Rioli,[a] is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the Port Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL), having initially been drafted to the West Coast Eagles. Coming from the Rioli family, he is the son of former South Fremantle player Willie Rioli Sr., he is also the first cousin of Dean Rioli (Essendon Football Club), Cyril Rioli (Hawthorn Football Club) and Ronnie Burns (from his mother's side), first cousin once removed of current Gold Coast Suns player Daniel Rioli and the nephew of Maurice Rioli.[3]

Early life

Rioli was raised in Tiwi Islands and later boarded at Xavier College in Melbourne. He completed his final year of school at Clontarf Aboriginal College in Perth and played colts and reserves for South Fremantle.[4] Rioli later moved to Adelaide, South Australia and played for Glenelg in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL) in 2015 and 2016 before being drafted by the West Coast Eagles with their third selection and fifty-second overall in the 2016 national draft.[5][6]

AFL career

The small forward made his debut in the 51-point win against the Western Bulldogs at Etihad Stadium in round two of the 2018 season.[7] Following his debut, Rioli didn't miss a game for the rest of the season as the Eagles went on to win the 2018 AFL Grand Final against Collingwood. Rioli kicked his team's first goal of the match.[8] He also won West Coast's Emerging Talent award for his successful debut year.

Following 2021's ban on Rioli for marijuana possession, he recommenced training with the West Coast Eagles just 2 months later in June 2021. Rioli was scheduled to play his first game back in round 23 of the 2021 AFL season but was ruled out the week prior due to a tight hamstring.[9][10][11]

Rioli requested a trade to Port Adelaide at the conclusion of the 2022 AFL season in a move that Eagles CEO Trevor Nisbett described as "bitterly disappointing".[12] The trade was confirmed on 10 October 2022.[13]

Prior to the 2025 AFL season, Rioli was selected to play in the Indigenous All-Stars team against Fremantle.[14] He kicked a goal alongside other indigenous Port Adelaide players. Rioli played his 100th AFL game in the round 11 loss to Fremantle during Sir Doug Nicholls Round.[15]

Controversies

Drugs

In September 2019, Rioli received an indefinite provisional suspension under the AFL and Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority anti-doping code for an alleged adverse analytical finding for urine substitution. Rioli publicly admitted to having smoked marijuana with other club members the night before his drug test, and attempted to swap his tainted urine with a clean sample in a Gatorade bottle.[16] He was subsequently issued with an indefinite suspension from the AFL, and ruled out from competing with the West Coast Eagles in that year's Finals series.[17] Following a long anti-doping review by the AFL, Rioli was eventually handed a back-dated two-year suspension in March 2021.[18][19]

On 23 April 2021, Rioli was transiting through Darwin Airport where he was stopped and searched after drug detection dogs gave a positive indication that he was carrying an illicit substance. He was caught carrying 25 grams of marijuana in his pants, and was subsequently arrested and issued with a court attendance notice.[20] He later pleaded guilty in court, and was given a 12-month good behaviour bond.[21]

Social media post against Hawthorn

In April 2025, following a win by Port Adelaide over Hawthorn, Rioli took to social media stating: "Play with fire, you’re gonna get burnt. My hatred for this club goes way pass [sic] last year [sic] antics, what they did to my dad, and my brother, is why I can’t stand them. Not the players. #Cococlub."[22] This referred to the Hawthorn Football Club historical racism allegations involving Rioli's cousin (referred to in his statement as brother) Cyril Rioli.[23] The post led to online racist abuse towards Willie Rioli, and he soon deleted the post.[24] The following day, Port Adelaide issued a statement saying they acknowledged Rioli's pain, but that his social media post was inappropriate; he was granted leave to skip Tuesday's training session.[25]

Violent threats

Following a fiery May 2025 match against the Western Bulldogs, Rioli privately messaged opposition defender Bailey Dale. Rioli sent an indirect threat towards Dale, warning him to be careful while visiting Darwin, where the Bulldogs were set to play the following week. While the AFL dismissed the off-field incident, further allegations surfaced of similar threats against Geelong and Essendon players in 2024, which led the league to reinvestigate the threats.[26][27] Rioli was suspended for one match, the Showdown against Adelaide, which he had chosen to withdraw from regardless of the AFL's decision.[28]

Statistics

Statistics are correct to the end of the 2024 season[29]
Legend
  G  
 Goals
  K  
 Kicks
  D  
 Disposals 
  T  
 Tackles
  B  
 Behinds 
  H  
 Handballs 
  M  
 Marks
  #  
 Played in that season's 
premiership team
Season Team No. Games Totals Averages (per game)
G B K H D M T G B K H D M T
2018# West Coast 44 24 28 14 182 90 272 77 63 1.2 0.6 7.6 3.8 11.3 3.2 2.6
2019 West Coast 44 14 18 10 121 65 186 47 42 1.2 0.7 8.6 4.6 13.2 3.3 3.0
2020 West Coast 44 0 — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
2021 West Coast 44 0 — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
2022 West Coast 44 13 14 3 104 52 156 41 41 1.0 0.2 8.0 4.0 12.0 3.1 3.1
2023 Port Adelaide 15 19 31 17 136 69 205 52 47 1.6 0.9 7.2 3.6 10.8 2.7 2.5
2024 Port Adelaide 15 20 33 20 149 43 192 44 59 1.7 1.0 7.5 2.2 9.6 2.2 3.0
Career 90 124 64 692 319 1011 261 252 1.4 0.7 7.7 3.5 11.2 2.9 2.8

Notes

  1. ^ Rioli was known as Junior from 19 August 2022 to 19 July 2023 after the death of his father in accordance to Tiwi custom.[2]

References

  1. ^ "AFL Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Players". afl.com.au. Retrieved 26 May 2025.
  2. ^ Mathieson, Andrew (20 July 2023). "Junior returns to Willie following year-long mourning of father". National Indigenous Times. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  3. ^ Quatermaine, Braden (4 February 2018). "West Coast Eagles fan favourite Willie Rioli embraces name game". PerthNow. Seven West Media. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
  4. ^ "Meet AFL's childhood sweethearts". The West Australian. 1 June 2018. Retrieved 10 May 2025.
  5. ^ Chadwick, Justin (28 November 2016). "Newest Rioli lost 16kgs and now 'plays like Cyril'". AFL.com.au. Telstra Media. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
  6. ^ "How did Adelaide and Port Adelaide miss Willie Rioli?". archive.sen.com.au. 1116 SEN. 5 September 2019.
  7. ^ Duffield, Mark (29 March 2018). "Willie Rioli named for shock West Coast Eagles debut against Western Bulldogs". PerthNow. Seven West Media. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
  8. ^ Balmer, Matt (29 September 2018). "AFL Grand Final 2018: West Coast small forward Willie Rioli boots a much needed goal for the Eagles". Fox Footy. Retrieved 14 April 2025.
  9. ^ Wildie, Tom (20 June 2021). "West Coast Eagles forward Willie Rioli prepares return to training ahead of end of AFL ban". ABC News. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
  10. ^ Waterworth, Ben (21 June 2021). "Picture special: Willie Rioli hits the Eagles training track for first time since September 2019". Fox Sports. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
  11. ^ "Comeback DELAYED: Rioli out of Eagles clash". 19 August 2021.
  12. ^ Sutton, Ben (13 September 2022). "West Coast release scathing statement as Junior Rioli requests trade to Port Adelaide". 7 News. Retrieved 25 July 2023.
  13. ^ @AFL_House (10 October 2022). "Trade paperwork lodged" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  14. ^ Waterworth, Ben (3 February 2025). "Revealed: 16 of 18 AFL clubs represented in stacked 31-man Indigenous All-Stars squad". Fox Footy.
  15. ^ AAP (24 May 2025). "'Everything happens for a reason': Rioli opens up ahead of 100th game". afl.com.au.
  16. ^ Morris, Tom (12 September 2019). "West Coast star Willie Rioli out of the finals, banned for substituting urine sample on ASADA drug test". Fox Sports. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
  17. ^ Ryan, Peter (12 September 2019). "Rioli provisionally banned under anti-doping code". The Age. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
  18. ^ O'Flaherty, Alisha (4 March 2021). "West Coast Eagles' Willie Rioli gets backdated two-year AFL ban after long anti-doping review". ABC News. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
  19. ^ Schmook, Nathan. "Two-year suspension: Rioli's backdated ban revealed". AFL.com.au. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
  20. ^ Bradley, Zarisha. "West Coast Eagles player Willie Rioli to face court over alleged cannabis possession". Nine.com.au. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
  21. ^ Mackay, Melissa (12 May 2021). "West Coast Eagles AFL star Willie Rioli pleads guilty to drug possession in Darwin court". ABC News. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
  22. ^ "Port forward takes leave following 'hatred' Hawks attack as Sam Mitchell responds". Fox Sports. 15 April 2025. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
  23. ^ "Court documents detail specific allegations from former players on club's 'racist culture'". ABC News. 5 August 2024. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
  24. ^ Willie Rioli granted day off from Port Adelaide training after Hawthorn social media post, ABC News, 15 April, 2025
  25. ^ "Port acknowledges Rioli's 'pain' after social media post". afl.com.au. 14 April 2025. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
  26. ^ "What did Willie Rioli say and will the AFL take action against the Port Adelaide star?". abc.com.au. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 7 May 2025.
  27. ^ Ryan, Peter (7 May 2025). "Inside the Willie Rioli decision that sparked a fury". The Age.
  28. ^ AAP (8 May 2025). "AFL bans Rioli as Port forward apologises for 'unacceptable' comments". afl.com.au.
  29. ^ "AFL Tables - Willie Rioli - Stats - Statistics". afltables.com. Retrieved 8 May 2019.
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