Cricket
Racing
Rugby
League
Motorsport
Football
Golf
Combat Sports
Basketball
Tennis
Other Sports
Sport Nation
Port Adelaide CEO addresses media amid ongoing Rioli investigation
SEN • May 7th, 2025 8:18 pm
- Rioli has allegedly threatened players from three clubs
- AFL opted not to sanction the Port forward
- Lyon wants more action over the issue
- Sam Edmund says Rioli has become a problem for Port
Port Adelaide CEO Chris Davies has addressed the media after a day of headlines surrounding forward Willie Rioli.
According to SEN’s Sam Edmund, Rioli is currently under investigation by the AFL for alleged threats made to opponents, both on and off-field.
Power coach Ken Hinkley was originally set to speak on Wednesday afternoon, but the club pushed back his pre-Showdown press conference to Friday, with the CEO instead tackling the big questions.
Davies spoke over an hour later than he was scheduled to at Alberton and he confirmed that the investigation isn't expected to reach any kind of conclusion until Thursday at best.
“There’s an ongoing investigation at the moment and the AFL haven’t finalised that investigation,” Davies told the press.
“We won’t find out any more tonight, so I expect we’ll find out more tomorrow.
“The AFL have met with both Willie and myself and asked questions of him, I’m unable to go into specifics on that with the investigation ongoing.
“They’re dealing with things they weren’t aware of contextually, and they’re considering that in conjunction with the matter from the weekend.
“He’s out training right now, it hasn’t been an easy period of time for him. But he knows he needed to front up today and answer those questions (to the AFL).
“The club’s natural reaction is to move Willie and provide support to him, but also, we’re acknowledging the fact Willie made a pretty significant error on the weekend by sending the text to the Bulldogs player about Bailey Dale.
“I think it’s fair to say that after the game is a more significant issue than during the game. In this situation it’s clear that Willie overstepped the line with the text that was sent.
All I will say is there are things that hurt Willie that are said from time to time
Rioli arrived at the club before Port Adelaide’s training session on Wednesday but avoided cameras as he was quickly guided into club headquarters.
Port Adelaide take on Adelaide at the Adelaide Oval on Saturday night.
