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The story behind Rioli's "hatred" for Hawthorn
SEN • April 15th, 2025 2:43 pm
Warning: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that this story makes references to a person who has died.
Willie Rioli is on leave from Port Adelaide after being subjected to racial slurs and abuse on social media.
The forward was missing from training on Tuesday morning just 24 hours after a since-deleted Instagram post in which he expressed his hatred for Hawthorn went viral and drew sickening abuse.
The Power forward cheekily showed the ball to Changkuoth Jiath as he kicked a goal late in Port’s 30-point win over the Hawks at the Adelaide Oval on Sunday night.
Jiath took offence to Rioli's actions and felled him in the goal square, resulting in a free kick and a simple second goal which essentially ended the contest.
Rioli reposted the AFL’s video of him on his Instagram story, accompanied with a scathing message.
“Play with fire, you’re gonna get burnt," he wrote.
"My hatred for this club goes way pass last year antics, what they did to my dad, and my brother, is why I can’t stand them. Not the players. #Cococlub.”
Rioli’s late father Willie Snr was drafted by the Hawks in 1990 but never played a senior game for the club.
His cousin Cyril - a Hawks legend - was the lead applicant in a lawsuit against Hawthorn which was settled in November.
Tom Morris joined SEN Breakfast this morning to shed light on Rioli’s post and a referenced a function which may have added to his distain for Hawthorn.
Recalling a speech made at the Hall of Fame in 2024, Morris explained that what had been intended as a self-deprecating comment from Jason Dunstall had likely – and unintentionally - caused deep offence to Rioli as it referenced his late father during his time at Hawthorn.
“I was in the room, and I laughed at that story, and people who were on the vision laughed at it as well,” Morris said.
“You know Jason better than I do Garry (Lyon), but nevertheless, I've worked with him, and there's no doubt there was no malice involved in that whatsoever.
“But the way Willie Rioli took that was, ‘you're talking about my father, who's passed away, in a derogatory manner’, and that's part of the reason for him sending out the social message that he did yesterday.”
Garry Lyon agreed that while nobody wants to tell Willie Rioli how to feel, he was sure Dunstall meant no offence.
“It's not for us to tell Willie how to feel,” Lyon said. “That's the first thing that we make clear (but) what I do know is having known Jason for the best part of 30 years and worked really closely with him for 20 of them, that is him being self-deprecating and having a crack at himself.
“I can see how Willie Junior could take that and be upset by it, but Jason would be horrified to think that he was a source for some of his pain.”
In the hours after Rioli posted on Instagram, Port came out in support of their star.
“Willie Rioli and his family continue to carry deep-seated pain and sadness from past family experiences,” read the Power statement.
“Despite the depth of feeling Willie and his family have, social media was not the appropriate forum for Willie to share his emotions last night. Willie understands this.
“Willie’s welfare remains our priority and the club will continue to provide support for Willie and his family through this time.”
