News Jnr Rioli - He’s back.

[HoneyBadger35]

West Coast star Willie Rioli is out of the finals series and has been provisionally suspended after returning an adverse finding on an drug test.

Rioli’s A sample in an out-of-competition test on August 20 was found to have involved urine substitution, with the maximum penalty a four-year ban.

As revealed by AFL 360 co-host Mark Robinson, Rioli’s drug test was categorised as adverse not because he’d swapped urine samples, but because his sample was identified to be a different form of liquid.

It has left Robinson to question whether ASADA is to blame for the result, given the strict protocols players must adhere to when undergoing random drug testing.

“You have to drop your strides and your undies to your knees and you have to lift up your t-shirt. So you’re standing there naked,” Robinson told AFL 360.

“And the guy … is testing you and staring at you wee into a jar. They take that jar and it never leaves. That’s it. It goes away.

“We are led to believe now from that process, what was in that jar was not urine.

“But if the guy or girl was watching Willie wee into a jar how can that not be urine?

“I wouldn’t be surprised if the error here is ASADA’s doing.”

St Kilda great Leigh Montagna echoed Robinson’s sentiments, questioning just how Rioli could’ve contemplated, let alone succeeded, in his alleged deception.

“I find it incredibly hard to believe he has intentionally got away with deceiving ASADA in producing something other than urine,” Montagna told AFL Tonight.

“I don’t think there’s anything there to suggest that Willie Rioli is in the wrong.

“They’re just saying the sample has come back as saying ‘something other than urine’ in the sample.”

Four-time premiership player Jordan Lewis also cast doubt over the urine sample, saying from personal experience he couldn’t see how Rioli could tamper with it.

“I don’t know how it has happened,” Lewis told AFL 360.

“I’d say it’s impossible.”

 

[Chris_6678]

If the club knew no way they would have played him.

 

[Winky]

If this is true, that means that Rioli, and by extension, the club, would have been aware of this for weeks

Which begs the question: why the crocodile tears tonight?

I don't like this at all. If this article is legit the club would have been well and truly aware of what went down

Vozzo said they were told last night in Melbourne

 

[Broken_Chairs]

So if these reports are correct, what's the best case scenario?

Dumb prank gone horribly wrong? B sample comes back fine and he cops a ban for interfering in the first sample?

 

[Astro7]

Goddamn it Willie!!?
What was he hiding? Was he just clowning around, an impulsive joke?
He is a joker.
A brilliant footy player but arguably not the sharpest tool in the shed, as much as we all love him.
Some things still don't make sense and the timing is absolutely suspect, regardless of AFL knowledge or not.
If B-sample good, banned for how long?
If somehow it's the tester's fault, then burn the place to the ground, sue their arses to hell and back!!
I hope the team turns this heartbreaking news into a devastating on-field demolition!?
Ok I feel better now, marginally!

 

[CoastersFlag No.5]

Fair bit to play out on this. As the club said still have to have the investigation in full before we work out what happens. If it's anything like Sam Murray could be over a year before a finding and penalty is handed down.

 

[Obeanie1]

so he would have been forced to take another sample. At least we will find out if he was trying to hide something, if it's an illicit drug thats gonne be just a bit heart breaking.. could have been a simple strike..

That hypothetical scenario would definately explain a lot of things.

Quite logical when you break it down.

 

[The wily weagle]

If he was then forced to provide a legitimate sample then surely he knew then he was in trouble, and he hasn't looked like that the last couple of weeks. Also, wouldn't ASADA have punished at the time?

The takeaway I got from the article is that everyone knew that he was screwed, and were praying that sanction would occur potentially after the grand final

And if that's true, it fricken stinks to high hell

 

[Tom_Thumb]

If he got caught red handed why wait more than 3 weeks to suspend him?

Because its us, 90k members, 90+ million in the bank and some recent success = Bring us down a peg or 2.

 

[HoneyBadger35]

Herald Sun just posted this article......View attachment 744964

So why was he allowed to play these last three weeks? What if he kicked the game winner at some stage?

If they caught him red handed, what’s the delay? What more will they glean now than they could on the day?

 

[The wily weagle]

Vozzo said they were told last night in Melbourne

Well if that's true, that probably even worse

That would mean Willie was well aware he might have been in trouble and failed to tell anyone at the club

 

[ConcreteWaters]

If he's added something to the sample, hard to see how he gets away with it. Crazy stupid if he's at fault. Maybe he knew he'd test positive for something so thought it better to have an invalid sample against his name than a positive test. The only reason I can think for doing something like that (speculating here- we still don't know what happened), because players would know the ramifications of tampering with anything like that (you don't do anything except follow the testing process strictly).

 

[HoneyBadger35]

If this is true, that means that Rioli, and by extension, the club, would have been aware of this for weeks

Which begs the question: why the crocodile tears tonight?

I don't like this at all. If this article is legit the club would have been well and truly aware of what went down

Everyone is saying all parties were told yesterday. The Eagles aren’t saying we were told last night and the AFL saying differently, the AFL were the first to say people were told yesterday.

 

[squashface]

I very much doubt that Herald Sun article is correct.

 

[new breed]

So if these reports are correct, what's the best case scenario?

Dumb prank gone horribly wrong? B sample comes back fine and he cops a ban for interfering in the first sample?

Yes maximum 4 yrs but would be 12 months I reckon . WADA might get involved if they think it's warranted .

 

[The wily weagle]

Everyone is saying all parties were told yesterday. The Eagles aren’t saying we were told last night and the AFL saying differently, the AFL were the first to say people were told yesterday.

Everyone yes........except Rioli

I have a hard time believing a tester has basically flagged an iffy test on the spot and he was completely unaware of it

It is completely plausible the club may have indeed found out today

 

[HoneyBadger35]

Well if that's true, that probably even worse

That would mean Willie was well aware he might have been in trouble and failed to tell anyone at the club

Willie was told yesterday. Same as everyone.

Multiple parties are on record that that was the case.

 

[pantskyle]

Makes no sense. The agents wouldn't allow it to even occur. He couldn't have had a drink in his hand.

 

[new breed]

I'm leaving now too weird .

Go West Coast !!! , on a footnote Petraccelle was at Belmont races yesterday as the team flew out ......

 

[DirtySandman]

I’m going to go to bed tonight, and hopefully when I wake up, this will have all been a bad nightmare,

 

[Ghossein]

Herald Sun just posted this article......View attachment 744964

this makes absolutely no sense

 

[The wily weagle]

Willie was told yesterday. Same as everyone.

Multiple parties are on record that that was the case.

Has Willie gone on record and said that though? I cannot find any evidence of him making a statement

I find it completely reasonable to foresee that the AFL, the club and Rioli were notified today, in an official capacity

But I have a very hard time believing that unofficially, Willie had no idea he might have been in trouble after the test

 

[Obeanie1]

Hope your right

So what is the penality in attempting to avoid testing?

Because thats what has seemed to have happened.

And why?

I would speculate he was trying to avoid something else being found. And he's panicked.

 

[BlueandGoldforever]

It seems implausible that ASDA would allow you to have a drink in your hand while completing a urine test.

 

[pantskyle]

Has Willie gone on record and said that though? I cannot find any evidence of him making a statement

I find it completely reasonable to foresee that the AFL, the club and Rioli were notified today, in an official capacity

But I have a very hard time believing that unofficially, Willie had no idea he might have been in trouble after the test

The player doesn't have to inform the club of anything. Not even that they have been tested.