Willie Rioli "on leave" from Port Adelaide after social media post

[iameviljez]

How do you know what Port said?

How do you know what support they have and are providing?

You dont and are jumping onto the click bait narrative being driven by the media.....who also dont know.

Not looking great for Hawthorn "the family club" and its relationships with first nations players.

In a statement, the Power said Rioli should not have used social media to air his grievances, but the club continued to support him.

“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,” the Power said.

Look, I get why they are risk-averse, but honestly it would have been nice for them to say that what he posts on his social media is his own business provided that it doesn't cross prejudicial lines.

 

[smeltitdeltit]

Have Hawthorn condemned the abuse ?

Yes. That will stop it in its tracks. Well done.

 

[bigfarter]

So Mitchell, the current players and the majority of rational fans who are denouncing the abuse?

Becuse they are the ones under the pile on.

This current club did nothing here, aside from lose.

My bolded comment was directed to one specific poster. I make no comment regarding the current players, Mitchell or rational fans. All I was saying is that people who use social media in order to bully and harass should be held to account rather than blaming the victim of abuse because “they got what they deserved.”

 

[beerbandit]

Yes. That will stop it in its tracks. Well done.

Wow.

 

[CarnTheScray]

Please tell me specifically how hawthorn can stop some racist moron on instagram from trolling a football player in their DMs. Love to hear it. I’m sure the e-safety commissioner would like to hear it too.

The AFL could take some inspiration from how Hawthorn deals with things. Take the blokes SIM card off him.

 

[TheEscapeClub]

It’s funny to read your post as against Rioli when it applies more to people attacking him.

My post wasn't so much against Rioli but the poster.

To put up a post at what ever time of the night attacking a club with 100s of 1,000s supporters is idiocy.

Rioli is entitled to post whatever he feels like, but if he thought he could just post it, go to bed and not have any blow back is stupid.

 

[iameviljez]

Rioli is entitled to post whatever he feels like, but if he thought he could just post it, go to bed and not have any blow back is stupid.

Unfortunately the world we live in is one where direct and inappropriate abuse over social media DM channels is pretty normal for celebrities.

 

[Gibbke]

We've still got a bit of work to do in this country...

Loyalty...a concept that looks great on the surface and is never looked at negatively, but causes more problems than it solves...and it almost always replaces empathy and commonsense...

Of course Willie Rioli

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Willie Rioli

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30

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is going to back his dad and his cousin. Willie Snr played in an era where racism was rife and unaddressed, and Cyril went through that recent process which still smells rancid but has been fully paid out for. Willie Jr would have heard all about it - I'd imagine he never would have been drafted by the Hawks if it was ever on the table, because it never would have gotten past "Hi Willie, drafting agent from the HFC, how you doin'?..." in the very first phone call...you can't furiously slam down a mobile phone like we used to do with landlines, which one of modern life's great losses...

And then of course up fly the flags in response. We all laughed at James Hird when he nominated Hawthorn as the club he despised the most, and "whatever it takes" parked an oil tanker on a sparking fire. We didn't care - as long as no one got wise as to Hawthorn's alleged party drug culture of the time, you know, the one that saw Chris Judd rule out the Hawks as a Victorian destination when he left WC - we all had a great time because, well, Essendon...

And footy isn't a breeding ground of articulation and thought out responses, plus our nation is easily led by those exploiting lazy opinion and entrenched historical biases, as the Voice referendum showed. We get to do it all again in a few weeks, as people ignore actual problems in this country and contemplate the extra grand Dutton wants to give us, voting not for issues but because your political party is your footy team. So anyway, in come the f###wits and their racist shit...

Willie should have kept it away from social media? Wasn't bagging the Hawk players, he said that in the last three words of the post, but he targeted his opposition number with the taunt anyway and then sparked an all-in brawl, so the initial meaning wasn't clear. The ordinary non-Port fan, both Hawks and neutral, would have seen a cocky f### in the goal square and probably backed CJ as he tried to Hodge/Wingard him into the nearest post...! But there was history, and WJR told us all about it. So shit hits the fan, and here we are now, with Willie taking time off and Port and Hawthorn wishing everyone would just get along...

There are more things in Tennessee than is dreamed of in your philosophy (you're cool if you get this quote)...gotta admit, I'm very reluctant to put the boot into WJR here, I'm kinda with him, even though CJ is my guy, and yes, I would have loved to have seen WJR thrown headfirst into the post so Hawk fans could point to Port fans around them in the crowd and say WJR's aeroplane impersonation looked better than theirs. I'm still a Hawk, despite the signature, but I was ready to cut ties on the morning of the Cyril bombshell, so flying the flag is not an option. And if noise is made and little happens, but no noise means no progress at all, suddenly one is obliged to make as much noise as possible. Then it depends on the listener...and if Hawk fans stop for a second and think about his viewpoint and loyalties and what they'd do if they were him, it becomes a bit more identifiable...

But we're still a long way from that...

 

[StillAtLarge]

I think Hawthorn handled this fairly well. We didn't add any fuel to the public discourse and Mitchell (his ex coach & teammate) said he'd touch base with Rioli at some stage but the contents of this would not be publically divulged.

I don't think any sane person would say that Rioli doesn't have legitimate grievances re: our historical treatment of Indigenous players but he probably chose the wrong forum.
Oh and anyone posting racial taunts online who can be identified should be banned/have memberships cancelled

 

[thisismyname]

Why are Hawthorn and their supporters racist? Is it the area they are from in Melbourne? What type of people live there? This could be a big reason for the attitudes of the club to this issue. Hopefully, they can improve their knowledge of cultural issues.

 

[iameviljez]

Why are Hawthorn and their supporters racist? Is it the area they are from in Melbourne? What type of people live there? This could be a big reason for the attitudes of the club to this issue. Hopefully, they can improve their knowledge of cultural issues.

Let's not pretend that racism is somehow a Hawthorn supporter issue. One of the biggest mistakes that we make in football is assuming that the team you barrack for somehow defines everything about you as a person.

 

[Sully111]

What do you think he expected to happen after posting what he did?

I mean, bookies would not offer odds because it 100% happened exactly how everyone knows it would happen. So why do it?

More to the point, why do it then delete it. Keep it there. Make that your stand. If it was important enough to post, it was important enough to keep.



Of course he did. If he didnt expect it then he has absolutely zero intelligence. He had to know the responses which were coming, because they always do.

Man, that is some ignorant drivel right there.

 

[Underarm]

The people responding to Willie on social media do not represent Hawthorn.

This started because of the treatment of Willie Sr , by Hawthorn.

Not this group. No

Stop using a serious issue to score points

Did Hawthorn fold and restart since 1990?

 

[smeltitdeltit]

Wow.

Still not answering the question I see

 

[Lavender Bushranger]

... his decision to make a public comment, the manner and timing of it is extremely regrettable for everybody.

Huh??

Extremely regrettable to everybody??

 

[CrowToon]

There is a lot of second-hand offence being taken here. One of the worst traits of the modern day is everyone's determination to be offended on behalf of someone else or their culture. Stop it. You treat them as if they are a people needing your protection, you treat them as if they need their views decided upon the matter. In the same breath people talk about how First Nations aren't homogenous and then carry on in the next breath with 'Well in First Nations culture...'.

Treating First Nations people as if they are unable to be included in a joke or questioned at all just reinforces divide, it doesn't solve anything.

Jason Dunstalls comments weren't racist. They weren't. Willie Rioli

15

Willie Rioli

Age

30

Ht

175cm

Wt

78kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

12.0

3star

K

8.0

3star

HB

4.1

3star

M

3.3

3star

T

2.8

4star

G

1.2

4star

No current season stats available

D

11.0

3star

K

7.4

3star

HB

3.6

3star

M

3.0

3star

T

1.8

4star

G

0.6

3star

doesn't have to like them but that doesn't make them racist. He isn't the arbitor of racism.

Edit: I'm not suggesting Willie thinks they are racist, I'm just referring to how he could handle them. The important part being that he is in control of his feelings not the people earlier in this thread who are desperate to make this racist.

Jason Dunstall made comment that COULD be taken as a dig but that doesn't make the joke terrible. Where did he speak about race? Where did he make his comments because of his race?

If Willie Rioli

15

Willie Rioli

Age

30

Ht

175cm

Wt

78kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

12.0

3star

K

8.0

3star

HB

4.1

3star

M

3.3

3star

T

2.8

4star

G

1.2

4star

No current season stats available

D

11.0

3star

K

7.4

3star

HB

3.6

3star

M

3.0

3star

T

1.8

4star

G

0.6

3star

wants to take offence that's his right - no different to if someone wants to tell a joke about my old man I can either laugh or tell them to get ****ed.

Don't tell me the bond between Willie and his dad is more special than mine with my old man just because they are First Nations - that's crap.

First Nations people, like any people, are capable of standing up for themselves. They have the law behind them when they are being discriminated against - this isn't that.

People, particularly those of non-indigenous descent, are getting far too righteous about this and making a mountain out of a molehill.

As to whether I think his taking leave is right or wrong who knows? If he felt it was best that's his right. There is no excuse for racist comments so to anyone who wrote him actual racist crap then **** you. But to anyone who wrote stuff that wasnt abusive or racist then good on you - Willie wanted to be overtly confrontational with oppo players and fans he going to learn the hard way that's gonna bite you. As it would any of us regardless of race.

 

[jdisc]

In a statement, the Power said Rioli should not have used social media to air his grievances, but the club continued to support him.

“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,” the Power said.

what the actual **** port adelaide

 

[Oraaaaazio]

There is a lot of second-hand offence being taken here. One of the worst traits of the modern day is everyone's determination to be offended on behalf of someone else or their culture. Stop it. You treat them as if they are a people needing your protection, you treat them as if they need their views decided upon the matter. In the same breath people talk about how First Nations aren't homogenous and then carry on in the next breath with 'Well in First Nations culture...'.

Treating First Nations people as if they are unable to be included in a joke or questioned at all just reinforces divide, it doesn't solve anything.

Jason Dunstalls comments weren't racist. They weren't. Willie Rioli doesn't have to like them but that doesn't make them racist. He isn't the arbitor of racism.

Jason Dunstall made comment that COULD be taken as a dig but that doesn't make the joke terrible. Where did he speak about race? Where did he make his comments because of his race?

If Willie Rioli wants to take offence that's his right - no different to if someone wants to tell a joke about my old man I can either laugh or tell them to get ****ed.

Don't tell me the bond between Willie and his dad is more special than mine with my old man just because they are First Nations - that's crap.

First Nations people, like any people, are capable of standing up for themselves. They have the law behind them when they are being discriminated against - this isn't that.

People, particularly those of non-indigenous descent, are getting far too righteous about this and making a mountain out of a molehill.

As to whether I think his taking leave is right or wrong who knows? If he felt it was best that's his right. There is no excuse for racist comments so to anyone who wrote him actual racist crap then **** you. But to anyone who wrote stuff that wasnt abusive or racist then good on you - Willie wanted to be overtly confrontational with oppo players and fans he going to learn the hard way that's gonna bite you. As it would any of us regardless of race.

Apologies if I missed where he said Dunstall's comments were racist, but in his instagram story he said his hatred of Hawthorn goes way beyond what happened last year (Ken/Ginni?) and that what they did to his dad & brother is why he can't stand the club, nothing about it being racist there?

Then he copped a heap of racist messages

 

[beerbandit]

Still not answering the question I see

Sorry was your ignorant statement a question?

 

[PenfoldsFan]

what the actual **** port adelaide

Its no doubt poorly worded but the fact remains, social media isnt a great place to air these type of grievances as its bound to bring out the dickheads and I believe that is the gist of the statement.

They're not saying he shouldn't have grievances or be allowed to express them, just that it was a poor platform choice which he understands.
The sad truth is it wouldnt matter how he put forward his feelings, he'd still be subject to the same online abuse as thats what dickheads do.

 

[Duckimus Prime]

Apologies if I missed where he said Dunstall's comments were racist, but in his instagram story he said his hatred of Hawthorn goes way beyond what happened last year (Ken/Ginni?) and that what they did to his dad & brother is why he can't stand the club, nothing about it being racist there?

Then he copped a heap of racist messages

Its actually more like, the AFL tagged his instagram account in a post showing his second goal of the game, and showing the ball to Jiath.

Then he copped a heap of racist messages.

He also made a post himself about his dislike of Hawthorn.

And then copped more.

 

[smeltitdeltit]

Apologies if I missed where he said Dunstall's comments were racist, but in his instagram story he said his hatred of Hawthorn goes way beyond what happened last year (Ken/Ginni?) and that what they did to his dad & brother is why he can't stand the club, nothing about it being racist there?

Then he copped a heap of racist messages

The Dunstall thing was a media connection, whether it’s anything to do with what Rioli felt or not, who knows. He did however end his post with the #cococlub
which insinuates his feelings are racism related.
The DMs he supposedly had are a symptom of larger problem in society and not a uniquely hawthorn issue. To deny that is being part of the problem

 

[smeltitdeltit]

Sorry was your ignorant statement a question?

Ooh. 8th grade level of framing a question. Edgy

 

[CrowToon]

Apologies if I missed where he said Dunstall's comments were racist, but in his instagram story he said his hatred of Hawthorn goes way beyond what happened last year (Ken/Ginni?) and that what they did to his dad & brother is why he can't stand the club, nothing about it being racist there?

Then he copped a heap of racist messages

Thats exactly the point. I'm referring to the heroes in the first 5 pages of this thread trying to spin the tale into that because they want to be offended on someone else's behalf. They are too quick to run their mouth rather than letting those impacted form their own ideas and views.

 

[iameviljez]

Its no doubt poorly worded but the fact remains, social media isnt a great place to air these type of grievances as its bound to bring out the dickheads and I believe that is the gist of the statement.

They're not saying he shouldn't have grievances or be allowed to express them, just that it was a poor platform choice which he understands.

I think that sometimes it needs to be borne in mind that players aren't executives with 20 years of experience, they are guys in their mid-20s with very little experience in diplomacy and strategy.

If you stop players from talking about the treatment of their Dad, their cousin etc on social media, they don't really have another outlet. It's not like Willie is going to be able to issue a press release outlining his grievances.