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

[ReturningHawk]

I love Dunstall but that was really poor from him and Jnr absolutely has a right to feel pissed. His dad must have been a brilliant footballer to get anywhere near the AFL, Dunstall basically shone a light on how tough it would have been for indigenous players back then getting the piss taken out of them, really disrespectful. To tell the story just after Willie Snr died is just so poor on so many levels. It reminds me of the Kennett story with the Rioli's, it lacked class and shows they still have a lot to learn as all of us do.

Get where you’re coming from but they are worlds apart. Kennett is a reprehensible racist who is a blight on the club I love, and who has never been in the same postcode as a sincere apology for any of his many appalling actions. Dunstall meanwhile perhaps didn’t know about Rioli snrs passing, or simply wasnt educated enough that the way he used his name in public was disrespectful. I know he’ll take responsibility and apologise.

 

[PiCkLeJuiCe]

I didn’t him showing the ball. I know all the old-timers hate it but it was exactly what half of our team would do.

They might want to, but I'd expect Mitchell would tell them to cut it out. It's essentially taunting and disrespectful to your opponent.

And while Rioli may have intended to have taunted Hawthorn, it very much came across as taunting CJ.

 

[nobbyiscool]

Your basically quoting Mitchell word for word from last year when one of our players was racially abused.

Yep, exactly. It's really easy to take a stand when it's your player being abused by opposition fans.

What's meaningful is taking a stand when it's your fans abusing an opposition player.

 

[ferball]

Yeah I get you and I did misread the tone on the first read, my bad. And I largely agree with your last paragraph but reckon you could replace the word indigenous with any sort of group of people and it'd still ring true. The joys of social media.

Well yeah that's true.

 

[Crankyhawk]

Yep, exactly. It's really easy to take a stand when it's your player being abused by opposition fans.

What's meaningful is taking a stand when it's your fans abusing an opposition player.

It’s was actually our player being abused by nominally hawthorn fans that he was calling out there.
It’s unclear (and probably unable to be determined) if those abusing Rioli are actually hawthorn fans/ members
As I said if you want to slam Rioli the way would be around the drug cjarges

 

[ferball]

https://www.theroar.com.au/afl/video/keg-with-legs-the-dunstall-comment-about-willie-sr-that-allegedly-prompted-willie-riolis-hawks-bake-1420228/

Here is Dunstall's speech, again. It was 2 years after Rioli died. Where exactly does it lack class?

Put yourself in Young Willie's shoes.

He's seen what happened with his brother, and he's probably heard alot of stories about Hawthorn from his dad. So hearing someone at hawthorn at the time saying that would hurt and come across as not different to any of the other shit that's going on, whatever Dunstall's intentions.

I very much doubt Dunstall's words would have meant anything if there wasn't some sort of history there for them to reinforce.

 

[ferball]

It’s was actually our player being abused by nominally hawthorn fans that he was calling out there.
It’s unclear (and probably unable to be determined) if those abusing Rioli are actually hawthorn fans/ members
As I said if you want to slam Rioli the way would be around the drug cjarges

Criticising someone for smoking a bit of pot is hardly "slamming them" tho.

 

[Crankyhawk]

Expecting universal empathy is unrealistic and you will only be disappointed.
The world is full of campaigners (I identify as one) and in general the world does not give a stuff about people’s individual trauma

 

[Crankyhawk]

Criticising someone for smoking a bit of pot is hardly "slamming them" tho.

I mean what else he did to cover it up made him officially a drug cheat. And therefore saying it would be a valid way to fire back
(As opposed to racist and homophobic shit which obviously should not be used)

edit: picture a future hawks home game vs port at mcg (ok a long stretch as it hasn’t happened since 2014) - obviously booing Rioli would carry the same racist implications as the booing of Goodes. What if the chant went up “cheat cheat” every time he touched the ball?

 

[nobbyiscool]

It’s was actually our player being abused by nominally hawthorn fans that he was calling out there.
It’s unclear (and probably unable to be determined) if those abusing Rioli are actually hawthorn fans/ members
As I said if you want to slam Rioli the way would be around the drug cjarges

Or mouthbreathers could stop abusing footballers from the anonymity of their phone?

 

[Crankyhawk]

Or mouthbreathers could stop abusing footballers from the anonymity of their phone?

You got a way to make that happen? That is the essence of a lot of social media - mouthbreathing trolls.

 

[Sully111]

The narrative in this thread around "he should have known he'd cop racist abuse if he said anything" is a bit like "she was wearing a short skirt so she was asking for it."

 

[ferball]

I mean what else he did to cover it up made him officially a drug cheat. And therefore saying it would be a valid way to fire back
(As opposed to racist and homophobic shit which obviously should not be used)

edit: picture a future hawks home game vs port at mcg (ok a long stretch as it hasn’t happened since 2014) - obviously booing Rioli would carry the same racist implications as the booing of Goodes. What if the chant went up “cheat cheat” every time he touched the ball?

Yeah but it was over pot. Its not like it had a performance enhancing effect on him. It wouldn't have any effect i reckon. You could try it but I can't see it working.

Most people don't care about pot use compared to actual performance enhancing drugs ... probably at 10% of the crowd would be using pot themselves another 20% would have used it at some point.

Just let it go. He's got some valid points about the treatment of his family and all the Hawks can really do is move forward and commit themselves to never being like that again.

 

[dmc333]

The narrative in this thread around "he should have known he'd cop racist abuse if he said anything" is a bit like "she was wearing a short skirt so she was asking for it."

Agree, but in a general sense, he should have known better.

Every AFL club has guidelines for social media use by their players. Saying you "hate" another club wouldn't be regarded as acceptable. It's why the post didn't stay up.

The reasoning wouldn't be set out in the guidelines, but underneath it's because the clubs don't want to deal with the various shitstorms it would set off.

Media for days, lunatic online response, resulting impact on the player. A lot of Port's admin time and resources would have been spent on this. They would much prefer to be focused on something else.

 

[Crankyhawk]

Yeah but it was over pot. Its not like it had a performance enhancing effect on him. It wouldn't have any effect i reckon. You could try it but I can't see it working.

Most people don't care about pot use compared to actual performance enhancing drugs ... probably at 10% of the crowd would be using pot themselves another 20% would have used it at some point.

Just let it go. He's got some valid points about the treatment of his family and all the Hawks can really do is move forward and commit themselves to never being like that again.

You know that there will be an element/ number of people who will not want to let it go though?

 

[Not a mere cat]

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.

What an ignorant post. I live in Hawthorn and take offence to this. You think everyone that lives in the same suburb or supports the same footy team have hive minds? For starters I don’t barrack for Hawthorn

In case you were actually interested, it’s a very diverse suburb due to Swinburne university

 

[ferball]

You know that there will be an element/ number of people who will not want to let it go though?

True but I can't imagine those people trying to moderate their behaviour.

 

[Duckimus Prime]

I don’t endorse racist comments towards players but at the same time…..don’t throw stones and then the next day claim to be a victim.

You can’t act like the hammer and not expect to be the nail at some point.

Wholeheartedly agree. It’s almost like playing with fire and being surprised when you get burnt.

Still going with "I'm not a racist but...."

Here's a hint, when you say that everything you said before the "but" is bullshit.

 

[Crankyhawk]

True but I can't imagine those people trying to moderate their behaviour.

and that is part of what I am saying, if that element which isn't moderating gets "smart" and instead of booing, starts up the cheat chant, how would the AFL be able to shut it down? They struggled with the booing of Goodes, and a "cheat" chant would have the figment of truth - a stronger one that the excuse used at the time of Goodes ("sliding tackles" iirc)

 

[ferball]

and that is part of what I am saying, if that element which isn't moderating gets "smart" and instead of booing, starts up the cheat chant, how would the AFL be able to shut it down? They struggled with the booing of Goodes, and a "cheat" chant would have the figment of truth - a stronger one that the excuse used at the time of Goodes ("sliding tackles" iirc)

True ...

... but see the bolded. Probably ain't gonna happen.

 

[mick500]

Still going with "I'm not a racist but...."

Here's a hint, when you say that everything you said before the "but" is bullshit.

Kind of reminds me of the port supporters when that feral threw a banana at Eddie Betts.

 

[SC_Power]

Kind of reminds me of the port supporters when that feral threw a banana at Eddie Betts.

Someone defended that feral?

I don’t know of a single one, but I don’t know even 1% of the supporter base of course. They’ll be out there I’m sure.

And I’ll leave it at that, and not bring any other clubs into the discussion.

 

[ClintEastwood]

Kind of reminds me of the port supporters when that feral threw a banana at Eddie Betts.

* enters thread about Port and Hawthorn *

* finds a way to make it about Adelaide and throw some shit at Port *

Checks out.

 

[mick500]

* finds a way to make it about Adelaide and throw some shit at Port *

Pretty easy tbf with the history your supporters have.

 

[PiCkLeJuiCe]

Put yourself in Young Willie's shoes.

He's seen what happened with his brother, and he's probably heard alot of stories about Hawthorn from his dad. So hearing someone at hawthorn at the time saying that would hurt and come across as not different to any of the other shit that's going on, whatever Dunstall's intentions.

I very much doubt Dunstall's words would have meant anything if there wasn't some sort of history there for them to reinforce.

Did Willie Snr fail to get a game at Hawthorn due to racism or because he was not fit enough to play at the AFL standard?