Port Adelaide star Willie Rioli takes personal leave after Instagram post blows up

WARNING: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this story contains the name of a person who is deceased.

Port Adelaide has granted star Willie Rioli personal leave after he received torrents of racist abuse online.

Rioli drew attention on Monday after posting and then deleting an Instagram post taking aim at Hawthorn.

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The 29-year-old raced away to score twice against the Hawks on Sunday as he cheekily tested the tempers of surrounding rival players in front of the goal.

Rioli ran into an open goal and showed the ball to an incoming Changkuoth Jiath, who swiftly shoved the Port small forward after he put six points on the board.

Jiath's actions triggered a melee behind the goals as several players rushed in to separate Rioli from the heated incident before a free kick was awarded.

Rioli reposted his cheeky display on social media on Monday and took aim at the Hawks.

"Play with fire, you're gonna get burnt," he said via his Instagram story.

"My hatred for this club goes way pass (sic) last year's antics. What they did to my dad and my brother is why I can't stand them. Not the players."

Rioli was absent from Power training on Tuesday and a club spokesperson confirmed to The Age he had been given personal leave to process the events.

Rioli's connection to Hawthorn dates back to his late father Willie Sr, who died in 2022, and his cousin Cyril.

Willie Sr was on Hawthorn's playing list during the 1991 season but failed to be fielded by the club and returned to the Northern Territory shortly after arriving.

Meanwhile, Cyril was at the centre of a now settled legal battle with Hawthorn over allegations of racism within the club environment.

Nine's Tom Morris revealed the three key reasons behind Rioli's hated of the Hawks.

"The first reason relates to his dad who was drafted in 1990 and didn't play a game at the Hawks," he told 9News Melbourne on Monday night.

He believes the connection there relates to comments made by Hawthorn legend Jason Dunstall at 2024's Australian Football Hall of Fame ceremony, where he spoke about recruiting Willie Snr.

"I don't think he'd done a lot of conditioning, he looked like an 18 gallon keg with legs," Dunstall said at the time.

Morris then confirmed the third reason relates to Cyril and the now settled dispute between over historic accounts of racism at the club.

Port Adelaide released a statement on the situation.

"Willie Rioli and his family continue to carry deep-seated pain and sadness from past family experiences."

"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."

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Mitchell was coy in his comments, when shown the Instagram story and potential reasons for Rioli's dislike of his club.

"I've had a relationship with Willie for a long period of time. We obviously worked together in the west, and we've been in regular contact since then, and I hope that we can have a conversation about this at a more appropriate time, and if we do that will remain private," Mitchell told Nine's Footy Classified.

"If I was to get in contact with him, I don't think here would be the place I would say so. That's something I would do privately."