‘A disgrace’: Port coach explodes as Rioli returns (2025)

Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley labelled racial attacks on Willie Rioli a “disgrace” as the small forward returned to the club in the wake of a deleted social media post about his hatred of Hawthorn which drew the online vitriol.

Hinkley confirmed Rioli was “OK” and available to play against Sydney on Sunday after taking some time away from the club following reaction to an Instagram story which targeted the Hawks after Sunday’s Gather Round win.

In the post Rioli said “Play with fire, you’re gonna get burnt. 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”

While the club backed Rioli they conceded social media was not the forum to post such messages given the reaction which included racial abuse.

Rioli has since shut down his account and Hinkley says there should be stronger laws to hold people accountable for abusive comments.

“It’s a disgrace,” Hinkley said Wednesday.

“It’s a disgrace the racism that still goes on in our world. With the way we talk about lots of things in society, and yet that is still tolerated and still allowed to go on.

“There almost should be a law that makes people accountable.”

Hinkley said the abuse was not a one-off situation in the wake of the clash with Hawthorn but he needed to take time “to deal with what he was dealing with”.

“But he’ll be okay and he’ll be available to play,” he said.

“It’s for every game he plays like this, it doesn’t just happen against Hawthorn.

“That’s the thing we’ve got to understand, that this happens to Willie Rioli more than any other person that I’ve been involved with, that he cops that type of abuse.”

Hinkley said it was clear Rioli had his “own little challenges” with Hawthorn, having called them out for the treatment of his father, who trained but never played with the Hawks, and his cousin, Norm Smith medallist Cyril Rioli.

“The feelings about the Hawthorn stuff, I think that’s not for me to talk about,” he said.

“That’s his history and his family’s history and everything else that’s gone on.

“We respect the Hawthorn Football Club.

“There’s nothing in my mind that’s got anything to do with Hawthorn other than Willie, he’s got his own little challenges there.”