Willie Rioli caught in AFL storm as threat to a Geelong player emerges

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******* Rioli caught in AFL storm as threat to a Geelong player emerges

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forward ******* Rioli’s behaviour is again in the spotlight just days after he threatened

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defender Bailey Dale.

The new drama around Rioli centres on a threat he made to a

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last year, and it has been described as a “violent” threat and was “bordering on horrific”.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Second ******* Rioli threat emerges.

“So it was a very hot game, a fiery game between Geelong and Port Adelaide at GMHBA Stadium,” veteran AFL journalist Caroline Wilson revealed on Channel 7’s

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.

“(It was a) pretty violent, bordering on horrific, threat that was made to a Geelong player by ******* Rioli.

“A lot of players heard it. I’m told, the response from the Port Adelaide players, those who were within earshot, was a bit, ‘Oh no, not this again,’.

“And the Geelong player who was threatened chose not to go on with it. Didn’t want the incident reported to the AFL. But Geelong’s footy boss Andrew Mackie took the decision to refer the matter to (AFL footy boss) Laura Kane.

“Geelong felt that it was just something that needed to be put on the record.”

Wilson said the incident with Dale was very different and some people considered it to be worse given it was a text message after the game.

“Many feel that that is far more serious. The AFL view is pretty much nothing to see here,” Wilson said.

“The AFL don’t believe it was a serious threat of violence. They said if it was (serious) it would be a police matter, and if the police or the Bulldogs player is that concerned, it should go to the police.

“So it’s a pretty tricky situation. Port Adelaide are really angry about this. They’re really angry at ****** Rioli. They’ve read him the riot act, as we reported last night.

“And many see double standards here, with some of the punishments meted out to AFL players for off-field incidents and, dare I say, onfield incidents that lead to suspensions. But I think in this case, clearly, Port are worried about *******’s mental health. He’s playing on the edge.”

Wilson said she believed Port Adelaide would play Rioli in the Showdown but “they are sick of him making threats”.

AFL great Luke Hodge said it was baffling that Rioli was not receiving a punishment.

“How can last week get swept under the carpet, considering this has happened twice within the space of 12 months?” Hodge said on Channel 7.

Port Adelaide champion Kane Cornes also wondered what the club could do.

Stream

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“A lot of people thought the AFL was soft on ******* after the latest incident. Now you put this one (at Geelong) in there as well which the AFL have known about it, is there the realm for Port Adelaide to punish him,” Cornes asked.

“The AFL is one thing, but it doesn’t eliminate Port Adelaide from taking a hard stand on ******* if they are concerned about him and, I guess, can you trust him out on the ground for this not to happen again?”

Wilson said it was “a deeply sensitive situation” and ******* had been “traumatised” by the problems Cyril Rioli had with his former club, Hawthorn.

******* Rioli has apologised for sending the Dale message (a day after the Bulldogs thrashed the Power in Ballarat) that hinted at potential trouble in Darwin this weekend.

No further action will be taken by the AFL after the incident was referred directly to the league.

Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge said Dale was “OK”, but was keen to put the matter behind him.

“It’s just one of those things where you wake up and all of a sudden you’re part of a storyline, and you didn’t think you would be, and the quicker it’s in the rear-vision mirror, the better for him,” Beveridge said on Tuesday.

The Bulldogs face Gold Coast this Saturday night in Darwin.

Rioli’s message to the unnamed Bulldogs player was to say he had friends in Darwin and Dale should be careful about leaving the team hotel while staying in the Northern Territory capital.

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