“I Can’t Tolerate Them”: Willie Rioli Expresses Strong Discontent Towards Hawthorn in Deleted Instagram Post

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

Port Adelaide’s Willie Rioli has made his disdain for Hawthorn abundantly clear following a heated outburst on Instagram, which has since been removed.

The tension between Rioli and Hawthorn reached a boiling point following Port’s 30-point victory over the Hawks during Sunday’s Gather Round match.

After scoring an open goal, Rioli feigned a pass to an approaching Changkuoth Jiath, who retaliated by pushing the Port small forward in response to the six points being added to the scoreboard.

This sparked a brawl behind the goals as players from both sides rushed in to separate the pair, leading to a free kick being awarded.

On Monday, Rioli reposted a cheeky image on social media, seizing the chance to express his deep-seated animosity for the rival club, although he quickly deleted the post afterwards.

“Play with fire, you’re gonna get burnt,” he remarked on his Instagram story.

“My dislike for this club runs far deeper than the incidents from last year. What they did to my father and my brother is the reason for my animosity. It’s not about the players.”

Rioli’s ties to Hawthorn run deep, stemming from his late father, Willie Snr, who passed away in 2022, and his cousin Cyril.

Willie Snr was signed to Hawthorn during the 1991 season but never played a game for the club.

Additionally, Cyril was involved in a now-settled legal issue with Hawthorn regarding allegations of racism within the club.

Since Rioli deleted his post, there have been no further comments regarding the matter.