Ken Hinkley Condemns Outrageous Abuse Directed at Willie Rioli

Port Adelaide head coach Ken Hinkley has strongly condemned the racial abuse directed at Willie Rioli after the forward shared a controversial Instagram post revealing his animosity towards Hawthorn.

Rioli found himself in a scuffle with Hawthorn players during the thrilling finale of the club’s Gather Round triumph, prompting him to voice his disdain for the club in an Instagram message that has since been removed.

“Play with fire, you’re gonna get burnt. My hatred for this club goes way beyond last year’s antics; what they did to my dad and my brother is why I can’t stand them—it’s not the players,” he posted.

The comments made by Rioli were inspired by his father, Willie Snr, and his cousin, Cyril, who both played for the Hawks.

Unfortunately, his post prompted an outpouring of racial abuse, leading Rioli to take a brief leave from the club.

He returned to training on Wednesday, where Hinkley expressed his outrage over the situation.

“It’s appalling that racism is still a problem in our society. Despite all the discussions we have on various topics, this behaviour is still accepted and continues to happen,” Hinkley told the media.

“There should certainly be laws in place to hold people accountable for their actions.”

Hinkley confirmed that Rioli is recovering well and is set to feature in Sunday’s match against Sydney.

“He took some time to process everything, but he is doing okay and will be available for selection on Sunday,” Hinkley stated.

On Rioli’s personal grievance with the Hawks, Hinkley described it as a “personal challenge” that Rioli must navigate.

“It’s tied to his history and that of his family, encompassing all that has occurred,” Hinkley reflected.

“We have respect for the Hawthorn Football Club, and my perspective is that Willie has his own issues with them that do not involve the rest of the team.”