Latest news with #BaileyDale
ABC News
07-07-2025
- Sport
- ABC News
Willie Rioli considered retiring after racist attacks and off-field controversies
Port Adelaide forward Willie Rioli says he almost quit football and feels some blame for the drop of Indigenous players drafted to the AFL. Rioli has revealed he considered retiring in the midst of controversies in late April and early May. In a social media post in late April, the Power forward expressed a hatred for Hawthorn in the wake of racism allegations against the rival club. And in early May, Rioli was banned for one game for a social media threat to Bailey Dale after the Western Bulldog made what Port described as a culturally insensitive remark during a game. "Definitely it gets to a point where it's a bit too much sometimes," Rioli told Port's club podcast, Peeled. "And yeah I have spoken to my manager and the club a couple of times about walking away from the game, which I am not shy to talk about. "More so … trying to not be putting any more pressure on the club. Get them out of the spotlight as well, in terms of not have to deal with my issues so much as a person off-field." Rioli said he carried a weight of past indiscretions including his 18-month suspension from 2019 for trying to swap his marijuana-tainted urine sample with a clean sample in a drug test while at West Coast. Describing the suspension as a "dark time", Rioli feared he may be scaring recruiters from drafting Indigenous players. The number of Indigenous players has dropped to 62 this year, from a high of 87 in 2020. "I know it's mainly because of COVID," Rioli said of the declining Indigenous representation. The 104-gamer said he continued his career partly to rectify any such perception. "I felt that was my driver to come back to footy … be the light in terms of 'we can go through this'," he said. "I look at the drop in terms of Indigenous players in the competition … that gives me the motivation to stick around longer, to help the next generation do better than what we are doing or what I am doing. "It's more just trying to show the real person I am. "And be a leader and be a role model for the next generation to be like, 'Look, he can take this stuff' but he's still been strong enough to hang around. "I want the next [Indigenous] generation to be better than what we are right now. "And I want them to have their confidence to make mistakes and not be judged by their mistakes." AAP
News.com.au
07-07-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
‘A bit too much': Willie Rioli's shock revelation after threat ban fallout
Port Adelaide forward Willie Rioli has revealed he almost quit the game after being caught sending threats to opposition players but he's stayed to continue to champion the cause of indigenous players. Rioli was suspended for a game in May and hit with fines after revelations of a social media threat to Western Bulldogs defender Bailey Dale with a further two instances of similar aggression to opponents coming to light. He earned support from Port chairman, David Koch, who suggestion Rioli was subjected to 'culturally insensitive' remarks, which was shot down by the Bulldogs in a war of words between the two clubs. It was putting Port in the spotlight for the wrong reasons, and the fallout from the incident moved Rioli to contemplate walking away. 'Definitely it gets to a point where it's a bit too much sometimes,' Rioli told Port's club podcast, Peeled. 'And yeah I have spoken to my manager and the club a couple of times about walking away from the game, which I am not shy to talk about. 'More so ... trying to not be putting any more pressure on the club. Get them out of the spotlight as well, in terms of not have to deal with my issues so much as a person off-field.' Remarkably, Rioli even said he took a 'bit of the blame' for a drop off in indigenous player numbers, a feeling dating back to copping an 18-month suspension for tampering with his marijuana-tainted urine sample while at West Coast. 'I do hold a bit of blame myself a little bit for some of the stuff I have been through, in terms of clubs not trusting Indigenous players,' he said, declaring righting that wrong, and improving perceptions was why he's still playing. 'I felt that was my driver to come back to footy ... be the light in terms of 'we can go through this'. 'I look at the drop in terms of Indigenous players in the competition ... that gives me the motivation to stick around longer, to help the next generation do better than what we are doing or what I am doing. 'I want the next (Indigenous) generation to be better than what we are right now. 'And I want them to have their confidence to make mistakes and not be judged by their mistakes.'
News.com.au
07-07-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Port Adelaide's Willie Rioli nearly walked away from the game during fallout from player threat ban
Port Adelaide forward Willie Rioli has revealed he almost quit the game after being caught sending threats to opposition players but he's stayed to continue to champion the cause of indigenous players. Rioli was suspended for a game in May and hit with fines after revelations of a social media threat to Western Bulldogs defender Bailey Dale with a further two instances of similar aggression to opponents coming to light. He earned support from Port chairman, David Koch, who suggestion Rioli was subjected to 'culturally insensitive' remarks, which was shot down by the Bulldogs in a war of words between the two clubs. It was putting Port in the spotlight for the wrong reasons, and the fallout from the incident moved Rioli to contemplate walking away. 'Definitely it gets to a point where it's a bit too much sometimes,' Rioli told Port's club podcast, Peeled. 'And yeah I have spoken to my manager and the club a couple of times about walking away from the game, which I am not shy to talk about. 'More so ... trying to not be putting any more pressure on the club. Get them out of the spotlight as well, in terms of not have to deal with my issues so much as a person off-field.' Remarkably, Rioli even said he took a 'bit of the blame' for a drop off in indigenous player numbers, a feeling dating back to copping an 18-month suspension for tampering with his marijuana-tainted urine sample while at West Coast. 'I do hold a bit of blame myself a little bit for some of the stuff I have been through, in terms of clubs not trusting Indigenous players,' he said, declaring righting that wrong, and improving perceptions was why he's still playing. 'I felt that was my driver to come back to footy ... be the light in terms of 'we can go through this'. 'I look at the drop in terms of Indigenous players in the competition ... that gives me the motivation to stick around longer, to help the next generation do better than what we are doing or what I am doing. 'I want the next (Indigenous) generation to be better than what we are right now. 'And I want them to have their confidence to make mistakes and not be judged by their mistakes.'
Daily Mail
07-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Indigenous footy star Willie Rioli blames his scandals for driving First Nations players away from the AFL
Port Adelaide forward Willie Rioli says he almost quit and feels some blame for the drop of Indigenous players drafted into the AFL. Rioli has revealed he considered retiring in the midst of controversies in late April and early May. The Power forward expressed a hatred for Hawthorn in the wake of the rival club's racism allegations in a social media post in late April. And in early May, Rioli was banned for one game for a social media threat to Bailey Dale after the Western Bulldog made what Port described as a culturally insensitive remark during a game. 'Definitely it gets to a point where it's a bit too much sometimes,' Rioli told Port's club podcast, Peeled. 'And yeah I have spoken to my manager and the club a couple of times about walking away from the game, which I am not shy to talk about. The Port Adelaide star (pictured) said he partly blames himself for the fact the AFL now has 62 Indigenous stars, down from a high of 87 in 2020 'More so ... trying to not be putting any more pressure on the club. Get them out of the spotlight as well, in terms of not have to deal with my issues so much as a person off-field.' Rioli said he carried a weight of past indiscretions including his 18-month suspension from 2019 for trying to swap his marijuana-tainted urine sample with a clean sample in a drug test when at West Coast. Describing the suspension as a 'dark time', Rioli feared he may be scaring recruiters from drafting Indigenous players. The number of Indigenous players has dropped to 62 this year, from a high of 87 in 2020. 'I know it's mainly because of COVID,' Rioli said of the declining Indigenous representation. 'I do hold a bit of blame myself a little bit for some of the stuff I have been through, in terms of clubs not trusting Indigenous players.' The 104-gamer said he continued his career partly to rectify any such perception. 'I felt that was my driver to come back to footy ... be the light in terms of "we can go through this",' he said. 'I look at the drop in terms of Indigenous players in the competition ... that gives me the motivation to stick around longer, to help the next generation do better than what we are doing or what I am doing. 'It's more just trying to show the real person I am. 'And be a leader and be a role model for the next generation to be like, 'Look, he can take this stuff' but he's still been strong enough to hang around. 'I want the next (Indigenous) generation to be better than what we are right now.
The Advertiser
17-05-2025
- Sport
- The Advertiser
'Unflappable' Dog Dale breaks club record in AFL rout
Dashing defender Bailey Dale has racked up a Western Bulldogs record of 49 possessions in a 91-point demolition of Essendon at Marvel Stadium. After winning five of their previous six games, Essendon had the chance to test their credentials against a genuine finals contender on Saturday night. But they wilted against the red-hot Bulldogs, who showed no ill-effects following a match in the sapping Darwin humidity last week by slamming through the first nine goals of the game. The Dogs' 18.19 (127) to 5.6 (36) victory came in front of 47,366 fans, with thousands of Bombers fans making an early exit amid the on-field carnage. Essendon failed to curb Dale's influence in any way, as the 28-year-old almost notched 50 disposals in the dying stages. By three-quarter time, Dale had already equalled the Bulldogs' record of 32 uncontested possessions in a game. Dale broke the possession mark for a Bulldogs late in the last quarter, previously held by former captain Ryan Griffen. "(Dale) is pretty unflappable," Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge said. "His instincts in the game, his game sense is as good as anyone." Essendon coach Brad Scott insisted they had plans to stop Dale, just none worked. "Clearly both of them didn't work, and then we went to play an even number in the forward line and try to attack him, and that didn't work either," Scott said. "I just think it's a really good lesson for us, that we need to be better with ball in hand and absorbing their pressure." Essendon didn't register their first goal of the match until the 17th minute of the second quarter, and didn't add another in the first half to be 59 adrift at the main break. After slumping to 0-2, the Bombers' only defeat before facing the Bulldogs had been to premiership favourites Collingwood. But their five victories had come against bottom-seven teams, meaning a clash with the high-flying Bulldogs (6-4) was always going to be a serious challenge. The Bulldogs had game-breakers everywhere, typically led by captain Marcus Bontempelli, who slotted the first goal of the match. Small forward Rhylee West was imposing in the air and on the ground inside-50, finishing with a game-high four goals The Bulldogs, who are without star forward Sam Darcy long-term, also hammered Port Adelaide by 90 points two weeks ago. Bulldogs forward Arty Jones, who was recalled for his first game since round two was subbed out early in the second term with a hamstring injury. The Bulldogs have a five-day break before heading to Geelong for a Thursday night showdown against the Cats, as they meet former teammate Bailey Smith for the first time. Essendon have a chance to rebound when they face rebuilding Richmond in the Dreamtime match next Friday night. Dashing defender Bailey Dale has racked up a Western Bulldogs record of 49 possessions in a 91-point demolition of Essendon at Marvel Stadium. After winning five of their previous six games, Essendon had the chance to test their credentials against a genuine finals contender on Saturday night. But they wilted against the red-hot Bulldogs, who showed no ill-effects following a match in the sapping Darwin humidity last week by slamming through the first nine goals of the game. The Dogs' 18.19 (127) to 5.6 (36) victory came in front of 47,366 fans, with thousands of Bombers fans making an early exit amid the on-field carnage. Essendon failed to curb Dale's influence in any way, as the 28-year-old almost notched 50 disposals in the dying stages. By three-quarter time, Dale had already equalled the Bulldogs' record of 32 uncontested possessions in a game. Dale broke the possession mark for a Bulldogs late in the last quarter, previously held by former captain Ryan Griffen. "(Dale) is pretty unflappable," Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge said. "His instincts in the game, his game sense is as good as anyone." Essendon coach Brad Scott insisted they had plans to stop Dale, just none worked. "Clearly both of them didn't work, and then we went to play an even number in the forward line and try to attack him, and that didn't work either," Scott said. "I just think it's a really good lesson for us, that we need to be better with ball in hand and absorbing their pressure." Essendon didn't register their first goal of the match until the 17th minute of the second quarter, and didn't add another in the first half to be 59 adrift at the main break. After slumping to 0-2, the Bombers' only defeat before facing the Bulldogs had been to premiership favourites Collingwood. But their five victories had come against bottom-seven teams, meaning a clash with the high-flying Bulldogs (6-4) was always going to be a serious challenge. The Bulldogs had game-breakers everywhere, typically led by captain Marcus Bontempelli, who slotted the first goal of the match. Small forward Rhylee West was imposing in the air and on the ground inside-50, finishing with a game-high four goals The Bulldogs, who are without star forward Sam Darcy long-term, also hammered Port Adelaide by 90 points two weeks ago. Bulldogs forward Arty Jones, who was recalled for his first game since round two was subbed out early in the second term with a hamstring injury. The Bulldogs have a five-day break before heading to Geelong for a Thursday night showdown against the Cats, as they meet former teammate Bailey Smith for the first time. Essendon have a chance to rebound when they face rebuilding Richmond in the Dreamtime match next Friday night. Dashing defender Bailey Dale has racked up a Western Bulldogs record of 49 possessions in a 91-point demolition of Essendon at Marvel Stadium. After winning five of their previous six games, Essendon had the chance to test their credentials against a genuine finals contender on Saturday night. But they wilted against the red-hot Bulldogs, who showed no ill-effects following a match in the sapping Darwin humidity last week by slamming through the first nine goals of the game. The Dogs' 18.19 (127) to 5.6 (36) victory came in front of 47,366 fans, with thousands of Bombers fans making an early exit amid the on-field carnage. Essendon failed to curb Dale's influence in any way, as the 28-year-old almost notched 50 disposals in the dying stages. By three-quarter time, Dale had already equalled the Bulldogs' record of 32 uncontested possessions in a game. Dale broke the possession mark for a Bulldogs late in the last quarter, previously held by former captain Ryan Griffen. "(Dale) is pretty unflappable," Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge said. "His instincts in the game, his game sense is as good as anyone." Essendon coach Brad Scott insisted they had plans to stop Dale, just none worked. "Clearly both of them didn't work, and then we went to play an even number in the forward line and try to attack him, and that didn't work either," Scott said. "I just think it's a really good lesson for us, that we need to be better with ball in hand and absorbing their pressure." Essendon didn't register their first goal of the match until the 17th minute of the second quarter, and didn't add another in the first half to be 59 adrift at the main break. After slumping to 0-2, the Bombers' only defeat before facing the Bulldogs had been to premiership favourites Collingwood. But their five victories had come against bottom-seven teams, meaning a clash with the high-flying Bulldogs (6-4) was always going to be a serious challenge. The Bulldogs had game-breakers everywhere, typically led by captain Marcus Bontempelli, who slotted the first goal of the match. Small forward Rhylee West was imposing in the air and on the ground inside-50, finishing with a game-high four goals The Bulldogs, who are without star forward Sam Darcy long-term, also hammered Port Adelaide by 90 points two weeks ago. Bulldogs forward Arty Jones, who was recalled for his first game since round two was subbed out early in the second term with a hamstring injury. The Bulldogs have a five-day break before heading to Geelong for a Thursday night showdown against the Cats, as they meet former teammate Bailey Smith for the first time. Essendon have a chance to rebound when they face rebuilding Richmond in the Dreamtime match next Friday night.
