Rioli returns to Port as coach labels racist attacks an 'absolute disgrace'

Port Adelaide forward Willie Rioli has returned to training and is “doing okay” according to his coach Ken Hinkley.

Rioli was granted leave on Tuesday and did not attend training after receiving racist abuse following a now-deleted post to Instagram where he wrote of his “hatred” of Hawthorn, which he said was based on how the club had treated members of his family.

Speaking at a media conference on Wednesday, Hinkley said Rioli had been supported by his teammates.

“[Rioli] took a little bit of time to deal with what he was dealing with but he’ll be okay and he’ll be available to play on Sunday,” Hinkley said.

A bald man with blue eyes sits at a desk in front of multiple microphones with a wall of sponsored brands. — Ken Hinkley says Rioli is a “remarkable person”. (ABC News)

The Port Adelaide coach slammed racist abuse directed towards Rioli.

“It’s a disgrace the racism that still goes on in our world,”

he said.

“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.

“I think it’s an absolute disgrace.”

On Monday, the AFL Players’ Association chief executive officer Paul Marsh condemned “racist and homophobic comments” sent to Rioli on his social media accounts, labelling them “beyond unacceptable”.

Ken Hinkley and Willie Rioli shake hands as Rioli holds a yellow football in his left hand — Ken Hinkley says Rioli has been through “a lot”. (ABC News)

Hinkley said on Wednesday that the incident was not an isolated one for Rioli.

“This doesn’t just happen against Hawthorn, I mean 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,” he said.

“And the feelings about the Hawthorn stuff, I think that’s not for me to talk about, that’s his history and his family’s history.”

Port Adelaide issued a statement on Monday saying that Rioli and his family continued to “carry deep-seated pain and sadness from past family experiences”, but that social media was “not the appropriate forum for Willie to share his emotions”.

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Rioli has since deleted his Instagram page, with Hinkley saying the player did it for his own wellbeing.

“Isn’t that sad?” Hinkley said.

Hinkley said Rioli had “gone through a lot” and was a “remarkable person”.

“I just love the way he is and … the smile he brings to our footy club most days, and it’s not a nice day when you know that he’s not smiling,” he said.