logo
AFL invite backlash as they make it up as they go with Willie Rioli case

AFL invite backlash as they make it up as they go with Willie Rioli case

The Guardian08-05-2025
After a week of threats, statements, weasel words, revelations and negotiations, the AFL finally landed on what they do best – a sanction. Willie Rioli can seize a dead ball, swivel his backside, slalom through a trio of defenders and slam home a goal in about 2.5 seconds. That's how long it should have taken the AFL to deal with his alleged threats. Instead, in their eternal struggle between being progressive and punitive, they were caught in the middle, swinging in the wind.
There are a lot of factors at play here, the most glaring of which is the way the AFL responds to these incidents. The weekend's controversy needed to be dealt with decisively and coherently. Indeed, in recent times, the AFL has been the most punitive of organisations. Last year, they suspended one of their umpires for dressing up as Osama Bin Laden. It begged a few questions. What sort of rollicking knees-up is an umpires' dress up day? And given the state of umpiring at the moment, can we afford for one of their brethren to be in the sin bin for such an atrocity?
The other crackdown has been on players raising their middle finger. If you abuse players as they come off the field, perhaps you deserve be to given the bird. Back in the day, a football crowd was a bit more self-policing. These days, it's the player who has to do the explaining. When Bailey Smith was filmed giving the double-barrelled bird, he was issued with one of Pauline Hanson's 'please explains'. 'The AFL is set to reach out to the Cats so it can understand the motivations or background behind the interaction,' the very serious statement read.
In things that actually matter, however, they've been decidedly more hesitant and lenient. The way they handled the Noah Balta court case was instructive. There are a lot of harsh penalties in footy. They'll penalise the piddling and the accidental. You can get three weeks for a tackle that would have earned the praise of coaches just a few years ago. You can be a 16-year-old who tosses a flogger on the field and they'll ban you from going to the footy for two years. Compared to that, what Balta did was a disgrace. And yet he'll be running out on Sunday – a very fortunate and free man.
You know what I'm doing here? I'm being a whataboutist. They abound on X. What about this? What about that? Where's my parade? They have an obsession with climate activists using airport lounges. They're almost always middle aged and presumably very hard-done-by blokes. And in a case like Rioli, it's an excuse to voice what they're really itching to say – that the woes of Aboriginal footballers get too much airtime, and that everyone is a victim in their own way. Invariably, after 200,000 versions of the same tweet, what they're essentially saying boils down to three words: 'what about me?' They like to think they're above the trolls, but they are just as contemptible. They embolden them and fan the inevitable abuse.
The AFL has invited that kind of backlash with their inconsistency. In doing so it obscures what is a key factor in all this – that Willie Rioli is clearly struggling, that he cops vile abuse and that any chance of a nuanced conversation about that is now probably impossible. When he lashed out on social media following the Hawthorn game, Port said they were supportive. But it felt like a smother. It was a variation of 'we understand your pain, but please express it on our terms'.
And it is a shame because he had important things to say about the racism he alleges his family was subjected to at Hawthorn. But no-one wants to talk about that anymore. It's football's great unspoken. We, and the word 'we' is always loaded when we talk about such things, all moved on from that didn't we?
Sign up to From the Pocket: AFL Weekly
Jonathan Horn brings expert analysis on the week's biggest AFL stories
after newsletter promotion
A few weeks later, the impression in Ballarat was of a frustrated man who clearly needs a break. Playing in the Showdown on Saturday, at the best of times one of the most febrile environments in Australian football, would have added kerosene to the situation.
What a tedious, toxic, utterly avoidable mess. This whole thing could have been handled so much better. It required decisive action, proper English, common sense and a semblance of consistency. It warranted a strong, early sanction and the appropriate support mechanisms. Instead, the AFL shilly-shallied. They had a few bob each way. And they perpetuated the prevailing view that they're making it up as they go.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

AFL fans have been puzzled by a sound on TV broadcasts for 45 years - and now the mystery has finally been solved
AFL fans have been puzzled by a sound on TV broadcasts for 45 years - and now the mystery has finally been solved

Daily Mail​

time12 minutes ago

  • Daily Mail​

AFL fans have been puzzled by a sound on TV broadcasts for 45 years - and now the mystery has finally been solved

For almost five decades, AFL fans have been left puzzled by a strange siren call that has echoed around footy grounds during match broadcasts - and now the mystery has finally been solved. While the NRL has the phantom siren, AKA Gosh Daher, who has fooled footy fans, players and even officials by mimicking the fulltime hooter, the AFL has the Whoo-Whoo Lady. Wherever Collingwood plays, fans can hear her call every time the opposition is trying to work the ball out of pressure following a Pies behind. Now her identity has been revealed as she explained why she has been making the booming sound for more than 40 years. 'My name's Leanne, I'm known as the siren lady, the whoo-whoo lady or the ambulance lady,' the Magpies fanatic said on TikTok. 'I've been doing it for 45 years. Collingwood superfan Leanne (pictured) has revealed as the voice behind the strange siren sound, which she uses to put the opposition off their game 'It's for when the players on our side kick a point [a behind], and then the opposition is kicking back in. 'Because it's to try and distract them, put them off. The players have told me they love it.' While the players may love it, there are plenty of opposition supporters who can't stand it. There is even a Reddit thread on annoying fans and Leanne and her siren sound is at the very top. 'At all Collingwood games in Victoria - and most away games - one of the cheer squad members makes the loudest, most annoying siren-like sound until the moment the opposition player has disposed of the ball,' a footy fan posted. 'It's one of those little things that is close to the most annoying part of any game.' Others commented on the TikTok post, accusing the diehard Collingwood supporter of ruining the spectacle for others. 'No consideration for anyone nearby regardless of who they barracking for,' one posted. 'I wish I never heard it because now I hear it all the time,' another wrote. Leanne has heard all the hate before, though, and it doesn't faze her. 'I don't even realise I am doing it now, I just get up and do it,' she said. 'I'm sorry for the people that hate it and I know it's very loud. 'But it something that I just can't, when I come to think about it, trying to stop. I can't.' Now that her identity has been revealed, Leanne is collecting new fans of her distinctive sound. 'See, now I know the reason behind it, it's less annoying. There's a purpose and a passion there. Generally only hear it on TV for Marvel games but I'll listen out for it now I know the reason,' one fan commented. 'This fan's energy is absolutely contagious! You can feel the passion radiating through their cheers, truly bringing the game to life,' added another.

EXCLUSIVE I ordered an everyday item of clothing from overseas when it was seized at the Australian border... then came the $2,500 bill to get it back
EXCLUSIVE I ordered an everyday item of clothing from overseas when it was seized at the Australian border... then came the $2,500 bill to get it back

Daily Mail​

time12 minutes ago

  • Daily Mail​

EXCLUSIVE I ordered an everyday item of clothing from overseas when it was seized at the Australian border... then came the $2,500 bill to get it back

An Australian business owner has lashed out after his clothing shipment was seized at the border and he was forced to pay more than $2,500 before he could get it back. Andy Lowry, who runs clothing store Pamboes, had ordered a shipment of 'blanket hoodies' from China before they were withheld by the Australian Border Force. Authorities had searched the clothing for illegal materials, however they found nothing suspicious inside of them. Mr Lowry was slugged with a $2,524 bill for airport storage fees and informed he would not be able to collect the items until he settled it. 'Apparently because I'm the importer on record, I had to pay that $2,524 bill and they pretty much told me to get stuffed,' he said. 'This is like the cost of doing business essentially.' Mr Lowry claimed the seizure put him behind schedule for marketing the new clothes. 'I can confirm that [Master Air Waybill number] is subject to border processing and we're unable to provide a timeframe as to when it may be available,' an official advised in an email. 'At this point I'm getting stressed cause they like can't give me a timeframe. I'm like how long are they going to keep it for?' Mr Lowry said. In correspondence from the ABF, Mr Lowry was told he could not collect his items until he paid to lift the storage fees. He believed it would cost a few hundred dollars. 'After I wait a week and a half, I get my storage charges and it's storage for $2,524. For what? A hoodie?' Mr Lowry said. 'Then I sort of had this huge back and forth on why I'm having to pay for this, and lo and behold, it is legal. 'The Australian Border Force can do that to any person who is importing.' Mr Lowry said to chase a reimbursement he was deferred to the Department of Home Affairs. He was told he would have to lodge an investigation and complain. Mr Lowry told Daily Mail Australia any fee 'coming out of nowhere' makes it 'tough' to do business. He said the 'seasonal' business relies on customers purchasing his products at the beginning of winter, and estimates the border mishap in June cost him dearly. Mr Lowry began selling the loungewear during the Covid pandemic before realising there was a market for 'blanket'-style clothes. 'This delay cost us two weeks in June, which would be above a six-figure loss in lost sales,' he said. 'Understandably customers do their winter shopping at the beginning of winter so they can get full use out of whatever they have bought.' When he tried to chase an investigation, Mr Lowry found there was no way around paying the fees, as the importer on record is liable for the costs. 'In the time Australian Border Force is checking your goods, your shipping company is forced to hold the goods at their warehouses until Australian Border Force is finished and storage charges are imposed,' he said. 'Some companies may be kind enough to waive these charges, but understandably they are a business too.' Mr Lowry said the costs around occupying commercial real estate are expensive as port space is in high demand. In general, importing can be 'quite difficult' he said. He added Pamboes has thankfully had few issues but acknowledged he had heard 'horror stories'. 'Border holds cost companies millions each year and it's not something you can really prepare for, it's almost a random check,' he said. 'We understand they have to keep our borders safe, but we pay taxes at the border. You would think part of those taxes we pay would cover ABF's work.' He said it hasn't put him off doing business as Pamboes moves into more fashionable blanket-wear and tries to sell off remaining stock in a winter sale.

Footy fans are slammed for making videos that poke fun at suicide after twin AFL stars Adam and Troy Selwood took their own lives
Footy fans are slammed for making videos that poke fun at suicide after twin AFL stars Adam and Troy Selwood took their own lives

Daily Mail​

time12 minutes ago

  • Daily Mail​

Footy fans are slammed for making videos that poke fun at suicide after twin AFL stars Adam and Troy Selwood took their own lives

A leading AFL fan page has issued a grovelling apology after posting videos showing footy supporters mocking suicide in a year that has seen two former players take their own lives. Carlton News & Stats is a popular fan page on social media platform X, run by Blues supporter Adam Joseph. Joseph describes himself as a media personality, ex-journalist and also runs a UK Premier League page on X called No Question About That. His page, which operates under the handle @Upthebaggers, posted the videos after Carlton suffered yet another defeat, this time a 24-point hammering by Hawthorn last Thursday night. Daily Mail Australia has chosen not to publish the clips, which show AFL fans pretending to throw themselves off balconies at the MCG, or hang themselves with their scarves, before laughing about it. Their actions mimic a viral video posted by US comedian Justin Silva, who shot to fame for a clip that makes light of suicide. Silva filmed himself in his apartment, pretending to throw himself over the balcony, drink bleach and set fire to the unit with aerosol spray and a lighter, before making a goofy 'just kidding' face after each action. The furore over the clips on the Carlton page surfaced as the team sits in 12th place on the AFL after a horrible run of form that crushed fans' early-season confidence they would push for the premiership. Frustrated fans have lashed out at the club while a Collingwood supporter was banned from the MCG for five years for sending a death threat to coach Michael Voss. Fans are furious the page joked about suicide after the AFL was left reeling when West Coast premiership winner Adam Selwood's took his own life. Adam tragically died in May aged 41, just three months after his twin brother Troy also committed suicide. Fellow West Coast Grand Final winner Adam Hunter also died earlier this year, aged 43, although police ruled out suicide in that case. Former Collingwood and Richmond AFL player Andrew Krakouer was another footy star who died young in 2025, from a suspected heart attack aged just 42. It comes after the Carlton News & Stats account had previously attacked other content creators for making light of suicide. I keep seeing all this Justin Silva content and he was just in Baltimore. Just realizing this is him… 😂 — Sathickums 🍑 (@sadie_deedee) June 8, 2025 'After my post yesterday, someone reached out to send me this video from The Monday Blues,' the post read. 'That person was deeply troubled by suicide jokes being made by prominent content creators, regardless of it being based on an existing video. 'When I talk about toxic content creators, The Monday Blues, The Jumper Punch, 2 Passionate Bluebaggers, amongst others, are the kinds of creators I am talking about. 'You have influence and choose to use it to capitilise, intentionally or not, on fan frustration. 'That frustration manifests itself into further abuse, vitriol and aggression towards the football club. How is that helpful? 'There is no value add as a content creator if that's what you are doing, regardless of our justified and ongoing frustrations as fans of the footy club.' Carlton News & Stats issued the above apology on X after other content creators threatened to take legal action That led to those content creators threatening to take legal action unless the post was removed. 'Unsure when our podcast has said anything about suicide etc. that this person makes,' one of the 2 Passionate Bluebaggers podcast hosts posted. 'I've already sent this to our solicitor about defamation. The creator has 24hrs to remove this post our I'll be taking it further.' The Carlton News & Stats account later removed the post and apologised for attacking the content creators. 'I want to apologise directly to The Monday Blues, The Jumper Punch and Two Passionate Bluebaggers for a post today that was bang out of order on my part,' the post read. 'Inference between them and something as serious as suicide was wrong, especially with my own lived experience & passion for the mental health space. 'Initially I didn't delete what I said, because it was already out there, screenshotted but as someone pointed out, leaving it up arguably just made it worse. 'Accountability and responsibility is something I need to demonstrate if I want to set an example with my platform. I wasn't doing that with what I said earlier.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store