Willie Rioli stuns footy by retiring with a brutally honest take on his time in the game after a year marked by scandal
Port Adelaide forward Willie Rioli has quit the AFL as the Power delist five other players.
The 30-year-old Rioli was contracted until the end of next year but opted to retire.
‘I have given all I can to the game at the highest level,’ Rioli said in a club statement.
‘I made up my mind a couple of weeks ago that this would be my last season.
‘I want to see even more opportunities given to our young, talented small forwards at Port Adelaide in Joe Berry and Tom Cochrane.
‘They’re the future of our club. It’s time for me to step aside.’
Willie Rioli has ended his AFL career, walking away from Port Adelaide as the club makes sweeping player changes
Rioli says goodbye after 109 AFL games and a premiership, leaving Port to focus on younger small forwards stepping up
Rioli was a premiership winner with the West Coast Eagles before moving to Port Adelaide, but his career was repeatedly overshadowed by controversy.
In 2019, he was banned for two years after attempting to tamper with a drug test and later returning cannabis positives, wiping out nearly two full AFL seasons.
In April 2025, Rioli sparked backlash when he posted on social media expressing hatred for Hawthorn amid the club’s racism scandal.
Just weeks later, in May 2025, he was investigated after sending a threatening message about Western Bulldogs defender Bailey Dale and allegedly making verbal threats to Geelong and Essendon players.
The Power on Monday delisted utility Jeremy Finlayson, injury-prone defender Ryan Burton and fringe players Dylan Williams, Hugh Jackson and Lachie Charleson.
They were axed at exit meetings overseen by new head coach Josh Carr, who has taken over from Ken Hinkley.
Rioli considered retiring in the midst of controversies in late April and early May.
The goalsneak expressed a hatred for Hawthorn in the wake of the rival club’s racism allegations in a social media post in late April.
Rioli was involved in a series of scandals in his career, including being rubbed out of the game for nearly two years
Finlayson and Burton headline the delisted group, joining Rioli’s exit as Port resets its list for the future
And in early May, he 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.
Rioli played 109 AFL games – 57 at Port and 52 at West Coast, where he was part of the Eagles’ 2018 premiership.
In July, he told a club podcast 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.
The talented attacker announced his retirement as the 28-year-old Burton and 29-year-old Finlayson were among players delisted.
Halfback Burton arrived after three seasons at Hawthorn for the 2019 season and Finlayson crossed from GWS at the end of 2021.
Burton’s career stalled amid frequent injuries, with the halfback playing only eight AFL games this season.
The 162-gamer suffered a knee injury in round 16 and didn’t feature again.
Finlayson, who also played just eight AFL games this year for a career total of 128, fell from selection favour in an inconsistent season.
Their departures open up further list spots at Port, who have also farewelled retiring club legend Travis Boak.
Ex-Adelaide and Gold Coast utility Rory Atkins, who joined the Power this season, has also retired.
