Willie Rioli facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Willie Rioli |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
Rioli playing for West Coast in July 2019
|
|||
| Personal information | |||
| Full name | William Vigona-Rioli Jr. | ||
| Date of birth | 4 June 1995 | ||
| Place of birth | Tiwi Islands | ||
| Original team | Glenelg (SANFL) | ||
| Draft | No. 52, 2016 national draft | ||
| Debut | Round 2, 2018, West Coast v. Western Bulldogs, at Etihad Stadium |
||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Port Adelaide | ||
| Number | 15 | ||
| Career highlights | |||
|
|||
William Rioli Jr. (born 4 June 1995), also known as Willie Rioli, is a professional Australian rules football player. He plays for the Port Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). Before joining Port Adelaide, he played for the West Coast Eagles.
Willie comes from a famous football family. His father, Willie Rioli Sr., played for South Fremantle Football Club. He is also related to other well-known players like Dean Rioli, Cyril Rioli, Ronnie Burns, Daniel Rioli, and Maurice Rioli.
Contents
Early Life and Junior Football
Willie Rioli grew up in the Tiwi Islands. He later attended Xavier College in Melbourne for part of his schooling. He finished his final year of school at Clontarf Aboriginal College in Perth.
While in Perth, he played junior and reserve games for the South Fremantle Football Club. Later, he moved to Adelaide, South Australia. There, he played for Glenelg in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL) during 2015 and 2016. The West Coast Eagles then chose him in the 2016 national draft. He was their third pick and the fifty-second player chosen overall.
AFL Career Highlights
Starting Strong: Debut Season
Willie Rioli made his AFL debut in round two of the 2018 AFL season. His first game was a big 51-point win for the West Coast Eagles against the Western Bulldogs. This match took place at Etihad Stadium.
After his first game, Rioli played in every match for the rest of the 2018 season. The Eagles had a fantastic year, winning the 2018 AFL Grand Final against Collingwood. Rioli even kicked the first goal for his team in that Grand Final! For his amazing first year, he won the West Coast's Emerging Talent award.
Challenges and New Beginnings
In 2021, Rioli faced a period where he was unable to play due to a rule violation. He started training with the West Coast Eagles again in June 2021. He was set to return to play in round 23 of the 2021 AFL season. However, he was ruled out just a week before the game because of a tight hamstring injury.
After the 2022 AFL season, Rioli asked to be traded to Port Adelaide. This move was confirmed on 10 October 2022.
Playing for Port Adelaide
Before the 2025 AFL season, Rioli was chosen to play in the Indigenous All-Stars team. They played against Fremantle. He scored a goal in that game, playing alongside other Indigenous players from Port Adelaide.
Willie Rioli played his 100th AFL game in round 11 of the 2025 season. This milestone game was during Sir Doug Nicholls Round, and it was a loss to Fremantle.
Career Statistics Summary
Willie Rioli has played a total of 106 AFL games. In these games, he has kicked 149 goals. He is known for being a forward player who can score goals and create opportunities for his team.
