Following a 12-month mourning period for the loss of his father, Port Adelaide forward Willie Rioli will revert to his birth name.
In the year period following the death of his father, Mr. Rioli Snr, Willie was referred to as Junior, representative of a cultural custom.
Upon the cessation of that grieving period, Port Adelaide released a club statement on Wednesday advising of Rioli's name change.
Forward formerly known as Junior Rioli, should now be referred to by his birth name, Willie Rioli, after a period of mourning for the death of his father.
The Rioli family has thanked the community for respecting & following its cultural protocols over the past 12 months ๐ค๐โค๏ธ
— Port Adelaide FC (@PAFC) July 19, 2023
Last weekend, Rioli was granted leave to attend a memorial ceremony for his father, sitting out the Alberton club's loss to Carlton at Marvel Stadium.
Following his brief absence, Rioli is available for selection for Port Adelaide's fixture with Collingwood this Saturday evening.
The highly-anticipated matchup is scheduled for 7:40 PM (AEST) this Saturday at Adelaide Oval.
