THE FRESH spotlight on AFL racism lifting the spirits of Willie Rioli could be a watershed moment for the code, Yartapuulti coach Ken Hinkley says.
Hinkley says the Rioli case has found a positive by triggering wider, sometimes uncomfortable, conversations about AFL Indigenous issues.
Rioli served a one-game suspension for threatening opponents, with the Power directly linking the incidents with racism he has suffered.
In the lead-up to Sir Doug Nicholls Round, the AFL said more needs to be done, urging an industry-wide buy-in to stamp out racism.
And many of the code's Indigenous stars, while welcoming the round's focus, have called for greater year-round education.
"That was the point of what we did last week as a club ... to make sure people just have a bit more understanding of what goes on here," Hinkley told reporters on Wednesday.
"That has been highlighted well enough.
"And that helps all Indigenous players who are playing our great game, and we create more of those players to come into our game and not dwindling those numbers.
"We make them feel like this is a safe place for them to come and enjoy and express themselves as footballers – I think that's a huge positive."
The AFL initially decided not to sanction Rioli for using social media to threaten Western Bulldog Bailey Dale after a recent game.
But after two more incidents were disclosed of Rioli making verbal threats to players in other games, the AFL re-opened his case, resulting in a one-match suspension.
Hinkley said there would be a simple indicator of whether Rioli was ready to return against Geelong at Adelaide Oval on Saturday: a smile.
"When he's smiling, he's pretty good ... and last week he didn't smile very often," Hinkley said.
"We'll just be very mindful and very, very cautious ... clearly his footy is not an issue, we have just got to make sure that he's emotionally in the right spot.
"It looks really, really positive ... he's had a lot of support from our footy club and I think he certainly appreciates that.
"He's had a lot of support from the community now, which certainly also helps."
Indigenous greats Adam Goodes and Cyril Rioli are both effectively lost to the code because of racism, and Hinkley said Willie Rioli also, at times, questioned his future.
"It's incredibly sad that that is what has happened and the game has made them feel that way," Hinkley said of Goodes and Cyril Rioli.
"We have to own that. That's the way they feel.
"I don't know either of the two boys personally so I can't comment on their own circumstances.
"But I do know Willie and I think that the game makes him feel a bit that way at times, and that should never happen in today's world."
The Power are coming off a narrow Showdown loss ahead of hosting Geelong on Saturday.
But whether veteran Travis Boak returns remains to be seen, with the 36-year-old having last played in the AFL in round seven.
The club's games record-holder returned in state league competition last weekend, collecting 35 disposals and breaking an SANFL record in the process.
Boak's previous SANFL game was in 2007 – the 18-year period is the longest gap between games in the state league's history.
"We should be really careful when we talk about Trav," Hinkley said.
"We're trying to get him in to a position where he can have a strong back half of the year at the very least and make sure he's OK physically.
"And I think getting him through this week and next week, and seeing how he feels and his body goes, is really important to us, but what level we do that at will be decided later."
