“He had the choice … I thought the right option for him was not to be here,” Hinkley said.

“He just needed some time, and I made sure he got that time. And we will move on and, hopefully, we can leave all this stuff behind us, and we can get on with playing footy.”

Power football boss Chris Davies detailed over the weekend the abuse Rioli has regularly endured on and off the field. This included comments about his weight, diet and alleged marijuana use that Davies believes has a racist undertone.

“Willie Rioli gets racially abused almost every day, when he does something good or bad in people’s eyes,” Davies said 3AW.

Hinkley last week said he doubted any rival players would verbally target Rioli, considering the fallout last week, when it emerged he’d sent a threatening text message to a Western Bulldogs player directed at Dogs’ defender Bailey Dale after they’d clashed on field the day before. After that came to light, allegations of Rioli threatening a Geelong opponent at GMHBA Stadium a year ago and an Essendon opponent earlier this season were ventilated.

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Davies said reporting of Rioli’s issues were far more nuanced than a simple football story.

“I think firstly, it’s really important to say Willie has put his hand up and said that he wished he didn’t send the text message after the game,” Davies told 3AW.

“[And I am not] suggesting in the two instances highlighted [that] anything said was believed to be racist, but what you’ve highlighted [weight and drug abuse commentary] are two issues Willie has to deal with regularly.

“My question to you would be, if someone has been abused through their life as overweight and part of that conversation has included what they are eating as part of their cultural diet, would you expect that the next time that person is called overweight, that person, in some way, links that back to what they have received across their life.

“The marijuana use … would you consider ‘go and smoke drugs with your mates’, is that something that, when it has been prevalent in a community, it might have more significance for the person that is hearing it.”

The Power have slipped to 13th spot on the ladder, with four wins and five losses, and now prepare to face a Cats’ unit stung by a home loss to Greater Western Sydney.

The Cats will also weigh up changes at selection.

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Coach Chris Scott said Stewart (knee), the match-winning creative half-back, was in contention to play, having missed the past fortnight. Lawson Humphries (concussion) was also due back.

“According to him, he is a lock,” Scott said of Humphries.

Defender Jack Henry (hamstring) could also be in contention, although Scott pointed out that there was only a five-day break between the clash with the Power and the Cats’ next game with the Western Bulldogs at GMHBA Stadium.

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