Port Adelaide football boss Chris Davies said a decision on whether Willie Rioli played in the Showdown against Adelaide on Saturday was being left up to Rioli as he confirmed the AFL investigation into multiple threats the under-fire Port star has made could be finalised as early as Thursday.

Davies said Rioli had made a “significant error” and was aware of the significance the situation he now found himself in.

Rioli sent a threat to a teammate of Bulldog Bailey Dale at the weekend over which the AFL took no action over.

It has since been reported the threat was not the first Rioli had made against an opponent with on-field threats involving Geelong’s Brad Close last year and Essendon’s Archie Roberts earlier this season coming to light in the last 24 hours.

Davies said the club had yet to decide if Rioli should play in the turbo-charged cross-town rivalry match given the spotlight on him.

“A call could definitely come from Willie with what he’s gone through in the last 24 hours, but again, we’re not taking away from the fact that we’re dealing with a real issue here,” Davies said.

“I think it’s fair that he will see how he goes after training, we’ll work with him, and we’ll continue to talk to the AFL.

“But this is something that’s ongoing right now that I think should be finalised tomorrow.

“Obviously from a team announcement perspective, it needs to, but there’s still a little bit to work through.”

Rioli and Davies have both spoken to the AFL about the 29-year-old’s conduct.

“There’s an ongoing investigation at the moment and the AFL haven’t finalised that investigation,” Davies said.

“We won’t find out any more tonight, so I expect we’ll find out more tomorrow.

“The AFL have met with both Willie and myself and asked questions of him, I’m unable to go into specifics on that with the investigation ongoing.

“They’re dealing with things they weren’t aware of contextually, and they’re considering that in conjunction with the matter from the weekend.

“He’s out training right now, it hasn’t been an easy period of time for him. But he knows he needed to front up today and answer those questions (to the AFL).

“The club’s natural reaction is to move Willie and provide support to him, but also, we’re acknowledging the fact Willie made a pretty significant error on the weekend by sending the text to the Bulldogs player about Bailey Dale.

“I think it’s fair to say that after the game is a more significant issue than during the game. In this situation, it’s clear that Willie overstepped the line with the text that was sent.”

Earlier, Port president David Koch said the club was “incredibly angry” about the situation.

“We’ve talked pretty sternly to Willie about it and said it’s just not on,” Koch told 5AA Radio.

“I’m making absolutely no excuse for Willie’s private message after the game.

“But you can’t mix on-field and off-field comments or it will lead to places people don’t want to go.”

But Koch did stand up for Rioli and other Indigenous players at Port and in the AFL.

“You’ve got absolutely no idea what they go through, both on-field and off-field,” he said.

“The (racial) threats we receive as a club against our Indigenous players would just horrify you, and we see a responsibility to protect them in that situation as well.

“It’s a build-up of pressure and abuse that they’ve received and every individual handles that differently and that’s what we’ve got to take into account.

“There’s no excusing that, don’t get me wrong, but we have a duty to support the players.”

Essendon coach Brad Scott has been made aware of Rioli’s alleged threat towards an unnamed Bombers player, but declared it’s “not our issue, it’s a Port Adelaide and AFL issue”.

“Our players have zero concerns,” Scott said on Wednesday.

“Our players feel that whatever was said or done on the field against Port Adelaide should stay on the field, and we’re not interested in engaging beyond this.

“Clearly over the decades, expectations have quite rightfully changed in line with broader community expectations.

“The AFL have been industry, if not world leaders, in terms of tackling issues like racism.

“We absolutely know there is no space or place for racism on or off field.

“We play a combative sport, and I would expect our players to be combative, but I would expect them to do that within the realms of sportsmanship and also broader community expectations.”

With AAP