RIOLI GETS FOUR-YEAR BAN HALVED

WEST Coast small forward Willie Rioli will be able to make an emotional return to football in Round 23 after a potential four-year doping ban was cut in half.

Rioli (pictured) will be eligible to play again on August 20, and train with West Coast from June 20, with ASADA and WADA not planning to appeal the AFL’s sentence.

The league revealed on Thursday that Rioli was guilty of a trio of offences, including twice attempting to use a prohibited method of urine substitution.

Rioli had accepted a provisional sentence that was backdated to August 20, 2019, with the league conceding delays in his final sentence were “not attributable to Mr Rioli”.

He was forced from football in August 2019 for an adverse analytical finding for substituting a urine sample.

Only a month later a urine test for metabolite of cannabis on match day was found to be positive from a sample given before his provisional ban, with the league stating on Thursday that he was also guilty of urine substitution on that occasion.

It is understood the testers were still able to correctly secure a urine sample after that breach, which showed traces of cannabis.

The league said in a statement his testimony and admissions of guilt had helped minimise the Eagle’s sentence.

Rioli can be thankful his potential four-year ban has been cut in half, and yet changes to WADA rules will see much more lenient treatment of cannabis-based issues in coming years.

Rioli is contracted until the end of 2022, with West Coast always adamant it would stand by him despite his ordeal.