Club Statement: May 25, 2021Richmond – in conjunction with the AFL – has completed its investigation into a recent nightclub incident involving Daniel Rioli and Shai Bolton.
Rioli has been cleared of any wrongdoing but the investigation found Bolton had exacerbated the situation through his actions.
Bolton acknowledged his decision to become involved in the altercation was the wrong choice and that violence was never the right response.
“I’ve thought about what happened recently and what could have happened as a result of my actions,” Bolton said.
“When I saw what happened to Daniel, I acted on instinct. I now know that my instincts were wrong and that my actions could have led to a far more serious outcome.
“I want to say publicly that I made the wrong choice, and I am sorry for getting involved in the manner that I did.
“The right choice is to walk away from trouble or for me to do whatever I could to stop what was happening and not do something that could make it worse.
“Violence is never okay no matter the circumstances, and I want to share that message with everyone. The right choice is to walk away.”
Richmond CEO Brendon Gale reiterated the view the Club does not condone violence in any form.
“We encourage our players to do everything possible to de-escalate these situations and to walk away, regardless of the circumstances,” Gale said.
“Getting involved in any altercation is not okay and that is a message we will reiterate to our players.
“These can be highly volatile situations and Shai has acknowledged his mistake. We all need to learn from it.”
Richmond and Bolton will be making a donation of $20,000 to Tomorrow Man which works with boys and men to develop healthy masculinity.
The Club now considers the matter closed.
https://www.richmondfc.com.au/news/944633/club-statement-may-25-2021
