Oct 8th, 2019

Oct 8th, 2019

Disgraced West Coast Eagles star Willie Rioli has broken his silence a month after his career was thrown into turmoil by an allegedly tampered-with drug test.

Far away from the spotlight, the 24-year-old was seen training alongside his cousins today at the St Mary's Football Club in Darwin.

When asked how he had been coping with the scandal that has rocked his career, he told 9News he was working on improving himself.

"I'm just embarrassed a bit, I just want to let everything work itself out now," he said.

"I've got great support here (in Darwin) and like I said, I've been proving doubters my whole life – so I'll definitely come back bigger and better."

Willie Rioli is training again (Nine News)

While St Mary's plays in the Northern Territory's highest Australian Rules league and the football season is already underway, Rioli was provisionally banned from playing the game at any level as a result of the drug test controversy.

Despite that, he told 9News he was enjoying being able to train with his family.

"(It's) good to be back home, just good to enjoy being back here and I've got all the support I need," he said.

"Everything will work its way through."

Willie Rioli is training again (Nine News)

The scandal now surrounding the Eagles star's career first began when drug testers arrived at West Coast's training session two days after the club's round 22 clash with the Richmond Tigers last month.

It is alleged Rioli tampered with a sample he provided to those testers, contaminating it with a sports drink.

He was then target tested two weeks later after the Eagles' game against Essendon and he allegedly returned a positive reading for cannabis.

West Coast have stood by their 2018 premiership goal scorer, however Rioli told 9News he had no expected time for when me may return to the AFL.

"I've got no time frame on anything – I just want to keep training and keep improving and that's all I can say," he said.