An emotional Nick Riewoldt launched a passionate defence of his reputation today after a photograph showing him naked was posted on the internet.

The press conference was held in response to the St Kilda Football Club last night winning a court order to prevent a teenage girl from publishing explicit photographs of Riewoldt and Nick Dal Santo.

In one shot, Riewoldt is shown standing naked alongside teammate Zac Dawson, who is half-dressed. In the other photograph, Dal Santo is lying down in an explicit pose. Both photographs carry the tagline "Merry Christmas, Courtesy of The St Kilda Schoolgirl".

Despite the court order stopping the release of these photographs, they have been disseminated widely through social networks and mobile phones.

The pictures were said to be taken over a year ago in a Miami hotel by fellow St Kilda player Sam Gilbert, who this evening issued his own statement apologising to his teammates and insisting that Riewoldt had never met the girl who allegedly posted them on the net.

At his media conference, Riewoldt said: "I asked Sam to delete the photo, and it was my understanding that it was deleted. To infer that I would stand there and pose for the photograph naked, knowing that it was going to be kept, is absolute garbage and it is offensive that people would think that.''

Riewoldt, chief executive Michael Nettlefold and coach Ross Lyon claim the photographs in question were taken from Gilbert's computer without knowledge or consent.

"I've been aware of the photo for a few weeks. I was made aware of it by my manager, and that the photo was being shopped around. So I think you can understand my shock and disappointment in the current situation," Riewoldt said.

The 17-year-old girl said she was willing to publish a further 19 photographs as revenge, after claiming she had become pregnant to an AFL star after meeting players at a school clinic.

But Riewoldt repeatedly denied having any association with the girl, and was confused over her motivation for publishing the photographs.

"I don't know the woman, so it is very hard for me to comment on someone I don't know,'' he said. ''It is so difficult for me to understand the motivation, when I don't know this person and equally hard for me to comment on someone I don't know. I find that very difficult, and that's why it has caused such distress."

"I have never met the person who has published the photograph on Facebook or who owns the Facebook site. The person, who I have no association with, has sought to impugn me, has caused great distress to myself, my girlfriend, my family and my friends.''

Riewoldt felt obligated and passionately driven to defend his clean-skin reputation, and said he didn't know the photograph existed after asking Gilbert to delete it.

"It hit me like a tonne of bricks. Until yesterday I had no idea that this was going to happen, but it has. From here for me, having this press conference and clearing the air, making sure people understand the circumstances in which it was taken, and obtained, I hope I have made that clear, and from here I will move on. I'm not going to be the victim of this garbage, and continue to lead the club like I always have. I have worked incredibly hard at my profession and across the community in general to a standing of which I am most proud," Riewoldt said.

Lyon said Gilbert did not have to apologise to the football club after the photographs became public, reiterating that the photographs were taken from him without consent.

"Let's get a clear understanding. Nick Riewoldt and Sam Gilbert aren't the perpetrators. It's the behaviour we are clearly disappointed in. It has been obtained without his permission," Lyon said.

Riewoldt said while he was "bitterly disappointed" at Gilbert for not deleting the photographs, their professional relationship would not be affected.

Gilbert last night said in a statement: ''Nick Riewoldt has never met, or does not know, the person in question in respect to the posting of his photograph on Facebook yesterday....

''I can also confirm that the pictures posted on Facebook were taken from my computer and that is currently subject to discussion with the Victoria Police.

''I would also like to offer a public apology to to Nick Riewoldt, Nick Dal Santo, Zac Dawson and their families, as well as the St Kilda Football Club, for the distress this may have caused .... I have learnt a very real and harsh lesson about the risks involved in taking photos of this nature, irrespective of where the photos are kept.''

The AFL Players' Association said the obtaining and release of the explicit photographs were a "gross invasion of privacy."

"Just like any other person, AFL players have a right to have their privacy protected. This latest incident adds further weight to calls for stronger legal protection for high-profile people subjected to these kinds of seemingly malicious accusations," AFLPA president Matt Finnis said.