Coach weighs in as AFL grants Crows’ wish over slur ban
Steve Larkin, Shayne Hope and Oliver Caffrey |
Adelaide and Izak Rankine remain in discussions with the AFL over his pending ban for a homophobic slur, as a rival coach says the star Crow should not be demonised for his mistake.
The AFL on Wednesday granted the Crows’ request for additional time to respond to the league’s proposed sanction, which reportedly includes a five-match ban that would end Rankine’s season.
Talks between Adelaide’s hierarchy and the AFL will now stretch into a fifth day.
Rankine is set to be the sixth AFL-listed player suspended for a homophobic remark to an opponent in the past 16 months.
The 25-year-old is facing a ban after admitting making a homophobic slur to a Collingwood opponent during Adelaide’s three-point win last Saturday night.
Rankine apologised to the unnamed Magpie player on Sunday as the AFL’s integrity unit launched an investigation.
Collingwood coach Craig McRae, asked on Wednesday if his player involved was OK, replied: “Yeah, I think so.
“We had a good chat over the weekend and then again Monday morning just to check in, it’s about making sure our players are safe.
“But I don’t want to demonise Izak either.
“Everyone is allowed to make mistakes, and the young lad seems like a really respectful young man and he’s made an error.
“The AFL will take their own course on that, but you’re allowed to make mistakes too.”
Rankine risks being suspended for the entire finals campaign of ladder-leading Adelaide, returning to the playoffs for the first time since 2017.
The Crows have one home-and-away game remaining and are then assured of hosting two finals.
Rankine didn’t train with his teammates on Wednesday afternoon as Adelaide postponed a scheduled media conference with coach Matthew Nicks until Friday.
Approached by reporters at training, Nicks said Rankine is “doing all right” with support from the club.
Nicks admitted the intense spotlight in recent days had been a distraction for the Crows ahead of their clash with North Melbourne at Marvel Stadium on Saturday.
“But no, we’re locked in on what we’re doing this weekend,” Nicks said.
“We just put support around Izak because it is a tough thing to go through, and he knows it’s going to be tough from here.
“But we’ll work our way through it.”
Last month West Coast’s Jack Graham was banned for four games for making a homophobic remark to a GWS player.
In April last year, Port Adelaide’s Jeremy Finlayson was banned for three games, then the following month Gold Coast’s Wil Powell was suspended for five matches, both for homophobic slurs.
Finlayson was banned for a comment to an Essendon player in last year’s Gather Round.
Bombers coach Brad Scott said that followed an incident in the 2024 pre-season when an Essendon player made a remark that was picked up on a recording of the team meeting.
“The player, they thought it was an innocent comment,” Scott told reporters on Wednesday.
“It was picked up on the microphone, I addressed it then and there, because … if you make a comment like that and it’s picked up on-field by an umpire’s mic, there’ll be severe ramifications.
“Clearly I couldn’t foresee what was going to happen in Gather Round and in subsequent suspensions for those things.”
Scott again addressed such slurs with his players after Finlayson’s ban.
“It’s disappointing it keeps happening, but we have got to keep educating,” he said.
“I have a high level of confidence that we don’t have a homophobia issue in our game, we have just got a lack of education issue.
“And players who, in moments of frustration, use words that they really don’t understand the ramifications of the words they’re using, but now they do, so there’s no excuse.”
Two VFL players have also recently been banned for directing homophobic slurs at opponents.
Sydney defender Riak Andrew last month was suspended for five matches for an anti-gay slur while playing for the Swans’ reserves team against North Melbourne.
And in July last year, St Kilda’s Lance Collard was banned for six games for homophobic comments while playing in the VFL for Sandringham against Williamstown.
Lifeline 13 11 14
beyondblue 1300 22 4636
Fullstop Australia 1800 385 578
AAP
