{"id":80723,"date":"2025-08-19T20:06:13","date_gmt":"2025-08-19T20:06:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/80723\/"},"modified":"2025-08-19T20:06:13","modified_gmt":"2025-08-19T20:06:13","slug":"adelaide-write-to-afl-to-explain-what-led-to-izak-rankines-regrettable-slur-to-collingwood-player","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/80723\/","title":{"rendered":"Adelaide write to AFL to explain what led to Izak Rankine\u2019s regrettable slur to Collingwood player"},"content":{"rendered":"

Adelaide<\/a> star Izak Rankine\u2019s ban for using a homophobic slur<\/a> won\u2019t be known until Wednesday.<\/p>\n

Rankine, the Crows and the AFL continued high-level talks over Rankine\u2019s fate on Tuesday.<\/p>\n

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Crows write to AFL in bid to clear Izak Rankine.<\/p>\n

Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today \"Download<\/a><\/p>\n

But 7NEWS chief AFL reporter Mitch Cleary has revealed the Crows have thrown a late curveball into the investigation.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll parties around this investigation thought it would be wrapped up by today (Tuesday), but there\u2019s been a late twist,\u201d Cleary said on Tuesday night.<\/p>\n

\u201cLast night Adelaide entered a written submission to the AFL to try to have Rankine free to play this year. Now, on precedent, he would receive a five-match ban, which would ultimately end his 2025 season.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut the Crows have moved to have that reduced by highlighting extenuating circumstances, which are believed to include the fact he was being targeted verbally by Collingwood players earlier in the game.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cleary said Adelaide believe Rankine showed contrition to the opposing player after the incident, and they also believe Rankine was \u201cprovoked\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cPart of it includes an exchange with (former Port Adelaide player) Dan Houston,\u201d Cleary revealed on Channel 7\u2019s The Agenda Setters<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201c(Houston) knocked Rankine out in his last game as a Port Adelaide player last year (before joining Collingwood).\u201d<\/p>\n

Cleary said the Crows believe the circumstances should be enough to free Rankine and allow him to play AFL again this year.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow the AFL carried out further interviews today … so no outcome today on a decision that will shape the upcoming finals series. We are expected to have it by this time tomorrow, that\u2019s of course unless we get another late curveball.\u201d<\/p>\n

The ladder-leading Crows have one home and away game remaining and will then host two finals.<\/p>\n

Asked if there was a chance to have Rankine\u2019s ban capped at three games (and possible see him play in a grand final), Cleary said thought a three-game ban \u201cwould be a stretch\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cThree (games) there would be outrage,\u201d Cleary said The Agenda Setters<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cFour would still be a surprise.\u201d<\/p>\n

If the 25-year-old is suspended for four games, the Crows would need to lose a final en route to the grand final for Rankine to be available for the premiership decider.<\/p>\n

Rankine \u2014 who called the Collingwood player a f*****, will be the fourth player suspended since last April for directing a homophobic slur at an opponent during an AFL game.<\/p>\n

Last month, West Coast\u2019s Jack Graham was banned for four games after he admitted making a homophobic remark to a GWS player.<\/p>\n

Last year, Gold Coast\u2019s Wil Powell was suspended for five matches and Port Adelaide\u2019s Jeremy Finlayson banned for three games, both for homophobic slurs.<\/p>\n

Two VFL players have also recently been banned for homophobic slurs.<\/p>\n

Last month, Sydney defender Riak Andrew was suspended for five matches for an anti-gay slur while playing for the Swans\u2019 reserves team against North Melbourne.<\/p>\n

And in July last year, St Kilda\u2019s Lance Collard was banned for six games for homophobic comments while playing in the VFL for Sandringham against Williamstown.<\/p>\n

While Collard\u2019s offence was during a VFL game, he was an AFL-listed player and, as such, bound by AFL rules<\/p>\n

Rankine\u2019s teammate Taylor Walker on Tuesday said the 25-year-old would accept any punishment from the AFL.<\/p>\n

\u201cI spoke to him last night on the phone and he\u2019s very remorseful,\u201d former Crows captain Walker told Triple M radio.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe understands that he has made a mistake and he\u2019ll accept whatever comes his way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Walker said Rankine, regarded as among the league\u2019s most talented players, was \u201cantagonised week-in, week-out; things get said to him that probably shouldn\u2019t\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cUnfortunately that\u2019s the situation,\u201d said Walker, who stressed it didn\u2019t excuse Rankine\u2019s slur.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a bit of fun trying to put your opposition off but you have got to be super, super critical and understanding of who they are and their background and their journey.\u201d<\/p>\n

– With AAP<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Adelaide rocked as livewire forward under AFL investigation<\/p>\n

1 min read<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Taylor Walker speaks out on \u2018very touchy\u2019 Izak Rankine situation<\/p>\n

2 min read<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Adelaide star Izak Rankine\u2019s ban for using a homophobic slur won\u2019t be known until Wednesday. Rankine, the Crows…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":80724,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[560],"tags":[9126,638,64,63,55,639,588,85],"class_list":{"0":"post-80723","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-afl","8":"tag-adelaide-crows","9":"tag-afl","10":"tag-au","11":"tag-australia","12":"tag-australian-football-league","13":"tag-australianfootballleague","14":"tag-sport","15":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80723","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=80723"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80723\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/80724"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=80723"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=80723"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=80723"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}