‘His Season Is FInished’: Five-Game Ban For Adelaide’s Izak Rankine Over Homophobic Slur

Adelaide Crows forward Izak Rankine has received a five-game suspension after using a homophobic slur during a high-stakes clash with Collingwood — a development that threatens to shatter both his season and his club’s premiership ambitions.

The AFL Integrity Unit confirmed the sanction this week following its investigation into Rankine’s on-field remark. The ban not only sidelines one of Adelaide’s star players, but has also reignited valid concerns about how the league is addressing persistent homophobia in the game.

Star Observer reported last week that the Integrity Unit had launched the probe after the alleged slur surfaced in post-match reports.

Media commentator Eddie Maguire didn’t mince words on Footy Classified: “His season is finished in 2025.”

Crows reportedly appealing decision

The Crows are reportedly looking to appeal based on extenuating circumstances, pointing to a sledge from Collingwood’s Dan Houston that allegedly “triggered” Rankine’s outburst.

The Herald Sun reports that the slur occurred as part of a quickly escalating verbal slanging match, that referenced the ex-Port Adelaide player knocking the Crows star out last year (although Houston is not the player Rankine delivered the slur towards). The club presented the altercation as part of a multifaceted defence to keep their finals hopes alive.

However, many in the AFL community — particularly queer fans — have rightly noted that provocation is absolutely no excuse for homophobia.

However, Rankine’s disciplinary past doesn’t help his case: allegations of prior similar conduct suggest a pattern that demands more than a slap on the wrist. 

7 News sports report Mitch Cleary posted on X say “Izak Rankine allegedly delivered a similar slur towards a Collingwood opponent in a match several years ago. The incident hasn’t been lost on Magpies players as the investigation into Rankine ramped up over the last 48 hours.”

Izak Rankine allegedly delivered a similar slur towards a Collingwood opponent in a match several years ago.
The incident hasn’t been lost on Magpies players as the investigation into Rankine ramped up over the last 48 hours @7NewsMelbourne @7AFL https://t.co/3ZykSJH5rk

— Mitch Cleary (@cleary_mitch) August 19, 2025

Adelaide Crows teammates express regret

Several Crows teammates have expressed regret over the incident, but say they get “enough” education on LGBTQIA+ inclusivity and homophobia.

Taylor Walker revealed on Triple M Breakfast: “He’s very remorseful and he understands that he’s made a mistake. He’ll accept whatever comes his way,”

“Obviously it’s not ideal,” Adelaide captain Jordan Dawson told reporters on Monday. “But it’s in the AFL’s hands, it’s being investigated and we will see what happens. We will wait and see and leave it up to the AFL to go through what they have to go through.”

Darcy Fogarty echoed the sentiment: “Definitely not ideal,” but declined to get into details. When asked about education around homophobia, he stated bluntly: “Yeah, I reckon we definitely get enough. Yeah.” He added: “We’re massive role models for the community. We’ve got to be really careful in terms of how we use that power.”

AFL’s punishment problem

A five-game suspension is significant on paper, but with homophobic slurs recurring in AFL matches — Rankine marks the sixth incident in 16 months — it’s clearly not enough.

The league’s reactive stance isn’t reshaping the culture. Until penalties are paired with preventative education and cultural reform, the same cycle of harm and apology will undoubtedly repeat.

Rankine’s absence could damage Adelaide’s finals chances, but far more important issue and greater loss is that belonging to queer fans, that despite continued lovely-sounding platitudes and commitments to inclusivity from the league and clubs, homophobia still slips through the cracks.