Live: AFLPA responds to Rankine ban as Pies ready to face Dees

Robyn,

I think from all the official statements that have come this week in the wake of the AFL decision, the one thing the league, the Crows, and others seem to agree with is that homophobic language and behaviour has no place in footy. But as we’ve shown in previous posts tonight, there are serious consequences for LGBTQIA+ Australians every time we have one of these incidents. We all need to do better, I think.

At a press conference on Friday, coach Matthew Nicks said Rankine understood the seriousness of what he did and the ban shows the club still has work to do.

“[Rankine’s] acknowledged where he went wrong and he’s worked his way through that in the right manner,” Nicks said.

“He’s not the victim in this and by no means do we want that to be looked at that way and he knows that.”

Nicks said he believed the club has a “strong culture, but we know we need to keep working on it”.

“It’s moments like this where you look at your culture and what it is you’re building and you know that you’ve still got work to do, that we aim for perfection, but we understand it’s pretty tough to get there,” he said.

Meanwhile the Rainbow Crows group said it had noticed more homophobic comments on its social media posts about two AFLW players.

You can read more in our story below.

Up until the start of this week, the Adelaide Crows were firmly on track for a crack at breaking the club’s 27-year premiership drought.

But then Izak Rankine’s suspension meant that the Crows will face four crucial games without their X-Factor player, a possible difference-maker in finals.

Rankine’s suspension comes as no surprise, and while it is a detriment to Adelaide’s premiership chances, it should be celebrated because the importance of finals matches and premierships pale in comparison to the problem that is widespread homophobia. The real surprise is the length of the ban.

AFL boss Andrew Dillon did himself and the league no favours by refusing to elaborate on the “compelling medical submissions” that saw Rankine given a slim chance of reappearing this season, should the Crows make it to a grand final.

In their apparent pursuit of trying to appease all the parties involved, the widespread reaction to the Rankine verdict suggests the AFL may have somehow achieved the exact opposite.

You can read more in Chris De Silva’s analysis piece.

Matthew,

I stand corrected, but I can’t think of an AFL Tribunal case where mental health has been used as a mitigating factor in trying to reduce a penalty.

Of course in this type of case, there is no process for a hearing, so it came down to written submissions from the AFL and the Crows.

But it has been quite clear over recent years that players’ mental health is an increasingly important issue in a variety of areas.

Before yesterday’s announcement, many AFL figures, from coaches to former administrators and pundits, joined in the discussion on the ban facing Rankine for his homophobic slur.

There were plenty of opinions saying a prospective five-match ban was too harsh, with some saying it should be down to two.

However the downplaying of the incident not only doesn’t line up with evidence, which shows the impact of homophobia, but is part of its problem.

Research has found young LGBTQIA+ Australians are turning away from community sport due to the prevalence of homophobia, queerphobia and discrimination.

The Free to Exist report by Swinburne University of Technology, which surveyed more than 500 people, found more than 75 per cent of young gay men have witnessed homophobia, and more than 60 per cent had experienced it personally.

You can read more in Marnie Vinall’s analysis here.

Phillip,

Given that we are now up to six players (four in the AFL, two in the VFL) who have received substantial bans for making these type of comments, it’s hard to see how players don’t know the consequences of their actions, or the likelihood of such comments being reported or publicised.

The AFL Players’ Association has had its say on the four-game ban handed to Izak Rankine yesterday for his use of homophobic language during a game.

The AFLPA “acknowledged” the decision without endorsing or taking issue with the ban, saying it will continue to support a “deeply remorseful” Rankine.

The statement, attributed to interim chief executive Ben Smith, said the AFLPA “stands firmly with the LGBTQI+ community, including our members” but flagged a more “holistic” approach rather than a focus on punishing players who infringe.

“This incident again highlights the need for a more effective and united approach. While there is strong alignment across the industry in rejecting homophobia, the AFL’s focus on sanctioning players in the absence of a holistic strategy is not delivering the cultural change we need.

“Meaningful engagement with those impacted by homophobia and education that reflects the diverse backgrounds and experiences of players, combined with a fair and transparent process for addressing incidents and remedying harms, must be part of the solution.”

Smith took issue with the drawn-out “highly public debate” over the length of the ban Rankine would get.

“[It came] at the expense of meaningfully understanding what occurred, why it occurred and what can be done to not only prevent the reoccurrence of any homophobic conduct but to create a genuinely inclusive environment.”

Smith’s statement said the AFLPA was “particularly disappointed by the cynicism” around the “compelling medical submissions” from the Crows that the league said factored into the four-game ban, without providing any further detail.

Hello, good evening and welcome to ABC’s live online coverage of round 24 of the AFL.

It’s been a big couple of days in footy, as the fallout continues into the four-match ban for Adelaide’s Izak Rankine for making a homophobic slur during a game.

The reaction is still coming in, while on the field we are waiting for two games that will impact the final shape of the top eight in a material way.

Collingwood go into tonight already qualified for finals. A win against Melbourne at the MCG gives them a shot at a crucial double chance — a loss will mean an elimination final, and most likely one they are not hosting.

Later, the Suns go to Adelaide to face the Power, with the chance to crack September footy for the first time in 15 years.

Port Adelaide have a chance to spoil Gold Coast’s party, and send coach Ken Hinkley and former skipper Travis Boak out on a high.

My name is Andrew McGarry, and I’ll be here tonight to bring you all the action, news and reaction.