Adelaide superstar Izak Rankine will tonight address media for the first time since receiving a four-week ban for a homophobic slur directed at a Collingwood player back in Round 23.
The 25-year-old left Australia just under a fortnight ago at the conclusion of the AFL’s thorough investigation into his conduct, spending time in Europe.
Rankine is expected to speak to media at Adelaide Airport about an hour after landing this evening.
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Speaking in the hours leading up to his arrival, Fox Footy reporter Jon Ralph provided context on what to expect from Rankine in the coming days.
“Izak will issue a short statement, I assume an apology. I don’t think he will take questions at this stage, about the homophobic slur that has seen him suspended for four weeks,” Ralph revealed on Midweek Tackle.
”From then on in, Adelaide still has absolutely no idea whether he will be at Adelaide Oval on Thursday. My understanding is, the senior players will be canvassed by the Adelaide leaders on whether he detracts from their performance.
“The entire reason to jet him overseas was to avoid this distraction. And as you say, we’re 48 hours out (from their qualifying final), and that’s exactly what we’ve got. The club also wants to prioritise his mental health, so they won’t be ignorant of that one.”
Adelaide’s successful reduction of Rankine’s proposed sentence from five weeks to four means should the Crows lose to Collingwood this Thursday night, but still make it through to the grand final, Rankine will be eligible to play on the last Saturday of September.
“It is going to be a circus, one way or another,” senior Herald Sun journalist Scott Gullan continued.
“What you do: Captain’s run tomorrow, with his teammates, he needs to get around them … and then that’s it. He addresses him, they cuddle him, they do what they’ve got to do — and then from that moment on when they leave training tomorrow, they don’t see Izak until after the game.
“I hope he goes to the game … (but) I don’t want to see him in the rooms beforehand. I don’t think you need that.”
“They have to have 24 hours where they’re not thinking about Izak.”
Thursday night will mark Adelaide’s first finals appearance since their infamous 2017 Grand Final, where they lost to Richmond by eight goals.
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