Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks says Izak Rankine is “not the victim” as it was revealed the Crows star hasn’t been at the club since revelations of his homophobic slur in last week’s win over Collingwood which resulted in a four-week ban that has polarised the AFL community.
The 24-year-old, who would need a finals miracle, and at least one Adelaide loss, to return in the grand final, has been given extra time away from the club as he deals with the fallout.
Several commentators have lashed the AFL and league chief executive Andrew Dillon for backing away from a proposed five-match ban after hearing “compelling medical submissions” that included the impact on Rankine’s mental health.
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But Nicks said the club wasn’t making excuses for Rankine’s behaviour and it provided a moment for the Crows to reflect on their culture.
“He has acknowledged where he went wrong and has worked his way though that in the right manner. He understands he’s got to be better,” Nicks said.
“He’s not the victim in this and by no means do we want it to be looked at that way. He knows that. But it’s been quite a tough period for him.
“It’s moments like this you look at your culture and what it is you are building and you know that you’re still got work to do. We aim for perfection but understand it’s pretty tough to get there. But there’s a lot of things we are doing right. This just shows we have work to do.”
Crows CEO, Tim Silvers said Rankine was “certainly doing it tough” and would be granted time away.
“He’s embarrassed, he’s remorseful, he’s regretful, he hasn’t actually been back to the club since it happened,” Silvers told Triple M Breakfast in Adelaide.
“I think he’s going to go through a little bit of a reset and maybe take off for a couple days. We will hope to get him back in the next week or so.”
Rankine said he was “committed to educating myself and being better” after being handed a four-week ban for the homophobic slur.
The ban was confirmed after a drawn-out process during which the Crows argued that finals games counted for more after the AFL proposed a five-game penalty.
It means the Crows would need to lose a home qualifying final, then win a semi-final and preliminary final for Rankine to be available for the grand final, with just one match remaining in the home-and-away season.
In accepting his penalty, Rankine said he was sorry.
“I regret using the word and I am very sorry for doing so, and that type of language has no place in football or the community,” Rankine said.
“It was a mistake and I have apologised to the Collingwood player, and what happened does not reflect my values or those of the club.
“I’m committed to educating myself and being better.”
Silvers said the club was extremely disappointed with Rankine’s behaviour and the word he used.
“Such language is unacceptable and at odds with the values of our organisation, and we are committed to being a club that fosters a respectful and inclusive environment,” Silvers said.
“We are obviously frustrated and disappointed; however, player welfare is always a priority and we will provide Izak with the appropriate support and education.”
The penalty was confirmed on Thursday afternoon, nearly two days after the AFL proposed a five-match ban in line with other recent penalties.
But the Crows were given extra time to form a response and cited the impending grand final performance of US rapper Snoop Dogg, pitching it as hypocrisy given his history of homophobic remarks.
Rankine, who called his Magpie opponent a “f****t” didn’t leave his home for days after being interviewed by the AFL’s integrity department, with a full week of focus on his actions.
On Thursday afternoon, the league confirmed the ban and in a statement the AFL said Rankine “rang the Collingwood player to personally apologise and he fully co-operated with the subsequent investigation”, which impacted its decision.
The league also said the “compelling medical submissions” made by Rankine played a role in the size of the suspension being smaller than other offenders.
“The language used was offensive, hurtful and highly inappropriate. Our players have a very clear understanding of what is acceptable on the football field. Importantly, in this instance it was called out by players and acknowledged by Izak himself as wrong – and that reflects the standards we expect and demand in our game,” AFL general counsel Stephen Meade said.
“Izak has said he knew it was not acceptable. Adelaide have said they know it is not acceptable. In an AFL environment, this behaviour is not acceptable. Homophobia has no place in football. The suspension is significant, but stamping out vilification in our game is incredibly important. Everyone in football understands the rules, and there are consequences of breaching them.
“We recognise this is a challenging time for the players and clubs involved, and appropriate support has been offered. But our responsibility is also to every player, official and fan who deserves respect when they come to our game. In 2025, the players know this more than anyone.
Crows coach Matthew Nicks said the 25-year-old knew he had a tough period ahead.
“He’s got some support from the club there for him and he’s doing all right, disappointed but doing all right,” Nicks said after training at West Lakes.
“We’re locked into this weekend.
“We’ve put support around Izak because it’s a tough thing to go through and he knows it’s going to be tough from here, but we will work our way through it.”
Rankine’s punishment is the same as handed to West Coast’s Jack Graham, who self-reported a slur, but less than others handed out across the past two seasons at both AFL and VFL level.
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