GEORGIE PARKER: If Rankine slur charge is true, AFL has no choice but to suspend

An absolute bomb has just landed on Andrew Dillon’s desk on the eve of the finals and I am equal parts angry and disappointed.

Yet again, we are forced to have conversations about what is a correct punishment for something that should not be thought of, let alone said.

And this time, it’s one of the players from the team I support.

Izak Rankine is under investigation for allegedly using a homophobic slur in Adelaide’s thrilling win against Collingwood on Friday night.

If true, Rankine should miss the entire finals series.

Given the Crows have nearly locked in a top spot, that means at least two matches.

And given his importance in the team, it could mean Adelaide’s chance at a grand final disappears altogether.

I am furious. Part of that is because I am a proud Crows supporter and the thought of missing Rankine on the biggest stage makes me nervous.

But more than that, I am angry that in 2025, we are still dealing with this.

I am angry that a homophobic slur, if it was used, remains a go-to insult in football. I am angry that lessons have not been learnt, even after years of talking about inclusion and respect.

The AFL has a jagged history with slurs and language.

Former Crows captain Taylor Walker was given a six-week ban for using a racist slur.

At Gather Round last year, Jeremy Finlayson was suspended for using a homophobic remark for three weeks, which was the line in the sand moment for the AFL as they began to take things seriously.

Since then West Coast’s, Jack Graham, was suspended for four games, and Sydney’s Riak Andrew received five-games in a VFL match.

Now comes the bigger test. Rankine is not a fringe player. He is Adelaide’s most dynamic and damaging weapon. He is one of the league’s brightest stars. And his suspension would’t be missing early rounds, it could encompass a grand final.

And that is exactly why the AFL cannot afford to flinch.

If true, he has to be suspended. It cannot matter how good he is or how close Adelaide are to a premiership tilt.

There cannot be exceptions when it comes to stamping out language that alienates and harms people.

There is no grey area here like there is with a bump or tackle. You can’t argue lack of intent or what was the impact. There is a clear directive and precedent which has been set, and they need to stand by that.

This is about more than one player. It’s about the juniors watching at their local clubs. It’s about the fans in the stands who hear what’s said and wonder why that word is still accepted as “banter.” It’s about every person who has ever been reduced to a slur and made to feel lesser because of who they are.

If the AFL wants to be serious about inclusion, the punishment has to show that words matter. I’m not part of the LGBTQI community, but I do stand with them.

I am heartbroken when my friends tell me they don’t like going to the footy because they get called slurs at the ground, or they stopped playing the sport as they were growing up because the community clubs weren’t inclusive.

The league spends a lot of time talking about respect. It runs Pride Rounds. It promotes itself as welcoming to everyone. That cannot just be marketing.

If a homophobic slur is used on the field, the response has to be decisive and severe, no matter whose name is on the team sheet.

I hate that it’s come to this. I hate that it’s a player I love watching, a player who has lit up the Crows’ season.

But if true, the punishment has to be bigger than my frustration as a fan.

It has to be about sending the strongest possible message and protecting people who are hurt every time this word is spoken. It has to be about saying, loud and clear, this language has absolutely no place in football and no place in our community.

Maybe then, finally, players will start to understand what they say matters, that words matter, and that winning a final is not more important than standing up for respect.