Izak Rankine: Adelaide Crows using the Snoop Dogg defence to lessen AFL ban

The Adelaide Crows are doing everything they can to lessen the severity of the ban their star forward Izak Rankine is set to face by bringing Snoop Dogg into their defence case.

Rankine, who is facing a suspension of three to five games for calling a Collingwood player a ‘f.....’, is still facing an anxious wait over his fate with the AFL saying on Wednesday afternoon the club had asked for more time and a decision is now expected on Thursday.

The AFL has been heavy-handed in banning players who have made homophobic slurs on the field, but the Crows say this approach is at odds with paying vast amounts of money to a US rap icon - who has used the very same phrase Rankine allegedly used in his songs - to be the headline act at the grand final The Herald Sun reports.

In his 1998 hit Doggz Gonna Get Ya, Snoop Dogg’s lyrics include the vile phrase and his early work is infamous for being offensive and misogynist.

Whether the AFL will take this argument seriously is unknown but the Crows are working furiously behind the scenes to ensure Rankine is not wiped out for the rest of the season.

A three-match ban would see him return for at least one finals game with the Crows guaranteed a top-two finish.

“The AFL advises that the Adelaide Crows have requested additional time to respond to the AFL’s proposed determinations regarding an alleged incident with player Izak Rankine,” an AFL spokesman said.

“The AFL has granted this request and will provide an update on the matter tomorrow.”

More details about the tension during the clash between the flag contenders emerged on Wednesday, with reports the Crows are using an escalating ward of words between former Port Adelaide player - and now Magpie - Dan Houston and Rankine as part of their defence.

Houston was banned for five games last year for a nasty hit on Rankine that concussed the Crows star.

Houston reportedly referenced the incident as he exchanged words with Rankine throughout the nailbiting game, which the Crows won by three points.

Adelaide has also told the AFL that missing finals games instead of regular season games should be taken into consideration.

Rankine risks being suspended for the entire finals campaign of ladder-leading Adelaide, who are returning to the playoffs for the first time since 2017.

Collingwood coach Craig McRae, asked if his player involved was OK, replied: “Yeah, I think so.

“We had a good chat over the weekend and then again Monday morning just to check in, it’s about making sure our players are safe,” McRae told reporters on Wednesday.

“But I don’t want to demonise Izak either. Everyone is allowed to make mistakes.

“He seems like a really respectful young man and he’s made an error, so the AFL will take their own course on that.”

Last month, West Coast’s Jack Graham was banned for four games for making a homophobic remark to a GWS player.

In April last year, Port Adelaide’s Jeremy Finlayson was banned for three games and, the next month, Gold Coast’s Wil Powell was suspended for five matches, both for homophobic slurs.

Finlayson was banned for a comment to an Essendon player in last year’s Gather Round.

Bombers coach Brad Scott said that followed an incident during the 2024 pre-season when an Essendon player made a remark that was picked up on a recording of the team meeting.

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