Izak Rankine could yet play again this season after Adelaide missed the chance to advance directly to an AFL preliminary final in their 24-point loss to Collingwood.

Rankine is serving a four-match ban for a homophobic slur directed at a Magpies opponent last month.

The 25-year-old star’s only hope of playing again this year is if the Crows take the long route all the way to the grand final, when he would be available to play.

The minor premiers’ 11.13 (79) to 8.7 (55) defeat in the qualifying final on Thursday night means that possibility is still alive.

Crows fans also did themselves not favours by booing Isaac Quaynor - the player Rankine levelled the slur at.

He was booed every time he touched the ball.

“Stay classy, Crows fans,” AFL commentator Kate McCarthy sarcastically said on Triple M.

Rankine, who has now served two games of his suspension, watched the match at Adelaide Oval, but was not in the Crows’ change-room pre-match.

Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks wasn’t interested in discussing Rankine’s chances of playing again this season when quizzed on the matter post-match.

“Izak was here tonight, yep, but that’s not even a conversation for us at the moment,” Nicks said.

“Right now that’s a long, long way off. We’ve got work to do well and truly before that.”

After returning to Adelaide from overseas on Tuesday night, an emotional Rankine pledged to work to regain society’s trust and fought back tears during a public apology.

On Thursday, he addressed the Crows’ AFLW team for the first time since making the homophobic slur and apologised to them.

Rankine also trained at Adelaide’s West Lakes headquarters with sidelined teammate Josh Rachele, who is close to returning from a knee injury.

Rachele could return in a semi-final against GWS or Hawthorn next week, while Rankine will continue training in the hope of making a grand-final comeback.

Rankine is the sixth AFL-listed player in 16 months to be banned for an on-field homophobic slur.