Strong but fair: Why the AFL made the right call with Izak Rankine ban

Footy fans may think otherwise, but the four-game suspension handed to Izak Rankine for a homophobic slur – which puts his season in doubt – was the right call.

It’s a strong penalty for Rankine and his club, for it may ultimately cost the Crows a premiership. He is a genuine matchwinner, a box-office star ready to explode on the September stage, but he’ll have to wait and there is no one to blame for this unedifying incident other than Rankine, himself.

While a widely expected five-match ban would have certainly ended Rankine’s season, he has been given a glimmer of hope with four, AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon pointing to compelling medical reasons for landing on this number.

Rankine’s only hope of featuring in September is if the Crows stumble in the first week of the finals, but recover to still reach the grand final. But that appears a longshot.

Had Rankine’s comment been made in the workplace, he almost certainly would be sacked. And it’s not as if players haven’t been warned, whether that be through repeated education programs, or through the headlines created by those who have been caught.

The slur came after West Coast’s Jack Graham was banned for four matches in July for calling a GWS player a “f---ing f----t”. The Rankine penalty is in line with this and other suspensions; six AFL-listed players found to have delivered homophobic insults in the past two seasons have been banned for between three and six matches.

The AFL has repeatedly taken a strong stance on such incidents, yet, as Magpies defender Brayden Maynard noted on Monday, players continue to offend.

That this suspension includes the finals, with the surging Crows on top of the ladder and among the premiership favourites, means there is a greater sting to this penalty. And that can only be a good thing in a bid to stamp out such behaviour. Sorry, Crows supporters, but it’s true.

To his credit, Rankine apologised on Sunday to the Collingwood player involved. He expressed contrition when interviewed by the AFL’s integrity unit. But that was too little, too late.

Efforts to eradicate such comments from the sport are not helped by the mixed messaging – in terms of any potential penalty imposed – of those who should know better.

While stressing there was no place for offensive comments, Gold Coast coach Damien Hardwick told Fox Footy on Monday that he feared the AFL had “painted ourselves in a corner” on strict penalties.

“By no means do I condone the behaviour of it, but I think the term of suspension is probably the challenge point that clubs feel,” Hardwick told AFL 360.

“There’s certainly no place for it [homophobic language] in the game … but at what stage [do we ask] what can we say, and can’t we say? This is completely on the: ‘We cannot say this, and we understand’, but it’s probably the penalty to me that I have a little bit of an issue with … it’s a significant penalty, I feel.”

C’mon, Dimma. Significant? Yes. That’s the whole point of the penalty, to hopefully ensure this does not happen again.

AFL great Leigh Matthews suggested a heavy fine, even as much as $50,000, and a two-match ban, which would have allowed Rankine to play a definite role in the finals.

That there is no equivalent of the match review officer’s grading chart for physical incidents means it’s time for the AFL – with Greg Swann’s list of to-do items growing by the day – and the AFL Players’ Association to get together to establish an on-field code of conduct for verbal incidents, including homophobic and racial comments. This would ensure all penalties are clear to players, clubs and supporters.

It could include a financial penalty but, let’s be honest, dropping a few of Bluey’s “dollarbucks” is likely to carry little weight with today’s growing list of multimillionaires. As Luke Hodge has pointed out, Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera will pocket about $40,000 a week in his new contract.

Rankine is also well-remunerated. But, for players, there is nothing worse than missing games, gifting a spot to a teammate that you may not easily – or ever – get back.

And, you only need to talk to any player who got close but missed a premiership for whatever reason, to realise what Rankine might have jeopardised here – the ultimate experience in his chosen profession. Nothing can replace that. Rankine is now facing the nightmare prospect of either missing the Crows’ first flag since 1998, or being blamed for his team not making the last dance.

AFL great Matthew Lloyd even suggested on Nine’s Footy Classified that Rankine “will never live with himself” if the Crows go on and win it all. That’s a heavy burden, and worse than any financial penalty.

Debate will continue to rage, but AFL great Garry Lyon best summed up the case.

“The Crows haven’t put a foot wrong since the halfway mark of the season. They’ve got themselves into a top-two spot, they’ll host a home final – and they’re going to have arguably their best player jumping out of his skin, fully fit, sitting in the grandstand. That’s a worst-case scenario for any club,” Lyon said on Fox Footy.

“I’ve got no sympathy for him. I understand how it happens, but this is not sympathy for Izak. This is sympathy for the Adelaide footy club, who couldn’t imagine they find themselves in this situation after one of their great wins.”

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