The AFL’s dithering over slur shows they’re not ready to embrace an Ian Roberts moment

Here’s a radical thought: what if we stopped treating grown men like toddlers who need five-day sensitivity seminars every time they say something repellant?

The Izak Rankine homophobic slur saga has seen a week of think pieces, emergency meetings and hand-wringing over one person being a shit bloke on a footy field.

Yes, it totally deserved attention. Yes, Rankine deserved his shaming. But it could have been solved in two seconds with the same result.

Hey sledgers: Life advice. Just stop calling people names like you’re still in year 8. Whatever repugnant word, term or social group tickles your fancy – just don’t.

Not that hard. Especially when your club sits you down a million times a year and tells you how to behave, and you see suspensions imposed for the same offence.

Hey AFL: brand advice. Giving Adelaide days to come up with mitigating circumstances is crushingly bad optics. You support gay people or you don’t. Is Pride Round purely symbolic or are you really hanging your hat on the rainbow?

So Rankine misses finals. He can cop it. Be better. Using a homophobic slur is unacceptable. It’s tired, boring, hurtful.

It’s endlessly dispiriting that in 2025, attacking someone about who they might or might not sleep with is still a thing.

I just do not get why anyone with half a brain or heart cares if someone else is gay.

We care about you, absolutely. But your sexuality? About as interesting as your matcha order. Tons of AFLW players are gay and crowds love them. Sponsors love them. Nobody is throwing rotten tomatoes or slurs.

Yet, we keep hearing “homophobic attitudes” are what’s keeping AFL players in the closet. I could be wrong, but I reckon the first bloke brave enough to come out will be a hero – our Ian Roberts moment.

He’ll be lauded, applauded, respected. I hope so, jeepers, I hope so.

Like most of you, I have skin in this game with LGBTQI family and friends.

And that means I know the AFL should not have dragged out this sorry episode for a week of “learning statements” around values. In AFL land, every offence has to be blown into a righteousness play with an “I need to be better” narrative from remorseful players.

The scripts never change. Player apologises. Player vows to “educate himself.”

Can we not?

When my kids were little and something awful was said to them in the playground, I’d tell them this: If someone calls you a name and you’re not that, don’t let it bother you. If someone calls you a name and it’s true, respect accuracy and don’t let it bother you.

I still think that’s right. But how hard it must be to not feel wounded when you’re called a “f----t”. Nobody should have to accept that.

Maybe the issue we can fix right now is to stop treating professional athletes like emotional invalids.

I will punch myself in the face next time I hear “we’re wrapping our arms around” a bloke who behaves badly and then gets paid time off from his dream job as an AFL player to have a think about his issues.

While we’re on the subject, what bugs me too is that while homophobic slurs rightfully get called out, calling someone’s partner a whore goes unchallenged. Can you recall anyone being pinged for slut-shaming?

Both are gross. Both reduce people to stereotypes. Both deserve a whack from the tribunal. But one is rightly framed as a societal wound and the other as “banter”.

The sting comes from the intention of the person using a slur – trying to weaponise identity.

And that’s where the AFL should have grown a backbone: called out Rankine’s word as devastating and archaic, penalised it fast as per precedents. No emergency diversity training needed! Wow!

Anyone tempted to use any slurs in any workplace should be dealt with fast and decisively. Actions have consequences.

So yep, let’s treat homophobia seriously – and AFL, maybe stop being obsessed with looking serious rather than being serious.

Snoop Dogg, anyone?

Kate Halfpenny is founder of Bad Mother Media. Her new book, Boogie Wonderland, is out now. Subscribers can buy a copy from Booktopia for the discounted price of $24.26 plus postage with the code WONDERLAND10. This offer is available until August 31.

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