Overview

• On Monday the AFL confirmed its Integrity Unit is probing an alleged homophobic slur directed at a Collingwood opponent in Saturday’s match, with no findings announced yet.
• Channel Seven’s Mitch Cleary and other outlets named Rankine as the player under investigation, reporting that key officials only learned of the allegation on Sunday.
• Recent AFL sanctions for homophobic language have ranged from three to six matches, and a similar ban would almost certainly rule Rankine out of Adelaide’s finals campaign.
• With one regular-season game remaining before September finals, any multi-week suspension would have immediate competitive consequences for the ladder-leading Crows.
• Adelaide captain Jordan Dawson and forward Darcy Fogarty have publicly backed the AFL process and emphasised the league’s no-tolerance approach to homophobia on the field.