Adelaide's Izak Rankine has fronted the media for the first time since his Round 23 homophobic slur directed at a Collingwood player, which landed him a four-game suspension.
Rankine had departed the country amid the intense attention and speculation, taking off to Italy before returning ahead of the Crows' Thursday night qualifying final against the Pies.
Speaking at Adelaide airport, the matchwinner expressed his remorse and acknowledged that the language he used was unacceptable.
"I want to start by saying how deeply sorry I am for what I said. There was no excuse; it was wrong, and I take full responsibility," Rankine told reporters.
"I'm disappointed in myself, and I know I have let a lot of people down.
"I want to apologise to anyone who I have hurt and offended. I understand that word was offensive, harmful, it's hurtful and has no place in our game or our society."
Rankine confessed that he was no "victim", but recognised the work he needs to do to earn the trust back of his club and the wider community, starting with fronting his teammates from both the men's and women's teams.
"I am in no way a victim," he continued.
"But going away has given me space to reflect and educate myself to understand the weight of my mistake.
Izak Rankine breaks his silence after being handed a four-match suspension for using a homophobic slur.#9FootyClassified | Watch on Nine & 9Now 🖥️ pic.twitter.com/JUKaGKJSZS
— Footy on Nine (@FootyonNine) September 2, 2025
"And I am fully committed to bettering myself.
"In the next few days, I will be standing in front of my teammates and the AFLW and apologising to them personally - and they deserve this at the very least.
"From here, all I can do is put my head down, work hard, support my teammates in the best way I can and show through my actions that I am going to learn from my mistake.
"More than anything, I want this club to succeed, so I will be doing everything I can to gain everyone's trust back and have a positive impact on society and my supporters."
Rankine's season remains slightly ajar, albeit with the slimmest openings.
The four-match suspension can see the 25-year-old return for the 2025 AFL Grand Final, if the Crows lose to Collingwood on Thursday.
Rankine has already served one match (Round 24), and will miss another three, meaning if Adelaide gets through to the decider after losing the qualifying final, he will be available for selection.
Rankine was the sixth AFL-listed player banned for an on-field homophobic comment in the past two seasons.
This year, West Coast's Jack Graham (four games) and Sydney's Riak Andrew (five games) were punished for their use of unacceptable language.
As were Port Adelaide's Jeremy Finlayson (three games), Gold Coast's Wil Powell (five games) and St Kilda's Lance Collard (six games) last year.
