Lance Collard of St Kilda made history this week as the inaugural player in the Australian Football League (AFL) to challenge a charge of conduct unbecoming. The AFL tribunal found him guilty of using a homophobic slur directed at an opponent during a Victorian Football League (VFL) match.<\/p>\n
This incident marked the eighth occurrence in three years where players or coaches associated with the AFL have been identified for employing homophobic language in games, yet it was the first instance where such a slur was formally contested.<\/p>\n
The disciplinary hearing for Collard lasted nearly five hours on Thursday, with the tribunal’s verdict emerging late on Friday following a second day of deliberations.<\/p>\n
The pivotal evidence in the case came from two players of the Frankston Dolphins VFL team, who firmly stated they heard the slur. In contrast, Collard asserted that he used a word that merely rhymed with it.<\/p>\n
Regardless of the outcome, the hearing was set to create a significant precedent in the league.<\/p>\n
St Kilda has indicated in a statement that the club would “evaluate its position, including potential avenues for appeal,” citing their “natural disappointment” with the tribunal’s ruling.<\/p>\n
The charge of conduct unbecoming is among the most severe in the AFL and has never been contested by players or coaches after being found in violation of this broad regulatory rule. The origins of this charge date back to 1985 when Hawthorn icon Leigh Matthews faced criminal charges for assault, resulting in a four-week deregistration from the VFL after an off-the-ball incident.<\/p>\n
Since that time, various players and coaches have faced penalties for actions that brought the game into disrepute or undermined the league’s integrity.<\/p>\n
Recently, former Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley received a $20,000 fine for derogatory comments made about Hawthorn players following a semifinal victory in 2024, an action he later expressed regret over.<\/p>\n
In another incident, six players from GWS were suspended, and seven others faced fines due to inappropriate conduct at an end-of-season function centered around a “controversial couples” theme. Additionally, Sydney’s Caiden Cleary was suspended last year for attempting to purchase drugs, while Bailey Smith faced consequences in 2022 when images surfaced of him with a bag of white powder.<\/p>\n
Collard was already serving a six-match suspension during the 2024-25 season aimed at addressing homophobic language, alongside significant sanctions imposed on other players, including Izak Rankine (four games), Wil Powell (five games), Jeremy Finlayson (three games), Jack Graham (four games), and Riak Andrew (five games). Despite the Crows successfully appealing Rankine’s suspension down to four matches, none of the players involved pleaded innocence.<\/p>\n
However, Collard maintained his innocence throughout the proceedings, leading to the revelation of details that are typically kept confidential in such cases. This level of transparency is unusual, as players often refrain from speaking publicly about incidents outside of formal apologies.<\/p>\n
The concern remains that this exposure might discourage players from reporting similar slurs in the future. Collard’s hearing occurred amidst broader societal calls for individuals to speak out against racism, sexism, homophobia, and other forms of discrimination. Campaigns and training programs have consistently urged witnesses to report such incidents.<\/p>\n
St Kilda’s legal representative clarified at the conclusion of the tribunal that they were not disputing the credibility of the two VFL players who testified but contended that they may have misinterpreted what they heard.<\/p>\n
The players were subjected to over an hour of cross-examination, described by some as “intense.” One player expressed initial reluctance to testify, citing concerns about being legally compelled to appear before the tribunal.<\/p>\n
With the players’ identities disclosed, they faced public scrutiny, particularly on social media, as the football community reacted to their testimonies and the tribunal’s verdict. While not directly relevant in this situation, public hearings regarding homophobic slurs could inadvertently out individuals, leading to severe personal repercussions.<\/p>\n
Collard was noted for his genuine participation in inclusion training. The AFL revised tribunal regulations last year to eliminate character references, often referred to as the “good bloke” clause, which had previously been used to mitigate or overturn suspensions for rough conduct.<\/p>\n
This year, however, Scott Pendlebury of Collingwood had a one-match suspension for a bump reduced to a fine after his exemplary record was taken into account. In Collard’s case, his involvement in inclusion training played a role in St Kilda’s defense against the slur allegation.<\/p>\n
Hayley Conway, CEO of Pride Cup, testified during the hearing, explaining that she facilitated Collard’s Pride in Sport training, mandated by the AFL following his use of the slur in 2024. Conway emphasized that the inclusion education sessions aimed to foster understanding of LGBTQ issues among participants, utilizing real-life stories to illustrate the harmful effects of homophobic and transphobic language.<\/p>\n
“Often, homophobia stems from a lack of awareness within the culture,” Conway remarked. “This language is sometimes employed to critique performance at various levels of the game, and we’ve encountered this frequently in the AFL.” Conway noted that Collard, who identifies as a Noongar and Yamatji man, approached the training with sincerity and engagement, even relating it to his experiences with racism. “He demonstrated a clear understanding of the seriousness and potential harm of such language,” she added.<\/p>\n
Conway further pointed out that discrimination against LGBTQ individuals is not confined to the AFL but is prevalent across all sports in Australia.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Lance Collard of St Kilda made history this week as the inaugural player in the Australian Football League (AFL) to challenge a charge of conduct unbecoming. The AFL tribunal found him guilty of using a homophobic slur directed at an opponent during a Victorian Football League (VFL) match. This incident marked the eighth occurrence in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6969,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[590,43,583],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6970","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-au-afl","category-australia","category-au-sport"],"yoast_head":"\n