St Kilda forward Lance Collard faces a reduced two-match suspension after the AFL appeals board slashed his original nine-week ban for using a homophobic slur during a VFL match. The board upheld the guilty finding for conduct unbecoming but deemed the initial penalty manifestly excessive, imposing two weeks served and additional weeks suspended.
The Incident
Collard directed the slur at Frankston player Darby Hipwell during a confrontation. Tribunal witnesses confirmed the remark, though Collard claimed he said, “Come here, maggot.” This marks his second such offense; he served a six-week ban in 2024 for a more serious incident.
Collard also received a separate two-match ban for striking in the same game, totaling four weeks sidelined.
Appeals Board Reasoning
Chaired by King’s Counsel Will Houghton, the panel cited mitigating factors including Collard’s age, background, and the opponent’s lack of offense. The board warned that the nine-week ban would cripple his career, stating evidence showed it could end his professional prospects.
The decision sparked outrage with its explanation: “We observe that football is a hard game. It is highly competitive… It is commonplace that players can employ language from time to time which is racist, sexist or homophobic whilst on the field.”
Backlash and AFL Response
The remarks contradict the AFL’s zero-tolerance policy on discrimination. The league stated: “The AFL reiterates that it has no tolerance for the use of homophobic language in our game and its expectations have been made extremely clear to all of our players.”
Officials plan to formally rebuke the board, viewing the comments as undermining anti-discrimination efforts. Former AFLW player Kate McCarthy expressed shock: “I am genuinely speechless that this is in print… absolutely baffled. So much for every policy in the AFL saying there’s zero tolerance. This decision and this explanation go against everything that the AFL has claimed to stand for. This is disgusting.”
Ex-St Kilda midfielder Luke Ball questioned the language: “To say that these things happen on a footy field from time to time… I thought we’d well and truly moved past that. I can’t get my head around the language that the appeals board have used.”
St Kilda welcomed the reduction but called for consistency: “Despite the reduction in sanction, St Kilda remains disappointed with how the matter was assessed and believes greater consistency and clarity in the AFL’s tribunal process is important moving forward.”
The ruling intensifies scrutiny on the AFL tribunal system amid other recent appeals controversies.
