‘I’m telling you’: Eddie McGuire in blunt exchange over Izak Rankine apology
Izak Rankine has made a public apology following his homophobic slur scandal and Eddie McGuire has now butted heads with a Crows great.
Izak Rankine has made an apology as he spoke publicly for the first time following his homophobic slur scandal.
The Adelaide Crows forward returned to Australia on Tuesday night after fleeing the country following the AFL’s decision to suspend him for four matches.
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Rankine appeared to be emotional as he faced the cameras and his prepared apology appeared to be sincere.
However, footy legend James Hird still has one problem with how the saga played out on Tuesday night.
Speaking on Channel 9’s Footy Classified, the Essendon icon questioned why the Crows had made a call to put Rankine in front of TV cameras 48 hours before the club’s blockbuster elimination final against Collingwood.
“That’s my question to you. Why would he come back today? What he just said then, that was well done, but today, or tomorrow, or before the game, I just think that’s disruptive to the team,” he said.
The Bombers coach said the impact of Rankine’s return would be felt by teammates in the lead up to the game at the Adelaide Oval on Thursday night.
“It’s not about when you run out on the ground,” he said.
“There’s training tomorrow because they’ll have their main session tomorrow. Whether the supporters, there is a buzz. But when they bounce that ball on Thursday night, that’ll be forgotten.”
Hird went on to say: “The mistake was not to say something before he left (the country). He’s already made the mistake.”
Crows great Rory Sloane admitted Rankine’s return will be a “bit of a distraction for the next couple of days”.
Meanwhile, Eddie McGuire has made a public plea for the backlash against Rankine to stop, saying the former Gold Coast Suns star should be there in the dressing room with teammates on Thursday.
“I think for Izak, I look at that and I see a guy who was emotionally wrought in the first place,” McGuire said on Footy Classified.
“He really copped his whacking. He went overseas to recalibrate. He’s come back. He’s highly emotional. Enough. Enough. Enough.
“Let him do the apologies. Let him move on. Let him get on with his life. Let him rehabilitate himself and move on and do the right thing.”
Rankine would only be eligible to play in the Grand Final if Adelaide loses to Collingwood, but qualifies the long way.
The drama continued to swirl on Tuesday night as McGuire and Sloane butted heads over how Rankine will be blamed if the club’s finals campaign is derailed.
McGuire appeared to give Sloane a lesson in how he believes “media” figures will respond if the Crows fail to make the grand final.
“If they lose, the story is ‘he’s back in town for a final’,” McGuire said.
“If they get beaten in the second week, he’ll cop the blame for going out in straight sets.”
Sloane responded: “Well, I hope that’s not going to happen because it’s not just about one player”.
McGuire then cut Sloane off to say: “Mate, I’m telling you what’s going to happen. OK.
“This is what’s going to happen. It’s on a board already, they sit down, they have conferences in news rooms.”
Sloane then responded bluntly: “People are getting past that point now too though because people don’t just believe that any more. That’s what we’re here to do. We’re here to educate people.”
Hird then said to Sloane: “If they lose. He will get the blame. That’s what will happen.”
Rankine’s flight from Dubai touched down at 8:40pm (AEST) with the Crows star delivering a short statement before walking away from the awaiting media.
“I want to start by saying how deeply sorry I am for what I said,” Rankine said.
“There was no excuse, it was wrong and I take full responsibility. I’m disappointed in myself and I know I’ve let a lot of people down.
“I want to apologise to anybody that I’ve hurt or offended. I understand that word is offensive, it’s harmful, it’s hurtful and it has no place in our game or our society.
“I am in no way a victim but going away has given me space to reflect and educate myself to understand the weight of my mistake.
“In the next few days I will be standing in front of my teammates and the AFLW and apologising to them personally, as 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 growing and learning from my mistake.
“More than anything I want this club to succeed so I will be doing everything I can to earn everyone’s trust back and have a positive impact on society and my supporters. Thank you.”
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The 25-year-old copped a four-match ban from the AFL for making a homophobic comment to a Collingwood player on August 16.
The AFL came under fire for its handling of the suspension, which was negotiated from five matches to four and took four days to be determined.
The suspension was downgraded after the Crows submitted “compelling medical submissions” concerning Rankine.
On August 22, a day after the sanction was handed down, Rankine was sighted boarding a flight to Europe and was later spotted transiting through Italy.
The Crows star came under heavy fire for failing to front up to the media and instead electing to depart Australia to escape the spotlight.
“If you do the crime, front up to it, don’t look like you are running away and escaping,” Kane Cornes said on SEN Fireball.
“This is a big news story. The pictures of him jumping on a plane and heading to Rome after he’s lobbied the AFL for a compelling medical reason that we do not know is a major football story.
“Well done to them for capturing that. There are some people out there who would be thinking, and rightly so, that he’s running away from his problems.
“I’m not sure jumping on a plane to an exotic overseas destination is a good look after everything that has gone on this week.
“He’s essentially gone on holiday. It looks like that, he’s chosen to go to Rome.
“I want him to go to West Lakes and front up and face the music.”
On Channel 7 program ‘The Agenda Setters’, Nick Riewoldt and Caroline Wilson also voiced their opinion that Rankine ditching Australia was a bad look.
“Where was the man himself? The man who started it all. He was on a flight to Rome … having not once faced up to and spoken to his teammates or his AFLW colleagues,” Wilson said.
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