One of the AFL’s brightest stars just got four weeks for a homophobic slur. Sixth suspension for this in about a year and a half. Still zero openly gay men in the AFL, ever. This isn’t a bad apple problem. It’s a culture problem.
Sources
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Rankine suspension details & AFL statements: The Guardian; Washington Post; 7News (ban details, medical submissions, context and aftermath). The GuardianThe Washington Post7NEWS+1
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“Sixth in 16 months” context, timeline: ABC News reporting & Washington Post. ABCThe Washington Post
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AFL has never had an openly gay male player: ABC Four Corners explainer. ABC
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Josh Cavallo: support and ongoing abuse/death threats: AP, The Guardian. AP NewsThe Guardian
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Ian Roberts’ legacy and backlash: Star Observer; feature retrospectives. Star ObserverThe Junction
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Youth & community sport discrimination rates: Swinburne University 2024; Pride in Sport/Sport Integrity guideline (2025). Swinburne UniversitySport Integrity Australia
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Participation impact & fear in team sport: Out on the Fields (Australian summary and reports). Out On The Fields+1
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Mental health disparities (Australia): ABS National Study of Mental Health & Wellbeing 2020–2022 (released 27 Feb 2024).
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