Gold Coast defender Wil Powell says he made a “horrible mistake” after being handed a five-match ban for utilizing a homophobic slur in the direction of a Brisbane Lions participant throughout final Sunday’s match on the Gabba.
The AFL Integrity Unit investigated the incident with Powell’s full co-operation and admission of his error and the league got here down onerous within the wake of a three-match ban to Port Adelaide’s Jeremy Finlayson for utilizing a homophobic slur earlier within the season.
Powell issued a prolonged video apology declaring his apology was “from the guts” and that one thing like this may “by no means occur once more”.
He instructed Suns officers about his remark in the course of the match and supplied his apology to the Brisbane Lions participant in the course of the recreation, on the finish of the sport, and once more within the hours after the match.
“As quickly because the phrase got here out of my mouth, I knew I had made a horrible mistake,” Powell mentioned.
“I’ve supplied my apology to the Brisbane participant and want to publicly apologise for my remark. I’ll take full duty for what I mentioned.
“I do know there isn’t a place for feedback of that nature and I’ll settle for the repercussions for my actions. I ought to have recognized higher and I must show this with my actions shifting ahead.”
Gold Coast chief govt Mark Evans mentioned the membership condemned Powell’s feedback however would assist him in his endeavour to redeem himself.
“Wil’s remark was fully unacceptable and on no account displays what we stand for as a soccer membership,” Evans mentioned.
“Now we have spoken to Will to make sure he understands the severity of his remark and the impact feedback like these can have on others. He has dedicated to work onerous to coach and higher himself and he may have the membership’s assist to make these enhancements.”
The AFL referred to as Powell’s feedback “extremely offensive” and mentioned his slur “demeans and denigrates any particular person no matter their sexuality” after discovering him responsible of a code of conduct breach.
“This can be very disappointing to be coping with an identical incident in solely a matter of weeks,” AFL normal counsel Stephen Meade mentioned.
“The AFL acknowledges Powell’s regret and co-operation, and whereas it has thought-about the circumstances through which the remark was made, there aren’t any excuses for this conduct in our recreation.
“We foreshadowed each publicly and privately that after what transpired at Collect Spherical if an identical incident was to occur there could be additional consequence.
“There could possibly be no clearer message – homophobia has no place in our recreation, nor in society.
“We wish all folks in the neighborhood to really feel welcomed in our recreation and feedback reminiscent of Powell’s solely takes away from this. As a code, as a neighborhood, all of us should be higher.”
The AFL mentioned it was “acceptable to extend the sanction” after league chief govt Andrew Dillon flagged such motion within the wake of Finlayson’s remark towards Essendon.
