'Made a mistake': Tex Walker lifts lid on Izak Rankine chat as Crows face finals blow
If the Crows star is found guilty he could face the prospect of missing finals footy for the top ranked side based on the precedent set in similar recent cases. And teammate Walker has taken to Triple M Radio to reveal his chat with Rankine.
The key forward joined the radio show to discuss Rankine's situation having admitted the midfielder is 'remorseful' after the incident that could see him miss the remainder of the season if found guilty. "I spoke to him (Izak Rankine) last night on the phone and he is very remorseful and he understands that he's made a mistake and he'll accept whatever comes his way," Walker said on 104.7 Triple M on Tuesday.
When asked about how Rankine was doing with all the media attention, Walker claimed he hadn't been outside since he was dealing with the situation behind closed doors. Although he was receiving support from the club amid the intense scrutiny.
"He hasn't been outside and he had a full day of investigation with the AFL yesterday," Walker added. "I know that our footy club is a very positive and supportive environment, we will support Rankine, however, we don't agree with what happened. He's made a mistake."
Rankine is facing the possibility of missing out on finals footy if he is found guilty. Sydney's Riak Andrew was handed a five-game ban in July after being found guilty of using a homophobic slur in the VFL, while West Coast's Jack Graham was hit with a four-game ban earlier this year after self-reporting his own anti-gay slur.
Veteran reporter Caroline Wilson claimed the AFL are looking at handing Rankine a five-game ban if found guilty. It's understood Rankine did call the Collingwood player to apologise for the alleged comments but it remains to be seen what bearing that will have on the length of his likely suspension.
Izak Rankine facing AFL finals ban
Speaking on Seven's The Agenda Setters on Monday night, Wilson claimed was her understanding Rankine would be ruled out of the AFL finals with a five-game ban. "There seems to be no way out for Izak Rankine, just extraordinary," Wilson told the program.
"In the past year or two the fines have only been expanded... if people keep doing it after the first instance then this is leading to a habit. And that's why it kept expanding with Wil Powell (five-game ban in May, 2024) after Jeremy Finlayson (three-game ban in April, 2024)."
The Crows are currently sitting four points clear at the top of the ladder having defeated Collingwood in a thriller last Saturday. A top two finish is confirmed, but fans will have to wait to see if Rankine remains in contention to play again in 2025.
"(Izak Rankine) will accept whatever comes his way...I know that our footy club is a very positive and supportive environment and we will support Ranks, however, we don't agree with what happened."TEX WALKER 🎧 https://t.co/JHXyvPwwjD pic.twitter.com/UiEnAGOBFs
— Triple M Footy (@triplemfooty) August 19, 2025
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