St Kilda’s Lance Collard given lengthy ban by AFL for homophobic slur

St Kilda forward Lance Collard has been banned for seven weeks by the AFL tribunal for directing a homophobic slur towards an opponent.

The penalty, which includes a further two-week ban suspended until the end of the 2027 season, was announced at a sanctions hearing on Tuesday afternoon.

St Kilda, who argued for a financial penalty or a maximum of a four-week ban with two of those weeks suspended, have previously indicated the possibility of an appeal.

The AFL had argued for a 10-week ban.

Tuesday’s penalty comes after the tribunal last Friday upheld a charge of “conduct unbecoming” against Collard, who had denied allegations he called his Frankston opponent a “fucking faggot” during a VFL match last month.

Collard, who was also banned for six matches when he pleaded guilty to using the same homophobic word in 2024, was adamant he did not use it this time.

Instead, the 21-year-old insisted he said, “Come here, maggot”, to Frankston player Darby Hipwell. But Hipwell was adamant that was not the case.

“He had his head up against my ear and he said the words to me, ‘Darby, you ‘fucking faggot’,” Hipwell said in his evidence at the tribunal.

The allegation from Hipwell was supported by his Frankston teammate Bailey Lambert, who also gave evidence.

Hipwell and Collard previously played together with VFL club Sandringham when that side was St Kilda’s state-league affiliate.

Collard has played 15 AFL games, after being selected by the Saints in the 2023 draft.

He is also serving a two-match ban stemming from a high hit on an opponent in the same VFL match last month.

Collard’s fresh seven-week suspension will start after his striking ban is completed, meaning Collard won’t be free to play at any level until June.

St Kilda last week said they would continue to support Collard, who is contracted until the end of 2027.