‘I will accept the repercussions’: Suns ruckman suspended for four games for homophobic slur

Gold Coast Suns ruckman Max Knobel has apologised after being handed a four-match suspension for using a homophobic slur in a VFL game last Saturday.

Knobel self-reported post match the slur he made in the second quarter against the Brisbane Lions.

“I will accept the repercussions of my actions. It is not what I stand for as a person and I understand that I now need to prove that through my actions moving forward. I will continue to learn and educate myself in an effort to get better.”

Knobel will not be able to take to the field at any level from rounds 14 to 17.

The son of former Brisbane, St Kilda and Richmond ruckman Trent, Knobel is the third AFL-listed player to be suspended for a homophobic slur this season and the eighth since 2024.

AFL chief operating officer Tom Harley said “respect and inclusion are fundamentals across all levels” of football.

“Homophobia and homophobic language have absolutely no place anywhere, and we will continue to stamp out any conduct that does not reflect our values,” Harley added.

“We acknowledge that Max has self-reported the matter and accepted ownership of his mistake, however the incident demonstrates that there is still more work to be done.

“We are committed to working together to make our game a safe, welcoming, and inclusive space for all.”

The AFL has locked away one of its biggest success stories, with the league and South Australian government agreeing to extend Gather Round through to the end of 2029, but one AFL coach is less than enthused at the prospect of a parade through Adelaide.

AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon and South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas announced the three-year extension in Adelaide on Thursday morning after months of negotiations over the future of the festival.

Several new initiatives will be incorporated into future Gather Rounds as part of the extension, including a parade featuring players from every club will begin from 2027.

“From packed and soldout stadiums, the footy festival, the parade at Norwood, the Barossa and everything in between, Gather Round has captured the imagination of footy fans and delivered an event like nothing else in Australian sport,” Dillon said.

Melbourne coach Steven King was conducting his weekly media conference when the extension was announced, and he didn’t appear as enthused as the AFL for coaches potentially being involved in the parade.

While the pageant is currently a player parade, the AFL told this masthead that it would work through the involvement of coaches and other stakeholders in the spectacle.

“No one’s asked me ab