Adelaide Crows coach Matthew Nicks has backed the club's call to send Izak Rankine overseas after he was suspended for using a homophobic slur in a fiery encounter with Collingwood.
Rather than putting Rankine up in front of media immediately after the sanction was handed down — a popular ploy to take some sting out of the story — the Crows put Rankine on a plane to Italy, with the banned star returning to face the music on Tuesday.
The 25-year-old did not take any questions as he apologised for the slur in an address that came across as genuine and thoughtful, but has since been criticised due to its timing just 48 hours out from Adelaide's crucial qualifying final clash with the Magpies.
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"What he said, that was well done, but today or tomorrow or before the game, I just think that's disruptive to the team," Essendon great and former coach James Hird said on Nine's Footy Classified on Tuesday night.
"It's not about when they run out on the ground; it's training tomorrow, main session tomorrow. When that ball is bounced, that'll be forgotten.
"The mistake was not to say something before he left."
Speaking to media on Wednesday, Nicks took issue with that criticism, arguing the Crows had made the right call by removing Rankine from a highly charged situation.
The star midfielder was given a strict training program to follow while he was on leave.
"I think we made the right call when it came to preparing him for that small window and opportunity if he is able to play again this year," Nicks said.
"We looked into it at length and talked about all the pros and cons of it. Ultimately, it comes down to performance on the footy field and what will put him in the best position."
Nicks said Rankine had addressed his teammates and encouraged them to "go out and perform" against Collingwood, despite the fact that an Adelaide win in the qualifying final would immediately end his season, with two games still to be served on his ban.
Rankine is expected to watch Thursday night's game from the stands at Adelaide Oval as his teammates attempt to secure a week off and a home qualifying final.
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"Chatting to him this morning, he's in a pretty good space," Nicks said.
"He's disappointed still because I know this is the hardest time — tomorrow will probably be the toughest for him."
While watching his teammates do what he loves will undoubtedly be difficult, Rankine was clearly nervous as he read out a prepared statement to the waiting media after landing at Adelaide Airport on Tuesday.
"I want to start by saying how deeply sorry I am," said Rankine, who was visibly emotional.
"What I said, there was no excuse. It was wrong, and I take full responsibility.
"I'm disappointed in myself, and I know I've let a lot of people down.
"I want to apologise to anyone that I've hurt [or] offended.
"I understand that word is offensive, it's harmful, it's hurtful, and it has no place in our game or our society.
"I am in no way a victim, but going away has given me the space to reflect and educate myself to understand the weight of my mistake, and I'm fully committed to bettering myself in that area."
As the reaction to his apology flooded in, Rankine's ex-teammate Rory Sloane agreed with Hird's assessment that he should have faced the music earlier but applauded the message that was eventually delivered.
"This could have been avoided if things had have been different last week. They're not, which is going to put the scrutiny back on the club and this situation," Sloane said.
"I take my hat off to Izak there. I respect that apology massively. He's said he's going to talk to the AFLW team, which I love, he said he's going to be there to support the team and the whole footy club, which is all he can do now.
"That was a sincere apology and I loved that it was about other people. He was there to talk to his teammates, he's not the victim, but he was going to be there to support his teammates."
The AFL will have extra security on hand at Adelaide Oval ahead of what could be a fiery meeting between the Pies and Crows.
Before flying out to Italy, Rankine reportedly called Ebony Marinoff, one of Adelaide's AFLW co-captains, as well as Crows AFLW player Chelsea Randall, who is openly gay, to apologise.
