- Wil Powell confessed to swearing at Brisbane Lions clash
- The Gold Coast star has received a huge suspension
- He is coming after Jeremy Finlayson’s gang for the same crime
Gold Coast defender Wil Powell says he made a “terrible mistake” after receiving a five-match ban for using a homophobic slur towards a Brisbane Lions player during last Sunday’s game at the Gabba.
The AFL Integrity Unit investigated the incident with Powell’s full cooperation and admission of his error and the league was hit hard following a three-match suspension for the Power’s Jeremy Finlayson.
Powell told Suns officials about his comment during the game and offered his apology to the Brisbane Lions player during the game, at the end of the game and again in the hours after the game.
“As soon as the word left my mouth, I knew I had made a terrible mistake,” Powell said.
Powell was playing against the Lions on Sunday (pictured) when he hit an opposing player with the insult and then told Suns officials about it shortly after fulltime.
‘I have offered my apologies to the Brisbane player and would like to publicly apologize for my comment. I will take full responsibility for what I said.
‘I know there is no place for comments of that nature and I will accept the repercussions of my actions. “I should have known better and I need to prove it with my actions in the future.”
Gold Coast chief executive Mark Evans said the club condemned Powell’s comments but would support him in his effort to redeem himself.
“Wil’s comment was completely unacceptable and in no way reflects what we stand for as a football club,” Evans said.
“We have spoken to Will to make sure he understands the seriousness of his comment and the effect that comments like these can have on others. He has committed to working hard to educate himself and improve and will have the support of the club to make those improvements.” .
Powell said he apologized to the Lions player during the game and twice more after the match ended, calling his outburst a “terrible mistake.”
The 24-year-old’s five-week suspension comes just weeks after Power star Jeremy Finlayson (pictured) was suspended for three weeks for a homophobic slur.
The AFL called Powell’s comments “highly offensive” and his lsur “degrades and denigrates any person regardless of their sexuality” after finding him guilty of a breach of the code of conduct.
“It is extremely disappointing to have to deal with a similar incident in just a few weeks,” AFL general counsel Stephen Meade said.
“The AFL recognizes Powell’s contrition and cooperation, and while it has considered the circumstances in which the comment was made, there is no excuse for this conduct in our game.
‘We anticipated, both publicly and privately, that after what happened at Gather Round, if a similar incident occurred, there would be greater consequences.
‘There couldn’t be a clearer message: homophobia has no place in our game or in society. We want everyone in the community to feel welcome in our game and comments like Powell’s are the only lesson in this. As a code, as a community, we must all be better.”
The AFL said it was “appropriate to increase the penalty” after league chief executive Andrew Dillon flagged such action in the wake of Finlayson’s comment against Essendon.
