Gold Coast player hit with big ban for homophobic slur
Gold Coast ruckman Max Knobel has been found guilty and hit with a four-match ban after using a homophobic slur in the VFL.
The incident occurred during the second quarter of the Lions and Suns match with an investigation announced following the fixture.
Max Knobel in 2025. Getty
Knobel made full admissions to the AFL integrity unit with the four-match sanction consistent where a player has self-reported his conduct and apologised.
The ruckman will further LGBTQI+ inclusion education.
“I have to take responsibility for my actions which were unacceptable. I understand the severity of what I said and the impact those comments have on a wide range of people,” Knobel said in a Suns statement.
“I have offered my apologies to the Brisbane player and would like to extend my sincerest apologies to those who have been impacted by my comments, particularly those as part of the LGBTIQA+ community.
“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 is the son of former Brisbane, St Kilda and Richmond player Trent Knobel, who played 75 AFL games between 2000 and 2007.
Standing at 206cm, he was initially drafted by Fremantle with pick 42 in 2022, before joining Gold Coast in 2024. He is yet to make his AFL debut.
Knobel’s punishment makes it the eighth time an AFL player has been suspended for using a homophobic slur since the start of 2024.
AFL chief operating officer Tom Harley was strong in his condemnation of Knobel’s actions and words.
“Respect and inclusion are fundamentals across all levels of our game and any language and behaviours that do not reflect this will not be tolerated,” he said.
“Homophobia and homophobic language have absolutely no place anywhere and we will continue to stamp out any conduct that does not reflect our values.
“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.”
Lance Collard has been banned twice. Getty
St Kilda’s Lance Collard (twice), Port Adelaide’s Jeremy Finalyson, Adelaide’s Izak Rankine, Sydney’s Riak Andrew, Gold Coast’s Wil Powell, West Coast’s Jack Graham and most recently Brisbane’s Koby Evans have all been previously banned for it.
Evans, who self-reported and admitted remorse, received a four-game ban in May.
Collard meanwhile denied he ever said the slur and ultimately was suspended just two games after multiple hearings back in April.
Gold Coast was beaten by crosstown rivals Brisbane on Saturday afternoon, and now prepares to take on Geelong at GMHBA Stadium.
After a strong start to the season, they haven’t won a game since the start of May and now face the Cats, Hawks and Dockers in successive weeks.
