A disgraced AFL fan has been forced to issue a public apology for vile racial abuse he directed at Adelaide Crows star Izak Rankine online.
In a disturbing incident during NAIDOC Week, Jakob Matheson targeted the Crow in two social media posts containing racial slurs, which he claims were made while he was drunk and frustrated.
Matheson is a 25-year-old aspiring sports journalist from Adelaide, who's a Brisbane Lions fan. The posts were in response to a bump by Rankine on Brisbane's Brandon Starcevich during Sunday's game.
"I just want to formally apologise to Izak himself," Matheson said.
"I never meant to say what I said… I got frustrated and angry at what Izak did to one of the Brisbane players, and I know I shouldn't have said what I said."
Matheson's X account was shut down after other fans quickly shared his identity and the posts.
The Crows strongly condemned the incident in a statement, saying "there's no place for racism of any kind in society and it's extremely sad that we find ourselves dealing with another abhorrent attack on one of our players".
"It's something that no one wants to stand for... it's obviously really disappointing," Crows midfielder Matt Crouch said.
The Lions also denounced the comments, saying they "do not reflect the club's values or those of its players." The club has cancelled Matheson's membership.
That's also not likely to be the end of his punishment, as he faces a potential lifetime ban from the AFL.
