Suspended St Kilda Lance Collard resumes training with Saints after six match AFL ban over homophobic slurs

St Kilda are standing by Lance Collard after the teenager became the third AFL player suspended for making homophobic slurs this year.

Collard trained with teammates at RSEA Park on Thursday, a day after he was handed a six-match ban for directing “unprompted and highly offensive homophobic slurs” towards two Williamstown opponents in a VFL game.

The 19-year-old forward directed the abuse when appearing for the Saints’ VFL affiliate Sandringham on Saturday.

“Always support (the player) and challenge the behaviour,” St Kilda coach Ross Lyon said before Thursday’s training session.

“I’ve got a strong relationship with Lance. What’s done is done, he’s acknowledged that.

“The powers that be have done their thing ... but we certainly take the feedback.

“We want to be an inclusive, welcoming environment and we’ll just keep improving.”

St Kilda have been involved in an annual Pride Game against Sydney since 2017.

AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon this week denied the league has a problem with homophobia, but Lyon wouldn’t be drawn on the matter.

“Look, I haven’t got all the information at hand,” he said.

“I can just talk about a young Indigenous player out of Perth, a vernacular, I think you’ve got to look to intent and maliciousness.

“You know, how do you judge that?”

In May, Gold Coast defender Wil Powell was suspended for five games for directing a homophobic slur towards a Brisbane opponent.

Port Adelaide’s Jeremy Finlayson was suspended for three games in April and required to complete Pride in Sport training for his homophobic verbal abuse of an Essendon player.

North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson was fined $20,000 and received a suspended two-game ban for his pre-season tirade towards St Kilda duo Jimmy Webster and Dougal Howard.

Lyon was asked whether Collard’s six-match ban is fair.

“It’s not about fair, it’s what’s been handed down,” he said.

“Our justice system could take something out of it though, couldn’t they?”

Collard, who has played three senior games since drafted by St Kilda at pick No.28 last year, expressed remorse for his actions via a club statement on Wednesday.

Richmond coach Adem Yze said his club will address homophobia with its players this week.

“We have a growth session every week where they talk through things like that, so those things would come up,” Yze said on Thursday.

“I think they had a meeting today with the AFLPA (Players Association) as well, so just a touch point.

“It’s just disrespect, we can’t have it in the game. So our leaders are all over that.”