Updated April 24, 2026 — 4:14pm , first published 10:53am AFL chief Andrew Dillon has rejected his own appeals board’s assertion that it is commonplace that players use racist, sexist or homophobic language in “highly competitive” levels of football. The league CEO also hit out at the appeals board’s decision to cut St Kilda youngster Lance Collard’s ban from nine weeks to four (with two weeks suspended) for using a homophobic slur. The reduced penalty means Collard will be eligible to play next week. Lance Collard’s ban was reduced to four weeks. AFL Photos Dillon released a statement on Friday, saying that the original nine-week penalty “reflected the seriousness of using a homophobic slur on the field”, particularly given it was a second offence. Collard was rubbed out for six weeks in 2024 after he admitted using the term “f----t” several times during a VFL match. “The appeals board last night imposed a four-week suspension, with two matches suspended until the end of next year.…