The AFL disciplinary tribunal will continue deliberating for a second day after both sides stood by their versions of what was said during an alleged on-field homophobic slur incident involving St Kilda-listed forward Lance Collard.
Collard has been charged with conduct unbecoming over an allegation that he directed a homophobic slur at a Frankston opponent during a VFL match on Friday 27 March.
After a hearing lasting three and a half hours, tribunal chair Jeff Gleeson said the panel was still considering the evidence and would reconvene on Friday to reach a verdict and, if necessary, determine a sanction.
“We’re well advanced in our discussions and deliberations, but not in a position to communicate our position,” Gleeson said.
“We are meeting again tomorrow and will resume our deliberations. We’re confident we’ll be in a position to deliver brief written reasons tomorrow.”
At the centre of the case is a direct conflict between Collard’s evidence and that of two Frankston players, Darby Hipwell and Bailey Lambert.
During the hearing, Collard signed a statutory declaration stating that he did not use a homophobic slur. He told the tribunal that the words he used were: “Come here, maggot.”
Frankston players Hipwell and Lambert both said they heard Collard call Hipwell a “f*ing f**t”.
Hipwell told the tribunal the exchange happened after his teammate Jackson Voss had been struck in the head by Collard.
“Just before he let me go, he had one final pull towards him, he had his head up against my ear and said either ‘Darby, you fing ft’ or ‘Darby, you are a fing f****t’,” Hipwell said.
Having previously played alongside Collard for two seasons at Sandringham during the club’s VFL alignment with St Kilda, Hipwell said he had no doubt about what he heard.
“I know his voice, having played with him for a few years at Sandringham. I could not be more confident in what I heard.”
He also told the tribunal he found the alleged remark offensive, saying: “I have family members and friends who are homosexual and to that effect [it offended me].”
Lambert supported Hipwell’s account, saying he reported the alleged slur immediately.
“We do all our training modules before the year, and we’re told we’re meant to speak up and say the right things,” Lambert said.
“I also thought we’d be getting a 50-metre free kick, that’s why I tried to do it so quickly.”
Collard denied using the slur and told the tribunal he understood why the Frankston players might think they heard it, given his past conduct.
“I know they think I’ve said the word f****t, because I’ve said it before, but I admitted it last time when I said it – but I’ve never said it this time,” he said.
“I signed an oath (stat dec) during the week about it that I’m being 100% honest. Last time I stood up and admitted it, and took it, I was remorseful … I wouldn’t make the mistake again.”
He also said he understood the seriousness of making a false statement in a statutory declaration, and insisted: “I’m being 100% honest. I’m not lying.”
Collard told the tribunal that after the match he spoke with St Kilda officials Damian Carroll and Lenny Hayes and immediately told them he had said “maggot”, not the homophobic slur.
The case comes less than a year after Collard was banned for six matches in June 2024 for using homophobic slurs towards opponents. At the time, he admitted using the phrase and, as part of his sanction, was required to complete a Pride in Sport education programme.
Hayley Conway, chief executive of Pride Cup, who facilitated Collard’s education session after that incident, gave evidence about his participation.
“He seemed quite nervous at the start … he was quite remorseful, shy and also really thoughtful in his comments, especially as the session went on,” Conway said.
She said Collard had reflected on his own experiences of racism, particularly in situations where people were unaware of his Indigenous background, and had drawn a strong connection between those experiences and the importance of inclusion.
St Kilda’s position is that the Frankston players are not lying, but may have been mistaken in what they heard.
The AFL is seeking a proposed 10-week suspension if Collard is found guilty.
The tribunal has indicated it expects to deliver its decision, along with brief written reasons, on Friday.
