Izak Rankine has spoken publicly for the first time since being banned for an on-field homophobic slur.
The Crows star fronted media to give a short statement at Adelaide Airport on Tuesday evening after returning from a brief trip to Europe made in the fallout of the incident.
Rankine apologised, committed to bettering himself while stating "I am in no way a victim".
He is said to have been training while overseas.
Rankine was issued a four match ban a fortnight ago, ruling him out of the minor premiers final home and away game, Thursday's blockbuster qualifying final against Collingwood and possibly grand final appearance should his side make it.
The 25-year-old issued a brief comment via the club after the AFL handed down the sanction on August 21.
On Tuesday he spoke to media for the first time since the slur, directed at an un-named Collingwood player in Round 23.
"I want to start by saying how deeply sorry I am for what I said. There was no excuse, it was wrong and I take full responsibility," he said.
"I'm disappointed in myself, and I know I've let a lot of people down. I want to apologise to anyone that I've hurt, offended. I understand that word is offensive, it's harmful, it's hurtful. It has no place in our game or our society."
Rankine added: "I am in no way a victim, but going away has given me the space to reflect and educate myself, to understand the weight of my mistake, and I'm fully committed to bettering myself in that area."
He plans to stand in front of teammates in Adelaide's men's setup, and the club's AFLW players to apologise to them.
"...they deserve this at the very least," Rankine said.
Thursday's final will serve as the second week of Rankine's ban. A Crows' win will see them qualify for a home preliminary final while ruling out any chance of Rankine featuring in the grand final later this month.
On the same day his sanction was confirmed, Adelaide LGBTQIA+ supporter group Rainbow Crows issued a statement saying: "We are deeply concerned and disappointed that not only has another homophobic slur been used by another AFL player, but that it has happened in our club.
"When a player directs a homophobic slur, it is less likely to offend the player it is aimed at, but the LGBTQIA+ community," they said.
"When slurs like this are used, it gives power to others to mimic and assume that if the celebrity or sports star they idolise and look up to can use them, then it's ok for them to use them too."
Rankine was the sixth AFL player found guilty of using a homophobic on-field in the previous two seasons.
"From here, all I can do is put my head down, work hard, support my teammates in the best way I can, and show you through my actions that I'm growing and learning from my mistake," Rankine said on Tuesday.
"More than anything, I want this club to succeed so I'll be doing everything I can to gain everyone's trust back and have a positive impact on society and my supporters".
