Second-generation AFL player Max Knobel has been handed a four-match suspension after confessing to using a highly offensive homophobic slur during a VFL match last week. The incident occurred in the second quarter of the game against Brisbane, and the Gold Coast ruckman self-reported the matter before the Suns brought it to the league's attention.
The AFL released a statement on Thursday detailing the investigation and subsequent penalty. The league confirmed that Knobel made full admissions during the AFL Integrity Unit's probe. The sanction is consistent with previous cases where players self-reported such conduct, expressed remorse, and issued apologies.
As part of the penalty, Knobel will not be eligible to play for the Gold Coast Suns in the AFL during Rounds 14 to 17 of the 2025 season, nor in any corresponding VFL matches. Additionally, he will undergo further LGBTQI+ inclusion education.
Knobel, the son of former Brisbane, St Kilda, and Richmond ruckman Trent Knobel, is the third AFL-listed player to be suspended for a homophobic slur this season and the eighth since 2024.
AFL chief operating officer Tom Harley emphasized the league's commitment to respect and inclusion. “Respect and inclusion are fundamentals across all levels of our game, and any language and behaviours that do not reflect this will not be tolerated,” Harley said. “Homophobia and homophobic language have absolutely no place anywhere, and we will continue to stamp out any conduct that does not reflect our values.”
Harley acknowledged that Knobel self-reported the matter and accepted responsibility for his mistake but noted that the incident shows there is still work to be done. “We are committed to working together to make our game a safe, welcoming, and inclusive space for all,” he added.
This incident follows several similar cases in the AFL. Last month, Brisbane’s Koby Evans received a four-match penalty for a homophobic slur in a VFL match. Weeks earlier, St Kilda’s Lance Collard was hit with a two-match ban (plus two suspended) for his second such offense in three years; he was previously suspended for six matches in 2024. Other players penalized since the start of 2024 include Port Adelaide’s Jeremy Finlayson (three matches), Adelaide’s Izak Rankine (four), West Coast’s Jack Graham (four), Sydney’s Riak Andrew (five), and Gold Coast’s Wil Powell (five).
Knobel was originally drafted by Fremantle in 2022. After being delisted at the end of 2024 with a view to being re-listed by the Dockers, he was instead picked up by the Suns ahead of the 2025 season.
