Editing Port s Finlayson cut Deeply Over His Homophobic Slur

Port Adelaide forward Jeremy Finlayson has been "cut deeply" after making a homophobic slur that resulted in a three-game AFL suspension, his coach Ken Hinkley says.<br><br>Finlayson was banned for a slur directed at an Essendon opponent in last Saturday night's game at Adelaide Oval.<br><br>"The reality was, as has been well reported, Jeremy knew straight away he had made a mistake," Hinkley told reporters on Friday.<br><br>"And he's the sort of person who ... that would cut deeply for him. He doesn't want to be that person."<br><br>A remorseful Finlayson informed club officials of the incident at three-quarter-time of Saturday's match, and apologised to the Essendon player post-game.<br><br>Hinkley said the 28-year-old had shown "his ownership of the whole situation right from the very start".<br><br>"He knew he made the mistake immediately and he handled it very well," the coach said.<br><br>"(I am) someways proud of the way he was able to handle it and deal with the situation, as difficult as it was for everyone involved.<br><br>"It's an opportunity for us to all understand and learn - and there's still more to be learnt in those areas of our game,  [https://chungchinghecacloai.com/ https://chungchinghecacloai.com/] that we don't need to go to those places."<br><br>In March, North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson was fined $20,000 and given a suspended two-match ban for a homophobic slur against St Kilda's Dougal Howard and Jimmy Webster during a trial game.<br><br>The Kangaroos coach on Friday sidestepped the discrepancy between his penalty and that for Finlayson.<br><br>"You're asking the wrong person, that's the AFL you need to ask in terms of how do they set their standards and what their sanctions are," Clarkson told reporters.<br><br>"All I can do is just accept the fact that I made a blue on the day and did everything I possibly could to rectify that ... and accept the sanctions that have been imposed by the AFL.<br><br>"All anyone in any walk of life wants to be done is treated in terms of their particular case and their particular circumstances.<br><br>"And I don't know the circumstances of Jeremy's, and the AFL has seen fit to make judgment.<br><br>"Then if there's discrepancy or concern with that, then it's better off to direct that at the AFL rather than me."<br><br>Finlayson will miss Saturday night's match against Fremantle and following games against [https://imgur.com/hot?q=Collingwood Collingwood] and St Kilda after being suspended by the [https://www.dictionary.com/browse/AFL%27s%20integrity AFL's integrity] unit.<br><br>The former Greater Western Sydney player, like Clarkson, will also have to pay for and undertake a Pride in Sport education program.<br><br>"Jeremy, he's fine, he's OK. He's moving on with what he needs to move on with," Hinkley said.<br><br>"He understands exactly what's gone on this week and understands the mistakes that went with that.<br><br>"And he's handled it, I think, in the best possible way he could, knowing that he made the mistake."