Swans boycott St Kilda Pride Game following handling of Collard slur

The Sydney Swans have boycotted their Pride Game against St Kilda following the Saints' defence of Lance Collard in recent weeks.

Collard was accused of delivering a homophobic slur, found guilty and then had his hefty suspension reduced upon appeal.

As revealed on Wednesday night's Agenda Setters, the Swans will now play their Pride Game against the Western Bulldogs in Round 17.

In a statement given to Channel 7 and SEN, Sydney head of media and corporate affairs Tom Chadwick said:

Since 2016, the Sydney Swans have been proud to host Pride Game at the SCG, celebrating inclusivity with our LGBTIQA+ community.

It is one of the most significant matches on our calendar and resonates deeply with our LGBTIQA+ supporter base and the wider Pride community.

In consultation with the Rainbow Swans, members of the LGBTIQA+ community and the St Kilda Football Club, we felt it was appropriate to shift our 2026 Pride Match to ensure the game has the positive impact that is intended. It is important that the focus is on the positive experience we are creating for the communities at the heart of Pride Game.

Pride Game will now take place during our Round 17 match against the Western Bulldogs at the SCG.

We stand with the LGBTIQA+ community and believe that sport has the power to bring people together and celebrate inclusivity. That’s why Pride Game matters.

In a letter to members on Tuesday night, St Kilda CEO Carl Dilena stated the following:

Dear Saints Fans,

I wanted to communicate with you directly on a matter that is important to us as a club.

Many of you will be aware that our Round 13 game against Sydney had been designated in the fixture as the AFL Pride Game. Following the extensive media coverage of the recent AFL Tribunal matter and associated public reaction, our club has been in discussions with Sydney Swans, the Rainbow Swans supporter group, Pride Cup, and the AFL. I want to thank everyone involved for the respectful and constructive way those discussions have been approached.

As a result of those conversations, the decision has been made that our match with Sydney this year will no longer be played under the Pride Game banner.

While we would have preferred to proceed with the Pride Game designation to support inclusion and education, we understand and support the decision given the impact the recent publicity has had on members of the LGBTQIA+ and First Nations communities.

St Kilda has a long and proud history of inclusion. Alongside Sydney, we helped establish the AFL Pride Game in 2016 because we believe football should be a place where everyone feels welcome, safe and respected. These values are important for our staff, our players, our fans and our community.

We remain deeply committed to LGBTQIA+ and First Nations inclusion in sport at every level. We are proud advocates of respect and inclusion and remain committed to continuing that work across our club and community.

Importantly, the change to the Pride Game this year does not alter our commitment. We will continue working proactively with our people, supporters and industry partners to ensure St Kilda remains a club where everyone feels they belong.

Sydney will have two Thursday night and two Friday night games when the next batch of fixtures is revealed on Thursday. Brisbane have been handed three prime time fixtures, while Carlton, Essendon and Richmond have been cut from Thursdays and Fridays.