ADELAIDE star Izak Rankine is one of seven players who will miss the start of the 2026 season, with the banned list reduced by one on Tuesday night after Jai Newcombe's victory at the Tribunal.
And Newcombe is not the only Hawk to have had his name cleared to face Greater Western Sydney in Opening Round, with Mabior Chol also free to play.
Rankine has one game remaining on his four-match suspension for a homophobic slur last year, ruling him out of the Crows' huge round one clash with Collingwood next week. He is one of three players with 2025 bans hanging over who are set to miss the start of the 2026 campaign, with West Coast co-skipper Liam Baker (one week) and Port Adelaide veteran Ollie Wines (two weeks) to also miss.
Carlton's Nic Newman also won't be available until at least round three this year after being banned for two matches for an incident in the VFL last week, while Richmond forward Mykelti Lefau was hit with a club-imposed two-game ban in February after being caught drink-driving.
Gold Coast young gun Jed Walter and West Coast recruit Harry Schoenberg will also sit out their side's first game of the season after being handed bans from incidents in the AAMI Community Series last week, but new Hawthorn co-captain Newcombe is free to play on Saturday afternoon against the Giants after successfully challenging his one-match ban for rough conduct at the Tribunal.
And if you think Newcombe is the only Hawk to have a Tribunal win for Opening Round, think again.
Way back in September, teammate Chol was cleared of rough conduct for the tackle that concussed Geelong's Tom Stewart in the preliminary final and subsequently ruled the Cats defender out of the Grand Final.
Rankine was suspended by the AFL Integrity Unit for an on-field homophobic comment in round 23 last year. He missed his side's round 24 game and the Crows' two finals, meaning he won't be available to return until round two when Adelaide plays the Western Bulldogs.
Baker, who has been announced as his side's new co-captain alongside Liam Duggan, will miss his first game at the helm after copping a one-match ban in the final round of last season. Baker collected Sydney's Chad Warner high at Optus Stadium, and while he did appeal the suspension, it was upheld at the Tribunal.
He will miss the Eagles' round one clash with Gold Coast but is available to play against North Melbourne in round two.
Wines has served one game of his three-match ban for a high bump that concussed Carlton's Cooper Lord in round 23 last year, meaning he is sidelined until round three.
The Brownlow medallist also appealed the ban at the Tribunal but was unsuccessful, ruling him out of the Power's farewell game for coach Ken Hinkley and former captain Travis Boak in the final round of last season. He will now miss Port's opening two games against the Kangaroos and Essendon, with a potential return on the cards in round three against West Coast.
Lefau's club-imposed ban took in the club's AAMI Community Series match against Melbourne, meaning he will miss the Tigers' round one match against Carlton on March 12 and possibly return against the Suns in round two.
This week, Schoenberg was the first victim of a new Match Review change for 2026, where strikes are more likely to be graded medium impact - and result in a one-week ban - than in previous years, with the Eagles recruit banned for with striking Port Adelaide's Logan Evans. He won't play against Gold Coast in round one but could make his club debut against the Kangaroos in round two.
Walter will sit out the Suns' Opening Round clash against Geelong on Friday night after he was suspended for a late bump on Brisbane's Zane Zakostelsky during last week's AAMI Community Series clash, but could return to face the Eagles the following week.
Newman, who had been pushing for a return to the senior side after missing the entire 2025 campaign due to injury, copped a two-match ban from a VFL game last week, ruling out the possibility of an early season return.
He will now be unavailable for Carlton's Opening Round game against Sydney and its round one clash against Richmond. And with the Blues having a bye in round two, the earliest he can return is against Melbourne in round three.
