Izak Rankine will play his first game in seven months when the Crows host the Western Bulldogs on Friday night. The Adelaide forward comes off the back of a suspension that cut short what had been a remarkable season for the 25-year-old. There is genuine anticipation around his return, and questions about how he will adapt after so long away from match action.
Rankine's four-game suspension followed a slur against Collingwood's Isaac Quaynor in an August 16 match last season. He was ruled out for the Crows' qualifying and semi-final losses as they crashed out of September, a particularly cruel timing for a player coming off an all-Australian year.
What Rankine accomplished before that incident was significant. He kicked 31 goals from 22 games last season, whilst recording a career-best four clearances a game with more time in the midfield to be named in the All-Australian squad. His absence in the Crows' pair of finals defeats was costly, with coach Nicks saying the matchwinner remained a key part of his on-ball plans.
The question now is whether Rankine's extended break has dulled his edge or sharpened his focus. According to coach Matthew Nicks, Rankine is "very motivated", noting "I'm not saying he wasn't motivated prior, but just to another level," and that from the start he knew "this is the time I will be back and I'll make sure I'm ready to go, I want to be the best for my teammates that I possibly can be".
The turning point came when Rankine was at the bottom, telling the Tommy Talks Podcast: "I wanted to retire, I wanted to finish and I was like: 'I don't want to do this no more, I'm done'". That darkness makes his current attitude even more striking.
Nicks commended Rankine for doing "a hell of a lot of work on what he's doing off-field, he's an incredible human". The coach remains confident about what supporters will see. Rankine "is explosive, he's an endurance athlete with elite speed, so we will just let him loose".
The Western Bulldogs pose a formidable challenge for his return. They beat reigning premiers Brisbane first up then thumped GWS on Saturday. But Adelaide's talent at full strength may be what the competition needed to see again.