Izak Rankine facts for kids

Izak Rankine (born 23 April 2000) is a professional Australian rules football player. He plays for the Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). Before joining Adelaide, he was drafted by the Gold Coast Suns in 2018. He was picked as the third overall player in that draft.

Early Life and Junior Football

Izak Rankine was born in Adelaide, South Australia. His family has Indigenous Australian heritage, specifically from the Kokatha and Ngarrindjeri peoples. He is related to famous AFL players like Gavin Wanganeen and Danyle Pearce.

As a kid, Izak played many sports. These included basketball, rugby, and tennis. But he decided to focus on Australian rules football. He played junior football for local clubs like Edwardstown and Flinders Park. Later, he joined the junior teams at West Adelaide in the SANFL.

In 2016, when he was just 16, Izak played his first senior SANFL game for West Adelaide. He kicked two goals in that game. He also represented South Australia in the AFL Under 18 Championships in 2017 and 2018. He was named in the All-Australian team both years. In 2018, he helped South Australia win the national championship. Izak went to Henley High School. He played school football with Jack Lukosius, who later became his teammate at Gold Coast. They helped their school win the 2018 SA Schools Championship.

AFL Career Journey

Playing for Gold Coast (2019–2022)

The Gold Coast Suns picked Izak Rankine with the third choice in the 2018 AFL draft. He faced some injuries, like hamstring and hip problems, which stopped him from playing in 2019. Even with these injuries, the Suns believed in him. They gave him a new contract that kept him at the club until the end of 2022.

Izak made his AFL debut in 2020 against the Melbourne Demons. He played really well, kicking three goals in his first game. This performance earned him a nomination for the AFL Rising Star award for that round. After the 2022 AFL season, Izak asked to move to the Adelaide Football Club. He was officially traded to Adelaide on October 10.

Joining Adelaide (2023–Present)

Izak played his 50th AFL game in 2023. This special game was his first home game for Adelaide, played at Adelaide Oval against Richmond. In April 2023, Izak faced unfair treatment on social media. The AFL's integrity unit investigated this issue. Later in the season, he had a hamstring injury that kept him from playing for about three weeks. Despite this, he finished fourth in the voting for the Malcolm Blight Medal. This award is given to Adelaide's best player.

In the off-season, Izak changed his guernsey (jersey) number from 22 to 23. This number was famously worn by Andrew McLeod, another Indigenous Adelaide player. The number 23 also matches Izak's birth date.

In 2024, Izak took on a new role, playing more often as a midfielder. This change was very successful. He had many games where he got over 20 disposals (touches of the ball) and kicked multiple goals. For Sir Doug Nicholls Round, Izak and his cousin Harley Hall designed Adelaide's special Indigenous guernsey. It celebrated their shared Ngarrindjeri heritage. During a game against Collingwood, Izak made a mistake by running too far without bouncing the ball. This gave away a free kick and denied Adelaide a chance to score. He also injured his hamstring again during this play.

In a game against Brisbane in Round 17, Izak was involved in an incident with a Lions player, Brandon Starcevich. He was suspended for four matches because of this. After this, Izak faced unfair treatment on social media again from a Brisbane club member. The club removed that person's membership. Both clubs spoke out against this behavior. In his second game back from suspension, during a match against Port Adelaide, another player, Dan Houston, accidentally caused Izak to get a concussion. Izak had to be stretchered off the field. Houston was later suspended for five matches.

Statistics

Statistics are correct to the end of the 2024 season.

Personal Life

When he's not playing football, Izak Rankine enjoys making music. His cousin is Harley Hall, an Indigenous artist. Izak and Harley worked together to design Adelaide's 2024 Indigenous guernsey.