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Gold Coast Suns defender Wil Powell has been handed a five-game suspension by the AFL's Integrity Unit for directing a homophobic slur towards a Brisbane opponent during Sunday's game.
The Suns said Powell informed the club he had made the comment during the game, and a subsequent investigation found him guilty.
This incident comes only a matter of weeks after Port Adelaide's Jeremy Finlayson was suspended for three games for using a homophobic slur in a game.
During the pre-season, North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson was fined twenty-thousand dollars after he made a homophobic comment towards St Kilda players Jimmy Webster and Dougal Howard.
The AFL said that the increase in the penalty for Powell was due to its "deep concern about this repeat in close proximity to the last occurrence and in order to further deter such conduct in the future".
Gold Coast chief executive Mark Evans said while he understood the AFL's need to come down hard on such comments, and agreed that Powell deserved punishment, the club was not entirely comfortable with the length of the ban handed out.
"It's been hard to work through the level of sanction, given previous instances," Evans said.
"We respect that the AFL has got a job to do to continue the education and the leadership on the issue.
"But that did cause us some trouble, the level of sanction."
The AFL said it had made clear after the Finlayson incident that future instances would be punished more harshly.
"It is extremely disappointing to be dealing with a similar incident in only a matter of weeks," AFL general counsel Stephen Meade said.
"The AFL acknowledges Powell's remorse and cooperation, and while it has considered the circumstances in which the comment was made, there are no excuses for this conduct in our game.
"We foreshadowed both publicly and privately that after what transpired at Gather Round, if a similar incident was to happen there would be further consequences.
"There could be no clearer message — homophobia has no place in our game, nor in society. We want all people in the community to feel welcomed in our game and comments such as Powell's only takes away from this. As a code, as a community, we all must be better."
Powell has issued a public apology as well as having contacted the Lions player involved.
The Suns released a video on Thursday afternoon on its social channels in which Powell explained his actions and issued a further apology.
"On Sunday night there was a heated confrontation between myself and a Brisbane Lions player, where I slipped a homophobic word on accident," Powell said.
"I sincerely regret what I said that night and as soon as I said it, I was remorseful. I've apologised to the Brisbane Lions player multiple times during the night and after the game via text.
"I'm extremely sorry for what I've said. It won't ever happen again.
"I'd like to apologise to everyone this may affect, the word I used being a homophobic slur. To all the appropriate groups that it may affect and all the people surrounding those groups, I hope you take my apology sincerely as it is coming from the heart. I am very hurt by saying this.
"I fully accept the punishment that has been handed down to me. I'm going to work forward during this time."
AFLPA chief executive Paul Marsh said "Wil's words are hurtful, offensive and don't belong on or off the football field" and that he had spoken to Powell who was "extremely remorseful".
He also said the AFLPA was in discussion with the AFL in regards to a formalised sanction policy for future breaches.
"Given the AFL's recent public position, we are not surprised by the size of this sanction, but we continue to believe the industry needs a formalised and consistent sanctioning framework."