Izak Rankine

There are players who move through traffic, and then there is Izak Rankine, who seems to dissolve through it. One moment he is surrounded, hemmed in by two defenders and the boundary line. The next, he has found a sliver of daylight, twisted his body at an angle that should not work, and threaded a goal that makes the Adelaide Oval crowd gasp and then roar. Recruited from Gold Coast ahead of 2023, Rankine has flourished in the Crows’ system, his extraordinary agility and acceleration finding a permanent home in Adelaide’s forward line. He is creativity and flair distilled into a player capable of moments that make the highlight reel and win games in the same breath.

Career Statistics

Player Profile

Ninety games, 102 goals — and the sense that Rankine is only just beginning to scratch the surface of what he can become. At twenty-four, his best football stretches out ahead of him like an open corridor. His goal sense is instinctive, his footwork mesmerising, and his capacity to produce individual brilliance makes him one of the most watchable players in the competition. For the Crows in 2026, Rankine is the X-factor, the player who can turn an ordinary afternoon into something unforgettable.

EC — Senior features writer, australiafootball.com