FIRST-YEAR St Kilda forward Lance Collard is being investigated by the AFL's Integrity Unit after being accused of making homophobic slurs in a VFL game on Saturday.

A VFL spokesperson has confirmed the league is aware of a matter from the game between Sandringham and Williamstown at DSV Stadium.

Collard is accused of making multiple comments to Williamstown players and is facing a lengthy suspension.

Gold Coast defender Wil Powell has just returned from a five-game suspension for a slur made against Brisbane in the QClash in May.

Port Adelaide key forward Jeremy Finlayson was suspended for three games following a homophobic slur during Gather Round in April.

North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson was also fined $20,000 and handed a suspended two-game sanction for using inappropriate language directed at two St Kilda players during an AAMI Community Series in March.

When the Powell investigation was conducted in May, AFL general counsel Stephen Meade indicated that the AFL would continue to come down hard on offenders.

"We foreshadowed both publicly and privately that after what transpired at Gather Round (the Finlayson incident) if a similar incident was to happen, there would be further consequence," Meade said.

"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."

Collard was selected at pick No. 28 in last year’s AFL Draft and made his debut as the sub in round one.

The West Australian has played three senior games in his first season at RSEA Park.