Protesters gather outside AFL House for transgender player Hannah Mouncey

PROTESTERS have gathered outside AFL House in Docklands to protest the exclusion of transgender player Hannah Mouncey from the AFLW draft.

Protesters demonstrate outside AFL House at Docklands after the recent AFLW decision to not allow transgender players in the draft. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

PROTESTERS have gathered outside AFL House to protest the exclusion of transgender player Hannah Mouncey from the AFLW draft.

More than 20 transgender athletes and supporters staged a “peaceful kick of the footy” outside the league’s headquarters shortly after 4pm this afternoon.

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Small group have gathered outside AFL house to protest transgender player Hannah Mouncey's exclusion from AFLW draft @theheraldsun pic.twitter.com/X0CWqUloPY

— Genevieve Alison (@GenevieveAlison) October 23, 2017

Protesters demonstrate outside AFL House at Docklands. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

Protesters demonstrate outside AFL House at Docklands. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

Rally organiser Simona Castricum said the AFL’s treatment of the 27 year-old Canberra player was “crushing” and called for change.

“Transgender players felt safe in order to come out by placing YES on that (AFL) sign and we thought we were part of that ... turns out we weren’t part of that,” Ms Castricum said.

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Protestors demonstrate outside AFL House at Docklands. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

Protesters demonstrate outside AFL House at Docklands. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

The Herald Sun understands an AFL staffer met with members of the protest group to discuss opening a line of dialogue between the league and the transgender community.

It comes as the AFL panel ruled Mouncey was ineligible to play for the women’s league just 20 hours before she was certain to be selected by a Victorian team at the AFLW draft.

The decision was made despite Mouncey’s testosterone levels being within Olympic guidelines.

The Herald Sun understands that their primary concern was the 190cm, 100kg ruckman was too physically dominant for the competition.