Mitch Brown becomes first ever openly gay or bisexual man in AFL history

Former West Coast Eagles defender Mitch Brown has become the first man in the AFL’s 129-year history to publicly come out.

Former West Coast Eagles star Mitch Brown has become the first ever openly gay or bisexual man in AFL history.

Throughout the AFL’s 129-year history, no male player has ever publicly come forward and identified as gay or bisexual, until today.

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Brown, who played 94 games for the Eagles over the course of 10 seasons at the club shattered the mould by publicly stating he was “a bisexual man”.

The historic moment comes off the back of a dark passage for the league in the wake of the sixth player being banned for using a homophobic slur over the past 16 months.

Brown elected to come forward after Izak Rankine was handed a four-game suspension for reportedly calling a Collingwood player a “f****t”.

“It wasn’t so much hours (of contemplation). It was a moment in time for me, and it was seconds,” Brown said to The Daily Aus.

“I had this feeling of peace, but more importantly, comfort and confidence.”

Mitch Brown back during his playing days. Photo by Daniel Wilkins.

Brown has become the first ever openly gay or bisexual man in AFL history.

Brown said he had learned to hide parts of himself throughout his footy career and by the time he was delisted he had become exhausted by masking it all.

“I got to the end of my career and I was asked to play on for a couple more years, and I was over it. I was done,” he said.

The former Eagles defender described the AFL’s culture as “hyper-masculine”, something that made questioning sexuality impossible.

“I remember two people having a conversation around how they would feel having a shower next to a gay man, and one of the players said, ‘I’d rather be in a cage full of lions than have a shower next to a gay man,’” Brown said.

“There’s been so many times in my life that I’ve seen things or heard things and not said anything, in fear of people thinking that I was gay or bisexual.”

Brown’s decision to become the first openly gay or bisexual man in the AFL’s long-history was met with widespread praise.

Code Sports’ Lachlan McKirdy wrote on X: “Mitch Brown’s powerful interview is a watershed moment for the AFL. To come out as bisexual in the current environment is so incredibly brave, and he should be celebrated for having the courage to do so.”

Channel 7’s Kate McCarthy wrote: “Incredibly powerful. Shouldn’t have to take courage to let the world know who you are but it most certainly does in any setting. Much love to you Mitch Brown.”

Prominent social media brothers Luke and Sassy Scott wrote: “We are so incredibly proud. The amount of people you’re going to help is ENORMOUS!”

ABC Sports’ Corbin Middlemas wrote: “Respect to Mitch Brown a role model the game desperately needs.”

It’s a landmark day for Australian sport. It comes after similar recent moves from Australians sportsmen made history.

Isaac Humphries became the first openly gay Australian basketballer when he came out publicly in 2022 and soccer player Joshua Cavallo made history by coming out in 2021.

Brown’s decision to publicly open up has been met with widespread praise. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)

The landmark moment was praised by Health Equity Matters, the national federation for Australia’s leading HIV and LGBTIQA+ organisations.

“Today is a historic moment, not just for the AFL, but for our entire nation and for LGBTIQA+ people across Australia,” CEO Dash Heath-Paynter said in a statement.

“Mitch Brown’s story demonstrates strength and honesty. Speaking openly about his sexuality in the context of elite Australian sport is inspiring and will give confidence to many Australians confronting similar questions of identity.

“This is a powerful statement about visibility and inclusion. For LGBTIQA+ young people watching today, Mitch is showing them that they belong in every space, including in the nation’s most followed sporting code.

“We commend Mitch for his strength and candour and thank him for using his platform to advance inclusion and diversity in Australia. His announcement today will resonate far beyond the sporting world and contribute to a more equitable Australia for all LGBTIQA+ people.”

The AFL is yet to have an openly gay player. Photos: AFP/Getty Images

Brown’s announcement comes a day after a gay former AFL player spoke about the reasons why the league is yet to have an openly gay player.

Brown firmly believes there are “currently gay and bisexual men playing in the AFL at the moment and in the past”, adding “I see you and you are not alone.”

But one former player, who remained anonymous, slammed the league’s culture that he claims still exists in the AFL today and detailed some of the abuse he was subjected to in his career.

“There’s a reason why we don’t have a top level AFL player that’s out, where every other code in the world, every other football code has, and that’s because of the culture surrounding this,” Jason* said on ABC Radio Melbourne.

“I had that word that he supposedly said written on my team photo in the club rooms.

“Once I did finish playing, they would sit around on the Sunday and have a barrel and call me while I was milking, I’m a dairy farmer, and have derogatory, homophobic calls, which was just harassment basically.

“And we just need to stop it, at any cost. And if (Rankine) misses out on the grand final, so be it. Homophobia has no place anywhere.”