Ryswyk Comes out

[Mighty Eagles]

Leigh Ryswyk

Leigh Ryswyk

Age

41

Ht

180cm

Wt

74kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

4.0

1star

K

3.0

1star

HB

1.0

1star

M

3.0

3star

T

1.0

3star

No current season stats available

D

4.0

1star

K

3.0

1star

HB

1.0

2star

M

3.0

3star

T

1.0

3star

, who played one game with Brisbane in 2005, has made history becoming the first male player to come out as gay.

This follows former West Coast player Mitch Brown who came out as bisexual last year.

 

[The Feeder Club]

If it wasn't for the homophobic culture within AFL clubs I reckon he would have played twice as many games

 

[Mighty Eagles]

If it wasn't for the homophobic culture within AFL clubs I reckon he would have played twice as many games

He was married and had kids. I don’t think it was his sexuality which limited his career at the highest level.

 

[The Feeder Club]

He was married and had kids. I don’t think it was his sexuality which limited his career at the highest level.

Um, ok

 

[Satan]

He played one less game then relton roberts .Btw ill be honest to say I have never heard of him

 

[Nostradumbass]

Ok.

 

[Altum Volantes]

Good for him, whoever he may be.

 

[M Malice]

Izak Rankine

23

Izak Rankine

Age

26

Ht

179cm

Wt

82kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

13.0

3star

K

9.0

3star

HB

4.0

3star

M

2.7

3star

T

2.7

4star

CL

1.7

4star

D

13.0

3star

K

9.0

4star

HB

4.0

3star

M

2.7

3star

T

2.7

4star

CL

1.7

4star

D

13.0

4star

K

9.0

4star

HB

4.0

3star

M

2.7

3star

T

2.7

5star

CL

1.7

4star

approves this message.

 

[Orange crush]

Gay and a score of 255 on a triple word tile

 

[dmc333]

Mitch Brown quietly seething.

 

[JackFlash]

Someone comes out after playing 20 years ago and this is a story? The stats say that up to 3% of the male population identify as Gay, which means in a competition of approximately 800 male players on AFL lists currently the probability is there could be close to 24-25 Gay footballers ?
As a sports fan and supporter of AFL football i couldn't care less what somebody's sexual preference is as long as they get a kick on the weekend?
I'm probably biased as i have many Gay friends working in Music and Entertainment as i have done for a long, long time. Never an issue, why should it be for an AFL footballer?

 

[Orange crush]

Someone comes out after playing 20 years ago and this is a story? The stats say that up to 3% of the male population identify as Gay, which means in a competition of approximately 800 male players on AFL lists currently the probability is there could be close to 24-25 Gay footballers ?
As a sports fan and supporter of AFL football i couldn't care less what somebody's sexual preference is as long as they get a kick on the weekend?
I'm probably biased as i have many Gay friends working in music and Entertainment as i have done for a long, long time. Never an issue, why should it be for an AFL footballer?

3%? x10 these days

 

[Gough]

It's a bit of an indictment on the men's game that a bloke who played one game twenty years ago captures headlines by coming out.

 

[Jibroni]

If it wasn't for the homophobic culture within AFL clubs I reckon he would have played twice as many games

He wasn't at the level hence why he spent a number of seasons with North Adelaide in the SANFL. Think he was VC at one point.

 

[SSSSSS]

Good on him.

 

[blueboy25]

Someone comes out after playing 20 years ago and this is a story? The stats say that up to 3% of the male population identify as Gay, which means in a competition of approximately 800 male players on AFL lists currently the probability is there could be close to 24-25 Gay footballers ?
As a sports fan and supporter of AFL football i couldn't care less what somebody's sexual preference is as long as they get a kick on the weekend?
I'm probably biased as i have many Gay friends working in music and Entertainment as i have done for a long, long time. Never an issue, why should it be for an AFL footballer?

Unfortunately a lot of people think it's a issue which is really disappointing.

 

[Hollow Knight]

Looks like quite a few people are using this thread to come out of the closet as gronks.

 

[bzparkes]

This news has completely made me re-evaluate my 41 years of existence and opened my world up to infinite realms of possibilities.

 

[Bluechip66]

How is it historic or brave. He’s not playing AFL now. Same as laidley & WC guy
When someone playing AFL comes out it will be historic & maybe brave..IDK
I don’t think these days anyone gives a toss.

Anyway, good luck to him..hope he is living his best life.

 

[bzparkes]

How is it historic or brave. He’s not playing AFL now. Same as laidley & WC guy
When someone playing AFL comes out it will be historic & maybe brave..IDK
I don’t think these days anyone gives a toss.

Anyway, good luck to him..hope he is living his best life.

As someone who doesn't care who people sleep with, provided they're of legal age and consent, agreed.

Also, not sure if he himself has made this an issue or just a media desperate for clicks.

After Brown came out as Bi, I was somewhat disappointed in him trying to browbeat clubs into statements supporting his revelation. Maybe they simply didn't give a shit? Reeked of attention seeking and narcissism to me.

Anyway, I'm sure there's gay blokes running around in the AFL right now and if so, their teammates would know for sure.

It's 2026 and it's nobody's business but their own. As long as they're comfortable around their teammates, that's all that really matters.

 

[JackFlash]

Unfortunately a lot of people think it's a issue which is really disappointing.

Sadly that is true.

 

[JackFlash]

3%? x10 these days

Yep, it's probably close to one million Male and Female gay people in Australia.

 

[Wizard]

He came out about 5 years ago.

While this is news in a sense, it really isn't a significant point in his life or his families. That came many years ago.

 

[PrancingPony]

I do feel for the players in the AFL who are gay and don't feel comfortable coming out, with the entire saga last year I imagine it has made it even harder for them to come out because you'll have a vocal minority of people screaming at the top of their lungs "Who gives a ****? Just play footy." without realising it's important to talk about this sort of thing, it's important to break down barriers so these players feel safer being able to express who they are without homophobic bigots shouting them down.

I would say with about 99% certainty that every club in the AFL has at the very least 1 or 2 gay players, probabaly more, they deserve to feel comfortable in their own skin. This is BF though, so I imagine there'll be someone who has a problem with that though.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Someone comes out after playing 20 years ago and this is a story? The stats say that up to 3% of the male population identify as Gay, which means in a competition of approximately 800 male players on AFL lists currently the probability is there could be close to 24-25 Gay footballers ?

Well it’s a story because he’s the first one to come out.

I think the 3% stat would be far less in the AFL simply because it’s such a traditionally masculine (we like girls) environment that anybody else is probably discouraged and leaves long before they reach the AFL.

The more people who do come out, the more it’ll be normalised and perhaps they’ll leave less. Which gets back to why it is important and it is a story.

Hopefully one day it isn’t. But right now, it is.