When will we see an openly gay or bisexual AFL player?

[Dav]

I read an article yesterday about a man claiming he has had an affair with a bisexual Premier League footballer that's scared to come out due to fear of fan backlash. This is despite the fact a lot of his teammates already know about it.

It made me think about the situation in the AFL. When will we see an openly gay or bisexual male player in the AFL? When will it become normal, and not illicit insults? Because as much as our society has progressed, it's probably not much of a stretch to say that the AFL's core demographic would be slightly more homophobic than the general populace.

I've even heard unsubstantiated rumours from a reliable source that a player from the Northern Territory considered coming out as gay - despite being straight - in order to improve his chance of being drafted.

There's a lot of questions that can be asked. When will we see the first openly gay or bisexual player in the AFL? Will they be a newly drafted player, or will a currently listed player come out? And how many openly gay or bisexual players do you know at any level?

 

[LicoriceAllsorts]

I read an article yesterday about a man claiming he has had an affair with a bisexual Premier League footballer that's scared to come out due to fear of fan backlash. This is despite the fact a lot of his teammates already know about it.

It made me think about the situation in the AFL. When will we see an openly gay or bisexual male player in the AFL? When will it become normal, and not illicit insults? Because as much as our society has progressed, it's probably not much of a stretch to say that the AFL's core demographic would be slightly more homophobic than the general populace.

I've even heard unsubstantiated rumours from a reliable source that a player from the Northern Territory considered coming out as gay - despite being straight - in order to improve his chance of being drafted.

There's a lot of questions that can be asked. When will we see the first openly gay or bisexual player in the AFL? Will they be a newly drafted player, or will a currently listed player come out? And how many openly gay or bisexual players do you know at any level?

We already do have one.


Just because they don't come out and announce it in the media doesn't mean they're not openly gay

 

[Back One Out]

Every year there's a thread on this. Does it really matter?
Who gives a s**t about AFL footballers sex lives?

It doesn't bother me in the slightest that gay AFL footballers wish to keep their privacy and avoid their lives becoming a circus.

 

[DylanR]

Who cares? I don't watch AFL to see what sexuality someone is?

 

[Gypsy King]

I hope we never see them.

 

[TiAn_]

There's a lot of questions that can be asked.

And yet here we are with “can you guess when a bloke will come out” and “how many gay blokes do you have a kick with”...

 

[kaiserchief13]

I read an article yesterday about a man claiming he has had an affair with a bisexual Premier League footballer that's scared to come out due to fear of fan backlash. This is despite the fact a lot of his teammates already know about it.

It made me think about the situation in the AFL. When will we see an openly gay or bisexual male player in the AFL? When will it become normal, and not illicit insults? Because as much as our society has progressed, it's probably not much of a stretch to say that the AFL's core demographic would be slightly more homophobic than the general populace.

I've even heard unsubstantiated rumours from a reliable source that a player from the Northern Territory considered coming out as gay - despite being straight - in order to improve his chance of being drafted.

There's a lot of questions that can be asked. When will we see the first openly gay or bisexual player in the AFL? Will they be a newly drafted player, or will a currently listed player come out? And how many openly gay or bisexual players do you know at any level?

Well that would actually work IMO, because if they didn't get drafted everyone would say the league is homophobic even if they weren't good enough

 

[Ok Boomer]

I care about whether someone plays good football, not their sexuality.

 

[Donakebab]

I hope we never see them.

Why?

 

[keithrichards]

I hope we never see them.

Why is that?

 

[Gypsy King]

Why?

Why would I want to see that? I cannot think of any reason as to why I would.

 

[didaksrightfoot]

When we stop asking this question

 

[Taylor]

When it isn't uncouth for a player to openly discuss their love life, not engagement, just new girlfriend etc in the post match then we might see a player getting a high five from Richo for his latest sorta casual but getting more serious grinder fling.

The one you want to be is the second. The first will be paraded around, splattered on the paper and internet, followed by the media, have their boss hold a press conference to say how they knew already, are fully supportive and for some reason have to validate the players place in the club again to the AFL.

It doesn't impact his ability to do his job so I don't care. Happy for him if/when he decides to settle down with his partner but that's a human happiness thing, not a yay - you like dick and it empowers a political cause now for us.

The first person will get totally used by the AFL and gay advocate groups. They get a day and a half off a week, they ain't got time for that.

 

[Malifice]

I hope we never see them.

Didn't take long did it.

Locked.