Leigh Ryswyk, a former Brisbane Lions player, has become the first AFL athlete to publicly come out as gay. The 41-year-old expressed shock at the overwhelming support following his announcement.

Wave of Positive Reactions

Ryswyk shared his story yesterday during an interview on Melbourne’s Joy 94.9 FM. While his close friends had known for years, the public response has exceeded expectations. “It has been amazing to be honest, overwhelming support, love, messages from people from everywhere. I can’t lie, it’s blown me away,” he stated.

Reflecting on his career, Ryswyk played one AFL match for the Brisbane Lions in 2005 before excelling in the SANFL, where he appeared in over 200 games for North Adelaide.

Timing of His Announcement

Ryswyk explained that he was not prepared to come out during his AFL days. “Different things happen within your life and you just move forward,” he said. “When I was ready, I was ready and that’s now.”

He hopes his openness encourages other athletes to embrace their true selves. Ryswyk anticipates a future where disclosing sexuality becomes unnecessary. However, he highlighted potential challenges from crowd behavior and media scrutiny.

“The club itself will just wrap their arms around the player, the AFL community as a whole will do that — the outside world, fans and media at times … then maybe that fear [from] them,” Ryswyk noted. He stressed the need for education starting young to foster safer environments, pointing out how passionate fans can troll players over minor errors.

“It doesn’t matter what happens on the footy field, if someone misses a football kick and they can get trolled, right? People are very passionate about their footy teams and want to see them succeed, but the environment needs to change and education continue to happen.”

Support from Clubs

Brisbane Lions chief executive Sam Graham issued a statement praising Ryswyk’s courage. “It is great to see Leigh share his story and journey publicly,” Graham said. “We want our game to be an inclusive environment for everyone, including players, staff, members and fans. As a club, we hope this has a positive impact across football and society more broadly.”

North Adelaide Football Club, where Ryswyk is a life member and played 226 games, also voiced full backing. The club highlighted his contributions, including the 2018 Reserves Premiership despite late-season injuries. “As a football club, we pride ourselves on fostering an inclusive environment where players, staff, members and supporters from all communities feel safe, respected, and free to be themselves,” the statement read.