Former AFL Star Leigh Ryswyk Makes History as League's First Openly Gay Footballer
In a landmark moment for Australian rules football, former Brisbane Lions player Leigh Ryswyk has publicly come out as gay, becoming the first male Australian Football League (AFL) player to do so. The 41-year-old made the announcement during an interview on Melbourne radio station Joy 94.9, revealing he has been out to close friends for five years but kept his private life largely from public view.
"It's Blown Me Away": Overwhelming Public Response
Ryswyk described the reaction to his announcement as unexpectedly strong and positive. "The response has been amazing to be honest, overwhelming support, love, messages from people from everywhere. I can't lie, it's blown me away," he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Despite this warm reception, Ryswyk cautioned that external pressures from fans and media could still deter other players from coming out publicly.
"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," he explained. "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."
Personal Journey and Family Support
Ryswyk shared intimate details about his coming out experience with family members, describing emotional conversations with both parents. "When I come out to your family it's always a massive experience, there's a lot of things going on in your head," he recalled. "I had the opportunity to sit down with mum and talk to her about it, and let her know, which was massive. She obviously was crying, I was crying, and she goes 'I still love you', so for me, that was a wow moment."
His father responded similarly with unconditional support. "I really didn't know what to expect, but he was like, 'I love you, it doesn't matter, as long as you're happy I'm happy for you', that blew me away to be honest."
Football Career and Safe Environments
Originally from Victoria, Ryswyk moved to Queensland to join the Brisbane Lions, making his sole AFL appearance against Fremantle in 2005 before being delisted due to a quad injury. He subsequently built an impressive career with North Adelaide in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL), playing 226 games between 2006 and 2018 and contributing to a 2018 reserves premiership despite playing with broken ribs late in the season. He was later inducted into the AFL Queensland Hall of Fame.
Ryswyk emphasized he never felt unsafe within football environments. "Football clubs literally are your family and you feel like you can be you. I've never, ever felt at any football club I've ever been to that I couldn't be me," he stated. When asked why he chose to speak publicly now, Ryswyk simply replied: "Why not?"
Broader Context and League Reactions
Ryswyk's announcement follows that of former West Coast Eagles player Mitch Brown, who became the first openly bisexual AFL player last year. Before these recent developments, the sport had gone 129 years without any publicly out gay or bisexual male players.
Brisbane Lions chief executive Sam Graham welcomed Ryswyk's announcement, stating: "It is great to see Leigh share his story and journey publicly. 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 also issued a statement backing their former player, describing him as "the first openly gay past or present AFL/SANFL player" and highlighting his long service and life membership at the club. "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.
AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon added: "For Leigh to be able to be comfortable sharing his story last night was great."
Looking Toward the Future
Ryswyk expressed hope that sharing his story would encourage others in professional sports to feel comfortable being themselves. He envisioned a future where sexuality would no longer need to be publicly declared as a significant announcement. "We want to feel safe anywhere we go," he emphasized, calling for continued education and cultural change starting at younger levels of the sport.
The former footballer acknowledged he hadn't felt ready to come out during his playing career. "Different things happen within your life and you just move forward," he reflected. "When I was ready, I was ready and that's now."
