Leigh Ryswyk Becomes First Male Australian Football League Player to Publicly Come Out as Gay

Former Brisbane Lions player Leigh Ryswyk makes history as the first male AFL player to come out as gay, breaking a 129 year barrier in Australian football.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 26, 2026, 9:04 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from BBC

A Transformative Moment for Australian Professional Football

Leigh Ryswyk has broken a longstanding barrier in the Australian Football League by becoming the first male player to publicly identify as gay. The 41 year old, who debuted for the Brisbane Lions in 2005 before establishing a prolific career in the South Australian league, shared his journey during an interview on Melbourne radio station Joy 94.9. Ryswyk noted that while he has been open with his close social circle for the past five years, this public declaration represents a pivotal shift for a sport that has historically lacked openly queer male representation at the elite professional level.

Emotional Journey Toward Family Acceptance and Support

The decision to share his identity was a multi year process for the former forward, who described the profound emotional weight of coming out to his parents. Ryswyk detailed a poignant moment with his mother, where mutual tears were met with immediate affirmations of unconditional love. His father also offered a supportive response, emphasizing that his son’s happiness was the only priority. Despite his professional status, Ryswyk has historically maintained a high degree of privacy, choosing to live authentically within his inner circle before feeling prepared to address the broader public and sporting community.

Breaking Global Stagnation in Professional Men’s Sport

Prior to recent developments, the AFL held a unique and controversial distinction as the only major professional men’s sporting competition globally to never have had an openly gay or bisexual player, even after retirement. This trajectory began to shift seven months ago when Mitch Brown, a former West Coast Eagles player, came out as bisexual. Brown previously noted that the psychological burden of concealing his identity contributed significantly to his decision to exit the sport. Ryswyk’s announcement further erodes this historical silence, providing a visible precedent for current and future athletes within the 129 year old competition.