Former AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou has insisted the league is a safe and welcoming environment for gay players, saying the public would embrace anyone who chose to come out.
“I think that any player who feels it’s necessary and important to reveal their sexuality will be embraced,” Demetriou said in an interview with ABC Sport.
His remarks follow ex-West Coast player Mitch Brown becoming the first openly bisexual man to have played in the AFL, and his reflections on the “hyper-masculine” culture that forced him to hide his sexuality before retiring in 2016.
Demetriou praised Brown’s courage and noted the positive public response: “I hope he felt the warmth and the comments in the social media where he was embraced. Of course, you had a minority of people who were small-minded, but in the main, Mitch Brown was thanked.”
He also defended the AFL’s handling of Adelaide forward Izak Rankine’s suspension for a homophobic slur, and backed current CEO Andrew Dillon amid a string of controversies, from racism to leadership shake-ups.
Looking ahead, Demetriou highlighted the decline in Indigenous player numbers as a concern and suggested the Northern Territory should be considered for the AFL’s 20th licence once Tasmania joins.
Source: ABC Sport
