Every so often a sports headline comes along that makes you sit up straighter, smile wider, and maybe even shed a tiny proud tear, and this week it belongs to former AFL star Mitch Brown.
The 36-year-old, who played 94 games for the West Coast Eagles between 2007 and 2016, has come out publicly as the Australian Football League’s first openly bisexual man.
Brown revealed that the burden of hiding his sexuality weighed heavily during his career, admitting it even contributed to his early retirement at just 28.
He described AFL culture at the time as “hyper-masculine,” a space where casual homophobic slurs made it unthinkable to open up about his truth.
“I see you and you are not alone,” Brown said in his coming-out statement, making it clear his decision is about visibility and helping the next generation feel safer than he did.
While some are quick to celebrate the “firsts,” Brown downplayed that label, emphasizing that his real goal is to break the silence for others who may still be hiding in locker rooms across Australia.
It’s a story that resonates far beyond Aussie rules football, echoing the brave steps of young athletes around the world who are demanding space to be themselves, much like the English footballer featured in Jake Daniels Beyond the Label of ‘The Gay Footballer’.
Brown also spoke about the toll of living inauthentically, sharing how it affected not just his sporting career but also his mental health, relationships, and sense of belonging.
Now, a decade after leaving professional sport, he says he is happier, healthier, and finally ready to live without fear — and his story has been met with an outpouring of support from fans, Pride Cup, and organizations like Health Equity Matters.
It’s a major moment for Australian sport, one that may open the floodgates for other athletes still struggling with identity in a game historically reluctant to talk about sexuality at all.
And if you’re hungry for more stories of athletes swapping secrecy for authenticity, you’ll love Pro Tennis’ João L Reis Comes Out & Serves Love On and Off the Court, which shows the courage of visibility is as powerful as any championship trophy.
Here’s to Mitch Brown — proof that sometimes the bravest wins don’t come from the scoreboard, but from the heart.