Former AFL player becomes first to come out as gay | The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.Jump to contentIndependentSwipe for next articleIndependent Bulletin homepageDownload our appAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleNamita SinghThursday 26 March 2026 12:00 GMTFile: Leigh Ryswyk and David Hill tackle Mathew Clarke (Getty)Leigh Ryswyk, a former Brisbane Lions player, has publicly come out as gay, becoming the first male player from the Australian Football League (AFL) to do so.The 41-year-old revealed his sexuality during a radio interview, noting that while close friends know, he had kept his private life largely out of the public eye.Ryswyk said that although clubs would likely support players, external pressures from fans and media could still deter others from coming out.He expressed hope that sharing his story would encourage other sportsmen to be themselves and contribute to an environment where public declarations of sexuality are eventually unnecessary.His announcement has been met with overwhelming support from the public, his former clubs, and the AFL chief executive.In fullLeigh Ryswyk comes out as AFL’s first gay footballer: ‘We want to feel safe anywhere we go’Thank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in