Public response and timing of announcement

This week another ex-AFL player took a huge swing at the dam wall, coming out as the league's first gay male player.

It follows the historic decision by Mitch Brown to come out as the league's first queer male footballer, when he announced last year that he's bisexual.

Leigh Ryswyck was drafted by Brisbane, playing one match for the Lions in 2005 before playing more than 200 games in the South Australian Football League.