Radio National Breakfast Leigh Ryswyk on becoming the AFL’s first openly gay male player
Mar 26, 2026
Leigh Ryswyk, former AFL draftee and long-time SANFL player, talks about coming out as gay and the timing of going public. He recounts club culture, the warm public response, comparisons with AFLW, and advice for players wrestling with coming out. Short, personal reflections on how his disclosure has resonated with the football community.
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Leigh Ryswyk's Coming Out Story
- Leigh Ryswyk revealed he came out as a gay man five years ago and only recently shared it publicly on Joy FM's GayFL program.
- He described the personal difficulty and long lead-up to feeling comfortable enough to tell the wider football community after years of closeted experience.
Visibility Trumps Status For Cultural Change
- Leigh emphasised his announcement isn't about AFL celebrity but about inclusion and showing it's possible to play footy and be out.
- He ties the change to broader role-model effects, comparing visibility in women's sport and figures like Billie Jean King and Martina Navratilova.
Fear Often Comes From Within Not Clubs
- Leigh said club culture felt generally positive and he never felt unsafe, but acknowledged internal fear was the main barrier to coming out.
- He stressed the decision's timing was personal and that the discomfort often comes from the individual, not overt hostility.