Former Brisbane Lions player Leigh Ryswyk expresses being overwhelmed by the positive response following his public announcement as the first AFL player to come out as gay.
Ryswyk’s Emotional Response
Leigh Ryswyk, who played one AFL match for the Brisbane Lions in 2005 before a distinguished SANFL career with over 200 games for North Adelaide, publicly shared his sexuality during a recent radio interview on Melbourne’s Joy 94.9 FM. Friends had known for several years, but the 41-year-old revealed it to the wider public yesterday.
In a subsequent interview, Ryswyk described the reaction as “amazing to be honest, overwhelming support, love, messages from people from everywhere. I can’t lie, it’s blown me away.”
Career Reflections and Timing
Ryswyk explained he was not prepared to come out during his AFL days. “Different things happen within your life and you just move forward,” he stated. “When I was ready, I was ready and that’s now.”
Call for Greater Inclusion
Ryswyk hopes his story encourages other athletes to “be themselves” and envisions a future where declaring one’s sexuality becomes unnecessary. He acknowledges AFL clubs and the community largely support queer players, but highlights crowd behavior and media scrutiny as barriers.
“The club itself will just wrap their arms around the player, the AFL community as a whole will do that — the outside world, fans and media at times … then maybe that fear [from] them,” Ryswyk said. He pointed to fan passion leading to trolling, even for simple errors like missing a kick, and stressed the need for education starting young to foster safety everywhere.
Club Support
Brisbane Lions chief executive Sam Graham issued a statement praising Ryswyk’s courage. “It is great to see Leigh share his story and journey publicly,” Graham said. “We want our game to be an inclusive environment for everyone, including players, staff, members and fans. As a club, we hope this has a positive impact across football and society more broadly.”
North Adelaide Football Club, where Ryswyk is a life member and SANFL life member, also voiced full backing. The club noted his 226 games, key role in the 2018 Reserves Premiership despite injuries, and commitment to an inclusive environment for all players, staff, members, and supporters.
