The AFL has lauded the courage of former player Mitch Brown in coming out as bisexual.
Brown, 36, who played 94 games for West Coast, made the announcement in an interview with The Daily Aus on Wednesday.
In doing so, he became the first man in the 129-year history of the VFL/AFL to publicly come out as gay or bisexual.
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"Mitch has shown great courage today in sharing his story and personal journey," AFL CEO Andrew Dillon said in a statement.
'This is an important moment for him, and for our entire game.
"Today is a step forward, and building on Mitch’s story we hope that others feel encouraged to be their authentic selves and share their own journeys, and that these stories are met with support from teammates, clubs and the wider football community.
"The AFL will continue to partner with our clubs, our Pride and Allies groups and the LGBTQI+ community to drive and celebrate inclusion across both our AFL and AFLW competitions.
"Together, our commitment is to keep making football an inclusive and welcoming environment for everyone to thrive — and that work never stops."
Brown's announcement comes following the latest instance of a homophobic slur being used in the AFL, seeing Adelaide star Izak Rankine suspended for four matches.
Speaking to The Daily Aus, Brown offered his advice to the league and wider football community.
"What matters to me most is a sense of change, a movement created where you can be anyone and feel like you can be anyone and be safe in any environment here in Australia," Brown said.
"My advice to the AFL would be, let's celebrate the players who may not be the most successful, but they're the most important players in our community, the ones who are walking down the street and portraying positive male role models all the time."
We love you, Mitch! ❤
— West Coast Eagles (@WestCoastEagles) August 27, 2025
We're proud of you and how you're living your values to make footy and our society a better place. pic.twitter.com/Q4jgba1FoM