Overview

• Brown, a former West Coast defender who played 94 games from 2007 to 2016, told The Daily Aus he is bisexual, a first for a male AFL player in the competition’s 129-year history.
• He said concealing his identity and navigating a hyper-masculine environment were significant factors in his decision to retire at 28.
• He described repeated homophobic remarks in team settings, recalling a teammate saying he would prefer a “cage full of lions” to showering next to a gay man.
• The announcement comes after a run of suspensions for homophobic slurs, including a four-match ban for Adelaide’s Izak Rankine last week.
• AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon called the moment “a step forward,” advocacy group Health Equity Matters praised the visibility, and Brown urged closeted players that they are not alone.