AFL Star Makes History as First Player to Come Out
Leigh Ryswyk makes history in the AFL coming out story, marking a powerful moment for LGBTQ athletes and inclusion in sports.
A former Australian Football League (AFL) player has publicly come out as gay, becoming the first male player in the competition's history to do so.
Lee Risivik played a single match for the Brisbane Lions in the AFL in 2005 before being delisted due to injuries. He subsequently went on to play over 220 matches for North Adelaide in the South Australian league.
Sharing the news during a radio interview on Wednesday, Risivik revealed that he had been openly gay among his friends for the past five years, and that when he told his parents, they offered him their full support.
This announcement comes seven months after Mitch Brown publicly revealed that he is bisexual. Brown, who played for the West Coast Eagles between 2007 and 2016, was the first AFL player in the sport's 129-year history to make such a revelation.
Prior to Brown's announcement, the AFL was the only major professional men's sports league in the world that had never had an openly gay or bisexual player—even after retirement.
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When asked how the AFL could support current players who wish to come out as gay, Risivik offered an optimistic response.
Speaking on the "GayFL" program on Melbourne radio station Joy 94.9, the 41-year-old Risivik said, "I think the AFL and the entire community would fully embrace and support that player."
"I think the community itself—obviously the queer community and the fan base—would, by and large, celebrate it when the time is right."
Risivik noted that it took him nearly three years to muster the courage to tell his parents.
"When you come out to your family, it is always a massive experience; there are so many things running through your mind at that moment," he said. "I had the opportunity to sit down with my mother, talk to her about this, and tell her—which was a huge deal. Naturally, she was crying, I was crying too, and she said, 'I still love you.' For me, that was an incredibly emotional and memorable moment."
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His father, too, offered him his full support. "I honestly didn't know what to expect, but he said, 'I love you; it doesn't matter. As long as you're happy, I'm happy for you.' To be honest, I was stunned to hear that."
He shared that his close friends are aware of his sexuality, but for many others, this will be the first time they are learning about it.
"I'm a very private person, so none of this is on my social media or anywhere like that—and that's just fine."
Originally from Victoria, Ryswyk moved to Queensland to join the Lions and played a match against Fremantle in Perth. Following a successful career in the state league with North Adelaide, he was inducted into the AFL Queensland Hall of Fame.
Last August, Brown came out as bisexual; he stated that the burden of concealing his sexuality was a "major" factor in his decision to retire.
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