Doug PollardFooty Show Pikes
August 29th 2008 02:21
The rumoured 'outing' of a gay AFL player didn't happen.
Well, there we were, all keyed up, and nothing happened. For a month or more rumours have been circulating that a former or retiring AFL player was on the brink of coming out. Everything was in place, Kevin Sheedy and Jason Akermanis had done their ‘John the Baptist’ number, preparing the way, and a lucrative payout had been agreed with the producers of the Footy Show for the exclusive story.
And then . . . nothing. Last night the Footy Show failed to deliver. Instead it was the usual moronic drivel.
More rumours are now running. The player is worried about cruelling his media career. Or he’s concerned at the backlash because he coaches a junior footy team. Or he just plain got cold feet.
Whatever the reason, the breakthrough can’t be long in coming. According to Pippa Grange, General Manager of People, Psychology and Culture at the AFL Players Association, the issue is being widely discussed within the sport.
Bad Boy Ben Cousins
She has canvassed a number of players as to how they would react if one of their teammates came out, and their response was to say that they were focused on other things, like their footballing ability, and not concerned who they slept with.
I asked if a player had ever come out to her and asked for assistance, she replied, “No-one on the current list.” When she was asked what about former players, she replied, “I’m not giving you that.”
That would tally with the off-the-record comments of one club chairman, who said that the exiting policies for handling such issues at his club ‘had worked well in the past.’
Former Magpie Jarrod Molloy
Now however you slice the pie, there have to be at least a few gay players on the current list – even at a very conservative estimate at least 30 who are same-sex attracted to some degree – so it’s telling that no current player has approached Ms Grange, the one person in the players association whose job is to handle psychological and relationship issues, such as the pressure of being a closeted gay footballer.
Greg Tivendale
She said that she could understand why no-one had come out. Not because of the homophobia in the sport, which she reckons is less than popularly supposed, but simply because of the intense media scrutiny of every aspect of players private lives. Who would want to bring that on themselves?
Shane Crawford - Heterosexual
And yet – I reckon there would also be lots of benefits to coming out while at the top of your game. Most fans would say, “So what if he’s a pouf? He kicked ten goals for us last week!” Most players would react similarly. Yes, there would be intense media scrutiny, but there would also be immense sponsorship opportunities for a savvy business manager, and it could only enhance the prospects of a post-footy media career.
I reckon the key point here is that the AFL has to act, as they have over racism, and over the treatment of women. They have to be upfront about cultivating an acceptance and celebration of sexual diversity in football. Some of those players who told Pippa Grange they didn’t care who a bloke sleeps with so long as he can play footy, should be encouraged to become poster-boys for a diversity initiative.
Aaron Hamill
After all, diversity is normal – people are not all the same. And all kinds of people can benefit from participation in what is supposed to be ‘our national game.’
Now for a bit of mischief! We know for sure that there’s at least one footy player contemplating coming our. Naturally, everyone has their own idea of who it might be.
These pictures are a selection of the most popular names being bandied around. Don’t assume that any of them are actually gay, or bisexual. But don’t assume they’re all heterosexual, either.
Who would YOU add to the list?
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