(Photo Credits: Screengrab from Mitch Brown’s Official Instagram Account)

Mitch Brown, a former player in the Australian Football League, made sports history in August 2025. Brown publicly came out as bisexual, becoming the first AFL player — past or present — to do so. At the time, the AFL stood out as the only major professional men’s sports league worldwide without an openly bisexual or gay player. Brown later shared that hiding his sexuality during his career took a toll on him, especially in a culture where homophobic remarks were often heard around the locker room and on the field. His decision to speak marked a major moment in the representation of sports.

Mitchell Brown played for the West Coast Eagles in the Australian Football League. He hailed from Ballarat, Victoria, and grew up playing junior football for the Ballarat Football and Netball Club before suiting up for the North Ballarat Rebels in the TAC Cup. A talented key forward with size and athleticism, he was selected with pick 16 in the 2006 National Draft — a moment that launched a decade-long AFL career.

In August 2025, Brown made history by publicly coming out as bisexual. His announcement was significant not only for the sport but for men’s professional athletics globally.

In an interview on Melbourne Breakfast with Sharnelle Vella and Bob Murphy during Mardi Gras season, Brown spoke candidly about life after coming out.

“I’m a bisexual man,” Brown began. He shared that coming out gave him “this feeling of peace, but, more importantly, comfort and confidence – confidence in who I am, my identity and comfort with sharing that and the people I have around me.”

Asked about the months following his announcement, he described speaking publicly about his coming out as “a form of therapy.”

“I’m going through this right in the moment, and it’s having to play out publicly, but I’m also doing this on a personal level too.” He added that he “feels a sense of peace and comfort still.”

Reflecting on the years he spent hiding his sexuality, Brown explained: “You’ve just got you and your thoughts, you’re in your head, and what happens to me was that you just make up things that are not reality, and you think that they’re gonna be worse, and they’re not, and you know part of that was like okay I’m gonna speak out publicly, what’s the reaction gonna be like.”

The response, he noted, has been overwhelmingly positive. “It’s been really loving and supportive,” he shared, while acknowledging his “privilege” to be so loved, as “there are a lot of young people out there whose coming out story is not as celebrated, they don’t have the love and support around them that I have.”

Brown had been open within his personal circle for years, but didn’t feel he had “the place to speak up” during his playing career. He also addressed bisexual erasure, saying, “Maybe the first person in the AFL men’s competition to come out and speak out publicly should be a gay man, should be someone that walks down the Brownlow red carpet with a man side by side.” Still, he chose to step forward in hopes of making men’s sport more welcoming. You can listen to the interview in full here.

Athletic, thoughtful, and quietly courageous, Mitchell Brown proves that strength isn’t only measured in tackles or marks — sometimes, it’s measured in truth.

Of course, it doesn’t hurt that Mitch Brown also has the looks of a classic athlete — strong, confident, and undeniably handsome but what really makes him stand out is the courage to live authentically.

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