As in England’s Premier League, there is not yet a single out gay footballer in Australia’s AFL Australian rules football league.
And as with top-flight soccer, that certainly doesn’t mean that there are no gay players, just that none are out.
That was confirmed this week by Australian comedian Joel Creasy, who has spoken about a romance with a gay AFL footballer in his new memoir Thirsty: Confessions of a Fame Whore.
Aussie Rules Football (Getty Images)
An excerpt from the book has been printed in the Herald Sun and Creasy told the newspaper that he wouldn’t out the player in question.
Related: These Australian football players really want a gay player to come out
“I’m very good at keeping secrets so he will be all right,” he said.
“I give just enough away. He’s a lovely guy.”
The issue of gay footballers has been rumbling in Australia for several years, and the conversation has only got louder during the debate over same-sex marriage as the postal vote continues.
Back in 2010, one player said that any gay players should remain closeted because the AFL is “not ready for it”.
“Imagine the publicity associated with a current player admitting he’s gay,” he said.
“It would be international news and could break the fabric of a club.”
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