0:00
Well, this week, another former AFL player took a big decision coming out as the league's
0:09
first gay male player.
0:11
It follows the historic decision by Mitch Brown to come out as the league's first queer
0:16
male footballer when he announced last year that he's bisexual.
0:20
Lee Rosewick was drafted by Brisbane, playing one match for the Lions in 2005 before being
0:27
He then played more than 200 games in the South Australian National Football League before
0:33
being inducted into the Queensland Football Hall of Fame.
0:38
Here's how Lee broke the news about his sexuality on community radio station, joy FM's
0:44
gay AFL programme on Wednesday night.
0:47
Been in football for a long time and over the last sort of little period of time, things
0:53
have changed a little bit for me as well.
0:55
And five years ago, I came out as a gay man, which was, you know, massive for me and being
1:03
a part of the football community and things like that and doing this, it was tough, I
1:09
It was a tough thing to do and it took me a lot of time to get to this point, but I'm
1:14
so happy that I did.
1:15
That's Lee Rosewick there and Lee joins me now.
1:18
Thanks for having me.
1:19
It's been more than a day since you've publicly shared this news.
1:23
What's the response been like for you?
1:24
Yeah, no, it's been overwhelmingly supportive.
1:28
I've received so many messages and calls from people who I do know, who I don't know.
1:33
Just thanking me for doing what I've done, you know, putting the word out there and opening
1:38
up, I guess, other people to think, you know, what, it might be okay for them to do it
1:42
as well at some point.
1:43
Why did you decide that now was the time to share this story publicly because your friends
1:49
and family knew five years ago, why now to do it on a public level?
1:54
Yeah, it was why not now.
1:56
For me, I was very comfortable to get to the point of going, you know, what, it's okay
2:00
Lee now that you're who you are and, you know, what you've achieved is okay.
2:05
I feel very comfortable in myself now and the opportunity came up with Chris and Brendan
2:10
on their GFL show at Joy FM and I was like, you know, why not Lee?
2:14
Why not have a chat?
2:15
Why not get the word out there?
2:16
I didn't expect this response to be honest.
2:19
I've said it a little bit, I'm, you know, I did play AFL football a very long time ago
2:24
and I understand that, you know, I've only played one game, but this is not about being
2:27
an AFL footballer coming out as gay, it's about just our inclusion and letting people
2:31
know that it's okay to be out and it's okay to still play footy and be you.
2:36
What was it like for you as a footballer before you were out?
2:40
Were you hearing comments seeing things that you thought are if only they knew?
2:46
No, not really like the culture of footy cubs is very good, I believe.
2:51
I've never felt uncomfortable.
2:53
I've never felt anyone say something that I was like, Oh, God, I wish they didn't say that
2:57
or, oh my God, I can't be near those people.
2:59
Yes, there's been comments and things like that thrown around at different times and,
3:02
you know, consciously or unconsciously, who knows?
3:05
Yeah, I've never felt unsafe or never felt uncomfortable or I couldn't be myself.
3:09
It was really up to me to really decide when I was feeling comfortable and it's a scary
3:14
thing. There's a lot of fear that goes in and hopefully over time that fear for people
3:18
does dissipate, but yeah, that was, it was all on me at the end.
3:22
We've had loads of female football players come out or more often they're not arriving
3:28
the league already out.
3:30
Why do you think there's such a difference between the men's and women's games for AFL
3:35
of people feeling comfortable to be who they are?
3:39
It's a really good question.
3:40
It's something that I guess the AFL must be looking at with the AFL W and to see why
3:44
are they so comfortable?
3:46
And I think there's been role models over the years that have really put the word out
3:52
I said in my interview, you know, you look back at tennis, Billie Jean King, my tenant
3:57
But they really started this a long time ago and started putting it out there and then
4:01
people have followed in the women's side that they're just, they just feel so comfortable
4:05
to be themselves and hopefully at some point men are going to just be as comfortable as
4:09
women to go, you know what?
4:10
I can just be myself too.
4:12
It doesn't change anything.
4:13
And that's the hope of this.
4:15
It's that people are going to just go, you know what?
4:18
You were saying you've received a lot of messages in the past 24 hours or so, Lee.
4:22
Is there one that's really struck you already so far that you've received?
4:25
Yeah, there was a mum that messaged me.
4:28
She just said, thank you so much.
4:30
There's a mum of two gay boys to know that there are people like you willing to step out
4:36
of your comfort zone and speak about this.
4:40
This feels my heart with so much joy and I was just like, oh wow, okay, you know, the
4:45
impact that you've had Lee on people you don't even know and who don't even know you is,
4:49
this is about in the end.
4:51
It's about other people at the end being able to be comfortable and feel like they can
4:55
do it as well and I'm lucky enough I do have a great network and I've not experienced
5:00
any, you know, hate or issues with me coming out.
5:03
I know that's not the same for everyone so everyone's story and everyone's time is going
5:08
If there's a little bit of me talking about it can help others, then that's what it's
5:13
What would your message be for any players who are grappling in their own minds with this
5:18
Be ready when you are ready, don't think that you have to do it for any reason other
5:23
than when you want to do it and that's, that was my message.
5:27
It's literally when you're ready to do it, there is no pressure and when you do decide
5:31
to do it, know that you will have so much support.
5:35
I've seen so much support that I had no idea was going to come at me and I said, I'm
5:40
a nobody in the football world so I, and I know disrespect to myself, I understand that.
5:45
But if a current AFL player was to come out, the support that they are going to receive
5:49
from their club, the fans, the AFL community, the queer community is going to be amazing
5:55
and the impact that they will have, they, they actually won't know what that would
5:59
It's going to be crazy.