Ex-wife praises Mitch Brown after AFL star becomes first VFL/AFL player to come out as bisexual

Former West Coast Eagles player Mitch Brown has been publicly supported by his ex-wife, former netball star Shae Bolton-Brown, after he became the first player in the nearly 130-year history of the VFL/AFL to come out as bisexual.

Brown, who played 96 games for the West Coast Eagles between 2007 and 2016, announced his sexuality three weeks before Sept. 16, 2025 with the statement, “I played in the AFL for 10 years for the West Coast Eagles and I’m a bisexual man.” His announcement has prompted widespread comment across Australian sport, with attention on homophobia in football and calls for more inclusive environments.

In an Instagram post, Bolton-Brown, who now works as general manager of the Melbourne Mavericks, described her relationship with Brown in personal terms and said she “couldn’t be prouder” of his decision to speak publicly. The two met as teenage athletes, she wrote, and spent 16 years together building a family and careers; they have two sons.

Bolton-Brown wrote that she and Brown had each built identities as “the netballer and the footballer,” and that those prepackaged roles had shaped their early lives. “Both a little bit queer,” she said, adding that while netball had generally felt like a place of safety for her, football had often been the opposite for Brown. “Home for us was each other. Our place, where we could be ourselves as we navigated our twenties,” she wrote.

She also recounted how Brown encouraged her to apply to run a Super Netball team and said they had once imagined what “the perfect club would look like” — a place of inclusivity where people could “be boldly you (unapologetically).” Bolton-Brown said she wanted to contribute to creating sporting environments where athletes, staff, fans and families could “be seen, feel joy and belong.”

Brown’s announcement has been described by commentators and colleagues as a landmark moment for Australian rules football given the dearth of openly LGBT+ figures in the game’s history. Advocates for inclusivity in sport said the disclosure could help young athletes who are struggling with identity and fears about acceptance within football.

Brown’s playing career at West Coast spanned a decade from 2007 to 2016, during which he became a recognized member of the club. He has framed his public disclosure as a personal truth and an effort to address the culture surrounding sexuality in the sport. Media coverage since his announcement has highlighted reactions from former teammates, fans and advocacy groups calling for practical steps to tackle homophobia in football settings.

Bolton-Brown’s message fits into a broader conversation about inclusion across Australian professional sports. As a former elite player who transitioned into management, she spoke of sport’s potential to provide belonging and joy and said she intended to help build clubs and workplaces that protected athletes’ well-being.

Both Brown and Bolton-Brown have kept the focus on the potential positive effects of the announcement rather than on their private relationship. Their public statements so far have emphasized family, mutual support and a shared desire for sporting environments that allow participants to be open about who they are.

The response to Brown’s coming out is likely to continue within clubrooms and governing bodies as officials, players and supporters consider how to translate public goodwill into policies and practices that reduce discrimination and encourage inclusion in grassroots and professional football alike.