A former Australian Rules star on Wednesday came out as the first openly bisexual or gay player in the sport’s long history, a move hailed as “breaking decades of silence”.

Australian Rules traces its roots back to 1858 and is the country’s most popular spectator sport, but it has long been scarred by homophobia and racism.

Mitch Brown, who played 94 games for the Perth-based West Coast Eagles between 2007 and 2016, said his bisexuality was a “huge factor” in his retirement aged 28.

No current or former AFL player has previously said publicly that they were gay or bisexual, local media and LGBTQ advocates said.

Brown hopes others will now feel emboldened to follow his lead.

“I played in the AFL for 10 years for the West Coast Eagles, and I’m a bisexual man,” Brown, now 36, told youth-

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