The 36-year-old, who played almost 100 games for West Coast, spoke to The Daily Aus, revealing that for years, he buried questions about his sexuality during his decade-long tenure in the football league.
Mitch’s revelation comes in the wake of a four-match ban given to Adelaide Crows midfielder Izak Rankine, who last week became the sixth AFL player in 16 months to face a suspension for using a homophobic slur.
It was in fact this news which triggered Mitch to DM The Daily Aus – addressing journalist Sam Koslowski in particular – with a very simple message: ‘Hey Sam, I played in the AFL for 10 years for the West Coast Eagles, and I'm a bisexual man.’
"I had this feeling of peace, but more importantly, comfort and confidence,” Mitch told Sam at The Daily Aus in an interview.
At 19 years old, Mitch asked a teammate about sexuality – and it was met with laughter.
“It was almost like, 'that's a funny question. You're being funny, Mitch.' And then the conversation just rolled on,” Mitch said in the interview. “But it was made [into] a joke, and I remember how that made me feel, and I swore never to bring that up ever again.”
Homophobia in the realm of the AFL is, unfortunately, not breaking news. The league has been at the centre of many a homophobic scandal, and Mitch says the environment of the game made it impossible to even begin to think about sexuality.
“In the locker room and in the spas, the chats were all geared around ‘who did everyone pick up on the weekend’? Or, you know, she's pretty hot," he said.
"It was never once an opportunity to speak openly or explore your feelings or questions in a safe way.”
In 2016, Mitch retired. Injuries played a big role in this decision, but he says the weight of hiding had overcome the desire to continue.
Like in any large group of people, Mitch is of the belief that there are players in the AFL who are queer, but remain closeted: “There are currently gay and bisexual men playing in the AFL at the moment and in the past,” he told The Daily Aus.
“I see you and you are not alone.”
