AFL Player Mitch Brown Schools Bailey Smith On Homophobia
Two days after the 2025 Australian Football League (AFL) Grand Final, Geelong’s Bailey Smith shared Instagram stories from Mad Monday celebrations. One post referenced Brokeback Mountain, another showed him hugging Captain Patrick Dangerfield. The timing and framing sparked backlash. Former West Coast defender Mitch Brown called the posts homophobic and told Smith and the club to “do better.”
Mitch Brown is the first man in the AFL to publicly come out as bisexual. He has used his platform in recent weeks to push for a safer, more respectful locker-room culture. He also added a pointed line aimed at Smith’s joke:
“Last time I checked, losing a grand final doesn’t make you gay, but being homophobic definitely makes you a loser.”
The remark, which he posted on social media, set the tone for Monday’s debate.
The costume and the reference.
Smith arrived dressed as Tristan Ludlow, Brad Pitt’s character in Legends Of The Fall, then leaned into a Brokeback Mountain gag in his stories. That link between defeat and sexuality is the part Brown objected to. It turns a loss into a punchline about identity, which is not harmless banter.
Mad Monday is meant to be a release after a long season, not a free pass. The AFL’s audience includes kids, families, and many who rarely see themselves respected in sport. When jokes about sexuality are tied to failure, they land as digs, not comedy.
Brown told Triple J’s Hack that visibility is slow, but change starts early and continues in how clubs role-model behaviour. He wants the next player who comes out to feel safe long before draft day and hopes there will be “no huge reaction” when that happens.
In August, Brown’s announcement as the first male AFL player to come out as bisexual was a milestone for representation across the code. Monday’s flare-up shows why continued leadership matters. Words carry weight, especially in big moments after a Grand Final. Respect should not clock off at the final siren.
