“We Can & Should Be Better”: Why Mitch Brown Wrote That Powerful Open Letter To The AFL Community
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As the AFL prepares to kick off the 2026 men’s season, former West Coast Eagles player Mitch Brown has delivered a thoughtful, powerful and deeply personal open letter to the sport he still holds close to his heart.
In an open letter shared on Instagram, Brown addressed the AFL, club leaders, the media and footy fans, reflecting on the role each part of the football community plays in shaping whether people actually feel welcome in it or not.
“A new season always brings hope. Nerves. Possibility,” Brown wrote. “As 2026 begins for the men’s competition, I’ve been reflecting on something else beyond the excitement. Whether people feel safe enough to be themselves in the game.
“Over the last six months, since I shared my story, it has been clear to me that footy is full of good people.”
Brown came out publicly as bisexual last year, becoming the first male player in the AFL’s 129-year history to do so. Since then, he has become one of the most prominent voices calling for greater LGBTQIA+ inclusion within the sport.
Speaking to Star Observer, Brown said that he’s been ruminating on the points in the open letter all through the off season.
“These thoughts had been swirling in my head throughout the off season and I decided to put them to paper,” Brown told Star Observer.
“I hope it comes through how much I love the game and the people in it, and it’s because of that love that I believe we can and should be better.”
‘No one is expecting perfection… But it is important that we try’
In the letter, Brown directs a portion of his message to those with influence inside AFL clubs — coaches, captains, administrators and decision-makers — urging them to recognise the power they hold in shaping team culture.
“Culture is shaped in the smallest moments,” he wrote.
“It’s in what gets challenged, and what gets ignored. In who gets protected, who’s excluded, and who gets backed in.”
Brown emphasised that creating an environment where players feel safe to be themselves is not separate from on-field success — it is part of it.
“Please don’t make the mistake of thinking belonging is a distraction from performance. It is performance.
“When a player isn’t spending energy hiding parts of themselves, they show up differently. More free and more connected. And connected teams are hard to beat.”
At the same time, Brown acknowledged that building inclusive environments is an ongoing process.
“No one is expecting perfection. There is no such thing as the perfect season,” he wrote.
“But it is important that we try. And when we get it wrong, we admit our mistakes, take accountability, and do better next time.
“Apologies without change — or pretending the problem isn’t there — aren’t good enough. It’s poor leadership.”
Mitch Brown sends plea to sports media & AFL fans
Brown also addressed the role the sports media plays in shaping the culture of the game.
“The stories you choose to tell shape how the game sees itself,” he wrote. “Headlines, tone and framing carry weight.
“For many players, one of the biggest barriers to being themselves isn’t their club — it’s the fear of how they’ll be portrayed.”
The letter concludes with a thoughtful and direct message for fans, whom Brown described as “the heartbeat of the game”.
“Have the rivalry, the passion and the banter. Footy should always be loud, emotional and fierce,” he wrote. “But it doesn’t have to be abusive.
“Players aren’t characters in a video game. Umpires aren’t targets. Women in the game — whether on the field, behind a microphone or in the stands — aren’t punchlines. And people from different cultures, identities and backgrounds shouldn’t have to brace themselves just to be part of it.”
Brown reminded supporters that the behaviour they model has a ripple effect across the next generation of fans.
“Families are in the stands. Kids are listening,” he wrote.
“You can love your club with everything you’ve got and still choose respect — those two things aren’t in conflict.”
Ultimately, Brown’s message is one grounded in optimism — and belief that the game can continue to grow.
“Footy has always reflected who we are as a community. It can also shape who we become,” he wrote.
“Progress won’t come from getting it perfect. It comes from choosing, in small moments, to be a little better than yesterday.
“If everyone feels like they belong, the game gets stronger. And we all want that.”
You can see Mitch’s open letter here:
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