Kennett: ‘Closeted footballers risk depression’

Hawthorn Football Club president and beyondblue chair Jeff Kennett has revealed he believes up to 5 percent of AFL players are gay but won’t come out for fear of being ridiculed.

Speaking on Adelaide radio station 5AA, Kennett’s comments follow rugby league referee Matt Cecchin revealing he is gay to News Ltd. papers at the weekend.

Kennett said players who hid their sexuality from teammates were at risk of depression.

“Not only am I not surprised at the number of players in the AFL who are suffering from stress, anxiety and depression – many of whom haven’t sought help for fear of being ridiculed or not selected – I’m also quite sure within the AFL there are a number of young men who are gay, who keep that fact to themselves, worried about how they’re going to be treated by their colleagues,” he said.

Kennett said he’d had a conversation with a young player in recent years who said he was fearful of revealing his sexuality to his teammates because of repercussions in the locker room.

“If he were to do so, I’m quite sure the players would embrace him, I’m quite sure the sort of comments that you could imagine being said in locker rooms, would not be said if, in fact, the playing group knew that one of their own was gay or was suffering a depressive illness,” he said.

Kennett admitted he thought that the sport had “a long way to go” in creating an environment in which players felt comfortable to come out.

In 2010, AFL player Jason Akermanis controversially claimed that footballers should stay in the closet to avoid making teammates uncomfortable, and that coming out could “break the fabric of a club”.