Brock McLean and sister Ellie. Credit:Simon O'Dwyer The 23-year-old's anxiety was not just for herself, but for her brother. She worried her sexuality would make him a target in the macho sport of AFL. ''Guys are always paying out on each other on the footy field and I didn't want him to be embarrassed or cop any abuse.'' The McLeans are going public with their story in an attempt to break football's silence on homophobia. Brock McLean believes the culture of shame and stigma that kept his sister in the closet remains a powerful force in Australia's national sport. He said the fact there are no ''out'' footballers at the elite level suggests the AFL is not doing enough to make the sport welcoming for gay players, coaches and supporters. ''The AFL needs to adopt a total zero-tolerance policy from grassroots footy right up to the elite level. If there's anyone yelling homophobic taunts, those people should be banned from footy for life. You hear, 'you weak poof, you faggot' from supporters who use it as a term for someone who might go in soft or might not be as hard at the ball, which is just mind-blowing because it's totally irrelevant and totally far from the truth,'' McLean said.

Ellie McLean (right) wither her partner Tenille Cann. Credit:Simon O'Dwyer ''AFL players who do it should be made an example of, fined and suspended. We need to say this isn't acceptable and set an example not just for the football community but for the rest of the community.'' McLean is the first AFL player to take such a strong stance. The move comes a week after a Fairfax Media article in which equality advocates criticised the AFL for not doing more to tackle homophobia. It also noted no AFL player had publicly supported gay Yarra Glen footballer Jason Ball, who lobbied the league to show ''No to Homophobia'' adverts at last year's preliminary finals, and to stage a ''pride round'' next season. Ball will lead Melbourne's annual gay and lesbian Pride March next Sunday with his teammates. McLean has vowed to march with him, becoming the first AFL player to take part.

The 26-year-old said Ball's example, and that of Wallabies star David Pocock - who last week became an ambassador for Athlete Ally, a program in which athletes pledge to support all people regardless of sexual orientation - inspired him to speak out. He wants to join the program, following the lead of Pocock and American NFL players Scott Fujita, Brendon Ayanbadejo, and Chris Kluwe as straight sportsmen who have taken a stand for equality. ''Jason Ball has been incredibly courageous and he deserves a lot of credit in getting the ball rolling, but the AFL need to take it much further,'' McLean said. ''It would be great to see a gay pride round with all the players wearing rainbow socks or boots, or using a rainbow ball. We need people who are proud to take a stand and say they're not going to accept this silence any more.'' Mclean acknowledges that his record is not untarnished. In June last year he was given a one-match suspended ban for a tweet in which he said he'd contracted AIDS from another Twitter user's mother. He said it was a stupid mistake that he deeply regretted. ''I know that AIDS affects … the gay community and it was never meant to be detrimental to any straight or gay person. It certainly doesn't detract from what I believe in, and for how I think gay people should be treated, and that's the same as everybody else.''

While he does not know any gay AFL players, McLean said that statistically there must be men in the league who are hiding their sexuality. ''There's still that fear of being an outcast. I saw that with my sister and that's really sad because people shouldn't have to live with a secret as big as that. That silence can have a huge effect on them mentally.'' He said it was not about outing players but about creating a safe environment where people can openly be themselves. ''The AFL's the biggest sport in Australia. They're in a powerful position to promote equality and treating everyone the same regardless of whether they're gay or straight. They're dipping their toe in with this issue but really they need to put their whole body in.''