The AFL’s first openly bisexual player Mitch Brown has announced he is expecting a child with his partner later this year.
Brown and his partner Louisa Keck shared the happy news on Instagram on Monday, writing: “Something exciting coming October 2026.”
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The couple shared a heartwarming video of themselves smiling and holding up a positive pregnancy test.
Brown already has two children with his ex-wife Shae Bolton-Brown, a former Australian netball player who supported Brown when became the first current or former AFL player to publicly come out as bisexual last year.
“My bisexual ex-husband and co-parent made AFL history and I couldn’t be prouder,” she wrote in September.
The former couple are still good friends and attended last month’s Mardi Gras parade together.
Brown celebrated Keck’s birthday on the weekend with a touching message.
“Happy Birthday my love. It’s your day,” he wrote.
“I can’t begin to describe what you mean to me and the things you’ve helped me to see about the world and about myself.
“The last 6 months have been a wild ride for both of us, people don’t get to see the moments that mean the most, the ones behind the scenes when it’s just us.
“I never could have done this without you, you are the real mvp. You’re a special thing in all of our lives, especially Bowie and Rudy’s.
“Looking forward to what is to come. Love always, Mitch.”
Brown played 94 games for the West Coast Eagles and has championed queer visibility since publicly coming out as bisexual last year.
Last week, former Brisbane Lions player and SANFL champion Leigh Ryswyk became the first past or present AFL player to come out as gay.
Ryswyk made the announcement on Joy 94.9’s GayFL, revealing he had been out to friends for five years.
“There will be people though, if they do listen to this, it will be the first time they know about this; I’m a very private person, so it’s not all over my social media, and things like that, and that’s fine,” he said.
“It can be a bit of a shock to some people, they might not know what, but that’s life right? In the end, the people who are nearest and closest to me know, and that’s what’s most important.”
Ryswyk said the first man to come out as gay while playing in the AFL will be inundated with support.
“I think the AFL, and the community, will wrap their arms around that player,” he said.
“I think the community itself, obviously the queer community, the fan base, I think in the whole they will celebrate that when the time comes.”
