This weekend at Marvel Stadium, the Essendon Football Club will celebrate the Purple Bombers, the Club’s LGBTQIA+ supporter group.

Established in 2014, the Purple Bombers committee is a dedicated group that has worked tirelessly to build strong, safe, and inclusive foundations for the Club to uphold.

To mark the occasion, the Club invited former AFL player Mitch Brown to speak with Essendon staff and players about his experience of being the leagues first openly bisexual player, highlighting the importance of fostering a safe and inclusive environment within the AFL.

During his session, Mitch outlined ways Clubs can adopt inclusive mindsets and practices and reflected on his own experience of not always feeling able to be his authentic self as a player.

“The whole concept of pride in the context of the queer community comes from the idea that the opposite of pride is shame, and there can be a lot of shame and self-hatred in these situations,” Mitch said.

“Clubs can show kindness and respect to really highlight that it’s safe for everyone to come to the football.”

President of the Purple Bombers, Tess Gilfedder, emphasised the significance of Mitch’s story within the AFL landscape and shared her excitement for the group’s recognition on Saturday afternoon.

“I think we've known for a long time that the AFL is a hyper masculine space, and I think nothing is more evident of that than the fact that there's never been an openly queer player playing AFL,” Tess said.

“It's about whether they feel safe to come out while they're playing or even after they've retired.”

Tess also emphasised the role of supporter groups like the Purple Bombers when highlighting the importance of inclusivity, visibility and ongoing support for the LGBTQIA+ community within the Club and its fan base. 

“Whether you're gay, straight, or somewhere in between, you can be a footy fan, you can be a Bombers fan," Tess said.

“We’re really grateful that the Club has committed to having games that celebrate pride year on year for a long time now. This year, we'll be celebrating all of the work that we've done as Purple Bombers with the Club over the last 15 years, how far we've come, and to shout out our rainbow community to let them know that we see them and we love them.”

Essendon will face Brisbane under the roof at Marvel on Saturday afternoon from 12:35pm (AEST). General Admission tickets are on $20 and Kids Go Free! Grab your tickets here.