St Kilda and Sydney to play AFL’s first gay pride game next season

St Kilda and Sydney will play the AFL’s first gay pride next season in a move branded ‘fantastic’ by the sport’s first openly gay player.

Yarra Glen footballer Jason Ball told Tom Elliott the match, to be played in round 21 next season, would ‘go a long way’ to addressing the ‘prevalent’ homophobia surrounding the game.

But he said education was key in making sure the game wasn’t simply a token move.

‘I think it will be more than token if St Kilda and Sydney and the AFL put some effort into education as part of the event,’ Mr Ball said on 3AW Drive.

‘It’s one thing to whack a rainbow on the 50-metre line, but you have to make sure that you bring the community along with you and you actually talk about the challenges the gay and lesbian face in sport.

‘How they can be addressed, how people can change their behaviour and language to make sure those people don’t feel excluded.’

Click PLAY below to hear Jason Ball share his thoughts on 3AW Drive.