Arabic version: لينش تحثّ دوري كرة القدم الأسترالية على توسيع نطاق جولة الفخر

According to ABC News, Gold Coast Suns player Katie Lynch wants the AFL to build on the momentum of AFLW Pride Round by extending its influence across the entire code. Lynch said the annual event brings enthusiasm, celebration and joy at a key point of the AFLW season, two weeks after the men’s season ends and a month before women’s finals begin.

AFLW introduced a dedicated league-wide Pride Round in 2021. The event runs over two weeks and celebrates inclusion and diversity, honours LGBTQ+ contributions to the game and provides a platform for education on queer issues connected to Australian rules football. Lynch said she would like its message to reach men’s teams, club staff and fans as well as AFLW players.

“A pride round in the men’s would be awesome to see,” Lynch said, describing her own experience as “nothing but a positive experience”. She said Australian rules football can create space for people to connect and discuss LGBTQ+ issues and experiences, while visibility and representation can help shift the impact of harmful behaviour in the other direction.

The call comes as the AFL acts against homophobic language. In the past three years, 10 AFL-listed players or coaches have been sanctioned for such language, including Suns players Max Knobel in 2026 and Wil Powell in 2024. AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon has said homophobia has no place in Australian football at any level or in any circumstances.

Lynch helped design the Suns’ 2026 Pride guernsey with teammate Lily Mithen and tattoo artist Mady Peters. The design resembles patchwork tattoos and stickers. Lynch said Pride Round also draws supporters who may otherwise be only loose fans, including friends who attend because they feel they belong. She said the opportunity was now to use the growing support in a capacity for growth.