Former West Coast Eagles player Mitch Brown and his partner Lou Keck share exciting news of their first child due in October 2026. The couple posted a heartfelt video on Instagram showing Brown kissing Keck’s baby bump while she displayed the positive pregnancy test.
Pregnancy Announcement Details
Brown captioned the post, “something exciting coming October 2026,” accompanied by a white heart emoji. Fans quickly congratulated them, including model Olivia Molly Rogers, who commented, “Omg yay! Congratulations!”
Brown’s Historic Coming Out
Brown, 37, made headlines last August as the first openly bisexual player in the Australian Football League (AFL). The former defender, who played 96 games for the Eagles from 2007 to 2016, stated, “I played in the AFL for 10 years for the West Coast Eagles and I’m a bisexual man.”
His announcement followed criticism of the league over a player’s use of a homophobic slur, resulting in a four-week ban for Adelaide Crows star Izak Rankine. Brown highlighted the challenges of team culture, noting the “hypermasculinity” in AFL locker rooms. “In the locker room and in the spas, the chats were all geared around ‘Who did everyone pick up on the weekend?’ Or, you know, ‘she’s pretty hot,'” he explained. “It was never once an opportunity to speak openly or explore your feelings or questions in a safe way.”
Family Background
Brown shares two sons with his ex-wife, former professional netballer Shae Bolton-Brown. The pair separated after 16 years of marriage but maintain a close relationship. Following his coming out, Bolton-Brown expressed strong support on Instagram: “I for one couldn’t be prouder of Mitch and will celebrate his vulnerability loudly so hopefully those baby athletes currently playing in the AFL feel seen and safe and can be every little bit of their weird… and so our kids can too.” She recounted meeting Brown as teenage athletes and building a family over more than a decade.
Recent AFL Milestone
Brown’s openness paved the way for another milestone when former Brisbane Lions player Leigh Ryswyk came out as gay on Melbourne radio station Joy 94.9’s GayFL program. Ryswyk shared, “To people who know me, my closest friends, this is not new. I’ve been out for five years now.” He added, “I’m a very private person, so it’s not all over my social media and things like that… In the end, the people who are nearest and closest to me know, and that’s what’s most important.” When asked about the timing, he simply replied, “Why not?”
