“I first came out as bisexual when I was really young,and then I’ve just been learning and evolving ever since.”
Groves-Little’s two closest friends,one of whom also identifies as non-binary,played a big part in helping them reach a stage where they felt they could articulate who they are.
“There’s been a lot of questions regarding the ‘W’ in AFLW,there’s been a few comments saying ‘why is it not the AFLNB?’ and stuff like that but,look,this is my fourth year in the league and I identified as a female for the first three.”
Gold Coast Suns player Tori Groves-Little
“It’s been hard because it shouldn’t be something that you have to do - coming out shouldn’t have to be a thing,but unfortunately,it is,” they said.
Groves-Little is one of six children,and describes their parents and siblings as their “biggest supporters”,but admits that reaching this point was “nerve-racking”.
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“I told my parents and that was a tough conversation to have.”
Following this,there was a list of people they felt they had to tell,something Groves-Little describes as “ticking a box”.
“I told my parents,then I was ready to tell my friends,and then I was ready to tell the team,and then I was ready to go public about it,and it just kept getting easier because I felt more comfortable with it,” they said.
Carlton star Darcy Vescio sent Groves-Little a message before their recent announcement that they too identify as non-binary.
The Sun could assure the Blue it had been a positive process.
With two players publicly in the same situation,it’s encouraging a wider conversation to evolve within the league.
“It’s being educated throughout the whole competition,” Groves-Little said. “I’m forever being asked if I’m comfortable and if there’s anything around the club they can do - all of the staff have been notified.”
One of the challenges facing the AFL is the inherently binary nature of the two competitions,the men’s and the women’s. But Groves-Little says it’s clear to them where they personally fit into this structure.
“There’s been a lot of questions regarding the ‘W’ in AFLW,there’s been a few comments saying ‘why is it not the AFLNB?’ and stuff like that but,look,this is my fourth year in the league and I identified as a female for the first three.”
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Groves-Littlesaid nothing had changed except their pronouns.
“We have been part of such an amazing part of history,me for four years now,and Darcy since its inaugural season,so I don’t really think about how the competition should be adapting to myself and others,” they said.
“I’m proud to be part of the AFLW and that’s what it is,I fought hard as a female to be where I am today,and I’m proud of that – I just like to be individually referenced as gender-neutral.
“I definitely think there’s parts where I do lean towards one gender or the other,and then there’s also parts that are very neutral,but I think being a part of the AFLW I still have a connection to my femme side,and I’m empowered as a woman to be part of all this journey.”
The Suns will,when their game is rescheduled,run out in a guernsey designed by Suns AFLW players Sarah Perkins,Britt Perry,Jade Pregelj,and Hannah Dunn.
As part of the dedicated round,field and boundary umpires will also wear rainbow-coloured sweatbands while goal umpires will exchange their traditional white flags for rainbow ones,and for Groves-Little this will mean the world.
“I’m at peak happiness,” they said.
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