Transgender footballer Hannah Mouncey appears to have given up her AFLW dream after deciding not to nominate for the draft.
The 28-year-old revealed her decision to drop out of next month's draft was due to a self-reporting blood test regime, dating back to 2015, taking an "enormous" toll.
"There are a number of things I can't risk by continuing this fight, which are far more important than football," she wrote online on Sunday night.
"The toll this has taken on the people I care about is enormous, as has the toll it's taken on me.
"I'm not ok with allowing that to continue."
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
In the scathing Twitter post, Mouncey accused officials of blocking her pursuit to become the first transgender AFLW player.
"Essentially, the toll of doing this (blood testing) on my own has ended up being far too great," she said.
"The AFL has treated me like s***, with every effort made to wear me down to a point where I couldn't continue.
Mouncey was prevented from entering last year's AFLW draft on "strength, stamina or physique" grounds.
But allowed to lace up her boots for VFLW side the Darebin Falcons this season.
"I'm comfortable in the fact that given the chance, I would have done well at the next level," she said, citing finishing as Darebin's second-leading goal kicker.
"I know I can do it, but it's not worth what it's currently costing."
Under the AFL's new gender diversity policy, trans or non-binary athletes needed to submit medical records to show testosterone levels stayed at or below 5 nmol/L for 24 months along with a range of other athletic data.
Along with the statement, the former Australian men's handball player released the relevant documents in a bid to prove her eligibility.
"The reason is to show the reality of where I sit, to show that this is not because I don't meet these (sic) requirements," she said.
"To do otherwise, I would have risked constant speculation about that, and possibly being labelled a cheat ... which is not something I can live with."
Nominations for the October 23 AFLW draft opened last Monday and close this Friday.
