Dimitri Petrakis said he knew he was gay since the age of 12, but waited seven years to come out.
And while he never took his decision to come out lightly, he underestimated the consequences.
“So I lost my job, got kicked out of home, lost my friends, you know, borderline suicide thoughts crossing through my mind,” the 22-year-old said.
Petrakis, from a tight-knit Greek family, said the failure of those nearest to him to accept his sexuality was by far the toughest pill to swallow.
“I was told not to be at home any more, so I had to leave, which was very difficult for me because I was very close with my family,” he said.
But it was during his lowest ebb when a teammate at the Bentleigh Football Club - which he first started playing for in the under-16s side - called to inquire about Dimitri’s welfare.
Petrakis said his has teammate called up asking, "'Where are you? We need you down here at the club'."
After Petrakis shared what had happened he was told, "Mate, we don't care".
"If the footy club had not been as supportive as they were, it would have been a very different story because I was [in] a very dark place and my footy saved me," Petrakis said.
He shared his experience with SBS as the AFL prepared to hold its inaugural gay pride game, scheduled for Saturday evening between the Sydney Swans and St Kilda Saints.
Not all smooth sailing
However, the response from opposition players and supporters to news about his sexuality, Dimitri said, was disappointing.
“I got called 'faggot' a lot from spectators and from players.
"You don't know what people are going through, and what you say could be the thing that just pushes them over the edge,” he said.
Change is in the air, however, with the 2016 season so far abuse free, he said, and he is optimistic that attitudes are changing.
The Bentleigh player is now concentrating on his club’s finals campaign and providing support to those in his community.
“I want to be a voice for people who feel they can't be a voice for themselves, so kids coming through don't feel they have to be in the closet.
"I'm not forcing them to come out but I'm just trying to make it a bit easier so that they can be comfortable in their own skin,” he said.
