Max Gawn says he is 'embarrassed' to call himself a footy player after the AFL was hit with a huge black eye

Melbourne Demons skipper Max Gawn has declared he is 'embarrassed' to beryllium known arsenic a footy subordinate arsenic AFL stars support getting busted utilizing homophobic slurs during matches.

A fed-up Gawn, 32, told Triple M's Marty Sheargold Show connected Friday nan on-field slurs request to stop.

It follows Gold Coast Suns prima Wil Powell being slapped pinch a five-game prohibition after he called a rival subordinate from nan Brisbane Lions a 'f****t', which further illustrated nan code's issue pinch homophobia.

Powell follows Jeremy Finlayson connected nan sidelines after nan Port Adelaide prima uttered the aforesaid slur successful a lucifer against Essendon successful April.

Finlayson received a three-game ban, and Gawn was scathing erstwhile asked for his thoughts connected nan matter.

'I'm not excessively fussed astir nan [Powell, five-game] punishment,' he said.

'I'm conscionable beautiful embarrassed astir nan AFL cohort slipping up clip and clip again.

'It's embarrassing to telephone yourself an AFL subordinate astatine nan moment. You're benignant of getting slapped pinch this [homophobic] brand. 

'Hopefully, I cognize our group, we [Demons] talk astir this stuff. Hopefully, we [as a game] person learnt nan instruction and we tin spell forward.'

Meanwhile, Ian Roberts - rugby league's first subordinate to travel retired arsenic cheery - believes nan AFL has a clear rumor pinch homophobic attitudes.

'Education astatine a young property is nan top beard and shield successful dealing pinch worldly for illustration this,' he said.

'With grown men, nan conflict is over. Grassroots worldly is what's important. The AFL and nan awesome codes should beryllium investing successful grassroots acquisition if they really want to benignant this out. That's wherever it has to commencement – education.

'It ne'er crosses my mind to telephone personification a 'f-----'....'When group opportunity that word, they don't conscionable opportunity it, they spit it.

'It's nan pinnacle of insults. You are trying to demoralise someone. It diminishes a personification that you are nothing, I'm going to swipe you retired nether my foot.

'I tin committedness you this, location will beryllium a kid successful nan suburbs successful nan location areas who mightiness not person heard a batch of stories successful nan caller weeks, but they person decidedly heard that story.

'If they are struggling pinch their sexuality and identity, and they don't understand what they are going through, that validates each nan fearfulness they feel.

'I judge successful acquisition to move this along.... you request to look astatine nan catastrophic consequences connected what favoritism tin look do to group and what it looks for illustration and really it tin play out.'

Brisbane Lions coach Chris Fagan has stated he is happy pinch nan 'clear direction' nan AFL is taking against nan usage of homophobic slurs.

'I work together pinch their stance, that you can't make those benignant of comments retired connected nan field,' he said.