Mitch Brown announced as keynote speaker for Men Leading Change Forum

The City of Ballarat, Women’s Health Grampians and Respect Victoria are proud to announce that former AFL player Mitch Brown will be the keynote speaker at the upcoming Men Leading Change Ballarat leadership forum.

Brown, who grew up in Ballarat before joining the West Coast Eagles in 2007, became the first past or present AFL footballer to openly come out as bisexual in August 2025.

In various media interviews since, he has spoken of the hyper-masculine environment of AFL clubs and how that shaped his own life journey.

Brown said he is looking forward to returning to his hometown as the keynote speaker at the Men Leading Change Forum.

He is set to share his journey with positive masculinity, mental wellbeing, and the importance of creating safe spaces for men and boys to express vulnerability and authenticity.

“It means the world to me to be able to come home to Ballarat and talk about how we can build a version (or versions) of masculinity that uplifts everyone,” Brown said.

“Together, we can create something healthier, more respectful, and part of the solution to gender-based violence.”

The forum is aimed to engage men who are fathers, coaches, teachers and community leaders in a conversation about healthy masculinities, using fatherhood and mateship to explore these themes.

The theme for this year’s forum is: ‘Healthy masculinities for healthy relationships – at home, at work and in the community.’  

The forum aims to highlight the shared responsibility we have as community members to prevent gendered violence and the opportunities we all have to be leaders within our own spheres of influence.

The target is for at least 60 per cent of the audience to be male.

The forum is being delivered in partnership between the City of Ballarat, Women’s Health Grampians and Respect Victoria, with support from The Goods Shed, and is one of the headline events as part of this year's 16 Days of Activism campaign.

The forum will also include a discussion with a panel of experts, storytellers and leaders, and a facilitated workshop designed to spark reflection and action.  

The 16 Days of Activism is an annual international campaign running from November 25 to December 10 to end gender-based violence.  

It starts on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and concludes on Human Rights Day, emphasising that violence against women is a human rights violation.  

The campaign works to raise awareness, mobilise action, and call on governments to prevent violence against women and girls.    

City of Ballarat Mayor, Cr Tracey Hargreaves said the forum would be a key event as part of this year’s 16 Days campaign.

“The 16 Days of Activism campaign is a vital reminder that ending gender-based violence requires all of us to create a culture of respect, equality and safety for everyone,” she said.

“Mitch’s honesty and courage in sharing his story is something we can all learn from and he will make an invaluable contribution to this year’s campaign.”

Women’s Health Grampians CEO, Jennie Courtney said 16 Days of Activism was vital in creating respect and working towards stamping out gendered violence.

“At Women's Health Grampians, we stand united in calling out gendered violence and promoting respect in every community,” she said.

“The 16 Days of Activism is a powerful reminder that change begins with action, and every voice matters.”

Other key 16 Days of Activism events being delivered in partnership with the Ballarat 16 Days working group in 2025 include the event launch at the Ballarat Library on November 25 and 16 Ways for 16 Days: A Ballarat Journey.

The 16 Ways for 16 Days is a community-wide invitation to participate in one meaningful activity each day to promote gender equality and prevent gender-based violence.    

Whether it is attending an event, donating to an old mobile phone to DV Safe Phone project, supporting a local women’s service, or many other options, there are many ways to get involved during this year’s 16 Days campaign.  

See the full trail map for 16 Ways for 16 Days on the City of Ballarat website.