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 said he feels “ashamed” of being known as a footy player as AFL stars continue to be busted using homophobic comments during matches.

A fed-up Gawn, 32, told Triple M’s Marty Sheargold Show on Friday that the insults on the pitch must stop.

It follows Gold Coast Suns star Wil Powell who was hit with a five-match ban after calling a rival Brisbane Lions player a ‘f****t’, further illustrating the code’s problem with homophobia.

Powell follows Jeremy Finlayson to the sidelines after the Port Adelaide star spoke out the same slur in a match against Essendon in April.

Finlayson was handed a three-match ban and Gawn was scathing when asked for his views on the matter.

Speaking to Triple M’s Marty Sheargold Show on Friday morning, premiership-winning skipper Gawn believes players need to be better

‘I’m not too concerned about the [Powell, five-game] punishment,” he said.

“I’m just quite embarrassed that the AFL cohort slips up again and again.

“It’s embarrassing to call yourself an AFL player at this point. You’re kind of hit with this one [homophobic] brand.

‘Hopefully I know our group, us [Demons] talk about these things. Hopefully us [as a game] we have learned the lesson and we can move on.”

Meanwhile, Ian Roberts – rugby league’s first player to come out as gay – believes the AFL has a clear problem with homophobic attitudes.

“Education at an early age is the greatest sword and shield in dealing with these kinds of things,” he said.

‘With grown men the battle is over. Grassroots stuff is what’s important. The AFL and the major codes should invest in primary education if they really want to solve this. That’s where it should start: education.

“It never occurs to me to call someone a ‘f—–‘…” When people say that word, they don’t just say it, they spit it out.

Gawn’s powerful words come after Gold Coast Suns star Wil Powell was hit with a five-match ban this week for ‘inappropriate behaviour’

Ian Roberts – the first rugby league player to come out as gay – believes the AFL has a clear problem with homophobic attitudes

‘It’s the height of insults. You’re trying to demoralize someone. It puts a person off that you are nothing, I’m going to rub you under my foot.

“I can promise you this: There will be a child in the suburbs in the regional areas who may not have heard many stories in the last few weeks, but has certainly heard that story.

“When they’re struggling with their sexuality and identity, and they don’t understand what they’re going through, it reinforces all the fear they’re feeling.

‘I believe in education to set this in motion. You have to look at the catastrophic consequences of what discrimination can do to people, what it looks like and how it can manifest itself.”

Brisbane Lions coach Chris Fagan has said he welcomes the “clear direction” the AFL is taking against the use of homophobic slurs.

‘“I agree with their position that you shouldn’t make these kinds of comments on the field,” he said.