Transgender footballer Hannah Mouncey is planning legal action against the AFL over its gender diversity policy as she eyes a move into Canberra's first grade competition.
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Mouncey made national headlines when she has blocked from entering the AFLW draft in 2017 despite being permitted to play at VFLW level.
The 31-year-old says she no longer has a desire to play at AFLW level and is seeking an opportunity to play in AFL Canberra's first grade women's competition.
Mouncey took to social media to accuse the AFL of discrimination and exclusion over inclusion, adamant "for too long the trans community has been on the fringes of society and marginalised".
The former Australian men's handball representative says the updated gender diversity guidelines mean she is free to play second grade in Canberra.
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But fulfilling a desire to play first grade in the ACT means adhering to the AFL's new processes, which state testosterone levels to have been at or below five nmol/L for at least two years prior.
If that threshold is met, one must provide their height, weight, bench press, 20m sprint, vertical jump, GPS data and 2km time trial. Should an application be approved, the player is required to maintain their total testosterone levels below five nmol/L, and may be required to undergo periodic testing.
"If I could avoid taking legal action I would, however in the meetings I have had with the AFL, I came away each time feeling that they were not being had in good faith," Mouncey wrote.
"Instead I came away feeling simply that the meetings were being held so that I could be fobbed off by the AFL's legal team while they could still say they had a meeting.
"I cannot emphasise enough how much I do not want to take this step. I have no desire to play AFLW, and it is simply my hope that common sense will prevail and that I will be able to play in the AFL Canberra first grade competition rather than having to play second grade."
Mouncey posted a raft of questions aimed at the AFL on social media. Among them are:
- If a player can play state league can they then by default play AFLW given there is no advantage in playing state?
- Will the AFL make public the data it uses when comparing physical attributes of players?
- Can the AFL guarantee its data is accurate?
- Will players be compared with like for like peers - ie same position?
- In the event of a complaint against a player on safety grounds will said player continue while investigate in a bid to stamp our tactical complaints?
- How is a player deemed safety risk? What is the criteria?
- Does player safety also apply to trans players and their mental health?
"Trans people deserve to be treated with the same amount of respect and dignity as the rest of society," Mouncey wrote.
"In the age where all manner of abuse is called out the moment it is seen or heard, transphobia it seems goes largely unchecked. This is not ok, the message it sends to trans adults and kids all around the world is not ok, and to not take action when it is so obviously needed is not ok either."