Ian Roberts, Australian sport's most prominent gay rights advocate, has called for the AFL to introduce more educational programs in the wake of Jeremy Finlayson's three-game suspension for using a homophobic slur.
The openly gay rugby league great, who came out while an active player with Manly in 1995, said he feels for the remorseful Port Adelaide forward.
Finlayson has apologised twice after admitting to directing an offensive remark - "f*****" - at an unnamed Essendon player in Friday night's match at the Adelaide Oval
"I feel for Jeremy," Roberts told AAP.
"I understand how stuff like this happens. He shouldn't be persecuted.
"I've said things on the field that I really regret and been remorseful for and I've then apologised."
He insists all Australian sporting codes, not just the AFL, need to do more to stamp out homophobia and make environments more inclusive.
The AFL released a statement about the investigation into Finlayson on Wednesday, but is yet to address the situation in a press conference.
"The governing bodies need to get out there at the grass-roots level and make it very clear that language like this can be so powerful," Roberts said.
"There'll be young people out there who are struggling with their sexual identity that probably wouldn't have heard many news items during the last couple of weeks, but they definitely heard that one.
"I do believe our best sword and shield in moving forward is education - I've been saying it for 30 years.
"When people say that word, they don't say it, they spit it. It feels it's the most demeaning thing you can say.
"I've often wondered if people who say that word really know what it means.
"All they know is it's meant to hurt and to demean someone and cut someone down.
"If there are any players who are struggling with their sexual identity, it kind of creates this as 'not a safe space'.
"It feels like I'm attacking Jeremy, but I'm really not."
Roberts remains the only NRL player to be openly gay, while no active AFL player has ever chosen to come out.
As part of Finlayson's suspension, the 28-year-old will be required to attend a Pride In Sport training program that he will have to pay for himself.
Roberts, who is a patron of Pride In Sport, has urged the AFL to create more safe spaces for the queer community.
"You would think this would be part of the education programming, full stop," Roberts said.
"It shouldn't just be because of this incident and because it's relevant.
"There should be educational programs at the start of every year, or through the year, about this."
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