The man behind basketball star Isaac Humphries’ courageous coming out announcement and 150 million reasons why Manly should call him after Pride jersey DISASTER
Issac Humphries and Melbourne United put Australia’s National Basketball League on the map this week when the former NBA centre made a public announcement that he was gay.
Now it can be revealed that the man who helped manage him through the difficult decision and process is David McFarland – the same man who assisted A-League star Josh Cavallo when he came out publicly as well.
Now close to 190 million people have viewed Humphries honest and raw admissions in front of teammates and the gestures of goodwill are flowing for the NBL and Melbourne United.
Which is why under-fire NRL club Manly and CEO Tony Mestrov could be well served by calling McFarland to help them repair the Pride jersey mess of 2022.
Isaac Humphries (R) hugs a Melbourne United teammate after an emotional coming out announcement which was applauded by the club
Using just three minutes last Wednesday during a club meeting, a Twitter video posted by the United center as reached a global audience of nearly 200 million people.
The 24-year-old emotionally spilled to his teammates about a dark time in his life, where he grappled with his gay sexuality that led to a suicide attempt.
Humphries’ show of courage has been widely shared around social media, extending to support from the likes of NBA star Paul Gasol and Australian TV personalities.
‘We planned it 24/7 together, but at the same time, we kept it all strict confidentiality,’ United CEO Nick Truelson said.
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‘The rawness you see in the video of Isaac telling his teammates is very real and it was a huge moment for him.
‘The reaction has obviously been immense. Tones And I rang me straight after the video to tell me she would be at the game [last Thursday night] as a sign of support, Dannii Minogue is also a fan of the club and voiced her support.
We love the fact that Isaac wants to be a trailblazer for young boys and girls who are really struggling with their sexuality, to know that you can be a top athlete in men’s sport, especially.’
Isaac Humphries soars above an Adelaide 36ers defender during round seven of the NBL in Melbourne
Towards the end of the video, teammates swamped Humphries with hugs after the announcement which took one week to plan.
Mammoth Spanish football club Barcelona reposted the video to its 45 million Twitter fans alone, showing the class of a small Victorian basketball club who embraced the power of a small community.
The club sought a communal approach to the announcement, led by United coach Dean Vickerman and Humphries’ off-field manager McFarland.
David McFarland (R) poses for ‘A Night of Pride’ event – he has since helped two Australian athletes publicly announce their gay sexuality
McFarland is a man that Manly could learn much from.
The talent agency and DLM impact manager also helped Adelaide United’s Cavallo to publicly announce his gay sexuality to the football world earlier this year.
United demonstrated to fellow sporting institutions that having a close communicative relationship with athletes plays a vital role in club culture and confidence.
AFLW footballer Meg Hutchins posts a message of support to Isaac Humphries after his courageous announcement
The NRL are yet to recognise the announcement, but one club on the Northern Beaches could learn a little about communication between players and staff.
Manly fell to bits after a dramatic round 20 saga led to seven players refusing to represent the club due to religious beliefs over the Pride jersey.
The Sea Eagles effectively botched their season, finishing outside the top eight and sacking coach Des Hasler.
The Manly Pride jersey design which tore apart the club and ruined their hopes of finals footy
Management failed to inform Hasler and the players of a plan to release a Pride jersey during Women in League week.
Truelson said men’s sport has a long way to go, but one conversation can make a massive change.
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