SYDNEY Swans coach Paul Roos has slammed Jason Akermanis’ assertion that AFL clubs are homophobic, labelling the comments “irresponsible” and “bizarre”.

Akermanis wrote in his weekly News Limited column on Thursday that anyone contemplating outing themselves as the first publicly gay AFL footballer should think again.

“Football clubs are very different environments. Locker room nudity is an everyday part of our lives and unlike any other work place,” he wrote.

“I believe it would cause discomfort in that environment should someone declare himself gay.”

Akermanis went on to say he supported anti-homophobia initiatives but he believed the burden of being the first publicly gay AFL player was too great for any individual to carry.

However, Roos rejected Akermanis’ contention that modern players would be made to feel uncomfortable by having a gay teammate.

“If any one of our players happened to be gay or came out, he wouldn’t be alienated by this group of players, I know that,” Roos said.

“In today’s day and age, it’s reasonably irresponsible, what Jason’s said this morning and hopefully it doesn’t reflect the views of the majority of people in the AFL.

“It’s a staggering story when you read it. If it had have been written in 1943 or something like that, you could have been forgiven. But in 2010, to hear something like that is just bizarre.

“I’d be staggered [if League CEO] Andrew Demetriou would think it reflects the wider views of the AFL, because that’s certainly not the case.”

Swans co-captain Adam Goodes joined Roos in rebutting Akermanis’ suggestion that clubs harboured a homophobic environment  

“I’d like to think not. We’re 650 young men going about our business - training, playing hard, biting and scratching for each other to win games of football,” he said.

“I’d like to think the environment isn’t [homophobic]. Does that mean there aren’t guys who are gay in our football competition? If you look at statistics purely on the blokes that we have, there probably are a couple.

“Whether or not they’re too scared to come out, hopefully it isn’t the environment they’re in [that is stopping them].”

Goodes was speaking at the National Indigenous Centre for Excellence in Redfern to promote the Australian Government’s ‘Learn. Earn. Legend!’ campaign in conjunction with the AFL’s indigenous round.

He said the annual celebration of the contribution made by indigenous players past and present continued to be cherished by the league's Aboriginal players.

"I'd love to be playing at Dreamtime at the 'G. It's a great celebration of our culture and I love watching it on TV, because I see so many familiar faces from my mob in Victoria," he said.

"It's a great thing for Aboriginal people and for anyone out there who doesn't know too much about indigenous culture get involved in the celebration because we have got a fantastic and rich culture."

Goodes was joined by the Minister for Employment Participation, Senator Mark Arbib, and both encouraged indigenous youth to stay at school in order to give themselves the brightest possible future.

Goodes and his former Swans teammate, Michael O’Loughlin, have also set up the GO Foundation to promote greater involvement of non-indigenous businesses in improving the opportunities available to indigenous communities.