It’s so significant AFL boss Andrew Demetriou will attend, standing alongside NRL chief executive Dave Smith, FFA boss David Gallop and Bill Pulver from the ARU.

The notable absentee, however, will be Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland.

His organisation has so far refused to sign a letter agreeing to incorporate anti-homophobia policy before the Bingham Cup - the world cup of gay rugby - to be held in Sydney in August.

Because it doesn't have time to consider it.

The policy framework is the brainchild of Andrew Purchas, the chairman of the Bingham Cup, who has been working closely with the Australian Sports Commission and the Australian Human Rights Commission.

“Cricket Australia had showed genuine interest in committing to being part of the initiative and implementing an anti-homophobia and inclusion policy,” Purchas said on Friday. “It is very disappointing they eventually decided that they did not have time review the draft framework. It would be very significant to have both winter and summer sports included. The invitation is still open for them to join the football codes.

“This framework is important in eliminating homophobia in sport as it provides clear direction from the top of the sports’ peak bodies. Meaningful change needs clear and unambiguous leadership and grassroots activity.”

Cricket Australia became interested last month at the encouragement of its long-term sponsor, the Commonwealth Bank.

Why cricket has baulked, when the football codes quickly agreed to it, is a matter for them, although it comes in the same week it launched a National Diversity Council for the game.

“We are currently reviewing the new anti-homophobia framework to understand how it fits with our own Codes and Policies and to ensure it is embedded throughout cricket," a CA spokesman said. “We are very supportive of the Bingham Cup and look forward to actively contributing to the event later this year.”

Cricket, it seems, could learn much from rugby league. The change in position from the NRL in the space of six months is significant.

When Knights player Ryan Stig compared homosexuality to alcoholism and the work of Satan last October, his club and the NRL dismissed the remarks as his “personal religious beliefs”.

It went deeper than that, with a former high-ranking NRL official telling this reporter Stig deserved to be “protected”, as he was receiving flak on social media because of his archaic remarks.

Protected? Presumably, the young Knights supporter who might be struggling with his or her sexuality was a secondary concern.

The same official, who no longer works at the NRL, also reported that Stig could not be sanctioned under the NRL’s anti-vilification code.

It was a stunning admission.

Smith regretted the limp response from headquarters, which was handed down while he was travelling back from England having attended the World Cup.

Since then, he and chief operating officer Jim Doyle have been receptive and positive about drafting anti-homophobic policy.

As they should.

Rugby league should be leading the world of sport in this area - even if The Footy Show believes there’s value in sending Beau Ryan up Oxford Street on a two-part series on this year’s Mardi Gras - because rugby league had Ian Roberts, who became the world’s first openly gay footballer when he went public with his sexuality in 1995.

When Roberts came out nearly two decades ago, it was supposed to blaze a trail for others, in every code.

Apart from a smattering of professionals on the other side of the planet - namely British Lions outside back Gareth Thomas, NBA star Jason Collins, and more recently, NFL draft hopeful Michael Sam - the closet remains firmly shut.

England defender Sol Campbell touched on the subject this week.

"I don't think the system is ready for [players to come out]," he told BBC 5 Live. "I don't think football is ready. Thomas Hitzlsperger, who recently came out as gay, is retired and in a different country. He chose to say it now. He is not playing every week and going to stadiums - sometimes fans can be really vile."

In Melbourne, on Triple M, AFL reporter Damian Barrett was asked if AFL was ready, too.

“No, and I don’t think the public is either,” he said. “What will go on around the situation would be brutal for that person. I fear that."

Hawthorn legend Jason Dunstall chimed in: “The inside industry would handle it fine. It’s the periphery that would be taxing. And that’s a shame.”

To which Barrett responded: “There are people in football who are going through what you are asking, and I don’t see them being in a position when they can do it [come out publicly] in the near future. It’s an indictment on this town [Melbourne] and this country.”

An indictment, perhaps. But at least there are some codes - including AFL - that are taking a giant step in the right direction.