Essendon v church: how Andrew Thorburn fell from AFL grace

But it was, in reality, the beginning of the end.

The resignation has evolved into a wider debate about freedom of speech and religion, with state and federal politicians, faith leaders and media commentators all weighing in.

The church has since published an apology on its website for the language used in that part of the sermon, though the video remains online.

It is considered more conservative than the mainstream Anglican diocese, which has a history of being progressive, with several women ordained as ministers and churches that offer same-sex marriage blessings.

As for the sermons on abortion and homosexuality, Barham said neither the club nor Thorburn were aware of them until Tuesday morning.

Thorburn says he joined City on a Hill in 2014 and that some of the material on its website pre-dated his involvement.

Barham says Thorburn was given a choice between employment at the club and position at the church. Thorburn chose the church.

Thorburn offered a different view.

More recently, several Manly players refused to wear the rainbow jersey on pride day in the NRL, while AFLW player Haneen Zreika will again sit out the pride round on religious grounds.

Lawyer George Haros, who helped secure a reported multimillion-dollar payout for Folau in his unfair dismissal battle with Rugby Australia, says the conflict between religion and sport will continue without legislative reform.

The Morrison government was unable to pass the bill through parliament before it lost the May election.

The new attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, has committed Labor to addressing religious discrimination legislation within this term of parliament, but explicitly ruled out doing it before the end of the year.