New Youth Girls comp is kicking goals

Preparations for the new Youth Girls Under 14 (YG14) competition are powering ahead as girls flock to footy clubs to join in.

A number of junior clubs were able to run come and try days before the rain set in, and the response has been overwhelmingly positive. Northern Beaches Blues, Port Macquarie Magpies, Nambucca Valley Lions, and Bellingen Bulldogs have all run hugely successful sessions with a great blend of experienced players and girls who are new to the sport.

Each of these clubs are well on their way to forming a team, whilst all other clubs have plans to run come and try sessions once grounds are open once more.

Matt Crawley, Northern NSW Game Development Lead, is as excited as the girls themselves!

“All of the girls who have been to a come and try session are loving footy, you can tell by the huge smiles on their faces,” Crawley said.

“The new girls are finding that the skills they already have from other sports are making the transition to footy easy. Whether those skills are catching, kicking, running, jumping, tackling, or agility, these are all attributes that are valued highly in AFL.

“It’s definitely helping to have the AFLW competition on TV at the present time. There’s no doubt that girls are loving watching the matches on TV, but then they want to be able to try the skills themselves.”

All eight clubs between Grafton and Port Macquarie has committed to fielding a YG14 team in the 2022 season. To find your local club and be part of the fastest growing sport for girls on the North Coast, go to play.afl.