Junior fixture shows further growth in player numbers
Photo: Carlisle Photography
THE release of the AFL North Coast’s junior fixture shows that the young players in the region are in for an exciting 2023 with enormous growth in the number of teams playing.
Last year the AFL North Coast junior competition had a total of 31 teams. In 2023 that number has jumped to 47.
The season is set to start on Sunday, April 30 and it will see players from 10 clubs running around on footy grounds from Yamba in the north to Port Macquarie in the south.
Some exciting developments for the upcoming 2023 season include:
- A new non-competitive Under 10 age group to provide a smooth transition between Auskick and competitive football;
- An increase of 44% in the number of girls teams, and;
- Two new junior clubs playing in 2023, the Lower Clarence Suns and North Coffs Kangaroos.
AFL Northern NSW Competition Coordinator Brad Greenshields said this season promises to be the best one yet for junior football.
“The addition of a new age group and the growth in playing numbers proves that the AFL North Coast is continuing to gain in popularity,” Greenshields said.
“Once the season starts, each Sunday will see 22 games of footy played across six age groups, including the new non-competitive Under 10 age group.”
The AFL North Coast’s representative program has also increased in size with the North Coast Force fielding an Under 15 Girls team for the first time in 2023.
The representative teams will be playing in two carnivals this year. One is in the Hunter region over the June long weekend and the second will be the Northern NSW Championships being held in Coffs Harbour over the middle weekend of the July school holidays.
The climax of the season will see the grand finals in the competitive age groups played at C.ex Coffs International Stadium on Sunday, August 27.
The fixture can be accessed under the ‘Fixtures & Results’ tab on the website’s main menu or you can CLICK HERE.
