Junior numbers continue to rise

Photo: Brad Greenshields

THERE will be a record number of teams playing each Sunday when the AFL North Coast’s junior competition starts on Sunday, April 6.

Numbers have consistently grown over the past five years and in 2025 the number of teams have grown by a further ten percent to 55.

Prior to Covid in 2020 the number of teams was less than half of that amount.

Brad Greenshields, Community Football & Competition Manager for AFL Northern NSW, said the growth can mainly be attributed to two factors – the introduction of a new age group each year from 2022 to 2024 and the hard work of the volunteers at AFL North Coast clubs.

“Being able to attract players to create teams as well as finding volunteers to be coaches, team managers and runners for them is a real credit to the hard working people at the clubs,” Greenshields said.

“In 2022 the League introduced a Youth Girls 14s age group, in 2023 it was the non-competitive Under 10s to create transition path from Auskick to competitive footy and last year a third girls age group was added so girls had a pathway where they only had to play against other girls during their entire competitive experience.

“This year though the number of age groups is the same as it was in 2024. That means the growth in the number of teams playing is organic and comes from clubs growing their numbers, be it Port Macquarie growing from one girls team to three, the Lower Clarence Suns growing from two teams to four or both Northern Beaches and Sawtell/Toormina fielding two Under 12s teams this year.

“It’s fantastic to see and a lot of people should deservedly be proud of the growth that the AFL North Coast is experiencing.”