An intro to Junior Football
With an increase in confidence and competition, Junior Football is about stepping into a more structured form of the game, moving from game-based play to matches.
Boys and girls ages 7-12 are introduced to new mates, new skills, age-appropriate rules, and more contact, all in a safe, fun environment.
Though your child can still opt to play Auskick (center dependent) until they are 12, junior competition begins at under 8s. Players can transition into junior footy at 7, provided they have turned 7 by the 31st of July that year. Kids who turn 7 after the cut-off date aren't yet eligible to make the switch from Auskick.
For those 7 and above, junior football is the ideal choice for kids looking at more challenge in their footy or wanting to develop their footy skills with an increased degree of difficulty.
Like Auskick, fun is still at the forefront but junior football is about taking the next step towards the game we know and love!
What's the difference?
More structure
-Fields are divided into zones with equal players, to allow for freer movement of the ball, with zones make for less ball chasing and congestion - everyone gets their fair share of the footy!
-Dedicated quarters and paid marks make for a more free flowing game
-Like Auskick, there's still minimised contact with no tackling or holding an opponent allowed in Under 8s
Age-appropriate rules
-Increases player involvement which positively impacts a kid’s level of enjoyment
-Creates a better match environment that is more aligned to the actual intent of the game
-Increase in field, ball and team sizes in correlation with skill and football development
-Under 8s remains contact-free, but tackling is slowly introduced as age groups increase, with the 'wrap & release' rule in Under 9 and 10s and tackling introduced in Under 11s and Under 12s
Competition
-While Auskick centers means that kids play in the same place each week, from Under 8s, a more formal competition structure is in place, where teams play in a traditional home-and-away footy format
-Competitions are restricted to regions, meaning away games are never too far, from Under 8s to Under 10s
-Points and finals will be introduced at the Under 12s level for the first time in 2025
-Wider competitions are introduced from Under 12s onward, with teams playing across Sydney when they reach Youth Football at Under 13s.
Junior footy is designed to be accessible for kids coming into Australian Rules for the first time and those moving on from Auskick, so making the jump couldn't be simpler!
Find your local club and register here.
Photos: Michael Willson/AFL Photos, Matt Roberts/AFL Photos