Image: Luke Hemer
Participation in Victorian community football exceeded more than 236,000 in 2024, breaking the all-time participation record in Victoria.
As the community football season kicks off around Victoria this month, AFL Victoria is thrilled to see continued growth all aspects of the game, including women and girls’ involvement, coach and umpire registrations and increased resources for volunteers across the state.
Junior football and Auskick
The introduction of the AFL's 'More Ways to Play' campaign, alongside a refreshed AFL Nines offering and improvements to existing NAB AFL Auskick and Superkick programs aim to support new and returning participants as they find their preferred way to engage with the game.
There are increasing numbers of NAB AFL Superkick programs on offer across the state, alongside midweek and girls only Auskick centres, to suit busy families' schedules and provide alternative options for girls who are new to the game and don't feel comfortable playing with the boys.
Additionally, there has been a statewide introduction of an 'Unders' competition, for older Auskick participants looking to transition to junior football the following year, culminating their Auskick journey with formal match play opportunities in their local club colours, to increase their confidence before graduating into club football.
Coaching
There is currently a record number of accredited coaches, with more than 13,500 signed up throughout Victoria, which includes a record number of 1,000 women and girls who are accredited coaches.
The increase in coaching registrations is supported by over 320 Coach Developer sessions delivered by AFL Victoria last year.
Umpiring
The number of registered umpires to date sits at a record of over 8,400 (14.5% increase year on year), supported by a number of initiatives to increase retention and recruitment throughout 2024, including:
- 15 club umpire education sessions
- 27 school-based programs (over 450 students engaged)
- 12 club-based recruitment programs (over 160 participants engaged)
- One large state-based and five regional umpire coach education sessions (engaging over 200 participants)
In addition, the introduction of new education modules and platforms has supported the growth and development of existing umpires by providing them with more resources, including:
- A mandatory education module - resulted in 90% completion rate of E-Learning related to Safeguarding and Vilification, aimed at fostering more respectful environments for umpires and participants
- HUDL - 20 out of 27 Community Umpire groups across Victoria have access to online coaching platforms via HUDL to increase the accessibility of umpire development sessions
- SportsGauge – All umpiring groups across Victoria have access to online feedback/assessment forms via SportsGauge, to assist with individual development and generate a better experience for umpires, aimed at improving retention rates of existing umpires
Keen to get involved? Visit the play.afl website to discover all the ways you can play
Register for a football program: play.afl/play
Register to coach: play.afl/coach
Register to umpire: play.afl/umpire