AFL Queensland are proud to announce that in 2022, a new registered participation record has been achieved, with 55,500 people in Queensland playing Aussie Rules.
This incredible figure encompasses the NAB Auskick Program, junior, youth and senior football from the Northern Rivers region all the way north to Cape York.
Some of the highlights in reaching this milestone include achieving an Auskick record, with more than 22,500 children participating in programs this year. In Term 3 alone, 8,000 children in Queensland will take part in after school programs.
Currently, there are 1,200 junior and youth club teams and 300 senior teams involved in competitions across Queensland, all the way north in Townsville, west to Mount Isa and south to the Gold Coast.
The previous participation record was 52,773 participants, which was achieved in season 2019. Since 2017, AFL Queensland’s community competition participation has increased by 23%.
Head of Queensland Trisha Squires said it was an incredible milestone to reach.
“This has been a team effort from our volunteers and staff across Queensland,” she said.
“We had a challenging start to the year with restrictions followed by turbulent weather, which forced many football fields to remain closed.
“This milestone is a credit to our AFL Community’s dedication in providing opportunities for as many people across the state to play our great game.”
Not only is participation booming, AFL Queensland’s school records are reaching new heights. AFL Queensland’s hugely successful StreetSmarts AFLQ Schools Cup also hit a new record this year, with 612 teams participating in the state-wide competition. It is one of the largest school sport competitions in the country.
Two of their biggest school sports programs, Associated Independent Colleges (AIC) competition celebrated a 40% growth in 2022 and the introduction of Aussie Rules into the Queensland Girls Secondary Schools Sports Association competition this year has seen more than 12,000 girls having their first taste of footy.
Photo credit: Highflyer Images
