Record numbers reveal continued football growth in region

AFL BARWON heads into 2024 with the challenge of matching or improving on record participation numbers set in 2023, with new data showing football is more popular than ever at the grassroots level.

The region’s leading grassroots sporting body provided the Times News Group with figures showing football’s popularity in the Barwon region.

A total of 13,043 footballers played Australian Rules in 2023, an increase of 822 players from 2022, and an increase of 1,564 players over the past five years.

AFL Barwon also fielded the most teams this year since 2018, putting 541 squads on the field, an increase of 52 across all of its constituent competitions (GFNL, BFNL, CDFNL, GDFNL, Female Football, Junior Football, All Abilities Football).

The number of teams has exploded in recent years following a dip during the COVID-19 pandemic, sitting at 485 in 2019, falling to 475 in 2021 but increasing to 489 in 2022.

Female football growth has also increased in the past year with more teams joining the senior and junior ranks.

Female senior football numbers increased from 579 to 588 in the past year, Under 19s increased from 178 to 232, Under 14/Under 16s increased from 433 to 607, Under 19/Under 10 increased from 396 to 515, but participation in Under 12 slightly diminished from 400 to 387 players.

Junior male football’s largest spike in participation was in the Under 18s, rising by more than 300 from 829 to 1,184 players.

Male participation at the junior level increased from 7,185 players to 7,632 in the past year alone.

To find out how to join a football club for 2024, email AFL Barwon junior football co-ordinator Lachlan McClounan at [email protected]