2012 AFL Participation

State of the Game: 2012 Participation

With the season ending and the AFl and pretty muchg every other league ending for the year, its time to turn the attention to the reporting season. First cab off the rank is the AFL and its affiliated league releasing its participation data for 2012.

Total participation is UP 6.81% on 2011, to 844,000 participants and was the largest percentage increase since 2008.

On a state by state basis the non traditional states fared well with Queensland up 10% to 137,989, while New South Wales and the ACT are up 8.64% to 148,230. The Northern Territory recorded the highest state participation rate increase up 29% to 27,254 – 12% of the Territory’s population. Only South Australia reported a drop, down 2.06%.

For males, the Sydney AFL Health Check report put up some interesting figures when comparing participation of males between the age of 5-39 play or participate in Australian Football.

Hobart 18.8%
Adelaide 16.3%
Darwin 16%
Brisbane 7.1%
Perth 14.4%
Melbourne 12.5%
Brisbane 7.1%
Canberra 4.4%
Sydney 3.3%

Auskick participation is UP 9.44% to 182,000. In the NSW/ACT Health check report, Auskick particpation in NSW/ACT alone is shown to be

10,600 at Club Auskick (22%)
21,000 in School Auskick (44%)
16,400 in community Auskick (34%)

Female participation is up 43% – easily the highest growth sector for Australian football. Victoria alone accounts for 4,000 girls in Auskick, and 9,000 females registered as players with clubs.

AFL9’s, Australian footballs most recent incarnation, a 9-a-side game for both males and females continues to grow its numbers with a massive 167% increase in participation numbers and now has over 12,350 registered participants.

International Participation is also up 10% to 110,292.

In the AFLs newest target area, its reported that 36,000 juniors across 14 local government areas participated in Australian football, up 27% on last year.

Its important to note that to be counted as a participant by the AFL you must either be a registered player or complete a minimum 6 week Auskick program.

“What we classify as a participant is a no-less-than-six-weeks paying customer. So they’re through our Auskick programs, through our clubs and our community programs.”

– AFL NSW/ACT manager for Western Sydney, Dean Connors.

Further details are not likely to be revealed until the 2012 AFL annual report is released in march next year.

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