Illawarra Aussie Rules football has now returned for season 2025, and participation has never been higher, with a recent surge in female players being a key focus in expanding the game across the region.
After two COVID-19 impacted seasons hampered the steady growth in Aussie Rules participation in 2020 and 2021, the three years since have not just seen the numbers explode in back-to-back, record-breaking years for the code.
Source: AFL
While participation is on the upswing overall, this growth has been fast-tracked as a result in an increase in female participants.
When the AFLW played its first season in 2017, females made up around 12 per cent of AFL participation, that number has now grown to over 21 per cent.
Source: AFL
AFL Illawarra participation coordinator, Peter Frith has reflected on the level of female participation when he started in his role five years ago.
“I can’t remember the specific number, but I know it wasn’t as good as what it is now,” he said.
“The goal is one million registered participants by 2033, and 50/50 male and female.”
There were 205 female Aussie Rules teams in 2010 in NSW/ACT compared to 2500 now (unisa.edu.au).
The AFL plans to capitalise on the growth at a grass-roots level, particularly the rising popularity of Aussie Rules Football in females, with the lofty target of one million participants at a 50/50 gender split.