U/12’s North-West Girls Competition

By Bronte Kerr

AFL clubs in the North West of Sydney are in the final stages of developing a girls under 12’s competition.

The competition has been established in response to the growing popularity of female footy nation-wide and the burgeoning talent pool of players in the youth girl’s competition.

The competition has already sparked a great deal of interest in the local area, with over 25 girls coming along to the opening day held last weekend at Ern Holmes Oval, Pennant Hills.

The opening day involved a brief skills session, followed by a modified game of AFL umpired by female umpires from the Pennant Hills AFC.

The girls in attendance earned themselves a youth girls t-shirt, a drink bottle and footy, while their mothers were treated to a complimentary glass of rosé and a BBQ breakfast for Mother’s Day.

At the heart of it, the new competition is about introducing junior girls to the game and growing women’s footy in Sydney.

Any girls under the age of 12 interested in participating are encouraged to come along on a Sunday morning to have a kick of the footy and get a sense of what AFL is all about.

The girl’s competition will be aligned to local clubs in the region, including Pennant Hills AFC, Westbrook AFC, Hornsby-Berowra AFC and Kellyville-Rouse Hill AFC.

AFL NSW/ACT Development Coordinator for Sydney North Louise McKenry sang high praise for the local clubs in the region for demonstrating their commitment to women’s football.

“It’s the clubs that are really driving this initiative. Increasingly, clubs in the local area have been realizing the importance of building a strong base for female football to develop,” she said.

 “The great thing about this competition is that girls are able to register for the club itself, enabling them to belong to their local AFL community,” McKenry said.

McKenry encourages all girls to come along to play some footy in a welcoming and informal environment.

“Come along and show your brothers what you are made of!” McKenry joked.

To find out more about the competition please contact:

Louise McKenry- Sydney North

Louise.mckenry@aflnsw.act.com.au

0474141409