Welcome to the 2012 AFL Sydney season

Dear AFL Sydney Clubs,

Firstly, I would like to welcome you to the 2012 AFL Sydney season.

It promises to be another successful AFL Sydney season due to the valued contributions of all players, coaches, officials, umpires, volunteers and supporters.

Australian football in Sydney is on the rise and all AFL Sydney clubs have been encouragingly accommodating for the wave of new participants wanting to play our great game.

This year, the competition will feature 61 senior teams and 20 under-18 teams, which is an increase of four from 2011.

I would also like to take this chance to welcome the two new clubs to the competition, Blacktown in Division Three and Gosford in Division Four.

Also, in a historic move, the Sydney Womens AFL competition (SWAFL) will become part of the competition and will now be known as AFL Sydney Womens. Female football is the fastest growing segment of the AFL development and I look forward to celebrating the future success of these players.

The AFL Sydney competition continues to provide a strong pathway for youth athletes aspiring to play in at the elite level.

Nineteen former AFL Sydney players are currently on AFL lists, including 11 primary list players and eight rookies.

We make no apologies for our ambition to elevate the standard of state level AFL in Sydney and we are excited that Sydney University and Sydney Hills Eagles have been accepted into the North East Australian Football League.

To have AFL Sydney representation in a bona fide national second tier competition is extremely important for our growth. We can now offer a standard of football that will attract, and just as importantly, retain the best young talent in Sydney.

It is an exciting time to be involved in the game, especially in Sydney. At the elite level, there will be an AFL game played in Sydney every weekend with the GWS Giants joining the AFL competition.

The new broadcast agreement signed between the AFL, Foxtel and Channel 7 means that Sydney viewers now have access to the best AFL coverage in the country.

The state of AFL in Sydney is in great shape, and will continue to improve for future generations.

I wish you the best of luck for the season.

Tom Harley
General Manager – AFL NSW/ACT