Year in Review: Hunter/Central Coast

Almost 12,000 people participated in AFL programs in the Hunter and Central Coast in 2013 for its biggest year yet.

In the juniors competition, Newcastle Juniors introduced Under-9s for the first time as the Muswellbrook Cats won their first-ever premiership in the Under-13s.

The nine Central Coast Junior Clubs all had an Under-9s team for the first time and both Newcastle and Central Coast Juniors expanded to Under-17s football.

Four all-female teams also participated in the inaugural Youth Girls Competition on the Central Coast.

In the Black Diamond AFL, Singleton were promoted from Division 1 to Premier Division and the Nelson Bay Marlins won their first senior premiership in Division 1.

There was plenty involvement from AFL stars on the Coast with 12 Sydney Swans players visiting the region in February for the Australia Post Community Camps.

Newcastle locals also got a chance to see elite AFL in July with more than 1500 people attending the Sydney Swans reserves v Eastlake Demons NEAFL game at Number 1 Sportsground in Newcastle.

11 Black Diamond players played as top-ups for the Swans, pulling on the famous red and white guernsey, with three continuing to play with the reserves side during the rest of the year.

QBE Swans Academy product Isaac Heeney (pictured) spent a chunk of the season with the Swans’ NEAFL side, and was selected in the AIS-AFL Academy’s level 2 squad.

A Multicultural Holiday Camp run in Newcastle also brought GWS GIANTS star Setanta O’Hailpin to town.

There were talent programs run at the Hunter Academy of Sport, Central Coast Academy of Sport, and Hunter Sports High School, as well as the Northern Coast TPP and Sydney Swans Academy programs.

In a first for the region, the inaugural AFL Beach 9s Competition was run at Redhead Beach and female football boomed with two Girls Auskick centres, and one Girls Youth AFL 9s run in the region.

Simon McCauley from Newcastle City was named the AFL NSWACT Auskick Volunteer of the Year while Chris Bishop from Terrigal-Avoca was named AFL NSWACT Coach of the Year.

Lachlan Head from Niagara Park was also named an All Australian Umpire at the National Schools Carnival in Darwin.