Yearly wrap: Northern NSW
By Alison Zell
2012 was a big year for football in the northern NSW region with Coffs Harbour hosting the Under-18s Joss State zone trials in January.
Facility upgrades were completed at Sawtell, Port Macquarie and South Kempsey with the first ever indigenous program held at Nambucca Heads.
The biggest achievements for the region were the establishment of new Auskick centres at Glen Innes and Taree and the beginning of an Under-15s competition in Tamworth.
Young ruckman Sam Naismith (pictured with Kurt Tippett), from Gunnedah, became the first player from the region to be drafted after he was added to the Sydney Swans’ rookie list in December.
Grafton took out the AFL North Coast senior premierships for the second year in a row and the New England NOMADS won the TAFL competition.
Julie McLachlan, the Taree Auskick co-ordinator, won NSW/ACT State Auskick co-ordinator of the year, while Jim Woodlock from AFL North Coast was one of two recipients of an AFL Merit Award.
2013 will see the Sydney Swans partner with the Coffs Harbour community to conduct a fitness camp in January as well as Australia Post AFL Community Camps featuring Swans players in Port Macquarie, Coffs Harbour and Armidale in February.
In a first for the club, Camden Haven will enter a reserves team in the AFL North Coast competition, their first step into senior football after growing from a junior club.