
MEDIA RELEASE FROM THE AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE
The AFL today launched its inaugural AFL Community Training Camp program where each AFL club will spend four days in a community conducting school visits, open training sessions, development activities and footy forums.
AFL Chief Executive Officer Wayne Jackson announced, the 16 AFL clubs would be travelling to communities in regional towns and suburban centres across Australia in the first week in February 2003.
The camps comprise activities to promote participation and assist club grassroot administrators and coaches. Detailed itineraries will be announced in late January, enabling communities to know in advance when they can meet the teams.
Mr. Jackson said the AFL Community Training Camps represented a considerable investment by the AFL in strengthening the relationship between the game and the community.
"Nothing on this scale has ever occurred before. We are very excited by the opportunities that this AFL Community Training Camp program offers for the future of football," Mr. Jackson said.
Mr. Jackson said that the AFL Community Training Camps would further encourage the growth of the game across Australia.
"By taking the elite level of the competition out to the regions and suburbs we hope to increase participation in AFL through increased AFL Auskick enrolments and club memberships," Mr. Jackson said.
Mr. Jackson also released the AFL 2002 National Census figures today showing an overall increase in AFL participation by 4.3%.
Total participation in AFL football rose 17,022 to 416,734 in 2002.
Mr. Jackson stated that the census figures showed that AFL Auskick participation had increased again in 2002, from 94,404 up to a total of 111, 689.
"AFL Auskick is Australia's most successful junior participation program, " Mr. Jackson said.
"Since 1990, AFL Auskick has grown from about 24,000 participants to over 110,000," Mr. Jackson explained.
"But we will not rest on our laurels, and that is why we will continue to invest in community connections through new initiatives like the camps we are launching today," Mr. Jackson said.
The clubs have worked together with the AFL to choose a local community.
Clubs will be going to:
Adelaide - Mount Gambier
Brisbane - Toowoomba
Carlton - Alice Springs
Collingwood - Greater West of Sydney
Essendon - Bendigo
Fremantle - Bunbury
Geelong - Newcastle
Melbourne - Wagga Wagga & Albury-Wodonga
Hawthorn - Hobart
Kangaroos - Canberra
Port Adelaide - Port Lincoln
Richmond - Traralgon
St Kilda - Launceston
Sydney - Coffs Harbour
West Coast - Albany
Western Bulldogs - Sunshine Coast
ends.
National Participation Overall Participation & Trends
The 2002 Australian Football Census reveals that there were 416,734 participants in Australian Football competitions (of at least six weeks duration) and the AFL Auskick Program in 2002.
This was an increase of 17,022 or 4.3% in the 2001 total.
In 2002 there were:
111,689 players in AFL Auskick programs
(this was the first time there were over 100,000 participants)
255,073 players in club football
(who were not involved in AFL Auskick)
40,953 players in school and reduced number programs
(who were not involved in either club or AFL Auskick programs)
4806 players in womens football competitions
4213 players in veterans football competitions
Changes in team numbers between 2001 and 2002 have been a follows:
Club team numbers increased to 10,638 in 2002
(a 0.3% increase on the 2001 teams)
Reduced number teams decreased to 341 in 2002
(a 24.1% decrease on the 2001 teams)
School teams increased to 3897 in 2002
(a 13.7% increase on 2001)
ends.
For more AFL Community Training Camp information and the 2002 Census details, please contact:
Michelle Clyne
The AFL today launched its inaugural AFL Community Training Camp program where each AFL club will spend four days in a community conducting school visits, open training sessions, development activities and footy forums.
AFL Chief Executive Officer Wayne Jackson announced, the 16 AFL clubs would be travelling to communities in regional towns and suburban centres across Australia in the first week in February 2003.
The camps comprise activities to promote participation and assist club grassroot administrators and coaches. Detailed itineraries will be announced in late January, enabling communities to know in advance when they can meet the teams.
Mr. Jackson said the AFL Community Training Camps represented a considerable investment by the AFL in strengthening the relationship between the game and the community.
"Nothing on this scale has ever occurred before. We are very excited by the opportunities that this AFL Community Training Camp program offers for the future of football," Mr. Jackson said.
Mr. Jackson said that the AFL Community Training Camps would further encourage the growth of the game across Australia.
"By taking the elite level of the competition out to the regions and suburbs we hope to increase participation in AFL through increased AFL Auskick enrolments and club memberships," Mr. Jackson said.
Mr. Jackson also released the AFL 2002 National Census figures today showing an overall increase in AFL participation by 4.3%.
Total participation in AFL football rose 17,022 to 416,734 in 2002.
Mr. Jackson stated that the census figures showed that AFL Auskick participation had increased again in 2002, from 94,404 up to a total of 111, 689.
"AFL Auskick is Australia's most successful junior participation program, " Mr. Jackson said.
"Since 1990, AFL Auskick has grown from about 24,000 participants to over 110,000," Mr. Jackson explained.
"But we will not rest on our laurels, and that is why we will continue to invest in community connections through new initiatives like the camps we are launching today," Mr. Jackson said.
The clubs have worked together with the AFL to choose a local community.
Clubs will be going to:
Adelaide - Mount Gambier
Brisbane - Toowoomba
Carlton - Alice Springs
Collingwood - Greater West of Sydney
Essendon - Bendigo
Fremantle - Bunbury
Geelong - Newcastle
Melbourne - Wagga Wagga & Albury-Wodonga
Hawthorn - Hobart
Kangaroos - Canberra
Port Adelaide - Port Lincoln
Richmond - Traralgon
St Kilda - Launceston
Sydney - Coffs Harbour
West Coast - Albany
Western Bulldogs - Sunshine Coast
ends.
National Participation Overall Participation & Trends
The 2002 Australian Football Census reveals that there were 416,734 participants in Australian Football competitions (of at least six weeks duration) and the AFL Auskick Program in 2002.
This was an increase of 17,022 or 4.3% in the 2001 total.
In 2002 there were:
111,689 players in AFL Auskick programs
(this was the first time there were over 100,000 participants)
255,073 players in club football
(who were not involved in AFL Auskick)
40,953 players in school and reduced number programs
(who were not involved in either club or AFL Auskick programs)
4806 players in womens football competitions
4213 players in veterans football competitions
Changes in team numbers between 2001 and 2002 have been a follows:
Club team numbers increased to 10,638 in 2002
(a 0.3% increase on the 2001 teams)
Reduced number teams decreased to 341 in 2002
(a 24.1% decrease on the 2001 teams)
School teams increased to 3897 in 2002
(a 13.7% increase on 2001)
ends.
For more AFL Community Training Camp information and the 2002 Census details, please contact:
Michelle Clyne