Grassroots Footy in NSW

[Determinant]

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Great to see footy getting a run in the local papers

 

[Cmarsh]

Bump.

Thought I might share some positive news for the state of the game in country NSW.

Recently a 2nd AFL field has been set up in my town of Orange. I believe an AFL9's comp is going to start soon.

The ground is in a really prominent spot too, right next to a road that gets alot of traffic.

 

[Colonial]

Bump.

Thought I might share some positive news for the state of the game in country NSW.

Recently a 2nd AFL field has been set up in my town of Orange. I believe an AFL9's comp is going to start soon.

The ground is in a really prominent spot too, right next to a road that gets alot of traffic.

Great news.

Just to add. Mudgee Black Swans are still trying to get numbers for a team. Never giving up.

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[Colonial]

Parkes are back!

Well done to the Panthers. Have a mens and womens team.


https://www.parkeschampionpost.com....o-return-to-central-west-competition/?cs=1622


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[Colonial]

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[Isaac Cumming No 1]

Bump.

Thought I might share some positive news for the state of the game in country NSW.

Recently a 2nd AFL field has been set up in my town of Orange. I believe an AFL9's comp is going to start soon.

The ground is in a really prominent spot too, right next to a road that gets alot of traffic.

Great news.

Fun fact
My home town in NSW was invited to send delegates to the first national Australian rules football conference in 1905. Shameless bragging I know.

 

[Colonial]

More to the funding AFL NSW/ACT responce

http://aflnswact.com.au/nsw-government-facilities-boost/

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[Colonial]

Western Sydney Indigenous Academy update.

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[Colonial]

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[Ichabod Noodle]

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You know, I really wish we had some way to tell if having an AFL team in Western Sydney was helping to grow the game.

I guess we’ll never know.

#Failure
#WindThemUp

 

[Giant Strides]

You know, I really wish we had some way to tell if having an AFL team in Western Sydney was helping to grow the game.

Just poll Wayne Schwass 100 times, and you'll get 100% #failure #windthemup. That's scientific.
Ignore AFL participation numbers - they mean nothing!

 

[BringBackTorps]

I have heard that The Kings School (Anglican), founded 1831, in Parramatta -RU bastion and, previously, fiercely opposed to introducing AF- has now, or will very shortly, convert one of its many fields to AF; and provide its boys the choice of playing AF. TKS is in the GPS comp, now c.1700 boys enrolled, many sport stars alumni.
Can anyone confirm/provide more detailed information? What/how/who/when did AF get the entree?

H C Harrison, who played Melb. Rules from 1859, a brilliant player and also champion sprinter, and AF's greatest 19th century administrator (called "Father Of The Australian Game"), was born in Parramatta.
The very athletic Harrison, many assume, also played in the very first Melb. Rules games in Yarra Park in 1858 -he was Tom Wills' first cousin, married Wills' sister, and was always a close friend of Wills.

By coincidence, Australia's first game of soccer was probably played at Parramatta about 1870.

If correct, probably leaves St Augustine's (IAS school, c.1200 boys) in Brookvale (opposite Manly NRL ground) as one of the last Sydney anti-AF RU hold-outs. Does also not permit RL.
St Joseph's, Hunters Hill, RU bastion, only allows AF for years 11-12. It could easily field AF teams below Yr 11 -but can't allow that!
Both are Catholic. Club Auskick & AF has a strong niche following in both areas. Catholic schools in Sydney also have their own MCS AF comp.

Scots also refuses to allow AF. Many RU schools disliked its very big Weights Program.

 

[dlanod]

Macreadie was put up there when he was moved up IIRC, which seemed a funny choice at the time. I wonder if that played any part.

 

[BringBackTorps]

The North Shore times, 14.6.18, has an article, headlined (digital version) "AFL has recorded a massive growth in junior players across Sydney, as rugby launches a program to win back hearts and minds of youngsters".

It is behind a paywall. Can anyone list the article? Did it mention growth also specifically in western Sydney?

 

[Tents]

The North Shore times, 14.6.18, has an article, headlined (digital version) "AFL has recorded a massive growth in junior players across Sydney, as rugby launches a program to win back hearts and minds of youngsters".

It is behind a paywall. Can anyone list the article? Did it mention growth also specifically in western Sydney?

Rugby at crisis point as AFL junior players skyrocket across Sydney
Matt Taylor, North Shore Times

A FORMER Gordon rugby great concedes his code may have already lost the junior turf war in its traditional heartland as new data reveals the full extent of Aussie rules’ skyrocketing numbers on the north shore.

AFL has recorded a massive 63 per cent growth in junior players on the north shore over the past five years — fractionally higher than the Sydney-wide increase — and its independent schools program has soared from 10 teams to 56 over the same period.

The competition now includes eight schools on the north shore — Riverview (nine teams), Knox Grammar (nine), St Aloysius (seven), Barker College (six), Shore (six), St Joseph’s College (two) and SCECGS Redlands and St Pius X College (one each).

The new data also shows the number of junior AFL teams playing in Sydney competitions has increased by 71 per cent since 2012, and a 78 per cent growth in women’s club football participation across NSW and the ACT last year.

 

[dlanod]

I saw the AFL posts at Barker earlier in the year and was stunned.

 

[Cmarsh]

I have heard that The Kings School (Anglican), founded 1831, in Parramatta -RU bastion and, previously, fiercely opposed to introducing AF- has now, or will very shortly, convert one of its many fields to AF; and provide its boys the choice of playing AF. TKS is in the GPS comp, now c.1700 boys enrolled, many sport stars alumni.
Can anyone confirm/provide more detailed information? What/how/who/when did AF get the entree?

H C Harrison, who played Melb. Rules from 1859, a brilliant player and also champion sprinter, and AF's greatest 19th century administrator (called "Father Of The Australian Game"), was born in Parramatta.
The very athletic Harrison, many assume, also played in the very first Melb. Rules games in Yarra Park in 1858 -he was Tom Wills' first cousin, married Wills' sister, and was always a close friend of Wills.

By coincidence, Australia's first game of soccer was probably played at Parramatta about 1870.

If correct, probably leaves St Augustine's (IAS school, c.1200 boys) in Brookvale (opposite Manly NRL ground) as one of the last Sydney anti-AF RU hold-outs. Does also not permit RL.
St Joseph's, Hunters Hill, RU bastion, only allows AF for years 11-12.
Both are Catholic. Club GR Auskick & AF has a strong niche following in both areas. Catholic schools in Sydney also have their own MCS AF comp.

I find it quite ironic that a game supposedly so inextricably linked to Victoria was founded by two New South Welshmen.

 

[Colonial]

Big win by the Rams


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[Colonial]

http://westernweekender.com.au/2018/08/rams-eye-silverware/

 

[BringBackTorps]

https://www.smh.com.au/business/com...ikely-grassroots-revival-20180820-p4zyjm.html

Whilst this article focuses on the strong growth of the AFL & GR AF on Sydney's North Shore/Nthn. Beaches/ Eastern Suburbs, many of its astute comments & analysis etc. can also help explain the better pro rata AF growth (off a much smaller AF base) in Sydney's western suburbs (inc. Hills District). eg Henry Playfair re AF " its really fun to play... it is really exciting to watch".

"There has been a migration of rugby fans to the indigenous game".
And many RL &/or soccer fans?

It is interesting to read the comments of ex. ARU CEO (& also ex. FFA CEO) John O'Neill, who has developed an interest in attending Swans' matches.

I also note it is claimed the Swans obtain many members from the Sutherland Shire- a weak GR AF area.

Reference is also made to the very recent growth in popularity of the NSWRU Shute Shield suburban elite comp. - its genesis is the need for the "common person" yearning to express tribalism by following a local Club. (Hopefully this yearning also helps grow GWS!).

 

[BringBackTorps]

This article states there are, in 2018, c. 15,000 Regd. jnrs. playing in Sydney jnr. comps. This 15,000 does not include Sydney primary & secondary school AF comp. players. Nor does it include the many thousands in Sydney Auskick -both of which are also growing strongly. AF comps. start from U 8 or U 9 kids.

The 15,000 number is interesting, since the AFL usually only provides a number for Regd. jnr Club players for all of NSW (ie no figure for Sydney only).

http://aflsj.com.au/best-and-fairest-winners-2018/

A large minority of this 15,000 are in Sydney's GWS area (& none are from the ACT, whose AF nos. are the highest since 1984)).
It can now be asserted that jnr. GR AF is a mainstream sport in Sydney's eastern, northern, & inner western suburbs.

EDIT:
(1) This article gives fulsome praise to GWS for helping (unlike other codes) to put goal posts at South Penrith York Park PS, quoting a teacher saying that GWS are most active with promoting sport.
"Out of all the codes, the AFL are more than happy to visit the school, and give out free stuff".

http://westernweekender.com.au/2018/07/afl-comes-to-the-rescue/

(2) These articles refer to the introduction in 2018 of female contact RL in the Penrith DJRL. This is the first jnr. female RL comp. in the world.

Impressively, there are nearly 1,000 females, from U6 to adult females, playing RL in the Penrith District (mainly jnrs.). Most of the juniors come from netball backgrounds. I expect this female growth to continue -it will help alleviate contact male RL & RU declines.
There are also now many females playing contact RU (mainly 7's).

IMO, female contact RL & RU will crimp female AF expansion in NSW & Qld. I believe AF competes most with the other contact games of RL & RU, not the NON-contact soft game of soccer.

http://westernweekender.com.au/2018/02/footy-first-as-girls-only-competitions-launch/

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/s...t/news-story/70b17eec39d3e7deae7e8f15058e40eb

 

[BringBackTorps]

This interesting SMH article mentions Marrackville Primary school & western Sydney female AF growth.

It also provides the hitherto undislosed information that, in 2018, jnr. female 10 y.o -18 y.o. AF participation in Sydney only has increased by 48%, cf.2017 nos. -"almost doubling from last year".

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/afl/af...n-rugby-league-territory-20180913-p503ie.html

 

[Ichabod Noodle]

They rattled off some figures at young master’s end of year presentation day - can’t remember them all but the figure of 230% growth in numbers at the club since the start of the 2015 season stuck in my mind - as did the stage absolutely packed with auskickers - so many they were running a Sunday morning and a Friday evening session because they couldn’t cope with them all together (and that’s not counting the Kickability kids who do their Auskick on a Thursday - kickability is for kids with learning disabilities/autism etc)

Two years ago there were maybe 3 girls at the club. This year we had an u12 and u15 team - next year they’re hoping to get three teams up.


But hey, no interest in AFL in Western Sydney

 

[BringBackTorps]

They rattled off some figures at young master’s end of year presentation day - can’t remember them all but the figure of 230% growth in numbers at the club since the start of the 2015 season stuck in my mind - as did the stage absolutely packed with auskickers - so many they were running a Sunday morning and a Friday evening session because they couldn’t cope with them all together (and that’s not counting the Kickability kids who do their Auskick on a Thursday - kickability is for kids with learning disabilities/autism etc)

Two years ago there were maybe 3 girls at the club. This year we had an u12 and u15 team - next year they’re hoping to get three teams up.


But hey, no interest in AFL in Western Sydney

Great post!

For clarification, have your combined Auskick & Club comp. players tripled+ since the start 2015? Wow! Approx. total nos. now?

Can you tell us more about "Kickability Clinics"? Who organises these, & when did they start?? What age groups? Any idea on total nos. involved in Sydney?
Why are they scheduled apart from Auskick?
(As a generalisation, there is a principle that ALL players are a part- & a valued part -of the ONE club/clinic)

When I was involved in Auskick, we had some Downs/etc. kids -some we were able to include in their usual age group; others required more individual assistance &, by necessity, were thus separated from the "normal" age groups.

Also, changing topic, may I ask if you could advise:-

. an approx. % of your Auskick /Club comp. players who would be from a non-Anglo/Celtic background?
. if this % is notably growing at your Club; & other Clubs?

. for males at your Club, what is the main other winter sporting background of most ie RL, soccer, basketball or RU; & females?

 

[Ichabod Noodle]

Great post!

For clarification, have your combined Auskick & Club comp. players tripled+ since the start 2015? Wow! Approx. total nos. now?

Can you tell us more about "Kickability Clinics"? Who organises these, & when did they start?? What age groups? Any idea on total nos. involved in Sydney?
Why are they scheduled apart from Auskick?
(As a generalisation, there is a principle that ALL players are a part-& a valued part-of the ONE club/clinic)

When I was involved in Auskick, we had some Downs/etc. kids -some we were able to keep in their usual age group; others required more individual assistance, &, by necessity, were thus separated from the "normal" age groups.

Also, changing topic, may I ask if you could provide an approximate % of your Auskick /Club comp. players who would be from a non-Anglo/Celtic background?
At other WS clubs, do you believe the % of non- Anglo/Celtic kids are significantly growing?

For males at your Club, what is the main other winter sporting background of most ie RL, soccer, basketball or RU; & females?

I would assume the growth includes auskickers - which would be the largest chunk (when my son was doing Auskick a few years ago there were only a handful each week) probably followed by the girls - but the boys have also been growing steadily.

As for kickability - don’t know too much beyond it being an AFLNSW initiative started a few years ago. Our lot is a joint venture between the club and the local PCYC which is why it’s on a Thursday - though I know there are kids on the spectrum who are part of the normal Sunday morning Auskick sessions.

Not a huge non Anglo-Celtic percentage at our club (reflective of the area I suppose) but you do see a fair smattering across the other clubs, some more than others - Blacktown Suns in particular have a few, rather talented, Sudanese kids running out each week.

The juniors in my son’s team if they play another winter sport at all play soccer (mainly) and a bit of league, but I have no idea how many tbh.

I don’t really know a lot - I’m just the scoreboard attendant when we play at home and occasional fill in as goal umpire for young master’s team. Beyond that it’s really just anecdotal and guess work - I might catch the last quarter of the game before and the first few minutes of the game after as I’m packing up and heading back to the car. I’m not “involved” with the club much beyond that.