New Youth Girls Age Groups for 2025

AFL Gippsland Announces New Youth Girls Age Groups Following Successful Female Football Forum

16 September 2024

Following the successful Female Football Forum held in Morwell on 24th June and extensive feedback from our stakeholders, AFL Gippsland is excited to announce significant enhancements to the youth girls’ football pathway in the region. We acknowledge the needs and aspirations of our community and are thrilled to introduce two new age groups for girls, enhancing participation opportunities for young female athletes.

Starting in 2025, youth girls across Gippsland will have the chance to compete in three dedicated youth age groups:

• Youth Girls Under 15s – Central & East Gippsland: Catering to players in the central and eastern regions, this new age group will create a pathway for girls transitioning from mixed competitions.
• Youth Girls Under 16s – West & South Gippsland: This age group supports the natural progression from the current Under 14s Girls programs in the West Gippsland and Southern Gippsland Junior Football Competitions.
• Youth Girls Under 18s – Gippsland Wide: Continuing in its current format with two divisions, this age group will cater to clubs across the entire region played in a divisional format.

These additions not only broaden participation opportunities but also reinforce our commitment to fostering female football at all levels in the Gippsland region.

Commitment to the AFL Women & Girls Community Football Charter

We are also proud to announce that AFL Gippsland is now a signatory of the AFL Women & Girls Community Football Charter. This commitment reflects our dedication to promoting and supporting the growth of women and girls in football. By joining this charter, we align with a broader effort to create a more inclusive and equitable environment for female athletes, coaches, volunteers, and administrators within our community.

These initiatives underscore our mission to encourage participation, nurture talent, and ensure equal access to the great game of football for women and girls. We are excited to build on this momentum and continue creating pathways that empower the next generation of female footballers in Gippsland.

All Gippsland Clubs are welcome to express their interest in entering teams in the competitions directly to Female Football Gippsland via email at femalefootballgippsland@gmail.com.

A reminder that AFL Gippsland Club Development Lead, Nicole Bertuna, is available to work with Clubs to tailor a plan to put new teams together and the all-important work of supporting the team behind the team, the hard-working club volunteers. Nicole can be contacted on 0499 321 423 or via email at Nicole.Bertuna@afl.com.au.