According to game development manager AFL NSW (Hunter and Central Coast) Craig Golledge, 1.4 million Australians are participating in AFL programs and competitions.

There are now more than 240,000 players in NSW, an increase of 10 per cent in 2016.

He attributes this increase largely due to the AFL Auskick program based around club, school and community.

“These programs have had record numbers this year and this has had a flow on effect on junior numbers in organised competition,” Golledge said.

He says AFL is a fully-inclusive sport with a number of programs available for all people in the Hunter.

“We’ve got the school Auskick program, high school program based around coaching courses for students, Kinderkick for pre-schoolers, multicultural and indigenous programs and Kickability for students with disabilities.”

Golledge says the region has taken the initiative in promoting AFL among females.

“The AFL women’s competition has been a massive hit but we were proactive in regards to female football before that.”

“In 2014 we started an under-16 female competition, in 2015 a senior women’s competition and this year an under-12s competition.”

“We are also lucky Newcastle has one of the five female academies in the state so we are hopeful of providing elite female footballers to the national league in the future,” he said

Sydney Swans Academy player, 12-year-old Xavier Russell from Lambs Valley says Auskick has allowed him to develop his game.

“I started Auskick as a three-year-old when dad put me in the Maitland Saints,” he said.

“The Auskick program has allowed me to perfect my skills, have fun with my mates and I played at the Swans and Bulldogs game on the SCG at half-time.”

He says more students are playing AFL now than when he first started.

Muswellbrook South Public School recently participated in the Auskick School and the After School program.

Year 2 students Murray Shumack and Connie Bestmann took part in the K-2 program.

“It was good to kick the ball through the posts and learn how to handball,” Murray said.

“It was always fun and very easy to learn the skills,” Connie added.