Grassroots Australian rules football participation in Victoria has reached a new high, driven largely by a significant increase in female involvement, according to recent figures from the Australian Football League (AFL). For the first time, the total number of boys and girls playing Auskick in the state surpassed 50,000 this year, highlighting a surge in community engagement with the sport.
Victorian Auskick participation climbed to 51,734 in 2026, marking a 6 percent rise from the previous year. Girls now make up about one in five participants, with their numbers rising from 10,198 in 2025 to 12,136—a 19 percent increase. In contrast, the number of boys playing remained relatively steady at 39,520.
AFL game development executive general manager Rob Auld noted the exceptional growth in female participation. “We’re particularly encouraged by the continued growth in girls’ participation, with more girls than ever getting involved and having fun together,” he said. He also pointed to strong gains in related areas, including school-based Auskick programs, which grew 37 percent, and AFL-staffed Auskick centres, which saw a 26 percent increase in numbers.
One notable story among the rising ranks of female participants is that of seven-year-old Sloane, who took part in Westmeadows Football Club’s Auskick program while proudly wearing an Essendon jumper. She became the official 50,000th Victorian Auskicker this year, with players from the AFLW Essendon team joining her and her teammates in celebration at training.
Westmeadows Auskick coordinator Liana Keenan highlighted the rapid rise in female participation at her club, where girls now comprise around 25 percent of the roughly 100 participants. “When I first started running it about seven years ago, we might have had maybe three or four girls, to be honest,” Keenan said. “So, yeah, we’re really well supported.”
Keenan attributed much of this growth to expanding pathways and opportunities for girls in football. She pointed to milestone celebrations such as the 10-year anniversaries of the AFLW and women’s leagues in local football as key sources of inspiration, providing role models for younger players. “Having great female ambassadors at local football clubs is really important,” she said. “When junior girls can see women achieving and taking on leadership roles—like coaches or presidents—it shows them what is possible.”
The AFL views the milestone of more than 50,000 Auskickers in Victoria as a positive indicator of the sport’s health at the grassroots level and a promising sign for the future of Australian rules football across the state.