New women’s competition coming to Aussie rules in Mackay for 2025

The AFL Mackay 2025 calendar has been unveiled, here’s what you need to know about Mackay’s new youth girls competition that’s ready to take the competition by storm.

Bakers Creek Tigers Women's team was victorious in the AFL Mackay 2024 grand finals. Picture: Daniel McLean

The AFL Mackay calendar for 2025 has been announced, with some huge news surrounding the expansion of the local women’s competition in the region.

With the introduction of the under-16.5 youth girls age bracket, the league has attempted to close the gap between the senior women’s competition and the previous oldest junior competition (under-14 mixed).

AFL Mackay Competition Manager Harry Hannaford said the new grade would allow older girls to have a stand-alone junior competition before they reached senior women’s.

“You’re only eligible for the senior women’s competition in Mackay once you hit 16. Prior to this the last junior age bracket they could compete in was under-14s mixed,” he said.

“It allows that transition out of mixed football which is now under-13.5s, into a youth girls comp.

“This is the first youth girls competition we will have ever had in Mackay, and it will mean a smooth transition from Auskick right the way through the juniors and on to the seniors.

“It resolves the issue that we had of some of the girls no longer qualifying for under-14s mixed but also not being eligible for senior footy yet, so they had to miss out for a year.”

Hannaford said Mackay has seen a dramatic increase in its level of participation in AFLQ Schools Cups, with a 35% increase being the second-highest of any region in the state.

Eastern Swans vs North Mackay Saints in the AFL Mackay 2024 grand final at Bakers Creek. Picture: Daniel McLean Photography

Grand final changes

The calendar announcement also came with a significant change to the finals structure in Mackay, with the junior grand finals to be held a week before the senior grand finals.

It’s a departure from prior years which has caused some debate on social media, but Hannaford said it was a necessary step for the league to take.

“It’s purely because we now have four youth grades in the competition,” he said.

“Six grades is pretty much the maximum we can allow, purely because of lights and presentation requirements.

“It also allows us to expand grand finals to clubs which may not have match-standard lights. It means we can host grand finals at pretty much every club if we need to.”

Harry Kerry manages to clear a kick in an U10's match for Bakers creek Tigers. Mackay and District Junior AFL Carnival, August 7, 2022. Picture: Marty Strecker

Junior expansions

The age brackets for the youngest level of football has been adjusted to under-9.5 and under-11.5 mixed, which will continue to play at Harrup Park on Friday evenings.

“We play all our junior footy at Harrup, and we’ve seen a massive increase across all our junior age brackets to the point where we’ve already expanded to two fields and might have to go to three,” he said.

“Our juniors will begin after that April holidays and Easter period which allows that transition from Auskick Club footy into the junior competitions.”

For more info on your nearest club and registrations, head to https://play.afl/club-finder-map.