Revealed: How much Victorians are being charged for junior sport

Forking out over $1000 a season per child really adds up — but we’ve revealed some of the clubs you can bag a bargain at, and the surprising sport that’s come out as the cheapest.

Mentone footy and cricket kids Fletcher Gardner and Darcy Arnott. The club has kept prices down to $140 a season for cricket. Picture: Jason Edwards

Some parents are forking out over $1000 a season for their 11-year-olds to play soccer.

Soccer is the most expensive sport for juniors to sign up to, while tennis is the cheapest, a Herald Sun investigation of nine sports has uncovered.

Under-12 registration fees across the sports ranged from zero to over $1000.

Werribee City FC charges $800 for an under-12 to register in its National Premier League program, and that is not the dearest sign-up fee in suburban soccer.

But NPL-aligned clubs offer elite coaching and a pathway to top-level soccer for the most talented kids, which is why mum and dad pay a premium. Fees of $300-$400 are more typical for under-12s playing soccer in non-NPL setups.

Football Victoria CEO Peter Filopoulos said individual clubs set their own annual fees for players at all age levels (including Football Victoria and Football Federation Australia registration costs) and priced those fees according to each club’s unique needs.

“For 12-18-year-olds in metropolitan areas, the total registration cost is $88 (Football Victoria is $74 and Football Federation Australia is $14),” he said.

“In regional Victoria for 12-18-year-olds, the total registration cost is $36 (Football Victoria is $22 and Football Federation Australia is $14).”

Mentone footy and cricket kids Fletcher Gardner and Darcy Arnott with Beaumaris cricket and footy kids Harry Arendarcikas and Will Haydn-Evans. Their clubs are among the cheapest for fees. Picture: Jason Edwards

He said different clubs offered a range of different programs (such as program length, number of training sessions and touch points, intensity etc) which would also affect pricing.

Despite the costs associated with playing soccer, it remained the most popular participation sport among junior ranks, and will need 200 new pitches by 2022 and 420 more by 2026 to keep up with demand.

Tennis fees were the lowest, with junior members of Frankston Tennis Club paying just $60.

Anne Baldwin, who has been secretary at the club for about 30 years, said the low cost acted as an incentive to keep members around and attract new tennis players.

“That’s our plan, to get the people in and playing tennis, that’s what we want to do, it’s our number one aim,” she said.

The cheapest junior sports club that the Herald Sun could find was Pascoe Vale Central Cricket Club, which doesn’t charge a cent for registration.

President Paul McCann said it was made possible by not paying senior players and all the club’s earnings going back into the club.

“We’re trying to encourage as many juniors to take up the game as possible, because I have a fear for junior cricket that it is actually starting to fade away,” he said.

“We don’t charge any fees to encourage juniors to take up the game. I prefer any money we have coming into the club to subsidise them (juniors).

“It’s our little bit to try and encourage cricket and it doesn’t cost a great deal.”

Michael Arnott, whose son Darcy plays cricket at Mentone Cricket Club, said he couldn’t believe the cost of other sports compared to cricket.

“Mentone keeps it down to a bare minimum, so $140 gives you a cap, it goes towards a new ball each game and the club kit,” Mr Arnott said.

“You sit back and you go ‘well I can’t find cricket for any cheaper than that’. No one ever complains at the club about it being too dear to play the sport.

“With soccer, all the coaches are paid, but all football (Aussie rules) and cricket (coaches) are just volunteers, they’re just parents.”

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Mr Arnott’s younger son plays field hockey, which was found to be the second most expensive sport.

While Hockey Australia’s “Hookin2Hockey” program is dirt cheap ($85) for kids 10-years-and-under, the price dramatically rises for an under-12 player, with most clubs charging $300 or more.

Aussie rules was the third most costly sport to play, with clubs charging about $230 for under-12s to register.

Strathmore was found to be the priciest club, charging its under-12s $550 a season, while Lorne was the cheapest at $75.

Basketball wasn’t far off Aussie rules, coming in fourth and charging about $220 a season, while Baseball followed at about $180 a season.

Netball ($170), cricket (about $160), rugby ($140) and tennis (about $105) rounded out the investigation.