AFL set to spend $1 billion with aim of having one million participants

The AFL is poised to spend $1 billion during the next decade in a push to ensure one million people across Australia are playing the sport — see exclusive details on what its plan involves.

The AFL is set to spend $1 billion across the next decade in an effort to fast-track more people signing up to play footy.

In a major push to double the number of registered participants by 2033, the AFL will increase funding into traditional NRL states New South Wales and Queensland, but remain fully committed to financially supporting the heartland football states of Victoria, Tasmania, South Australian and Western Australia as well as the territories.

The $1 billion war chest for the next decade is aimed at getting one million signed-up participants, almost double the 526,000 currently registered.

Charlotte Capes, Josie Capes, Bella Wadham, Ben Wadham and Jake Austin from Moore Park Tigers. Picture: Phil Hillyard

AFL officials are confident that the unprecedented level of expenditure at community level will set the code up nationally for generations, with a goal of extending the game’s reach into every home in the country.

It follows an AFL Commission pledge in August 2022 to enshrine an investment of 10 per cent of industry revenue back into game development and community football.

the $1b will be spend on initiatives including:

● Constructing new ovals and facilities and increasing capacities.

● Rolling out modified versions of the game to attract new markets including diverse communities.

● Boosting women’s participation from 27 per cent to 50 per cent.

● Retaining juniors from the age of six to ten, to make up for impact of Covid from 2020 and 2021.

● Helping regional clubs with planning, funding, volunteering and grant applications.

● Assisting the expansion hub in Western Sydney to drive greater fan engagement for GWS, Sydney Swans, Brisbane Lions and Gold Coast.

The AFL has plans to spend big in NRL heartland such as Queensland. Picture: AAP Image/Renae Droop

AFL chief executive officer Andrew Dillon said the investment was critical to the code’s future success and was a key plank of the league’s planning across the next decade.

“The heartbeat of our game is at the community and grassroots level,” Mr Dillon said.

“A strong community game supports the elite AFL and AFLW competitions, while a strong AFL and AFLW game helps fund and support the community.

“Ultimately we (the AFL) need to ensure we continue to help build local football around the country with the goal of getting football in every home.”

AFL boss Andrew Dillon and general manager of football Laura Kane.

AFL executive general manager of Game Development Rob Auld said the challenge of pushing for 1 million registered participants was a lofty target, but stressed it was achievable with the level of planning and investment undertaken.

“We want everyone to love our game and to find their place in our game, and we don’t want that to be limited by postcodes or by borders or by culture, age, gender or race,” Mr Auld said.

He said New South Wales and Queensland were “critical growth markets” to increase per capita participation and fans, saying the rich population bases of both states were important to keep tapping into.

Part of that is capitalising on the record growth in Queensland off the back of the 2020 Covid season, while the AFL will implement a 10-region plan for Greater Sydney with programs designed to tailor each growth area.

But he stressed traditional football states like Victoria would also be big beneficiaries of the funding.

He said that AFL clubs had embraced the investment in the northern states, as he praised big Victorian clubs Collingwood, Richmond, Melbourne and Carlton for volunteering to be a part of the inaugural Opening Round, which will see four games played in New South Wales and Queensland early next month to kick off the 2024 season.