Lance Franklin says more AFL support is needed to address declining Indigenous participation rates

From record highs to concerning lows in just five years, is the AFL doing enough to correct declining Indigenous participation rates? One of the game’s greats Lance Franklin has his say.

Former Sydney and Hawthorn superstar Lance Franklin believes even more support can be shown to First Nations players around the AFL as the competition attempts to address declining Indigenous participation rates.

The number of Indigenous players in the AFL is declining year on year, down from a record of 87 in 2020 to just 62 at the start of this season. It’s clearly an area for concern with draft concessions, extra list spots and pathway investment among the potential tools that could be introduced to address the drop.

And Franklin, who will go down as one of the game’s greatest-ever Indigenous players, is adamant that ensuring First Nations players feel supported is a key part of fixing the problem.

Lance Franklin, middle, with Michael O’Loughlin and Adam Goodes. Picture: Phil Hillyard

“I think the AFL’s incredible with what they do with the Indigenous players,” Franklin said. “And I think we’ve got to continue to wrap our arms around all the Aboriginals across Australia and continue to grow the game because obviously the participation has gone down.

“But how exciting are they, really? To be honest with you, they’re some of the best players in Australia, so we want to continue to get grassroots all the way through and get as many Aboriginal players playing our great game.”

The AFL’s $1 billion investment into game development over the next decade will help address some of the concerns, but it’s clear that part of the issue is about creating an environment that Indigenous players want to be a part of.

However, Franklin has seen first-hand the ability for Aussie rules to take big strides in areas where it hasn’t traditionally been strong.

Indigenous participation numbers in the AFL have dropped dramatically in the past five years from 87 to 62. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

Franklin is an ambassador for the AFL’s Superkick program which is a new pathway to help young kids into the sport in a non-contact environment. Picture: Brett Costello

When he first arrived at the Swans at the end of 2013, he was surprised by the level of participation in the sport in NSW. But over the past 10 years, as well as in his time living on the Gold Coast post-retirement, he has been encouraged by the ability of Aussie rules to cut through.

“When I first got to Sydney, the participation was probably a little bit down, and it is growing,” Franklin said.

“I think the fact that the Academy, the Swans and GWS Academies, play huge parts in the growth of the game. I think in Queensland, that can still continue to grow, and there’s no doubt it will. The participation’s absolutely through the roof, and it’ll continue to grow forever.”

Franklin has teamed up with the AFL as an ambassador for their new AFL Superkick program, which celebrated a record of 23,000 participants this week. The modified version of the game is for children aged seven to 12, is non-contact and is designed to work on skills before prioritising actual match play.

NSW has been at the forefront of the growth of the program, with 250 Superkick centres around the state, and registrations from the region now accounting for more than 28 per cent of participants nationally.

“It’s huge and it’s growing,” Franklin said. “This is the second year running Superkick and it continues to grow.

“It’s for kids that are new to the game, and it’s all about having fun. That’s what it’s about. Having a kick, playing games, obviously no tackling, which if you’re new to the game is a big thing too.”

Originally published as Lance Franklin says more AFL support is needed to address declining Indigenous participation rates