NTJFA introduces new under-10 competition to help address drop out rates

Tasmanian football officials have made a key move to address “ significant dropout rates” among junior players with the introduction of a new competition. See the details.

Eve Muir Wilson, Adelaide White, and Hannah Lovell. Photo: AFL Tasmania.

Tasmanian football officials have moved quickly to address a drop off in female players at a young age with the introduction of a new program.

A partnership between AFL Tasmania and the Northern Tasmanian Junior Football Association (NTJFA) is set to deliver a new under-10 girls pilot competition in Launceston from mid-February.

The new league will see teams compete over five weeks under modified rules including smaller teams, 10-minute quarters and no tackling.

Officials have made the move on the back of the NTJFA’s decision to move its under-11s competition to under-12s for the 2025 season.

“Introducing this earlier all-girls offering with modified rules allows for a more gradual transition for girls participating in Auskick and Superkick into structured football,” AFL Tasmania’s women and girls community football lead Sophie Wheeler said.

“This will help to minimise the gap between under-11s and under-14s, where we have seen significant dropout rates for girls in previous seasons.

“These adjustments will provide girls in the North with more ways to engage in our great game at a level that aligns to their abilities and experience.”

NTJFA president Josh Nast said he was buoyed by the announcement as his competition aims to continue growing female participation.

“Since our first official girls’ competition in 2016, we’ve seen steady growth of girls playing AFL in the NTJFA,” he said.

“In fact, numbers have tripled since 2016, and female participation is now at 620 girls which represents 30 per cent of all participants in our competition.

“This provides the clearest indication that our girls just want to play the game we all love. This under-10 competition will provide a much-needed introductory pathway to young girls who are looking to play AFL in a competition setting for the first time.”