WA Footy celebrates huge growthWednesday, October 9, 2013 - 10:29 AM

THE West Australian Football Commission has finalised football participation numbers for 2013 at a total of 161,429 participants – an increase of 13.81% on 2012’s 141,835.

The outstanding growth of footy in 2013 has been driven largely by an increase in social and school football programs, including AFL 9s and after-school Auskick centres and the outstanding development work of the WAFL Districts and AFL clubs.

AFL 9s, the new inclusive social version of the game, grew by 180.9% in 2013 from 3007 participants to 8448 and school football competitions grew by 14.8% from 58,000 to 66,560.

Overall, school football participation equated for 41.2% of total participation, with club football making up 53.6% and social football 5.2%.

Club football participants included:

• Auskick - 29,436
• Junior - 24,200
• Youth - 14,925
• Female - 1620
• Senior - 13,675
• Veterans - 1890
• WAFL - 675

School football participants included:

• Male Primary - 32,840
• Female Primary - 7305
• Male Secondary - 19,840
• Female Secondary - 6575

Social football participants included:

• AFL 9s Community - 3278
• AFL 9s Active After School - 5170

Participation was recorded for competitions of six weeks or more only. In addition to player participation, there were 4045 accredited coaches and 1657 accredited umpires and more than 40,000 volunteers in Western Australia in 2013.

WAFC Director of Game Development Warren Nel said the WAFC is now targeting 200,000 participants by the time the new stadium is scheduled for completion at the end of 2017.

“To ensure football’s base grows to support the new stadium, and in turn is supported by better financial outcomes from the new stadium, we are now targeting 200,000 participants by 2017” he said.

“The construction of the new stadium and associated management rights are extremely important for WA football. The WAFC, on behalf of football, will submit a proposal to manage the new stadium so that it can continue generating the funds needed to grow, promote and develop the game at every level across WA.

“To exceed 160,000 participants is a huge milestone for WA football and sees participation now almost double cricket and more than triple soccer,” Mr Nel said.