What age groups are available for girls, and how old do I have to be to start?

Question

Accepted Answer

AFL community football age groups run from Under 8 to Under 19, then Seniors. The national handbook does not set separate girls' groups, so girls play in the same age groups as boys: mixed teams or girls-only teams up to Under 14, and girls' competitions from then on (see the mixed teams question below).

To play in a competition you must be 7 years old by a set date in the playing year, which depends on your state or territory:

Tasmania: 1 January
South Australia and Victoria: 30 April
Northern Territory, Queensland and Western Australia: 30 June
Australian Capital Territory and New South Wales: 31 July

The 2019 AFL National Female Community Football Guidelines recommend that leagues run single-age groups for each year level in junior and youth girls' competitions where possible, and two-year groups where the girls' pathway is still developing. What your league actually offers is its own decision.

Source: AFL National Community Football Policy Handbook, February 2026, Section 3.1.