How many people play Aussie Rules in Sydney

[humphrey bear]

I noticed in Caroline Wilsons Article about AFL in Sydney the AFL stated that there are 60 000 registered players in Sydney and they wish to have 100000 by 2010.

I am tring to calculate where all these players are.

SFL 9 clubs (I will include Wollongong even though it is not in sydney) 120 players. Total 1080 players.

SFA Div 1 8 clubs 120 players each. Total 960

SFA Div 2 12 clubs 40 players each Total 480.(many of these players will be double counted)

Masters 300 players.

Even if i am generous and give them 3000 that still leaves 57000 juniors.

Now lets say that we play every age group from U/8 to U/17 without any kids doubling up , which we dont, that is 5700 players in every age group.

Or put another way that is 190 teams of 30 in every single age group.

I have obviously made a mistake. Can someone please advise me where all the players come from. Surely they dont count all the kids who turn up to one off clinics and the like.

[floppinab]

Re: How many people play Aussie Rules in Sydney

Originally posted by humphrey bear

Even if i am generous and give them 3000 that still leaves 57000 juniors.

Now lets say that we play every age group from U/8 to U/17 without any kids doubling up , which we dont, that is 5700 players in every age group.

Or put another way that is 190 teams of 30 in every single age group.

I have obviously made a mistake. Can someone please advise me where all the players come from. Surely they dont count all the kids who turn up to one off clinics and the like.

Nailed it in one my mute mate!!

Firstly when we say Sydney always read Greater Sydney (Wollongong, Mountains, Central Coast AND Newcastle).

There are ....... I heard the number last night, I think 67 junior clubs in Sydney. I reckon average 200 players per club, even generous 250, thats around 17000 players. There are a lot in the Paul Kelly and Roos cups for U12's but it's hard to see 40 000 more.
No doubt they include those that sign up for the 3 day clinics etc. These numbers are always a bit of an in-joke.

[william wallace]

These numbers sound ridiculous. I was told once by an AFL NSW/ACT official that they only count kids who have signed up to a program that lasts at least 6 weeks.

[ROK Lobster]

When we lived in the Southern Highlands we had about 70 kids registered at Auskick. Mostly about 20-30 turned up, sometimes 40. I think they also run Auskick programmes in some schools for a term or so. There's another 200 or so per school. I'm sure the number add up, you just have to know where to get them from.

[floppinab]

You're right ROK, but to suggest that a kid signing up for a 3/4, even a 6 week, 1 hour per week program, is playing AFL, when most likely they are playing another code for the full winter, is stretching it a lot.

[Pekay]

There certainly isnt an abundance of player numbers out my way!!!

[Coastal Boy]

Lets approach this numbers idea by looking at the number of AFL grounds there are. Lets say each ground holds 5 matches a weekend at 44 players per game. Thats 220 players. There would have to be 100 grounds to get 22,000 players and if you take into account when teams play away their ground is left idle thats closer to 200 grounds.

I dont know the size of Sydney but that would mean an AFL ground per suburb. ECE were travelling miles last year to get a ground.

What would be the real figure without Auskick players in it???? I still think it would be only 10% of players in any of the other sports: soccer, league, cricket and basketball.

[Anonymous]

Long time listener, first time caller............

humphrey bear,

I'm suprised you haven't picked up on the rumour that the ECE are harbouring some huge numbers at training; I think Caroline Wilson must have been in contact with the Eagles propaganda machine and that is the reason for the inflated figures she has reported.

On another note, has Mark Powell been spotted pulling on the boots for any clubs as yet?

[westcoast9294]

Caroline Wilson is being a bit loose with the truth.
Official 2005 AFL figures for NSW AND the ACT =61,273
By the way QLD has overtaken NSW in numbers =62,599

No breakdown yet on the figures on the AFL site. Will be up there soon

Another journo who does not do their homework.

[floppinab]

riiiggghhttttt, so pull out the masses in the ACT and Riverina, and a few more from the North and South Coast and we would have a slightly different number for "Greater Sydney".

Perhaps not "doing her homework" but "accidently/on purpose" not including the full picture.