Page 14 - AFL QUEENSLAND 2013 YEAR IN REVIEW

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It was another successful year for the NAB AFL Auskick program in Queensland with 25,744 (26,913 including Northern Rivers) children participating at centres all across the state. The program continues to grow with Queensland recording an increase on 2012. From a national perspective, 172,592 children participated at NAB AFL Auskick centres all across the country.
A state-wide focus for the year was to see strong growth in the club-based Auskick centres through the number of children introduced to a club environment as part of the NAB AFL Auskick program.
Growing the volunteer network was crucial in the success of this initiative and with the time and effort our club volunteers donated around the state, Queensland was able to coordinate 113 club-based Auskick centres, up from 70 last year. 3,732 children participated at these centres; an increase of more than 1,500 on last year.
Queensland experienced significant growth in the number of females participating at Auskick centres, with over 7,000 girls enrolled throughout the state. This represented 27% of our total participants, one of the highest in the country.
Regional staff established new centres with
a significant focus towards Indigenous, multicultural, female and disadvantaged children; increasing the opportunity for all children across the state to become an Auskicker.
The program provided over 2,500 Auskickers with the opportunity to take part in the NAB AFL Auskick half-time activities at either the Gabba or Metricon Stadium during season 2013. Kids from areas such as Gladstone, Longreach, Mackay, Clermont, Wide Bay, and Toowoomba were given the opportunity to enjoy this experience.
NAB continued its tremendous support of the Auskick program in 2013 and one of its major competitions, the NAB Auskicker of the Year, produced some very exciting results for a
few lucky Queenslanders.
Nominees Yuvraj Singh, Cooper Wojcik and Finnegan Neighbour were all
given the opportunity to attend the Toyota AFL Grand Final and present premiership medallions to Hawthorn players.
Paul Simpson from the Springwood
Pumas was selected as Queensland’s 2013 NAB AFL Auskick Volunteer of the Year. Paul, along with six other state winners, was given a money can’t buy experience to Melbourne during the 2013 AFL Finals series.
NAB’s support here in Queensland has continued to grow with involvement in events such as
the annual Mackay Auskick Super Clinic and Sunshine Coast Auskick Gala Day along with some new initiatives through holiday camps in the Brisbane region and our season launch in Brisbane.
NAB AFL Auskick Ambassador Shane Crawford visited Queensland three times during the
year, heading to Mackay, the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane, giving hundreds of Queensland Auskickers the chance to meet our ambassador and showcase their skills.
DAVID NOONAN AUSKICK COORDINATOR
NAB AFL AUSKICK