Page 4 - AFL QUEENSLAND 2013 YEAR IN REVIEW

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2013 proved to be another big year for football in Queensland with highlights including:
✏ Total participation reached 157,704 – up 8.5% on 2012
✏ Queensland recorded the largest AFL school participation in Australia with over 100,00 Primary and Secondary students
✏ Seven Queenslanders were selected in the first AFL female draft
✏ The Gold Coast was again centre-stage for NAB AFL Draft week with a week long program of events
✏ The $13.5 million dollar Burpengary Regional Sport Park – AFL Precinct opened
✏ In Season 2013, there were 45 Queenslanders on AFL Club lists
✏ Over 8,000 fans turned out to Townsville’s first AFL NAB Cup match between
the Gold Coast SUNS and the North Melbourne Kangaroos
✏ ‘Hub’ model was introduced for program delivery
✏ Townsville shone again in April, hosting the National KickStart Championships
✏ Over $40 million of infrastructure projects were completed
✏ The $5 million AFL Cape York House education and boarding facility for Indigenous youth was officially opened
✏ The Gold Coast SUNS took out three major awards with captain Gary Ablett claiming the 2013 Brownlow Medal, Jaeger O’Meara the NAB AFL Rising Star and Zac Smith the Jim Stynes Community Leadership Award
✏ The third season of the North East Australian Football League (NEAFL) saw the Brisbane Lions Reserves storm home to take out their second straight NEAFL premiership, defeating the Sydney Swans Reserves by nine points.
✏ The Brisbane Lions and Gold Coast SUNS reserves teams faced off in the inaugural Mackay ANZAC Day NEAFL Clash in front of 4,000 fans.
✏ Our Northern Rivers team took up residence at the Byron Bay Sports and Cultural Complex
✏ 11 Queensland players were added to AFL club lists for season 2014
✏ The third Richmond vs. Gold Coast SUNS match at Cazaly’s Stadium in Cairns attracted a crowd of 11,197
✏ The Bachar Houli and Diversity Cups were premiered in South East Queensland
✏ An Under 6 club program was launched across Brisbane
✏ Volunteers Michael ‘Tiger’ McCormick and John Durkin received AFL Merit Awards for services to the game
✏ The NEAFL U22 side defeated SANFL U20 in Adelaide
✏ Cairns’ hosted the Women’s National Championships; the first time the event had been held outside a capital city
✏ The Kinderkick motor skills
program for children aged 3 to 5 was piloted across Brisbane and the Gold Coast
✏ AFL Queensland, the Gold Coast SUNS and Brisbane Lions delivered AFL Community Camps in Townsville, Toowoomba and the Sunshine Coast
✏ QClash6 in Round 15 attracted a crowd of 27,170 – the largest crowd at the Gabba in 2013
✏ The NEAFL Northern Conference held its first player Combine
MICHAEL CONLAN
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER AFL QUEENSLAND
EXECUTIVE REPORT