The Australian Government and the AFL today announced a partnership that will see the AFL’s newest form of the game, ‘AFL 9’s’, introduced nationally through Australian schools and childcare centres via the Australian Sports Commission’s Active After-School Communities program.

Federal Sports Minister Kate Lundy joined Brisbane Lions players Matthew Leuenberger and Josh Drummond and primary school students from Ascot PCYC  at the Gabba to launch the partnership.

“The Active After-School Communities (AASC) program is the perfect platform to promote the new AFL 9s game and encourage young kids to get active and participate in sport,” Senator Lundy said.

“The AASC program has been instrumental in building greater participation rates among primary school aged children and it is great to have the AFL on board.”

The AFL’s General Manager of International and National Development, Andrew Dillon, sees the partnership as a great boost for the new form of the game.

“AFL 9s is a great vehicle for the Active After School Communities program, providing an easily accessible form of the game to children at all development stages,” Dillon said.

“The partnership will allow for a uniform program to be rolled out nationally and already over 400 schools have requested the program for terms 3 and 4 this year – translating to over 12,000 new AFL 9s participants.”

The Australian Government’s Active After-school Communities (AASC) program is a national initiative that provides primary school children with access to sport and other structured physical activity programs in the after-school time slot of 3.00pm to 5.30pm.

The program aims to engage traditionally inactive children in sport and other structured physical activities and through a positive and fun experience, develop a love of sport that inspires them to join a local sporting club.