The Strength of Our Associations, the Scale of our Community and the questions worth asking.

Junior Football in Tasmania

I should also put it out there that I am the President of the Central Region Junior Football Association (CRJFA), and have been for close to a decade.

Much like my journey at South Hobart Football Club, this role began when, once again, I was tapped on the shoulder and asked if I would help. I said yes, thinking it would be a small commitment. It has turned into one of the most meaningful and rewarding roles I’ve ever taken on, and it has given me a deep understanding of just how much work, care and community spirit sits behind junior football in Tasmania.

If you are new to junior football in Tasmania, the first thing you need to know is this.

Our junior football is run not by Football Tasmania, but by volunteer-driven associations who manage thousands of children, hundreds of teams, and an enormous volume of weekly logistics.

These associations, CRJFA, the Eastern Region Junior Soccer Association, the Northern Suburbs Junior Soccer Association, the Northern Tasmanian Junior Soccer Association and the Devonport Junior Soccer Association, are the heartbeat of grassroots football in this state. They are uniquely Tasmanian, deeply community-based, and astonishingly effective.

A Uniquely Tasmanian Model

Unlike every mainland state, where junior players register through clubs and competitions are delivered by the state federation, Tasmania’s junior system grew out of school sport.

That history still shapes the structure today.

Many children play for their school, not a club.

Associations work directly with schools and community clubs.

Competitions prioritise participation, friendships and accessibility.

The atmosphere feels local, warm and familiar, unmistakably Tasmanian.

It is a model that produces extraordinary engagement and keeps football accessible to families of all backgrounds.

But its strength comes from the people who run it.

What Associations Actually Do

To understand the scale of the work, consider what CRJFA delivered in 2025 alone.

3,792 matches played across the winter.

426 teams entered, including 102 all-girls teams, up from 86 in 2024.

413 washed-out matches rescheduled or managed.

Only 32 forfeits, exceptionally low for a competition of this size.

3,750 registered junior players.

560 volunteers registered at CRJFA level, and many more through clubs via Football Tasmania.

Behind the scenes, the administrative load is immense.

In 2025, our Rosters Secretary alone received 18,672 emails between January and September. I also managed the CRJFA phone on match days.

Football Tasmania’s admin team provides valuable help setting up registration categories each year, but everything beyond that point, all the communication, corrections, queries and changes, is handled at association level.

The people keeping junior football running are parents, teachers, helpers, coordinators, club delegates, committee members and community-minded volunteers.

It is easy to forget how much is done by how few.

The Responsibilities Carried at Association Level

Associations are responsible for a long list of practical, weekly tasks.

Creating fixtures and formats.

Managing registrations and team organisation.

Paying council ground hire.

Providing ground rebates.

Employing contractors to prepare fields on match day.

Supplying training balls.

Handling behaviour and disciplinary matters.

Communicating every change, cancellation and update.

Managing social media.

Liaising with councils, schools and clubs.

Maintaining governance, finances and compliance.

Associations also have no ability to directly apply for most government grants. Only a State Sporting Organisation can apply, which means grants must go through Football Tasmania.

Frustrating to say the least.

It is a staggering community effort.

The System Works, and It’s Worth Celebrating

Despite the workload, Tasmania’s junior system is one of the strongest and most community-focused in Australia.

It offers low-cost participation.

It delivers local competition.

It provides school and club pathways.

It accommodates social and competitive options.

It continues to drive tremendous growth in girls’ football.

It creates an environment that prioritises enjoyment and inclusion.

The growth speaks for itself, particularly on the girls’ side.

Moving from 86 to 102 all-girls teams in CRJFA in just one year reflects the work schools, clubs, associations and families are doing to nurture the female game.

And the atmosphere on a Saturday morning, children in their school colours, parents on the sideline with coffees, volunteers setting up grounds in the dark, is something genuinely special.

Where the System Isn’t Perfect

No system is.

One of the biggest challenges comes at the transition point to Under 13, where football shifts from association-based competitions to club-based, Football Tasmania-run youth leagues.

For some families this move is smooth. For others, it can be daunting.

Choosing a club.

Understanding new expectations.

Adjusting to a different competition structure and expense.

Navigating pathways or selection processes.

Balancing social football with more structured team environments.

Tasmania’s school-based junior system is beautiful, but it is different from the national model. That means the transition requires clarity, communication and support.

Associations can do more to help families prepare. Clubs can do more to welcome new players. And Football Tasmania can do more to bridge the gap between community participation and youth pathways.

The Question of Support

In 2026, CRJFA will charge $105 per player, including GST, for 15 rounds of football. The number of games per season varies because of the Easter holiday and when it falls.

It remains an incredibly affordable experience, especially considering what the association provides. Grounds, equipment, communication systems, administration, contractor costs, volunteer honorariums and the thousands of hours required to deliver the competition.

By comparison.

Football Australia receives $18 per junior player.

Football Tasmania receives $28 per junior player.

CRJFA retains $59 less GST, which is $53.64 per player.

That equates to $3.57 per game, per child.

A fair and reasonable question, one rooted in governance rather than criticism, is this.

What support does junior football receive in return?

Because when a system is powered by volunteers delivering nearly 4,000 games a season, questions about resourcing and support are not political. They are practical.

And they matter because the success of Tasmanian football begins right here, at the grassroots, on those cold Saturday mornings where thousands of children discover the joy of the game.

A Community Worth Protecting

Tasmania’s junior associations are one of the great strengths of our football landscape.

They are effective, community-driven, resilient and deeply valued.

They are not perfect. No grassroots system is. But they are extraordinary in what they accomplish with so little.

And if we want junior football to remain strong, inclusive and accessible, we must recognise the work of associations, support volunteers, improve the transition to club football, ask fair questions about where support is needed, and strengthen the partnerships that underpin the game.

Because when associations thrive, junior football thrives.

And when junior football thrives, the whole football ecosystem in Tasmania is stronger for it.