The AFL has announced a $8 million partnership with the Queensland Government in an effort to support new community AFL facilities.

As part of the partnership, the AFL will match the Queensland Government’s Grand Final Infrastructure Legacy funding dollar for dollar.

Queensland minister for sport, Stirling Hinchcliffe, said the partnership was an extension of the successful hosting of the 2020 AFL Grand Final at the Gabba in Brisbane.

“Last year, Queensland played a critical role in helping the AFL deliver the 2020 Premiership season during the COVID pandemic and made history at the Gabba as the first ever AFL Premiership Grand Final played outside of Melbourne,” Hinchliffe said.

“The AFL Grand Final Infrastructure Legacy, matched dollar for dollar by the league, has created an $8 million pipeline of funding to support community AFL clubs to upgrade their facilities and grow the game in Queensland.

“Since 2014, we’ve seen a huge shift with girls and women now making up 42% of AFL players on ovals across Queensland, so it’s important that we work together to make sure facilities can be used by everybody.

“The AFL Grand Final Infrastructure Legacy makes new funding available for female-friendly changerooms, new ovals, upgrades to existing fields and lighting, and is open to community clubs, schools and local councils.

“One of the lessons from COVID is community sport, like AFL, is more important than ever for bringing Queenslanders together, staying healthy and connected with their community,” he said.

AFL CEO, Gillon McLachlan, said having good facilities was key to helping clubs attract and retain players.

“More Queenslanders are participating in AFL than ever before with 53% growth in participation since 2014,” McLachlan said.

“Across Queensland, more females are playing footy than ever with female participation increasing by 48% since 2014, yet in some regional areas just over one quarter of venue facilities are female friendly and less than 45% have adequate lighting,

“We are an inclusive sport, our female pathways now run from Auskick through to the elite game and we need to continue to improve this imbalance while delivering new greenspace in areas where growth is occurring.

“It doesn’t matter if your club is in Cairns, Coorparoo or Coolangatta, we want to deliver you the best facilities possible so everyone can have the best possible experience.

“Off the back of the historic year that saw Queensland become the unofficial home of the AFL, it’s fantastic to be partnering with the Queensland Government on this initiative which will deliver benefits to many clubs over the coming years.

“We want to see as many young people as possible playing the game and as we head towards the start of the junior footy season, the AFL is giving every junior participant who signs up to play club footy in 2021 a free footy.

“It’s part of our ongoing commitment to leave a lasting legacy it’s our way of saying thanks Queensland.

“On behalf of the AFL, I want to again say thank you to Premier Palaszczuk and the Queensland Government who supported our game through its most challenging year and are continuing to partner with us in providing the Queensland community the best opportunity to play and be involved in footy,” he said.