Play AFL

Since 2016, the Northwest Lightning has been promoting and playing all-girls AFL in the Hornsby and Hills shires. We’re an alliance between the Pennant Hills and Westbrook junior AFL clubs, and play in all age divisions across the AFL Sydney Juniors competition.

Registrations for the 2026 season will open soon!

The AFL Sydney Juniors season runs from April to August, with games played mostly on Sundays, and occasionally Friday evenings. Training is conducted mid-week, with training sessions getting underway from late February.

How do I register?

Because we’re an alliance, you will need to register to play through one of our member clubs – Pennant Hills or Westbrook. Both clubs work together for the Lightning, and share home grounds, coaches and volunteers. We recommend choosing the club that’s nearest to you, or the club that your family already has a connection with. All our girls teams play together as the Northwest Lightning.

We accept NSW Government Active Kids vouchers – make sure you have the voucher code ready to complete your registration and payment.

Are you new to AFL? Do you need more information? 

We’re always up for a chat about the game we love. Whether you have questions about the rules, how the teams train, and our alliance culture, you can make contact with our Lightning Alliance coordinators via email: northwestlightningafl@gmail.com

You can find out more about the Sydney Juniors competition, rules and regulations at the AFL Sydney Juniors website.

The PlayAFL website is also a great resource – with detailed information on junior and youth football.

What age group will my daughter play in?

The AFL Sydney Youth Girls competition is organised by age in two-year groups, with their age on 1 January determining the age group they play in.