Play On in 2026 – School to Club AFL Pathways!
If you’ve been enjoying AFL at school, we’d like to invite you to continue your footy career with the Northwest Lightning. Registration for the 2026 season is open with some age restrictions.
The AFL Sydney Juniors competition stars on 19 April 2026 and runs through to Grand Finals in early September. Games are played on Sundays (occasionally Friday nights) with the home and away competition taking teams to locations across Sydney.
With strong connections to local schools, experienced coaches and multiple player pathways, the Northwest Lightning is your local all-girls AFL team – where you can continue your football journey.
Teams now training
Want to find out more?
Contact us:
northwestlightningafl@gmail.com
How do I register?
We’re an alliance between the Pennant Hills and Westbrook junior AFL clubs – so your registration will be completed through one of the two clubs. You can find links below to complete the process through the AFL’s online platform PlayHQ.
About the Northwest Lightning
We’ve been working together as the Northwest Lightning since 2016, making us Sydney’s longest-running and most successful all-girls AFL alliance. We share our coaches and volunteers, and our home grounds at Pennant Hills and Cherrybrook. If you’re not sure which club to sign up with, we recommend choosing the one that’s nearest to you, or that you already have a connection with. All our girls teams play together as the Northwest Lightning.
New to AFL?
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 club competition is organised by age in two-year bands by year of birth. In 2026, we will field at teams in each age group. In some circumstances, players can join an older age group subject to club approval and competition rules. Let us know if you need to discuss this in more detail!
| Age group in 2026 | YG9 | YG11 | YG13 | YG15 | YG17
registration |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year of birth | 2017 or 2018 | 2015 or 2016 | 2013 or 2014 | 2011 or 2012 | 2009 or 2010 |
