THE AFL North Coast junior season resumes this weekend as the competition heads towards its finals series.

The Port Macquarie Magpies have been the standout junior club so far this season.

The Port Macquarie Flyers sit undefeated at the top of the Under 12s Mixed ladder, while the Port Macquarie Swoopers side also leads the way in the Under 14s Mixed competition.

The Northern Beaches Blues are at the top of the Youth Girls 14s, while the Bellingen Bulldogs sit undefeated at the top of the Youth Girls 17s ladder.

The combined Northern Beaches/Coffs Harbour team sits at the top of the Under 16s Boys ladder.

The Northern Beaches Blues (Under 12 Mixed), Nambucca Valley Lions (Youth Girls 14s), Port Macquarie Flyers (Under 14s Mixed), Port Macquarie Swoopers (Under 16s Boys), and Northern Beaches/Sawtell Blue Saints (Youth Girls 17s) sit second in their respective competitions.

Last year the AFL North Coast junior competition had a total of 31 teams, and in 2023 that number has jumped to 45, with an increase of 44 percent in the number of girls’ teams.

Competition coordinator Brad Greenshields said the AFL North Coast’s junior competitions were thriving in 2023.

“Teams wise we’ve had a big increase as we’ve gone from having 31 last year, to 45 this year,” he said.

“A lot of that has to do with the Youth Girls, which has increased by 33 percent from last year.

“Every Sunday between Yamba and Port Macquarie we have 20 games on, which is impressive.”

Two new junior clubs have joined the competition; the Lower Clarence Suns and North Coffs Kangaroos, as part of ten clubs playing off on footy grounds from Yamba in the north to Port Macquarie in the south.

The AFL North Coast junior season resumes this Sunday.

By Aiden BURGESS