A POWERHOUSE club is set to join AFL North Coast’s senior competitions in 2023.

The Byron Bay Magpies will be joining the senior men’s and women’s competitions for next year’s AFL North Coast season.

The Magpies have recently played in AFL Queensland’s Queensland Football Association (QFA) and QFAW, with the women’s team coming off a premiership win after being triumphant in the QFAW Division 2 South grand final.

Formed in 1984, the Magpies have a storied history having won the most premierships in the history of the Summerland Australian Football League/QFA Northern Rivers competition, with 16 premierships.

The Magpies played matches against AFL North Coast teams in 2016 and 2017.

Community Football and Competition Manager ‑ Northern NSW Paul Taylor said he was excited to see the addition of the Magpies next season.

“This is a momentous day for AFL North Coast,” he said.

“Through Byron, we increase our Senior men’s and women’s competition to seven eligible teams, which will give our players the chance to compete against different people and different teams in new locations.

“I’m excited about welcoming Byron into our ranks and can’t wait to see how they perform in 2023.

“The clubs in our competition are also enthusiastic about getting the opportunity to play a new team, particularly one based in one of the world’s leading holiday destinations.”

The Magpies will be the fifth club to join AFL North Coast’s senior ranks in five seasons, following the addition of the Northern Beaches Blues in 2019, Nambucca Valley Lions in 2020, and Lismore Swans and Casino Lions in 2021.

By Aiden BURGESS