Grassroots sport in Bendigo bucks national trend as amateur leagues see record registration

Bendigo's amateur sport leagues have posted a collective 14 per cent increase in registered players over the past 12 months, defying a national downturn in grassroots participation reported by the Australian Sports Commission in its March 2026 census.

The numbers, collated by the City of Greater Bendigo's recreation unit, show that as of June 30, more than 8,200 adults and juniors are registered across the Bendigo Netball Association, Bendigo Amateur Soccer League and the Bendigo Football Netball League. That figure represents the highest total since the council began centralised tracking in 2019.

The surge comes at a time when Australia's elite teams are struggling, the Wallabies lost again overnight to France in the Nations Championship, extending their losing streak. But in Bendigo, the story is different. Club administrators point to a combination of targeted funding and local advocacy as the fuel behind the growth.

Local programs driving numbers

The largest single jump came in the Bendigo Netball Association, which added 340 players after launching a 'Come and Try' program at the Bendigo Stadium on Upper Road, in partnership with the Bendigo Community Health Services. The program offered free six-week blocks for women aged 25 to 40, a demographic that had been steadily declining since 2021.

At the Epsom-Huntly Football Netball Club, president Michael Regan (a local accountant who declined to be named) told the club's AGM last month that junior registrations had hit 220, up from 172 in 2025. The club runs training sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Epsom Recreation Reserve on Midland Highway, and has been using a state government 'Active Kids' voucher program introduced in February 2026 that covers up to $200 per child per season.

Bendigo Amateur Soccer League, based at the Ewing Park complex on Woodward Road, reported a 22 per cent jump in under-12s participation. League secretary Sarah Tran told the local football association's quarterly meeting that the growth has put pressure on available field space, with some Saturday morning matches now kicking off at 7:30 a.m. to fit in all the games.

What happens next

The council's recreation manager, who asked not to be named for this story, confirmed that the City of Greater Bendigo is now preparing a 'Sport and Active Recreation Strategy 2027-32' to be released for public consultation in October 2026. The strategy will tackle the issue of field capacity at sites like the Bendigo Regional Park on Retreat Road and the Strathfieldsaye Recreation Reserve on Whalans Road.

A key item on the agenda is a proposed $1.8 million lighting upgrade at Ewing Park, which would allow evening training sessions for soccer and netball to run until 10 p.m. The upgrade is partly funded by a $600,000 grant from Sport and Recreation Victoria, announced in April 2026.

For families looking to join a local club, the registration window for the spring season opens on August 1 across all three leagues. Fees range from $80 for Under-8s netball to $320 for senior men's football. Those interested can find details on the City of Greater Bendigo's website or by visiting the offices of the Bendigo Sports Centre on Mitchell Street.