Masters football boom: how 'Auskick for oldies' is saving lives in country Victoria

A new form of Australian Rules football is taking the country by storm, with a growing number of men over 35 flocking to the game for its social benefits and low-key competition. The Victorian Country AFL Masters competition has seen a surge in player numbers, with 819 registered players across 16 teams, up from 441 in 2021.

David O'Brien, a 55-year-old farmer, barrister, and musician, is one of the competition's most ardent advocates. He has played about 860 games in his lifetime, and for the past seven years, all those games have been in Masters football leagues.

"I call it Footy Valhalla," O'Brien says, sitting in a shed of his Great Ocean Road farm. "So, your real footy career was your proper footy career where you're playing for points and where it matters. Don't try and translate that 'rah-rah', high testosterone energy into Masters, it's not really what it's all about."

O'Brien believes that Masters football is more than just a game - it's a way to stay connected with friends and community. "It's an echo of your footy career. What it's designed to do is capture all that off-field stuff — all that mateship, camaraderie, men's mental health," he says.

The competition has seen a significant increase in player numbers, with an 86 per cent jump in five years. Victoria Country AFL Masters president Jason Aspland attributes the growth to education and awareness about the benefits of Masters football. "I think the biggest growth in Masters football across the country — not just Vic Country — is education," he says. "It's learning that Masters football is here, and that there are other options for footballers once they're finished playing Saturday football."

For men in rural areas, who are often at risk of social isolation and mental health issues, Masters football may be a lifeline. Aspland notes that the emphasis on mateship and camaraderie is a key part of the game's appeal. "What I noticed straight away with Masters was the camaraderie," he says. "The group were very much about making sure everybody was having fun."

On a sunny Sunday afternoon, the Ballarat Diggers and the South Coast Sharks took to the field for a game of "six quarters", with a focus on having fun and enjoying each other's company. The game was a far cry from the competitive club footy of younger men's competitions, with an emphasis on participation over performance.

As the game came to a close, the players gathered together, arm-in-arm, in a show of mateship and solidarity. For many, it's a chance to put aside the pressures of everyday life and focus on having a good time with friends.