Helping kids kick off a love of footy from a young age, the Gungahlin Jets Juniors are a grassroots community club offering kids aged five years and above the chance to learn about the exciting world of AFL.

The club runs an AusKick Rookie program and fields teams in AusKick Pro (Under 8s), all the way up to Under 17s. There is a place for every child to develop their skills at the Jets, with opportunities to join boys’, girls’ and mixed teams.

Canberran James Risbey, Junior President of the Gungahlin Jets Football Club, is a volunteer coach at the club. As a long-time football fan himself, James has witnessed the benefits of youth engagement in junior football and has seen hundreds of kids grow in confidence through the club’s initiatives.

“It is one of the most rewarding parts of what I do,” James said.

“After doing what I do for almost half a decade now, you see kids at five or six try AusKick for the first time. As you would be, they’re very nervous, they don’t know anyone. Then after a couple of seasons, these kids are the most confident, talkative kids in the group,” said James.

The Jets provide their junior players with a strong sense of community, fostering healthy relationships, and promoting lasting social connections and fundamental life skills in a family-orientated setting.

Last month, the Jets had their 2025 GWS Giants night, where a handful of professional AFL players came to their local ground (Amaroo Oval) and took part in a session that James coordinated.

“Seeing 100-odd kids having a blast with this session, then looking and seeing so many families on the side having a positive, memorable experience is very rewarding,” said James.

While many clubs provide remuneration for their coaches, the Gungahlin Jets are unique in that all the coaches are volunteers, adding to the club’s authentic community feel.

“They’re doing it because they want to. There isn’t a lot of begging for volunteers to run teams,” said James.

When it comes to the club, the coaches are in it for the right reasons, upholding values of community, inclusion, respect and fun.

In 2024, the Gungahlin Jets received recognition from AFL Canberra, receiving the award for Junior Club of the Year.

“We were awarded the Junior Club of the Year in 2024, which is a nice recognition from AFL Canberra, as our local body, of what we do,” said James.

As of 2025, the club continues to pursue excellence in coaching, foster a healthy community and help children develop a love for footy in Canberra.

Registration is now open for the 2025 junior intake, as well as Gungahlin Jets volunteering opportunities. For more information, visit gungahlinjets.com.au