Abbotsford Juniors Football Club (AJFC) is pleased to announce that it plans to conduct trials for AJFC Academy and select AJFC Candidate Division 1 teams on Sunday 24th November with reserved times for team retrials (where required) on Sunday 1st December.

Players who wish to participate can register their interest at: https://form.jotform.com/232288293389874

Trials for AJFC Academy teams for Under 8 to Under 12 Girls teams provide an opportunity for skilled and motivated players who wish to play with peers at a high skill level in these age groups. Trials are open to new and returning AJFC players who register in advance for a trial. For the 2025 season, trials are also being conducted for select Under 13 to Under 16 Girls Candidate Division 1 teams. Grading of teams is conducted by the Football Canterbury Association who have the final say on what Division a team will play.

The proposed schedule for AJFC's 2025 team trials is detailed below. 

IMPORTANT NOTE:  The times listed below are part of a DRAFT SCHEDULE and are subject to change.  Exact times of trials will be advised one (1) week prior to the trial date and are subject to sufficient registration of interest being received for the planned trial to proceed.

Sunday 24th November
AJFC Academy Under 8/9 Girls (7:30am – 9:15am)
AJFC Academy Under 10 Girls (9:00am – 10:45am)
AJFC Academy Under 11/12 Girls (10:30am – 12:15pm)
AJFC Candidate Division 1 Under 13 Girls (12:00pm – 1:45pm)
AJFC Candidate Division 1 Under 14 Girls (1:30pm – 3:15pm)

Sunday 1st December
Retrial Slots (9:00am to 2:00pm)

All interested participants must complete registration by the Thursday immediately prior to their trial in order to guarantee their participation. Players must arrive 30 minutes prior to the scheduled Trial commencement time to complete pre-trial register on the day.  Players should wear boots, shinpads and sunscreen and bring a water bottle.

Parents and players who are interested in finding out more about the Clubs Academy program for non-competitive (Under 8 to Under 12 teams) should visit the AJFC Academy page.

Girls Academy and Candidate Division 1 Trials - Important Information for Parents and Players
1. Abbotsford Juniors Football Club's core values include the promotion of female participation and achievement in football at all levels (Respect and Development).  Accordingly, the Club is committed to cater for female players who wish to play both at a competitive level and those who play for social/friendship purposes.

2. The trial process is focussed on providing the platform for competitive players and selecting the Club’s Academy Candidate Division 1 team in select age groups.  Grading of teams is conducted by the Football Canterbury Association who have the final say on what Division a team will play.

3. Players do not need to attend a trial session if they want to play for social/friendship purposes.  The majority of Abbotsford Juniors teams in each age group (ie. non-graded players) will be formed by the Club in late February / early March 2025 upon completion of the registration period. Players who played in a Division 1 team for Abbotsford Juniors in season 2024 do not automatically qualify for that team in season 2024.  That is, all players who aspire to play in these teams in 2025 must attend the trial sessions in November/December.

4. If Abbotsford Juniors does not receive sufficient player pre-registrations, the Club may elect to cancel the trial planned for the age group.  Further, if Abbotsford Juniors receives insufficient player interest or ability, the Club may elect not to form a Candidate Division 1 team as a result of this process.

5. Trials are entirely optional and players are not expected to attend should they wish to play for social/friendship purposes only or in a lower division. Players who are not selected for an Academy team and who wish to play for the Club will be allocated to a team in late February / early March 2025, following the registration process.

Trial & Selection Process
1. All players must arrive 30 minutes prior to the scheduled trial commencement time to register on the day with Club officials and receive a trial number.  Players should wear boots and shin-pads, be wearing sunscreen and bring a water bottle.
2. Trials will be run by the AJFC Football Development Program.
3. Trial sessions will be held for each age group at the scheduled times.  Players should register for, and attend the correct session for the age group they will be registered to play in the 2025 Season.
4. Where a player wishes to trial for an AJFC Academy team and is unable to attend, they should complete registration for the trial AND let the Club know they cannot attend along with the circumstances by emailing development@abbotsfordjuniorsfc.com.au PRIOR to the trial commencing.  Any players who have completed trial registration and are unable to attend will be considered for the Academy team in their age group based on their playing history with Abbotsford Juniors (or other Club) and any relevant coach feedback from the 2024 Season.
5. If required, the Club will announce additional trial dates and times on its website following the grading sessions held in December.
6. The aim of the trial and selection process is to select a squad per age group as follows: 
Under 8 to Under 9 - 10 to 11 players
Under 10 to Under 12 - 12 to 13 players
Under 13 and above - 15 to 16 players
7. Upon completion of the trial session for an age group, Club appointed assessors will discuss and assess each player and as an outcome, commence the process of selection of the team for that age group.  These assessments will be provided to AJFC’s Football Development Program, who will finalise the team selection.
8. Selected players will be offered a place in the team via email.  These offers must be accepted by return email by the deadline date specified.
9. The AJFC Football Development Program at its discretion, may offer player(s) a retrial as part of selection for the team. A date and time will be specified as part of the offer the player(s) to attend a retrial session.
10. Players not selected will be allocated by the Club to a team in late February / early March 2024, following completion of the registration process.
11. Final teams will be announced on the Abbotsford Juniors Football Club website following the completion of trial sessions and offer process.