Unfortunately, the Southern Highlands Hawks Junior Australian Football Club won't be fielding a team this season due to a lack of players.

Stand-in club president Steve Fitzgerald said it was very disappointing given the immense improvement shown by the teams last season, but there wasn't a choice.

"It's a shame because we had a cracking season last year and it was probably the best we had done in the 24 years we'd been running," Fitzgerald said.

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"We're struggling with numbers and we decided we weren't going to be competitive."

Fitzgerald, who also coaches, said he felt the main reason for the lack of players was COVID, but was confident the club would be back in 2023.

"We also have stop-start seasons and because there's no continuity, it becomes pretty hard to get the players back," he said.

"We're already the smallest club in NSW.

"We were travelling beautifully with the help of the Auskickers and the under 9s who really helped build our club.

"However, they sort of disappeared and without them, we lose the continuity between the age groups which makes it tough.

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"Having said that, traditionally, they're the age groups that tend to pick up at some point.

"By putting the club in a hiatus for a year, we can get a new committee involved that can spend the next 12 months rebuilding.

"I'm hoping we get good numbers back on the park and start fresh."

AFL is down the pecking order compared to other sports in the region at the moment but last season, Fitzgerald said there were signs of improvement.

"The sport struggles right now," Fitzgerald said back in May.

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"We have a lot of different competitions going on like rugby league, union, soccer and hockey.

"However, the families and kids we get down seem to really engage in the sport.

"I think it's a great family atmosphere."

For those who still want to play, Fitzgerald said joining the Illawarra South competition was a good idea.

"That competition is great in the sense that most of the teams there will release the kids back to the Highland Hawks if we can get a club up next year," he said.

All committee roles are vacant at the moment and the club is waiting for passionate parents to get involved.

For more information, message the Southern Highlands Hawks JAFC Facebook page.

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