The "backbone of community sporting clubs" is breaking amid revelations one in four regional Australian sporting clubs are losing so many players they are now struggling to field teams.
Matildas star Mary Fowler is the face of a $50,000 "Reserve Grade Heroes" campaign designed to find a group of weekend warriors in need of help to keep their club on the park.
The Australian Sports Foundation has partnered with Uber to deliver the campaign after research revealed an alarming trend among the country's remote and regional sports clubs.
Funding appears to be the main barrier to participation with 23 per cent of clubs citing cost of living impacts as the reason for a decline in playing numbers, while 19 per cent highlighted a lack of resources and 16 per cent noted registration costs and fees.
Numbers have declined following the COVID-19 pandemic, with Australian Sports Foundation spokesperson Ryan Hollaway pointing to a sharp drop in the number of people aged 15 to 19 participating in sport.
There are fears for what that gap could mean for community clubs who rely on volunteers to secure their future.
"We're looking to work with sport at all levels but particularly that community and grassroots level to raise much-needed funds so we can keep these participants coming, so we're making them feel welcome and making sure they've got the right opportunities, the right kit and equipment, and the right facilities to be able to play and stay within their sport. We know that's a really important sector," Hollaway said.
"It's those young Australians that are in that age group, they'll be the next club secretaries, club presidents, committee members, volunteers. We really need them engaged with their community sporting club because we know community sport is more than just about games and playing.
"It's where people come to share experiences and build a sense of community. It's important we get those participation numbers on the increase again.
"It's really about understanding the importance their community sports club has within the lives of so many people within their communities.
"Giving back and being a part of it, whether that's as an active participant being a part of one of these reserves teams we're looking to champion as part of the Uber Heroes campaign, or whether it is volunteering as a committee member who is involved in helping raise funds through the Australian Sports Foundation through their fundraising campaigns, or run competitions or be age manager, they're the lifeblood.
"They're the people who keep these clubs going. Volunteering is a big thing, it's something sports clubs need to consider, how we can keep those people connected to our clubs."
The campaign opens on Wednesday and runs until March 31, with the Australian Sports Foundation asking people to send in a 60-second video to show why their reserve grade team deserves $50,000.
But why reserve graders? Because without them, clubs suffer. Canberra sport saw it last year with rugby league's Queanbeyan Blues and rugby union's Penrith Emus.
"It's not just about their first grade teams but it's about other people being able to get involved and participate in sport. They obviously provide the pathway as well for those people to go onto play in the firsts teams," Hollaway said.
"They're a really important part of grassroots and community sports clubs, and we're just finding that unfortunately due to the lack of funding, lack of resources, that a lot of people are dropping out of sport. We're seeing less numbers, less of these reserve grade teams being able to be fielded."
Fowler has thrown her support behind "the underdogs and the underfunded on the reserve bench" as she targets an Olympic Games medal with the Matildas.
"I resonate with their fighting community spirit, as it spurred my love for soccer 14 years ago in my hometown in Cairns," Fowler said. "Without it, I simply wouldn't be where I am today, playing professionally and for my national team."
