FOOTY Focus is back for its sixth year after another hugely successful season that attracted thousands of entries in 2024. Footy Focus 25 offers photographers the chance to showcase their best photos that capture the essence of Australian football at a grassroots level.

From Wednesday, July 16 until Monday, September 22, photographers can submit their images via the web HERE.

The lucky winner, as judged by the AFL Photos team, will get a 'money can't buy' opportunity to shadow an AFL Photos photographer at a game in Melbourne in 2026.

ENTER NOW Submit your best grassroots footy photos for Footy Focus 2025

Please note, entries are only accepted at the  official home of Footy Focus on AFL.com.au, not via Instagram or any other social media hashtags. 

Looking for some inspiration? Check out the pics and experiences from some of our entrants from last year. 

Bradley Moylon

Instagram: @bradleymoylonphotography

I’m a 17-year-old freelance photographer based in Launceston, Tasmania. My love for football began in childhood, playing Auskick and continuing through mini league with the Bridgenorth Football Club. Since 2020, I’ve returned to the club in a media role, combining my passion for the sport with my creative skills behind the camera.

Some key milestones in my photography journey include placing in the top 10 of the Footy Focus competition in 2023 and being named the national winner of the 2024 AFL National Community Football Photography Award, an honour I’m still humbled by.

I’ve also had the privilege of volunteering as a game day photographer for the Hawthorn Football Club, and I’ve worked with the Tasmania JackJumpers during the 2022/23 NBL season as a volunteer. I've recently taken on a freelance role with the NBL for the 2024/25 season.

What I love most about photography is its power to tell stories. To me, the best images are the ones that make you stop and feel something, that carry a deeper message or memory beyond the frame. I find real joy in capturing moments that people can look back on and cherish for a lifetime.

For me, Footy Focus has been more than just an opportunity to display my images, it’s opened doors to connect with other passionate creatives and build meaningful relationships within the photography community. It's easy to underestimate how powerful these opportunities can be, but in truth, it’s the relationships, shared knowledge, and support from others that truly shape your career.

My favourite, and arguably my best photo to date, would have to be of Nick 'The Wizard' Watson doing the iconic 'ice in the veins' celebration in round 13, 2024 at UTAS Stadium. As Nick took the mark, I had a feeling something special was coming. I anticipated a goal and kept my lens locked on him rather than following the ball. Sure enough, he slotted it. The images ended up being shared across Hawthorn’s official channels and the AFL’s Instagram account, where it has since received over 50,000 likes. It’s also been featured in AFL advertisements, TV coverage, pre-game hype reels, and The Footy Show. Seeing my work reach that level of exposure still feels surreal. 

Jesse Pickett

Instagram: @jessepickett_2

I'm a 32-year-old Noongar Yamaji man living in Geraldton, Western Australia. I am a freelance photographer and my main photography interests are wildlife and sports, especially football.

Photography is my chosen career path and I like to consider myself a professional. I love shooting the local Geraldton Football League. I love the networking and meeting new people. I also love the travel, and the fact that photography is a specialised art form that stirs emotions and starts conversations.

I love the Footy Focus competition because I love seeing everyone's different interpretations and different styles. I have learned how to edit and finalise my picture properly. The networking has been amazing.

My favourite photo to date definitely has to be my Bobby Hill capture at the Indigenous All Stars match this year. I'd love to become an AFL photographer. It's been a dream of mine for years.

Simon Bonny

Instagram: @simonbonnyphoto

I’m a bilingual photographer (English and Japanese) with dual citizenship in Australia and Japan, originally from both Hobart, Tasmania, and Tokyo, Japan. I’ve been working professionally as a photographer since my early 20s, with a wide range of interests including photojournalism, sports, architecture and portrait photography.

I’m not currently attached to any specific club or league, but I have a strong personal connection to the idea of a Tasmanian AFL team. I’m passionate about photographing Tasmanian teams, especially as the state moves toward gaining a professional presence in the AFL.

I also enjoy capturing Australian football games played in Japan – something that surprised me when I first discovered it. The fact that AFL is played internationally, not just in Australia, opened my eyes and inspired me to explore this unique side of sports photography. Between international AFL and the emergence of Tasmania’s role in the game, it feels like a Pandora’s box has been opened giving me a renewed sense of purpose and direction in this field.

I like photography because it’s a universal field which speaks across cultures and borders. It’s about discovering new things, meeting people and seeing the world from different perspectives. I enjoy the freedom that it gives me to work internationally. It’s also a fulfilling way to live – photography gets me out into the world.

I was happy that my work was selected to be featured in the Footy Focus competition, and seen by others. My main reason for entering was to show people that AFL is played in Japan, which surprises a lot of people. It's also fantastic that there's a photo competition specifically for Australian football, and I really enjoyed looking at the other photographers' work.

Capturing the decisive moment is important, but I think drama and emotion are just as important. A good footy photo, and sports photography in general, should show the passion and intensity of the game. It’s about being in the right place at the right time to tell that story through the image.

Footy Focus 25, thanks to Toyota's Good For Footy, is now open for entries! Here's your chance to shadow and shoot with Michael Willson at a game in 2026.  We want to see your photos that capture the essence of our great game at a grassroots level. To enter, upload your best community footy photos taken during 2025 to: afl.com.au/footyfocus25