Southern Districts Junior Football Association will be the first to bounce the ball when they return on Friday night

The Southern Districts Junior Football Association will be the first of the major winter sports groups to return to competition in the Great Southern when they kick off tonight.

The under-12s competition will open the season tonight while the Year 3, Year 4 and under-14s competitions will start tomorrow.

Eight teams will compete in the under-12s and under-14s, including a team each from Denmark-Walpole and Mt Barker.

The Year 3 competition will also be made up of a Denmark-Walpole and Mt Barker team along with four Albany sides.

Across Albany, Mt Barker and Denmark there have been 530 registrations received.

The Year 4 competition starting tomorrow will begin with a round robin in Mt Barker between two Denmark-Walpole teams and a Mt Barker team.

All games will be played at the Centennial Stadium precinct except the Mt Barker and Denmark-Walpole games which will be played at Sounness Park.

SDJFA president Mel Sulzberger said everyone was thrilled to get kids back outdoors and playing football.

“We were organised before COVID hit, so we had a plan in place if and when we could return so we were ready to go straight away,” she said.

“We thought we could work with the restrictions but obviously as of Saturday we are basically back to normal.

“I am proud of what we have done and the numbers for the juniors are looking great.

“Denmark and Mt Barker have been really supportive.

“All the kids are really excited to just get back out and playing football.”

Auskick is set to start on July 25 with more than 100 registrations already.