AFL this week announced a 14.42 per cent jump in female participation nationwide - unsurprisingly with the boom in opportunities for women and girls to get involved in programs. 

The game's governing body showed in Victoria, females made up 26 per cent of players pulling on the jumper last season with an extra 250 new all-female teams joining competitions.

The growth is evident in the Wimmera, with Horsham, Horsham Saints and Stawell all gearing up for a third season in the Deakin University Female Football League. Ararat Storm also gives opportunities to young girls to play in the Ballarat Youth Girls League.

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AFL Wimmera-Mallee regional development manager Jason Muldoon said there were promising signs for the women's game in the region.

"It certainly is growing, but the next step to come is giving those young girls chances to play women's footy," he said.

"There has always been interest in youth girls footy and the DUFFL caters for that, now we are looking to give those girls somewhere to play if they don't leave the region."

The success of women's football in the region has been thrust into the spotlight recently, with Horsham Saints product Rene Caris making her AFLW debut for Geelong at the weekend.

"In a 12-month period Rene has been able to play in an Wimmera A Grade premiership then play in the premier football comp in Australia," he said.

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"Pathways and opportunities are there. The region has great representation in the Greater Western Victoria Rebels squad and now in the AFLW.

"It was a good moment for Rene and the Wimmera-Mallee region to see her at the top flight."

Muldoon said Caris is proof football can be thrown in the mix of juggling other sports.

"One of my roles is the development of footy and netball clubs, so we have to make sure we consider netball as a major sport in the region," he said.

"We have been very conscious not to impact netball and I think we have done that pretty well so far but having games on Sundays."

Despite smaller numbers compared to other regions such as Goldfields, Muldoon said he believes the future of girls football is with a Wimmera league of its own. 

"There is potential for a combined northern team, Ararat could come into our comp and all of a sudden there is a Wimmera league," he said.

"We understand a lot of travel is involved with the DUFFL so establishing a competition in the region is the long term goal."