AFL players wear their country heritage like a badge of honour, says Essendon winger

Essendon winger Xavier Duursma says growing up in the country builds grit and character in AFL players, who often carry a deep sense of pride in where they hail from.

Now 24, and having played 100 games in the AFL, Duursma said one of his best footy memories is still when he was 15 and got to run around with his brother Zane, then 10, at Foster Football Netball Club.

"That was fantastic. It was a really cool experience," Duursma told ABC Sport.

"I didn't quite understand at the time just how cool that was."

Zane now plays for North Melbourne, while their sister, Yasmin, 21, plays for Carlton in the AFLW, and youngest brother Willem, 17, is touted to go as high as number one in the next national draft.

If Willem is to be selected, the quartet will follow famous footy families in the Selwoods and Danihers with four siblings to play the game.

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'Bush to the Burbs'

It's memories from growing up in Foster - with a population of just over 2,000 located 175 kilometres outside of Melbourne - that makes this weekend's Country Game so special for Duursma.

"It's giving us the opportunity to show what can happen if you work hard as a country kid and a country footballer," Duursma said.

"And what you can achieve potentially, if you put your mind to it and you work hard."

The Country Game recognises the impact of the regions on the game.

This Saturday will be Essendon and Geelong's 10th edition of the annual Country Game clash at the MCG, which aims to recognise the impact of country footy on the game, and acknowledge the contribution of regional communities to Australian society.

This year's theme is "Bush to the Burbs".

Last year, participation in Australian Rules Football exceeded more than 520,000, breaking the AFL's all-time registered participation record set the year prior. There was growth in many markets around the country, including regional areas.

The locations with the best AFL talent Photo shows RegionsCodySean Which region has provided the league with the best players? Cody Atkinson and Sean Lawson investigate.

Melbourne metropolitan areas still produce the largest amount of AFL talent anywhere in Australia. As of 2024, about a third of the league's player output, measured via Player Approximate Value, is from the Victorian capital.

Outside the major cities — where Adelaide, Perth, Darwin, Brisbane and Sydney are increasingly productive, particularly with Academy players — the Gippsland and Shepparton regions figure strongly.

Tasmania has also been the home to footy legends over the years, particularly defenders, with Hobart and the North West being the strongest breeding grounds of talent.

Geelong and Essendon will run out for the 10th Country Game this weekend. (Getty: Michael Dodge)

The country builds character

Duursma said the main challenge that country kids face in pursuing a footy career is travel, with many important games for pathways being in major cities.

"Then also sometimes there's facilities and things like that," Duursma said.

"But at the same time, I think that builds part of the character and the grit (that country kids have). That sometimes you go without, so you just kind of make do with what you got."

Yasmin (left), Xavier and Zane Duursma all grew up in Foster and now play at the top level. (Supplied)

Duursma said there's pride that comes with being a country kid "out in the middle of the sticks", without access to all the things people in the city areas might have.

"So there is a bit of a chip on your shoulder," he said.

"And I think that to be able to come through (the system), and as a family with a number of brothers and sister (that) have done really well with themselves, we wear that kind of as a badge of honour.

"So I'm really, really proud of that. I think our families and communities are pretty proud of that too."

Hailing from the country, Xavier Duursma reached 100 games this weekend in the AFL. (Getty: Michael Willson/AFL Photos)

Without their parents, Dean and Susie, driving countless hours to get them to training or games, Duursma said he and his siblings would never have made it to the AFL.

"Sometimes, when you're a kid, you don't fully understand it, you don't fully grasp it, but when looking back at it now, it's incredible the amount of love, care and time that they put into us," he said.

And country footy does have one advantage on the city.

"Don't tell my high performance staff but I don't mind the pies down there at Foster. They go pretty well - also the strawberry donuts," he said.

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