http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf ... enDocument
Participation in thousands for 2012
489.1 Soccer (outdoor)
450.2 Netball
354.8 Basketball
320.2 Football sports (touch football, Oztag, Gaelic, Gridiron)
281.2 Cricket (outdoor)
241.5 AFL
194.2 Soccer (indoor)
112.6 Hockey
104.1 Rugby league
101.0 Rugby Union
78.5 Cricket Indoor
Australian Bureau of Statistics
another list of stats
http://www.roymorgan.com/findings/5479- ... 1403070439
from Roy Morgan March 07 2014
Battle of the Football Codes
One of the most debated topics in Australian sport concerns the never-ending argument about which football code is ‘Number One’ in Australia. Clearly there are large regional differences on this question, however on the pure numbers Soccer is clearly well ahead on a national basis. In addition, men clearly outnumber women in participation across all four football codes.
Soccer: 1.48 million (7.8%). Men: 1.10 million (11.6% of men); Women: 0.39 million (4.0%);
Australian Football: 0.62 million (3.2%). Men: 0.50 million (5.3%); Women: 0.12 million (1.2%);
Rugby League: 0.35 million (1.9%). Men: 0.27 million (2.8%); Women: 0.09 million (0.9%);
Rugby Union: 0.25 million (1.3%). Men 0.22 million (2.3%); Women: 0.03 million (0.3%).
both showing varying numbers
both lots of research show that the NRL is fast becoming a minnow sport

Soccer is the most popular sport played in Australia out of all of the Football codes
AFL is second.