The Barwon Bulletin - Mar 27
THE BARWON BULLETIN
The official noticeboard for AFL Barwon Club Officials & Volunteers.
To recieve email notifications of the Barwon Bulletin, please contact
EDITION 31
March 27, 2025
(LAST UPDATED - March 27, 2025)
General Updates
New Updates
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Club Captains Media Shoot - FINAL CALL
Tuesday 1st April – between 3pm-6pm
Players will only be required for 5-10 minues & can attend any time between 3pm-6pm.
There is an expectation for each club to provide the following club representative (Captain preferred) for an individual shoot at one of the above dates.
- 1 x Senior Male Football Player
- 1 x A-Grade Netballer
- 1 x Senior Female Footballer (If Applicable)
- 1 x All-Abilities Football Player (If Applicable)
- 1 x All-Abilities Netball Player (If Applicable)
The players will need to be dressed in full playing attire (including netball bibs), with changerooms available onsite.
If your club is wearing alternative uniforms for any of the themed rounds below, it would be great if you could let me know prior and have the player equipped with the alternative uniform (if applicable).
- ANZAC Day
- Indigenous Round
- Inclusion / Pride Round
- Other Club Based Initiatives
If there are any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Sean Atkinson (
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2025 AFL Barwon TV Broadcast Schedule Released
AFL Barwon is excited to announce the release of the 2025 AFL Barwon TV broadcast schedule.
K rock Football will continue to provide expert coverage of Geelong FNL Senior Football, delivering live commentary and insights from the region’s best football callers.
All matches will be broadcast on AFL Barwon TV for a full lineup of featured games across our leagues, ensuring you never miss a moment of the 2025 season.
Club Noticeboard
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Football
Reminders
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U18 Comp Rule Change Feedback
U18 Colts grading games (x4) start 26th April 2025.
U18 Comp Rule Change - Clubs have been asked for feedback COMP RULE 23 Under 18s Competitions
Division one U18 Colts is deemed to be an “18 a side competition” with a maximum of 23 players and a minimum of 14 players.
All Lower U18 Colts Graded Competitions are deemed to be a “16 a side competition” with a maximum of 23 players and a minimum of 14 players.
More info - contact
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Individual Player Points
Player points are being applied to CDFNL, BFNL, GDFNL, GFNL & Senior Women’s football.
Clubs are reminded that player points may not be available to be granted on Saturday match days in season 2025.
Please remind players to register to your club for player point allocations any player points matter ref to Michael Limb Head of Football Operations. (
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All-Abilities Fixture Requests
All Abilities Fixture Requests: reminder to send your clubs fixture request times and dates to Simon Riddoch (
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Match Day Paperwork & Football Collection
BFNL & GFNL Senior & Reserve Football Match Day paperwork and Footballs are available from AFL Barwon office.
Contact
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Reserves Football - Last Possession Rule Update
The Last Possession Rule has been removed from reserve grade football, reach out to Jock Hillgrove (
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ) for more information.
Resource Links
Netball
New Updates
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Netball Meeting – Slides and Summary
Thanks to all those who were in attendance at last week’s Netball Meeting. It was great to see you all and we look forward to the season kicking off shortly!
The slides and notes from themeeting component of the evening can be found below(INSERT MEETING PDF)
A few key reminders were covered:
- Green wristband initiative iscompulsory and must be adhered to.
- Player points lists need to be submitted ASAP
- Child Safety Compliance needs to be addressed in ALL clubs.
There was PLENTY covered off in the workshop component, so for the moment, we haven’t included a summary of these notes here as there are far too many.
We will work to consolidate these notes and communicate with you all in due course as to what next steps are. We envisage that some working parties may be put together to work towards outcomes for season 2026 during the current season, but will communicate any of this in due course.
The next meeting has been scheduled for Wednesday 18th June at AFL Barwon Offices.
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Paperwork
Vote cards and paperwork envelopes are available for collection from AFL Barwon.
All other matchday Paperwork can be found housed on our website. This includes:
- Position tracking templates
- Scorers & Timekeepers Information
- Umpires Match Report
- Scorers Match Management log
Please find match day paperwork resources available via the following link
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Midweek Affiliation Netballs/Fixtures
Team entries for the AFLB midweek netball competition have now closed. Fixtures for the first two grading rounds will be released prior to Easter.
Affiliation netballs for the midweek competition will be available for collection from the AFL Barwon Highton Office between 9am and 5pm, from Monday 31st March.
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Representative Netball Fixtures
Monday 31st March 2025
Barwon Junior Netball Championships – Championship Teams
Venue: Oberon High School Stadium, Armstrong Creek
13&U at 5:20pm, 15&U at 6:30pm, 17&U at 7:40pm
- Geelong FNL v Colac & District FNL
- Bellarine FNL - BYE
Geelong Central Netball Competitions – Development Teams
Venue: Kardinia Park Netball Courts, South Geelong
- 13&U Bellarine FNL v 13&U Geelong FNL – Court 8 – 7:00pm
- 15&U Bellarine FNL v Foxes – Court 5 – 7:00pm
- 15&U Geelong FNL v Monarch Crystals – Court 5 – 7:55pm
Reminders
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Netball Victoria – Online Education Sessions
Netball Victoria is holding online education sessions for the Victorian netball community on the first Monday of each month.
Through conducting these sessions, Netball Victoria’s aim is to create a thriving, informed community of administrators and office bearers who are equipped to grow and sustain their netball programs.
The next sessions will be held on Monday 7 April:
Session 1 (6:00pm - 6:30pm) - Role of a Child Safety officer
Session 2 (6:30pm - 7:00pm) - Child Safety review & action plan
Session 3 (7:00pm - 7:30pm) - Advocacy, grants and government engagement
Session 4 (7:30pm - 8:00pm) - Empowering young people - benefits of a Youth Advisory Committee
A recording of each session will be made available to anyone unable to attend.
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City of Greater Geelong – Sporting Clubs Information Evening
Join us for the City of Greater Geelong sporting club information night, designed to provide new and existing club officials and committee members with valuable insights into the operations of sporting clubs across the outdoor network
Learn how the City support clubs operating on council-owned or managed land under a Fair Play Licence Agreement.
Key topics include fees and charges, bookings, facilities maintenance, works on council land, community grants and much more.
Wednesday 2 April 2025
6.00-7.00pm
CDFNL Update
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Competition Rule Update
Please be advised of a rule change, limiting players to a MAXIMUM of two games per day/weekend within the CDFNL. This will be reflected in the handbook once published, but for reference, the rule in question is listed below.
2.12. Any player must not play more than two games per weekend within CDFNL Competitions.
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Green Wristband Initiative
Please be advised that the Green Wristband initiative will be rolled out from this weekend with the season commencing.
Any umpire who is UNDER the age of 18, regardless of badge, will be required to wear either a green wristband, or use a green scrunchie, when officiating.
For more information on the pilot program conducted last year:
For more general information on the roll out of the program, please see the below links.
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Reminder: Paperwork – Scoring Process
The scoring process will be UNCHANGED from last season.
As for tactical changes, rolling substitutions will require the use of theposition tracking sheet.
As per last season, it isthe responsibility of the team manager to provide the substitution slip to the score bench to indicate positional changes. Team Managers must be prepared and complete this action as soon as the substitution is due to occur.
- Only starting positions for each quarter are required on the scoresheet.
- The starting positions for each quarter AND any positional changes are required on the position tracking sheet.
We would encourage you to pre-type these at the start of the season, and bring them to all games. Home clubs must still have blank position tracking sheets available for any occasion that the opposition does not bring them with them.
Resource Links
Netball Umpiring
Reminders
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Green Wristband Initiative - Update
Last Wednesday night clubs received their Green Wrist bands for umpires under the age of 18 to wear. As explained, everyone who is involved in the midweek Winter Comp will receive their own wrist band and scrunchie and clubs should only need to provide these for anyone who doesn’t umpire midweek.
As we know the competition dates don’t align and you may not have enough Scrunchies and Wristbands at the beginning of the season. If you require more please reach out and we will get them to you for Round 1.
If you can help us keep track as to who has received theirs that would be greatly appreciated.
The Green Band initiative is part of Netball Victoria’s ongoing commitment to creating a safe, supportive, and respectful environment for all members of our netball community, especially our young umpires.
The program empowers umpires under the age of 18, by providing them with green bands and scrunchies to enhance visibility and promote empathy and respect from players, coaches, and spectators.
The program works in tandem with Netball Australia’s Safeguarding Children and Young People policy.
Umpires under 18 years old will wear wrist bands across all our competitions when umpiring. Competition Coordinators, Umpire Mentors and Club Umpire Coordinators and Court Supervisors will oversee sideline behaviour and provide support where necessary. -
Netball Umpire Windbreakers
Reminder that the next window to purchase an AFL Barwon Windbreaker is between Tuesday 1st April and Monday 7th April.
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Netball Umpire Coordinators Task – Now OVERDUE
Club Umpire Coordinators met last week to work through roles and duties for the upcoming season. They are required to complete a spreadsheet with a list of umpires and their accreditation information, please complete and return via email to
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Individuals can contact their club umpire coordinators directly if wanting to umpire Saturday netball this season.
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Winter Season Expression of Interest (Tuesdays & Fridays)
Season starts April 29th
Must have completed the Foundation Umpires Education Course, Rules of Theory Netball Exam and participated in an AFL Barwon Beginner Training Session.
You will receive an email with further instructions to complete prior to competition starting.
Commercial Partnerships
New Updates
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Prioritising Mental Health & Wellbeing
As we gear up for another exciting season of football and netball in the AFL Barwon region, I wanted to take a moment to highlight an important issue affecting our players, coaches, and sporting communities: mental health and wellbeing.
Why Mental Health Must Be a Priority in Our Clubs
- 1 in 7 people globally experience a mental health disorder, and half of all mental health conditions begin by age 14.
- In Australia, suicide remains the leading cause of death for young people aged 15-24.
- One in five Australian adults experiences a mental illness each year, with depression and anxiety being the most common conditions.
- Suicide is a leading cause of death among adults, particularly men aged 18-44, who are three times more likely to die by suicide than women.
- In sporting environments, players, coaches, and volunteers often struggle in silence due to stigma, despite sport being an ideal setting for early intervention and peer support.
Programs That Make a Difference
Your club plays a crucial role in fostering not just athletic ability but also mentally strong and resilient communities. Programs like Read the Play, Tackle Your Feelings, and Ahead of the Game integrate mental health education into sporting environments, giving players, parents, and coaches the tools to support each other:
- Read the Play delivers interactive sessions to junior players and umpires aged 12-18, helping them recognise signs of mental ill-health and know where to seek help to support themselves and teammates.
- Tackle Your Feelings aims to provide senior players, coaches, committee members, support staff and umpires with the tools to Understand, Recognise and Respond to signs of mental ill-health.
- Ahead of the Game teaches players, parents, coaches, umpires and volunteers to understand mental health, build mental fitness and strengthen resilience.
How Your Club Can Get Involved
We encourage all clubs to prioritise these free and evidence-based programs in their 2025 season planning. By embedding mental health awareness into your club culture, we can collectively reduce stigma, support players and adults at risk, and create a safer, more connected sporting community.
To book a program or learn more, please refer to the attached document outlining all available mental health and wellbeing programs.
Together, we can make mental health a priority in AFL Barwon football and netball clubs.
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Endometriosis Awareness
For Lisa, endometriosis is not just a reproductive disease
“It’s a daily journey. Some days are really good and other days are just exhausting.” Such is the experience of endometriosis sufferer Lisa.
Like one in seven women (or those assigned female at birth), Lisa lives with endometriosis, a condition in which cells like the ones that line the uterus start growing in other areas of the body, often causing a variety of severe and painful symptoms.
March is Endometriosis Awareness Month and Lisa wants people living with endometriosis to know that good endometriosis care can validate the experience of painful symptoms and help provide tools for better management of these symptoms.
Lisa said the road to getting a diagnosis was a long and painful one, after seeking specialist endometriosis care from the Julia Argyrou Endometriosis Centre at Epworth
If you or someone you know has, or suspects they may have endometriosis, speak with one of the Endometriosis Nurse Coordinators for personalised support. Free telehealth appointments are available.
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Rookie Me Coach Premium Club Licenses
AFL Barwon is proud to have Rookie Me as our Official Community Coach and Player Development Partner, delivering a suite of digital resources and support to league coaches, players, and clubs.
As part of this partnership, clubs will have access to Rookie Me Coach Premium, an extensive platform featuring a library of training activities, session plans, coaching tools, and educational resources tailored for coaches at all levels. Additionally, clubs will benefit from Rookie Me Play, a cutting-edge digital match-day platform designed to manage fair game time, player rotations, and team statistics.
AFL Barwon has 250 Rookie Me Premium licenses available to distribute across our 51 affiliated clubs. Licenses will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis until all are claimed. This software provides valuable support for community coaches, equipping them with the tools and insights to enhance their coaching and player development. It also provides a way to manage fair play time for junior players.
Please note that while we will strive to accommodate requests, the demand across 400 teams means we may not be able to fulfill every request in full.
To request licenses for your club or for any inquiries, please contact
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .To view the Rookie Me products:https://www.rookieme.com/afl-barwon/coaches/
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Your Club’s Chance to Host a Pride Cup – Apply Now!
Has your men’s competition team ever hosted a Pride Cup? 🏳️🌈
If not, now is the perfect time! The Movember x Pride Cup Community Club Fund is offering up to $1000 in funding to help teams host their first-ever Pride Game. Successful applicants will receive funding for event essentials like pride uniforms and guest speakers, plus free inclusion education, game-day support, and promotion for their event.
Applications are now open and assessed on a rolling basis – so don’t wait!
Media Highlights
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Match Review Panel
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AFL Barwon Celebrates VFL-Listed Umpires
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Star Seas signing sidelined
K rock Football
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Sharks prioritising tight-knit vibe amid numbers boom
Surf Coast Times
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Cougars appreciate support from Torquay netball community
Surf Coast Times
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AFL Barwon Partners with Big Screen Video
AFL Barwon
