AFL Victoria has recognised outstanding contributors to the grassroots game at the annual AFL Victoria Community Football Awards, held at IKON Park last Friday. 

Australian Rules Football is driven by volunteers, coaches, umpires and administrators who are the heartbeat of the local game. Tens of thousands of people in Victoria dedicate significant time and effort towards ensuring the success of their clubs and communities.

 In 2024, Kellie Frazer from the Gordon Football Netball Club in Victoria was recognised as the WorkSafe Victoria Country Community Volunteer of the Year. Adding to that acknowledgment, Kellie also took out the 2024 Toyota AFL National Volunteer of the Year Awards' top national honour as the Toyota AFL Community Volunteer of the Year for her outstanding service to her club and community for the past 20 years.

The other Victorian winners to be recognised in the national awards were Olivia Ashcroft from Ringwood Football Netball Club, as the 2024 Young Leader of the Year for her state and nationally, as well as AFL Merit Award recipients Maree Williams (Shepparton Swans Football Netball Club) and Michelle Gerdtz (Chair of AFL Barwon Commission). 

The 2024 AFL Victoria Community Club of the Year award was won by Queenscliff Football Netball Club, which competes in the AFL Barwon FNL. 

Full list of 2024 AFL Victoria Community Football Awards winners below

COACHING

David Parkin Junior Coach of the Year

Dean Memedoski - Hume Bombers, Essendon District Football League

Stan Alves Youth Coach of the Year - Joint winners

Naomi Irvin - Ballarat FNC - AFL Goldfields, Ballarat Football Netball League

Stuart Farr - AFL Wimmera Mallee Youth Development Head Coach 

Peta Searle Female Coach of the Year

Tina Henshaw - Seaford JFC, AFL South East (Frankston District JFL)

Gerard Fitzgerald Senior Coach of the Year

Ashley Watson Rochester FNC - AFL Goulburn Murray (Goulburn Murray League)

GENERAL 

The CDS VIC Sustainability Award

Alexandra Football Netball Club - Outer East FNL

AFL Merit Award Recipients

Maree Williams - Shepparton Swans Football Netball Club, Goulburn Valley League *NATIONAL WINNER*

Michelle Gerdtz - Chair of AFL Barwon Commission *NATIONAL WINNER*

AFL Victoria Young Leader of the Year

Olivia Ashcroft - Ringwood FNC, Eastern FNL *NATIONAL WINNER*

AFL Victoria Metropolitan Community Volunteer of the Year

Jacqueline Bowshall-Tanner - President and Volunteer - Northern FNL (Kilmore Junior Football Club) *NATIONAL WINNER*

WorkSafe Victoria Country Community Volunteer of the Year

Kellie Frazer - President and Volunteer, Gordon Football Netball Club (Central Highlands Football League)

AFL Victoria Community Club of the Year

Queenscliff Football Netball Club - AFL Barwon

PARTICIPATION

AFL Victoria NAB Auskick Volunteer Award

Kim Tempest - South Belgrave Auskick Centre, Eastern FNL 

AFL Victoria Superkick Volunteer of the Year

David Cash - Oakleigh Superkick Centre, South Metro Junior Football League

AFL Victoria School Teacher of the Year

Daniel Saleh - Al Siraat College (Epping), Northern FNL 

AFL Victoria Diversity Ambassador of the Year

Beck Dean - Rumbalara FNC

AFL Victoria Disability Inclusion Ambassador of the Year

Ben Trevena - Echuca Moama Rockets All Abilities

UMPIRING 

Greg Sidebottom Memorial Umpire Coach of the Year

Sean Clarke - Eastern Football Netball League

AFL Victoria Male Development Umpire Coach

Lachlan Carney - South Metro Junior Football League

AFL Victoria Female Development Umpire Coach

Ashleigh Lovas - AFL Gippsland, Sale Umpires Association

AFL Victoria Community Umpire Manager of the Year

Andrew Moore - AFL Goulburn Murray 

AFL Victoria Golden Whistle Award

Adam Marrow - Southern FNL

AFL Victoria Umpiring Service Award

Bec Malseed - AFL Western District

The AFL Barwon Community Awards is a celebration of the volunteers in the Barwon Region.

We are excited to announce all the nominees that have been shortlisted for awards at the 2024 AFL Barwon Community Awards. We congratulate all shortlisted nominess and thank everyone who took the time to nominate someone from thier commmunity club or association.

The list of nominees and awards can be found below.

Want to celebrate a nominee on your Club's social media? Use this template to give them a shout out.

AFL Barwon has honoured local football champion Frank Fopiani, with the player adjudged best-on-ground in the Geelong Football League Grand Final to receive the Frank Fopiani Medal.

The inaugural medal will be awarded at the conclusion of Friday’s Grand Final between Leopold and South Barwon.

Fopiani, who passed away in August, played in seven premierships at North Shore and one at St Mary’s.

He was named best-on-ground in a record three GFL Grand Finals in 1993, 1995 and 2004, the latter coming in the same year he coached St Mary’s to the premiership.

AFL Barwon chair, Michelle Gerdtz, said Fopiani’s record stood alone among a host of players, coaches and officials who have contributed to the history of the GFL competition across 45 years.

“Everyone in local football was shocked and saddened by Frank’s recent passing,” Gerdtz said.

“Frank was an amazing footballer but more importantly he was a wonderful person, and his standing in the football community across our region speaks for itself.

“His record as a player in GFL Grand Finals is unrivalled and it is fitting that we recognise the enormous contribution Frank made to our competition.”

In addition to his record in grand finals, Fopiani won five best-and-fairest awards at North Shore through its era of dominance in the 1990s and early 2000s and was a GFL interleague representative player on multiple occasions.

In 2015 he was named by the Geelong Advertiser as the best Geelong Football League player of all time.

Fopiani’s wife, Sylvia, said her husband would have been humbled by the honour.

“Our family has been overwhelmed by the thoughts, messages and prayers of everyone in the Geelong football community since Frank passed,” Sylvia said.

“He was a loving husband, father and friend, and he will be dearly missed by all who knew him.

“This award speaks to the legacy Frank leaves behind, and we thank AFL Barwon for the gesture. You can’t stop the Fop.”

The inaugural Frank Fopiani Medal will be presented by Frank's son, Connor.

South Barwon Midfielder Doyle Madigan has capped off a remarkable season by being named the 2024 Mathieson Medallist.

It is the second consecutive year that the Swans having taken home the Mathieson Medal, with Madigan's teammates Fraser Fort & Matt Caldow sharing the award in 2023. 

Madigan was named best afield in 5 games and averaged 23 disposals, 12 contested, 5 clearances and 6 score involvements for the year.

Geelong West Giants midfielder Tanner Lovell was 2 votes behind with Lachlan Patten and Marcus Thompson 4 votes behind Madigan.

St Mary's star and former Mathieson Medallist, Harry Benson was named the inaugural Geelong Advertiser Coaches Player of the Year.

The full list of award winners and leaderboards can be found below.

Blood Toyota Seniors Cup

Best & Fairest – Doyle Madigan (South Barwon)

Runner Up Best & Fairest – Tanner Lovell (Geelong West Giants)

Leading Goal Kicker – Adam Garner (Colac) – 62 Goals

Full Leaderboard

Buckleys Reserves Cup

Best & Fairest – Hamish Dawson (Bell Park)

Runner Up Best & Fairest – Francesco Posterino (Newtown & Chilwell)

Runner Up Best & Fairest – Tanner Sadler (South Barwon)

Leading Goal Kicker Ayden Gras (St Joseph’s) – 60 Goals

Full Leaderboard

Geelong Advertiser Coaches Player of the Year Award – Harry Benson (St Mary’s)

Rookie of The Year – Tobyn Murray (Colac)