Our big Female Festival of Sport week concludes with plenty of action on the courts and football fields across the region. Check out all the details by clicking on the grade you want below:
AFL BARWON JUNIOR NETBALL EXHIBITION
- Tickets (includes VNL championship match)
SENIOR NETBALL
- CDFNL
JUNIOR NETBALL
EPWORTH SENIOR FEMALE FOOTBALL
JUNIOR FOOTBALL
ALL-ABILITIES
- Contact
Read more …Female Festival of Sport: Weekend Fixtures
The Barwon Region’s talent pool has again been recognised by Netball Victoria.
Netball Victoria has released its trial lists for the 2027 Talent Academy and the 17/U & 19/U State Sides.
All up, 17 athletes from the Barwon Region were identified and invited to trial for their respective opportunities in a sign of the strength of junior netball in the local area. Athletes have been identified based on their performances at State Titles held in March, or the Central West Zone Association Championships held in May & June.
The following athletes have been identified and invited to trial for the 2027 Talent Academy:
From the 2026 Barwon Region State Titles squad:
From the Central West Zone Association Championship tournament:
The following athletes have been identified and invited to trial for the 2027 17U State team from Central West Association Championships:
The following athletes have been identified and invited to trial for the 2027 19U State team from the Barwon Region State Titles team:
The Talent Academy Trials for the Central West Region area take place on Sunday 22 November at Eagle Stadium, Werribee.
The 2027 Netball Victoria State Titles will take place in Bendigo on March 6th-8th 2027.
Read more …Netball Victoria Talent ID program Barwon Region Representatives
AFL Barwon wishes to provide an update regarding the outcome of the Tribunal hearing involving North Shore coach Mark Hounslow, handed down last Wednesday evening.
The Tribunal found Mr Hounslow guilty of a charge of conduct unbecoming and imposed a three-week suspension. The Tribunal Panel determined that this sanction was to be served concurrently with a previously imposed six-week suspension.
After seeking clarification regarding the Tribunal's application of Rule 27.1(b)(xi) of the National Community Football Policy Handbook, AFL Barwon has amended the outcome such that the three-match suspension will be served immediately following the completion of the existing six-match suspension, rather than concurrently.
The rule states: A Person who receives more than one suspension for offences under Part E of the Policy Handbook, whether arising from the same match or not, must serve those suspensions consecutively.
Read more …AFL Barwon Tribunal Outcome Update
A decade after facing major challenges, Portarlington now finds itself with a thriving junior program.
By Ben Andonoudis
The picturesque surrounds of Portarlington have been the backdrop for an inspiring story.
The town’s football netball club, the Portarlington Demons has experienced a remarkable transformation in the past decade.
Once facing an uncertain future, the club has rebuilt itself into a thriving community sporting organisation.
That junior program now fields 10 junior teams every weekend in a remarkable achievement for a club in town of less than 5,000 people.
For Portarlington Senior Football Director David Burke, the club has prioritised creating a place where youngsters and families feel a part of the club.
“There has been a strong focus on rebuilding, growing participation and creating a positive environment where young players and families feel connected to the club,” Burke said.
That environment has been built by people who dedicate countless hours to ensure the junior program can thrive.
“The success of our junior program is really built on the efforts of many dedicated volunteers, coaches, team managers and parents who give countless hours behind the scenes,” Burke said.
As the club continues to grow, it is clear to them that the health of the junior program is a big indicator of where the club is overall.
“Clearly the more kids you've got, the better off the club is going forward,” Burke said.
However, while Portarlington has found itself in a stable position, that has not come without some hurdles.
The town’s demographics can make the process of finding a steady stream of juniors a hard task.
As a well-known retirement town on the Bellarine Peninsula, the average age of the residents of Portarlington is 62.
That means often the people moving to Portarlington are not those with young families.
“Portarlington’s demographic does present some challenges, particularly in maintaining a consistent pool of junior-aged participants,” Burke said.
Portarlington have managed to continue to grow their junior teams despite this obstacle.
The club has found that to keep the long-term viability of the junior program, they must look beyond just attracting new players.
“Retention is just as important as recruitment,” Burke said.
This retention of players means ensuring that youngsters who come to the club want to stay at Portarlington for many years.
That includes off-field parts of their time at the club.
“If children enjoy coming to the club, feel supported by their coaches and make friendships that last, they will stay involved,” Burke said.
For many clubs the aim is to keep players involved from the time they are juniors until they are adults playing in the higher levels of the club.
At Portarlington, this is a mindset that is integral to the club.
“We want every junior player to aspire to wear the senior jumper one day and feel they are already an important part of the wider club community,” Burke said.
While Portarlington does take pride in their successes, they have an important piece of advice for other clubs looking to increase their junior programs.
“Put people before results,” Burke said.
Portarlington’s journey is a reminder that successful clubs are not built overnight.
They are built through volunteers, families and communities willing to invest in each other.
Read more …How Portarlington rebuilt its future from the ground up
AFL Barwon wishes to advise that, due to a facility issue at Burdoo Reserve, all Blood Toyota Geelong FNL Netball matches scheduled between Grovedale FNC and St Joseph's FNC tomorrow will now be played at Herne Hill Reserve.
All match times will remain as previously scheduled.
All GFNL netball fixtures can be found at www.aflbarwon.com.au/gfnl-clubs
Image: Sandra McLaren Photography
Read more …GFNL Netball matches moved to away venue