General Updates
New Updates
The Real MVP – Marathon Foods Volunteer Program recognises and rewards the unsung heroes who make community football and netball possible.
This initiative honours the volunteers who represent the heart and soul of their clubs — the ones who go above and beyond to keep things running behind the scenes.
Debbie Lee is the National Women’s and Girls Football Lead at the AFL and a pioneering figure in women’s Australian rules football. A former player and coach, she gave up a WNBL career to found the St Albans Spurs in 1992. Lee is a five-time Helen Lambert Medalist, six-time All-Australian, and former president of the Victorian Women's Football League. She played a key role in launching the AFLW through her leadership roles at Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs. In 2021, she became the first woman inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame.
BFNL
Senior Football
28/6/25 - Queenscliff vs Ocean Grove - 2:10pm
A Grade Netball
28/6/25 - Anglesea vs Drysdale - 1:50pm
GFNL
Senior Football
28/6/25 - Leopold vs Bell Park - 2:10pm
A Grade Netball
28/6/25 - Leopold vs Bell Park - 1:40pm
CDFNL
Senior Football
28/6/25 - Otway Districts vs. Simpson - 2:15pm
Reminders
The 2025 Female Festival of Sport Week will be held from the June 30th - July 6th, with the annual Breakfast event held on the 4th of July.
Details of breakfast:
- Date - Friday July 4th
- Location - Geelong West Town Hall
- Time - 6:45am Arrival, 7:00am Start
- Host - Madi Browne
This year’s line-up of guest speakers includes:
- Meagan Mifsud – Torquay Netball Club
- Jaz Shelley – Professional basketballer, Geelong United Basketball
- Taylah Hassett – Head Coach, Geelong VFLW
Join us for a powerful morning of networking, storytelling, and inspiration as we champion the future of female participation in sport.
Do you know an amazing community club volunteer?
Nominate them for the 2025 National Volunteer Awards and recognise them for their incredible contribution and dedication each season.
Category prizes include a money-can’t-buy 2025 Toyota AFL Grand Final experience and keys to a brand new Toyota.
The AFL has zero tolerance for racism and other forms of vilification - it’s not hard, it’s out of bounds.
If you have been vilified, or you witness it:
SUPPORT
Seek support from trusted people;
or provide support to the vilified person.
REPORT
Report the incident to your Club. Ask them to
lodge a complaint with the Controlling Body (League) or report it directly to the AFL, via our easy-to-use online templates.
As part of Female Festival of Sport week AFL Barwon and AFL VIC be running NetSetGO and Auskick clinics on Monday 30th June.
Event Details:
Leopold Memorial Reserve
Auskick: 4:30pm - 5:15pm
NetSetGo: 5:30pm - 6:15pm
Age Groups
Auskick: ages 5 - 12 years
NetSetGo: ages 7 - 11 years
For more information, please contact
Maddie Okely -
Hannah Quinn -
Commercial Partnerships
New Updates
AFL Barwon is proud to announce a new three-year partnership with HITIQ, a leading provider of concussion management technology, naming HITIQ as the Official Concussion Technology Partner of AFL Barwon.
This partnership will see HITIQ’s innovative PROTEQT smart mouthguard showcased across the AFL Barwon region, enhancing player safety and wellbeing for more than 25,000 participants. This important initiative will support our continued focus on player welfare and strengthen concussion education and management across all levels of community sport.
The Geelong Football Club is calling on nominations for the 2025 Carter/Costa Award and RJ Hickey Award.
Recipients of the Carter/Costa Award and RJ Hickey Award will be announced at the Annual General Meeting or another appropriate event in 2025.
Do you know anyone who has injured their knee in the past 6 months?
Unique opportunity to be involved in an important nationwide project led by La Trobe Sport and Exercise Medicine Research Center.
The Australian Knee Injury Study is a registry of knee injuries to help our healthcare system get a better understanding of the extent of knee injuries in Australia, the types of assessments and treatments provided, and the long-term outcomes. It is entirely online (5 min questionnaires) and confidential.
Visit our website for more information: www.kneeinjurystudy.com.au
Reminders
Looking to save money and support your community all at the same time? Click the following link to see if you’re eligible for a special interest rate offer from our proud partner, Beyond Bank.
Whether you’re buying your first home, refinancing, or just looking for a better rate, Beyond Bank is offering benefits designed with our supporters in mind.
Community banking benefits and a special rate available to AFL Barwon members, supporters and their community:
- Special home loan options
- Fee Free Banking on selected Beyond Bank accounts
- Additional .10% on Term Deposits
- Support from a customer-owned bank that gives back to the game that you love!
Click here to find out more and don’t miss your opportunity to start saving money today!
Alternatively contact Cam Murnane on 0413 938 268 or
Club Development
AFL Victoria, in collaboration with WorkSafe Victoria, are proud to announce that all AFL Victoria affiliated country football and netball clubs are once again eligible to benefit from the WorkSafe Club Safety Fund in 2025.
Officially opening on the 03/06/25 closing on the 25/08/25.
Clubs can now register to participate in the mission to eliminate deaths and serious injuries on our roads and share in the chance to earn up to $10k.
Nominations are now open for the 2025 Chemist Warehouse AFLW Community Ambassadors Program.
Each year, women and girls in the footy community are nominated and recognised for the outstanding efforts within our great game.
Ambassadors will receive a $1,000 grant, and a money can’t buy 2025 NAB AFLW Final experience.
Nominations close July 20
The Toyota Good for Footy Raffle is back for 2025! If a club has never engaged with the program, they can now register for free via the link below.
Clubs who have previously registered are automatically re-registered and can start fundraising Immediately.
Football
Female Football
Junior Female Football
AFL Barwon is seeking Expressions of Interest from clubs interested in entering a team in the Under 9 Girls competition, set to commence in August.
The competition will be held across two venues, which are yet to be confirmed. As outlined, it will begin following the conclusion of Auskick programs.
This exciting initiative provides young girls with their first opportunity to play footy in a game-like environment. It’s a fantastic chance for clubs to promote participation, continue building their junior girls programs, or even kickstart one for the first time.
Closing date for EOI’s is Friday 27th June.
Further information will be provided post cutoff date for EOI’s.
Resource Links
Football Umpiring
Reminder
Jock Hillgrove will be taking some well-deserved leave from the 6th June - 7th July 2025.
If you are requiring assistance during this time, please contact Will Ross at
Netball
General Netball
As per AFL Barwon By-Law 2.3 and Netball Competition rule 2, player registrations and clearances in netball close on June 30th.
Please ensure all players are registered/cleared to your club prior to this date.
No late registrations will be accepted.
It is a Netball Victoria compliance requirement that ALL clubs have their Child Safety Officers AND Complaint Officers assigned in Netball Connect.
This does not have to be a separate person if you already have someone undertaking the role for your club in a football sense.
To assign a person to this role on Netball Connect, please follow the following steps:
- Log in to the admin portal
- Users tab
- Hover over ‘Administrators’ and select ‘my organisation’
- Toggle across to the ‘contacts’ tab
- Add a new contact, and select the role as ‘Child Safety Officer’ or ‘Complaints Officer’
- You can set this person as having ‘NO admin access’.
If you are having trouble completing this step – please email
Please ensure you’re monitoring your games played totals throughout the season. Clubs also bear responsibility to ensure players are managed within the bounds of the game, and are monitoring this information.
While AFL Barwon does check paperwork and make amendments as needed, we check over 600 pieces of paper per week, so we may miss a record.
If you require support in checking these records, please reach out.
Netball Victoria
A reminder to make sure your coaches and umpires include their Netball Learning email address in the registration process. This will allow their correct accreditation information to be added to their User profile for administrators to view. Please view the resource on the link below to help with this process.
For those that missed June’s monthly online education session, Session 1- Child Safety Recruitment Practices and Robust Screening is available to view.
You can view all of the previous recordings on Netball Victoria’s monthly online education sessions section on YouTube at any time.
The next session will run on Monday 7 July, covering the following topics:
| 6-6:30pm | Child Safety Standards |
| 6:30-7pm | Woolworths NetSetGo - Bring a friend initiative |
| 7-7:30pm | Facilities - Building for the future |
As school holidays approach, we’re encouraging your members to secure their spots in the July school holiday Train Like a Vixen clinics, running from 10 July- 18 July. Ideal for netballers aged 5–15.
These clinics are a great way to keep players active, engaged, and developing their skills during the break.
2025 Woolworths netball grants program
The Woolworths Netball Grants Program supports grassroots netball clubs and associations running Woolworths NetSetGo across the country to improve the health and wellbeing of Aussie kids.
This year, grants of $2,000 will be awarded to up to 40 clubs across Australia, as well as there being a massive $20,000 grant for the winner of the 2025 People’s Choice Award.
Reminder - The 2025 Country Football and Netball Program is currently open for application.
The 2025 Country Football and Netball Program (CFNP) is now open, and closes on 7 July 2025. Grants of up to $250,000 are available to deliver infrastructure projects that include the redevelopment and construction of courts, installation of sports lighting, and construction of new and redevelopment of existing pavilions, including gender‑neutral change rooms. If your club, association or league is interested in facility enhancements through this program you should reach out to your local Council representatives or the NV facilities team. Please note that all applications must be submitted via your local Council.
BFNL & GFNL Netball
It has come to our attention that in grades whereby not all teams are fielded, the ladder type has not been amended to reflect match ratio.
The Match Ratio is a calculation that is used to rank ladders similar in many ways Ladder Points Average (in that it allows for fairness when the number of games each team plays in a season is not equal).
For C and D Grade ladders, these ladder types will remain as is, with all teams fielded in these competitions.
However, for all other ladders, due to their being variations in the number of byes teams will experience (ranging from 1 through to 4 byes for the season), the ladder type will be updated.
These changes are now reflected on PlayHQ.
There are several high priority umpiring items within the umpiring section of the Bulletin that require action by clubs.
Please ensure you are reviewing this section and actioning appropriately.
Please be reminded that any proposed schedule changes must be submitted to AFL Barwon with a minimum of 14 days notice, with evidence that both clubs have been consulted and are in agreeance of what is being proposed.
All changes are subject to approval by AFL Barwon, and appropriate timings should be proposed to allow umpires sufficient time between games to complete relevant tasks.
Please be reminded of seeking consent for photography from opposition clubs on Match Day.
A list of teams with ‘no photography’ players was distributed earlier this season, but players may also have changed their preference since then.
If a team has a ‘no photo’ player, photography can still occur, but it must be made clear which player cannot be captured/used in photography during the match.
Junior Netball
Junior Netball Season Dates
A reminder that AFL Barwon Junior Netball will continue next week, with games on both Tuesday 1st July and Friday 4th July.
If you are aware that your team will be impacted on these dates due to player absences, please email
Season byes are as follows:
Tuesday 8th July
Friday 11th July
Tuesday 15th July
Friday June 20
A huge thank you to the clubs who supported on Friday evening, ensuring our midweek competition was able to continue without the use of Kardinia Park.
We are currently preparing for the same impact on August 8th, so please be prepared for fixture changes on this date, and to make alternate travel plans to venues.
Association Championships
The weekend saw our 13&U Championship and Development Teams, as well as our All-Abilities Representative teams head to Association Championships at the State Netball Centre.
Congratulations to all players, coaches and umpires who participated and represented our region proudly. Association Championships concludes our program for our Championship teams for 2025, with Development teams due to conclude on Monday 30th June.
Results
Geelong Central Netball Association – Grand Final
Congratulations to our Representative Development Teams who are participating in Grand Finals on Monday 30th June!
- 13&U Bellarine FNL vs 13&U Geelong FNL: Kardinia Park 6:05pm court 3
- 15&U Geelong FNL vs GCNA Turquoise: Kardinia Park 7:00pm court 5
CDFNL Netball
Please ensure you’re monitoring your games played totals throughout the season. Clubs also bear responsibility to ensure players are managed within the bounds of the game, and are monitoring this information.
While AFL Barwon does check paperwork and make amendments as needed, we check over 600 pieces of paper per week, so we may miss a record.
If you require support in checking these records, please reach out.
Thank you to players, coaches and umpires, who represented the CDFNL at Association Championships for the 13U age group at the weekend.
All members represented the league proudly, and it is always a great opportunity to be part of.
Any umpires who have been selected for finals day will be contacted directly.
Thank you to those umpires who supported both the Senior Interleague against Geelong & District FNL, and Junior Interleague against Central Highlands NL.
Club umpires should not be wearing club logos when officiating home and away fixtures. League branded apparel is available at Borne Apparel.
The same rule will apply into finals, so should you wish to officiate during finals, please ensure you have the correct attire.
Netball Umpiring
Umpire Coordinators were asked at the start of the season to send through their rosters prior to or after each round had concluded. Collecting this information is to assist in best supporting umpire coordinators, the umpires and the mentors when visiting clubs. It also contributes to decision making when clubs ask for an exemption for umpires to umpire grades above their level of accreditation.
The back dated information requested in the table below is to be sent through to clubs by Monday 30 June.
Thank you to the few clubs that have been sending through their umpire rosters weekly.
|
Anglesea |
Rounds: 1, 2, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11 |
|
Barwon Heads |
All rounds received |
|
Drysdale |
All rounds received |
|
Geelong Amateur |
All rounds received |
|
Modewarre |
Rounds: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 |
|
Newcomb/Surf Coast Suns |
Rounds: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 |
|
Ocean Grove |
All rounds received |
|
Portarlington |
Rounds: 6, 7, 9, 10, 11 |
|
Queenscliff |
Rounds: 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 |
|
Torquay |
All rounds received |
|
Bell Park |
Rounds: 0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 |
|
Colac |
All rounds received |
|
Geelong West Giants |
Rounds: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9 |
|
Grovedale |
Rounds: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 |
|
Lara |
Rounds: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 |
|
Leopold |
Rounds: 1, 2, 3, 6, 8, 9 |
|
Newtown |
All rounds received |
|
North Shore |
Round: 7, 8, 9 |
|
South Barwon |
Rounds: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 |
|
St Albans |
All rounds received |
|
St Josephs |
Rounds: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9 |
|
St Marys |
All rounds received |
Clubs are required to email through their umpire rosters by the conclusion of each round to