AFL Barwon is proud to host a special breakfast conversation with two of Australia’s most influential sporting leaders — Laura Kane, AFL’s Executive General Manager of AFLW, Health and Football Operations, and Sharelle McMahon, one of Australia’s most iconic netballers and now General Manager of High Performance and Pathways at Netball Victoria.
Together, they’ll reflect on their journeys so far, and explore the future of women’s sport in Australia: the momentum, the possibilities, and the next era of opportunity for girls and women across football, netball and the broader sporting landscape.
From community pathways to elite performance, from leadership to visibility, this conversation will look ahead to what’s next — and what we must build now to ensure the next generation thrives.
Held at the newly opened Nyaal Banyul Geelong Convention and Event Centre, this is a rare chance to hear from two trailblazers shaping the national agenda, and to connect with others who are passionate about creating a stronger, more inclusive future for women and girls in sport.
Join us for an inspiring morning of insight, connection and possibility.
The full Female Fesitval of Sport events will be communicated shortly.
Join Dr Alex Bonner, Dr Rekha Ganeshalingam and Emily Brown for an insightful panel discussion exploring the unique health and performance considerations of female athletes.
This engaging session will examine the relationship between menstrual health and athletic performance, effective load management strategies, and practical ways to support the participation, wellbeing and long-term development of women and girls in sport.
Whether you're an athlete, coach, parent, health professional or passionate supporter of female sport, you'll gain valuable insights from industry experts and experienced practitioners working at the forefront of athlete health and performance.
Date: Tuesday 7 July
Time: 6:00pm-7:30pm
Venue: Epworth Geelong
Be part of the conversation and learn how we can better support female athletes to thrive both on and off the field.
As part of AFL Barwon’s Female Festival of Sport, we are inviting all clubs to nominate their Female Club Champion – an outstanding female who has made a significant contribution to your club and community.
This prestigious recognition forms part of a week-long celebration dedicated to honouring the achievements and impact of women and girls in sport across the Barwon region.
Whether through playing, coaching, officiating, volunteering, administration or leadership, the Female Club Champion Award acknowledges those who go above and beyond to make a positive difference within their club.
Clubs are asked to submit in 150 words or less their Female Club Champion nomination to AFL Barwon by Wednesday 24 June to
Social media templates will be provided to clubs in late June, with all Female Club Champions to be celebrated across club and AFL Barwon channels on Thursday 9 July.
We encourage every club to recognise and celebrate the women who help make our sporting communities stronger.
Celebrate our Bellarine, Geelong and Colac & District Athletes on the big stage.
Alongside Geelong Cougars as they host their Victorian Netball League Home game, our 17U representative teams will take part in an exhibition match to kick off the day.
Come along and celebrate the calibre of netball from the Barwon region, as Geelong Cougars take on the Western Warriors in the Victorian Netball League at “The Arena”.
Date: Tuesday 7 July
Times:
- 10:30am - Local Representative Exhibition Match
- 12pm - VNL Development Match
- 1:30pm - 23&U VNL Match
- 3pm - Championship VNL Match
Venue: The Arena
Read the Play Round will take place across the weekend of 19 to 21 June, with clubs encouraged to get involved and help raise awareness of youth mental health and wellbeing across our football and netball community.
Game footballs, netballs and medals will be available for Saturday and Sunday home clubs to collect from the following locations:
AFL Barwon Junior Football and Netball competitions
Available from Tuesday 16 June
AFL Barwon, Roslyn Road, Highton
Colac and District FNL clubs
Available from Thursday 12 June
Colac RSL
AFL Barwon will organise balls and medals for all Friday night netball matches.
Home clubs are asked to please ensure balls and medals are collected ahead of their matches and used as part of their Read the Play Round recognition.
If your club has the bye during Read the Play Round and would like to host a Read the Play match later in the season, please email
Do you know someone making an outstanding impact in football or the Geelong community? Nominations are now open for Club Awards, recognising exceptional service, leadership and contribution on and off the field.
Help us recognise those who are the catalyst for good and reflect the values that make our Club and community stronger. Plus, all nominators go into the draw to win a 2026 AFL team-signed guernsey!
RJ Hickey Award
The RJ Hickey Award is named in the honour of one of our great past players, Premiership Coach and Captain Reg Hickey, whose contribution to the game of Australian Football and to the Geelong Football Club was profound over three decades, from 1926 to 1959.
The RJ Hickey Award is awarded annually by the Geelong Football Club to an individual in recognition of their “outstanding service to Australian Football”, particularly but not limited for their contribution to football in the Geelong region.
Carter/Costa Award
The Carter/Costa Award is awarded to an individual who has demonstrated exceptional service that strengthens the Geelong Football Club or contributes significantly to the wellbeing and vitality of the broader Geelong community.
This award recognises service beyond football, reflecting the community leadership and values embodied by Colin Carter and Frank Costa.
By demonstrating commitment to teamwork and for their outstanding personal values, this award seeks to recognise either an employee or volunteer at club or community level.
May and June bookings are filling quickly, so clubs are encouraged to book as soon as possible to secure a session before RTP Round.
Clubs that book one or more Read the Play sessions and appoint a Player Wellbeing Officer will receive a Read the Play Mentally Healthy Club Badge. To be eligible, clubs will need to promote the Player Wellbeing Officer role within their club and provide the details to Read the Play.
The badge gives clubs a great opportunity to promote on their website, socials, newsletters and other club communications that they are a mentally healthy sporting club and are prioritising the mental health and wellbeing of their young players.
Brazilian Butterfly is proud to partner with AFL Barwon in supporting and celebrating female athletes across our region throughout the 2026 season.
As part of this partnership, Brazilian Butterfly will provide Player of the Week vouchers to clubs across our female competitions. The initiative aims to recognise outstanding individual performances and celebrate the contribution of players at every level of the game.
To assist in promoting the initiative, clubs are asked to share an image of their selected Player of the Week holding the voucher using the dedicated template on social media and tag @aflbarwon & @Brazilianbutterflyau.
The template can be downloaded on the link below.
Please note that vouchers are available for collection from AFL Barwon for clubs that have not yet picked theirs up.
We thank Brazilian Butterfly for their support of female football and netball within the Barwon region.
Do you know an amazing community club volunteer? Nominate them for the 2026 National Volunteer Awards and recognise them for their incredible contribution and dedication each season. Category prizes include a money-can’t-buy 2026 Toyota AFL Grand Final experience and keys to a brand new Toyota.
Find out more information here - https://play.afl/toyota-afl-national-volunteer-awards
AFL Barwon is committed to ensuring community football environments are welcoming, safe, and inclusive for women & girls.
Female football participation across the region is entering an exciting growth phase, with new opportunities emerging for clubs supporting women and girls. The Women and Girls Community Football Charter encourages clubs, leagues, and umpire groups to create inclusive, safe, and welcoming environments, guided by four principles: opportunity, visibility, access, and investment.
Clubs can easily become signatories by submitting an expression of interest and completing a short action plan with support from the state body. Benefits include access to grants, ongoing updates, recognition, and promotional resources. As momentum builds, embracing women and girls in football is strengthening club culture and fostering a unified “one club” environment.
Further information and to register your clubs EOI found here - https://play.afl/clubhelp/women-girls/community-football-charter
As a thought provoker and to compliment the Women & Girls Community Football Charter, please consider completing The Fair Access Club Self-Assessment Tool which is a practical guide developed by the City of Greater Geelong to help sporting clubs review how inclusive and welcoming they are. It allows clubs to assess key areas such as facilities, culture, leadership, participation and promotion, focusing on inclusion of women, girls and under-represented groups. The benefit is that clubs can identify strengths and gaps, then take action to improve fairness and access across all parts of the organisation. This leads to more diverse participation, stronger community connections, increased volunteering, and a more supportive environment for everyone involved in sport and active recreation.
Complete the tool with your committee here: https://yoursay.geelongaustralia.com.au/index.php?cID=3580
AFL Victoria provides a free Coach Developer network to support community clubs with mentoring, training session observation, and tailored education focusing on player-centred environments. These developers work directly with local coaches, particularly in junior football, to improve training structures and game-day coaching behaviours, AFL Barwon have assigned local AFL Victoria coach developers who are more than happy to provide coach education at your club. Enquires can be directed to
Check out these handy coaching resources packed full of videos to support coaches in our region
