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.
Everyone deserves the chance to play the sports they love in a safe, valued, and inclusive environment.
To help our local football and netball clubs build more inclusive environments, AFL Barwon, in collaboration with the City of Greater Geelong and the Sport4All Program, invites you to attend the upcoming Disability and Inclusion Workshop.
This workshop is a fantastic opportunity for your club's coaches, committee members, volunteers, and players to immerse themselves in practical learning, share experiences, and take away actionable strategies to welcome people with disability into your club community.
Why Your Club Should Attend:
- Practical Insights: Learn how to develop and break down barriers through the learnings to allow people with disability to participate in your club, either on or off the field.
- Resources: Gain access to free resources and ongoing support through the Sport4All program to develop an Inclusion Plan.
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Community Connection: Connect with other local clubs and ask questions about the AFL Barwon All Abilities Football and Netball Leagues or share some inclusion ideas and success stories.
Workshop Details:
There will be 2 sessions available
- Date: Wednesday 17 June 2026 or Wednesday 24 June 2026
- Time: 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM
- Location:
City of Greater Geelong
137-149 Mercer Street, Geelong
(Wurriki Nyal - G - Project Room) View on map
or Online Link on request. - Cost: FREE for all AFL Barwon-affiliated clubs.
- Who should attend? Committee members, coaches, coordinators, volunteers, and anyone passionate about making your club a welcoming inclusive space.
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
