General Updates
New Updates
Join us on Wednesday 21 May 2025 from 5:30pm - 7:30pm at the Holiday Inn & Suites Geelong for a powerful evening of art and acknowledgement as we unveil a striking mural by local Indigenous artists from SISTA Studios, created on Wadawurrung Country.
This event marks the opening of the AFL Barwon Indigenous Round, a celebration of First Nations culture through sport, art, and community.
Experience the mural, connect with Country, and honour the stories that continue to shape this land.
Through collaboration with the AFL and Geelong Cats, we are excited to be able to offer to clubs a free optional Vilification and Discrimination Module for administrators, players, and members.
We have been very strong in our internal directives that Indigenous Round has a significant cultural meaning to our region that we are respectfully recognising.
This opportunity is something that is exclusive to the AFL Barwon region and we hope that the clubs see some great value in this.
The AFL has launched the new AFL PLAY Concussion Hub – a centralised platform designed to help community coaches, umpires, volunteers, players, and parents improve their understanding of concussion ahead of the season.
In a first-of-its-kind initiative, the Concussion Hub presents policies and practices in simplified, engaging, and easy-to-understand formats. By innovating the way sports education is delivered, the Hub aims to empower everyone involved in local football with the knowledge and tools needed to recognise, respond to, and manage concussion effectively.
The Hub features more than 150 educational assets, including video explainers, microlearning guides, and downloadable tools. It also includes a parent-focused content series hosted by social personality and mother of three, Emmylou MacCarthy.
Click on the button below to access the Concussion Hub.
In-line with the AFL’s Concussion Protocols, AFL Barwon wishes to remind clubs of the updated Football & Netball Concussion Protocols.
The key details to note within the 2025 AFL Concussion Protocols are:
- All Australian rules football competitions at all ages (i.e. adult/open competitions and all junior competitions outside AFL/AFLW), will adopt a mandatory minimum 21-day return to play protocol. This new protocol will apply for State Football competitions (including the VFL and VFLW), elite pathway competitions (including the Coates Talent League for boys and girls) and all community football competitions; and
- Under the new community guidelines, the earliest that a player can return to play after a concussion is on the 21st day after the day on which the concussion was sustained and provided that the player has safely progressed through each phase of the return-to-play program.
In-line with these protocols, AFL Barwon wishes to remind that it has adopted:
- The AFL Concussion Protocols for all AFL Barwon and affiliated Australian rules football competitions at all ages; and
- Has also adopted this policy for all AFL Barwon and affiliated Netball competitions at all ages.
This extends to practice matches, interleague and other games of any kind, of Australian Rules Football and Netball, in all forms.
In-line with AFL Barwon’s 2024-2026 Strategic Plan, to be community sport leaders in the safe and sustainable delivery of Football and Netball, we will continue work regionally on further resourcing and support for all affiliated Clubs, competitions and Leagues.
Clubs, stakeholders and community members alike are encouraged to contact AFL Barwon if they require further detail or clarification on these guidelines.
GFNL
Senior Football
17/5/25 - Leopold vs St Mary's - 2:10pm
A Grade Netball
17/5/25 - Lara vs Bell Park - 1:40pm
CDFNL
Senior Football
17/5/25 - Lorne vs Otway Districts - 2:15pm
AFL Barwon bids a warm farewell to Camryn Sheehan, who has informed us that she will be moving on from her role as Communications and Media Coordinator after
two fantastic years.
Camryn made a significant impact during her time with us, helping to grow and strengthen our digital platforms and content across all levels of our game. She also
played a vital role in our events space, and those who attended our Grand Finals would have heard her performing the national anthems.
Her creativity, work ethic, and professionalism shone through in everything she did, and we’re incredibly grateful for her contribution to the AFL Barwon community.
While we’re sad to see her go, we’re thrilled to share that Camryn has taken up an exciting new role in the events team at Kardinia Park Stadium Trust. We wish her all
the very best in this next chapter.
For all communications and media enquiries for the interim period, please contact Commercial Partnerships and Communications Manager, Sean Atkinson.
We are pleased to inform Clubs that we will again be playing with Indigenous designed
match footballs and netballs for the Senior Male, Senior Female and A-Grade Netball
matches to play with that round.
The artwork on the Netball’s and Football’s was created by local Indigenous artist and
footballer from our Region, Yalanda Neal.
Following the match, we are asking clubs to come together for the presentation of the match
ball to the player determined as the best on ground/court.
The match balls will be available to be picked up from the AFL Barwon Office from Friday
May 16th.
Reminders
AFL Barwon Clubs – Rising Star Nominations Now Open!
Do you have a rising star lighting up the field or the court?
AFL Barwon, in partnership with the Geelong Times, is now calling for club nominations for the Football and Netball Rising Star Award – recognising the brightest young talent in our region.
This prestigious award celebrates standout players under the age of 21 (as of January 1) from the Bellarine and Geelong Football Netball Leagues and Female Football Competitions, who show exceptional promise and performance on the field or court.
Each month, a Rising Star nominee will be featured in the Geelong Times, with all monthly nominees remaining eligible for the overall Rising Star Award, to be presented at the end of the season. Therefore, you only need to submit the application once for the season.
Eligibility Criteria:
- Must be under 21 years of age as of January 1
- Must have played no more than 10 Senior Football and A Grade games prior to the start of the current season
Clubs are invited to submit a nomination that includes a short write-up outlining the player’s achievements and why they deserve recognition.
Nominate Here: https://forms.gle/38tcL8rEhRawV41B6
Indigenous Round will be held 19-25th of May, highlighting the contribution of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to the games of football and netball. The round celebrates the relationship between local sports and Indigenous Australia by connecting football and netball players and spectators to Indigenous culture.
Download the Toolkit below to understand how your club can get involved, as well as what AFL Barwon is doing to celebrate the round.
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
- Panellists - Coming soon
Tickets will be released on June 2.
Football
Junior Football
AFL Barwon would like to acknowledge and thank clubs and officials for their ongoing support and cooperation throughout the junior football grading period.
Please note that junior grading will be finalised following this upcoming weekend’s fixtures. Once grading is complete, our grading committees will convene to review results and determine the most appropriate grades for all teams. This process is vital in attempting to provide a competitive balance and a positive experience for all participants across the remainder of the season.
We kindly ask for patience and understanding from all clubs and stakeholders during this time. Fixture updates will be released as soon as possible following the grading committee’s review and final determinations.
We greatly appreciate your support and understanding as we work to deliver the best possible competition structure for our junior participants.
Resource Links
Club Development
New Updates
New: Play.AFL Concussion Hub
‘If in doubt sit them out’
The AFL has launched a new concussion hub. One centralised location where our community coaches, umpires, volunteers, players and parents can brush up on their concussion smarts.
Action: Check out the more than 150 educational assets on the new hub https://play.afl/concussion
Webinar: Connecting Communities - Australian Sports Commission (ASC): May 12 @ 1-2pm
ASC is bringing together leaders from across sport to discuss their experiences in utilising sport volunteering to connect communities across the country. They will also share their insights on how National Volunteer Week provides a fantastic platform to enhance the experiences for our current and future volunteers in sport.
Get ideas on how you can get involved with National Volunteer Week celebrations.
Action: register to attend Register Here
Reminders
We want to hear about your club!
AFL Barwon and AFL Victoria want to better understand your clubs’ structures,
challenges and priorities so we can better support, not only your club, but club volunteers across the state for 2025 and beyond.
The best ways to complete the survey are to:
- Complete as a whole committee at your next committee meeting; or
- Get a few members of your committee to complete the survey separately in their own time.
No matter how the survey is completed, we appreciate your time and insight regarding your clubs’ structures, challenges, and priorities.
Overall, we have had approximately 44% of clubs in Victoria respond to the 2025 Club Health Check.
With a goal of 60%, a new opportunity for clubs who complete the Club Health Check has launched.
Clubs who complete the survey before 11:59pm June 9 go in the draw to win a prize worth $4,100 ex GST ($2k cash + 12 footys)!
N.B.: All responses submitted during the competition period (before 09/06/’25) go in the draw to win the prize, so all previous responses since late last year will be eligible. N.B.: Each club would only be entered once for one or more surveys complete.
Local footy clubs across the country can apply for Telstra Footy Country Grants, a partnership between the AFL and Telstra that will deliver $2m per year for a four-year period to community football. Round 3 closes 25/05/25.