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THE BARWON BULLETIN

The official noticeboard for AFL Barwon Club Officials & Volunteers.
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EDITION 84
JUNE 24, 2026
(LAST UPDATED - JUNE 24, 2026)

(Umpire appointments are updated Thursday 4pm)

Road Safety Round Collateral

Road Safety Round returns from 23-26th July 2026, where we call upon football and netball players across Victoria to ‘Band Together’.

This year’s Road Safety Round will spotlight speeding, which is a contributing factor in at least 30% of fatal and 25% of serious injury crashes on Victorian roads. Don't risk it, slow down.

Players will take to the field or court wearing blue armbands to honour lives lost on the road and serve as a reminder that we can all be the difference in making them safer.

Road Safety Round collateral has been put into your clubs pigeon hole at AFL Barwon HQ.

Read the Play Guernsey Fundraiser
We are excited to announce an exciting initiative for our Mental Health Partner, Read the Play thanks to the Geelong Cats.
The Geelong Cats have been a proud supporting partner of Read the Play since its inception, helping strengthen the program’s reach and impact across our region.
To mark the occasion, the Geelong Cats are donating 56 of the 2025 Regional Guernsey’s, each signed by the 2026 playing group, for clubs to auction in support of Read the Play.
All funds raised go directly to Read the Play, helping deliver mental health education across our region. Every $50 raised supports another young person to participate in the program.
AUCTION TIMELINE
• Opens: 5pm, Friday 19 June
• Closes: 3pm, Monday 6 July
HOW IT WORKS
• Your club receives a specially allocated jumper.
• You’ll be provided with an online auction link.
• Members and supporters can bid throughout the auction period.
• The top three fundraising clubs will receive exclusive prizes.
WHAT CLUBS NEED TO DO
• Promote the auction link to members and supporters.
• Share the auction across your social media channels.
• Encourage bidding throughout the campaign.
This is an amazing opportunity to support Read the Play for all the important work they do in raising awareness for youth mental health.
2026 Geelong Cats Community Awards - Call for Nominations

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.

Nominate here


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.

Nominate here

COGG Census

City of Greater Geelong is inviting clubs to take part in the 2026 Sport and Recreation Census. Input will help shape future planning, investment, and support for community sport and recreation across the region.

The census focuses on understanding participation, infrastructure needs, and key challenges facing clubs. Insights gathered will help ensure facilities and services meet the needs of our growing community.

We encourage clubs to complete the census and share their perspective:

  • Highlight your club’s current priorities and challenges
  • Identify future facility and infrastructure needs
  • Provide feedback to help strengthen your club and community sport
Feedback is valuable and will contribute to better outcomes for clubs and the wider community.
2026 Presentation Night Dates

We are pleased to provide stakeholders with the full list of presentation night event dates for the end of this season.

Please be reminded that there is a change in format for junior vote count evenings this year. Junior votes counts for 17U and below for football and netball will be completed virtually, with the intention to enable more junior participants the opportunity to tune in and engage with the evening.

Award winners will still have the opportunity to be presented with their awards at the combined junior sport presentation evening, on the 23rd of September.

We are excited to enable more junior footballers and netballers within the region the opportunity to participate in the vote count experience.

Clubs are encouraged to host their own events and screening of the counts should they wish. 

Senior Football & Netball

Mathieson Medal | Geelong Football Netball League Presentation Night | Tuesday 22nd September 2026 | Buckley's Entertainment Centre

Ash Medal | Bellarine Football Netball League Presentation Night | Wednesday 16th September 2026 | Buckley's Entertainment Centre

Female Football Presentation Night | Senior Female | Monday 24th August 2026 | Buckley's Entertainment Centre

Junior Football & Netball

Under 18 Football and 19 & Under Netball Presentation Night | Wednesday 17th September 2026 | Buckley's Entertainment Centre

AFL Barwon Junior Sport Presentation Dinner | Wednesday 23rd September 2026 | Buckley's Entertainment Centre

AFL Barwon Junior Netball Vote Counts | Tuesday 15th September 2026 | Online via AFL Barwon website

AFL Barwon Junior Football Vote Counts | Tuesday 1st September 2026 | Online via AFL Barwon website

Colac & District FNL

Mahoney & Russell Medal | Colac & District Football Netball League | Wednesday 9th September 2026 | Colac RSL

CDFNL Junior Presentation Night | Monday 7th September 2026 | Colac RSL

2026 Female Festival of Sport Breakfast

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.

2026 Female Sport Education Session hosted by Epworth Geelong

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.

2026 Female Festival of Sport Social Run with The Athlete’s Foot & AFL Barwon

oin The Athlete’s Foot & AFL Barwon to celebrate the Female Festival of Sport with a morning run and coffee!

Start your day celebrating movement, community, and the incredible women involved in sport at the Female Festival of Sport. Join The Athlete’s Foot and AFL Barwon for a relaxed social run, followed by coffee and a chance to connect with like-minded people.

Event Details
• Meeting Point: Front entrance of the Nyaal Banyul Geelong Convention and Event Centre (look out for The Athlete’s Foot flags and signage – you can’t miss us!)
• Meet: From 6:45am
• Run starts: 7:00am
• Post-run: Coffee and a casual catch-up on us

Bonus: The Athlete’s Foot team will have a range of wear-test shoes available to try during the run, plus Bounceback Cards for all participants.

Capacity: Limited to 100 participants. Bring your friends, teammates, or come along solo and meet new people as we celebrate women in sport and the power of community. Spaces are limited, so be sure to register early to secure your spot!

*Coffee limited to the first 100 participants.

2026 Female Festival of Sport Female Club Champion Nominations

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 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. From the club recipients, AFL Barwon will select several individuals to receive additional recognition, highlighting their exceptional contribution to community sport.

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.

2026 Female Festival of Sport Junior Representative Netball Exhibition Match

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

GFNL & BFNL Netball

BFNL/GFNL Netball – Coaches Votes

A gentle reminder for those who are yet to complete this form from the weekend.

BFNL - 2026 Bellarine FNL Netball Coaches Votes – Fill in form

GFNL - 2026 Geelong FNL Netball Coaches Votes – Fill in form

A reminder that we require this information be submitted by Tuesday morning of each week.

PlayHQ Best Players

A reminder that following each match, each team must select their best players for media reporting purposes. This refers to the 3 players that are listed upon the score entry screen, and that can be seen by the public who view the results.

Our position tracking template (linked here) has space for this to be recorded, to support with score entry. Please ensure all teams are completing this step.

E-scoring Requirements

A reminder that ALL BFNL & GFNL A GRADE MATCHES are required to be live-scored.

This can be done via the following url: na.score.playhq.com and can be completed by anyone with PlayHQ admin access, or e-scoring access can be granted via the admin portal to specific individuals via the admin portal.

For more details instructions on how to e-score, please review the Match Day Operations Manual.

To practice e-scoring, please feel free to utilise the following demo link:

https://score.uat.playhq.com/demo/netball-australia/2026-03-12/demo-court-id/games/demo-game-id_netball-australia

Junior / Midweek Netball

Fixture Update

Please be mindful of upcoming competition byes. No games will be played on the below dates:

  • Friday 3 July
  • Tuesday 7 July
Uniform

A reminder that long sleeve shirts are permitted to be worn under uniform, however, if multiple players wish to wear a long sleeve, they must be the same colour. 

i.e. If one wears white, others who opt to wear one must also wear white. Cannot be a mix of black and white

Resource Links

Australian Sports Foundation

Grassroots football clubs should consider using the Australian Sports Foundation as it allows clubs to raise funds through tax-deductible donations. This makes it easier to attract support from individuals, businesses and major donors while increasing credibility and reach. Clubs can use the platform to fundraise for projects such as facility upgrades, equipment, participation programs and other club development initiatives.

Australia Post Community Grant

Our Community Grants program supports projects that connect people to improve mental wellbeing in local communities. To help them deliver for their communities, we award Community Grants of up to $10,000 each year to fund community-led, local projects. These funds will be dedicated to projects that enhance mental wellbeing by fostering connection and building resilience within communities recovering from a natural disaster or a major storm event.

Local Sports Infrastructure Fund - Now Open
he next round of Local Sports Infrastructure Fund is now open with funding up to $500,000 available. Clubs are encouraged to speak to their Council contact about any potential projects and its alignment to program guidelines. Program is only eligible to LGAs and will close on Tuesday 28 July 2026 at 5pm.
Woolworths Netball Grants

Since 2019, Woolworths has been a proud partner of grassroots netball as the naming rights sponsor of Woolworths NetSetGo. Our commitment goes beyond the court; over the last seven years, we have donated more than $1.1 million to over 320 clubs and associations across Australia.

The 2026 Woolworths Netball Grants Program is now open. We are offering $100,000 in cash grants to help local clubs and associations upgrade facilities, buy equipment, and support their players.

To be in the running, apply below and explain how your club or association would use a grant to help improve the health and wellbeing of Aussie kids, in one or more of the following ways:

  • Sporting equipment / uniforms / improvements to facilities
  • Access to Woolworths’ NetSetGo program; and/or
  • Nutrition

Applications for the 2026 Woolworths Netball Grant start are now open and close at 23:59 AEST on 06.08.26

Toyota Good for Footy Raffle
The Toyota Good for Footy Raffle gives 100% of funds raised helping invest in the things that matter most to your players, volunteers and community. Tickets are just $5. Plus, you could win one of three brand new Toyota vehicles, exclusive AFL experiences, coaching clinics and more. When your club raises funds, it builds a stronger season ahead. That's Good for Footy! Ticket sales close 21 September 2026 at 12.00pm.
Toyota AFL National Volunteer Awards

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 

TAC Club Rewards

The TAC and AFL Victoria have partnered together for 34 years, working to achieve the vision of no deaths or serious injuries on our roads. As part of the program, all AFL Victoria-aligned clubs across regional Victoria and in the metropolitan leagues can take part and earn up to $10,000 in funding by promoting road safety in their community. This year we're tackling speeding driving. Road Safety Round will take place over the weekend of 23-26th July 2026.Applications close Monday 24 August

Save the Date: Netball Victoria Community Awards

Netball Victoria will be hosting our annual community awards on Sunday 18th October 2026 from 2-5pm. A great opportunity for all our community to come together and celebrate an amazing year. Head to our page to learn more and nominate association/ league of the year, volunteer of the year, inclusive netball community of the year, NetSetGo centre of the year, umpire of the year, coach of the year and teacher of the year.

2026 Community Awards Nominations – NOW OPEN

The Netball Victoria Community Awards celebrate the significant achievements of individuals and groups who have contributed to the sport of netball in Victoria throughout the year.

The growth and development of netball within Victoria is at the heart of everything we do and we love to highlight the great work of our Victorian netball community.

Nominations for the 2026 Community Awards are now open!

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