AFL Barwon has been closely monitoring the situation surrounding North Shore Football Netball Club and its efforts to establish a sustainable football program for the 2025 season.

AFL Barwon, AFL Victoria, and the North Shore FNC Executive have been engaged in ongoing discussions to explore a viable path forward. Discussions were held on December 18th, where AFL Barwon expressed concerns about their football playing numbers. At this meeting, AFL Barwon presented the 2025 Action Plan for the Greater North Geelong Future Football project.

On February 13th, AFL Barwon issued a letter to North Shore FNC, providing the club with an opportunity to demonstrate its ability to field Senior and Reserve football teams in 2025. This was prompted by the fact that, at the time, North Shore FNC had no registered Senior male footballers.

Despite some verbal assurances, North Shore FNC had been unable to provide the relevant written confirmation to this request and show reasonable cause by February 28th, AFL Barwon requested a meeting on March 3rd, at which North Shore Co-President representing netball was the only representative in attendance.

Due to lack of confirmation by North Shore FNC, AFL Barwon had no choice but to begin planning scenarios for the 2025 season without North Shore FNC participating in the 2025 GFNL football competition as a contingency.

AFL Barwon is still assessing North Shore FNC’s ability, in its current form, to meet AFL Barwon By-Law 13.2, which states: “All Clubs must field teams in Senior & Reserve football grades, and all Netball grades from A Grade down.” Noting a netball exemption has been in place in recent seasons. It is not a viable solution to only have one senior football team.

Whilst this assessment is still taking place and there has been an increase in registrations, there remains some work to be done regarding North Shore’s ability to field senior and reserve football teams in 2025. AFL Barwon must take proactive steps to support all clubs and players. While every effort is being made by North Shore FNC in establishing a sustainable football program, the ongoing uncertainty necessitates careful planning to protect the integrity of the competition and the interests of all participating clubs.

AFL Barwon remains committed to supporting all clubs within the region to ensure a strong and sustainable football and netball competitions.

Further media comment will be provided through our official media partners as updates become available.

There are a series of  upcoming Football Umpiring Events in the Barwon Region over the next fortnight, with options for both new and experienced umpires.

Colac Football Umpiring Come & Try

A come and try night is for people who are interested in becoming an umpire. there will be an Information session on what’s involved and on an ground activities workshop.

• Colac Cricket Ground/Lake Oval Colac
• Wednesday 12th March
• 5:30-6:30pm

AFL Barwon Umpires Camp 2025

Open to any person who umpires football in the AFL Barwon region, League and Club aligned!

Geelong Football Umpiring Come & Try

A come and try night is for people who are interested in becoming an umpire. there will be an Information session on what’s involved and on an ground activities workshop.

Fore more information, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

AFL Barwon announces that Region General Manager Edward Wilson has made the decision to step down from his role, with his tenure concluding on Wednesday, 26th March. He has accepted a new opportunity as Chief Executive Officer of Motorcycling Victoria. 

Edward commenced as Regional Manager of AFL Barwon in 2022 during a difficult time post the COVID-19 disruption to our industry and worked swiftly and enthusiastically to lead and settle the AFL Barwon Region.

During his tenure, Edward has been instrumental in driving key initiatives and improvements across the region, working closely with the AFL Barwon Commission to achieve significant outcomes. His leadership and vision have helped strengthen AFL Barwon’s strategic direction and operational effectiveness, ensuring long-term sustainability and growth within the football and netball community.

Some of the key achievements under Edward’s leadership include:

• Establishing the AFL Barwon Strategy for 2023–2025, providing a clear roadmap for the future development of the region.
• Completing the region’s Competition Review, which led to the introduction of a movement mechanism within the Senior Male Football and Senior Netball competitions to enhance competition balance and fairness.
• Introducing and integrating the Club Development Lead resource, aimed at providing vital support and guidance to local clubs and volunteers.
• Strengthening AFL Barwon’s structure through the introduction of the Group Manager – Operations position to enhance competition management.
• Expanding and refreshing the partnership between AFL Barwon and the Geelong Cats, while also broadening the region’s commercial partnerships portfolio.
• Launching the Greater Geelong LGA Plan project, with a dedicated focus on North Geelong, to drive participation growth and ensure future development opportunities.

AFL Barwon Chair Michelle Gerdtz acknowledged Edward’s contributions and leadership, stating:” Edward has been a dedicated leader who has significantly contributed to the ongoing success of our region. His vision and commitment to community football and netball have left a lasting impact, and we sincerely thank him for his efforts.”

The AFL Barwon Commission will now work closely with the AFL Victoria to commence the process of appointing a new Region General Manager in the coming weeks, ensuring a smooth transition and continued focus on the strategic direction of the organisation.

The AFL Barwon Summer Competition is gearing up for an exciting conclusion, with the Grill’d Summer Netball Grand Finals taking place this Friday night, February 28, at Kardinia Park. After a fantastic season, teams will hit the court one last time to battle it out for the premiership.

Grand Finals will be played across three timeslots on Friday, February 28, with matches scheduled for 4:40pm, 6:00pm, and 7:20pm. The action doesn’t stop there, with the 17 & Under and All-Abilities Grand Finals set to take place on Tuesday, March 4, at 5:00pm and 6:20pm.

AFL Barwon extends a huge congratulations to all players, coaches, umpires, and supporters for their dedication and efforts throughout the season. The Summer Competition has once again provided a fantastic opportunity for participants to stay active, develop their skills, and enjoy netball in a fun and competitive environment.

A special thank you to Grill'd, the proud naming rights partner of the Summer Competition, for their ongoing support of local netball and grassroots sport across the AFL Barwon region.

Fixture for both Friday night and Tuesday’s Grand Finals can be found below:

Friday 28th February

 Tuesday 4th March