Skip to main content

AFL Victoria

2024 AFL Victoria Community Football Awards winners

AFL Victoria has recognised outstanding contributors to the grassroots game at the annual AFL Victoria Community Football Awards, held at IKON Park last Friday. 

Australian Rules Football is driven by volunteers, coaches, umpires and administrators who are the heartbeat of the local game. Tens of thousands of people in Victoria dedicate significant time and effort towards ensuring the success of their clubs and communities.

 In 2024, Kellie Frazer from the Gordon Football Netball Club in Victoria was recognised as the WorkSafe Victoria Country Community Volunteer of the Year. Adding to that acknowledgment, Kellie also took out the 2024 Toyota AFL National Volunteer of the Year Awards' top national honour as the Toyota AFL Community Volunteer of the Year for her outstanding service to her club and community for the past 20 years.

The other Victorian winners to be recognised in the national awards were Olivia Ashcroft from Ringwood Football Netball Club, as the 2024 Young Leader of the Year for her state and nationally, as well as AFL Merit Award recipients Maree Williams (Shepparton Swans Football Netball Club) and Michelle Gerdtz (Chair of AFL Barwon Commission). 

The 2024 AFL Victoria Community Club of the Year award was won by Queenscliff Football Netball Club, which competes in the AFL Barwon FNL. 

Full list of 2024 AFL Victoria Community Football Awards winners below

 

COACHING

David Parkin Junior Coach of the Year

Dean Memedoski - Hume Bombers, Essendon District Football League

Stan Alves Youth Coach of the Year - Joint winners

Naomi Irvin - Ballarat FNC - AFL Goldfields, Ballarat Football Netball League

Stuart Farr - AFL Wimmera Mallee Youth Development Head Coach 

Peta Searle Female Coach of the Year

Tina Henshaw - Seaford JFC, AFL South East (Frankston District JFL)

 

Gerard Fitzgerald Senior Coach of the Year

Ashley Watson Rochester FNC - AFL Goulburn Murray (Goulburn Murray League)

 

GENERAL 

The CDS VIC Sustainability Award

Alexandra Football Netball Club - Outer East FNL

 

AFL Merit Award Recipients

Maree Williams - Shepparton Swans Football Netball Club, Goulburn Valley League *NATIONAL WINNER*

Michelle Gerdtz - Chair of AFL Barwon Commission *NATIONAL WINNER*

AFL Victoria Young Leader of the Year

Olivia Ashcroft - Ringwood FNC, Eastern FNL *NATIONAL WINNER*

AFL Victoria Metropolitan Community Volunteer of the Year

Jacqueline Bowshall-Tanner - President and Volunteer - Northern FNL (Kilmore Junior Football Club) *NATIONAL WINNER*

WorkSafe Victoria Country Community Volunteer of the Year

Kellie Frazer - President and Volunteer, Gordon Football Netball Club (Central Highlands Football League)

AFL Victoria Community Club of the Year

Queenscliff Football Netball Club - AFL Barwon

 

PARTICIPATION

AFL Victoria NAB Auskick Volunteer Award

Kim Tempest - South Belgrave Auskick Centre, Eastern FNL 

AFL Victoria Superkick Volunteer of the Year

David Cash - Oakleigh Superkick Centre, South Metro Junior Football League

AFL Victoria School Teacher of the Year

Daniel Saleh - Al Siraat College (Epping), Northern FNL 

AFL Victoria Diversity Ambassador of the Year

Beck Dean - Rumbalara FNC

AFL Victoria Disability Inclusion Ambassador of the Year

Ben Trevena - Echuca Moama Rockets All Abilities

 

UMPIRING 

Greg Sidebottom Memorial Umpire Coach of the Year

Sean Clarke - Eastern Football Netball League

AFL Victoria Male Development Umpire Coach

Lachlan Carney - South Metro Junior Football League

AFL Victoria Female Development Umpire Coach

Ashleigh Lovas - AFL Gippsland, Sale Umpires Association

AFL Victoria Community Umpire Manager of the Year

Andrew Moore - AFL Goulburn Murray 

AFL Victoria Golden Whistle Award

Adam Marrow - Southern FNL

AFL Victoria Umpiring Service Award

Bec Malseed - AFL Western District

Latest News

Barwon Heads Star Oliver Wiltshire Realises AFL Dream

Article by AFL Victoria

One of the most stunning moments in the 2023 AFL Draft came when Geelong picked a player straight out of community football, from their own backyard, with Oliver Wiltshire taken with one of the final few picks at number 61 overall.

 
21-year-old Wiltshire enjoyed an outstanding 2023 season for Barwon Heads Football Netball Club in the Bellarine Football League, playing not far from the Cats' home ground GMHBA Stadium, which has become his new workplace. His 51-goal campaign in the strong community league this year helped to push his side to a preliminary final.
 
Wiltshire is a success story of his local area and club, having played most of his junior football for Barwon Heads. He played for Geelong Falcons in the Coates Talent League pathway competition in 2021 but otherwise has mainly honed his craft on local grounds in the Bellarine region and playing for his school, St Joseph's College, which is just down the road. 
 
Geelong Cats Recruiting Manager Stephen Wells said the Cats were very happy to give Oli his chance.
 
"Oli had an opportunity at the Geelong Falcons a couple of years ago, we think his skill and football brain on display at Barwon Heads over the past couple of years has been outstanding and he deserves his chance," said Wells.
 
The man of the moment did his first media conference as a Geelong player in the days following the draft and said "it was an unreal feeling" to have his named called out on draft night. 
 
"I've barracked for the Cats all my life, mum and dad have, I went to school just down the road at Joeys (St Joseph's) so I know this place pretty well and so rapt to be here," Wiltshire said.
 
Geelong legend Matthew Scarlett was an assistant coach at Barwon Heads and had encouraged Wiltshire to pursue his AFL dream. Wiltshire said he sensed there may be some interest after his 12-goal performance against Modewarre early in the season. 
 
"After the Modewarre game... I kicked a few goals and had a few whispers coming my way and then a few games after that, had a few more.
 
"After Falcons I went down and played at Barwon Heads and I loved playing there, loved playing with all my mates down there and just played for the love of the game. Lucky enough that Scarlo has come down."
 
Wiltshire follows in the footsteps of new teammate Tom Stewart, who also played senior community football in the Geelong region before the Cats selected him. 

Latest News

Following The Week of the AFL Draft, Thank You And Well Done To All Volunteers

An open letter from Head of AFL Victoria, Greg Madigan:

 
It has been a huge week for the game with 77 young men realising their dreams and finding homes on AFL lists for the first time through the AFL National Draft and Rookie Draft events.

Of this 77, nearly half are from Victoria (38), showing how important our state remains in producing so many of the stars of the elite men’s game.
All of these players have a story on how they made it and for most, their journey in football started at their local NAB AFL Auskick centre or junior club, where volunteers are the heartbeat of the game.

While natural talent, commitment and hard work are important ingredients for any draftee, none of these players would have made it to the elite game without the support of so many people performing various roles for the benefit of their local clubs and communities.

I would like to congratulate and thank all the volunteers, officials and supporters of community clubs who played a role in the journeys of all the boys drafted this week.
According to AFL data, for every player who makes it to the AFL, there have been more than 30 volunteer roles, over 400 people in those roles and more than 10,000 volunteer hours impact the player and help them through their football journey.

From highly touted number one pick Harley Reid, who played his junior football at Tongala in Central Victoria, to the stunning story of 21-year-old Oliver Wiltshire, selected by Geelong with pick 61 straight out of community football at Barwon Heads, every player drafted has been heavily influenced, guided and supported by volunteers.

In junior and senior local football across Victoria in 2023 there were 85 leagues, 1,040 clubs and more than 8,750 teams, as well as 780 Auskick centres introducing thousands of kids to our great game. This football ecosystem is powered by tens of thousands volunteers who dedicate huge amounts of time and effort to making our game great.

Of the 1000-plus clubs in Victoria, only a relatively small number are celebrating producing AFL draftees in 2023. But every volunteer in community football should feel proud of the role they play, from every corner of the state, no matter how big or small your club.

It is why the AFL has committed to supporting community football through various programs, underpinned by no less than 10 per cent of all assessable revenue going back into the grassroots game. There are a number of ways Victorian clubs and leagues receive support, including:
 
 
Congratulations to all the players drafted this week and all the best for your AFL journey ahead.
 
To all the community football volunteers who helped to get them there, thank you and well done.
 
Greg Madigan
Head of AFL Victoria

Latest News

Local club fundraising opportunity through new CDS partnership

Local football clubs across the state will be supported to raise funds and become more sustainable through a new partnership between AFL Victoria and Victoria's Container Deposit Scheme (CDS Vic).

CDS Vic becomes the Official Recycling Partner of AFL Victoria until the end of 2027 and it kicked off with the inaugural CDS Vic Club of the Year award being presented at AFL Victoria's annual community awards on Friday night.

Alexandra Football Netball Club took the honours for its efforts which have raised more than $14,000 for the local club through the scheme.

 CDS Vic provides the opportunity for Victorians to return eligible drink containers for a 10 cent refund at more than 600 refund points across the state through zone operators Tomra Cleanaway, Visy and Return-It. Containers are then processed to make new items, reducing waste and working towards a circular economy. 

Victorian local footy clubs wanting to register as a donation partner can do so today via cdsvic.org.au/fundraising, which has the step-by-step guide for clubs to follow.  

With the option to either keep your 10c refund or donate it, footy clubs across the state are already raising funds through the scheme. This partnership aims to increase the profile of the scheme and help more clubs to benefit. 

Since launching on 1 November 2023, more than 900 million containers have been returned across the state – returning up to $90 million to Victorians, including more than 250 football clubs already participating as donation partners.      

CDS Vic is part of the Victorian Government’s $515 million investment to transform the state’s waste and recycling sector. Funded by contributions from the beverage industry, the scheme is contributing to Victoria's target of diverting 80 per cent of all material away from landfill by 2030 and represents a significant milestone in our journey towards a circular economy, which commits to reusing and regenerating materials and products. 

Through the partnership, CDS Vic and AFL Victoria will work to incentivise local football clubs which recycle, and in return, raise funds for their community clubs by onboarding Victoria’s 1,040 clubs as official donation partners.

Head of AFL Victoria, Greg Madigan, expressed his excitement to be partnering with CDS Vic to create a positive environmental impact whilst providing clubs with additional funding opportunities. 

“Local footy clubs are the heartbeat of communities across Victoria and any program that will help clubs raise funds while having a positive impact on the environment is great for the grassroots game, which is one of the reasons why the partnership with CDS Vic has so much potential.

“The process of recycling eligible containers in return for refunds is a fantastic opportunity for our local clubs and their communities. Having both a positive impact on the natural environment, as well as on the health and sustainability of their footy club is a great outcome.

“Many clubs are ready to jump in and join the charge diverting eligible containers from your club canteens or events into the Container Deposit Scheme. We look forward to supporting clubs right around the state in their fundraising efforts.”

VicReturn’s Acting CEO Megan Toose said the partnership will help the scheme to grow across metro and regional Victoria. 

"Footy clubs are like the glue in their local community so it makes sense to grow our scheme with AFL Victoria.

“We are already hearing from participating clubs that the scheme has been a boon for their fundraising efforts as well as diverting waste from their local landfill. I am excited to see what we can achieve together over the next three years.”

How local football clubs in Victoria can get involved and raise funds

Victorian local footy clubs wanting to register as a donation partner can do so today via cdsvic.org.au/fundraising, which has the step-by-step guide for clubs to follow. 

Latest News