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MEDIA RELEASE - 2023 Dow Bellarine Football Netball League Fixture Released

AFL Barwon is excited to announce the Dow Bellarine Football Netball League fixture for the 2023 season.

The 2023 season kicks off on April 1st with repeats of both last season’s A-Grade and Senior Football Preliminary Finals. Torquay host Ocean Grove in the twilight timeslot, while Drysdale takes on Barwon Heads at Mortimer Reserve.

The Round 2 Easter fixtures has two games on Good Friday with Queenscliff heading to Torquay and Modewarre hosting Geelong Amateurs.

Other key fixture highlights include:

  • Round 4 – Traditional ANZAC Day fixture between Drysdale & Portarlington.
  • Round 4 – Ocean Grove host Geelong Amateurs in a repeat of the 2022 A-Grade Grand Finalists.
  • Round 5 - Torquay take on 2022 Senior Premiers Barwon Heads.
  • Round 6 – First edition of the “Battle of the Bridge” for 2023 with Round 13 hosting the return fixture.

The full 2023 Dow Bellarine Football Netball League season fixture can be found HERE.

The 2023 Blood Toyota Geelong Football Netball League and Colac & District Football Netball League fixtures will be released over the next two weeks.

Modewarre champion reaches 300 matches

Born and bred in Moriac, Modewarre champion Josh Finch first began playing for the club when he was just seven years old. He went on to play senior football at the premature age of 17 and was made vice-captain of the team 5 years later, where in which he had an eight-year reign.

Despite plans to make the jump to the victorious South Barwon in 2014 during a time when Modewarre were looking to finish low on the ladder, Finch is forever grateful that his loyalty won when a friend encouraged him not to “jump on a train that is already full steam ahead” and to stay at Modewarre and really make a difference. Finch and his team went on to win a premiership only a few years later. Now aged 36, he has remained a one-club player for his entire football career, celebrating his 300th game this weekend.

Former long-serving Modewarre Club President Michael Fitzgerald describes Finch as a player that is “a true student of the game” and has always been driven to improve. Explaining that he prepares, plays, and recovers more professionally than any country league player that he has come across, Fitzgerald says that there has “never been a lightbulb moment that transformed Josh, he just simply has worked tirelessly to better himself”.

Finch has not only been a captain and a coach during his time at Modewarre but has also always shown interest in the junior selection of the club, including the last 3 years as Auskick coach. To go with his four Les Ash Medal and nine club Best and Fairest awards, Finch has represented Vic Country three times and was part of the BFNL Interleague program on seven occasions. Fitzgerald believes that Finch’s glowing record “speaks for itself, he is simply the best. He has been the most loyal player of not only Modewarre, but of the league in its history.” Solidifying himself as arguably one of the best players to have competed in the BFNL, Finch was also ranked fourth in the 2021 Geelong Advertiser’s “Best 50 Players in the 50 Years of the Bellarine FNL”.

After winning the 2016 Les Ash Medal, Finch acknowledged the achievement as something he will “look back on once his footy career is finished”. He expressed that “there are so many great players in this competition [the BFNL]” and that some of them will never even win an Ash Medal. This emphasises Finch’s understanding of the significance of these awards when it comes to individual success as a community footballer. 

Finch’s long-time friend and teammate, John Meesen, provided AFL Barwon with an insight into Finch’s early days as a Bellarine footballer. Meesen and Finch played all their junior football together but went their separate ways during senior football, where Meesen spent time in the AFL system. When discussing Finch’s early career, Meesen noted that his rise as a Bellarine FNL star only started in his late teens. Explaining that “he wasn’t an elite junior or anything”, Meesen marked Finch's turning point as when he “decided to get super fit around 17-18" and “really began excelling”. This method of hard work combined with desire that Finch began to develop in his late teens became a trademark of his career success. Meesen believes that “what separates him is that desire to get the very best of himself” and that Finch would be the “first to say he got where he is now through hard work and determination rather than God-given talent”.

Meesen ultimately coached Modewarre to Senior Football success when they won the 2018 Bellarine FNL Premiership. Despite always remaining incredibly humble, Meesen expressed that team success has always remained at the forefront for Finch and that the achievement in 2018 was “pretty special for everyone, but none more than him”.

Although Finch’s success is attributed to his immense hard work determination, it also couldn’t have been done without the unwavering support of his children and wife Emma, who also happens to be a talented netballer at Modewarre that Finch met in his teens. The success of the Finch family at Modewarre is something that may not ever be seen again in community sport and is widely admired by the Bellarine FNL community.

Congratulations Josh Finch on an outstanding 300 games!

 

No photo description available.

 

Authors: Cam Sheehan & Sean Atkinson

Sources:

Michael Fitzgerald, Modewarre Football Netball Former Club President (Interview)

John Meesen, Modewarre Football Netball Club Former Player & Coach (Interview)

Ratcliffe, D. (2019) BFL 2019: Modewarre champ Josh Finch looks back on stellar career, Geelong Advertiser.

Netball Victoria Umpire Workshops and Development Opportunities

Please see below the list of upcoming umpire workshops and development opportunities that Netball Victoria are running in our region.

 

MENTOR WORKSHOP

Focuses on the mentor/mentee relationship and responsibilities, constructive feedback skills, the do’s and don’ts of mentoring, and expectations of beginner umpires.

Sunday 29 January

Kardinia Park, Geelong

5:00pm-7:00pm

Register here https://vic.netball.com.au/events#149

 

YOUR DECISION COUNTS

Covers topics such as Contact vs Contest, Obstruction and Advantage, bio-mechanics, and how positioning and vision effect decision making.

Friday 3 February

5:15pm-7:15pm

Kardinia Park, Geelong

Register here https://vic.netball.com.au/events#149

 

INTRODUCTION TO UMPIRING

Learn the basic characteristics of becoming an umpire, using your whistle and hand signals effectively, infringements and sanctions, and positioning on the court.

Wednesday 1 March

4:45pm-6:45pm

Kardinia Park, Geelong

Register here https://vic.netball.com.au/events#149

 

MENTOR WORKSHOP

Focuses on the mentor/mentee relationship and responsibilities, constructive feedback skills, the do’s and don’ts of mentoring, and expectations of beginner umpires.

Wednesday 8 March

6:00pm-8:00pm

Kardinia Park, Geelong

Register here https://vic.netball.com.au/events#149

 

MENTOR WORKSHOP

Focuses on the mentor/mentee relationship and responsibilities, constructive feedback skills, the do’s and don’ts of mentoring, and expectations of beginner umpires.

Friday 31 March

6:00pm-8:00pm

Kardinia Park, Geelong

Register here: https://vic.netball.com.au/events#149

 

INTRODUCTION TO UMPIRING

Learn the basic characteristics of becoming an umpire, using your whistle and hand signals effectively, infringements and sanctions, and positioning on the court.

Wednesday 5 April

4:45pm-6:45pm

Kardinia Park, Geelong

Register here https://vic.netball.com.au/events#149

 

Save the dates – confirmation and registration links available soon.

Game and Match Management - Geelong, Friday 5 May

Game and Match Management - Colac, Tuesday 9 May

Netball Victoria Upcoming Development Coaching Course

Please see below upcoming date for Development Coaching Course being ran in our region. 

DEVELOPMENT COACHING ACCREDITATION COURSE – Practical Component

Saturday 18 February

Wurdi Baierr Stadium, Torquay
12:30pm-5pm

Register here: https://vic.netball.com.au/events#148

 

This course has pre-requisites and more detail can be found https://vic.netball.com.au/how-become-coach-accreditation

Use this link to assist in finding the course to register: https://support.netball.com.au/hc/en-au/articles/4408375692825-Enrolling-in-a-Course-or-Accreditation

Ocean Grove & Barwon Heads swap home games

Barwon Heads and Ocean Grove have confirmed hosting arrangements for two key matches for the upcoming season, with venue changes required due to upcoming infrastructure works.

Barwon Heads will host the Round 11 match on Saturday, 13 June at Howard Harmer Oval, providing the club with the opportunity to play at home before major redevelopment works commence.

Ocean Grove will then host the Round 20 match on Saturday, 22 August at Shell Road Recreation Reserve.

Barwon Heads Football Netball Club’s facilities are scheduled to undergo significant reconstruction from mid-June 2026. As a result, the club will not have access to its rooms from that point onward, creating logistical challenges in hosting home games for the remainder of the season.

The adjusted venue arrangements ensure continuity of the competition while allowing essential facility upgrades to progress. 

The updated version of the 2026 Dow Bellarine Football Netball League Fixture can be found here.

Latest News

Pickard scores perfect game | Round 11 BFNL Geelong Advertiser Coaches Votes

Portarlington's Kelly Pickard continued his outstanding form this season with a 10-vote game in the Demon's third win. The yoyo at the top between Geelong Amateurs teammates, Riley Ferguson & Patrick Dowling continued with Ferguson moving back to the top of the leaderboard.

The votes from Round 11 and the overall leaderboard can be found below.

Round 11

Anglesea v Barwon Heads

8 Jack Rice (Anglesea)

7 Noah Collins (Anglesea)

4 Noah McGregor-Dawson (Anglesea)

4 Kallum Hinchcliffe (Barwon Heads)

3 Ryley Stuhldreier (Barwon Heads)

2 James Syddall (Barwon Heads)

2 Will Batson (Anglesea)

Drysdale v Torquay

9 Oscar Lewis (Torquay)

8 Ben McNamara (Torquay)

4 Jack Thompson (Torquay)

3 Jesse Dawson (Torquay)

3 Sheldon Ham (Torquay)

2 Jack Jenkins (Drysdale)

1 Charlie Ham (Torquay)

Geelong Amateur v Modewarre

9 Riley Ferguson (Geelong Amateur)

5 Michael Harper (Modewarre)

4 Oscar Cooke (Modewarre)

4 Samuel Bain (Geelong Amateur)

3 Harry Kershaw (Geelong Amateur)

3 Matt Farrelly (Modewarre)

1 Tom Zeitz (Geelong Amateur)

1 Tom Hornsey (Modewarre) 

Newcomb v Portarlington

10 Kelly Pickard (Portarlington)

4 Mitchell Turbull (Portarlington)

4 Max Ruiter (Portarlington)

3 Jude Poyser (Newcomb)

3 Jack Duke (Newcomb)

2 Jarrad Stafford (Newcomb)

2 Daniel Riosa (Portarlington)

1 Teia Miles (Portarlington)

1 Dylan O’Brien (Portarlington)

Queenscliff v Ocean Grove

7 Zac Henderson (Queenscliff)

6 Benjamin Bennett (Ocean Grove)

5 Brady Pritchard (Ocean Grove)

4 Max Sutton (Ocean Grove)

3 Glenn Campbell (Ocean Grove)

2 Lachie Kidd (Queenscliff)

2 Che Durran (Queenscliff)

1 Jye Walker (Ocean Grove)

 Round 11 Leaderboard

57 Riley Ferguson (Geelong Amateur)

50 Patrick Dowling (Geelong Amateur)

41 Matthew Boag (Torquay)

41 Ryley Stuhldreier (Barwon Heads)

40 Luke Preece (Drysdale)

40 Blake Sutterby (Geelong Amateur)

39 Kelly Pickard (Portarlington)

The Geelong Advertiser Coaches Player of the Year is an award voted by each Senior coach on a 5,4,3,2,1 basis after each home and away game, acknowledging outstanding effort by an individual player in a season.

There are individual awards for the Bellarine FNL Seniors, Geelong FNL Seniors, and the Division 1 Senior Female Football competitions.

Latest News

SEN Geelong to broadcast the Bellarine Senior Football Grand Final

AFL Barwon is thrilled to announce a landmark partnership with Sports Entertainment Network (SEN) to broadcast the 2024 Dow Bellarine Football Netball League Senior Football Grand Final live from Leopold Memorial Park. This exciting collaboration marks a significant moment for local football, offering unprecedented exposure and coverage for one of the most popular days on the AFL Barwon calendar.

Securing SEN, a leading voice in sports broadcasting across Australia, to call the Bellarine FNL Senior Grand Final is a huge coup for the entire AFL Barwon region. The live broadcast will bring the atmosphere and intensity of the day and will showcase the exceptional talent and community connections that defines the Bellarine FNL.

AFL Barwon Regional General Manager, Edward Wilson, expressed his excitement about the partnership, saying, "This is a monumental step forward for our league and community. Having SEN on board to broadcast the Senior Male Football Grand Final, not only elevates the status of this League and the BFNL Clubs, but also recognises the strength that our region presents across the state of Victoria".

Sam Thompson, Group Radio Director, Sports Entertainment Network said “We are excited to strengthen our partnership with AFL Barwon for the BFNL Grand Final 2024. This collaboration is a testament to our dedication to bringing premier sports coverage to local communities. Through SEN’s extensive network of regional stations and digital platforms, we are committed to delivering comprehensive and engaging content that brings the excitement of the BFNL Grand Final to fans everywhere. Partnering with AFL Barwon allows us to elevate the game-day experience for all, whether they are in the stands or following the action from afar.”

Listeners will be able to tune in via SEN Geelong station on SEN’s iPhone and Android app with the simulcast and live stream of the match being available on AFL Barwon TV. This will allow the 2024 Dow Bellarine FNL Senior Grand Final reach greater audiences.

AFL Barwon is proud to bring this exceptional coverage to the wider community and looks forward to a thrilling Grand Final event at Leopold, made even more special by SEN’s involvement.

 

To download the SEN App, simply click on the relevant app store

Download the iOS app - https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/sen-1116/id1147923999?mt=8

Download the Android app - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.deepend.sen&hl=en

Latest News

Smith, Dowling and Fennell secure maximum votes | BFNL Round 6 Coaches Votes

There were three perfect games according to the Bellarine coaches this week with Lachlan Smith, Ben Fennell and Patrick Dowling also securing 10 votes. 
 
Dowling's 10 votes keeps him at the top of the leader board as a third of the season passes in the BFNL.
 

Check out all the coaches votes from Round 6 the Bellarine Football Netball League.

Barwon Heads v Portarlington

5 Tom Swift (Barwon Heads)

5 Luke Davis (Barwon Heads)

4 Ryley Stuhldreier (Barwon Heads)

4 Teia Miles (Portarlington)

3 Reid Adams (Barwon Heads)

3 James Syddall (Barwon Heads)

2 Charlie Perks (Barwon Heads)

2 Dylan O’Brien (Portarlington)

1 Archie Hildebrandt (Barwon Heads)

1 Charlie Hurst (Barwon Heads)

Drysdale v Queenscliff

10 Ben Fennell (Drysdale)

8 Luke Preece (Drysdale)

4 Flynn Chirgwin (Drysdale)

4 Jack Preece (Drysdale)

3 Jordan McGivor Clark (Queenscliff)

1 Caleb Whitley (Queenscliff)

Geelong Amateur v Ocean Grove

10 Patrick Dowling (Geelong Amateur)

8 Riley Ferguson (Geelong Amateur)

3 Max Sutton (Ocean Grove)

3 Tom Zeitz (Geelong Amateur)

3 Blake Sutterby (Geelong Amateur)

2 Tom Gribble (Geelong Amateur)

1 Brady Pritchard (Ocean Grove)

Newcomb v Anglesea

10 Lachlan Smith (Anglesea)

7 Jordan Keras (Anglesea)

4 Jack Rice (Anglesea)

4 James Carr (Anglesea)

3 Ryan Jackman (Newcomb)

2 Peter Gordon (Newcomb)

Torquay v Modewarre

8 Sheldon Ham (Torquay)

7 Oscar Lewis (Torquay)

5 Matt Farrelly (Modewarre)

4 Matt Boag (Torquay)

2 Baxter Anderson (Modewarre)

2 Weylin Doyle (Torquay)

1 Tom Grace (Torquay)

1 Baxter Mensch (Torquay)

Round 6 Leaderboard

37 Patrick Dowling (Geelong Amateur)

32 Riley Ferguson (Geelong Amateur)

31 Luke Preece (Drysdale)

27 Blake Sutterby (Geelong Amateur)

26 Matthew Boag (Torquay)

20 Ryley Stuhldreier (Barwon Heads)

The Geelong Advertiser Coaches Player of the Year is an award voted by each Senior coach on a 5,4,3,2,1 basis after each home and away game, acknowledging outstanding effort by an individual player in a season.

There are individual awards for the Bellarine FNL Seniors, Geelong FNL Seniors, and the Division 1 Senior Female Football competitions.

Latest News