AFL Barwon wishes to congratulate the following athletes who were identified to trial for the 2025 Talent Academy from the Bellarine FNL, Geelong FNL and Colac & District FNL Representative squads. 

Bellarine Football Netball League

Isla Cuddy (Drysdale)

Coco Hayes (Torquay)

Sienna McGinness (Torquay)

Abhi Sanjeev (Ocean Grove)

Molly Slavinskis (Barwon Heads)

Sophie Taylor (Geelong Amateur)

Geelong Football Netball League

Maya Corrigan (South Barwon)

Isabella Gill (Geelong West)

Leni Hepburn (South Barwon)

Indi Madden (Geelong West)

Lucy Nwankwo (South Barwon)

Lily Sherman (South Barwon)

Colac & District Football Netball League

Emmy Frith (Irrewarra-Beeac)

Ruby Hall (Irrewarra-Beeac)

Isabel Perkins (Colac Imperials)

For more information on the Netball Victoria 2025 Talent Academies, simply go to https://vic.netball.com.au/talent-identification-program

The Annual AFL Barwon's Pride Round takes place this weekend across football and netball clubs at community grounds throughout the Barwon region. The Pride Round in the AFL Barwon region has had a profound impact on the local community. It has provided a platform for LGBTQ+ athletes and supporters to feel seen and valued, reducing stigma and offering a more inclusive environment through the representation of vibrant rainbow colours and a powerful message of inclusivity.

This weekend is dedicated to celebrating and recognising the contributions of the LGBTIQA+ community within our region and at our clubs. The acknowledgement of Pride in the AFL Barwon region started in 2018 with a key working party made up of LGBTQ+ leaders from the Geelong community, with investment and assistance from the Geelong Cats.

The concept of the Pride Cup was first delivered in 2014, inspired by Jason Ball, an openly gay Australian rules footballer. Ball’s experiences of discrimination and the lack of visibility for LGBTQ+ athletes in sports led him to advocate for a dedicated event that would promote inclusivity and respect. The inaugural Pride Cup was held in Yarra Glen, Victoria, where Ball played, marking a pivotal moment in Australian sports history. The AFL Barwon Clubs and community have embraced the initiative, recognizing the importance of promoting diversity within its community.

The initial Pride Cup in the AFL Barwon region was held between the Newtown & Chilwell Football Netball Club and Leopold Football Netball Club. This event marked a significant step towards inclusivity, featuring rainbow-themed apparel, rainbow painted 50m arcs, educational workshops, and speeches from prominent LGBTQ+ advocates. The event received widespread support from the local community, highlighting the region's commitment to equality in sports.

The AFL Barwon clubs have continued to embrace and celebrate Pride Round which has grown over the years. The strongest support has been through our Female Football Clubs who have become key participants in the round. St Mary’s, Grovedale and Drysdale all embraced Pride Round matches very early on, further embedding the values of inclusivity and respect within the regional sports culture.

When Pride Round resumed following the interrupted seasons, it was certainly met with greater support and involvement by the AFL Barwon clubs. The AFL Barwon region saw an increase in participation, with more clubs and community members engaging in the celebration of diversity. The events became larger and more inclusive, greater club pride representation on apparel, and broader media coverage, reinforcing the Pride Cup’s importance within the regional sports calendar.

The 2024 Pride Round will see marquees matches in the Senior Female Competitions involving Grovedale and St Mary’s, Anglesea and Geelong West, Thomson and Geelong Amateurs, Newtown & Chilwell and Drysdale, and, Grovedale and Belmont. There were 5 clubs who were successful in receiving a grant from Pride Cup to cover essential event expenses, such as Pride uniforms, guest speakers, food and beverages, and entertainment. This has provided a further opportunity to increase celebration, awareness and education for these clubs and their members.

AFL Barwon welcomes all clubs to get involved this weekend in celebrating Pride Round and spreading the key messages throughout the community.

AUTHOR: MARGIE SAUNDERS - AFL VICTORIA

78-year-old Geoff Coghill has been a true stalwart of the AFL Barwon football region, umpiring 1500 games over nearly 60 years!

Geoff began umpiring in 1965 in Geelong and has continued through to 2024 despite having never played a game of football himself. He was encouraged by a friend’s father to try umpiring, and he quickly fell in love with it. Geoff has three daughters, who never played football either, but would often watch his games from the sidelines and have been heavily involved in the social aspect of the local footy community all these years.

Geoff has umpired across the Colac and District, Geelong, Hampden, Western Plains and Heytesbury Mount Noorat Football Leagues over his six-decade umpiring career and remains in Colac where he hit the milestone of 1500 games on May 26 at Gellibrand Reserve in the Otway District.

Geoff was awarded Life Membership to the Colac and District Football Umpires Association in 1982 and received an Australia Day award in 2016 for Sporting Service of the Year in the Colac Shire.

Geoff has worked his whole life as an optician, making eyeglasses for a living, which has led to some comical scenes on the footy field when spectators have been unhappy with a decision and told him to get himself a pair of his own glasses to see better!

His daughter Shelley described his umpiring style as firm, but very fair, and said he has umpired hundreds of juniors, reserves and seniors’ games including many grand finals.

“Hitting the 1000 game and 1200 game milestones where highlights for Dad, but this 1500 game milestone takes the cake as his proudest umpiring achievement,” she said.

“He has said he might finally retire now!”.

AFL Barwon Regional Manager, Edward Wilson commended Geoff on his achievement and his dedication to umpiring.

“Geoff’s achievement is testament to his passion, commitment and expertise to the discipline of umpiring,” he said.

“Through Geoff’s tenure as an umpire, he’s inspired and supported many within the umpiring fraternity and an achievement of this magnitude, will continue to be a source of immense inspiration for all within our community”.

AFL Victoria’s Local Legends initiative aims to recognise the local heroes who are the lifeblood of their local clubs and communities.

Whether it be a coach, player, umpire, local business owner, administrator or volunteer, AFL Victoria wants to celebrate the people who are the backbone of community football clubs. Community football clubs simply could not survive without those who are willing to show up each weekend and make sure that the game goes ahead, crowds are well fed, players are supported and success is enjoyed.

Nominees for the AFL Victoria Local Legends initiative can be anyone who is involved in a community football club in any capacity, whether it be paid or unpaid, directly related to the game or a behind-the-scenes super star, these legends are who make community football what it is.

Do you know someone with a great story like Geoff's? Nominate them now 

A significant hurdle in facilitating football umpiring within the AFL Barwon Region has been successfully overcome with the inauguration of a new satellite training facility in Drysdale for the upcoming 2024 season. This latest development marks a pivotal milestone, as it not only addresses the logistical challenges faced by umpires but also underscores a commitment to enhancing accessibility and convenience for umpires residing in the Bellarine Peninsula and surrounding suburbs.

The establishment of this new training venue offers convenience and efficiency for current umpires, who can now benefit from the proximity of a dedicated facility in their local area. By bringing training closer to home, the initiative not only streamlines the logistical aspects of preparation but also fosters a stronger sense of community engagement among umpires and enthusiasts alike.

The strategic placement of the Drysdale satellite venue not only provides options, but also serves as a catalyst for new umpires, talent development and retention. AFL Barwon football participation numbers continue to grow across the region, however with growth requires more umpires to officiate the matches.

AFL Barwon Regional General Manager, Edward Wilson, emphasized the significance of the newly established venue, stating, “The establishment of this umpiring program is testament to a continued commitment to underpin the growth in umpiring numbers, with programs that support development, recruitment and retention”.

“We’re extremely grateful for the support of this vision from Drysdale and thank all involved for their collective contributions to the implementation of this program”.

The surrounding clubs have outlined their excitement for the benefits that will arise for their communities.  

President of Drysdale FC, Trevor Hume expressed his gratitude of the support to get the satellite venue off the ground.

"Drysdale Hawks are grateful for AFL Barwon's support of the launch of our umpire academy.  It has been two years in the making, having trialled the program last year with huge success. The AFL Barwon satellite umpire training venue offers to support the recruitment and retention of umpires in our region. We would welcome anyone 13 years an older to be involved".

We are always looking for new umpires to take up the whistle.

To join the AFL Barwon Umpires, simply click here to get in contact with the This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..