AFL Barwon is proud to announce the expansion of the All Abilities Football participation pathway within the Barwon region.

Building on the success of the inaugural Kardinia Park Stadium Trust AFL Barwon All Abilities Football Netball League season, commencing in 2023, the 2024 season started in incredibly fashion with Round 1 of the Senior division, being played under lights at GMHBA Stadium on Saturday 27th May 2024.

This evening offered an exceptional opportunity for All Abilities Footballers from the Clubs of Bell Park FNC, Geelong West FNC, Newcomb FNC & St. Joseph’s FNC, to pull on their Club colours in front of a crowd over a 1,000 spectators throughout the evening.

Today’s announcement builds on this inaugural season, and cements a participation pathway that provides equitable and complete opportunities for more members of our local community. The establishment of a Youth All Abilities Football competition, commencing in late June 2024 will provide more participants the opportunity to play Football, within their local community.

The competition in 2024 will run for four-weeks, and provide a positive, safe and inclusive immersion to community football, for many who haven’t play nor had the opportunity to participate previously. In 2025, this Youth competition will expand to provide more game time opportunity for all participants.

This pathway expansion would not be possible without the support of the Victorian Government through Sport & Recreation Victoria funding that has supported AFL Victoria, in partnership with AFL Barwon, to deliver this participation opportunity. This funding supports those with an intellectual disability, to ensure equitable opportunities are possible throughout our region

The immediate expansion of this participation pathway is to provide sustainability support and growth opportunities to the successful inaugural All Abilities FNL and ensure the Barwon region offers equitable opportunities for All Abilities Footballers, across all age groups.

AFL Barwon is extremely grateful of the support from AFL Victoria and Leisure Networks, who have tirelessly contributed to developing this significant pathway expansion, to ensure that more equitable opportunities within our local community.

Read the full media release here

For more information, please visit www.aflbarwon.com.au/all-abilities-clubs.

The AFL Barwon Commission delivers this release, to provide an update for all interested parties within the Football & Netball communities of the Barwon region, with particular emphasis on the future of the Bellarine FNL.  

In-line with the New Club Entry application process that closed on 24 April 2024, AFL Barwon firstly received an application from Surf Coast FNC for entry into the Bellarine FNL. As part of an extensive review of Surf Coast FNC’s application, several face-to-face engagements have transpired, with one final engagement scheduled to take place on Monday night (May 27).

All Bellarine FNL Clubs have been invited to attend a meeting with AFL Barwon on Wednesday 29^th May to be provided with a secondary consultation opportunity (following the most recent on April 22), following the conclusion of AFL Barwon’s engagement with Surf Coast FNC. This opportunity for Bellarine FNL Clubs to be engaged is pivotal to the success and future of the League, and AFL Barwon is looking forward to this evening.

As part of the New Club Entry application process that closed on 24 April 2024, AFL Barwon also received a second application from a Club within the AFL Barwon region. As part of an extensive review of this Club’s application, including several face-to-face engagements, the Club has opted to withdraw its application for entry into the Bellarine FNL for 2025. AFL Barwon is supportive of this withdrawal noting the Club did not meet all four pillars of entry criteria – Facilities, Financials, Participation and Club Development. 

Following this withdrawal, the Club has requested continued confidentiality noting the public significance and attention with originally expressing an interest in moving leagues, within the local community. AFL Barwon respects this request and will continue to honour this, noting the conclusion of their application process.

AFL Barwon looks forward to concluding the New Club Entry application review process for Surf Coast FNC, to provide certainty and a future for their Football & Netball programs, as well as certainty on the future of the Bellarine FNL. Any change is significant and the AFL Barwon Commission is grateful for the ongoing engagement of all stakeholders, in ensuring that equitable opportunities for participation and sustainability continue to be prioritised within the Barwon region.

Colac's Zachary Zdybel and St Mary's Harry Benson lead the 2024 Geelong Advertiser Coaches Player of the Year award.

Find out all the coaches votes from round 5 the Geelong Football Netball League.

Local Indigenous artist and Belmont Lions FNC Footballer, Yalanda Neal has added an extra special touch to AFL Barwon Indigenous Round with Indigenous artwork on the match balls.

Yalanda has created a design called the "Wadawurrung Indigenous Story" that has been printed on the playing footballs for all Senior Male and Female Football and A-Grade player Netballs for AFL Barwon Indigenous Round.

The story and the meaning behind design in Yalanda's words is featured below. 

Wadawurrung Indigenous Story

The inner circle represents your sports team, the outer circle represents all those that bring the team together; coaches, team managers and supporters.

The third blue layer represents our waters, rivers and oceans of Wadawurrung Country. The outer and green dots represents the bushlands of Wadawurrung Country and that's to acknowledge the land on which we play sport on.

The emu, kangaroo tracks and path represents the journey, training & commitment players take to make their team & play every weekend.

I also pay my respects to my Gunditjmara and Waddawurung linage & connections in which also play a huge role in the stories I create as that is who I am and also connected to, especially being born and raised on Waddawurung country. 

Painting for me has always been a way to feel connected to my Arrernte linage when I don’t have the opportunity to be on Arrernte country everyday, though I’m grateful to be born and raised on one of my countries, painting is what keeps my heart close to my grandmother & to the desert, and to be able to express and tell my own stories where words can’t, and I grateful for that.

AFL Barwon will hold our Indigenous Round Launch at Narana Aboriginal Cultural Centre on Monday May 6th with Yalanda headlining the guest speakers at this event discussing the Wadawurrung Indigenous Story.

To RSVP to this free event, please go to https://forms.gle/ETocfhFfM6kWLHXg7